Nigerian Football
WILFRED NDIDI’S EFFORTS ASSIST LEICESTER’S VARDY TO AIM AS PREMIERSHIP TOP SCORER
With 17 goals in 18 matches, Jamie Vardy of Leicester is at the moment Premiership League’s highest scorer.
He has scored in all but one of his last nine league games. But unknown to many, Super Eagles’ Wilfred Ndidi has been the support that Vardy needed.
According to Daily Mail, both Vardy and Ndidi have been working together to make the former a lethal striker.
Vardy is only three short of 100 Premier League goals and needs seven more to match his tally from Leicester’s title-winning season four years ago.
But he is not concerned only with his own finishing. The 32-year-old striker has been passing on tips during training sessions, with midfielder Wilfred Ndidi in particular grateful for the lessons.
Vardy has been schooling his team-mates on when to shoot first-time, when to take a touch, when to hit the ball with power and when to use precision.
‘He’s not just doing it for himself, he’s doing it for the team,’ said Ndidi. ‘Before the game he’s always there to tell me how to hit the ball.
‘Because he’s a goalscorer, he gives this advice to me and some other players. So he’s just there to guide us. He used to tell me ‘don’t strike!’ but now he tells me ‘don’t strike just pass it!’
Vardy’s own performances this year prove his advice is worth following.
The decision to work smart, rather than simply working hard, has been key to Vardy’s evolution.
A vivid memory of Leicester’s unforgettable 2015-16 campaign is Vardy constantly on the move: chasing balls over the top; closing down defenders or sprinting into space in anticipation of a lofted pass from Danny Drinkwater.
Vardy is still diligent — but smarter. He is the trigger for Leicester’s counter-pressing game: when he moves towards the man on the ball, the rest of the team move with him but he knows he must save his legs for when it really matters.
He still thrives on needle from opposition fans, too. Fielders used to be wary of sledging the great West Indies batsman Brian Lara in case it made him more determined. Rival clubs’ fans would do well to follow a similar rule with Vardy.
‘He’s so honest that he’d press the entire back four if he could,’ said Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers.
‘He plays an aggressive game that suits him with tactical ideas that allow him to conserve his energy.
‘How we play, being aggressive and playing quickly obviously suits him. But his finishing ability, how clinical he is, is absolutely phenomenal. That’s a big testament to his concentration. When the opportunities come he’s always ready.’
Rodgers says Vardy ‘never misses a training session’ and even though he is well over 30, his numbers in pre-season were particularly impressive.
They were 21 per cent better than in 2012, his first year at Leicester, with his body fat measuring 7.5 per cent and sprints that registered 9.3 metres per second on the GPS monitor.
He has little appetite for gym work, preferring to stay lean and mean, and has maintained a pre-match routine that includes omelettes, Red Bulls and espressos.
Vardy’s decision to retire from international football in 2018 has benefited him, too. Instead of following a different training regime with England, Vardy can do exactly what is required to keep himself in peak shape.
‘I retired because I needed to rest up, I needed to keep the legs fresh,’ he told Amazon recently. ‘I had seven weeks off to prepare for the new season.’
While his former England colleagues were securing qualification for Euro 2020, Vardy was spending parts of international breaks in Dubai with his family to rest for the challenges ahead.
‘He’s thinking all the time,’ Rodgers added. ‘Jamie looks after his body and when you get to his age, recovery is critical.’
Vardy played in the European Championship four years ago, as well as at the 2018 World Cup, and may have a decision to make this summer if the call comes from Gareth Southgate.
Either way, he looks a solid bet to end the season as the oldest winner of the Premier League’s Golden Boot.
Nigerian Football
NSC, Edo FA Back Ikhana Football Academy, Set to Adopt Model for Youth Development
The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade, and the Edo State Football Association have pledged strong institutional support for the newly launched Kadiri Ikhana Football Academy (KIFA), describing it as a model for grassroots football development in Nigeria.
The commitment was made during the official unveiling of the academy in Auchi, Edo State, on Saturday, where stakeholders praised the initiative of former Nigerian international, Kadiri Ikhana.
Represented at the event by his aide, Ebidowei Oweife, Olopade commended Ikhana for establishing an academy that integrates football training with formal education, noting that the Commission intends to nurture and replicate the model across the country.
