Sports

Board Plans Workshop For Club Officials

Published

14 years ago

February 20, 2011

A workshop for club officials in the Nigeria National League (NNL) would soon be organised to improve the league, the NNL board chairman said on Saturday in Abuja.

The board chairman, Chief Emeka Inyama, told newsmen in an interview that the workshop would be targeted at improving the officials’ administrative skills.

“Since our board came in late last month, we have identified the need to improve the state of the competition, and in doing this we discovered that we have to be operating on the same level with our club officials.

“This is because they are the frontline men in our quest to chart a new course for the competition, since they deal directly with the players and fans, as well as other stakeholders in the league.

“The workshop will deal with all issues militating against the league, and the club officials will share experiences which we will all use in charting a way forward for the competition,’’ he said.

Inyama, also a member of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) board by virtue of his headship of the NNL board, said capacity-building was essential for the league’s improvement.

“It is very essential that this is done regularly, because it is the key to making the league as highly competitive as it needs to be, and there will also be seminars for coaches and players too as time goes on,’’ he said.

Tidesports source reports that the NNL is the second tier of the Nigerian league, a step below the Premier League, with 32 clubs grouped into two.

Inyama whose board was elected on Jan. 29 in Abuja for a three-year tenure said the board has marshalled out plans to ensure success in its quest.

“We have highlighted all we need to do into immediate, medium and long-term plans, and we will be tackling issues as they come.

“However, we are going to immediately tackle the task of ensuring that we make the league attractive by engendering stiffer competition, giving it more media coverage, improving officiating and funding,’’ he said.

The chairman of Umuahia-based Abia Warriors Football club said his league board was already planning to make it compulsory for the participating clubs to have verifiable addresses.

“We are going to make it compulsory for all our clubs to have verifiable addresses and identifiable offices, where they can be contacted at all times.

“All of them will also be encouraged to have websites and e-mail addresses for ease of communication as well as good information flow. All this is to assist in making the league more prominent,’’ he said.

Inyama stressed the need for the league to get more prominence for it to attract more spectators and sponsors.

“Just as we have plans to raise the bars of officiating in the league and re-creating the league’s identity, we also need to make the competition and its clubs attractive to marketers.

“By creating awareness in and about the league, spectators will increase and there will be more sponsors, and this can be done with the help of marketers,’’ he said.

Sports

4000 International athletes to Attend Lagos City Marathon

Published

11 hours ago

February 7, 2025

The Tide

The first batch of International athletes expected to participate in the 10^th Access Bank Lagos City Marathon will arrive the country on February 13, organisers of the race announced on Wednesday.

About 4000 International athletes are expected to participate in this year’s edition, which marks a decade of the Lagos City Marathon.

The 10th edition, tagged Love in the Air, will hold on February 15^th, which is within the Valentine Day celebration.

Chief Executive Officer of Nilayo Sports Management, Mrs Yetunde Olopade, stated yesterday that this year’s event would celebrate a decade of excellence.

“We are expecting the first set of international athletes to arrive in Lagos on February 13,” she said. “We are looking forward to receive the athletes from Kenya, Ethiopia, Morocco, Eritrea, France, Uganda, Italy and Ghana.

“ In all, we are expecting over 4,000 foreign runners and about 100 international elite athletes. Nilayo Sports Management and the Lagos Sports Commission is doing everything possible for everyone connected with the marathon to have a memorable event.

“The streets of Lagos will be alive with the spirit of competition and unity, on February 15th, one day after Valentine’s Day. We know that people in some parts of the world experience winter in this month of February, but Lagos usually bring the heat with its vibrant energy and world-class hospitality.

“Whether one is running, cheering, or soaking in the sporting and festive atmosphere, this 10th edition of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon will be an unforgettable experience,” she stated.

Mrs. Olopade also revealed yesterday that the first ceremony leading to the marathon race, an expo event, commenced at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos on Monday.

Recall that Kenyan runner, Bernard Sang, emerged winner of the 2024 Lagos City Marathon, after clocking a time of 02:16:49.

The 32-year-old outran 80 others in the 9^th edition of the race to win the 42km marathon, clinching the $50,000 prize money.

The East Africans dominated the race as two other Kenyans, Simon Cheprot and Edwin Kiptoo, came second and third, with cash prizes of $40,000 and $30,000, respectively. The Kenyans won the marathon in 2016, 2017, 2020 and 2021.

