Vanguard, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2014 — 61
African qualifiers begin after troubled Maigari insists on September elections build-up P
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HE 2015 Africa Cup of Nations group qualifiers begin Friday after a build-up dominated by the deadly Ebola epidemic and Fifa threats to ban defending champions Nigeria. Guinea, a West African country at the epicentre of the Ebola crisis, have been forced to move a home fixture against Togo to Morocco. And only a late u-turn by the Ivory Coast government allowed Sierra Leone, where the virus has claimed hundreds of lives, to play in Abidjan. Nigeria start the defence of a title won in Soweto last year by hosting Congo Brazzaville in Calabar, but could be barred from playing South Africa next week. Fifa want controversiallyelected Chris Giwa removed as national football federation head and former incumbent Aminu Maigari reinstated by September 8 or a worldwide ban will kick in. Other dramas included Rwanda being barred over a dual-identity player and Mali wanting a fixture moved from Algeria after Cameroonian Albert Ebosse died there when struck by a rock leaving a pitch. The qualifiers offer topranked African team Algeria a chance to build on a great 2014 World Cup, forcing eventual champions Germany into extra time before ending gallant 2-1 losers.
RESIDENT of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Aminu Maigari, has announced that elections into the executive committee of the NFF will hold before September 25 after an extra ordinary congress on September 18. Maigari said, “We are going to hold the election before September 25 and the Extra-Ordinary Congress will hold to ratify the roadmap as requested by FIFA”. He has also appealed for calm and assured Nigerians that normalcy
All set for Ikoyi Club Tennis Challenge
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Real enemies of Nigerian football 'll soon be international football. issue is already being exposed — Giwa The embattled president addressed.
BY JUDE ABUJA
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OPARA,
MBATTLED President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Chris Giwa yesterday assured Nigerians that the real enemies of football in the country will soon be exposed. Giwa said this while inaugurating two committees including the committee that will investigate why the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA) boycotted last week’s league matches and the committee that will find out why the League Management Company (LMC) told the clubs not to play league matches last
will soon return to the nation’s football administration and stave off the hanging threat of suspension from the Federation of International Football Associations (NFF). The NFF president further dismissed insinuations of crisis in the nation’s football administration, pointing out that only five persons have been trying to cause confusion within the ranks. “It is important that we remain calm and don’t take action or make comments that will aggravate the situation,” he said.
week. The committee on the league is also to administer the league till the end of the season. He also assured all Nigerians that the country will not be suspended from
who equally acknowledged the receipt of a letter from the world football governing body, FIFA mandating him to vacate office before 7am on September 8 said that the
“We have received the letter from FIFA but I want to assure Nigerians that the country will not be suspended from international football''.
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the deadly Ebola virus that has killed hundreds in Guinea. The 30-year-old striker will be making a return to the national team after being out since he fell out with former coach Dider Six 18-months ago. Adebayor who has picked form with his team in the English Premeirship has been busy training with his
colleagues Lome. “We know Guinea is a tough team, but we shall try to take the advantage that they are also playing away from home,” Adebayor said. He also made it clear that featuring for the national team is always a great feeling because a player represents all the people in his country.
HAIRMAN of the Ikoyi Club Tennis Section, Ede Osemwengie said yesterday in Lagos that all was set for the first National Tennis Challenge sponsored by the section. The challenge matches will feature Mumuni Babalola, winner of the 2014 CBN Senior Open Championships and Clifford Enosoregbe winner of the 2013 Dala Hard Court Championships who defends the title in Kano in November. The ladies’ contest will have Ronke Akingbade, winner of the 2013 CBN Championship squaring up against emerging young tennis
star and runner-up at the 2012 CBN Senior championship, Sarah Adegoke. “We (Ikoyi Club Tennis Section) want to start contributing our own small quota to the development of tennis in Nigeria” Mr Osemwengie said. Adding, “we hope that the challenge contest, which will be annual by God’s grace, will serve to motivate other players to strive to win tournaments to qualify.” Mr Sunday Thomas, the captain of the section explained further: “We have the Masters Championship that will feature the top eight players, men and women, in view. This should serve as a test run.
Ilaboya’s dad burial for Adebayor leads Togo against Guinea Sept. 20
OTTENHAM Hotspur talisman Emmanuel Adebayor is expected to make a return to the national side as he leads Togo in a 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier against Guinea in Casablanca on Friday. The Group E game is being played on a neutral ground because of fear of
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HE burial rites of Chief Ilaboya Oiseomaoje, father of ace sports broadcaster and Vice Chairman, Edo FA, Frank Ilaboya, comes up on September 20, 2014, the family has stated. The interment of Chief Oiseomaoje, who died at the age of 96, will be preceded by a wakekeep on September 19,
at his residence in Ule Uantioje Quarters, Uzebba, Edo State. The late Oiseomaoje is remembered for his giant strides in Uzebba, where he touched the lives of people, he came in contact with. He is survived by many children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.