The League Bloggers Awards (LBA) has named four players and four managers as its nominees for the Player and Manager in the Nigeria Professional Football League in the month of February.
In the player’s category, Rivers United attacking midfielder Frederick Obomate, Anthony Okpotu of Lobi Stars, Michael Olaha of Abia Warriors and 3SC hat-trick hero, Wasiu Jimoh, are in the running for the February edition of the LBA.
Obomate has scored three in three games for Rivers United winning them six points from nine while Jimoh’s three goals put new boys, Mountain and Fire Miracles (MFM) FC, to the sword earning 3SC their first full points of the season.
Okpotu has scored twice in three appearances in the month under review and helped his Lobi team notch up three points in their 2-1 win over Sunshine Stars.
Olaha has featured thrice for Abia Warriors this term and all three from the bench in which he scored twice against El-Kanemi Warriors and Heartland. His goals have secured six points for Warriors so far.
The quartet of Fidelis Ilechukwu of MFM FC, Kennedy Boboye of Abia Warriors, Mohammed Baba Ganaru of Kano Pillars and Godwin Uwua of Lobi Stars will tussle for the manager’s award.
Boboye has guided Warriors to top spot after they claimed seven points from nine, including three points from a 1-0 win on the road against Heartland while Baba Ganaru, Ilechukwu and Uwua have helped their teams to six points each. Unlike Baba Ganaru’s Kano Pillars, the teams of Ilechukwu and Uwua have won a game apiece on the road.
The winners of both categories will be announced later this week.
The Nominees
PLAYERS
Fred Obomate (Rivers United)
Wasiu Jimoh (3SC)
Anthony Okpotu (Lobi Stars)
Michael Olaha (Abia Warriors)
MANAGERS
Kennedy Boboye (Abia Warriors)
Godwin Uwua (Lobi Stars)
Fidelis Ilechukwu (MFM FC)
Mohammed Baba Ganaru (Kano Pillars)
Leicester midfielder N’Golo Kanté will miss this week’s matches against West Bromwich Albion and Watford with a
hamstring injury, according to his manager Claudio Ranieri.
Kanté was substituted after 70 minutes of Saturday’s win over Norwich City. “We lose him for the next two matches,” Ranieri said.
“I hope only two. It’s a little painful, he suffered during all of the season and now we want to give him some rest. Two matches and he can restart.”
“All the season he had a problem with the other leg and now this time the new leg. Maybe he made a compensation and
charged too much on the other leg.”
Andy King is likely to replace Kanté alongside Danny Drinkwater in midfield, and Ranieri was impressed with 27-year-old’s substitute appearance against Norwich.
“We put King on and he plays very well with Drinkwater, i’m very confident in him.” Ranieri said
The 24-year-old midfielder who joined the club in the summer from French side Caen, has played in every league game so far this season.
Nigeria faced the biggest test at the ongoing ITTF World Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and the West African giants came out victorious against their highly-rated Indian counterparts in the third round match of division two.
Also, Egypt continued their unbeaten run with two victories on the second day of the championship. The North African maintained their 100 per cent record with a 3-0 win over Argentina and Norway.
However, it was Nigeria that recorded the best result of the night when it defeated India 3-0 to record their third consecutive victory of the tournament.
Aruna Quadri, Segun Toriola and Bode Abiodun were in fine form against the India’s trio of Gosh Soumyajit, Sharath Achanta and Anthony Amalraj.
It was a big blow to India having suffered defeat against Nigeria at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Scotland.
Aruna Quadri, credit ITTFMEDIA
Aruna Quadri also used the occasion to avenge his first round loss to Soumyajit at the 2015 World Championship in China. The 2014 ITTF Star Player dismissed Soumyajit 11-5, 11-3, 11-3.
Veteran Segun Toriola increased the lead when he overcame another old warlord, Sharath Achanta 14-12, 11-6, 11-13, 11-5. And Bode Abiodun thwarted what would have been a recovery for the Asian giant as he completed the rout with 11-13, 11-8, 11-9, 11 win over Anthony Amalraj.
