Sports
Naija Super 8: Enyimba Crashes Out
NPFL champions, Enyimba, have been eliminated from the ongoing Naija Super 8 tournament in Lagos after a shock 2-1 defeat to Katsina United but the jostle for the semi-final tickets in Group A will go down the wire after Sporting Lagos also beat Remo Stars 2-1 at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena on Tuesday.
After a goalless first half, Katsina United raced to a two-goal lead inside two minutes, with Ibrahim Yahaya scoring first in the 54th minute, while Nazifi Yahaya added the second from the spot in the 56th minute after Somari Alalibo handled the ball in the box.
Fatai Abdulahi pulled one back for the People’s Elephant at the death, but it was only a consolation as Finidi George’s men were eliminated in the group stages following two defeats and a draw.
“We need rest. We have to think about how we can get some good rest and prepare for next season. Congratulations to those who have qualified and I wish them the best,” Finidi said in his post-match interview.
In the first game, Chiemeka Nwokeji scored in stoppage time from the rebound of a missed penalty as 10-man Sporting Lagos beat Remo Stars 2-1 to take the Southwest derby bragging rights.
Togolese striker, Frank Muawena, headed Remo into the lead 18 minutes into the game with his second goal of the tournament but the newly promoted side levelled matters in the 26th minute through Saturday Okon to tie the score 1-1 at the break.
The intensity of the game grew in the second half and when the derby was seemingly heading for a draw, substitute Jonathan Alukwu won a penalty at the death to give Sporting the advantage to grab their first win. Chiemeka scored the rebound of the spot kick after his initial effort was kept out.
There was still more time for drama in the game, as Sporting goalkeeper Christian Nwoke was sent off for a second bookable offence but his team held on for a famous win against their potential Southwest rivals ahead of next season.
Hon Dike who spoke with sports journalists shortly after the flag off the 2024 edition of Chairman’s Football Unity Tournament at Botem Tai in Tai LGA, said the tournament is an annual event to promote peace and unity in Tai as well identify budding talents in the area for global competition.
The opening ceremony of the tournament was more like a carnival was witnessed by huge crowd including prominent indigenes of Ogoni Kingdom, sports lovers and people from all works of life.
The LGA boss revealed that special sports committee will be setup in the area to work out modalities to strengthen sports development in Tai.
He advised the participants in the tournament from various wards in the LGA to play the game by the rules and conduct themselves in a peaceful and orderly manner and use the opportunity to showcase their talents.
Hon Dike further disclosed that his administration will also give priority attention to skills development among the youth to enhance their human capacity and promote enterprise development in the area.
Earlier in his address the Chairman of Tai LGA Football Council, Elder Wisdom Gorgor said the annual football competition has been a unifying factor in Tai LGA that need to be sustained to forge more unity and development in the area.
He urged the participants to see the competition as an opportunity to embrace football as a full career and earn sustainable livelihood.
Elder Gorgor who commended the Chairman of Tai LGA, Hon Dike for his visionary leadership and tremendous development achievements recorded in the LGA under his administration, appealled to the Chairman to build a Mini Sports Stadium in the area to promote sporting activities.
The training was held at the Sani Abacha Stadium Indoor Basketball Court in Kano last Saturday.
According to the Vice President and Head of NBA Nigeria, Gbemisola Abudu, the event was part of the league’s commitment to growing broader basketball ecosystem in Nigeria and making the game more accessible across the country.
“Our first Jr. NBA clinic in Kano speaks to our commitment to growing the game in Nigeria and creating more opportunities for boys and girls to learn and play the game,” Abudu said.
“Nigeria has a rich basketball history and abundance of talent, which is evident every time you watch an NBA game. We look forward to continuing to engage with basketball stakeholders, business leaders and members of the community to further the game’s reach and impact on young people around the country,” she added.
The 2024 basketball initiative clinics of NBA Nigeria also included the league’s inaugural Jr. NBA elite camp for 150 boys and age-16 girls held at the American International School in Lagos in July.
Others include the NBA’s building of 1,000 courts in Africa over the next decade, Nigeria’s Festival Coins and Salubata named the top two winning businesses at NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator’s inaugural Demo Day in New York City held last September, and the third edition of “NBA Meets Art,” a curated installation celebrating basketball through the lens of Nigerian art and culture as part of West Africa’s premier art fair Art X Lagos, held in November.
Central to this vision is the federation’s investment in capacity building, evident in the just-concluded one-week Level 1 Badminton World Federation (BWF) Coaching Course, which marked a significant milestone for Nigerian badminton.
Held in Abuja, the course brought together 13 young coaches from across Nigeria. The last time such a course was held in the country was in 2017, making this a historic and transformative step.
The training was facilitated by the Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA) in partnership with the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) and conducted by Dr. Ahmed Radah, the BCA Development Manager.
Radah, impressed by the talent he witnessed, praised Nigeria’s potential.
“Nigeria is blessed with immense talent and a strong badminton tradition. I believe this country has what it takes to dominate on the global stage,” he remarked.