Sports
‘No Coaching Vacancy In Eagles’
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Sani Lulu Abdullahi said on Monday that the Federation has not at anytime declared vacant the position of Super Eagles’ head coach, currently occupied by Mr. Shuaibu Amodu.
“We appreciate that as a result of Nigeria’s qualification for the 2010 African Nations Cup and World Cup finals, there is bound to be extensive debate over certain issues.
But the NFF wishes to make clear that there is no vacancy for the Head Coach’s position. We have followed the raging debate over a new head coach or whatever and we find it necessary to make this clarification,” said Lulu.
Few days to the Moslem world’s celebration of the Eid-el-Kabir, Lulu reiterated that some people are simply wasting precious time sharpening knives for a ram that had long bolted.
“Coaching, as in most sectors of football, has to do with results. Let us forget the sound and fury, and work with statistics.
In his 15 years in and out of the senior team as Head Coach, Shuaibu Amodu has lost only one competitive match. In 12 matches during qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, he won nine and drew three, losing none.
“It is time that we start appreciating what we have as a people. This is the re-branding that the Federal Government is talking about. It is hard to find a man with such record in today’s international game, and who has also qualified his country for the FIFA World Cup on two occasions, not even talking about Amodu’s feat in earning us our first berth in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. We made a pledge to stick by Amodu and we will not go back now.”
Lulu made it clear that Wednesday’s meeting of the NFF Executive Committee will deliberate on how Nigeria can participate creditably at next year’s African Nations Cup and World Cup finals, as well as in other international engagements.
Amodu, who also qualified Nigeria for the 2002 World Cup finals by leading the Eagles to win their last two matches of an otherwise floundering campaign, attended Friday’s African Nations Cup Draw ceremony in Luanda, Angola. He was there with NFF’s 1st Vice President Amanze Uchegbulam, General Secretary Bolaji Ojo-Oba and Media Officer Ademola Olajire.
The Eagles are housed in Group C against defending champions Egypt, Mozambique and Benin Republic in the group phase.
Nigeria will play Cup holders Egypt in the opening match of Group C in Benguela with tantalizing games against neighbours Benin Republic and World Cup qualifying foes Mozambique to follow. The match against Mozambique will take place in Lubango.
Benguela is 692 kilometres from the capital Luanda. There is no land transportation in a country devastated by three decades of civil war, and where infrastructure has largely collapsed. There is a big race to get key issues like stadia, airports and hospitals ready for the finals and basic things are in short supply despite oil money.
Benguela is a city of 1.4 million people while Lubango is a city of 2.6 million inhabitants. The Benguela Stadium has capacity for 35,000 people while Lubango Stadium can hold 20,000.
Already, the Nigeria Embassy in Luanda has started mobilizing the approximately 5,000 Nigerians living in Angola to be ready to travel to Benguela and Lubango to support the Super Eagles in January. Nigeria’s first match is against Egypt on January 12, with the game against Benin Republic coming up four days later and that against Mozambique scheduled for Lubango on January 20.
City Crime
‘NFF Conducted Federation Cup Draw Fairly’

The Nigeria Football Federation has defended the recent quarter-finals draw for the 2025 President Federation Cup, saying it was conducted in line with best global practices.
A member of the NFF Executive Committee Board, George Aluo, stated that criticism over venues for the quarterfinals was unfortunate.
Going by the fixtures released on Saturday by the football body, Abakaliki FC will take on Nasarawa United in Benin, Wikki Tourists will clash with Ikorodu City in Bwari, Abuja, Akwa United and Kwara United will fight it out in Enugu, just as Area 3, Abuja, will host the encounter between Rangers International and Plateau United. All matches are scheduled for May 3rd for the emergence of semifinalists in a leg affair.
However, there have been criticisms over the Ikorodu United vs Wikki Tourist tie billed for Abuja, with a section of the press saying the venue is skewed in favour of the Bauchi team.
Aluo, also the Chairman of the Nigeria National League (NNL), said: “Some of our media men need better education, and newsmen should not be like the fans out there on the streets. In the English FA Cup, it is always a one-legged pairing that can see a club like Arsenal host Manchester United at home”.
Sports
Act Sports Signs New Teqball Specialist Contract In Nigeria

A new contract that will see Act Sports Di Oyibo Limited managing the career of Nigerian teqball specialist, Victor Oyemade, has been signed in Lagos.
The deal gives exclusive rights to Act Sports to manage, and exercise power of attorney over issues relating to the player’s welfare as it concerns his transactions, engagement for professional, promotional, sponsorships, endorsements, and exhibition purposes.
In signing the document, both parties also agreed that proper safeguards would be put in place to protect and promote the player’s interest at all times.
Director of Act Sports, Di Oyibo Limited, Pastor Samuel Robinson Oyibo, excited about the deal, said it would benefit both parties in the area of spreading the message of the sport, as well as laying a firm foundation for his new client’s future.
“Teqball is one of the world’s fastest-growing ball sports, and Victor Oyemade is the face of the sport here in Nigeria and Africa. That is why we are excited about this partnership that gives Act Sports official authorisation to manage his career, just as it will lay the foundation for its rapid growth in our country,” Pastor Oyibo said.
Oyemade was no less excited about the deal, saying it would help his growth in the sport.
Sports
Nigeria Name Handball Squads For Zonal Champs
Coaches of Nigeria’s U-18 and U-20 women’s handball teams have released their final lists of 14 players ahead of the IHF Women’s Trophy Zonal Phase, which will be held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, that commenced yesterday to end 24th of this month.
The two teams have been training at the Rowe Park Sports Centre, Yaba, Lagos, for close to two weeks and departed for the competition on Thursday.
Coach John Uzor of the national U-18 team has included Omole Joy of Defender Babes and her sister Omole Shola alongside Ojie Princess of Funad Academy alongside right back Faisat Balogun in the mix while Success Duru, Chetachi Ngaodurubie of COAS Babes and Sharon Okonkwo make the cut, amongst other players.
In the U-20 team, Coach Shittu Agboola has largely stuck with the players he has been grooming since their U-18 days. The team is led by Captain Chidera Ogbusimba alongside, her Rima Queens teammates the Samuel Sisters, Amina Mohammed and Joy Peters.
Israel-based Rahima Bello, Kehinde Babatunde of ASPAC HBC of Benin Republic and Esther Mathew, who is also based in Benin Republic, keep their places.
Coach Shittu believes his team will make Nigeria proud just as they did previously at the U-18 level.
“I am really upset that Taiwo Babatunde will not be part of the team for this competition as her school, Yaba College of Technology, insisted that they will not release her for national service because of examinations.
“We did everything humanly possible to secure her release and they didn’t care that it is a national service for the interest of Nigeria and the growth of sports. We have other players who are also students and they got a release from their schools but for no tangible reason, Yabatech refused to release Taiwo despite the fact that we did everything possible to secure her release. It’s sad and I hope the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Sports Commission will work in tandem so that schools will support our goal in making Nigeria proud in sporting events”.
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