By Emmanuel Afonne

The President of the Republic of Maldives, Ibrahim Solih, has showered encomiums on the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Sunday Dare, for the huge impact he has made in sports since he assumed duty.

Solih made the remark at the Maldives 2023 Sports Awards, where the Nigerian Sports Minister received a ‘Special Recognition Award’ for his huge contribution to sports in Nigeria and Africa.

A statement issued on Sunday by Toyin Ibitoye, Special Assistant to the Minister on Media, quoted the Maldives president as saying that Dare’s giant strides in sports were a big plus to Nigeria and Africa.

“I congratulate the Sports Minister of Nigeria and I want people to know that we followed his progress over a period of time before deciding to honour him with this Award.

“We believe his positive steps will continue to boost sports in Nigeria in the years to come.”

The Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Republic of Maldives, Ahmed Mahloof, also stated that the award was a reward for Dare’s hard work within a short time in office.

Some global sports personalities were also conferred with Sports Icons Awards at the ceremony held on Saturday.

Nigerian football legend, Nwankwo Kanu, was top on the list of the icons recognised at the event.

Others were Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning captain, Fabio Cannavaro, and England’s ex-international goalkeeper, David James.

In his response, Dare thanked the organisers of the event, saying the recognition is a challenge to him to do more in any capacity he might find himself.

“It is important to also state that Nigerian youths should always put in efforts to make an impact in every area they find themselves because you don’t know who is watching.

“This is a good one for Nigeria, especially with Kanu also recognised in the sports icon category,” he added.

A total of 108 people received awards in 18 categories, including national athletes of Maldives.

The Award ceremony was also graced by the Chief of Staff to the Honourable Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Alhaji Abba Yola, and Managing Director and CEO of Premium Trust Bank, Emmanuel Emefienim.

Others at the occasion were the Director of Federations and Elite Athletes Department of the Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Dr Simon Ebhojiaye, and the Chief Executive Officer of Afri Kings Homes, Mr Kingsley Awodi.

A retired Director, General Services, National Youth Service Corps, Mr Emmanuel Attah, and some aides of the Sports Minister, also attended the event. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

=============
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

By Emmanuel Afonne

Former Golden Eaglets Coach, Manu Garba, has urged Flying Eagles handlers to ensure they fortify the team’s midfield and attack before the start of the Under-20 World Cup in Indonesia in May.

Garba, who gave the charge on Thursday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, also said that the defence has some deficiencies.

He said the team had done well to qualify for the World Cup but that a lot needs to be done to get the team ready for the tournament.

“The main reason for attending the AFCON Under-20 competition was for the team to qualify for the World Cup and the team has done well to qualify.

“But the coaches need to work on some grey areas, especially in our finishing and transition from defence to attack.

“They also need three good players to fortify the team in the midfield and attack.

“World Cup is the University of the Game, you have to bring your best players whether foreign or local, the most important thing is that a player going to the world cup must be technically and tactically good.

“So from my own experience, if we have some good players playing abroad, they should be invited. We don’t need players who sit on the bench to come and gatecrash into the team.

“We need players that play regularly to come and fortify the team. Any player coming into the team must be better than the ones we have now,” Garba said.

According to Garba, the goalkeeping position of the team is okay as there are no good goalkeeper and no bad goalkeeper.

Garba who is now the coach of an Abuja clubside, Mailantarki FC, said goalkeepers perform badly when defenders and other players expose them to danger, thereby conceding goals.

“We need to work on our defence, especially on how to stop the ball from coming to the goalkeeper, but the goalkeeping position doesn’t have any issue per say,” he said.

He noted that the difference between the Flying Eagles and the Young Teranga Lions of Senegal was that most of them played together at Under-17 level.

“Senegalese team has bunch of players that graduated from the Under-17 to Under-20, so they are used to playing with each other and that is why they played so cohesively.

“Before the Under-17, most of the players came from one academy, Diambars football academy. Almost half of the team came from there, then, others came from one or two other academies.

“Most of the players have been together so it was very easy for the coach to add his own tactical awareness but for the Flying Eagles, I don’t think more than two players are from the Under-17.

“And it wasn’t easy for the Flying Eagles coaches because of lack of transition from under-17 to under-20 team.

“So, it is not easy to beat a team that has stayed together more than one year.

“However, if we still work with this set of players with few inclusions, we can beat any team. Look at the match against Senegal, our boys created a lot of chances but couldn’t utilise them,” Garba added.

The coach also added that transition of players don’t usually exist depending on the type of players a coach needs to execute his match.

