Nigeria National League Club Owners and Managers Association, NALCOMA, has applauded Nigeria National League, NNL, players’ impact in the Flying Eagles squad that won the just concluded West African Football Union, WAFU, B U20 Championship.

Nigeriasuccessfully defended her title on Wednesday night after a 2-1 defeat of regional rivals, Ghana, in this year’s final in Lome, Togo.

Three of the players in Coach Aliyu Zubairu’s squad were players picked from three NNL clubsides, who played pivotal roles in the team’s success in winning the WAFU B Championship, which qualifies Nigeria for the Africa U20 Cup of Nations.

Goalkeeper Harcourt Ifeanyi plays for Sporting Lagos, Haruna Aliyu is Doma United player, while Kparabo Arierhi plays for Beyond Limits of Ikenne, Ogun State.

Haruna Aliyu, a defender played all three games; Harcourt Ifeanyi also played three games, while Kparabo Arierhi scored four goals, with his brace in the final against Ghana helping the Flying Eagles to victory.

While praising the impact of the NNL, adjudged as ‘the Most Important League’ in the age-grade competition, the President of NALCOMA, Godwin Enakhena, commended the players for their resilience, commitment and dedication towards a general cause.

He equally commended and congratulated the NNL Board, led by Mr George Aluo for doing a great job, and keeping the flag flying.

Enakhena added that NNL clubs will continue to contribute to the genuine development of the round leather game, especially at the grassroots level, by giving younger players the opportunity to showcase their talents in age-grade competitions.

Nigeria and Ghana will represent WAFU B at next year’s Africa U20 Cup of Nations, to be hosted by South Africa.

Lagos State Football Association (LSFA) Chairman, Hajji Olawale Liameed Gafar has congratulated the Flying Eagles of Nigeria for winning the 2024 WAFU B U20 Championship trophy.

The Ali Zubair managed side dusted off arch rivals Ghana 2-1 to win the shield at the Stade Kegue on Wednesday night.

Both Nigeria and Ghana qualified for the 2025 U20 AFCON to be hosted by South Africa in January.

But in the fight for supremacy today, it was Nigeria who edged this Jollof Derby courtesy of a first half brace by 17-year-old striker Kparobo Arierhi.

Ghana put up a spirited fight after the break and were rewarded with a goal after 73 minutes.

Hajji Gafar who spoke to the Media after the epic clash praised the Flying Eagles for doing the nation proud in Lome, Togo.

According to Hajji Gafar, the victory of the Flying Eagles means a lot to the nation especially at this point of the nation’s march towards becoming a reference point in the continent especially in football.

He said that Nigeria must draw some lessons from the Flying Eagles success and that is the fact that determination, team work and dedication are ingredients of success.

The LSFA Supremo maintained that the Flying Eagles made the nation proud by winning the tournament against all odds.

He praised the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) led by Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau for ensuring that the boys got the job done in Togo.

Defending champions Rivers Hoopers are through to the final eight of the 2024 Nigeria Premier Basketball League after a 94-50 victory over Ebun Comets on Wednesday,

With four wins out of seven games, the 2024 BAL bronze winners made light work of the game against Comets to book their final eight spot.

Head coach Ogoh Odaudu used a 10-man rotation, with most of the starters resting for most of the game. Odaudu who is pleased to achieve their target of qualifying for the final eight, says it is not done yet.

”That was our target from the beginning. We are happy we have accomplished it, but we still have a long way to go because we are trying to get better, and we are happy we are in the final 8.”

”We will take each game as they come and win every game because there is an incentive for us for every game if we win, so we don’t want to throw away money like that,” Odaudu said.

Rivers Hoopers will play their remaining three games against Lagos Legends on Thursday, Kwara Falcons, and Hoops and Read on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

By Fan Ndubuoke

For a long time, Nigerian sports has been in the wilderness. The frequent changes in name and nomenclature since 1962 have not led to the expected Promised Land. The question is; what really is in a name?

In our clime, there’s this superstition or notion that names carry huge influence and impact on whoever or whatever bears it. We attach a whole lot of importance on names yet take our eyes off factors attracting failures to people, positions or establishments.

