Sports
W’ World Cup:FG Approves N1.3bn For Super Falcon
The Federal Government of Nigeria on 14th July 2023 approved the sum of One million and seven hundred thousand US dollars ($1.7m) which is equivalent of One billion, three hundred and twenty million and fifty thousand (N1,320,050,000) for Super Falcons’ smooth participation at the ongoing 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand Tidesports source reports.
This is contained in a leaked confidential document signed by the Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila where the Ministry of Sports on behalf of the NFF wrote a request letter demanding for $2m from the FG as the fund was not captured in the 2023 Ministry’s intervention fund. The NFF had submitted the budget of Two Million dollars before it was slashed to $1.7m in a bid to facilitate the smooth participation of Super Falcons at the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The total amount ($1.7m) containing 47 items in which the monies would be spent on includes payment of daily allowances for coaches, back room staff and players, payment for the winning bonuses for officials and players from the preliminary games to the final
Included in the letter to receive daily allowance and estacode are: Incoming Minister of Sports, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, General Secretary of NFF, Four NFF Board Members, NFF President, three management staff, three ministry aides, NFF officials, two State Football Association Chairmen and one state FA Secretary.
The intervention fund covers all the days (from Group Stage to the final) the competition will take place in Switzerland and Australia. Aside the total amount which would be released by the FG, the NFF will still get $1.7m participation fee from FIFA.
Super Falcons had on 21st July pulled a barren draw against Olympic Champions, Canada in their group opener and will face the co-host, Australia on 27th before their final group game versus Republic of Ireland on 31st July.
Recall that a total sum of $3.2m intervention funds was approved for the NFF for 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia where the Super Eagles failed to go past the group stages. $1.6m meant for Super Eagles participation at the 2018 World Cup from the group stage to the quarter-final was released before the commencement of the competition but despite their exit at the group stage, no money was refunded back to the Federal Government.
England captain Harry Kane netted a hat-trick to guide Bayern Munich to an impressive victory against Stuttgart.
Kane’s goals, plus one from Kingsley Coman, helped Bayern end a three-game winless run in all competitions.
They faced a tough task against a Stuttgart side who sat back and limited their chances, leading Vincent Kompany’s side to enter the break frustrated and with the deadlock unbroken.
Bayern eventually found a way past Stuttgart’s steely defence when Kane drilled a low effort into the bottom corner from around 30 yards out after Joshua Kimmich overturned possession.
Former Nigeria goalkeeper, Dosu Joseph, is full of thanks to God after he miraculously survived another life-threatening automobile accident recent at Kara, along the Lagos-Ibadan Express Way, where a heavy-duty truck ran into his SUV.
Narrating his ordeal, the 51-year-old, who guided Nigeria to gold in the Men’s Football Tournament of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, broke the news in a statement on his social media handles on Friday.
“To God be the glory, another death escaped by Grace and Mercy of God. Me and my friend SM were at Enyo Filling Station after Ojodu Berger bus stop to get fuel on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, around 6 p.m. when this MACK truck fully loaded with iron, with registration number LND 470 XX, left the road and crushed my car beyond repairs. Thank God for life,” he stated.
This is the second time the soft-spoken club proprietor will cheat death by a whisker, having been involved in an accident in 1997 that ended his career at 23 and left his spinal cord in bad shape.
He helped Julius Berger win the Nigeria FA Cup in November 1997 shortly a memorable Olympic outing by keeping a clean sheet in the finals against Katsina United. The following year, he was involved in the auto along Ikorodu Road, Lagos, which not only cut his career short but also left him almost paralysed, ending his spell at Serie A club Reggiana.
The former Nigeria international, who also kept goal for Julius Berger FC, said the case has been reported to Isheri Police Station, Ogun State, where the driver is currently detained and the truck also seized.
According to him, the owner of the truck said he can’t fix the badly damaged SUV until after a year.
Ex – Super Eagles of Nigeria, Okwuchukwu Waobikeze has observed that sports development in Nigeria is going down.
According to him, grassroots sports is very important, without it, the administrators cannot get it right. So everybody should key into grassroots sports development, he said.
Waobikeze said this last Wednesday in an interview with sports journalists shortly after the Port Harcourt All Stars Independence football festival (OCTOBERFEST) at the Port Harcourt club, Rivers State.
He explained that for sports administrators to get it right, grassroots development is key. “They should be organising competition at the grassroots level to fish out the young ones for different sporting activities.
“Grassroots sports is very important so the administrators have to go back to the grassroots.
” Sports Development in Nigeria is going down we need to go back to the basics.
“Look at the just concluded Paris Olympics, Nigeria did not win any medal.
” Our football team did not even qualify for the Olympics. We are going down.
” If they should go back to the grassroots, they will get young ones in the games and talents will be developed.
” I started from school games, to youth games before playing for the national team. Now everybody wants to fly board to play professional football and a lot do not know the basics of the game.
” A lot of people did not know the little things about the game, they just want to play. It is not done so,” Waobikeze stated.
Kiadum Edookor