The lack of transition depends on the coach because every coach has the type of player he needs to execute his match. Secondly, the players in the last Under-17 are not doing well in their various clubs or academies.

“But it is always good for half of the Under-17 players to graduate to the Under-20 team, so long as the players are doing well in their various clubs or academies.”

It would be recalled that Garba led the Golden Eaglets to lift the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in 2013 and he also led the Flying Eagles to win the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations Championship in 2015. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

==========
Edited by Vincent Obi

Gianni Infantino has been re-elected as the president of the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA).

The election was held on Thursday during the 73rd Congress in Kigali, as Infantino stood unopposed, making his re-election as head of football’s governing body a formality.

Controversies surrounding him include, the treatment of migrant workers in the run-up to last year’s World Cup in Qatar and a failed plan to play the tournament every two years.

Infantino, however, promised record revenues in the next four-year cycle of $11 billion as he called for more football to be played around the world.

“It is an incredible honour and privilege, and a great responsibility.

“I promise to continue serving FIFA and football around the world.

“To those that love me, and I know there are many, and those who hate me, I love you all,” Infantino said.

Infantino confirmed FIFA’s income hit record levels in the last cycle from 2019-2022, but promised to substantially raise this again on the back of expanded men’s and women’s World Cup tournaments and the introduction of a 32-team Club World Cup.

“Revenues rose to a record $7.5 billion (to 2022) in a period that was hit by COVID-19.

“When I arrived, FIFA reserves stood at around $1 billion, today they are at almost $4 billion,” Infantino said.

“We promise new record revenues for the next cycle of $11 billion, and the new Club World Cup is not included in that figure, so it could increase by a couple of billion (more).”

Infantino said FIFA would continue to review the transfer system to “improve transparency” and suggested the organisation might discuss a salary cap.

“We must improve our regulations and the FIFA statutes. We will continue to evolve our good governance principles and look at the transfer system, and maybe have a discussion to improve transparency of transfer fees and salaries.

“It might be necessary to introduce a cap, we have to think how we can do that. We will look at it with all stakeholders and see what we can do.”

Amid the financial success of his seven years in office, Infantino has also courted controversy that has made him unpopular with some member associations.

He accused critics of host Qatar’s human rights record of hypocrisy and racism at the World Cup.

The tournament in the desert state led to a significant amount of political discussion around the host’s treatment of migrant labour, its approach to LGBT rights and FIFA’s threats to penalise players for political statements.

This included the banning of the anti-discrimination “One Love” armband which drew anger from a number of quarters.

FIFA has previously spoken about setting up a legacy fund to assist and compensate migrant workers who helped build the stadiums and other infrastructure for the World Cup.

But the FIFA boss made no mention of it in his address, since no concrete plans have been revealed.

He did suggest that FIFA had cleaned up its act with regards to governance.

“Every single dollar that is being invested in projects and associations will undergo an independent audit. Money just doesn’t get lost any more.

“That is why the institutions have regained their trust in FIFA. The Department of Justice of the United States has given us more than $200 million back that was stolen by corrupt officials. We have re-invested that in football.”

Player welfare groups have questioned FIFA’s decision to expand the men’s World Cup from 64 to 104 games, but Infantino said there was need to be more football played around the world.

“When I hear there is too much football, yes, maybe in some places, but not everywhere. In fact, in most parts of the world there is not enough football played.

“We need way more and not less competitions, we want football to develop worldwide.

“We are discussing organising a women’s Club World Cup and a FIFA World Series in March every two years, when teams are free from playing qualifiers.”

Infantino was first elected in an Extraordinary Congress in 2016 following the resignation of his predecessor Sepp Blatter, and retained his position unopposed three years later.

But this counts as his second term of office and he would therefore be available for a third and final term in four years’ time. (Reuters/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

=========
Edited by Joseph Edeh

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen scored twice on Wednesday to help steer Napoli FC of Italy to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt FC of Germany

The win ensured they moved into the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for the first time.

The 24-year-old who scored in each half of the game was also the hero in their 2-0 win in the first leg match in Germany about a fortnight ago.

Osimhen scored his first goal of the match with a header in first-half stoppage time.

He bagged his 23rd goal in 28 matches in all competitions this season when he found the net with a tap-in after a quick four-pass Napoli combination in the 53rd minute.

Piotr Zielinski then converted a penalty kick to secure a 5-0 aggregate win.

Prior to the game, fighting broke out in the Italian city as fans set a police car on fire and threw stones at buses and police.

Italian authorities had banned German fans from attending the game amid concerns about possible violence, but some Eintracht Frankfurt supporters made the trip to Italy anyway.

