Friday, November 3, 2017
EXTRATIME
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Stories by Andrew Ekejiuba he 35th edition of the prestigious Ajegunle Mock African Cup of Nations football championship is expected to kick off on Saturday November 11, 2017, at the popular Nigerian Navy playground, Apapa-Ajegunle, Lagos. This year’s championship tagged ‘Equatorial Guinea 2017’, will fea-
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Ethiopia set to defend Mock Nations Cup title ture 32 teams drawn into eight groups of teams each. According to the founder and secretary-general of the championship, Lawrence Alabrah, arrangements and preparations have reached advanced stages to ensure a hitch free and exciting championship. “We can tell you confidently that this year’s championship will be better and
bigger in terms of organisation, officiating, and of course in the standard of play,” he enthused. Continuing, the retired navy officer added that this year’s edition promises to witness lots of innovations aimed at reawakening the floundering fortunes of the beautiful game in Ajegunle.
“We are also concerned about the fallen standard in football in Ajegunle and the country as a whole. Remember that this championship used to be the flagship of grassroots football in Nigeria. Therefore, it is going to bring back fond memories, as well as, producing fresher and gifted footballers for the ben-
efit of the country,” he stated. Ethiopia are the defending champions of the longest running grassroots football championship in West Africa, which is also renowned to have produced several former top players including, Samson Siasia, Emmanuel Amuneke, Jumbo Awala, Patrick Udoh, Tarila Okorowanta, Gabriel Okolosi, Brown Ideye, Odion Ighalo and many others.
Nadal ends year as world’s number one
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Nadal
afael Nadal will end 2017 as world number one after a second-round win over Hyeon Chung at the Paris Masters. The Spaniard, who has risen from ninth at the start of the year via French and US Open victories, advanced 7-5 6-3 in one hour and 48 minutes. “It was impossible for me to think about when you are coming back from a tough time, without playing tennis and with so many injuries,” he said. Nadal, 31, will play Uruguay’s world number 36 Pablo Cuevas in the last 16. The 16-time Grand Slam champion did not have it all his own way in a see-sawing first set in which he and Chung exchanged two breaks apiece before Nadal broke to love in the final game. South Korea’s Chung, 21, held his own in the second set but again crumbled in the latter stages, surrendering to love to give up the solitary break. Nadal is 1,460 points clear of Swiss world number two Roger Federer in the world rankings and victory over Chung ensured him an unassailable lead before the World Tour Finals in London later this month. It seemed an unlikely scenario at the end of last season when the left-hander withdrew from the French Open and missed Wimbledon with a wrist injury that then brought his season to an early end in October Nadal, who also finished 2008, 2010 and 2013 at the top of the rankings, is the oldest player to finish a campaign at world number one since they were introduced in 1973. Andy Murray, who was 2016’s season-end number one, is third with 20-year-old Alexander Zverev fourth.
CCL: Ambode assures on Agege Stadium upgrade Benjamin Omoike
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he Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) Football Club of Lagos, the state’s representatives in next year’s prestigious Confederation of African Football Champions League (CCL), was received on Wednesday by the state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, who promised to upgrade the Agege Stadium, which is the
Agege stadium
home-ground of the club to meet up with CAF standards before inspection in December. He heaped praises on the club for returning the state back to the prestigious CAF Champions League 16 years after a team from the state last participated in the tournament. Speaking at the Lagos House in Alausa, Ikeja, when he received MFM FC alongside
top officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), as well as some ex-internationals, governor Ambode said it was gratifying that a team from the state would be participating in the 2018 edition of the continental tournament after such a long time, just as he pledged to assist the team with the necessary support to ensure a successful campaign at the championship. While congratulating the team for the feat, governor Ambode particularly acknowledged and saluted the vision of MFM General Overseer, Dr. Daniel Kolawole Olukoya, who founded the team 10 years ago saying that the state government was proud to associate with his idea of meaningfully engaging the youths to contribute positively to society. Responding to some requests by the MFM FC, governor Ambode donated N25milion to the footballers and officials of the club for qualifying for the CAF Champions League and another N25million to ensure a hitchfree campaign, as well as to adequately prepare for the tournament. “I want to also say that we have directed our sports team and the Sports Commission to make sure that everything needed, just as earlier requested, to ensure that Agege Stadium is certified by CAF is done,” Governor Ambode said. While recalling the promise he made to the people during electioneering to use tourism, hospitality, entertainment and arts as well
Ebuehi
Russia 2018: I want to make Eagles’ squad—Ebuehi
Andrew Ekejiuba with Agency Report
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yronne Ebuehi has revealed that he wants to earn a spot on Nigeria’s 23-man World cup roster, though the ADO Den Haag defender has admitted that his chances of making the starting eleven are slim. Born in the Netherlands to a Nigerian father and Dutch mom, the right-back will become cap-tied to Nigeria if he clocks up some minutes in a World Cup qualifier against Algeria next Friday. ‘’And now I have been called for two games in Nigeria’s national team this month. On November 10th for the World Cup qualifiers against Algeria and on November 14 for a friendly game against Argentina,’’ Ebuehi told reporters. ‘’I would love to come to Russia. Even if I did not play during the World Cup and only experienced the tournament from the bench or the stands, it’s already beautiful.’’
Gov. Ambode as sports for excellence, Governor Ambode said the feat by the team aptly conforms with the vision and plan of the state government to use sports to advance the economy and positively engage the youths. While speaking on other plans for sports development in the state, governor Ambode said aside the ongoing transformation of Onikan Stadium to world class standard, a major upgrade of the Teslim Balogun Stadium would soon be carried out, while efforts were already ongoing for the Lagos Games Village located along the Lekki-Epe axis to commence in 2018.