Earlier in the day, Nigeria had defeated Switzerland 3-0 while India also walloped Turkey 3-0.
Nigeria’s next match will be against Slovakia while India battles Switzerland.
Gianni Infantino said on his first full working day he doesn’t know what he would be paid as the FIFA president.
Infantino said he expected the bidding process for the 2026 World Cup, delayed last year by a scandal that has engulfed
FIFA, to begin in the next couple of months.
Speaking after an informal football match with FIFA employees and guests, Infantino said he had not discussed his
salary following his election on Friday. “I have no idea yet. I know you can’t believe it but it’s not [for the] money that I was candidate to become FIFA president. I have not discussed with anyone about my pay or what my pay will be. We will see.“
He said bidding for the 2026 World Cup hosting, which was supposed to have started in 2015 with a decision due in Kuala Lumpur next year, should begin before the Mexico City congress in May.
“Definitely I think we need to launch the bidding process in the next couple of months, probably before the next congress in May,” Infantino said.
Gianni Infantino – FIFA President photo credit navkolo.me
“Concerning Qatar and Russia, the decisions were taken in 2010 by the executive committee but since 2010 there has been speculation and allegations and noise.”
“It’s now necessary to organise the best World Cup in history in Russia in 2018 and in 2022 in Qatar.”
FIFA has been forced to investigate the decision to grant the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 finals to Qatar and an investigation is on-going by the Swiss attorney general’s office.
Swiss tennis star, Roger Federer has pushed back his return to tennis by a month as he continues to recover from knee surgery.
The 17-times grand slam champion underwent an operation after tearing a meniscus on the day after his Australian Open semi-final defeat to Novak Djokovic last month.
Federer had been expected to make his comeback at the Masters 1000 events in either Indian Wells or Miami next month but will instead return to action in Monte Carlo in April.
Federer wrote on his Facebook page: “As it is a long year, I don’t want to push it too hard and come back too soon. Thus, I will unfortunately not be able to make it back in time for the great event in Indian Wells but I do plan on playing in the desert next year. After consultation with my team, I have decided to enter the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters.”
He assured his fans that is recovery was going to plan. He added: “The Rehab for my knee is going really well! I have now had a lot of great practices on the court and in the gym.”
The player’s agent Antonio Ottaiano said the thief fled with a Rolex watch, jewels and €800 in cash and asked Insigne to dedicate a goal to him during Monday’s Serie A match against Fiorentina.
“Lorenzo suffered a terrible experience and told me that it was a really bad moment,” said Ottaiano.
In a picture-perfect setting, with a full crowd and a top-class, turf field, the United States’ Marilyn Little and Corona 93 executed a skillful double clear to win the $100,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping at the Live Oak International CSI3*-W in Ocala, Florida. In the final event of the inaugural North American League, the 34-year-old rider, and double-gold medalist in Eventing at the 2015 Pan American Games, showcased her multi-discipline talent by expertly answering all the tests in Leopoldo Palacios’ (VEN) course design aboard the 12-year-old, Hanoverian mare (Cordalme Z x Lenz XX), claiming victory over a starting field of 32.
The 1.40-metre to 1.60-metre course, with 14 obstacles and 17 jumping attempts, incorporated challenges like a wide, plank fence similar to the one at the legendary Hickstead and a big scope test in the design’s final three jumps. But it was a big wall to a wide triple bar and a steady double vertical combination that posed the biggest questions on course.
“I tried to do the best for the field,” said Palacios. “I have a good feel of the riders and the conditions were very good. I needed to build it strong for the conditions. When you have a ring with such good footing as we have here and we have very good set of fences and how the ring is now is way better after all the improvements that Live Oak did (like enclosing the ring); it’s fantastic.
“I had a lot of pressure. Walking the course, some riders complained it was too hard, but I believe that with the good footing, the conditions were super good, (the horses and riders) can jump harder courses.”
Chile’s Samuel Parot and Atlantis have won the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping qualifier in Calgary (CAN), and are now setting their sights on Wellington and Ocala. (FEI/Aimee Makris)
After the first two riders on course incurred time faults, the time allowed was extended by 3 seconds to a new limit of 90 seconds. Ten riders were clear in the first round to advance into the jump off.
