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  • Mar, Wed, 2020
Sport

COVID-19: NFF shuts down all football activities for 4 weeks, including street football

Football
By Bushrah Yusuf-Badmus
Ilorin, March 18, 2020 (NAN) The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) late Wednesday in Abuja announced the cessation of all forms of football activities in the country for the next four weeks.

Ademola Olajire, the NFF Director of Communications, in a statement said the shutdown was “as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic’’.

He said the shutdown affected all on-field activities involving the various national teams, the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), the other leagues, youth football programmes and “even street football’’.

Olajire quoted the NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, as saying “the cessation will be for four weeks, after which the situation will be reviewed in line with events and trends worldwide’’.

The NFF president was also quoted as advising all members of the football family to observe the various safety precautions and conduct as advised.

“They should observe the precautions as advised by the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), such as hand-washing, the use of sanitisers and social distancing.’’

Pinnick was further quoted as saying the only football activity that would be permitted was the work of the NFF investigation committee into the death of Chineme Martins.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the committee was inaugurated on Tuesday in Benin City and is expected to submit its report within the next 10 days.

Meanwhile, the ongoing 2019/2020 NPFL has been suspended till further notice in line with global health preventive protocol against the coronavirus disease, ostensibly in line with NFF’s directive.

“The decision is to conform with the guidelines for containment of the spread of the global pandemic,’’ the LMC, who are the organisers of NPFL, said in a statement on Wednesday.

The LMC, in suspending the league’s remaining matches, said it would review the decision after consulting the nation’s health authorities, such as the Federal Ministry of Health and NCDC.

NAN reports that Match Day 25 fixtures in the 2019/2020 NPFL were concluded on Wednesday.(NAN)
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(Edited by Chioma Ugboma and Olawale Alabi)

  • Mar, Tue, 2020
Sport

Reps to look into health facilities provided for league matches

Facilities
By EricJames Ochigbo
Abuja, March 17, 2020 (NAN) The House of Representatives resolved on Tuesday in Abuja to assess and audit the health facilities provided by the League Management Company (LMC) for league matches across the country.

This was sequel to a unanimous adoption of a motion on need to investigate the cause of death of Chineme Martins, a player with Nasarawa United Football Club of Lafia.

While moving the motion at plenary, Rep. Dachung Bagos (PDP-Plateau) said Martins had on March 8 slumped on the football pitch during a match in Lafia and died.

He said the first aid manual and related healthcare issues for football which was the standard for international best practices was not adhered to.

The Rep said  it provided  guidelines for scene safety, safe environment, first aid, assessment of injuries and basic life support among others, but were all ignored in that case.

“Article 10, No. 3, Grade `A’, Players’ Welfare 6-9 of the Nigeria Football Federation Club Licensing Regulations which deal with annual medical examination provides regulation for examination which was also not adhered to.

“Article 11, No.101, Grade `A’ of the Football Federation Club licensing regulations give specific guidelines on first aid equipment and facilities that must be available. But there was no first aid or ambulance service on that day.

“The LMC has not taken necessary steps to ensure compliance by providing necessary medical equipment and ambulances,” he said.

Bagos said that if those facilities were present at the stadium, Martins would not have died that way.

The House then urged the NFF and LMC to ensure that first aid and emergency response with ambulance services were on standby at all match events in line with international best practices.

The members later observed a one-minute of silence in honour of the late Martins.

In his ruling, the House’s Speaker, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila mandated the Committee on Sports to investigate the cause of Martins’ death.

He mandated the Committee to also audit the health facilities provided by the LMC for league matches across the country and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.(NAN)
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(Edited by Chioma Ugboma and Olawale Alabi)

  • Mar, Sat, 2020
Sport

Ondo State FA always compliant in providing medical facilities and personnel for matches, official says

Compliance
By Segun Giwa
Akure, March 14, 2020 (NAN) The Vice-Chairman of Ondo State Football Association (FA), Henry Akingboju, on Saturday said the association had always been fully compliant in providing medical facilities and personnel during matches in the state.