It was peaceful inside the Diego Maradona stadium and the hosts were in control from the start.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia went close with a mazy run into the box in the 19th minute.

The Georgian was denied again in the 43rd minute with goalkeeper Kevin Trapp kicking the winger’s close-range shot wide.

Osimhen opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time after being given far too much space in the penalty box to rise high and head in a measured Matteo Politano cross.

The German side were thereafter under pressure from Napoli’s relentless pressing game and it was Osimhen who scored again.

He tapped in from close range to kill off any hopes of a German comeback, becoming the first Napoli player to score in both legs of a Champions League knockout match.

The Serie A leaders capped a superb two-legged performance with Zielinski’s penalty kick after the Pole was brought down in the box.

Elsewhere, Real Madrid cruised into the 2022/2023 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

Karim Benzema’s second-half goal secured a comfortable 1-0 win over Liverpool in their last-16 second leg game to wrap up a 6-2 aggregate victory.

The Spanish giants sealed victory in the 79th minute when Vinicius Jr flicked a loose ball inside the area to Benzema who tapped it into the net. (Reuters/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

==========
Edited by Olawale Alabi

By Shedrack Frank

Athletes numbering 1,144 will jostle for glory in the maiden edition of the Bayelsa Sports Festival tagged “Access Bank Prosperity Games” and scheduled for March 26 to April 1.

The state’s Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Daniel Igali, stated this while addressing newsmen in Yenagoa on Wednesday.

Igali said hosting the festival became necessary due to the exploits recorded and the global attention the state has received in the last three years.

He attributed the positive publicity sports had attracted to the state government to the governor’s commitment to sports development.

The commissioner said that 1,144 athletes comprising 592 females, 552 males would participate in the one-week event in 14 different sports at various Local Government Areas of the state.

Igali said the festival would feature 14 events which includes, Athletics; Boxing; Canoeing; Judo; Football; Chess; Karate; Table tennis; Draught; Swimming; Taekwondo, Scrabble, Para swimming, Wrestling and Weightlifting

While appreciating Access Bank for sponsoring the event, Igali said the financial institution have shown what was expected of corporate organisations in the state.

He thanked the Governor and his deputy for the premium attention it has rendered to sports development in the state.

Also speaking, Braveman Wodi, Co-chairman of the games and Director of Sports, said that the move to host the festival became imperative.

Wodi said the festival would focus basically on local athletes who are yet to participate in the National Sports Festival.

He said the target of the showpiece was to discover young talents that would represent the state and the country at the global stage.

The Director said that the state was desirous of hosting a befitting fiesta and as well discover hidden talents across the state.

Mr Kakiri Miebi-Flint, the Relationship Manager, Access Bank, said the event would improve the lives of the youths in the state.

He said it would also bring out raw talents from the various local government and communities, saying that their services are beyond mere banking.

The manager who expressed happiness for the collaborate with the State government, said that it is part of the bank`s corporate social responsibility to the people of the state.. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Celine-Damilola Oyewole/Joseph Edeh

By lieoma Okigbo

Nigeria’s Under 17 Men’s Football team, Golden Eaglets will resume camping on Wednesday after taking a break due to the general elections.

Mr Nduka Ugbade, Coach for the U-17 team, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja said about 90 of the players who have undergone an earlier Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) would return to Abuja.

“About 90 players who have passed the MRI will resume in camp on Wednesday.

“Thereafter, the number will be trimmed down to 60 after the official MRI to be conducted by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

“I am greatly satisfied with the number of talents seen so far. I have a pool of athletes to choose from but talent in itself, is no longer enough.

The talent has to be utilised, trained, go through the necessary requirement to produce results in the game,” he said.

NAN reports that the team is preparing for the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations is scheduled to hold in May in the cities of Algiers, Constantine and Annaba in Algeria.

NAN also reports that the U-17 male team have been drawn into Group ‘B’.

After an impressive showing in the WAFU Zone B Championship in June 2022 ended with them emerging as champions, the Ugbade-tutored team qualified for the group stage of the Nations Cup.

They were drawn alongside Morocco, South Africa and Zambia.

The Golden Eaglets have won the competition on two occasions, with their most recent title coming from the 2007 squad that went on to win the World Cup.

In the last edition of the tournament in 2019, FC Copenhagen winger Akinkuni Amoo was in the squad that finished fourth in the competition.

The best four teams from the Africa Cup of Nations will qualify for the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Peru between November and December 2023.

NAN reports that Group A has Algeria, Senegal, Congo, Somalia while Group ‘C’ has Cameroon, Mali, Burkina Faso and South Sudan. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

==============
Edited by Modupe Adeloye/Sadiya Hamza

By Segun Giwa

The Ondo State chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has put in place a caretaker committee that will steer the affairs of the association for the next three months.

