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WILL DARE DARE TO BE GREATER THAN SOLOMON?
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
The Nigerian sports community is welcoming Sunday Dare as the country’s 35th sports minister since the era of the first occupier of that position, Chief Joseph Modupe Johnson (JMJ) in 1960.
This is the post that the ever-lively Chief Alex Akinyele once described as the Games Master General of the Federation.
But as was the case with most of the 34 helmsmen before him, there is little or nothing to connect him to sports. He will have to learn the principle of sports administration and organisation while on the saddle.
As earlier remarked, he is not alone. In the past, possibly only five or six of the 34 sports ministers/National Sports Commission chairmen have claims to sports background.
Anthony Ikazoboh led the pack as a former player of the then famed Stationery Stores in the 1960s. Others with claims to sports before assumption to offices as either NSC chairman or sports minister were Silvanus Akinwunmi, Jim Nwobodo, Stephen Akiga, Sani Ndanusa and Taoheed Adedoja.
Of the previous 34 helmsmen before Dare, only the late Sampson Emeka Omeruah ever got a second chance. The new sheriff at the sports ministry therefore has to hit the ground running.
He is coming in on the yet to be officially accepted 86th anniversary of the oldest sports federation in the country, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
His coming is also coming during the African Games holding in Morocco. That will undoubtedly be his first attention.
Being a ‘stranger’ in the sports community or just learning the curves may not necessarily be a disadvantage if Dare applies the best principles of administration.
After all, the celebrated American football player and coach, Vince Lombardy in his famous quote: “The Habit of Winning “remarked that ‘running a football team is not different than running an army, a political party or a business.
“The principles are the same”. The object is to win – to beat the other guy. That Dare is a stranger in the sports community may therefore not be a hindrance if he employs Solomonic wisdom. After all, the Biblical Joseph made great impact in a foreign land despite not having been schooled in the principles of administration.
For the records, Dare becomes the 14th sports minister since the advent of the present democratic dispensation 20 years ago.
The import is that the sports ministry is the most unstable and therefore has the highest turnover of ministers. On the average, a minister spends just a little over one year in office before he is shown the exit.
Only Solomon Dalung, the immediate past sports minister served a full term. This is the first lesson Dare has to have at the back of his mind.
Time is too short to begin any experimental exercise. Like most before him, it is very likely he too is planning a visit to the National Stadium in Lagos.
The new minister should just save himself the rituals, which almost all his predecessors had done since 2003 when the previous national edifice of pride went into ruins.
It became a sort of ‘tourist’ attraction to every new sports minister. Dare should just ask for the files and go through all the observations of his predecessors and attempt a revival of our national pride.
That was the arena that had hosted two final matches of Africa’s premier football competitions in 1980 and 2000. That was an arena that hosted the All Africa Games in 1973 and the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship (now tagged U-20 World Cup).
That was an arena that had witnessed more renovation that any other sporting facility in the country having been upgraded for the 1980 African Nations Cup, two botched World Youth Championships in 1991 and 1995 and finally 1999.
It is a great irony that the coming of democratic rules in the country suddenly brought ruins to such a massive edifice that is situated right in the heart of a mega city. Dare should look at the various reports his predecessors had written after pilgrimages to what was dubbed ‘Sport City’ when the arena was very functional in the 1970s and 1980s.
Europe and other parts of the world boast of time-honoured sports arenas that are constantly being upgraded and maintained to meet current demands. Our own National Stadium has turned a haven for hoodlums. The arena and the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan are in need of massive facelift.
A former sports minister, Taoheed Adedoja, once spoke of plans of turning the National Institute of Sports (NIS) hostel to a 130-room four-star sports hotel.
Adedoja, a professor of sports administration, also spoke of plans for the 50-room Games Village in Surulere Lagos and the 55-room hostel complex at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan as well as a similar 40-room facility of the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna attaining the status of three star hotels. The hotels were to be named after outstanding athletes.
All those plans were in the ‘pipelines’ that have since been vandalised. According to Adedoja, each of the hotels was expected to generate half a million-naira daily and would be run by professionals in the hospitality industry.
He reasoned that such venture could provide additional source of revenue for the ministry, which is ever complaining of lean purse.
Whatever happened to that plan enunciated in February 2011, barely three months to end the tenure of the government that appointed him?
The former Liberty Stadium main bowl (now Obafemi Awolowo Stadium) has been a shadow of itself as it had not hosted any major football match since Al Ahly of Egypt beat the Shooting Stars on home soil in the 1999 CAF Champions League.
The minister should consider reviving this premier Nigerian stadium. Possibly, the high turnover of sports ministers is due to their overwhelming interests in football.
Virtually all the preceding 14 sports ministers ended up being football ministers to the neglect of other sports.
Will Dare dare to be different by not being a football minister? Except probably Bolaji Abdulahi who resolved lingering issues in the NFF, football spelt doom for all the other past sports ministers since 1999. This is a big lesson.