Akingboju told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Akure that the association had on its part always ensured that all necessary provisions were made.

“We take care to forestall unseen circumstances before, during and after matches,’’ he said.

Akingboju told NAN that all the conditions for a hitch-free match, as directed by the League Management Company (LMC), had always been met by the state FA.

He added that this was always in conjunction with the management of Sunshine Stars Football Club of Akure and other relevant stakeholders.

“We have always ensured that matches went on according to the rules.

“And, as regards new directives, we on our part in Ondo State will definitely get it right. We will do the needful to ensure we have hitch-free matches in our stadium.

“I will direct the (FA) Secretary to liaise with the ambulance man and I will personally see the Chairman of Sunshine Stars FC so that we can continue to get it right.

“Necessary measures will also be put in place before our next home match,” he said.

NAN reports that the Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, had issued directives on the provision of medical facilities and personnel at venues of league matches.

The directives, which were later echoed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the League Management Company (LMC) were in the wake of the death of Chineme Martins on Sunday in Lafia.

Martins, then of Nasarawa United, had died during their Match Day 23 match in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) against the visiting Katsina United.

His death came after he slumped while standing alone in his team’s half of the pitch, and the failure to get proper and immediate medical attention must have been a cause.

The incident led to the directive that no NPFL match should go ahead henceforth without the adequate provision of medical facilities and personnel at the venue.

Speaking also, Tajudeen Akinyemi, Chairman of Ondo State Football Agency (ODSFA), managers of Sunshine Stars, said the agency had always complied with all medical measures necessary in the game of football.

Akinyemi said the agency was also working on the areas which needed improvement as stipulated by the LMC.

NAN reports that Sunshine Stars’ next match is against Enyimba International FC of Aba in a rescheduled week 21 fixture of the NPFL.(NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

 

  • Mar, Sat, 2020
Sport

Niger FA awaits formal directives from NFF on medical facilities and personnel requirements at match venues

Health

By Obinna Unaeze

Minna, March 14, 2020 (NAN) The Niger State Football Association (FA) Vice-Chairman, Baba Yabagi, on Saturday said the FA was waiting for written directives from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on provision of medical facilities and personnel.

Yabagi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna that such formal directives would enable the Niger FA act accordingly.

“We heard in the news that the Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, and the NFF gave directives to state FAs on medical facilities and personnel.

NAN reports that the directive was for host FAs and home clubs to ensure necessary medical facilities and personnel as provided in the NFF Club Licensing Regulations were in place before matches.

They are to put these in place before the 2019/2020 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) matches can go on henceforth.

`Right now we cannot act on what we heard from the news. We have to wait for a written directive from the NFF on what we are supposed to do and how to go about it before we act,” Yabagi said.

He said however that the state FA had before now sensitised match officials and players to the need to be fit and healthy before and during matches.

The Niger FA vice-chairman said medical personnel were always deployed to the state-owned Bako Kontagora Memorial Stadium in Minna during matches.

“The medical facilities available in the stadium during matches include medical room with essential drugs, other health consumables and ambulance.’’

He also said the General Hospital and Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida Specialist Hospital, both in Minna, were always put on notice during matches in case of critical health issues.(NAN)

OCU/OLAL

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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

  • Feb, Wed, 2020
Sport

FIFA to launch global review of match calendar

Launching
Manchester (UK), Feb. 26, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) FIFA is to launch a major “once and for all” review of the international match calendar, which governs the dates of major competitions and tournaments, the body said on Wednesday.

FIFA also expressed concern at the gap between the top national teams and the rest, which it noted was getting bigger, and said it wants to make more use of technology.

There have been a number of complaints from coaches, such as Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp, about the scheduling of games and concerns about the increasing number of commitments.

“The international match calendar plays a central role in the sustainable growth of football in all regions of the world and at all levels,” FIFA said in a new document `The Vision 2020-2023: Making Football Truly Global’.

