Sports
Beach Soccer: Kebbi Emerged champions for third time
Kebbi Beach Soccer Club emerged winners of the 2024 Nigeria Beach Soccer League highlighting their dominance of the domestic game by winning their third title of the three-year-old event.
The Kebbi club claimed the title clinically as the Super 4 Tournament came to a fitting end in Kaduna.
The weekend’s success saw the Kebbi claim the title for a record three consecutive times in four editions, an eloquent testament to their astonishing skills and extraordinary dedication.
The finals at the Murtala Muhammed Square in Northern Nigeria’s administrative capital was ushered in by two rounds of games in Kebbi and Anambra State, with Jigawa GS BSC and Nmanko Patigi BSC missing the qualifiers spots.
The Super 4 playoffs in Kaduna were a showcase of exciting beach soccer, with Kebbi BSC defeating Kebbi United BSC and Anambra Beach Soccer Warriors to secure their title.
Although the cup holders as well as winners of the inaugural finals in 2021 lost 3-2 after penalties to Kada Stars of Kaduna that didn’t stop them from picking their third title and pocketing the N600,000 winners’ prize. Their six points in the finals lifted them above debutant Anambra Warriors, who finished in second place and went home with N400,000, and third-placed Kebbi United, who pocketed N300,000. Kada Stars finished fourth and earned N200,000.
Two-time participants at the Beach Soccer Worldwide Winners Cup, Kebbi BSC also produced the tournament’s MVP in Hassan Abdullahi. Kebbi United’s Sadiq Umar emerged highest goalscorer with 17 goals, with the club’s Umar Aliyu selected the Rising Star of the competition and Festus Bashorun of Anambra Warriors named the best goalkeeper. Kada Stars won the Fair Play trophy.
With the conclusion of the 2024 Nigeria Beach Soccer League attention of the beach soccer community now shifts to the Supersand Eagles’ preparations for the 2024 Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Mauritania, with the first leg in Nouakchott on July 20 and the return leg in Nigeria a week later.
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”.