Dare should endeavour to build a functional sports data bank for the sport ministry. Anthony Ikazoboh on September 26, 1990 inaugurated a 25-man National Sports Library Committee under the leadership of Dr. Awoture Eleyae.
The objective was to document all aspects of Nigerian sports. Ikazoboh remarked at the time: “sometimes, records available are too old to depend on for modern treatment of sports”.
Continuing, the Air Force man noted: “all along, we have depended on half-truths in some cases to decide on issues for lack of reference points and low academic content of publications on sports”.
Over 30 years since, the committee did not achieve the set goal, possibly because months later, Ikazoboh whose project it was, was transferred from the sports ministry to transport.
If there were a functional documentation process at the sports ministry, it will aid the functions of organisers and other administrators.
Planning process would be aided with such records serving as working documents, even for a new comer into sports administration. A body without history will not be able to know its past and evaluate the present and project its future.
With well-articulated programme, Sunday Dare, as in the book of Matthew 12:42 should be able to proclaim: “A greater than Solomon is here”.
The star match of the President Federation Cup Round of 16 is the potentially epic confrontation of Enugu Rangers and Bendel Insurance.
The history of the Nigerian National Cup is littered with the epic duels of the two who have three times contested the final matches in 1978, 1981 and recently in 2023.
They clash again four steps before the final match. The two teams were involved in two of the most memorable final matches of Nigeria’s Cup competition in its 80-year history, with honours shared in 1978 and 1981.
The Benin Arsenal tore apart the form books to shock the nation’s football fraternity by spanking Rangers 3-0 in the final in Lagos in 1978, but the Flying Antelopes somewhat repaid the compliment with a 2-0 win at the same venue in 1981.
The setting for this Round of 16 clash is also in Lagos, though a different venue. But fireworks are expected by the waterfront from two teams aspiring for continental football.
Two-time CAF Champions League winners Enyimba FC, who eliminated Cup holders El-Kanemi Warriors in the Round of 32, will take on Abakaliki FC at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba.
Nasarawa United and Bayelsa United will square up to each other in the university town of Anyigba, while Warri Wolves and Wikki Tourists battle things out in the Federal Capital, Abuja.
Two great entertainers, Ikorodu City and Beyond Limits will be at each other’s jugular at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, where Solution FC will tango with Kwara United in an earlier game. Plateau United will confront Osun United in Anyigba.
Akwa United and Inter Lagos are at loggerheads in Abuja.
Round of 16 fixtures (Men) on Wednesday
- Enyimba FC (Abia) Vs Abakaliki FC (Ebonyi) – Asaba – 4pm
- Nasarawa United (Nasarawa) Vs Bayelsa United (Bayelsa) – Anyigba 10am
- Warri Wolves (Delta) Vs Wikki Tourists (Bauchi) – Area 3 Abuja – 1 pm
- Ikorodu City (Lagos) Vs Beyond Limits (Ogun) – Benin City – 4 pm
- Akwa United (Akwa Ibom) Vs Inter Lagos (Lagos) – Area 3 Abuja – 4 pm
- Solution FC (Anambra) Vs Kwara United (Kwara) – Benin City – – 10 am
- Plateau United (Plateau) Vs Osun United (Osun) – Anyigba – 1 pm
- Bendel Insurance (Edo) Vs Rangers Int’l (Enugu) – MJA Lagos – 4 pm
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The Mohammed V Sports Complex in Casablanca, which underwent a significant renovation, reopened on Saturday as Wydad and Raja played to a 1-1 draw during the 26th matchday of the Botola Pro D1 “Inwi” football league.
The stadium is one of the designated venues for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations holding in December.
The redevelopment project of the iconic stadium in Morocco’s economic capital is part of the broader program to upgrade sports venues in preparation for upcoming major sporting events, notably the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Launched in March 2024 and completed in March 2025, the works included, according to the National Agency for Public Facilities (ANEP), the replacement of 45,000 seats in this temple of Moroccan football, the upgrading of the press stand, sound system, video surveillance, and access control systems.
The renovations also covered the development of four changing rooms and warm-up areas, the creation of a mixed zone and a new central players’ tunnel, the replacement of the turf with the latest-generation hybrid grass, refurbishment of the athletics track, lighting upgrades, and replacement of the advertising screens.
Additionally, the project involved the construction of a regulation building to manage and fully separate different access flows, the development of a new ramp for team buses, VIP and VVIP parking areas, and the TV compound.
The works also included the renovation of VIP and media lounges, the construction of a new press conference room, the creation of private boxes, the upgrading of restrooms, food and beverage areas, and public infirmaries, as well as an increase in the number of gates and access control points.
Outside the stadium, the renovations focused on the refurbishment of sidewalks and green spaces, upgrading of exterior lighting, renovation of the surrounding fence, and refurbishment of the annex area.
Officially inaugurated in 1955, the Mohammed V Sports Complex has hosted the greatest sporting events and tournaments in the Kingdom. Morocco, a true land of sports and athletes, is increasingly positioning itself as a leader in the sports sector—not only in Africa but also on the global stage.