“I thought the course was a little deceiving, a little on the low side,” said Little. “It was very progressive, and Leopoldo turned up the volume exponentially by the time you were midway through the course. By the end, there were a lot of technical, scope and stamina questions. It was a very long course, and the horses jumped to the best of their ability. It was a real thrill for both horse and rider.”
“There are no more challenging courses to jump than Leopoldo’s courses,” she added. “There’s always a number of tricks hiding in there and this was no different. It was brilliantly designed, and he had a beautiful, incredible field to work with in an electric atmosphere.”
All-female podium sweep
Out of the ten, talented horse-and-rider pairs, only three of America’s leading ladies went double clear to secure an all-female sweep of the top results. Little set the bar high as the first to leave the rails standing in the jump-off order, followed in hot pursuit by the youngest rider in the class, 19-year-old Chloe Reid, riding 9-year-old, Irish Sporthorse stallion Codarco (Darco x Orame). Last to go, 22-year-old Katie Dinan and 11-year-old, Irish Sporthorse gelding Dougie Douglas (Ard VDL Douglas x High Roller) chose a slightly more conservative track to finish in third.
“I’m set to graduate from Harvard in May and I’m going to be riding full time after graduation,” said Dinan. “I’m really looking forward to that. I’m going to try to take my riding further and focus on that full time. It’s really exciting.
“I’m in the process of making more definite plans, but over the last few years, I’ve been competing in Europe over the summers when on holiday from school and during the school year I’ve been in America. So when I graduate, I’ll have more flexibility. I’ll be able to choose my competitions around my horses rather than around school, and I’ll see what happens with that.”
Dinan acquired the horse that she rode to a podium finish in the final North American League event from the Goresbridge Supreme Sale of Showjumpers last November.
“I got Dougie at the end of last year and our first show together was at the beginning of January,” she said. “I believe this was our fifth competition together. I’m really grateful that so far, he’s been just wonderful. He’s so much fun to ride, he has a great personality, he seems to love show jumping, he has a lot of experience, which I feel very fortunate I can draw off of because he’s been to a lot of different venues.
“He’s jumped on a lot of grass fields, and that was one of the reasons why I decided to bring him to Live Oak because this is as beautiful as a grass field as there is to ride on, and I thought it would be a really good venue for him.”
Longtime partners, and perennial crowd favorites, Rich Fellers (USA) and Flexible claimed victory at the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping North American League qualifier at Thunderbird Show Park in Langley, British Columbia, yesterday. (FEI/Rebecca Berry)
A family affair
The well-regarded, annual competition, Live Oak International, is held on second-place finisher Reid’s grandmother’s farm and is organised in partnership by her uncle, Chester Weber and her mother, Juliet Reid.
“I couldn’t ask for a better placing at a better venue than right now and to do it and sit up here (in the press conference) with my uncle and my mom is incredible,” said Reid. “It’s a dream come true today and everything that’s happened this week.
“I have to give my success to my family. Without their support behind me, I wouldn’t be where I am today. And also to the group of people, my trainers, grooms, everyone who has helped me to be able to bring my horses and be best prepared for this moment.”
The 2016 season is set to be a breakout year for the young, American rider, who trains with Germany’s Marcus Beerbaum and Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum. Last month, she was also the youngest entry in the $130,000 Adequan Grand Prix CSI3* and placed third.
“I was actually talking to my dad before we started the class today and I was like, ‘I hope the course is challenging enough this morning,’” Reid said. “Because if the first go around at a show is challenging, that just makes me ride even better, I think. I was looking for the additional pressure today, but anytime you enter a class with the amazing riders that were in the class today is always such an honor and today definitely proved to be.”
“I think that Juliet and I often talk about Aachen as a model for the best annual horse competition in the world and that’s something that we look to,” said Weber. “When we started the show jumping, we did that together with the team from Spruce Meadows because we felt like that they could help bring us knowledge. We learned a lot from them, we still call them if we have questions; they’re great at answering those kinds of things. We have a great team in place, and we are talking back and forth about perhaps adding eventing.”
