By Akeem Busari

Nigeria is indeed, blessed in all aspects of human endeavours. Sometimes, too, this most populated black nation on earth, is also described as the true ‘God’s Own Country’. And this is not for nothing.

This great nation like the phoenix, has continued to rise and overcome its self-induced challenges. Despite the all encompassing life challenges, sports, have always provided the elixir and also firmly held together the dreams and aspirations of millions of Nigerians.

Back in the early 60s and 70s, it used to be athletics and boxing, that helped to put smiles on the faces of a people, just coming out of a debilitating civil war. And since that period, it has forever been football, huffing and puffing with triumphs and sometimes, heartaches.

Fast forward to the present, one of the unheralded sports, basketball, sprang up to announce its presence and determination to give the nation’s most loved sport, a run for its money.

For a people endowed with such amazing physical attributes, it is not surprising that Nigerians are now dominating the world of sports. And basketball is one sport, that amply testifies to Nigeria’s immense potentials to be one of the world’s best.

From the position of mere competitors, Nigeria basketball has risen to become a continental and global phenomenon. And in recent years, Nigeria has maintained a dominant and intimidating profile in the basketball community.

Importantly, we must note and acknowledge the feats of the Nigeria men and women national basketball teams, which can be attributed to the shared common objectives and determination of the board of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, led by its indefatigable president, Engr. Ahmadu Musa Kida.

Kida came on board in 2017, as the captain of a basketball ship that was submerged in the murky waters of greed, corruption, egoistic and mindless vain glorious pursuits by the previous leadership of the NBBF.

Unfazed by the consistent negative vibes from the past leadership of the board, Kida was quick to show his hands as a determined, selfless and visionary leader, who is committed to positively change the narratives of basketball in Nigeria.

Since Kida, a former national basketball player, took the reins of the Nigeria Basketball Federation from Tijani Umar, it has been an upward surge for basketball in Nigeria, what with the newly found fervour, attractiveness, and developmental strides of Engr. Musa Kida’s led board.

The achievements of the NBBF under Musa Kida, include amongst many other incredible feats, winning back-to-back Afrobasketball championships; making history as the first African nation to qualify both its female and male teams for the Olympic games at a time.

As well as, Nigeria’s senior women’s national basketball team, D’Tigress making history as the first ever African basketball team to qualify for the quater-finals stage at the last Olympic games held in France.

Spending personal hard-earned finances and resources to propagate and promote the development of the game in Nigeria, with little or no financial assistance from the relevant sports authorities, Musa Kida, has stoically remained resolute in his desires to take the game to utopian heights.

Even after his reelection as the NBBF President, he has continued to endure and tempered with unsolicited, but greed-induced crisis and shenanigans by supposed stakeholders. Undeterred by the mindlessness of his traducers, who have always pretended to be allies, Kida, nevertheless, brought class, panache, high level of astuteness and invaluable experiences, buoyed by his over three decades of experiences as a globally highly reverred expert in the oil and gas industry.

Despite the shenanigans within the basketball community, against all odds, he got the local basketball league divisions one and two for both women and men, running again, albeit with lots logistics and financial challenges.

Nigerians and indeed, the genuinely concerned stakeholders and investors in the game, are also quick to credit him with the lofty and untold achievements of Nigeria Basketball Federation.

Let’s also note that whilst Mali and Senegal, had the opportunities to train and tour in Europe for about three months and playing top quality friendly games, D’Tigeress only camped for a few days due to financial constraints, yet they went ahead to brutalized all opponents, including Mali in the finals.

In his words, the national coordinator of Friends Of Nigeria Sports, Chief Diprieye Thompson, described Kida as a visionary, selfless and uncommon patriot, who has continued to see the larger pictures that paints a positive future for the Nigerian youth through his several personal initiatives and of course, the development of basketball in Nigeria.