Indeed, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Morocco is pursuing an ambitious policy of developing its sports infrastructure in preparation for hosting the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which it will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
This proactive strategy aims to meet the international standards required by FIFA and CAF, while strengthening Morocco’s position as a continental, regional, and global sports hub.
In this regard, Morocco continues to invest heavily in its sports infrastructure to host large-scale international events such as the AFCON and the 2030 World Cup.
Ongoing projects include the construction of the Hassan II Stadium in Benslimane, the reconstruction of the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat, and the expansion and upgrading of the Grand Stade of Tangier in accordance with FIFA’s specifications.
The rehabilitation of the main stadiums in Fez, Marrakech, and Agadir is also underway, initially to meet CAF standards, followed by a second phase aimed at aligning with FIFA’s requirements. Studies for this second phase are already complete, with work scheduled to begin right after AFCON 2025.
Finally, ongoing efforts also include the reconstruction of the Al Barid Stadium and the Prince Héritier Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat.
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The Los Angeles 2028 Olympics will feature 351 medal events —22 more than at Paris 2024— the International Olympic Committee Executive Board confirmed this week in a press conference in Lausanne.
The Executive Board has approved the event programme and athlete quotas for the LA Games, with gender equality in mind. For the first time, all team sports will have at least the same number of women’s teams as men’s teams. The LA28 programme also added 698 quotas for the five sports proposed by the LA28 Organising Committee (baseball/softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash), in addition to the core athlete quota of 10,500.
“We are opening the door for more athletes to compete, win, and live out their Olympic dream at the LA28 Games where athletes have always been, and always will be, the heart of the Games.
“We are proud to champion an athlete-centric vision that celebrates excellence and the unifying spirit of the Olympic Movement,” LA28 Chief Athlete Officer, Janet Evans, said in the organisation’s official press release.
New medal opportunities
In addition to the new sports set to debut at the Los Angeles Games, exciting new podium opportunities will be available for the established sports on the Olympic programme.
Coastal rowing will debut at the Games with the women’s solo, men’s solo and mixed double sculls in Beach Sprints, which will see competitors sprint across the sand, before navigating waves and surf for the top prize.
Also making a splash are swimming’s fast-paced 50m distance swim and water polo. There will be six additional medal opportunities for the fastest swimmers in the world with the women’s and men’s 50-metre competitions in backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly. The women’s water polo tournament will expand to 12 teams, matching the men’s —making it gender-equal for the first time at the Games.
Sport climbing also gained two medal opportunities by separating a previously combined event and creating three distinct medal events: speed, boulder and lead. The sport will have a total quota of 76 athletes (38 women and 38 men).
“From the very beginning of our Olympic journey, we have always had the target of three sets of medals for our athletes. Each of our disciplines has its own unique strengths, and now everyone will see these at LA28,” IFSC President Marco Scolaris said in the federation’s press release.
While the medal events will stay the same, basketball 3×3 will also expand to include 12 teams per gender, from eight teams at the previous Olympics. This expansion reflects the sport’s growth over recent years and further highlights the sport’s global appeal and development.
“The additional quota allows more National Federations and players from all around the world to dream that they can make it from the streets to the Olympics. Los Angeles is one of the world’s most iconic basketball cities and has a thriving 3×3 basketball culture. We are very excited to be once again at the heart of a vibrant, urban sport festival atmosphere during the Games,”said FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis, according to FIBA’s press release.
Spotlight on women’s sport
Just weeks after boxing was approved for the Olympic programme after its controversial run at the Paris Games, the sport is set to achieve full parity at the next Olympics with an additional weight class added to the women’s competition: resulting in seven weight classes for both the women’s and men’s tournaments.
Women’s football will be showcased in LA28, with a record 16 teams, while adjusting the men’s tournament to 12 teams to maintain the overall tournament size consistent with previous Olympic Games.
“We’ve seen incredible growth in women’s participation in team sport and in popularity and visibility in women’s team sport, with football being an absolute leader in that regard,” The IOC’s Kit McConnell said. “Women’s football and men’s football have been hugely successful in the Olympic Games in terms of ticketing and broadcast audiences, and media coverage around the world. And what better place to increase the number of women’s teams than the USA itself?”
More mixed-teams
Six new mixed-gender team events will be part of the competition in Los Angeles. Compound archery will be at the Olympic Games in the form of a mixed-team event. It joins the five recurve events currently in the programme.
Athletics will feature a mixed 4x100m, becoming the second mixed-gender event in the sport, joining the 4x400m relay. Golf, table tennis and artistic gymnastics will also add a mixed-team event at LA28.
Overall, the LA28 programme will bring together 10,500 Olympians across the 31 sports on the initial sports program, with up to 700 more athletes competing in the five new sports proposed by LA28 and added to the Olympic sports programme by the IOC.
-Inside The Games
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