“There are about 2,000 eventing horses in Ocala in the winter; it’s a kind of mecca for eventers,” he added. “We have some big challenges to work through and whether 2017 is the right time, or if the right time will come, but I think not unlike Aachen, you’ll see some other sports happen here, but they have to come at their own logical time.”
Double threat
Speaking of eventing, Little has based her winter operations out of Ocala for the last two winter seasons to best prepare her eventing and show jumping strings at the same time. During the warmer months, Little and her family’s Raylyn Farms return to Frederick, Maryland, where her parents settled 36 years ago.
“It’s easier to get the eventing horses fit in Ocala,” said Little. “And also, I have 28 horses in the stable at the moment, primarily between ages 5 and 7 that I’ve bred, and it was a financial decision to develop the young horses here in Ocala. I am looking to return to Wellington next year.”
The grand prix show jumper turned to eventing in 2010, quickly working her way to the 4* level, the highest level of competition. “Anytime you’re entering another world or learning another sport or language, the best way to do it is full immersion program,” she said. “The goals that I had in eventing, there was really no other way to do it other than to completely immerse yourself and put everything, your whole heart and whole head, into it and that has been a focus for five or six years now.”
“I think that there’s certainly a way to play both sports at a very high level, if you have the team behind you that’s helping you play that game,” she added. “Because we all know that this looks like an individual sport, but it’s far more a team sport than the public may realise. I do hope to be able to do both and believe that it’s possible.”
Little’s eventing experience played a role in her approach to today’s course, especially in the long gallop to final oxer in the jump-off round.
“There, I was lucky; I knew that when I landed from the second to last fence, I could ask her for some speed then kick her into her highest gear then back off,” said Little. “I hoped that I would see the distance as far off as I possibly could, going at 750 metres a minute and trying to see a distance 12 strides out – that was a bit of eventing.
“I think eventing makes me sharper (for show jumping), and there are things that I feel that I do better than I did before I evented, and I wouldn’t trade those things for anything. And I think that being here in the show jumping ring will help me stay sharp for what I hope is coming in the eventing arena.”
Rio dreams
But despite the recent success in show jumping, not only winning the Longines FEI World Cup™ qualifier but also the $35,000 Live Oak International the day before and finishing in second in the $10,000 speed class on Friday, Little’s 2016 plans of focusing on the Rio 2016 Olympic Games for eventing have not changed.
“I have a very special horse in RF Demeter for high-level, performance eventing,” Little said. “She is in top form, and I can’t help but look toward Rio with her. So I have to stay the course for her and her owners and for myself because we’ve had a lot of years preparing for this season. We’re heading into the final Olympic trials prepared and fit, so a lot will have to go into that to make sure she’s on point.
“In jumpers, things are evolving quickly, and I can’t say that I have a solid plan for what’s coming in the next few months. There are a few things on the table but the plans will have to be made with Demeter in mind and her goals.”
Little’s return to the international show jumping ring largely stemmed from Corona’s development since Little acquired the talented mare last year from American rider Lauren Tisbo.
“There’s no question that Corona wouldn’t be part of the eventing string because dressage wouldn’t be a part of her repertoire,” said Little. “I think the judges’ comments would be that she’s not submissive and I would have to agree with them. “She is an extraordinary woman and she knows it and we have to treat her as such. She is 12 years old, and she’s in a new program so we have to find our way and it’s give and take. But she is a wonderful competitor, and I know she’s going to give 150 percent when she walks through the in gate.”
Despite the win, Little’s late start to the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping season means she will not head to the Final in Gothenburg, Sweden next month but will keep the next Final in mind for planning after Rio. “That’s an incredible goal,” she said. “I have a very special horse that is telling me that she’s ready for that, and that’s a dream and I will work toward that. At this point, it’s still one show at a time, one class at a time and hopefully the road I’m part of leads to the World Cup Final.”
Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping North American League: USA’s Marilyn Little and Corona 93 win final qualifier at Live Oak International in Ocala
Gothenburg calling
Following the final event of the North American League, the qualified U.S. riders are already planning the upcoming weeks that lead up to traveling to Europe.
“I am planning on going to the Final and will take Lucifer and New York,” said second-place finisher in the East Coast league, Hardin (Jack) Towell (USA).
The East Coast league’s third place finisher Quentin Judge (USA) finished in fifth in the $100,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping in Ocala with HH Whisky Royale, but plans to take HH Copin van de Broy to Sweden.
“I thought Whisky Royale was great today,” Judge said. “He jumped really well in the first round, very easy to jump clear. But in the jump off, I cut the turn to the first fence too tight and knocked the standard with my foot. He jumped double clear; the rail was my fault.
“I’m planning to go to the Final with Copin and will jump him in two small classes before we head over to Gothenburg in a few weeks, to make sure he’s fit and ready to go.”
Current Longines Rankings number four Beezie Madden (USA) also plans to head to the Final, despite missing the last two East Coast league events. “We’re hoping to be able to go, that’s for sure,” Madden said. “Right now, Simon and Cortes will not go, but we have two horses, Quister and Breitling, who are doing really well and we just have to see which ones of those two we’d like to take the Final. Breitling just jumped double clear at last week’s Nations Cup so we’re really excited about him.”
Kent Farrington and McLain Ward do not plan to travel to Europe next month, instead opting to focus on qualifying for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. In their place, it’s likely that alternate Dinan will receive a bid.
“I was waiting to see after today that if it does work out, I’d plan on taking Nougat du Vallet,” Dinan said. “He competed in the World Cup qualifier at the Wellington Masters two weeks ago. I will figure out what makes most sense because I’ll be qualified on multiple horses but that would be my plan.
“I jumped him in the World Cup Final at Gothenburg in 2013 and always wanted to go back there. I’m heading back to Boston right now and come back to Wellington to jump in Florida in the next two weeks. If I end up getting into the Final, then I’ll organise my schedule around that.”
In the West Coast league, all three top U.S. riders, Karl Cook, Rich Fellers and Richard Spooner plan to compete in the Final.
“I would like to do the World Cup Final with the horse because I really need to get to know (new horse, Big Red),” Spooner said. “I really want to feel confident on the horse and I want to feel 100 percent, if Rio were to be in his future, that I would feel 100 percent confident in our ability to do that and I have a short time to do it.”
“I just have a simple rule with what I do with my show jumpers, which is I just let them tell me how they feel and I go with that, and he feels really good,” Fellers said of 20-year-old stallion Flexible and their plans to travel to the Final. “I don’t have any explanation for it, but he just feels as good as ever.”
The Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final will be held in Gothenburg, Sweden, on 23-26 March (www.gothenburghorseshow.com/in-english).
World Sailing is disappointed to announce that the Oman Sailing Committee have withdrawn from hosting the 2016 Youth Sailing World Championships which were due to take place in December 2016.
The Oman Sailing Committee was able to exercise the right to withdraw, as a final contract for the hosting of the event had not been concluded. World Sailing will now immediately start to work with its Member National Authorities to rapidly identify an alternative venue for the 2016 Youth Sailing World Championships at the same time of year as the event originally planned for Oman.
Following the publication of the World Sailing statement on Discrimination on the 13 January 2016 (http://www.sailing.org/news/39107.php), World Sailing can now confirm that it has received written confirmation from all venues that have already been selected and confirmed for forthcoming World Sailing championships that they are able to guarantee full and equal participation by all, in accordance with World Sailing’s Regulations.
Closing Ceremony, 2015 Youth Sailing World Championships, Langkawi, Malaysia
World Sailing’s action follows the clarification of the non-discrimination elements of the Olympic Charter from the International Olympic Committee Summit on 17 October 2015, that, “the Summit agreed that for all competitions taking place under the auspices of an International Federation or National Olympic Committee or their continental or regional associations, it has to be ensured that all athletes from all their members can enter a country to compete and are treated equally. It was agreed that should this rule not be respected, the event in question cannot serve as a qualification event for the Olympic Games or any other championship.”
