Sports
NFF Okays Super Eagles For US Invitational Tournament
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in Abuja announced the participation of the Super Eagles in an eight–nation invitational tournament in the U.S. in February 2011.
Dr Sanusi Mohammed, NFF’s Assistant General Secretary (Competitions), told newsmen that the tournament tagged “2011 Green Soccer Bowl Tournament’’ will hold from February 12 to February 20.
The competition is being organised by the U.S. Presidents’ Day Celebration Soccer Invitational Tournament Foundation.
“The tournament will involve teams from the African, European and Asian continents and Nigeria has been drawn in Group A with Poland, Malaysia and Iraq.
“The organisers have been in touch with us for some months now and they are requesting for either our team A or B.
“But, we feel it is a good avenue to expose the locally–based players and an opportunity for the players to show what they can do.
“Therefore it is a worthwhile invitational tournament,’’ Mohammed said.
Our correspondent reports that three teams from Africa, two from Europe and three from Asia will participate in the competition, with Group B having African champions Egypt, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kenya and Bahrain.
The tournament will be staged at the Ford Field Stadium in Detroit, Michigan State and the PHP Stadium in Dallas, Texas State.
Mohammed listed the tournament’s benefits to the participating teams to include the opportunity to try and develop players from their local leagues in an international match.
“This is a good benefit, instead of relying on players playing professionally abroad all the time,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, Mano Menezes, a specialist in leading big clubs out of the doldrums but little-known outside his own country, became the coach of Brazil on Saturday when he accepted an offer from the five-times world champions.
The 48-year-old, currently coach of Corinthians, confirmed he had said yes to the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), which had been turned down by Muricy Ramalho the day before after his club refused to release him.
“For the whole of Brazil, I say that I officially accept the invitation,” Menezes told a newsmen at a conference.
Menezes, who replaces Dunga in the hot seat, will have the huge task of trying to rebuild Brazil’s national team.
The team had been discredited after their quarter-final World Cup exit against Netherlands three weeks ago, and win a sixth world title when they host the 2014 World Cup.
Winning their own World Cup is seen as an obligation by Brazil’s 190 million inhabitants.
With Brazil’s failure to win on home soil in 1950 still being mentioned regularly, the pressure on Menezes and his team will be greater than ever.
Menezes, 48, made his name in 2005 when he led former South American champions Gremio out of the second division.
In an extraordinary decisive game, Gremio had four players sent off, survived a penalty miss by opponents Nautico and then snatched a goal to win 1-0 and clinch promotion.
Two years later, he took them to the final of the Libertadores Cup, the South American equivalent of the Champions League.
He then joined Corinthians, another hugely popular team, and led them out of the second division in 2008.
Since then, his side have won the Copa Brasil and signed former Brazil World Cup winners Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos.
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”.
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.
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”.