The Remo Stars versus Ikorodu City match of the NPFL will come up an hour ahead of the early schedule time. The match will see hosts, Remo Stars, being crowned as kings of the Nigerian football league.

Remo Stars have already become the Nigerian champions, even with three matches outstanding. They are the first Southwest club to win the league since the 2000 feat of Julius Berger of Lagos.

The slight adjustment to their kick-off time for the Matchday 37 fixture with third-place chasing Ikorodu City has been announced by the NPFL.

The match, earlier scheduled to kick off at 4 pm, has been brought forward to 3 pm on Sunday, May 11, 2025.

Davidson Owumi, the Chief Operating Officer of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), said the slight adjustment is to ensure the safety of dignitaries and fans who would travel from Lagos to Ikenne for the trophy presentation ceremony that would hold at the end of the match.

“There will be many fans of both clubs travelling from Lagos for this match. In addition, we would be having dignitaries arriving through Lagos, and it would be ideal for them to travel back under the bright light of the day for safety reasons, ” explained Owumi.

Preparations are at an advanced stage to organise an outstanding and colourful trophy presentation ceremony. A joint team of the NPFL and Remo Stars management have been putting finishing touches to the plan.

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Super Eagles’ most successful coach, Clemens Westerhof, is 85 years old today, 3 May 2022.  He is easily the most successful of all the 38 coaches who have handled the Nigerian national football team in 75 years.

The Dutch football manager who ventured into Africa through his engagement by Nigeria in 1989 qualified the Super Eagles for the World Cup for the first time and also won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1994, making him the first manager engaged by Nigeria to win the premier continental football competition outside the country.

Unlike now, when coaches are afraid to line out home-based players in the national team, Westerhof called the bluff of foreign-based players in 1990 and went to the Africa Cup of Nations with home-based players and ended up in the runners-up position.

By also taking the Super Eagles to the runners-up position in the 1990 edition, he became the first manager to win the top three positions of the Africa Cup of Nations, having led the Super Eagles to the third position at the 1992 edition in Senegal.

He took the Super Eagles to the Round of 16 at their debut appearance at the World Cup in 1994 and was just 90 seconds short of taking the team to the quarterfinals before Italy fought back and eventually won the dramatic encounter by two goals to one.

He left his position immediately after that and later took up an appointment with Zimbabwe and Mamelodi Sundowns FC in South Africa.

Westerhof began his career as an assistant coach with Feyenoord Rotterdam in the Dutch Eredivisie. He also coached another Dutch side, Vitesse Arnhem.

His first official match with Nigeria was the August 27, 1989, World Cup qualifying match with Cameroon in Yaoundé.

Nigeria lost the match 1-0, failing to get at least a draw, which would have seen the Super Eagles get to the last qualifying stage for the 1990 World Cup.

Before then, Westerhof was on the stands when Nigeria played two World Cup qualifiers against Gabon in Libreville and Angola in Lagos, the day Samuel Okwaraji died.

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President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Musa Gusau has declared that late former Green Eagles’ captain ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwuemeka Chukwu is a man that can never be forgotten.

Gusau spoke Friday afternoon in Enugu when a delegation from the NFF and FA Chairmen from the Southeast zone paid a condolence visit to Chukwu’s family. 

Gusau, who spoke through the NFF 1^st Vice President, Chief Felix Anyansi-Agwu, described Chukwu as a diligent and patriotic on-field leader who served the country with all his heart and mind, and every ounce of his energy.

“The late Chukwu gave his all for the country. He served Nigeria with all his heart, and he is a hero even in death. One thing is clear: Chukwu can never be forgotten, given how well he served the country and his achievements both as a player and as a coach,” Gusau stated.

The NFF President noted that the visit was not just a condolence visit but one the football-ruling body made to be informed, first-hand, plans being put in place by the family ahead of Chukwu’s burial, and for the family and the soccer house to be on the same page.

“We want to be on the same page with the family and know what plans they are putting in place. Chukwu is a hero and the NFF will participate fully in his burial,” Gusau assured.

Chukwu’s son, Emeka, while responding on behalf of the family, commended the NFF leadership for the visit, even as he disclosed that the family will soon make public the programme of the final burial rites for the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations-winning team captain and Most Valuable Player.

Also on the delegation were a Member of the NFF Executive Committee and Chairman of the Nigeria National League, George Aluo; Chairman of Enugu State Football Association,  Tony Ugwu; Imo State FA Chairman,  Ifeanyi Dike; and Anambra State FA Chairman, Chikelue Iloenyosi.

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