Akintunde Azeez’ goal off a rebound after a missed opportunity from the spot by Clinton Jephta allows Tornadoes to record a nail biting slim victory over stubborn Sporting Lagos at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium Kaduna in a Matchday 25 encounter.

Tornadoes enjoyed more possession of the ball during first half and deservedly takes the lead after the centre referee spotted a foul on Clinton Jephta who was brought down inside the box and duly awarded a penalty for the hosts. Clinton missed from the spot as Christain Nwoke parried the ball but Akintunde Azeez was in good position and quickest to react as he smashes home to put his team in front in the 9th minute of play.

Tornadoes dominated the better part of the half and goes into the break with a deserved lead.

Second half restarted with a cautious approach to the game by both teams. The visitors however seized moment as they grow in confidence and determine the pace of the game mid- way through the half. Junior Lokosa was a threat upfront for the visitors but was contained by a defensive master class of both Mohammed Hussaini and Silvester Bell and the striker fails to rescue his side from a road defeat.

The win moves Tornadoes to 14th place on the log with 30 points cushion.

Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia surrendered all three points at stake to their Oriental brothers, Heartland Football Club of Owerri, as the Naze Millionaires won the Matchday 25 encounter of the ongoing Nigeria Premier Football League 2-0 at the Awka City Stadium, their adopted home ground.

Two first half goals from Onyekachi Okafor and Ikechukwu Mgbemena did the damage on Abia Warriors.

It was a first half performance to forget by the Warriors who conceded two cheap goals from dead balls. One from a throw-in and the other from a corner kick.

Although the visitors came out smoking in the second period, pinning their hosts to their own half, the damage had already been done as they found it difficult to breakdown the home side’s defence marshalled by former Abia Warriors strong men, Ozor Chinedu and Nnaemeka Anyanwu.

With the visitors raising the tempo, the game became more physical and a moment of madness from both sides saw each team reduced to 10 men as Heartland’s former Abia Warriors player, Andrew Abalogu and Warriors’ Antoine Desouza were sent off for unsportsmanly display.

The visitors however, finished the game with nine men as star midfielder, Daniel Ijeh, sustained an injury after
twisting his knee and after the Umuahia visitors had exhausted their substitutions.

Up next for Abia Warriors is a home tie against Sunshine Stars Football Club of Akure.

President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau has called on players of the U20 Boys, Flying Eagles to be ready to put up more than their level best when they confront Senegal’s Young Lions of Teranga on Friday in a make-or-break 13th African Games group phase final match at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium in Accra.

The NFF boss minced no words in saying he has not been impressed with the outing of the seven-time African champions at the continental meet so far, in which they have lost 1-2 to Uganda and edged South Sudan thanks to a late penalty converted by Isiyaka Muhammad Sadiq.

“Nigeria has a high pedigree in youth football across the globe and that is a fact that should ring loud in the minds of every player wearing the green-white-green at that level. We did not fare well against Uganda and I gave the boys a piece of my mind.

“Against South Sudan, we should have done more and taken the three points quickly but had to struggle. I believe the players have the potential to do far more and they should start by showing their stuff against Senegal on Friday. It is a match we have to win to reach the semi finals.”

Initially, the group B housing Nigeria had five teams, which would have amounted to each team playing four matches instead of three. However, Tunisia pulled out late in the day, and with six-pointer Uganda having picked the first semi-final ticket from the pool, the second ticket is a straight fight between Nigeria and Senegal. South Sudan are out of the running having lost both games.

On their part, defending champions Falconets have no such worries in the women’s event of the Games as they head into their final match of the group phase having picked up the semi-final ticket, with six points from their first two matches.

Chioma Olise and Yina Adoo scored to send Morocco packing on Matchday 1, before an avalanche from Loveth Edeh, Motunrayo Ezekiel, an own goal by Aisha Kales and again Chioma Olise put Senegal to the sword on Monday night.

Cameroon, who have endured a string of defeats by Nigeria in various sporting spectacles in recent weeks, face another humiliation as they must take on the supercharged Falconets at the Cape Coast Stadium on Friday evening.

Nigeria weightlifters have again amassed more six medals in Weightlifting event at the ongoing 2023 Africa Games in Ghana.

The duo of Desmond Akano and Adebayo Adeyemi won six medals on Wednesday, Day 5 of the Weightlifting event comprising three silver and three bronze medals.

Competing in -96kg, Desmond Akano snatched 145kg and recorded 191kg in clean and jerk to have a total of 336kg to win a silver and two bronze medals.

Following in his father’s footprint, 21-year-old Adebayo Adeyemi was the cynosure of all eyes as he showed that he is the true son of an old horse in the game. Though injured during the competition, young Adeyemi stoically competed with the healthy men in the 106kg category and was rewarded with two silver and a bronze medals

He snatched 151kg, recorded 190kg in clean and jerk with a total of 241 to win two silver and a bronze medals

Their heroic performances have scaled up Nigeria’s Weightlifting medal haul to 26 made up of 15 gold, 5 silver and 6 bronze medals.

The Confederation of African Football has acceded to a request by the Nigeria Football Federation to move next month’s Women’s Olympic Football Tournament final qualifying fixture, first leg encounter between Nigeria and South Africa by one hour.

“Concerned by the hot climatic condition in the country at the moment, we wrote to CAF to move the kick-off from 4pm to 5pm, in the interest of the players, and they have acceded to our request for the match to commence at 5pm, at the MKO Abiola National Stadium,” Ruth David, NFF’s Director of Competitions, told thenff.com.

The game, which is the opening leg of the fixture that will determine which of the two teams will be one of Africa’s two flagbearers at this year’s Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in France, was initially scheduled to start at 4pm on Friday, 5th April.

