The Nigeria Under17 Women’s National team Popularly referred to as the Flamingoes on Saturday In Abuja the capital of Nigeria Walloped their South African Counterparts the Bantwana by six goals to zero in the final round 2016 Fifa World Cup qualifier at the National Stadium Abuja.
The Flamingoes went on a goals scoring rampage in the first half of the tie with Four goals from Rasheedat Ajibade and a Tinuke Fajobi brace was all it took to inflict a heavy defeat on the South Africans to make the second leg something of a formality.
The Nigeria team will play the second leg of the tie against the South African ladies in two weeks time and head coach of the team Bala Nikyu believes that his wards will go to south Africa to pick up the ticket to represent Africa at the FIFA Under 17 Women’s World Cup In Jordan.
Coach Bala Nikyu says he would be telling his girls to go for as many goals as possible when they take on South Africa’s Bantwana in a 2016 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup African final round qualifier at the National Stadium, Abuja on Saturday.
The Flamingos have been training in Abuja for the past four weeks, following the second round annihilation of Namibia’s Baby Gladiators over two legs.
“Our objective would be to get the job done here in Nigeria before the second leg in South Africa. We are in confident mood, and have been motivated by the words of the NFF General Secretary who attended the team’s training session on Tuesday.
“We know how important qualification for the World Cup is to Nigerians. The girls are ready and rearing to go. We have worked hard over the past weeks and looking forward to a comfortable victory.”
Meanwhile, the Bantwana trained at the training pitch of the National Stadium, Abuja on Wednesday afternoon, after landing in Abuja in the early hours of same day.
While Nigeria has never failed to qualify for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup since it was launched in 2008, South Africa has only been at the 2010 finals (in Trinidad and Tobago) where they conceded 17 goals in three group phase matches against Germany, Korea Republic and Mexico.
Ahead of Wednesday’s Charity Cup battle with Akwa United FC of Uyo at the National Stadium, Abuja, Enyimba FC chairman, Chief Felix Anyansi-Agwu has reminded all that his team has a culture of winning trophies.
The NFF Executive Committee member stated without mincing words while talking to thenff.com, that his team expects nothing less than victory in the season–opening game.
Felix Anyasi-AGU
“We have a culture of winning trophies, and that is something everyone knows and appreciates. For us, no trophy is small, and that is why we have a cabinet brimming with trophies.
“We have a special mentality with which we approach championships, and that is why we are Enyimba.”
The People’s Elephant, who won the Nigeria Professional Football League last season, go head-to-head against Federation Cup winners Akwa United FC at the nation’s main sporting arena.
Enyimba Fc Celebrate Federations Cup 2014 victory
Enyimba FC lost 0-1 to Vipers FC of Uganda in Kampala in the CAF Champions League at the weekend, while Akwa United won by the same margin away to Vita Club Mokanda in Pointe Noir, Congo.
This year’s Charity Cup match will start at 4pm on Wednesday.
Nigerian champions Enyimba FC are in battle again, few days after they drew the short end against Ugandan champions Vipers FC in a first round, first leg CAF Champions League encounter in Kampala.
This time, the People’s Elephant are up against Federation Cup winners Akwa United of Uyo in the annual Charity Cup match, in what is billed to be a titanic session at the National Stadium, Abuja on Wednesday. The Charity Cup traditionally opens the football season.
Akwa United are brimming with immense confidence following a run of marvelous results, including beating better –fancied Lobi Stars to win the Federation Cup and conquering fellow continental campaigners (Enyimba FC, Warri Wolves and Nasarawa in two rounds of the Super Four organized by the League Management Company.
2015 Federation Cup Winners Akwa United FC, football, Nigeria. photo credit Alonge Akinlolu
On Saturday, the boys from the Land of Promise boldly promised more, by beating more experienced Vita Club Mokanda of Congo 1-0 in Pointe Noir in a CAF Confederation Cup first round, first leg match.
In Abuja on Wednesday, Ubong Moses Ekpai, whose goal in Pointe Noir has made the return leg against Vita Club Mokanda an easier session, will seek more goals, with goalkeeper Olufemi Kayode, former junior international Samuel Okon, Namso Edo, Ubong Friday, Kufre Ebong and U-23 star Godspower Igudia also set to impress.