This was part of the congress resolutions held in Akure on Tuesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Wahab Bankole-led caretaker committee was inaugurated on Oct. 27 to steer the affairs of the association after the botched election that could have ushered in new executives.

Bankole appreciated members for their support and solidarity towards the achievements of the association in the past four months.

He said that the executive had raised the bar in the improvement of the association toward its professional heights.

“The welfare of members of the association is always paramount and with the little resources, we did our best to promote your welfare.

“The association also secured more slots for members who covered the national sports festival in Asaba on the bill of Ondo State Government,” he said.

The congress, however, dissolved the Wahab-led caretaker committee after announcing his intention not to continue as the Chairman of the committee which led to nomination of a new caretaker committee.

Mr Femi Dairo of NTA, emerged as Chairman of the committee, while Adewale Momoh of the Correspondents’ Chapel, emerged the Secretary and Sukanmi Elujoba of Adaba FM as member.

Responding, Mr Femi Dairo described the association as “one family” and urged members work as a team to move the association forward.

Dairo promised to ensure that elections of the new executives were conducted within 90 days tenure of the caretaker committee.

Officers and former State Chairman of the association, Mr Akintunde Akinsemola, urged members to renew their membership before the end of the month. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

=================
Edited by Auwalu Birnin Kudu/Tayo Ikujuni

By Olanrewaju Akojede

The Flying Eagles of Nigeria returned to the country Monday evening after bagging bronze at the just-concluded U-20 African Cup of Nations in Cairo.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the third place winning contingent touched down at the Nnamdi Azikwe Airport, Abuja, aboard a commercial flight on Monday.

One of the midfielders, Solomon Anya, said the team was happy to have clinched a World Cup ticket for the country during the competition.

“I am happy that we qualified for the World Cup.

“We played our best to win the tournament, but that is football because our best was not enough,” he said.

NAN reports that the Flying Eagles played in Group A of the tournament alongside the eventual winners, Senegal, Mozambique and host Egypt.

The Flying Eagles lost their first match against Senegal 0-1, but pipped host Egypt 1-0 in the second game.

The Ladan Bosso-tutored team then beat Mozambique 2-0 to qualify for the quater-final against Uganda whom they beat 1-0, but thereafter fell 0-1 to Gambia in the semi-finals of the competition.

The team came to redemption in the third place match when they walloped Tunisia 4-0.

Aaside winning the third place match, the Flying Eagles also bagged the Fair Play award at the competition by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The team was adjudged the most disciplined team in the competition and rewarded for their good sportsmanship.

The skipper, Daniel Bamaiyi, received the award on behalf of the team at the closing ceremony on Saturday night.

Flying Eagles defenders, Augustine Njoku and Solomon Agbalaka, made the CAF Best XI of the 2023 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Nigeria finished the tournament as the third best team after defeating Tunisia 4-0 in the 3rd place playoff on Friday, while Senegal on Saturday emerged winners after defeating The Gambia 2-0 in the final.

The Flying Eagles now have a date at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Indonesia in May. (NAN) (www.nannews.com)

Edited by Salif Atojoko

By Emmanuel Afonne

The Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare, has described Ismaila Mabo, the late former coach of the Super Falcons, as a giant in the world of Nigerian football.

A statement issued on Monday by Toyin Ibitoye, Special Assistant, Media, to Dare, quoted him as saying this while mourning the death of the coach.

Mabo died in the early hours of Monday in Jos, Plateau State, at the age of 80.

He started as a schoolboy international with the Nigeria academicals team that broke the jinx of Ghana’s domination in academy football.

The Nigerian team featuring Mabo, defeated Ghana’s academicals 1-0 in Accra on Feb. 13, 1966, making it the first time any Nigerian team would defeat a Ghanaian football team on Ghanaian soil.

The Nigerian boys repeated the feat six days later to humble their Ghanaian counterparts 2-1 in Lagos in a return leg.

According to the Sports Minister, Mabo’s contribution to the game is unquantifiable, as he stayed long even after retirement to give back to the round leather game.

The Minister further said Pa Ismaila Mabo lived an impactful life and that a special space would be reserved for him when the history of Nigerian football development was written.

“As a school boy, he represented Nigeria and after his active football career, he coached the Super Falcons to their most impressive spell both on the continent and globally.

“We pray that God gives his family the fortitude to bear this loss,” Ibitoye quoted Dare as saying. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

===========
Edited by Salif Atojoko