“We are happy that a person of the calibre of Coach Kadiri Ikhana has taken this initiative. He is not only a member of the historic 1980 Green Eagles squad that won the Africa Cup of Nations but also the first Nigerian coach to win the CAF Champions League with Enyimba,” Olopade said.
Declaring the project a priority, the NSC boss added, “The academy is our baby, and we shall adopt it. We are particularly impressed that it combines football with schooling. We want the students to take their education seriously alongside their football careers. The NSC will definitely support this project.”
Also throwing its weight behind the initiative, the Edo State Football Association described the academy as a significant step toward youth empowerment and football development in the state.
Chairman of the association, Fred Newton, who was represented at the ceremony, praised Ikhana for investing his experience and knowledge in grooming the next generation of players.
“We are delighted that you have chosen to give back by shaping young talents in Edo State. This initiative will have a lasting impact not only in Edo North but across the entire state. We are fully behind you and will support you in achieving your goals,” Newton stated.
The Kadiri Ikhana Football Academy is expected to serve as a hub for nurturing young football talents while ensuring their academic growth, aligning with broader efforts to create a more structured and sustainable pathway for sports development in Nigeria.
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By Kunle Solaja.
For the fourth time, the elective congress of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, will be held in September. It is a pattern that evolved in Warri in 2014 when Amaju Pinnick was elected on 30 September.
Four years later in Katsina, another elective congress was held in Katsina on September 20. Four years ago in Benin, the 30 September election brought in Ibrahim Musa Gusau.
Another September fever is in the offing as the NFF will hold its next Elective Congress on Saturday, September 26, 2026, in Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State.
The decision was ratified by the NFF Extraordinary General Assembly at its meeting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, as part of resolutions aimed at setting the stage for the federation’s next leadership cycle.
The Elective Congress will determine the composition of the NFF Executive Committee, including the election of a president and other key officials to steer the affairs of Nigerian football for the next term.
By fixing both the date and venue several months in advance, the federation is expected to provide ample time for electoral preparations, including the nomination of candidates, screening processes and compliance with provisions of the NFF Statutes and Electoral Code.
The choice of Lafia underscores the NFF’s continued rotation of major football events across different parts of the country, while also aligning with efforts to ensure a transparent and orderly electoral process.
Further details regarding the election timetable and guidelines are expected to be released by the NFF Electoral Committee in the coming months.
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Nigerian Football
NFF Congress Approves Statutes Amendments, Electoral Committees Ahead of 2026 Elections
The Extraordinary General Assembly of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has approved sweeping reforms to its governing framework, including amendments to its statutes and electoral processes, as preparations intensify for the federation’s 2026 elections.
At the meeting held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Congress unanimously endorsed proposals from the NFF Executive Committee to amend the NFF Statutes (March 2026 Edition), the Electoral Code and the Standing Orders of the General Assembly.
In a major step toward the next electoral cycle, Congress also ratified the composition of both the NFF Electoral Committee and the Electoral Appeals Committee. The decision followed nominations by leaders of the country’s six geopolitical zones, with 12 individuals selected to serve across the two bodies.
Those appointed include Matthew Burkala (SAN) and Emmanuel Dada Obafemi (North Central); Alhaji Babagoni Grema and Barrister Benjamin Sak (North East); Bature Musa and Professor Abdulmalik Awwal (North West); Justice C.J. Aneke and Arinze Azubuike Anughere (South East); Akogun Olugbenga Omole and Abayomi Akin Omoyimi (South West); as well as Ayibaye Peter Great Temedie (Esq.) and Ayi Ekpo Ukpayam (South South).
The members are scheduled to be inaugurated in Abuja on March 25, 2026, where they will constitute the two committees and elect their respective chairmen. In line with the Electoral Code, the Electoral Committee will comprise five full members and two alternates, while the Appeals Committee will have three full members and two alternates.
Congress further approved the appointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the new independent auditor of the federation for an initial four-year term, following what was described as a rigorous selection process involving seven firms. The Assembly commended outgoing auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for their nine years of service.
Looking ahead, the Congress fixed September 26, 2026, for the NFF Elective Congress, which will take place in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
In addition, members passed a unanimous vote of confidence in the NFF Executive Committee led by President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, praising its efforts in promoting and developing football across Nigeria.
The communiqué was drafted by a committee chaired by Mohammed Nasir Saidu, with Hajji Gafaar Liameed, Davidson Owumi, Yakubu Salma, Coach Ladan Bosso and Dr Ademola Olajire serving as members.
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