Nigerian Football

NFF CONGRESS MOVES TO CHANGE ADMINISTRATIVE CALENDAR

Published

7 years ago

October 19, 2017

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

An adjustment is in the offing in the administrative calendar of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

This follows an adoption of a motion of the NFF Congress that sat in Jos on Thursday to the effect that future elective Congresses of the federation be moved away from the FIFA World Cup year.

That was one of the high points of the communiqué issued at the end of the congress that held in a city where numerous football-related litigations had taken place in the past three years.

According to the communiqué, the 2017 congress is the opinion that stability in the system would be guaranteed in the preparation of the Super Eagles for credible participation at the finals, “and avoid the distractions and crises usually associated with the World Cup year”.

What this means is that the regime that emerges in the next NFF election which is fixed for September 30, 2018 may either have a three-year tenure or five-year tenure for the new motion to be effected.

On September 30, it will be exactly four years that the current board was elected in Warri.

Sports Village Square notes that the cycle of elective congress falling into World Cup year began in 2006 after the previous year’s election was hotly disputed leading to FIFA’s intervention and subsequently asking for fresh election in 2006, the year of the Germany 2006 World Cup.

Failure of Nigeria to qualify and the widely credited statement of “the World Cup is not Nigeria’s birthright” aggrieved many citizens and football stakeholders to the point that the Ministry of Sports had to invalidate his re-election in an election held in his native Kano on November 29, 2005.

Had the election stood, he would have been the first to hold a back-to-back tenure in football administration since 1980 when Sunday Dankaro had the longest tenure that began in 1974.

Sports Village Square recalls that the World Cup has spelt doom for the two regimes that succeeded Ibrahim Galadima.

Sani Ahmed Lulu was impeached by the board following inside intrigues, dispute with the Federal Government constituted President Task Force and the poor outing of Nigeria at the 2010 World Cup.

Upon return from the South Africa 2010 World Cup, he was impeached and Aminu Maigari stepped in on an acting capacity before winning election few weeks later. He was to suffer the same fate after the Brazil 2014 World Cup.

For the election expected to hold next year, in Katsina, the NFF composed a new electoral board comprising: Mohammed Sani Katu, Sani Salawu, S.C.A. Umeha, Olusola Oke and Mohammed Manzo, The NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi will be the secretary of the electoral committee. On standby in the committee are Isong Isang and Mohammed Aliyu Sambo.

In a similar vein, an Electoral Appeal Committee was constituted comprising A. U. Mustapha, Mojeed Adegbindin and Gbwen Alex Gbejule. The secretary will be provided by the NFF Secretariat. On standby are Sir Emma Ochiagha and Mohammed Zanna Mala.

The communiqué by the NFF General Assembly added that the election would hold subject to any amendments to the Statutes in view of the coming NFF Bill.

Nigerian Football

GTI enlarges coast…spreads from League fund-raising to Federation Cup

Published

4 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Kunle Solaja

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Strategic partners of the Nigeria Football Federation, GTI Asset Management and Trust Ltd has expanded their scope of operations from fund sourcing for the Nigeria Premier League to adding the responsibility of getting the national cup competition back into its glamorous days.

The MD of the company, Abubakar Lawal at the unveiling a revamped Federation Cup which has been renamed President Federation Cup remarked that his company decided to take a bold step to support the national cup.

“I am the happiest man today, he said in the opening remark of the rebranding of the national cup through signing of Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Sports and the NFF.

“Our company is also strategically involved in ensuring that the President Federation Cup is given necessary attention to thrive using The Nigeria Football Fund (TNFF) as our vehicle to actualise this dream.

“Therefore, it is our vision that the oldest domestic football event becomes one of the best organised football events in the world in no distant future.”

Nigerian Football

Ikenne’s Beyond Limit Football Academy top goal chart as NNL releases vital statistics

Published

2 days ago

April 18, 2024

Kunle Solaja

The secretariat of the Nigeria National League has released the match statistics of the four conferences of the 2024 season.

With 198 matches so far played in Conferences A and B, 426 goals were scored, with 125 home wins and 26 away wins, representing 63.1%, & 26% respectively. There were 47 draw matches, representing 23.7% of matches. 299 home goals were scored, and 127 home goals.

Beyond Limit FC scored the highest goals of 33 goals, with Stormers FC and Ekiti United conceeding the least goals of 28 goals. Tradesafe and Solution FC scored the least numbers of goals of 11 goals and Osun conceded the least numbers of goals of 8.

In group C & D, 209 goals have been scored in the 106 so far played, with 70 home wins and 14 won away representing 66. 3% and 13.1% respectively.

Teams drew 31 matches representing 29.2% of the matches played. Wikki Tourists scored the highest numbers of goals, with 23 goals, while EFCC FC conceded the least numbers of goals. They conceded 18 goals. Nasarawa United’s 8 goals conceded made them the team that conceded the lowest numbers of goals, while ABS scored the least number of goals of 5 goals.

Nigerian Football

Heartland back to their homeland as they host Shooting Stars

Published

2 days ago

April 18, 2024

Kunle Solaja

BY TOSIN OMOJOLA, OWERRI

The uncertainty surrounding our Matchday 31 encounter against Heartland FC of Owerri, has been cleared with the game eventually slated to hold at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, the home ground of the host team

The Nigeria Premier League has given the approval to the stadium after an inspection was carried out on Wednesday afternoon.

The Oluyole Warriors have since arrived the Imo State capital and have settled down ahead of Friday’s clash which will be be shown live on cable television.

Meanwhile, the Technical Adviser of the Ibadan soccer lords, Gbenga Ogunbote, while addressing the players on arrival at their hotel, urged them not to be distracted by the development.

“I want to apologise to you on the change of venue. We got to know about it some hours ago, but be that as it may, I want us to remain focused as and get the desired results we needed”.

In the same vein, the players of the Ibadan soccer lords, said they are not in any way moved by the change of venue, expressing their readiness to get the maximum points, not minding the venue.