“For this reason, the current system should, once and for all, be discussed thoroughly with all stakeholders and reviewed according to their needs in a collective effort to guarantee a truly global approach,” FIFA added.

The review is part of a list of `11 goals’ which FIFA president Gianni Infantino has outlined for the next three years.

Those goals include their ongoing attempt to reform the transfer system and expanding the use of technology, including the video assistant referee (VAR) system.

“The successful implementation of VAR in FIFA’s competitions provides a foundation for the continuous enhancement of VAR technology.

“This should focus particularly on improving communication around VAR incidents and making the technology accessible for all member-associations, regardless of their size and/or financial resources,” said FIFA.

FIFA was also concerned that very few teams from outside Europe and South America had reached the quarter-finals in any of the last three World Cups.

“This is directly linked to comparatively high levels of investment in Europe and low levels of investment everywhere else (with the limited exception of South America),” it said.

It said that FIFA, which will increase the number of teams at the World Cup to 48 from 2026, should “take steps to bridge this gap”.

This will be with the long term aim of bringing at least 50 sides to a “top competitive level.”

FIFA also proposed further changes to the laws of the game and that “the promotion of offensive tactics should guide this process.”

In spite of controversy over the implementation of the VAR system over the last two years, FIFA also proposed the use of new technologies.

“FIFA should explore emerging technologies which can positively impact the game, such as artificial intelligence and sensor technology, and assess their capabilities,” it said.

The world football court also wants to make VAR technology accessible for all member-associations “regardless of their size and/or financial resources.”(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

  • Feb, Sun, 2020
Sport

Super Eagles, Leone Stars to clash in Asaba in 2021 AFCON qualifier, NFF says

Eagles
Abuja, Feb. 16, 2020 (NAN) The Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba will host next month’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone. 

Ademola Olajire, the Director of Communications, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), announced this in a statement on Sunday, quoting the federation’s General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi. 

“We have finally settled for the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba for the qualifying match against Sierra Leone and it will be played on March 27,’’ Sanusi was quoted as saying.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the venue, named after former Nigeria captain and coach Stephen Keshi of blessed memory, has hosted several international matches since 2018.

Since it was opened two years ago, it has hosted matches involving the Super Eagles and the Nigeria under-23 male squad.

Uganda were the first opposition entertained at the 15,400-capacity venue by the Super Eagles, in a friendly match which ended scoreless.

This came days after Nigeria sealed a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) ticket in South Africa in November 2018.

The Eagles have since beaten Seychelles 3-1 (2019 AFCON qualifier) and seven-times African champions Egypt 1-0 (a friendly) at the same venue.

They also had a scoreless draw with Zimbabwe in a pre- 2019 AFCON friendly in June last year.

The under-23 team on their part beat Libya and Sudan in 2019 Under-23 AFCON qualifying matches at the same venue.

Olajire disclosed that with NFF now having picked March 27 for the first match, the Sierra Leone Football Association is now likely to opt for March 31 for the return leg.

“That day is the final day in the FIFAwindow, and it is expected as the last possible date for the return leg scheduled for the Siaka Stevens Stadium in Freetown.’’ 

NAN reports that victory in next month’s Match Day 3 fixture against the Leone Stars will take the Super Eagles closer to the 2021 AFCON finals.

They currently perch at the top of their pool with the maximum six points from their first two matches and a goals difference of plus three.

A 2-1 win over Benin Republic in Uyo on Nov. 13 was followed by a 4-2 whiplash of Lesotho in Maseru four days later.

The Super Eagles have further dates against the Squirrels of Benin Republic in Cotonou in June and the Crocodiles of Lesotho in Nigeria in September.(NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

 

Sport

Nigeria`s Football administration needs overhauling, says Elegbeleye

 

Football

By Kayode Adebiyi

Abuja, Nov. 19, 2019 (NAN) A former Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Gbenga Elegbeleye, has called for a thorough examination of football administration in Nigeria as a response to the national teams’ dwindling fortunes.