Enyimba FC have returned from Uganda feeling a sting, and it is the right time to let off steam and regain confidence ahead of the return leg against Vipers FC.
Enyimba boast three of the best goalkeepers in the land, namely Olufemi Thomas, Moses Ocheje and Theophilus Afelokhai. Afelokhai was in action in Kampala, but any of the three can do a great job any day. They also have on their books Super Eagles’ aces Chima Akas, Kalu Orji and Ezekiel Bassey, as well as other decent names like Chinedu Udoji, Ugwu Uwadiegwu, Christian Pyagbara, Bartholomew Ibenegbu, Daniel Etor, Mfon Udoh, Andrew Abalogu, Oladapo Olufemi and Nzube Anaezemba.
The match is also the perfect tune –up for both teams as the new Nigeria Professional Football League kicks off this weekend.
All is set for Sunday’s CAF Confederation Cup first round, first leg encounter between Nigeria’s Nasarawa United FC and AS Academie Generation Foot of Senegal, at the National Stadium, Abuja. The match will start at 4pm on Sunday.
On Saturday, the match coordination meeting held at the NFF Secretariat, Abuja with the match commissioner, Mr. Andy Quamie from Liberia presiding. The match referees from Mauritania are Referee Thiam Amadou, with Warr Abderrahman, Cheick Mamadou and Babacar Sarr as assistant referee 1, assistant referee 2 and reserve referee respectively.
Generation Foot’s delegation of 35 persons arrived in Abuja on Friday, and trained at the National Stadium on Saturday.
Chairman of Nasarawa State Football Association, Alhaji Mohammed Alkali and NFF’s Ag. Director of Competitions, Bola Oyeyode were among officers at the match coordination meeting.
While Nasarawa United players will dorn green jerseys for tomorrow’s encounter, the visitors from Senegal will be clad in ox-blood tops and shorts.
The Solid Miners have thrown the gates open for the match against the Senegalese flagbearers, as Club chairman Isaac Danladi told thenff.com that “we are calling on the good people of Abuja and environs to come and support us at the National Stadium so that we can feel truly at home and our players will be inspired to earn a handsome win.”
Nasarawa United FC photo credit @NPFLstats
While Generation Foot are campaigning on the continent for the first time, Nasarawa United played in the CAF Confederation Cup in 2007 after crashing out of the more lucrative CAF Champions League.
On Friday, one of Nigeria’s flagbearers in the CAF Champions League, Enyimba FC, lost 0-1 to Vipers of Uganda in Kampala in a first round, first leg match.
Players and officials of Nigeria’s flagbearers in this year’s CAF Confederation Cup, Nasarawa United, have arrived in Abuja with a determination not to take prisoners in Sunday’s first round, first leg clash against AS Academie Generation Foot of Senegal.
Although the opponents are yet to communicate their date of arrival to the Nigeria Football Federation, Nasarawa United FC chairman, Barr. Isaac Danladi told thenff.com on Tuesday that his players are focusing on Sunday’s game and not when the opposition will jet into town.
TIMOTHY SIMON OF NASARAWA (1) photo credit LMC Media
“Our preparations are geared towards achieving a handsome win, in order to make the second leg an easier session for us. As I told you some weeks ago, we have experienced continental football before when we played in the CAF Champions League some years ago. It is not an entirely strange territory.
“Playing at home first, or playing at the National Stadium, Abuja is no disadvantage. Rather, we see everything as an opportunity to confirm how much progress Nasarawa United has made over the years.”
The Solid Miners opted to play at the National Stadium, Abuja as their home ground in Lafia is presently undergoing renovation. They trained in Abuja on Tuesday and are staying at the Peace Haven Hotel, Wuye.
Ace forward Esosa Igbinoba, Thomas Zenke, Abdulrahman Bashir and the two Philips – Auta and Azango – are in the 22 –man delegation that stormed the Federal Capital Territory on Tuesday.