A carnivore doesn’t feed on grasses, herbs or plants…but if allowed or coerced to live or dwell strictly in a garden, it cannot be better than a goat in its feeding habits. It won’t or doesn’t matter if you named it a lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah or hyena

Our sports can only be as good as those who run the show or as good as the environment in which it operates. Unfortunately, all the three roadblocks to Nigeria’s progress are so evident in our stunted growth in sports, namely; ethnicity , religion and corruption. Their common denominator is mediocrity.

A good example of how much we have retarded is our performance at the last Olympic Games in France where the Nigerian contingent returned with zero medals after squandering billions of naira . Nobody has been held responsible for all the scandals and embarrassments that emanated from the Nigerian camp , including failure to register an athlete for her event .

It’s possible that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must have been equally embarrassed so much that he decided to scrap the Ministry of Sports Development and redeployed the former minister to Ministry of Investment as Minister for State which is a junior portfolio and a clear demotion. Mr. President was just whiskers away from outrightly sacking Senator John Owan Enoh but perhaps some considerations and powerplay served as a cliff for the Minister to hang onto.

However, the official reason given for returning the National Sports Commission was not poor performance but the need to grow sports as business.

The clamour for the return of the commission has been long and consistent aimed at removing ministerial bureaucracy. Those in the know identify administration as the clog in the wheel of progress, especially under the ministry as more often than not, rookies are assigned as sports ministers for political patronage. Ordinarily, return of Sports Commission is to separate sports from politics and enthrone professionalism in the sector.

Instructively, the 9th National Assembly had in 2017, passed a bill to reintroduce the commission in place of the ministry. But the bill was never assented to by former President Buhari.

The bill essentially seeks to establish the National Sports Commission to be charged with the responsibilities of administering, co-ordinating, encouraging and developing sports and games among other functions throughout Nigeria.

Interestingly, the commission was designed to have a board made up of the following:
(a) the minister who shall be the chairman and CEO.
(b) A Director-General
(c) NOC President
(d)Representatives of Collegiate Sports
(e)The president of National Association of Women in sports
(f) Representatives of Six Sports zones and three members from the private sector among others.

Here’s the cross of the matter. Since the bill passed by the National Assembly in 2017 was not assented to by the former president, can President Tinubu create a Sports Commission by mere pronouncement?

If it was assented to, who are the other members of the board apart from my good friend, Alhaji Shehu Dikko. Lovers of sports and good governance will agree with the president that he has good intentions, but the bad news is that there is no legally established agency known as Sports Commission in place. This is a sort of reminder to stakeholders of the endless bickering over the legitimacy of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) given that Decree 101 which established the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) has not been set aside by any known bill or law. Litigations over this matter has ended in Court decisions favouring those hammering on legality or legitimacy of power.

The return of the commission is a welcome development but the president should first assent to the bill gathering dust somewhere in Aso Rock , and properly constitute the board, otherwise we will be dealing with one-man illegal Sports Commission.

•Fan Ndubuoke was one time national president, Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, former Board member-NFF, erstwhile Secretary General Africa Sports Journalists Union, then SA to Sports Minister, late Air Comdr Emeka Omeruah PHD, and former chairman, Imo State Sports Commission.

The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, has congratulated Nigeria’s U-20 team, the Flying Eagles, on their impressive victory over Ghana, securing their defence of the WAFU B U-20 Championship title.

The match, held on Wednesday night under the floodlights in Lome, saw Nigeria defeat Ghana 2-1, with a first-half brace from Kparobo Arierhi settling the regional derby.

Dikko hailed the team’s success, describing the victory as a “welcome gift” for Nigerian sports and an encouraging step forward in the team’s journey.

He emphasized the importance of the win, noting that it sets a positive tone as the Flying Eagles prepare for the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON), with hopes of securing a place in the U-20 World Cup.

He added that it is imperative for the team to start preparations early enough for the U-20 AFCON, so as to be in a good state when the continental contest kicks off. The top teams from the AFCON will go on to represent Africa at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile in September 2025.

With this victory, coach Aliyu Zubairu’s Flying Eagles have confirmed their place in the U-20 AFCON that will take place in South Africa next year.

…. Chief Iwuanyanwu is a pillar of sports in Nigeria – Mbika

The association of Ex – Iwuanyanwu Nationale world wide is set to pay their last respect to their proprietor and father late Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu ( Aha Eji Aga Mba ) with a novelty match against Enyimba legends football club of Aba on the 31st of October 2024, the stateman newspaper sports desk can exclusively report.