Elegbeleye told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday.

“Age-grade and women’s football have always been our strength and we particularly do well in those tournaments. But here we are not booking qualification for international age-grade and women’s competition,“he said.

He alleged that football administrators these days bring in their clients, cronies and kinsmen to manage the affairs of the country`s national teams.

“I am not happy about the tragedy that befell our national teams this year,” he said.

NAN reports that the most recent football under-performance by Nigeria came when five-time champions, the Golden Eaglets, failed to go beyond the round of 16 at the U-17 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Before then, the home-based Super Eagles also failed to qualify for the  Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) in Cameroon in January 2020.

The national U-23 team, the Olympic Eagles, also failed to book a Tokyo 2020 ticket, as they could not go beyond the group stage at U-23 Africa Cup of Nations.

The women’s national teams haven’t fared better either. The Super Falcons didn’t qualify for the Olympics, as they were beaten to the ticket by Cote D’Ivoire in Oct.

Elegbeleye, who was a member of the 2011 Ministerial Committee on Reform of Football Administration in Nigeria, said only a careful and complete overhaul of the system would curtail further underachievement.

Sunday Dare, Minister of Youth and Sports Development, had on Monday met with the board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

The minister demanded a written explanation over the “dismal” exit of the country’s teams from four football tournaments.

But Elegbeleye stated that the minister should go beyond demanding an explanation.

“We need a complete overhauling of football administration in Nigeria.

“With all due respect to the current board of the NFF – I do not have any problem with the board – football is not Nollywood.

“It takes effective and efficient football administration to deliver success in every aspect of the football value chain.

“Football matches are won on the pitch by players through the input of the technical crew, but football successes are engineered and recorded in the boardroom.

“We need to sit up and tell ourselves some hard truth that football is not a showbiz. Grandstanding and showmanship can’t earn us success in the game,” he said.

He, however acknowledged that the men’s senior national team, the Super Eagles, were at the heart of whatever went well for Nigerian football in 2019.

“Yes, the Super Eagles are about the only success story in Nigerian football this year.

“They got to the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations and have so far recorded 100 per cent success rate in the 2021 qualifiers.

“However, they have only played Benin Republic and Lesotho.

“For me, their true test comes when they play fellow African powerhouses such as Senegal, Ghana and Algeria. Benin and Lesotho victories are routine,” he said. (NAN)

KIA/JPE/SH

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Edited by Joseph Edeh/Sadiya Hamza

Sport

Lessons from Super Eagles’ 2019 AFCON performance

 

 

Review

Abuja, July 18, 2019 (NAN) The Super Eagles of Nigeria wrapped up their 2019 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign with a 1-0 victory over the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia in the third-place playoff in Cairo on Wednesday to claim bronze.

No doubt, Nigeria went into the continental football showpiece as one of the top favourites to win the coveted trophy.

However, a last-gasp free kick by Riyad Mahrez in the semi-finals dashed the hopes of the Super Eagles reaching their eighth final.

Wednesday’s losers’ final made it eight times the Super Eagles have been involved in an AFCON third-place match and they have won all eight.

Nigeria has now participated in 18 AFCON tournaments, reaching the semi-finals 15 times and seven finals. The Super Eagles have now lost eight semi-final matches and won seven.

They have also lost four of their seven finals.

So, what have we learnt from the Super Eagles’ participation and performance at the 2019 AFCON in Egypt?

All-round performance  

The Super Eagles arrived  Egypt for the 2019 AFCON with one goal: to win the tournament for the fourth time, having won it on home soil in 1980, in Tunisia in 1994 and in South Africa in 2013.

The Super Eagles opened their account with a 1-0 defeat of Burundi before seeing off Guinea with the same result in their second match to book a second round qualification.

Nigeria, however succumbed to a 0-2 defeat by tournament debutants and surprise package, Madagascar and surrendered the leadership of Group B in the process.