Also, 25-year-old Ethiopian, Kebene Chala, crossed the finish line to emerge winner of the women’s category, while Shehu Muazu, the first Nigerian to cross the finish line, went home with N1 million cash prize.

Sports

NSC, NFF Visit proposed Abuja hotel, training pitch

Published

11 hours ago

February 7, 2025

The Tide

President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau , on Wednesday conducted the Chairman of National Sports Commission Mallam Shehu Dikko round the proposed site for the NFF Hotel and new training pitch, which is adjacent the NFF Headquarters inside the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

This ambitious project is designed to establish a state-of-the-art accommodation facility intended specifically for the national football teams.

The vision behind the proposed hotel, which has been a project close to the heart of the Ibrahim Gusau administration since it took office 28 months ago, is to free the NFF of the humongous expenses incurred regularly in accommodating the different National Teams.

In drastically reducing expenses on accommodation, the football-governing body intends to redirect such funds towards more critical areas, such as nurturing local football talent and bolstering the overall infrastructure of Nigeria football.

During the site inspection, Mallam Dikko and NFF President Gusau evaluated multiple aspects of the location under consideration. Key factors included the ease of accessibility for both players and support staff, the level of security provided by the surrounding area, and the proximity of the site to essential training facilities.

Their discussions extended beyond site assessment, as they also strategized about the project’s overall timeline, budget considerations, and the potential for partnerships with private investors or corporate entities that might be interested in supporting the laudable initiative.

They were in company with top NFF officials including the General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi and Technical Director, Coach Augustine Eguavoen, as well as principal aides of the NSC supremo, including Barr. Musa Amadu (former NFF General Secretary) and Mallam Salihu Abubakar.

The NFF National Teams Hotel project is in alignment with the overarching mission of the NSC, which is to promote and enhance the development of sports across Nigeria.

As the principal authority entrusted with regulating sports in the nation, the NSC is dedicated to endorsing programs and initiatives that bolster Nigeria’s sporting framework.

Sports

W’Cup: Eagles Get Dates for Rwanda, Zimbabwe Qualifiers

Published

11 hours ago

February 7, 2025

The Tide

The dates for the first two of the remaining six 2026 World Cup qualifying matches for the Super Eagles have been confirmed.

Nigeria will travel to Rwanda on March 21 before returning home for the second leg of the encounter against Zimbabwe.

“Work begins. Éric Chelle’s first two games as Super Eagles head coach will be the crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers—Rwanda away and Zimbabwe at home in March, let’s go Super Eagles,” the men’s senior team X handler shared on Tuesday.

The two opponents are familiar with the Super Eagles, having met Rwanda twice during the 2025 AFCON qualifiers. The Amavubi held Nigeria to a goalless draw last September before securing a 2-1 win over Nigeria in Uyo in the last game of the AFCON qualifiers in November.we

Zimbabwe have also hosted the first leg of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, forcing Nigeria to a 1-1 draw in the second game of the ill-fated series in November 2023.

After four matches, the three-time African champions sit in fifth place with just three points, four points behind leaders Rwanda, with six games left to play in the qualifying series. Aware of Nigeria’s precarious situation, new Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has stressed that securing a 2026 World Cup ticket for Nigeria remains his top priority.

Chelle was appointed as the new gaffer of the team some weeks ago and as he awaits his first game in charge of the team, the Franco-Malian is caught between reviving the country’s ill-fated 2026 World Cup qualifying series which resumes in March and leading the country to their fourth AFCON title when the tournament kicks off by December

.“As I’ve said before, my focus is on my players and March. We need to concentrate on the World Cup qualifiers first, and after that, in October, we can start thinking about AFCON. For now, we need to win two games in March,” Chelle said after the 2025 AFCON draw in Morocco last week.

“This is a draw, there are four teams and anyone in the AFCON can win the tournament but now I need to watch and work with my players on the two games in March against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.”

Nigeria are currently at risk of missing out on the 2026 World Cup, set to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, but March’s fixtures against the Amavubi in Kigali and Zimbabwe are crucial for Nigeria’s chances of securing a ticket to the global football showpiece, as victories in those games are expected to reignite their qualification hopes.

After the two games in March, the team will also regroup in September and October for their last four games in the Series before plotting their route to a fourth AFCON title in December.