CMSPORTS

President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick on Thursday praised the efforts of the Federation’s Adhoc Committee on Safety and Security, set up to unravel the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate death of Nasarawa United player, Chineme Martins during an NPFL game in Lafia on 8th March 2020, and to recommend stronger safety, security and medical protocols for matches within the country. Late Chineme Martins At the virtual presentation on Thursday, Chairman of the committee, Dr. Peter Singabele (a former Member of the NFF Executive Committee and presently Member of the CAF Committee on Sports Medicine), enunciated the committee’s key findings, submissions and recommendations at both the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City and the Lafia City Stadium where it visited, as well as short-term, medium-term and long-term recommendations to forestall such heartbreaking incident in the future. In his response, Pinnick was categorical that the country’s sup...

The members of the National U-20 team that represented Nigeria at the FIFA U-20 Female World Cup in France 2018 has called out on Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to pay their outstanding allowances and match bonuses two years after the tournament. This passionate appeal is not a first of its kind as numerous of such attempt was made in the past but watered down by the leadership of Amaju Melvin Pinnick led NFF due to indifferent response or blatant denial of owing the team. The issue was brought to fore again by players and officials of the Falconets team who contacted ace journalist Wale Ajayi, known for his advocacy for justice and equity within Sport circle and unanimously bestowed with the title of Senior Advocate for Journalists (SAJ), to come to their rescue, reach out with appropriate authorities to find an amicable solution to the matter. In his charismatic approach, Adewale Ajayi communicated with the former Minister of Sports Solomon Dalung who was the Minister at...

Abia Warriors Football club of Umuahia on Wednesday unveiled former junior international, Imama Amapakabo as the new Head Coach. The impressive ceremony held at the Umuahia Township Stadium, and was anchored by the Club Secretary Ebere Esiaba and Sporting Director Patrick Ngwaogu, saw the elated Coach expressing confidence on the ability of the Umuahia wardlords in making maximum impact in the league next season. Imama who signed a two year contract with the Umuahia team, promised to work tirelessly with every Abians to lead the team to glory in the new season. He said that the task of taking Abia Warriors Football Club to  the next level, is a collecting one. He called for the support of all to ensure that the team achieve its heart desires. It could be recalled that Imama Amapakabo handled Rangers International of Enugu to its first League win in 2016 after 34 years. He Assisted Coach Rohr in the last FIFA World Cup tournament.

In a move that underscores his absolute confidence in the innovative skills, talents and industry of the Nigerian youth, President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday led the Federal Executive Council to approve the establishment of the Nigeria Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) to the tune of 75 billion naira for 3 years. President Muhammadu Buhari and Sunday Dare at the Federal Executive Council Meeting. The Nigeria Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) is for innovative ideas, skills and talents of Nigerian Youth and to provide a special window for accessing funds, finances, business management skills and other inputs critical for sustainable enterprise. The establishment of the Fund followed the approval of a memo by the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare. The Minister had told Council that “Nigeria can make one quantum leap to dramatically increase its GDP and per capita realities.  This can only happen if the country begins to invest in the youth through the esta...

The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) Executive Committee (Exco) met via a zoom meeting on wednesday July 22, 2020 to discuss the way forward towards post-Covid-19 sporting activities in Nigeria. On the agenda, the Executive Board discussed the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic games in 2021, Commonwealth Youth Games which is postponed till 2023, the Commonwealth Games, Birmingham in 2022, the athletes welfare, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) agenda on 30% women involvement in the National Federations activities and the upliftment of the National Federations. The President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Engr Habu Gumel shed more light on the $100 million grant given by IOC stating that the Nigeria Olympic Committee did not receive $100 million palliative grant from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). In his words, Gumel said the International Olympic Committee earmarked the fund for its member associations in which 15 International Federations (IFs) got loans, d...

The Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare has received the Comprehensive Audit Report of the Tenanted Facilities at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. The 13 man Ministerial Taskforce Committee inaugurated by the Hon. Minister via  a Webinar online conference on Tuesday, the 9th of June 2020 kept to the Terms of Reference ,   concluded the assignment and submitted their findings. The chairman of the Taskforce and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Gabriel Aduda alongside other members after a thorough and detailed findings submitted the report to the Minister in Abuja. The Minister while receiving the report deeply appreciated the commitment and timely delivery of the report which he said will fully kick start the full implementation of the restructuring of the stadium to a World Class standard that will bring back its earlier glory and pride of place, more so it will bring joy and satisfaction to all our football loving Nigerian...

