BERLIN — World football ruling body FIFA has suspended the national federations of Pakistan and Chad with immediate effect. FIFA said on Wednesday the decision to suspend the Chadian football association (FTFA) was taken because of interference by the country’s government authorities in the federation’s affairs. “The suspension will be lifted once the relevant government decisions have been repealed and the FTFA and its management have confirmed to FIFA that the FTFA premises are again...
KANO — Teams from 19 states are participating in the 38th edition of the Ramat Cup International Under-16 Football Tournament which begins on Sunday in Kano, an official has said. Aliyu Kasim, the Kano State Chapter Secretary of Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON), who is the tournament’s organisers, disclosed this on Sunday in Kano. He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that players of teams from 17 of the states at the tournament...
ENUGU — Aspire FC from Anambra has emerged the overall winners of the Okigwe Centre with 10 points after four matches at the 2020/2021 Nationwide League One (NLO) Division One Competition. The West African Pilot News gathered that Ingas FC of Enugu emerged runners-up with nine points after four matches, while Right-2-Win was third with seven points from four matches. The Centre’s Coordinator, Ebere Amaraizu, told NAN in Enugu on Thursday that activities at the...
ENUGU — The Enugu State Football Association (ENSFA) under-13 football tournament named after late ENSFA Chairman Chidi Ofo-Okenwa has been scheduled to kick off on March 27. Francis Ugwu, the ENSFA Secretary, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Tuesday all arrangements had been concluded for a hitch-free event. Ugwu said the tournament would have started before now but was delayed due to some logistics on the part of the event’s co-sponsors....
CALABAR — FC Nilayo of Abeokuta on Saturday held Rovers FC of Calabar to a goalless draw in week four of the Nigerian National League (NNL) match played at the UJ Esuene Stadium. Both teams missed a couple of chances that could have been converted with the 23 minutes miss by FC Nilayo being the most glaring, forcing an impressive double save by the Rovers goalkeeper, Isa Ismaila. FC Nilayo continued to trouble the defence...
An attempt by the Nigeria-born Isreal Adesanya to become a double champion in the UFC became futile on early Sunday morning. Jan Blachowicz beat the recently undefeated Adesanya by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-45, 49-45) to retain his light heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 259. Adesanya, who is the UFC middleweight champion, was attempting to become just the fifth fighter in the history of the championship to win the title back-to-back. The loss...
ABAKALIKI — The Ebonyi Commissioner for Youth Development and Sports, Charles Akpuenika has hailed Gov. David Umahi’s pronouncement on the eventual formation of the state’s new football teams. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Umahi while declaring open the on-going state’s #EndSARS youth summit, announced that the process of forming both male and female teams would begin from the end of March 2021. Akpuenika in an interview with NAN on Saturday in Abakaliki,...
BENIN — Christopher Ojo, sports promoter and sponsor of the 10km Annual Owan Marathon Race, says design of a post-COVID-19 template is the needed recipe for sports revival in the country. Ojo, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Benin, said the template would include strategies for gradual recovery of sporting events from impact of the pandemic. He noted that due to the huge impact of the pandemic on sports...
ILORIN — Kwara United FC of Ilorin on Sunday beat Warri Wolves 2-0 to return to winning streak and climbed to the top of the log. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Match Day 13, 2020/2021 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), was played at the Kwara Stadium Complex, Ilorin. Stephen Jude scored from 35 metre distance in the 8th minute to shoot Kwara United into the lead. From then, Kwara United dominated...
Gunmen on Friday night attacked players and officials of Nigeria Professional Football League side, Adamawa United, who were on their way to Lagos for a league match. The incident happened at about 11.45 pm on the Benin-Ore expressway. The Adamawa-based side was billed for the NPFL clash against MFM FC on Sunday at the Agege Stadium, Lagos. The team’s driver was abducted and taken to an unknown destination. It is gathered that the players’ phones,...