Also this weekend, Nigeria’s other flagbearer in the CAF Confederation Cup, Super 4 champions Akwa United will travel to Congo to play Club Mokanda. In the CAF Champions League, Warri Wolves will host Praia Cruz from Sao Tome and Principe while two –time champions Enyimba FC fly to Uganda to play Vipers FC.
All is now set for the jump ball of the 2015 edition of the National Division 1 Men’s basketball championship to be hosted in Port Harcourt by the Royal Hoopers basketball club between November 27 and December 6.
The Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF confirmed the hosting of the championship which will decide the promotion of two teams to the DSTV Premier League after a meeting of the technical committee of the NBBF and a representative of the hosts, Royal Hoopers, Ogoh Odaudu, at the federation’s boardroom in the National Stadium Abuja on Tuesday.
Mr Odaudu during the presentation to members of the committee, said the city of Port Harcourt was ready to host the first division teams expected for the 8-day championship.
Odaudu, who doubles as the head coach of the host team Royal Hoopers, and member of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) revealed that they are ready to stage a memorable championship having already constituted a 7-man LOC which has since hit the ground running. He disclosed that the LOC has put in place adequate security arrangements, a functional gym for the competition, standby generator coupled with vibrant host media for a good coverage, as well as other logistics for a good championship.
Confirming that all roads lead to Port Harcourt for this year’s edition that will produce replacements for relegated FCT Rocks and Police Batons, the NBBF, said it was impressed with the preparedness of the hosts.
According to the schedule of events, arrival for teams and officials is Friday November 27,while the on-site interface between the federation’s technical officials and the LOC and inspection of facilities will take place same day at 4pm. The technical meeting and opening game for the 2015 edition are both scheduled for Saturday November 28.
The winners and runners-up will both be promoted to the DStv Premier Basketball League in the 2015/2016 season and will receive plaques and medals for their effort. There will be awards for the Most Valuable player, Best Rebounder and Best Three- point shooter of the tournament.
Two weeks of contrasting fortunes for U-23 National Team Head Coach, Samson Siasia, has ended with sheer headache on which players he should pick for the pre-Africa U-23 Cup of Nations camp in Morocco.
Last week, it was a frustrated Siasia who cried out that his camp was empty due to clubs’ incessant demand for their players to report for club duties. This week, the story has changed as the former Super Eagles’ Head Coach is now faced with the problem of selecting the 30 players who will make his list to Morocco where the team will have a final camping before proceeding to Senegal for the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations starting on 28 November.
All invited 35 home -based players were at the team’s training session on Tuesday evening, with competition intense as all struggled to impress as the list of 30 is soon to be compiled. The session was so charged that Siasia himself had to tell the players to take things easy so as to avoid injuries.
Expressing satisfaction with the players in camp, an elated Siasia said: “For now, all I can say is that I am very happy with what I have seen as the players came back from their club engagements fully refreshed and ready to do the nation proud. The NFF has also responded positively to my cry for the release of these players so we can prepare properly for the big task of picking one of Africa’s tickets for the football event of next year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
“I must confess that selecting the 30 players who will be departing the shores of this country for Morocco is giving myself and my assistants real headache, but this is a positive headache which at the end of the day will enable us select only the best that will fly the nation’s flag with gusto.”
Siasia Samson Nigeria U23 Coach credit fifa.com
Meanwhile, U-23 National Team will on Thursday at the National Stadium, Abuja trade tackles with newly promoted NPFL club Niger Tornadoes of Minna. The encounter is expected to kick off at 4pm.
On Saturday morning, the team will engage C.O.D FC of Lagos.
With the first phase of the Zenith Bank Female Basketball league ongoing at the national stadium in Abuja, the board of the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) sat on Sunday to address major issues brought forward by the technical committee as regards the National domestic leagues and the national team programmes, with far reaching decision made and some already being implemented.
After a comprehensive update on both the current DStv Premier Basketball League and the Zenith Bank basketball league season, major issues pertaining to clubs owing players were brought forward by the technical committee and disciplinary action will be taken against Premier league teams, Oluyole Warriors of Ibadan and Kada Stars of Kaduna for owing their players sign on fees and salaries from last season.