Speaking at the Presidential reception held to honour D’Tigress, the team were in unison in lavishing praises for Musa Kida. They thanked him for his financial and physical supports for team at all times. And that is another important testimonial to his great leadership skills.

Never has Nigeria basketball adorn and revel in such euphoria and accolades coming from its monumental achievements and yes, coming from the astounding feats of D’Tigress, winning a five consecutive Afrobasket championship, and with the latest win, setting unprecedented records for the African game.

I ask, could these and many other achievements have been possible without the efforts of a ever-resourceful and fiercely committed patriot, as Musa Kida and his equally hardworking and dedicated board members of the NBBF? I say, NO.

Musa Kida, has come, seen and of course, conquered the African basketball landscape. It is a fact that whosoever succeeds him as the new president of the NBBF come next year, has the unenviable tasks to match his giant strides.

Without a doubt, he would certainly go down in history as the best and greatest President of Nigeria Basketball Federation ever. And yes, I join millions of Nigerians, that prays for Engr. Ahmadu Musa Kida, to gets his flowers and of course, a well deserved national honour, for his widely acknowledged selfless services to Nigeria.

Adams Jesse Odoba-Yacham

Day 4 of the 2025 GusauAhlanCup25 saw the completion of the first round games at the Lafia City Stadium.

Katsina United with the early kickoff saw off Mailantarki FC while Kano Pillars had to battle with One Discovery till the end before scoring a late on to snatch a deserved victory.

Agara Daniel and Abba Dali were the scorers as Katsina United shot to the top of Group D with three points.

In the second game of the day, One Discovery FC of Birni Kebbi took Kano Pillars head on as they won over the fans at the Lafia City Stadium.

Ali Mallam had put Pillars in the driving seat just two minutes into the game before One Discovery fought back and got a goal of their own 7 minutes to end the first half.

Pillars will however steal the show in the dying moments when substitute Aliyu Umar raced to Rabiu Ali’s flip to win the game for Pillars.

Reacting after the game, legendary Rabiu Ali hailed the resilience of the One Discovery side but emphasized that Pillars are building something remarkable in Kano.

“We played against a very good side in One Discovery and luck was not on their side today as they impressed many with their swift playing abilities”.

“We won as our team is still under a work in progress, fans should expect the Pillars of old with the Pillars now committed to bringing smiles on the faces of our fans, he concluded”.

Day 5 of the competition will see four fixtures as Niger Tornadoes will take Caliphate FC in the 8am fixture while Lobi Stars and City Rollers FC will square up after.

For the afternoon games, Si14 FC will trade tackles with Ben FC will the final game of the day will see Nasarawa United reignite it’s old rivalry with new promoted Wikki Tourists of Bauchi all at the Lafia City Stadium.

Captain of Kano Pillars Football Club, Rabiu Ali says the Gusau/Ahlan Pre-season Football Tournament currently going on in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital is the best opportunity for Clubs to be in good condition and the integration of their new signings in order to spend time building trustful relationships ahead of the new Football season.

He stated this shortly after Kano Pillars defeated high spirited One Discovery FC of Birnin Kebbi Two goals to one in their opening Group C encounter at the ongoing 4th Edition of Gusau/Ahlan Pre-season Football Tournament at the Lafia City stadium.

He said the Preseason tournament will go a long way in helping teams to be mentally and physically fit for the new footballing season.

Rabiu Ali popularly called Pele emphasized that this season fans should expect a new Pillars who are commited to bringing back the glory days of the Club into the new season with renewed passion and dedication to make a difference.

He maintained that he was impressed with the performance of their opponents One Discovery FC who showed resilience during the match but luck was not on their side noting that the Team is well organised as they parade some young lads who gave them a good fight.

The Captain rounded up by saying that the appointment of Ahmed Musa as General Manager is a welcome development to the Club which will help in motivating both the Old and New players to put in their best as season will soon commence due to his wealth of experiences in the Round leather game, wishing all the Team’s a successful Pre Season tournament.