Also, the South African Football Association has now chosen the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria for the return leg on Tuesday, 9th April. The encounter will commence at 7.30pm South Africa time (6.30pm Nigeria time).

The Nigerian Football Federation Refeeing Developmen Unit has stepped down a Centre Referee, Jimoh Abdurasheed from Bauchi along with an assistat Referee, Zakari Adamu From Jigawa who officiated the match between Rivers United and Kano Pillars.

The stepping down of the Centre Referee followed a Petition by Kano Pillars Management to NPFL and the Interim Management Company (IMC) in the ending match which saw Pillars fc goalkeeper being pushed into the net after he grabbed the ball from a Rivers United player as a result of which the goalkeeper was down for over fifteen minutes following an injury after the struggle with the opposing side.

The Referee to have (given) the Rivers United the goal, thereby giving an equaliser with Pillars.

The stepped down letter was copied NFF Chairman and the General Secretary respectively.

Lobi Stars will seek to extend their lead on the log table when they host the CAF Confederation Cup quarter-finalists, Rivers United in the Nigeria Premier Football League, week 25 tie slated for Wednesday, March 13, at Lafia City Stadium, Nasarawa State.

The NPFL table toppers as usual would turn to their vociferous home supporters for their unrelenting support as they look forward to consolidating on the table when they file out against the Port-Harcourt-based side in one of the biggest fixtures of NPFL matchday 25.

Wednesday’s cracker is full of promises as both teams have intomidating profiles as former champions of the NPFL.

The last three league meetings between the two NPFL giants produced the following results; Rivers United won 2-1 in Port Harcourt in the first leg of the Abridged league season of 2023 while Lobi Stars won 3-2 in the reverse fixture at new Jos Township Stadium.

In the first leg of the ongoing season, Rivers United won 1-0 so the reverse fixture which comes up tomorrow will offer Lobi Stars an opportunity to exert revenge against the Confederation Cup campaigners.

Players to watch for Lobi Stars; Sunday Chinedu and Moses Tsehuan who have been reliable would combine with John Victor, Stanley Oganbor, Alao Dabani, Ahmadu Liman and Suur Kumaga to cage the visitors aiming for a positive result.

Meanwhile, Rivers United coach Evans Ogenyi will rely on the likes of three former Lobi Stars players, Nyima Nwagua, Endurance Ebidebiri, Mathias Samuel and Andy Okpe to stop the in-form ‘Yes Father’ boys as they look forward to improving on the log.

There is good news in the ‘Alia Boys’ camp, as Suur Kumaga is back to the squad after missing out against Katsina United and Abia Warriors. Harmony Ikande may join the squad against Rivers tomorrow. John Lazarus will serve his last match ban and won’t be available tomorrow.

Interestingly, two Benue football tacticians, Agagbe and Ogenyi will be in the dug-outs in Lafia, dishing out instructions to their lads as the two arch rivals go for each other’s jugular.

Nigeria’s only remaining team in Africa’s inter-club competition, Rivers United, is set for a tough battle against reigning champions USM Alger in the CAF Confederation Cup quarterfinals.

While USM Alger dominated Group A with four wins, a draw, and just one loss, Rivers United will be looking to pull off an upset against the North African powerhouse and secure a spot in the semifinals.

Following their impressive group stage performance with four victories out of six, Rivers United hopes to emulate Enyimba’s 2018 achievement by becoming the first Nigerian team to reach the Confederation Cup semifinals.

In other quarterfinal matchups, Egyptian sides Future FC and Zamalek clash, Abu Salim from Libya faces Moroccan outfit RS Berkane, and Dreams FC of Ghana battles Stade Malien of Mali.

The first leg of the quarterfinals kicks off on March 31st, 2024, with the return leg scheduled for April 7th, 2024.

Michael Odetunde

Chairman, Board of Nigeria National League (NNL) ,Mr George Aluo has commended Nigeria Referees Association, particularly those officiating in the second tier of the league in the country for the job well done.

Aluo made this disclosure while featuring on the Super Interview sesion on the leading WhatsApp group in Nigeria; Sports World Platform.

Mr Lagos based Football administrator clarified that, the referees have been good since the start of the NNL season going by the statistics of the number of victories and draws recorded in the first stanza of the league.

“If you look at statistics the number of victories that was recorded in the first stanza of the league, the number of draws that were recorded, you will clearly see that the officiating has improved, is not same of the same” Aluo states.

Imo born veteran journalist cum administrator, also stated that the officiating in NNL have been very poor before now compared to the ongoing campaign, noting that clubs can acknowledge that officiating has been top notch with clubs now winning on the road with statistics backed up.

” Before now officiating in NNL has been very poor, we must give kudos to the referees, and clubs can acknowledge the officiating has been top notch, clubs are winning on the road and we have statistics to back this up” He noted.

Aluo further cited that, the first stanza of the league recorded 47 away victories, given by 37% of the matches played, affirmed that it has never happen, which is unprecedented going by the record of victories home and away in the history of NNL.

“After the first stanza, we had about 47 away victories and that gave us about 37% of the matches played, it has never happen in the history of NNL, you can check the record not just NNL even in NPFL, the number of victories home and away is unprecedented in the history of the league” Aluo noted.

The NNL league body boss, opined that the officiating has greatly improved, giving kudos to the referees for their job well done.

Chairman Board of NNL, however concluded that, few cases where poor officiating emerged have been taken care of promptly, through recommendations to the referees committee of NFF for erring referees to be sanctioned.

“So in the area of officiating, we cannot say that same of the same, it has greatly improved and I must give kudos to referees for the job they are doing, and few cases where they have been poor officiating, we have taken prompt action, sanction make recommendations to the referees committee of NFF for such referees to be sanction, so officiating has really improved and kudos must go to the referees in this direction” Aluo concluded.