The Official Launch of the Friends of Football foundation will be held today in Abuja and the man and brains behind the organisation, former Nigerian International Emmanuel Babayaro said this will mark the beginning of a revolution in our football. The 1996 Olympic gold medallist added that at the launch they will unveil some of their plans for football in Nigeria, and stressed that with the input from Friends of Football the country will be able to win the world cup in 2022 as today’s event will see them put in motion, the frame work to achieve that goal. ================= BABAYARO FOF DECEMBER 02 ================= Sporting dignitaries expected at the event tonight are the Hon minister of Sports Dr. Tammy Danagogo who is the chief host, Senator Audu Idris hon. Minister for transport, the Secretary to the government of the federation Dr. Anyim pius anyim , also in attendance will be the D.G national sports commission,Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye and the D.G national orientation Agency Dr. Mike Omieri among others. dolphins striker, Emem Eduok has insisted that he is 20 and not 23 despite complicity in his age in his club license and international passport. The player was reportedly sent home from the ongoing national U-23 team camp in Abuja, when it was discovered that his passport stated January 31, 1994 as his birth date, while his club license had 1991 as his birthday. Eduok played at last year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup with the age on his passport and the Super Eagles striker, who emerged the Most Valuable Player as Dolphins reached the final of the 2014 Federation Cup, insists that is his true age. Meanwhile ex-international Wahidi Akanni has charged Coach Samson Siasia to ensure that he picks only players under the age of 23. Akanni maintains that the National team, the Super Eagle needs younger players and as such the age grade teams have the task to build and discover for the National team. ……………………….. Twenty two players called up have so far reported to the Flying Eagles training camp in Kaduna, officials have disclosed. The players include FC Porto striker Jacob Njoku, Musa Newman from Sunshine Stars, Prince Izu Omego, Wilfred Ndidi, Abdullahi Alfa, Ifeanyi Nweke, Tony Edjomariegwe and Mustapha Abdullahi. Others are Sulaiman Abdullahi, Ifeanyi Matthew, Chisom Eze and Zaharadeen Bello This training camp is for players who are based locally as another screening exercise will be conducted for overseas pros early in the New Year, according to coach Manu Garba. The Nigeria U20s are preparing for the 2015 African Youth Championship slated for Senegal from March 8. The top four semi-finalists at the AYC will represent Africa at the 2015 FIFA U20 World Cup in New Zealand. …………………………. NFF’s Director of Competitions, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, said on Monday that the Federation is working assiduously to arrange friendly matches for six-time African champions, the Flying Eagles. Nigeria won the African title at U-20 level in 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 2005 and 2011, with Coach Sam John Obuh leading the last set of winners in South Africa in 2011. The 19th African Youth Championship finals will be staged in Senegal, 8th – 22nd March, 2015. ………………………… Ahead of the 2014 Copa Lagos kick-off, Super Sand Eagles are expected to commence intensive training on Wednesday in Badagry, Lagos. Disclosing this, the Coach of Super Sand Eagles, Adamu Ejor, said: - it is going to be a tough camping exercise because the team has a lot of ground to cover before the commencement of matches. - We are going to start camping from Wednesday and I can assure you that it will be a challenge since we have just eight days before the tournament starts. - The players know each other well and this would be an advantage. These are players that I have worked with for years and we understand ourselves, he further added. As defending champions, the Coach reiterated his full commitment to ensuring the squad is fit and ready ahead of the 12th December kick off. - We need to retain the trophy at the end of the competition, Ejor concluded. ……………………………. The delegation of Nigeria Football Federation to Saturday’s 7th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals, Canada 2015, will depart Abuja on Thursday morning. Coach Edwin Okon, who led the Senior Women National Team, Super Falcons, to clinch a seventh African title in Namibia in October, will be joined by Team Administrator, Ruth David and Team Media Officer, Gracious Akujobi. The Draw Ceremony for the 7th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals will be held in Canada’s capital city, Ottawa, on Saturday, with 24 finalist teams to be divided into six groups of four teams each. Already qualified for the finals are host Canada, United States of America, Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, Norway, Sweden, England, Japan, Australia, Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Cameroon, China, Korea Republic, Thailand and New Zealand. The finals will be staged 6th June – 5th July, 2015 in six Canadian cities, viz: Edmonton (State of Alberta), Moncton (State of New Brunswick), Montreal (State of Quebec), Vancouver (State of British Columbia), Ottawa (State of Ontario) and Winnipeg (State of Manitoba). Nigeria has featured in all six previous editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991 (China), 1995 (Sweden), 1999 and 2003 (USA), 2007 (China) and 2011 (Germany), with a quarter final berth in 1999 the Super Falcons’ best effort so far. ============== AKANNI DECEMBER 02 ==================== Meanwhile unconfirmed reports have it that the Nigeria Football Federation have concluded plans to hand Coach Stephen Keshi a new one year contract of seven million naira monthly. Heartland international Captain Chinedu Efugh, has declared that late preparation for the 2013/2014 Premier League season cost the club a continental ticket. The Owerri club last continental engagement was in 2013 after they won the 2012 Federation Cup. Heartland finished 10th on the Premier League log, with 55 points from 38 matches. ………………… In Rugby, Technical Director of the Nigeria Rugby Federation, Dele Coker, has expressed optimism over the chances of the Black Stallions 7s team in international competitions despite the 11th