Goals from Ali Mallam and a late strike from Aliyu Umar gave Pillars victory against One Discovery FC of Birni Kebbi with Mustapha Abdullahi scoring a consolatory goal for his side.

Adams Jesse Odoba-Yacham

Director Of Communications, NSFA

Adams Jesse Odoba-Yacham

Newly appointed Kano Pillars, Evans Ogenyi has said in clear terms that Kano Pillars are in a renewing process with the Gusau Ahlan Cup a perfect platform to competitively test his players.

“A match of this magnitude can go either side. I told my players from the beginning of the game not to underrate these boys even though they are an academy team and you know I have said publicly that I want to use this AHLAN cup to access these boys. I took over this team barely a week ago and I am using this tournament to test run our players and make amends before the season kicks off properly and kudos to the organizers of this tournament for a superb job”.

On if Kano Pillars are condemned to win the 2025 edition of the pre season tournament.

“Ideally, the essence of participating in a tournament is to emerge victorious but me as a top professional, I will take each match as it comes. If I win it, good luck. Like I said earlier, I am using the tournament to evaluate my team. We have not spent enough time training together but it is my desire to win it. It is actually my intention to win. I will play every match with all sense of responsibility. The fans should have hope in the team because this is a new Pillars with character and I assure them that this Pillars will thrill them with total and attacking football come this season, he rounded up”.

Aliyu Umar was the hero for Pillars when his goal at the dot of 90 minutes secured the full points for Pillar after Mustapha Abdullahi cancelled out Ali Mallam’s opener as Kano Pillars shot to the top of group C with three points from one win and will take on Plateau United in their next game.

By Silvernews

Imo State Commissioner for Sports, Hon. Obinna Onyeocha, has congratulated Nigeria’s women basketball team, D’Tigress, for their outstanding triumph at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket Championship in Abidjan. The commissioner praised the team for their commitment, resilience, and unity in securing yet another continental title for Nigeria.

Hon. Onyeocha expressed excitement over the team’s success, noting that their victory came just a week after the Super Falcons also made the nation proud by winning the 2024 WAFCON in Morocco. He described the back-to-back international feats as a golden moment for Nigerian sports and a major source of national pride.

He further applauded the contribution of Imo-born players Sarah Ogoke and Promise Amukamara, who were part of the D’Tigress squad. Onyeocha said their inclusion made the state proud, and revealed that the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma, along with all Imolites, are thrilled by their achievement and will continue to support the growth of sports across all levels.

The Nigeria players Union ,National  Association of Nigeria Professional Players Enugu state Chapter is keen on promoting players welfare and mental well being for optimum performance.

This was disclosed by the Chairman Nigeria Players Union ,National Association of Professional Players Enugu state ,Coach Ebere Amaraizu while responding  on some planned activities ny the Association geared towards strengthening players and management relationship and responsiveness for productivity .

We are working out modalities in partnership with the relevant stakeholders involved including the Trade Union Congress(TUC) towards achieving a system that will lubricate relationship between players,coaches and management with the sole aim of promoting players welfare ,mental health and general wellbeing .

Our upcoming seminar and workshop with  various key players are anchored  on players rights and interest and they are too relevant to be taken for granted by clubs and their management .

Undoubtedly,Nigeria players are undergoing a lot  and to a larger extent,they are sometimes weighed down psychologically ,Mentally and Emotionally .It affects their entire input and productivity both in the team ,at home ,socially and even when they leave active sports .What we have come out now to do with my able team  is to educate relevant stakeholders and key players to enable them to note these concerns with a view to addressing them before they degenerate into issues of trade disputes.

The players must know their boundary and same with coaches and management and this will help to promote effective work-life and work-place mental health for holistic outcomes .Issues of players contractual agreement must be well documented and followed sincerely without breaches.

