Governing Bodies
NIGERIA FOOTBALL GENERAL SECRETARY, SANUSI PREACHES GOOD CONDUCT IN FLAMINGOS’ SELECTION
General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi on Thursday charged the coaches of the U17 women national team, Flamingos, to place as much premium on good conduct, excellent character and level-headedness as on-field ability, in their final selection of players for the team.
Sanusi spoke as received the crew of assistant coaches Bankole Olowookere (assistant coach 1), Queendoleen Akpan (assistant coach 2) and Mohammed Ndanusa (goalkeepers’ trainer) at the NFF Secretariat in Abuja, as the crew intensified work ahead of selection of the squad that will confront Guinea in a 2020 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifying fixture early next month.
“Good character and demeanour, as well as comportment showing good upbringing and sense of purpose, are as important as ability in any profession, football inclusive. Anyone who lacks good character and discipline cannot succeed in any endeavour. You must take these to heart as you prepare the girls for the challenges ahead.
“Nigeria has an impressive record in the history of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup but we expect you to do even better than your predecessors. I congratulate you on your appointment and I assure you that the NFF will give you maximum support to succeed in the job.”
Olowookere, Akpan and Ndanusa are preparing the Flamingos for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifying fixture against Guinea, which first leg will hold in Conakry on Sunday, 1st March, with the return leg in Nigeria a fortnight after. The Guineans edged out neighbours Guinea Bissau in a preliminary round.
A full house of the invited playing body is on ground at the team’s Bluespring Hotel, Abuja and twice-a-day training sessions have intensified at the FIFA Goal Project facility inside the National Stadium Complex Package B.
This year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals, the seventh since the competition was launched in New Zealand in 2008, will be staged in India.
Nigeria participated at all five tournaments between 2008 and 2016 but narrowly failed to qualify for the 2018 edition held in Uruguay, following defeat by Cameroon on the away goal rule in the final lap of the qualification series.
PLAYERS INVITED TO U17 GIRLS CAMP
Augustina Unamba, Nelly Chukwuebuka, Damilola Amole, Nwacke Odinaka, Favour Edwin, Perpetua Osinachi, Chidinma Ogbuchi, Onumeze Shadrack, Linda, Nnaocha, Chinyere Kalu, Miracle Ohaneri, Precious Taiwo, Mary Nwakwolam, Chinyere Ihuoma, Idowu Kuku, Uluoma Onwere, Blessing Green, Maryam Abdulkabir, Motunrayo Yusuf, Olushola Shobowale, Deborah Abiodun, Amarachi Odoma, Esther Inyang, Rofiat Imuran, Ireti Eretan, Dahz Alvin, Foluke Opeyori, Esther Onyenezide, Damilola Oladipo, Ogechi James, Zepere Azama, Hannah Yusuf, Oluchi Okwara, Opeyemi Ajakaye, Kelechi Chukwumalem, Temilope Owoeye, Jumoke Alani, Yemisi Samuel, Deborah Abiodun
Governing Bodies
Nigeria becoming an epicentre of global badminton as Francis Orbih enters the Badminton World Federation Council
Laurels on the courts and now glory in the boardroom sums up the mark that badminton is making in Nigeria.
The President, Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, has been elected as a council member of the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
The election took place during the BWF Annual General Meeting on Saturday in Xiamen, China.
Orbih emerged victorious over top contenders from other African countries.
He will join Cameroon’s Odette Assembe Engoulou on the council, while Chipo Zumburani (Zimbabwe) and Hadia ElSaid (Egypt) missed out.
An elated Orbih expressed his gratitude to fellow badminton presidents across the globe for their trust and support.
He said, “I am deeply honoured by the trust placed in me by my peers across the badminton world.
“I look forward to quality representation, driving development initiatives, and strengthening badminton’s global reach over the next four years.”
Orbih also acknowledged the support of the Federal Government of Nigeria, particularly the National Sports Commission (NSC), which he said played a significant role in his successful bid.
“The Chairman and the Director General of the NSC monitored the entire process. I’m grateful for their involvement and confident Nigeria will benefit from this,” he stated.
He further appreciated the BFN board members and the Nigerian badminton community for their prayers and continued belief in his leadership.
“From the day I declared my intentions, the board members of BFN have been supportive, and I promise not to disappoint them,” Orbih concluded.
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A former member of the FIFA Council, Mamoutou Toure, has been released from jail in Mali after almost two years in detention for alleged corruption, Malian media reports said on Wednesday.
Toure, president of the Malian Football Federation since 2019, was released after 622 days in prison on Tuesday.
He served on the FIFA Council, world football’s all-powerful decision-making body, for four years until last month when he lost his seat after failing to contest new elections.
The 67-year-old was arrested in August 2023 on allegations of embezzling $28 million of public funds but was granted a provisional release order by the Malian courts, reports said.
He was accused of misconduct during his time as the National Assembly’s financial and administrative director from 2013-2019.
Toure denied all charges and, during his time in jail, was last August re-elected as Malian Football Federation president for a second consecutive term, with his supporters claiming he was a victim of a conspiracy fuelled by detractors.
While in jail, he received a letter of support from FIFA president Gianni Infantino. However, as of last month, Toure is no longer a member of the FIFA Council or the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee.
-Reuters
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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has denied reports of an outstanding debt to former captain Christian Chukwu and has challenged anyone with verifiable documents to prove otherwise.
Chukwu, a former national team captain and chief coach, died last Saturday.
The Nigeria Football Federation decried statements in a section of social media that the football-ruling body was indebted to the deceased.
Reacting to one statement on social media that claimed NFF owed the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations-winning team captain the sum of $128,000, NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, said: “There is no record in the NFF of any outstanding indebtedness to ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu.
“During the first term of the Board headed by Amaju Pinnick, a committee was set up to diligently peruse the papers of coaches who were being owed, even from previous NFF administrations.
“That committee was given the clear mandate to verify all debts and ensure that the coaches being owed were paid immediately. I am aware that the ‘Chairman’ was in the employ of the NFF between 2002 and 2005, before he was relieved of the post following the 1-1 draw with Angola in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Kano in August 2005. There is certainly no record of indebtedness to him in the NFF.”
Sanusi challenged anyone with genuine and verifiable documents of NFF indebtedness to any coach, who has worked with any of the National Teams over the past two decades, to come forward and tender those documents.
“As a credible organization that is very much alive to its responsibilities, if we are confronted with any genuine document of indebtedness to any coach, we will offset the debt immediately.”
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