Police Arrest Agali in Holland

Published

15 years ago

January 7, 2010

Former Nigeria striker Victor Agali, who plays for Greek club Levadiakos, has been arrested at Schiphol airport near Amsterdam for carrying two fake passports, Dutch military police said on Monday.

“At passport control, on December 27, he (Agali) was found to be in possession of a fake passport,” said gendarmerie spokesman Robert van Kapel.

Upon further investigation, the 31-year-old striker in transit at Schiphol on a voyage from Lagos to Athens, turned out to have two sets of fake travel documents, said Van Kapel.

“In the one, the page with his personal particulars has been modified, in the other it was the visa,” he said.

A panel of judges will decide on Wednesday whether or not to extend the footballer’s provisional detention, said a spokeswoman for the Haarlem district court.

Agali, who had been returning to Greece after visiting his wife and child in Nigeria, pleads innocence, his lawyer Bob Kaarls told AFP.

“The (first) passport judged problematic by officials was sent to him in this form by post by Nigerian authorities in 2007,” he said.

Dutch authorities claimed that the Schengen visa contained in the second document, issued by Cyprus, did not meet the requisite standards, said Kaarls.

Kaarls said Levadiakos has indicated its willingness to pay the bail to secure their striker’s freedom.

Agali has played for French teams including Marseille (1996-97), Toulon (1997-98) and Nice (2004-2005), as well as Germany’s Schalke 04 (2001-2004).

Ogba, Others Endorse Niger Delta Sports Festival

Published

4 days ago

March 5, 2025

The Tide

Vice president of the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC), Chief Solomon Ogba, foremost Sports Marketer and founder of Okpekpe Road Race, Mike Itemuagbor and top Sports Journalist and Media Strategist, Mitchel Obi have lent their voices in support of the Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF).
The personalities with backgrounds in sports administration, marketing and media spoke separately in commendation of the festival, an initiative of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) with Dunamis Icon as consultants.
“This is a positive addition to the evolving sports business ecosystem because it is not just a springboard for identifying talents, it also offers a platform to truly hone the skills of those already discovered”, remarked Obi, who served as Special Advisor to a former Sports Minister, late Anthony Ikhazabor.
He said the festival will be a flagship event in the region that would trigger interest in sports among the youths and people of the region.
Edo State-born Itemuagbor commended the NDDC for the decision to add sports in the list of their intervention projects in the region, adding that: “This speaks directly to the problem of youth restiveness which is of great concern to our people.”

Sports

Onyedika Not Sure For Super Eagles W’C Qualifiers

Published

4 days ago

March 5, 2025

The Tide

Raphael Onyedika has now emerged as a major doubt for the Super Eagles’ must-win 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe later this month.
The midfielder was forced out early from last week’s league game against Standard Liege.
He has not recovered from the injury and so will miss today’s league match against Gent and may also miss a UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash against Aston Villa yesterday.
The Super Eagles take on Rwanda in Kigali on March 21, before they face Zimbabwe in Uyo four days later in crucial World Cup qualifiers.

Sports

‘I Must Win Trophy Before Retirement’

Published

4 days ago

March 5, 2025

The Tide

Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Al-Khalood defender, William Troost-Ekong, has shared his experience on the difficulties of winning the prestigious Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) while describing it a must win trophy.
The former Watford FC defender has competed in the tournament three times but has yet to lift the trophy.
“I’ve been there three times now, bronze medal, silver medal, but I haven’t had the chance to win it. That remains my ultimate goal,” he told Tidesports source.
“It means so much to me and all the kids growing up in Africa and Nigeria.”