The 2025 edition of the Chief Kingsley Uduh South East Junior Tennis Classics came to a thrilling conclusion at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, with Chimaobi Isaac Onuegbu and Lucky Chinasa Favour clinching the top honours in the Under-16 categories.

Onuegbu, representing Owerri City Secondary School, displayed resilience and superior shot-making to dispatch Chibueze Nweke of Emmanuel College 6-4, 6-3 in straight sets to lift the Under-16 Boys title. He pocketed the N40,000 top prize, while Nweke settled for N30,000.

In the Girls’ final, Favour Lucky proved too strong for Adachukwu Otuka, cruising to a 4-2, 4-1 victory to claim the N40,000 winner’s purse. Otuka went home with N30,000 as runner-up.

The Under-14 Boys category saw another Onuegbu—Chinaecherem David—dominate Ezichi Ewuzie of Anambra State with a 6-4, 6-2 win. Chinaecherem walked away with N30,000, while Ewuzie received N15,000.

In the Under-14 Girls final, Ebube Otuka dazzled with a 5-3, 4-0 win over Ginikachi Uwaleke, securing the N30,000 prize. Uwaleke earned N15,000 for her efforts.

In the Under-12 Boys final, Netochukwu Obed from Enugu State triumphed over Kosisochukwu MacDonald 4-1, 5-3, clinching the N30,000 prize money.

Consolation Awards: Semi-finalists in the Under-16 Boys and Girls categories—Nehemiah Ejiofor, Kelechi Nwosu, Ngozi Nwosu, and Divine Ndem—were awarded N10,000 each.

Other semi-finalists in the Under-14 and Under-12 categories, including Samuel Ndem, Makuo Obed, Benjamin Dirichukwu, Chibueze Ezeah, Amarachi Uwaleke, and Amarachi Julius, received N7,500 each.

All 20 athletes eliminated in the preliminary stages were not left out—they each received N3,000 in appreciation of their participation.

Organizers Speak: Speaking at the closing ceremony, Barr. Ugochukwu Uzodike, who represented the sponsor, Chief Kingsley Uduh, commended the initiative, noting that the goal is to spotlight and nurture raw tennis talent across the South East. “Chief Uduh’s support is a bold investment in the region’s sports future,” he remarked.

Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee, Chief Charles Duruaku, praised the standard of competition and reaffirmed the commitment to talent development. “This tournament is a stepping stone for future champions,” he said.

The tournament featured 40 junior players, with a total prize pool of N400,000 fully funded by the sponsor.

Dignitaries in Attendance: The grand finale was graced by Directors of Sports from the five South Eastern states:

Emeka Obidinma (Anambra)

Ephraim Ochonma (Enugu)

Lady Justina Akupulo (Imo)

Emmanuel Utobo (Ebonyi)

Comrade George Obioma (Abia)

The closing ceremony was marked by presentation of trophies, medals, and cash prizes to the delighted winners and participants, bringing the curtain down on a tournament that promises to redefine junior tennis in the South East.

Adams Jesse Odoba-Yacham

The Gusau/Ahlan Cup continues to gather buzz across the nation as day three offered a glimpse of what to further expect as teams continue to spring surprises.

First game of the day saw Wikki Tourists take on Benedict Akwuegbu FC of Jos. Ben FC as they are called for short with an array of NPFL players in Larry Lagbera and Sinbad Adams in their fold began on a slow pace as Lewis Dadong hit them twice in the space of 5 minutes to put Wikki Tourists in a healthy lead heading into the break.

Ben FC on resumption dominated play and were unable to break down the Wikki Tourists defence until the final moments of the game when Daniel Adoga scored with an audacious effect to half the scores as the referee signal for the final whistle.

The second game saw Lobi Stars dispatched Sokoto base Caliphate FC.

The defending champions took the game to their opponents right from the blast of the whistle but could not break Caliphate FC’s resilience in the first half.

