Nigerian Football
NFF CALLS ON STAKEHOLDERS TO SHOW INTEREST IN STATE FA POLLS
First Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Seyi Akinwumi has made a clarion call on football stakeholders and enthusiasts to show greater interest in and strive to participate in the on-going electoral processes in the local councils and Football Associations of the 36 States and the FCT.
Speaking in Lagos on Wednesday, the respected legal practitioner with over 30 years in the bar said the realm is open for those who believe they possess great ideas on how to run the game to be involved in administration at local and State levels.
“Our dear country, Nigeria is blessed with multitudes that possess great ideas and ideals about how to run the game of football. These include the current FA Chairmen who I must say I am very proud of in the way they carry out the tenets of association football. The Councils and State Football election process is on now and the opportunity is there for everyone to get involved. It would be a dis-service to the system and to the game itself for people who have worthy and brilliant ideas to stay aloof.
“It is not rocket science. The guidelines are available at the offices of each State FA. People should go there, look at the guidelines and if they meet the requirements, vie for offices. It is from the local councils and State levels that people come to the national body, which is the Nigeria Football Federation.”
Akinwunmi, who is also the Chairman of the Lagos State Football Association and Member of the CAF Committee on Youth Competitions, said those who possess ideas on how to grow the game but refuses to be part of the electoral processes are not doing Nigerian Football any good.
“As Chairman of the Lagos State Football Association, who is also interested in contesting, I have been encouraging those who have much to offer to be part of the processes from the grassroots level, and then come to the State level and vie for positions in the Executive Committee.
“Some persons do not realize that they can actually effect changes by being part of the processes. It is not enough to stand aside and simply criticize the system. Get involved and try to get inside, and then float your ideas in a robust manner for everyone to see and take on board.”
Electoral processes are ongoing into the local football councils and Football Associations in the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory, with most of the States having already announced dates for their respective Elective Congresses.
TIMETABLE FOR STATE FA ELECTIONS
. Rivers State: Wednesday, 30th January 2019
. Kano State: Friday, 8th February 2019
. Niger State & Ekiti State: Saturday, 9th February 2019
. FCT: Monday, 11th February 2019
. Kebbi State: Tuesday, 12th February 2019
. Benue State, Zamfara State & Plateau State: Wednesday, 13th Feb. 2019
. Kwara State: Thursday, 14th February 2019
. Nasarawa State: Friday, 15th February 2019
. Bauchi State. Kaduna State & Kogi State: Tuesday, 19th February 2019
. Gombe State & Osun State: Wednesday, 20th February 2019
. Imo State & Taraba State: Thursday, 21st February 2019
. Enugu State: Friday, 22nd February 2019
. Yobe State: Saturday, 23rd February 2019
. Ebonyi State: Tuesday, 26th February 2019
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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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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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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