Nigerian Football
NIGERIA’S NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HOLDS PUBLIC HEARING ON FOOTBALL GOVERNING BODY
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
The public hearing on the bill formally establishing the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) comes up on Wednesday at the National Assembly complex in Abuja. The NFF, previously known as the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), was founded on August 21, 1933 in Lagos. It lost its autonomy on May 10, 1962 when a hitherto privately run body was dissolved by Chief Joseph Modupe Johnson, the Minister of Labour and Welfare who was also in charge of sports.
He then announced the constitution of an eight-man board led by Louis Edet, the acting Deputy Inspector General of Police.
From that moment, membership of the football body was by government appointment until August 1993 when electoral process was reintroduced. Even then, the process has often hit turbulent weather.
In 1993, the pseudo election was guided by the NFA Decree 101 of 1992.
At the annual general meeting of the NFA in Markudi in 2008, the congress effected a change of name from NFA to NFF leading to frosty relationship with the then National Sports Commission. The name NFF was never recognised in governmental circle and the body had to draw money from government under its previous name of NFA.
But the logjam seemed broken when three years ago the Senate of Nigeria passed the Nigerian Football Association Act 2004 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill 2014.
The Nigerian House of Representatives (Committee on Sports) on Tuesday in a public advertisement, called on the general public for the hearing that will come up on Wednesday at the Conference room 028, New building of the Assembly complex in Abuja from 10 am.
In the paid advertisement signed by Rt. Hon Goni Bukar Lawan, the House Committee on Sports invited the general public and stakeholders for the bill for an act to repeal the Nigeria Football Association Act, CAP. N110, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and enact the Nigeria Football Federation Act to provide for the administration of the game of football in the country and other related matters.
Other bills for discussion includes an Act to establish the Nigeria Sports Anti-dropping Agency responsible for carrying out all functions of the Nigerian anti-doping organisation as enshrined in the various international standards and for other related matters.
The committee will also discuss the bill for an Act to provide for the administration and management of sports in the country, establishment of sports institutions and facilities, harness sports development and to encourage and promote drug-free sports and recreation in Nigeria and other related matters.
Nigerian Football
Financial rainfall awaits Nigeria’s Flamingos for every goal scored in Algeria

The Nigeria U17 women’s team has been given incentives to make it to the Women’s World Cup for the eighth time.
The team, Flamingos, who arrived in Algiers in the early hours of Wednesday aboard a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul, are highly inspired by the imminence of another FIFA World Cup ticket as well as further financial windfall from the Nigeria Football Federation and billionaire business mogul Kunle Soname.
Soname gifted the young players and their officials the sum of N4 million (one million naira for every goal) following their commanding win over the North Africans at the Remo Stars Stadium on Saturday, while the NFF gave out the sum of N2 million (five hundred thousand naira for every goal).
President of NFF, Ibrahim Musa Gusau and Soname have both confirmed that the same financial incentives are in place for the second leg in Blida on Friday.
“Our objective is clear – to win the FIFA World Cup ticket. That is the big motivation.
“Yet, we have been further incentivised by the monetary rewards. My girls will go all out on Friday night,” Head Coach Bankole Olowookere said.
Olowookere, who led the Flamingos to their last two World Cup ventures, will most likely rely on first-leg two-goal heroine Queen Joseph, lone-goal scorer Zainab Raji and Kaosarat Olanrewaju to start at the fore, with Shakirat Moshood, Muinat Rotimi and Philomena Isaiah supplying the passes from the midfield.
Goalkeeper and captain Christiana Uzoma and defenders Azeezat Oduntan, Hannah Ibrahim, Christiana Sunday and Jumai Adebayo are also likely to start.
The Confederation of African Football has selected Cameroonian official Marie Noelle Etong to be the referee, with her compatriots Marcelle Teikeu and Innocentia Ntangti as assistant referee 1 and fourth official, respectively, while Chadian Ngarassoum Victorine will be assistant referee 2.
Oumou Souleymane Kane from Mauritania will be the commissioner, and Sabelo Maphosa-Sibindi from Zimbabwe will be in the role of referee assessor.
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Nigerian Football
Former WAFU President, Ogufere mourns Christian Chukwu

Former president of the initially 15-member West African Football Union (WAFU), Chief Jonathan Boytie Ogufere, has expressed his heartfelt condolences over the recent death of former national team captain and coach, Christian ‘Chairman’ Chukwu.
He remarked that the erstwhile Enugu Rangers’ defence stalwart will ‘be dearly missed’. In a personally signed letter of condolence, Ogufere described Chukwu, who died on Saturday, April 12, in Enugu after a brief illness at 74, as a ‘hero of our time and a friend’.
The nonagenarian recalled with nostalgia how he nearly recruited the young Chukwu for his P & T Vasco da Gama Football Club of Enugu, adding he was impressed with how the ‘Field Marshal Christian Chukwuemeka ‘Chairman ‘ Chukwu (MFR), conducted himself throughout his career as he led both the national team, the then Green Eagles and his beloved Enugu Rangers to many conquests.
“I join numerous others to mourn the transition of the legendary Christian Chukwu, a hero of our time and friend,” the Ugbugba of Okpe Kingdom wrote.
“As one of the young academicals discovered after the end of the Civil War in 1970, I tried to enlist into my club, the P & T Vasco da Gama Football Club of Enugu but he was fair and frank in informing me that he had already joined Enugu Ranges Football Club, and I respected that attitude. From the rivalries between the two clubs, his exploits as a central defender were very visible.”
He continued: “Christian Chukwu emerged at the national level as a trustworthy and formidable captain of the national team who led by example.
“He was one of the heroes during the Golden age of Nigerian football when I was one of the Board Members of the Nigeria Football Association under the chairmanship of Chief Sunday Dankaro as Nigeria won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1980 for the first time where Christian Chukwu as captain of the Green Eagles was declared the best player of the tournament. He led the national team in several battles, which endeared him to millions of football lovers.
“After his playing days, he showed his talents through coaching in Nigeria and abroad.
“I express my sincere condolences to the family he left behind, the football family and the country in general. He will be dearly missed.
“May the good Lord grant his noble soul eternal rest,” he noted.
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Nigerian Football
Remo Stars maintain ‘7Up’ lead over Rivers United

Remo Stars are coasting to what will be their greatest moment ever, a win of the Nigeria Premier Football League title, as they recorded a 1-0 win over Shooting Stars in Ibadan in a match played behind closed doors.
In doing so, they achieved their sixth double of the season, having earlier beaten Shooting Stars in the first stanza of the league.
They maintained the seven-point lead over second-placed Rivers United, who also beat Sunshine Stars 1-0 in Port Harcourt.
After a ding-dong affair, Alex Oyowah scored the vital goal for Remo Stars from a right-wing cross from Ismail Sodiq.
In another match, Ikorodu City continued to work tenaciously to obtain a continental ticket as they held El Kanemi to a 1-1 draw.
SUNDAY RESULTS
- El Kanemi 1-1 Ikorodu City
- Niger Tornados 1-1 Bayelsa United
- Heartland 0-0 Kwara United
- Plateau United 1-0 Akwa United
- Rivers United 1-0 Sunshine Stars
- Shooting Stars 0-1 Remo Stars
- Bendel United 1-1 Nasarawa United
SATURDAY
- Katsina United 0-0 Abia Warriors
- Enyimba 2-1 Kano Pillars
- Lobi Stars 2-4 Enugu Rangers
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