Lobi Stars will however go ahead after Paul Itim finished off a fine team move in the 54th minute before Sunday Awasa got to the end of a clever pass from Suur Kumaga to round up an impressive day for Lobi Stars.

The best was however saved for the last when 10 man FC Basira got a point off Mighty Jets FC of Jos.

Uba Cyracus opened the scoring in the 4th minute when his shot from a Bright Silas pass deflected off Emmanuel Iliya past Silas Panshak.

FC Basira will however claw back in the 34th minute when Adamu Ibrahim rose highest to head home Kim Pwajok’s corner as the first half ended one goal apiece.

On resumption, Mighty Jets FC retook the lead when kid sensation, Ukeyima Emmanuel struck in a ferocious free-kick three minutes after the break.

Bakam Sunday will however restore parity for his side when he saw his deflected effort sailed through the net.

Ebuka Ekasi was however given his marching orders for a two foot challenge on Bright Silas and nothing separated both sides as the points were shared.

Reacting after the game, Ahmed Musa (FC Basira) described the performances of his wards as good and despite not training together for long they still fashioned out a draw off a very good team like Jets.

“I will like to praise the performances of my boys, they did well and despite being together for less than two weeks, we were able to hold Mighty Jets to a draw with a man down”.

“It was a beautiful game, we are glad that we partook in this tournament as it will provide us the perfect avenue to continue to build on our project, he concluded”.

Match Day 4 will see the conclusion of the group games as Katsina United will take on Mailantarki FC by 2pm while the game between two times champions Kano Pillars and One Discovery of Abuja will be by 4pm.

Nasarawa State Attorney General Isaac Danladi has heaped praises on the sponsors of the GusauAhlanCup25 when he visited the venue of the games in Lafia.

In his statement, the pioneer Chairman when it was still the Ahlan Cup described the duo of Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau (NFF President) and Dr. Rabiu Sherrif Inuwa Ahlan (NFF Board Member and Kano State FA Chairman) as two more who are at the forefront of pushing football remarkably to the top by encouraging it’s development within the northern region.

“Honestly speaking, I feel happy that the competition is growing from strength to strength. When we started, it wasn’t like this and incidentally just like you rightly pointed out, I was the first chairman of the AHLAN Cup, I was Chairman for almost two years and we made sure that this dream kept living. So I’m seizing this opportunity to appreciate Ibrahim Gusau himself who is my friend and brother, the President of the Federation and also AHLAN, Dr Rabiu Sherrif Inuwa who is also a strong ally”.

“They have done well, they have encouraged football and I believe that what is happening today is a true manifestation of what we are dreaming concerning our Football today tomorrow and always”.

Danladi also hailed the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Abdullahi Sule for accepting to host the tournament in Nasarawa State.

“I want to also use this medium to appreciate my Principal, Mentor, Benefactor, His Excellency Engineer Abdullahi A Sule for accepting to host this Championship. I think it shows the premium he places on sports particularly football. Then how can I forget my friend, the FA Chairman of the State, he has done well to ensure that this competition moves on well and when I came into the arena, I was quite impressed with the quantity and quality of people that I saw. I feel like I’m back home because I can see a lot of my friends here, the Chairman of Nasarawa United who has always held the fort for Nasarawa United”.

“This means that the game of soccer has come to stay and by God’s grace I’ll be here till the end of the competition”.

“If you win, it’s good, if you lose, it’s good too because the essence of this championship is to see how well teams can prepare ahead for the forthcoming season”.

“It’s not necessarily about winning the competition. The very Year Nasarawa United played and didn’t win a trophy in Kano, they ended up playing Continental football, the very Year they won the trophy, the team battled relegation till some of us came in”.

“My point is this tournament is about preparing teams for the better and by the grace of God, who wins doesn’t matter but without being selfish I know who I’m rooting for, The Nasarawa State Commissioner For Justice jokingly rounded off.

Adams Jesse Odoba-Yacham

Director Of Communication, NSFA