World Sailing confirms it will continue to apply this guidance strictly to all of its future World Sailing championships and explicit acceptance of these conditions will form part of the bid criteria for future events.
The Technical Crew of the Coal City Flying Antelopes, Rangers International FC Enugu says it has concluded plans to unleash
a killer squad of determined players aganist Warri Wolves FC in their match day three clash, on Wednesday in Warri.
In a statement released by, Rangers FC Media Officer, Foster Chime the technical Crew have affirmed that they are determined to replicate last seasons victory over Warri Wolves this season to show Rangers supremacy over the warri soccer lords.
Rangers players still basking in the euphoria of the two-straight home victories against Plateau United FC and Niger Tornadoes on Sunday, are poised to sustain the winning streak against Warri Wolves on Wednesday, in a mid-week Premier league cracker.
Rangers General Manager, Ozor Paul Chibuzor, said the financial incentives to the players by the State govt, Management and a philanthropist, Engr. Osy Ngwu was the needed tonic and motivation that has been propeling the players to record a string of recent victories including the superlative outing in Kano against Kano Pillars.
Enugu Rangers fc
The clubs boss disclosed that the players and officials were paid their monthly salaries promptly save for the January salary
that came a bit late but which is to be paid by Wednesday this week, assuring that all monies approved by the State
executive, including some arrears of Sign-on fees, enhance salaries and players clearances will be paid soon.
He said that the Teams objectivews is to take every match as it comes, adding that Rangers will get stronger as the league progresses with the inclusion of new players that have been cleared inother to earn positive results from each game.
Ozor Chibuzor explained that the club has received the complete football kits of the players and Officials for
home and away matches from the clubs kits partners SELECT SPORTS of Holland, which he maintained will bosst the image
of the club.
The technical crew of the Senior Women National Team, Super Falcons, headed by Florence Omagbemi, has called to camp 40 players ahead of the 2016 Africa Women Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against either of Senegal or Guinea.
Seven–time champions Nigeria have drawn a bye into the second round of the qualifying series, with the final competition to hold in Cameroon in November.
Super Falcons
The senior women teams of Senegal and Guinea will contend over two legs in March, with the winner to battle the Super Falcons in home-and-away contests between 4th – 12th April.
Goalkeepers Ibubeleye Whyte and Sandra Chichi, defenders Onome Ebi, Josephine Chukwunonye, Ngozi Ebere and Joy Jegede, midfielders Halimatu Ayinde, Ngozi Okobi, Evelyn Nwabuoku and Joy Bokiri, and strikers Asisat Oshoala, Desire Oparanozie, Chinwendu Ihezuo and Francisca Ordega are among those called.
All invited players are expected to report at Serob Legacy Hotel, Wuye, Abuja on Tuesday, March 1.
Florence Omagbemi – Super Falcons Coach photo credit: Florence Omagbemi
Next month’s Ladbrokes World Grand Prix and Ladbrokes Players Championship will both be included in the ranking event schedule for the rolling 147 prize, for the first time.
The 147 rolling prize goes up by £5,000 each ranking event. Ding Junhui made a maximum at the Welsh Open, so the 147 prize for the Ladbrokes World Grand Prix will be £5,000. If there is no 147 at that event then it will go up to £10,000 for the Ladbrokes Players Championship.
Title sponsor Ladbrokes has also pledged to double the prize if a 147 is made at either of those two events.
The rolling prize for European Tour events is £500 per tournament. The current pot of £500 will be rolled forward to next season, when the relevant events will be the Riga Open, Paul Hunter Classic and Gibraltar Open.
The rolling prize for qualifiers is £500 per event and currently stands at £8,500 for the Betfred World Championship qualifiers in April.
The Ladbrokes World Grand Prix runs from March 8-13 in Llandudno, followed by the Ladbrokes Players Championship at Event City in Manchester from March 22-27. Tickets for both are on sale now, for details see http://www.worldsnooker.com/tickets
In order to clear a lot of falsehood that has been making the rounds in sections of the media following the resignation of Coach Sunday Oliseh, the Nigeria Football Federation has decided to make a statement regarding events relating to the employment and resignation of the Super Eagles Coach.