The Civil Defenders (Civil Defence team) in the lower league were also in for the NBBF hammer for bringing the game into disrepute by deliberately failing to honour their match against Hoop ‘n’ Read in the National Div-1 championship in November.
Also the Technical committee of the Nigerian basketball Federation briefed the board on the debt stock of the federation and their efforts to offset them, with the board endorsing some of the strategies suggested to help ease the process.
The ongoing C, NPA National Tennis Open reached a crucial stage today with places in the semifinal up for grabs.
In some of the second round matches played yesterday at the 5.7m prize-money event holding at the Package B centre of the National Stadium in Abuja, Clifford Enosoregbe defeated Ikechukwu Iloputa 6-1, 6-2 while Henry Atseye fought to a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 win over Taiwo Owolabi.
Emmanuel Idoko also put paid to the ambition of Etim Ekanem with a 6-3, 6-3 victory just as Candy Idoko ousted Nonso Madueke, 7-6(4), 7-6(4) in a nervy encounter.
Junior sensation, Joseph Imeh also did a quick-fire double against Emmanuel Sunday with a 6-3, 6-2 win is joined by Sylvester Emmanuel who outsmarted John Botu 6-4, 6-1 and Hamidu Abdullahi, a 7-5,6-3 winner against Chukwuma Abaa
In the Women’s Singles, Osareimen Airhunwunde walloped Blessing Anuna 6-2, 6-2, as Christie Agugbom outshined Rita Obasogie, 6-0, 6-1.
Sarah Adegoke showed her intentions to hold on to her place as Nigeria’s number one female tennis players as she saw off Zainab Oladimeji, 6-1, 6-1.
Nigeria Tennis Federation President, Engr Sani Ndanusa, while commending the NPA for bankrolling the week-long championship applauded the standard of play, noting that the fact that some of the junior players recorded victories over their senior colleagues shows that the future of Nigerian tennis is bright.
“The determination of the players to succeed, especially the junior ones is something that is a delight to the NTF.
We can confidently say that the prospect of Nigerian players in the game is very bright,” said Ndanusa, who canvassed for more corporate sponsors for tennis in the country.
A seven-day National Referee Seminar/Workshop, organized by the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF) commenced at the National Stadium Abuja and is expected to run from June 1 to 7 with the 24 participants drawn from Benue, Kebbi, FCT Abuja, Oyo, Lagos, Imo, Kaduna, Delta, Plateau, FUT Minna, and Nigeria Civil Defence Corps.
During the course, participants will be required to learn and practise with the latest competition rules, learn how to set-up and use the latest technological gadgets for Taekwondo, and also complete a course in competition management techniques. Examinations are held for participants at the end of the course.
NSC High Performance Coach shakes Pioneer Nigerian Grandmaster, Dominic Bassey, at the opening ceremony as NTF President George Ashiru looks on.
The George Ashiru-led Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF) reiterated its commitment to developing all aspects of the game that would give Nigeria an advantage on the global stage.
According to the Federation President, George Ashiru, “The referee plays a vital role in the scheme of things when it comes to winning international medals, and Nigeria simply does not have enough referees on the global stage.”
Highlighting the strategic importance of the on-going exercise, the NTF Boss noted that, “the event is part of the Federation’s vision to get our referees in place by the 2015 All African Games and beyond.”
“The Federation decided at the beginning of the year to organize a series of National Referee workshops throughout the year that would help standardize our local referees and bring them up to speed with the latest technological equipment and competition rules”
Buttressing the stand of the NTF President, the NSC High Performance Coach for Taekwondo, Kim Jin Beom of South Korea, who is a top class World Taekwondo Federation (WTF)-sanctioned referee, emphasized the need for Nigeria’s referees to be brought up-to-date on the latest rules.
“The quality of referees in Africa is generally low, but the countries that have the best and most influential International referees generally come out on top in 50-50 decisions during critical competitive matches. Nigeria must cultivate this advantage year by year.”
Participants take notes during the Theory session on Latest Competition rules.
He further connected the quality of referees to the tactical awareness of the national athletes.
“Most referees are also coaches, or train with coaches in their various localities. It would be impossible for them to teach their athletes how to take advantage of the competition rules, if they themselves are not current”
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