Perhaps the Super Eagles best performance at the 2019 AFCON, was the defeat of title holders Cameroon 3-2 in the Round of 16.

They went on to book a semi-final place by defeating South Africa 2-1 in the quarter-finals before tournament’s high-flyers Algeria stopped them from reaching the final with a 1-2 defeat.

The Super Eagles scored a total of nine goals and conceded seven in the process, with Shanghai Greenland Shenhua striker Odion Ighalo grabbing 5 of the nine goals.

Although Nigeria conceded  too many goals compared to how many they scored in the tournament and were unable to reach the final, many believe that it wasn’t such a bad tournament after all.

AFCON inexperience was a factor

One of the strongest arguments in defence of the Super Eagles’ overall performance at the 2019 AFCON is the squad’s relative inexperience going into the tournament.

In terms of players’ experience in AFCON, the Nigerian side went into the tournament as one of the most inexperienced, having missed out on participating in the last two editions (2015 and 2017) of the competition.

Nigeria was in company of countries making their debuts at the tournament (Burundi, Madagascar and Mauritania) and others returning after a long spell out such as Tanzania, Namibia and Guinea-Bissau, in terms of players’ experience.

Only captain Mikel Obi, forward Ahmed Musa and defender Kenneth Omeruo made it to the 2019 AFCON from the 2013 team that won the tournament in South Africa.

Age wise, the Super Eagles took the joint-third youngest team to the 2019 AFCON. Along with Guinea-Bissau, the average age of the Super Eagles was 24.8 years old.

Only Tunisia (average of 24 years old) and Mali (average of 24.3 years old) took younger squads to Egypt.

While nothing suggests a direct correlation between inexperience and performance, experience can be an advantage, and the Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr admitted it.

“I think this team has come a long way after making a good World Cup. We can be proud of our performances,” said Rohr in the course of the tournament.

“We have to work more and we have to learn with this young team.

“I think sometimes a little bit of experience cost us in the game especially because our midfielders Etebo and Ndidi are very young.

“They need to learn better in terms of communicating and pressing the game. These are lessons that we take home and I am sure we will be better.

“I started this journey when I was appointed to rebuild with young players and we have come from a long way,” he said.

Nigeria needs a new No. 1

Nigeria’s three goalkeepers at the 2019 AFCON – Daniel Akpeyi, Francis Uzoho and Okechukwu Ezenwa – would rightly feel hard done if Nigerians single out their department for blame.

However, one of Nigeria’s weakest points going into AFCON was the goalkeeping department.

Since Vincent Enyeama retired from the team and Carl Ikeme was diagnosed with cancer, the Super Eagles have struggled for consistency in the goalkeeping section.

Uzoho seemed to have laid claim to that spot as Eagles’ No. 1 during the 2018 World Cup but lost form at club level, which saw him loaned by Deportivo de La Coruña of Spain to Omonia, Cyprus.

Such was the Super Eagles’ goalkeeper dilemma that Rohr used all three in the course of the 2019 AFCON.

Indeed, Akpeyi recorded some memorable saves as Rohr’s first choice in goal, but he was fingered for some costly mistakes, especially the last-gasp freekick converted by Mahrez in the semi-final match.

Going forward, the Super Eagles need a goalkeeper with a commanding presence and consistent performance. The current crop of goalkeepers does not seem to match that description.

Gernot Rohr deserves to keep his job

The Super Eagles coach could sometimes be too rigid in terms of his tactical approach to games but Rohr has shown more than once that he is the right man for the job.

Under the Franco-German, the Super Eagles look comfortable in qualifying for major tournaments without the usual nail-biting permutations.

He has also instilled discipline into the team and more than anything else, team spirit in the Super Eagles has been very formidable.

At the 2019 AFCON, it could be argued that Rohr made some wrong calls. But the coach wasn’t afraid to make those difficult calls if need be.

For instance, having started Obi as a No. 10 in the opening game against Burundi, Rohr was criticised because the captain obviously struggled, Rohr heeded.