The highly anticipated show piece has been scheduled to hold at the main bowl of the Dan Anyiam stadium Owerri by 3 PM and will feature ex football legends like Kanu Nwankwo (Papilo), Etim Essien, Friday Epko, Isaac Semitoje, Friday Elahor, Issa Ajato, Edward Ansa, Uche Okechukwu, Mobi Oparaku, Ifeanyi Ayenu, Andrew Uwe and host of other football legends that were groomed under the tutelage of the sports pillar.

According to the association President Mr Isaac Mbika; the Novelty Match will avail them the opportunity to pay him the last respect as an association.

“ Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu is our father and proprietor and this Novelty match will avail us the opportunity to pay him the last respect before he will be buried.

He helped alot of players, including ex- internationals, he is a pillar of sports in Nigeria.
He made all of us who we are today and we will be forever greatful to him for the lifetime opportunity given to us.
There will be other events before the novelty match which will be revealed in due course. “ Mbika told the Statesman Newspaper.

The remains of the legendary pillar of sports will be laid to rest on the 1st of November 2024 at his home town Atta in Ikeduru LGA of Imo state.

Iwuanyanwu aged 82 years was born Friday 4th September 1942 and died 25th July 2024.

Untill his death, he was the 11th president of the Ohaneze ndi Igbo, a philanthropist and a strong politician in Nigeria.

Star that will be on parade today will be Iwuanyawu Nationale Class of 86/90s set of players.

EMEKA NWANNA(AYAYA)
NDIDI ANUMUNU
OBINNA NWANERI
CHINEDU EFUH
STANLEY ONUEGBU
ONYEKACHI OKONKWO
CHIMA UMEJURU
ERIC FRIPONG
ISAAC SEMITOJE
KANU NWANKWO
EMEKA IFEJIAGWA
UCHE OKECHUKWU
UGAH OKPARA
SEYI OGUNSANYA
EKENE EZENWA
STEVEN NWOGU
OMALADE
YUSUF MOHAMED
ISAAC MBEGBU
FRIDAY ONYE UKWU
ERIC EJIOFOR
TERMINATOR
AND ENYIMBA HIT MAN VALENTINE ATUMUTO (DUNGA)

Credit Stateman

By Chidi-Ebere .O. Moneme.

The highly anticipated WAFU Zone B U – 17 Final match between Ghana and Nigeria, has confirmed it’s officiating team, reports silvernews.com.ng

Burkina – Fado’s Bado Benoit will be the center referee of the match, assisted by Eba Medard Wencesios Ethien from Cote d’ Ivoire as Assistant , Djamia Bio Bangana Yacoubou from Benin Republic as Assistant 1, and Kossi Fabria Seenya from Togo as Fourth official.

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles, defending Champions, reached the final after defeating Niger Republic 3 – 1 in the Semi’s, despite losing their opening game 1 : 0 to Burkina Faso.

They have showed a continuous improvement througho
ut the competition..

The final match is scheduled to take place at Stade De Klegue in Line Togo on Thursday 31st October 2024.

The Final encounter promises to be an exciting conclusion to the2024 WAFU Be U – 20 Championship.

Chairman of Lagos State Football Association (LSFA), Hajji Gafar Olawale Liameed, has generously donated 1 million naira to the Flying Eagles after their qualification to the final of the 2024 WAFU B U20 Championship.

The Flying Eagles will clash with West African arch rivals Ghana in the Jollof Derby on Wednesday.

Speaking to the Media on Tuesday, the philantropist said: “I am giving this to the Flying Eagles to motivate them. I made the donation to give the team as my support to inspire them.”

“It is my conviction that the team deserve to be motivated ahead of the final against Ghana.

“I am an advocate of motivation for result. That is the reason I have come to lift the spirit of the team. I believe in the Flying Eagles and will continue to support the team,” Hajji Gafar added.

It will be recalled that Senator Barau Jibrin, Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Peters, Mr. Victor Apugo, Adedeji Adeyemi Anthony, Taiwo Awoniyi and Barrister Kenneth Agadugba have also showed love to the Flying Eagles for their wonderful performance in Lome.