Year 2020 is a unique year that has spring both pleasant surprises and alarming tragedy even as the agony and the effect of corona virus ravage across the world is yet to be shaken off. But, then, it's also a year that had Liverpool winning their 1st EPL title after 30 years of waiting and a year that has a black man from the continent of Africa, specifically Nigeria, winning a league title for an european club and qualifying the club for the prestigious UEFA Champions League as a coach. A feat that has not been achieved by an African until now. Ndubuisi Emmanuel Egbo, TK Tirana coach The success story of KF Tirana of Albania would not be complete without the mentioning of a Nigeria import Ndubuisi Emmanuel Egbo. The journey began in 2001/2002 season when he joined the club as a goalkeeper from Al Masry of Egypt. A period that had him won the Albanian league title and FA cup during his 3 years stint. Born on July 25, 1973 in Aba, Ndubuisi Egbo began his football career wit...

Katsina state football association rose from a meeting Saturday, promising to join the federal government in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic which has killed over 700 Nigerians in just under five months. Chairman Katsina state football Association, Aminu Kurfi while addressing the meeting emphasized the key role of government in protecting the lives and properties of it's citizens but stressed that the federal government cannot be left alone in the fight against the corona virus pandemic which according to him, is a global problem and demands all hands on deck in finding a lasting solution. He said sports, expecially football is the best tool to use in further enlightening youths in Katsina state and Nigeria in general, about the dangers posed by the virus, stressing that there is the need for Nigerians to abide by all the laid down safety measures put in place by the federal government to effectively curb the scourge of a virus  which is daily killing the young and...

Final confirmed to take place at 80,000-seat Lusail Stadium at 18:00 on 18 December Four matches a day throughout the group stage ensures optimal rest time for the teams. Qatar’s unique footprint allows later assignment of group matches for the benefit and comfort of fans. The iconic image of FIFA World Cup™ champions France lifting the trophy at Luzhniki Stadium is still fresh in the memory of every football fan. Exactly two years after that historic occasion on 15 July 2018, the unveiling of the match schedule for the next edition invites the football world to dream of a new beginning – one that, now, has a precise time and place to start. France National team lifting the World cup trophy in Russia, 2018. Al Bayt Stadium, a 60,000-capacity arena that takes its name and shape from the traditional tents used by nomadic peoples in the Gulf region, will be the stage for hosts Qatar to kick off the tournament on Monday, 21 November 2022 at 13:00 local time* (11:00 CET...

The management committee of the Nigeria Women Football League headed by Aisha Falode in conjunction with women clubs owners and managers have unanimously agreed to scrap the 2019/2020 season, in the three tiers of the women's league, for sake of protecting the health of the players and officials in the various clubs, in line with the Covid-19 protocols. This decision was reached, among others, in a Video Conference on Tuesday July 7, 2020 between NWFL Chairperson and Clubs Chairmen. In the communique signed after the virtual meeting, by one of the clubs' chairmen, Abdul Sule, it was also agreed that clubs should be encouraged to prepare for 2020/2021 season contingent upon the time the protocol for resuming sporting activities is approved, as the league will resume after approval has been given to the Protocol for the resumption of sporting activities document submitted by the Minister of Sports to the COVID-19 Taskforce and the National Assembly and NFF lifts the ban...

The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports development, Friday submitted the hard copy of a well researched and properly designed Covid-19 Sports Code and resumption protocol to the National assembly and the presidential task force on Covid-19. This document if approved,  will pave way for the gradual resumption of selected sporting activities after over 3-months of abrubt stop occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic which has put the world at a standstill in the last few months. Sports minister, Sunday Dare said that the objective of the Covid-19 sport code and protocol is to provide a Covid-19 infrastructure and standard operational procedure to regulate the practice of sports in Nigeria. The ministry has also put in place a central coordinating and working committee to work hand in hand with the state cordinating and working committee in ensuring proper coordination, devoid of lapses, taking into consideration the paramount importance of lives of athletes and officials at th...

The Ministry of Youth and Sports Development will on Friday, submit the covid 19 sports code protocol to the covid 19 presidential Task force and the National Assembly leadership towards a slight easing up of individual sporting activities and non contact sport. Sunday Dare, Minister for Youth and Sports  A top source from the ministry disclosed that the Ministry spent the last 5 weeks working on the code which borrowed heavily from similar sporting codes from EPL, Laliga, world Athletics, and other sporting regimes. The ministry also applied some aspects of the code developed by the committee on the EDO 2020 sports festival. The department of federations prepared the initial draft and circulated to all sporting federations for their input. After a careful review a final document that has been bench marked and that also takes into cognizance Nigeria’s peculiar health situation, will be drafted. The code has two special sections devoted to football protocols and non cont...

The management of Katsina United Fc, released funds for the payment of salaries and allowances of players and officials team. In the past few weeks, the players of Katsina United Fc raised an alarm over the none payments of their 4 month old salaries thereby prompting the management of Katsina United Fc to explore every means through the state government to  to sort out the players salaries and allowances. Related story: https://cmsportz.blogspot.com/2020/06/katsina-united-players-to-smile-to-bank.html?m=1 As at the time of this report over 26 players out of 50 had completed their verification exercise and have their backlog of salaries and allowances paid into their various bank accounts. The verification exercise is still on going and all payments would be completed latest by this Friday.