Sports
Closing ceremony of the maiden Nasarawa State U-13 inter-primary school football Championship, Lafia
By: Eche Amos
After five days of non-stop footballing action at the Maiden Nasarawa State U-13 Inter-Primary School Football Championship, the curtains will be drawing closed today.
The competition is aimed at discovering hidden talents from the grassroots and in commemoration of this year’s International Children’s Day Celebration held every 27th May.
Eleven Local Government Areas participated in the competition, including Akwanga, Awe, Keana, Doma, Lafia, Keffi, Kokona, Karu, Obi, Nasarawa-Eggon and Wamba, respectively.
Only Nasarawa and Toto LGAs couldn’t make it to the event, probably owing to unforseen circumstances.
Host LGA, Lafia, will slug it out with Keffi LGA after both sides lost out in the Semi-finals’ stage in a painful but dramatic fashion.
In the final, Kokona and Wamba LGAs will unleash all their arsenal against each other to sign-post which Local Government Area will first win the Championship 
Dignitaries from all walk of life will converge on the Sports Complex of the Federal University of Lafia, Makurdi Road, on Saturday, 27th May, 2023, from 3pm, to not only catch a glimpse of the amazing skills and finesses these young lads possess, but to witness the birthing of a new generation of players that will both play for the State’s football team and Nigeria’s teams at whatever level in the future, culminating into professional football in some of the best leagues around the world.
While education is the mainstay of those kids who are still in their primary level, sport plays a pivotal role in their physical, psychological, emotional and social development to deliver on any task in their disposition.
One is hoping that in the nearest future, those talents would be ruling their world, in academics and sports, football, to be precise.
The proponent of this lofty Championship is a man whose competencies and swags are overwhelming. He is a father, a philanthropist, an astute politician, a social critic, a pious being, a leader with distinction, a grassroots mobilizer and political bulldozer.
Honourable Aliyu Bello(Sardaunan Adogi) is the brain behind the Maiden Nasarawa State U-13 Inter-Primary School Football Championship.
The CEO and founder of the popular Aliyu Bello Charity Foundation, the Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in Nasarawa State, having being involved in such competition in then old Plateau, decided to re-awaken the defunct State’s U-13 Inter-Primary School Football Championship since the creation of Nasarawa State through his performing Non-governmental Organization as mentioned overleaf.
Each Local Government Area is well kitted and provided all the paraphernalia of participation by the NGO who collaborated with the State Government to actualize the noble project.
The Championship accepted endorsement from the high and mighty in the society – from Nasarawa State to the world.
His Excellency, Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule, heralded the endorsement of the Championship and graciously approved of it to be included in the programme of his 2nd Term Swearing-in and Inauguration Ceremony slated for 29th May, 2023.
A special dinner and awards’ ceremony is being organized for all the participating Local Government Areas at the Ta’al Conference Hotel, Jos Road, Lafia, by the sponsor of the Championship.
The event will hold by 7pm, few hours after the final match between Kokona LGA versus Wamba LGA, and strictly by invitation.
The Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, H.E. Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule, is the distinguished Special Guest of Honour at the dinner ceremony.
There will be presentations of awards, certificates of participation and prizes to players and teams that have distinguished themselves in the six-day-long competition, with a pact to create the new NASARAWA STATE U-13 FOOTBALL TEAM.
History will continue to be kind to the Organizing Committee Members who were carefully selected to implement the task by the Founder of the Aliyu Bello Charity Foundation, Hon. Aliyu Bello.
Director of Information at the State’s Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, and Vice President, North-central, Sports Writers’ Association of Nigeria, SWAN, Comr. Danmusa Mohammed, is the Chairman of the Organizing Committee.
He is well supported by the Head of Public Relations at the State’s Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, and the youngest contestant for the post of the Assistant Secretary into the National Executive Committee of the Sports Writers’ Association of Nigeria, SWAN, Eche Amos.
Ibrahim Adamu from the Lafia Football Association is the Assistant Secretary.
Smah George from the Nasarawa Broadcasting Service is the Treasurer. SWAN Chairman, Nasarawa State, Isa Mohammed, from NTA, is a member of the Organizing Committee, as well as Ali Abare, immediate-past PA to Governor Abdullahi Sule on Media.
Director of Sports, Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board, NSUBEB, Zakari Oji, is also a member of the Organizing Committee. So also are Comr. Joshua Ashelo Grace, a psychologist; Ibrahim Aminu from Radio Nigeria; Musa Mohammed Kaigama; Mallam Approach; Assistant Coach with Nasarawa United FC and Chairman, Nasarawa State Coaches’ Association, Ibrahim Yahaya Sabo Bagu; General Secretary of the State’s Referees’ Council, Abdulganiyu Abdullahi; and Mallam Babayi.
The Screening Committee is headed by the Director of Sports Organizing at the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Lawrence Shammah, and supported by two other Directors from the Ministry, in Mallam Yusuf Ahmad(Facilities and Stadium Management) and Mustapha Sani Bello(Technicals).
It is hoped that the maiden edition of this Championship will open the vista for the continuation of the U-13 football Championship in Nasarawa State and create a traceable platform for talents discovery, nurturing and development for podium appearance.