place performance of the team at the just concluded Confederations of African Rugby 7s in Harare, Zimbabwe. The Stallions could only summon two wins in the eight matches they played at the two-day tournament. They defeated Ivory Coast 28-0 on the first day of the competition, while they lost to Kenya, Namibia and Zimbabwe. On the second day, the team were also beaten by Uganda and Botswana but were able to beat the Ivoirians for the second time 24-21 to emerge 11th, a place above Ivory Coast. South Africa, who were the defending champions, won the tournament for the second time. They were followed by Kenya, Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Namibia, Uganda, Madagascar, Senegal, Zambia and Botswana in that order. …………………… In Tennis, Top seeds Abdulmumuni Babalola and Shehu Lawal were yesterday sent packing from the ongoing Nigeria Ports Authority National Open Tennis Championship in Abuja. Reigning CBN Open champion, Babalola, was the first big casualty of the day as he lost to Emmanuel Idoko 5-7, 7-6 (4), 6-2, while three-time CBN Open winner Shehu Lawal also made an early exit as he crumbled before the 2014 Lagos Governor’s Cup champ, Moses Michael, in a duel which ended 3-6, 6-4, 7-5. Speaking after his defeat Abdulmumuni Babalola noted he was happy that younger players are now growing in the ranks. ============== BABALOLA LOSS DECEMBER 02 =============== On his part Emmanuel Idoko said his defeat of Babalola was a justification of the wild card handed him at the competition. =============== IDOKO WIN DECEMBER 02 =============== Other players that have booked their passage to the second round are Sylvester Emmanuel, a 6-0, 6-0 winner over Jonathan Okwudili, and Clifford Enosoregbe, who outplayed Albert Bikom to a 6-3, 6-3 victory. Sunday Emmanuel proved too strong for national junior player, Tswako Abubakar, with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 triumph as Nonso Madueke overpowered Chinedu Akagha with an easy 6-0, 6-3 win. In the women’s singles, number one seed, Sarah Adegoke breezed past Ngozi Dirisu 6-3, 6-0, while CBN Open reigning champion, Christie Agugbom, walloped Afolarin Akosile 6-1, 6-2. Sarah Adegoke who is top favourite to win the competition, said her opponent gave her a run for her money. =============SARAH WIN DECEMBER O2 ================ Action continues this morning at the Package B of the Abuja National stadium. ………………………….. Algeria’s Yacine Brahimi has been voted the BBC African Footballer of the Year 2014 ahead of Super Eagles captain Vincent Enyeama. The 24-year-old midfielder becomes the first Algerian to win the award, which is decided by football fans. After a record number of votes were submitted from fans in 207 FIFA-registered countries, Brahimi came out on top ahead of Nigerian Vincent Enyeama, Gabonese Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ivorian pair, Gervinho and Yaya Toure. Brahimi and Enyeama were shortlisted on Monday before the final selection was made. At the world level, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Manuel Neuer will battle it out for the 2014 Ballon d’Or after being named on the three-man shortlist for the prestigious award. The original 23-man shortlist – which included Gareth Bale as the only Briton – was trimmed to three by a group of football experts from the FIFA Football Committee and France Football on Monday. Ronaldo is defending his crown after winning it in 2013 to end Messi’s three-year run as the world’s best player since FIFA and France Football merged their awards. Nadine Kessler (Germany), Marta (Brazil) and Abby Wambach (USA) were shortlisted for the womens award. Meanwhile, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, Germanys World Cup winning boss Joachim Low and Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone are on the shortlist for the Fifa coach of the year. The winners of all the awards will be revealed at the final ceremony in Zurich on January 12. ………………………… Real Madrid forward, James Rodriguez has been named in the final shortlist for the 2014 FIFA Puskas Award for the goal of the year. The Real Madrid midfielders chest-and-volley in Colombias 2-0 second-round victory over Uruguay at the World Cup is deemed worthy of the spectacular-goal honour. Also from Brazil is Robin van Persies lofted diving header over Iker Casillas during Netherlands 5-1 thrashing of Spain in both countries first match of the group stage. Rodriguez goal has already been named the Best Goal of the World Cup, but there is no place for the exquisite goal scored by Nigerias Ahmed Musa against Argentina. Peamount Uniteds Stephanie Roche rounds off the candidacy with her long-range strike after taking two volleyed touches to evade her marker. The winner of the Puskas Award will be announced at the FIFA Ballon dOr Gala on January 12. ……………………. Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has revealed that club captain Steven Gerrard has been offered a new contract by the club. Gerrard’s current contract runs out in the summer and there have been reports the Merseryside club legend is set to leave the club on the bossman in the summer. However according to the Daily Mail, Rodgers has confirmed that Gerrard is set extend his stay at the club by penning a new contract. -Steven has been offered a contract; he deserves the utmost respect and time to consider that. It is a big moment to consider what he is going to do at this stage in his life. There are many things he has to think about but it certainly won’t be money, he said. Gerrard came through the Liverpool youth system and has played for the senior team for 16 years. ………….. Tuesday, December 2 Man United 8:45 PM Stoke City Leicester City 8:45 PM Liverpool Burnley FC 8:45 PM Newcastle Swansea City 8:45 PM QPR Crystal Palace 9:00 PM Aston Villa West Brom 9:00 PM West Ham Wednesday, December 3 Sunderland 8:45 PM Man City Chelsea 8:45 PM Tottenham Everton 8:45 PM Hull City Arsenal 8:45 PM Southampton …………… Tuesday, December 2 Lorient 7:00 PM Marseille Nantes 7:00 PM Toulouse Monaco 9:00 PM Lens Wednesday, December 3 OGC Nice 7:00 PM Rennes Metz 7:00 PM Bordeaux Montpellier 7:00 PM ASSE Bastia 7:00 PM Evian Guingamp 7:00 PM Caen Lille 9:00 PM Paris SG Thursday, December 4 Lyon 9:00 PM Stade Reims
Posted on: Tue, 02 Dec 2014 16:34:29 +0000
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