Nigerian Football
VIDEO: LEON BALOGUN JOINS COMMON GOAL
Super Eagles’ and Brighton & Hove Albion defender, Leon Balogun has become 68th player to join the growing social impact movement in football, Common Goal. The former Bundesliga player who joined Brighton last summer, has pledged 1% of his Premier League earnings to a collective fund that empowers football for social change organisations throughout the world.
Less than a year and a half since starting, Common Goal has already raised over $1 million and boasts a unique team of 68 male and female players covering six continents.
Balogun is the seventh Premier League player to commit a fraction of their salary to community organisations, following Juan Mata (Manchester United), Charlie Daniels (Bournemouth), Alfie Mawson (Fulham), Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester), Isaac Christie-Davies (Liverpool), and Brighton captain, Bruno Saltor.
Joining them is Tabea Kemme (Arsenal), Jane Ross (West Ham), Tessel Middag (West Ham), Siobhan Chamberlain (Manchester United) and Pauline Bremer (Manchester City) representing female football in England. The only coach to have joined from the UK so far is also a woman, Manchester United Women’s Head Coach, Casey Stoney MBE.
Born and raised in Berlin to a German mother and a Nigerian father, Balogun, 30, has played for several Bundesliga clubs including Hannover, Werder Bremen and most recently Mainz.
At national team level he plays for Nigeria, who he represented at the 2018 World Cup, alongside his Common Goal teammate William Troost-Ekong, of Serie A side Udinese Calcio.
Balogun said: “As football players, we enjoy a high place in society and we have a very important role to play because of this. Joining Common Goal gives me the opportunity to actively help and support people in their communities and open up doors to a better life.”
Brighton captain Bruno, who was one of the first players to join the movement in 2017, welcomed Balogun to the team: “I am thrilled that Leon has been inspired by seeing what we’re achieving in Common Goal and has stepped forward to join us in helping others through football. I hope this will inspire more players in the Premier League, and beyond, to take the pledge.”
Enugu Rangers on Sunday beat Plateau United 2-0 to hold on at the top of the Nigeria Premier League. They extended their point haul to 57, two points ahead of their Oriental brothers, Enyimba who also beat Katsina United 1-0 to keep the chase for the title very hot.
Initial second placed team, Remo Stars dropped to the third position but still in contention for either the title, but at worse a continental ticket for next season.
Following Shooting Stars 2-0 defeat of Sunshine Stars in a South West derby, the top four positions of the are now held by the South East and South West as the league gets into its closing stage.
While Rangers and Enyimba are first and second at the moment, Remo Stars, though with an outstanding home game are third while their fellow westerners, Shooting Stars are fourth.
The weekend’s results:
Rivers United 2-0 Katsina United
Remo Stars 3-0 Niger Tornadoes
Doma United 0-0 Kwara United
Bendel Insurance 1-0 Heartland
Enugu Rangers 2-0 Plateau United
Shooting Stars 2-0 Sunshine Stars
Akwa United 3-0 Kano Pillars
Enyimba 1-0 Katsina United
Gombe United 3-2 Lobi Stars
Sporting Lagos 4-2 Abia Warriors
Remo Stars on Friday inch closer to achieving their first ever title in the Nigeria elite division league after beating visiting Niger Tornadoes 3-0 to move second on the log and just a point behind league leaders, Enugu Rangers.
Remo Stars are now with 53 points and still have an outstanding home game to play.
Friday’s win which comes on the eve of the proprietor’s birthday has put the team back into contention for the title.
They have progressively become prominent in the Nigerian premier league having placed third two seasons ago and second last season.
Top finish this season will confirm their progression and also a third consecutive continental outing.
Top scorer, Sikiru Alimi launched them of victory path as his 28th minute penalty kick heralded their return to high scoring ways.
It has been a while since they scored high in the league. Barely three minutes later, Sikiru, a contender for the top scorer award increased the tally to two.
Ahmed Akinyele completed the route in the 75th minute.
Nigerian Football
Nigeria face tough defence as Burkina Faso lie in wait at U17 WAFU B AFCON qualifiers
Defending champions Nigeria have been handed a difficult path to the 2025 U17 Africa Cup of Nations finals after being drawn in the same group as Burkina Faso for next month’s WAFU B qualifying tournament in Ghana.
The Golden Eaglets, who won the last edition of the regional championship in 2022, will also face Togo and Niger in Group B of the competition which runs from 15-28 May.
Hosts Ghana find themselves in Group A alongside Cote d’Ivoire and Benin in a tough-looking section of the competition to be played in Accra.
The draw was conducted by 1970s Ivorian football legends Kobenan Kouman and Die Foneye at the Ivorian FA headquarters in Abidjan on Friday.
Nigeria claimed their WAFU B U17 AFCON title by defeating Burkina Faso 2-1 in the regional final in Ghana two years ago.
However, they will need to overcome some familiar foes if they are to defend their crown and with the Burkina Faso finishing third at the last TotalEnergies U17 Africa Cup of Nations, some exciting matches are expected.
Arch-rivals Nigeria and Ghana are among the two favourites and could meet in the final in Accra on 28 May, should they top their respective groups and make it through the semi-finals.
Ghana also have pedigree at this level, having the World Cup in 1991 and 1995 as they bid to reach the U17 AFCON finals on home soil.
The top two teams from the WAFU B tournament will qualify for next year’s U17 Africa Cup of Nations.
Groups:
Group A: Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin
Group B: Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Togo, Niger.
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Enugu Rangers hold on at the top of Nigeria Premier League
Dream aborted for Dreams FC as clinical Zamalek cruise into Confederation Cup final
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