He also rightly gave Omeruo a regular start at the expense of Leon Balogun, who had been a long-time partner of William Troost-Ekong in the defence. Omeruo more than justified that decision.

Many stakeholders, including Segun Odegbami, Peterside Idah and Segun Agbede, have called for Rohr’s sack for being too laid back and lacking in motivation.

When carefully considered, sacking Rohr, who has one-year left on his current contract and has a $1m payment clause, could amount to throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Amaju Pinnick said of Rohr’s performance: “Gernot has taken us to the semi-final, the target we set for him.

“There are some people that have been calling on me and the federation to sack Gernot, but I am not going to do that.

“In fact, Gernot is going on a refresher training period with Bayern Munich after the Nations Cup. We have a long-term plan with him.

“We have had rocky and difficult moments in our relationship, but this is normal in any relationship between two people,” he said.

Even if there are no plans to renew Rohr’s contract, he should at least be allowed to see the present one through.

The future of Super Eagles is bright

Definitely, AFCON 2019 was the last for Mikel Obi. Also, some of the players in their 30s could be gradually eased out of the team.

But largely, the core of the Super Eagles is young and versatile, and it needs to be kept together.

Wilfred Ndidi and Oghenekaro Etebo have forged an impressive partnership in the midfield, while Simon Moses and Samuel Chukwueze flourished on the flanks.

Ola Aina and Chidozie Awaziem had a tournament to remember as fullbacks, and will improve with more games under their belts. None of these players is 25 yet.

The focus now should be on how to keep these players together and feature them together during the qualifiers for the Qatar 2022 World Cup and the 2021 AFCON qualifiers.

Come 2021 AFCON in Cameroon, the Super Eagles will be strong favourites to go one better than their performance in Egypt. (NAN)

KIA/JPE/MZA

Edited by Joseph Edeh/Maharazu Ahmed

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Sport

Ebonyi Sports Ministry faults Ogba’s re-election as FA chairman

Election
By Chukwuemeka Opara
Abakaliki, June 3, 2019 (NAN) The Ebonyi Ministry of Youth Development and Sports on Monday in Abakaliki said the state Football Association (FA) election held on Saturday was faulty.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the election had seen the return of Sen. Obinna Ogba (PDP–Ebonyi Central) as a re-elected Chairman

The furore generated by the election, especially the candidate’s emergence after a reign as Chairman for more than 10 years, among other issues had led to a discontent.

This situation was in spite of the election’s conduct by officials of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Jonathan Okoronkwo, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, however told NAN on Monday that the election did not follow the stipulated guidelines for the conduct of state FA elections.

He said the ministry had sought the election’s postponement from the NFF as recommended by the review committee it set up and which he headed.

“We discovered that the electoral committee did not offer the contestants a `level-playing ground’ to contest, while the manner in which the delegates (electorate) emerged was faulty.

“The committee profiled the delegates and discovered that they are not engaged in football administration as stipulated in the guidelines and one of them belonged to a club owned by an interested party in the elections.

“There is no way such a person can be an unbiased voter and we further discovered that the electoral committee was set up in 2014.

“This electoral committee oversaw the 2015 state FA election and it is then clear that it has overstayed its required tenure of four years,” the permanent secretary said.

He further noted that the election was supposed to have been held at the Pa Ngele Oruta Stadium in Abakaliki but it was instead held inside a hotel in the town.

“The electoral guidelines stipulate that representatives of the ministry should observe and supervise the election and this fact is even contained in the programme of events for the election,’’ Okoronkwo added.

He then said the sports ministry would properly review events surrounding the conduct of the election, while advising aggrieved contestants to seek redress at the appropriate quarters.

The permanent secretary also faulted claims by NFF officials that the request for the election’s postponement amounted to interference by government, noting that such an assertion was “ill-informed’’.

“The ministry provides the logistics for the FA to operate in the state, such as office accommodation, among others, while the FA secretary is an appointee of government.