First of all, the NFF would like to state that contrary to what few members of the media would have Nigerians believe, the appointment of Mr. Sunday Oliseh as Head Coach of the Super Eagles was thoroughly thought-through; it went through a meeting between himself and the Technical Committee and was ultimately approved by the entire Executive Committee of the NFF.
The NFF had the best of intentions in hiring Mr. Sunday Oliseh, and despite the misgivings about his temperament (he himself alluded to this at his unveiling) he was seen as a bright young Coach able to take the Super Eagles to new heights. This view was premised on his resume, (having played in various countries around the world), his undoubted football knowledge and his currency of ideas (being a respected former Super Eagles Captain and a member of the FIFA Technical Study Group).
Sunday Oliseh And NFF President Amaju Pinnick In London when was announced as Super Eagles Coach
The fact that from Mr. Oliseh’s perspective, the relationship had gone so awry to the extent that he resigned his appointment is unfortunate because despite the temporary financial difficulties which crept into the relationship in the last 4 (four) months or thereabouts, the NFF Executive Board with its penchant for long term planning took a long term view of his appointment and remains confident that with a little more patience on the part of the Coach, things would have turned around for the better in the long run.
The NFF seizes the opportunity to apologise to Nigerians for the situation that we, through no fault of ours, find ourselves, but assures the teeming Super Eagles supporters that we shall patriotically remain committed to the success of the team. This is already evidenced by the swiftness with which we have reconstituted the coaching crew and received the assurances of the patriotism of the Super Eagles players who have vowed to fight for the Nigerian flag and spirit, and ensure that not only do we qualify for the African Nations Cup but also that our long term goals are not derailed.
The NFF gives the foregoing assurances despite the circumstance which has arisen with the untimely resignation of Coach Sunday Oliseh and despite the fact that the decision was taken unilaterally without discussion with NFF or any of its officials or board members, without giving the requisite 1 (one) months notice as stipulated in his contract immediately after he was paid his arrears of salary and housing allowance after his request to travel across Europe to visit potential call ups for the matches against Egypt was approved by the President of the NFF and; despite the fact that we have crucial qualifying matches to play next month
With regard to the various allegations made against the NFF by Mr. Sunday Oliseh in his letter of resignation and in the media, the NFF as a responsible organisation feels the need to this once respond to those allegations as follows, and thereafter continue with the job at hand without any further distractions:
Sunday O Oliseh Resigns
Mr. Sunday Oliseh in his letter of resignation and in various reports has talked about not being respected, and not getting the support of the NFF. The NFF categorically denies these allegations and notes that from the time of his employment the NFF had always shown him respect which, unfortunately, not always reciprocated.
In order to encourage him, to exhibit an intention to put the issue of financial disagreements with coaches behind the Federation and to help the new Coach quickly settle down, the NFF proceeded to pay him three months’ salary in advance – something that had never happened previously in Nigeria football.
The NFF introduced him to our principal partners/sponsors in order to show that the Federation had total regard for and was fully supporting its coach. The President thereafter reiterated the vision of the NFF board and its mandate to the new coach to build a new and vibrant team that the Government and people of this country would be proud of. The NFF has since then allowed him to carry on his duties without interference. The NFF also purchased for Mr. Oliseh a brand new car to ease his movement locally whenever he was in Nigeria.
With regard to the allegation that he was not supported, it is pertinent to note that Mr. Oliseh himself had on numerous occasions expressed gratitude for the support he had received from the NFF and in particular from the NFF President and Vice Presidents. The NFF makes bold to say that he has been supported throughout his short tenure as the Super Eagles coach. Not only have his requests and choice of training camps been accepted, his choice of players have never been interfered with, his choice of venues have all but once been accepted and even where not accepted, an explanation was promptly given which was duly appreciated and accepted by the coach.
Only a few minutes before sending an email intimating the NFF of his resignation, Mr. Oliseh had written a mail to the NFF President about his trip across Europe to see players, which the NFF President had approved the day before.