We thank all those who made this project a success!
See you at the Sports Complex of the Federal University of Lafia by 3pm today.
Happy International Children’s Day Celebration!!!
Sitting quietly at one corner of the departure hall of the Kigali International Airport on Saturday morning, Super Eagles’ captain William Ekong had a relaxed mien about him, and minced no words in saying that Friday’s victory over Rwanda’s Amavubi was just the statement the Eagles needed to put out as the World Cup race reached halfway mark.
“It was important to make the statement that we did, and we’re all happy about it, and the way we did it. Of course, we have not qualified and there’s still a lot of work, but we have started the recovery in a good way and we just have to keep working hard.
“I don’t want to go into the circumstances that made the first four matches go the way they went. The good thing is we can still recover and revive the campaign, and we have done that.”
Ekong’s firm leadership, and Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Simon Moses’ zest at the fore, were all too evident and impactful as the Eagles coasted to a 2-0 win over hosts Rwanda at the Amahoro Stadium, throwing up nostalgia of the strong squad that wowed all and came within 23 minutes of lifting the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire early last year.
As the chartered ValueJet Airline’s CRJ-900 aircraft touched down at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo at exactly 2pm on Saturday, Ekong told thenff.com that he would be rallying the troops ahead of Tuesday’s Day 6 encounter against the Warriors of Zimbabwe.
“We read somewhere that the Zimbabweans are being motivated to come to Uyo and get a result. They should forget it. We are hugely motivated by the ambition to play at the FIFA World Cup. Apart from myself and Alex (Iwobi) and perhaps a couple others, who were part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, this generation is hungry to play at the highest level. We want to make Nigeria proud and at the same time, do ourselves proud.”
PHOTO 3: Ambitious Generation!
Victor Osimhen, whose brace unscrambled the calculations of the Amavubi and made them disappoint the capacity crowd that included President Paul Kagame, said at the Victor Attah Airport. “We are ready. The remaining matches are wars and we must fight them with all that we have to win.”
Victory on Tuesday evening will take Nigeria to nine points, and in firm contention for the ticket, especially if Benin Republic and South Africa cancel themselves out inside Abidjan’s Stade Félix Houphouet-Boigny.
Real Madrid have reportedly decided to shift their focus away from Enzo Fernandez and Martin Zubimendi, choosing instead to pursue Stuttgart midfielder, Angelo Stiller, claims a report from Fichajes.
With Toni Kroos retiring and Luka Modric facing an uncertain future, the club is determined to strengthen their midfield, and Stiller has emerged as the most practical option available in the market.
His release clause of €36.5 million makes him an affordable alternative compared to other targets that have been under consideration.
Has been quite this impressive season
The 23-year-old midfielder has already drawn interest from Barcelona in the past, but now it is Real Madrid who are positioning themselves for a potential move.
Stiller, a product of Bayern Munich’s youth academy, has established himself as a key figure at Stuttgart, playing a crucial role in the club’s impressive Bundesliga campaign that saw them finish as runners-up.
His performances have not gone unnoticed, earning him a debut with the German national team and further solidifying his reputation as a rising talent in European football.
Strategic fit and potential deal
One of the key aspects that could facilitate Stiller’s move to Madrid is his association with Sports 360, an agency where Toni Kroos also plays an influential role.
Given Kroos’ strong ties with the agency, his presence could help smoothen negotiations and play a decisive role in convincing Stiller to join the Spanish giants.
Madrid’s decision to move away from Zubimendi and Enzo is not purely financial. The club is looking for a midfielder who aligns with their playing philosophy and can seamlessly fit into the tactical structure.
Stiller’s profile offers the right balance of technical ability, composure, and adaptability, making him a suitable candidate for the long-term midfield project at the Santiago Bernabeu.
It was an exciting day for the Super Eagles of Nigeria the club claimed an all important success over Rwanda in Kigali to boost their chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Nigeria headed into the game failing to win their first four games in Group C, drawing three and losing one and were fifth on the table.
They needed to get a win against Rwanda, whom they have failed to defeat in their last two outings, losing one and drawing one.
However, they secured a 2-0 victory against the Amavubi in a bid to get a ticket to the World Cup in the USA.
The new head coach Erik Chelle used a 4-4-2 formation against Rwanda, with Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman leading the attack for the Super Eagles.
Nigeria needed to start the game on the front foot and needed an early goal to get going. In the 11th minute, the Super Eagles got the first goal from an inswinging freekick.
Lookman put in a decent freekick, which was met at the far corner by Osimhen, who put his laces on the ball and slotted home.
The Super Eagles doubled their lead before stoppage time in the first half after Osimhen snatched a loose ball from a Rwanda defender and was through on goal with only the goalkeeper to beat. He dinked the ball over the shot-stopper to get his second goal of the game.
Chelle’s side controlled the game in the second half and limited Rwanda from creating any chances. However, they were unable to get more goals and extend their two-goal lead in the game.
Following the final whistles, the Super Eagles moved to fourth place on the table with six points. They will now place their attention on their next game against Zimbabwe in Uyo.
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