“These facts will not be seen as interference, but when the government insists that the right things be done to improve football in the state, it is termed interference” he said.

Chidi Okenwa, a member of NFF’’s Executive Committee who supervised the election, had said the federation viewed the request by the Ebonyi sports ministry as government interference.

He said it was an interference in the affairs of the FA board and congress in the state.

“The appeals committee has complied with the provisions of the Ebonyi FA statutes and guidelines for elections into the executive board and standing on this platform we are empowered to monitor this election,” Okenwa had said.

Chairman of the state FA Electoral Committee, Onyebuchi Ekuma, had said during the election that the committee was properly constituted while the elected officials satisfied all requirements to contest the election.(NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Sport

NFF says late Ogunjobi was an astute administrator, LMC to honour him during Match Day 9 fixtures

Ogunjobi
By Bushrah Yusuf-Badmus
Ilorin, Feb. 11, 2019 (NAN) The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) says the death of Taiwo Ogunjobi, a former Executive Committee member, is akin to the fall of a big tree.

Ademola Olajire, NFF’s Director of Communications, in a statement quoted NFF President Amaju Pinnick as saying “a big tree has fallen’’.

“I cannot find the words as much as I try. A very big tree has fallen in Nigerian Football and we are all devastated.

“If the NFF had a flag of its own, it would fly at half mast for several weeks.

“Ogunjobi was one of the strongest pillars of Association Football in Nigeria and the entire Nigerian football fraternity will miss him badly.

“The members of the NFF Executive Committee, management and staff of the NFF, members of the Congress, eminent football stakeholders and other workers in football in these shores are in shock,” Pinnick, said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 66-year-old former international defender passed on earlier on Monday after a brief illness.

Ogunjobi, an ebullient and respected football administrator, captained the first set of Nigerian Academicals to defeat the Ghanaian Academicals in the early 1970s.

He was a key member of the then IICC Shooting Stars FC of Ibadan before he travelled to the U.S. for further studies.

The sojourn led to his missing out on being part of the squad which won the 1976 Africa Cup Winners Cup.

He returned to Nigeria a few years later, and was a member of the then young Green Eagles squad.

That was the team Adegboye Onigbinde coached to win the 1984 Africa Cup of Nations silver medal in Cote d’Ivoire.

He made his mark in football administration, winning plaudits and fame while managing the Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan and Julius Berger FC of Lagos at various times.

He later became the Secretary-General of the then Nigeria Football Association (NFA) in 2002 for three years.

Fondly nicknamed “Skippo’’, Ogunjobi in 2006 won election into the NFF Executive Committee led by Sani Lulu and was the Chairman of the federation’s Technical Committee.

Until his death, Ogunjobi was the Chairman of Osun State Football Association.

Meanwhile, the League Management Company (LMC) has also described Ogunjobi’s death as a huge loss to the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) and the larger football family in the country.

In a tribute, Shehu Dikko, the LMC Chairman, said he had difficulties coming to terms with the news of Ogunjobi’s passing.

He described the late ex-international as someone who played a big role in the country’s football as a player and an administrator.

“Ogunjobi is one of the heroes of league football in Nigeria, having captained the then IICC, a traditional club in our league system that stands today as an institution.

“He also later led the club as an administrator to the CAF Champions League finals before rising to the pinnacle of football administration in the country as Secretary-General of the then NFA.”

The LMC Chairman then announced that in honour of the fallen football hero, a minute’s silence would be observed before the kick-off at all NPFL Match Day 9 fixtures on Wednesday.

He added that players and coaches were also to wear black armbands as a mark of respect for the dead.

“Ogunjobi during his life time was very passionate about football and while, as Osun State FA Chairman, his state did not have a club participating in the NPFL we always counted on him as one of the sound and effective Match
Commissioners.

“There were hardly any issues in matches he commissioned and we would miss those stabilising effect he brought to league match venues,” Dikko added.(NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)