For the competitive matches against Tanzania, Burkina Faso and Swaziland that the Super Eagles played away from home under Coach Oliseh, the NFF despite its financial constraints flew the team by chartered aircraft at the request of the coach.
It is pertinent to note also that, despite its financial constraints, the NFF acceded to Coach Oliseh’s insistence on camping the CHAN team in South Africa. His show of appreciation was to go on air to talk about spending his money to buy food for the team in South Africa. The truth is that the team stayed at a world-class facility where buffet feeding had been arranged. Coach Oliseh opted to buy Nigerian food for the players on two (2) occasions, without alerting the NFF or the hotel management. Food meant for the team on those two occasions went to waste.
In support of Coach Oliseh and in a bid to give him some confidence regarding the issue of finance, the NFF top echelon traveled to Rwanda at their own expense along with the Minister of Youth and Sports, in order that the coach and the team would have the opportunity of hearing first-hand from the Minister the challenges the NFF was facing with regards to funds. The Minister told the team clearly that the financial problems were not the fault of the NFF and promised to do his utmost to resolve it forthwith.
After the CHAN championships in Rwanda, the Technical Committee requested for the usual technical report of the Championship but Coach Oliseh wrote a terse email back to the secretary of that committee stating that he did not report to them.
Even though by the terms of his contract he was obliged to return to Nigeria at least 2 weeks to any Super Eagles match and is obliged to watch our domestic league matches from time to time, one can count how many local league matches he has watched and one can point out that he did not return to Nigeria before he went to the CHAN championship on the grounds that he was ill. Yet, he went to South Africa and Rwanda but did not return with the team to Nigeria
The NFF has accommodated these only in support of the ultimate success of the coach and the team. On resumption, Coach Oliseh wanted to sack the entire backroom staff of the Super Eagles including the media officer saying that he could not work with them. A potentially messy situation was aborted by the firm position of the General Secretary and the President on the matter. The coach virtually tore the team apart with his impulsive style of man management, for example if not for the way the NFF President and Vice Presidents handled the matter, his disagreement with erstwhile captain Vincent Enyeama would have seen all the senior players quit the Super Eagles.
Contrary to the terms of his contract, Coach Oliseh went on air several times to talk about the NFF’s finances and in a derogatory manner. He went on air to insult Nigerians in what is now known as his ‘YouTube rant’ wherein he made serious allegations against the Nigeria media, which he has failed to substantiate. In it, he also noted that he didn’t want the job of the Super Eagles Chief Coach but was prevailed upon to accept it.
From the foregoing, it is clear that without claiming to be perfect and working under considerable financial difficulties, not only did the NFF support Mr. Sunday Oliseh in his capacity as Chief Coach of Super Eagles, it actually showed lots of restraint in the face of aggravated impulsive behaviour by the coach bordering in some cases on insubordination.
In closing this Statement there are a few things we must point out:
We find it strange though that, after complaints of non -payment, Mr.Oliseh waited to receive monies owed him before resigning. Two days before his resignation, he had passionately appealed that we unite as one force to fight the battle on the football field with the Egyptian national team. We had no idea he was selling a dummy.
For the avoidance of doubt, Mr. Sunday Oliseh RESIGNED and was not SACKED. We bear no grudges against the coach and wish him well in his future endeavours.
We have heard strange talk of “instability in NFF.” How can there be instability in NFF simply because an employee chose to resign? The Executive Board of the NFF has resolved to accept his resignation and has responsibly gone ahead to accept the recommendation of the Technical Committee in replacing him temporarily with competent coaches.
We have now moved swiftly beyond the issue of the resignation of Coach Oliseh and like responsible business -minded administrators we are now thinking about the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, with the immediate business being the hosting of the Egyptian national team in Kaduna and playing them in Egypt towards the end of next month.
We thank the teeming patriotic supporters of the Super Eagles, seek your forgiveness if we have done any wrong, ask for your understanding of the very difficult financial situation under which we are working and above all request your continued support and prayers.
newfanzone 