Governing Bodies

KWARA STADIUM MAY BE NAMED AFTER RASHIDI YEKINI

Published

5 years ago

September 11, 2020

Steps are underway to rename the Kwara State Stadium in Ilorin after Rashidi Yekini.

This came to light when the Governor of Kwara State, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq paid a visit to the sports minister, Sunday Dare in his office.

According to a press release by the media office of the minister, the governor announced that a bill will be sent to the state house of assembly to immortalize Rashidi Yekini with the name changing of the stadium.

Yekini hailed from Ira Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The press release further stated that the minister reminded the governor of the series of letters that had been written to the Kwara State Government to immortalize Yekini with the naming of the stadium after the late football legend.

The governor also remarked that he was a passionate football follower and was at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas when the Super Eagles played their first World Cup match against Bulgaria in 1994.

He had fond memories of the match and the entire squad and promised to host the players.

Perhaps the best impression he had was the second goal that Daniel Amokachi scored for Nigeria in a match that the Super Eagles won 3-0.

“It was quite memorable for me as an ardent lover of the game of football. After that goal, I fell in love with jersey “number 14” which Daniel

Amokachi aka “The Bull” wore.

“After the tournament, I knew it will be difficult to produce those set of great and committed footballers.”

The Governor said he was looking forward to hosting the USA ‘94

Squad in Ilorin, to relive the memory of late Yekini.

The Special Assistant on Sports to the President, Daniel Amokachi said he was excited that the governor had deemed it fit to rename the Kwara State Stadium after his late team mate, even as he was looking forward to the governor hosting the team.

The US ‘94 squad was ranked the fifth best team in the world by FIFA team following their impressive performance which saw them beat Greece and Bulgaria before losing to Italy.

In his response, the sports minister urged the Governor to sustain his support for sports development, noting that sports helps in reducing social vices.

“I want to thank His Excellency for hosting our biggest youth games in Ilorin. Your Excellency we are coming to Ilorin again because of the facilities at the University of Ilorin.

“I love the fact that His Excellency loves sports. I encourage you to invest more in sports”

Governing Bodies

Nigeria becoming an epicentre of global badminton as Francis Orbih enters the Badminton World Federation Council

Published

37 minutes ago

April 26, 2025

Kunle Solaja

Laurels on the courts and now glory in the boardroom sums up the mark that badminton is making in Nigeria.

The President, Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, has been elected as a council member of the Badminton World Federation (BWF).

The election took place during the BWF Annual General Meeting on Saturday in Xiamen, China.

Orbih emerged victorious over top contenders from other African countries.

He will join Cameroon’s Odette Assembe Engoulou on the council, while Chipo Zumburani (Zimbabwe) and Hadia ElSaid (Egypt) missed out.

An elated Orbih expressed his gratitude to fellow badminton presidents across the globe for their trust and support.

He said, “I am deeply honoured by the trust placed in me by my peers across the badminton world.

“I look forward to quality representation, driving development initiatives, and strengthening badminton’s global reach over the next four years.”

Orbih also acknowledged the support of the Federal Government of Nigeria, particularly the National Sports Commission (NSC), which he said played a significant role in his successful bid.

“The Chairman and the Director General of the NSC monitored the entire process. I’m grateful for their involvement and confident Nigeria will benefit from this,” he stated.

He further appreciated the BFN board members and the Nigerian badminton community for their prayers and continued belief in his leadership.

“From the day I declared my intentions, the board members of BFN have been supportive, and I promise not to disappoint them,” Orbih concluded.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Governing Bodies

Ex-FIFA Council member and Mali football chief released from jail

Published

3 days ago

April 23, 2025

Kunle Solaja

A former member of the FIFA Council, Mamoutou Toure, has been released from jail in Mali after almost two years in detention for alleged corruption, Malian media reports said on Wednesday.

Toure, president of the Malian Football Federation since 2019, was released after 622 days in prison on Tuesday.

He served on the FIFA Council, world football’s all-powerful decision-making body, for four years until last month when he lost his seat after failing to contest new elections.

The 67-year-old was arrested in August 2023 on allegations of embezzling $28 million of public funds but was granted a provisional release order by the Malian courts, reports said.

He was accused of misconduct during his time as the National Assembly’s financial and administrative director from 2013-2019.

Toure denied all charges and, during his time in jail, was last August re-elected as Malian Football Federation president for a second consecutive term, with his supporters claiming he was a victim of a conspiracy fuelled by detractors.

While in jail, he received a letter of support from FIFA president Gianni Infantino. However, as of last month, Toure is no longer a member of the FIFA Council or the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee.

-Reuters

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Governing Bodies

Nigeria Football Federation denies owing late national captain and coach, Chukwu

Published

2 weeks ago

April 14, 2025

Kunle Solaja

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has denied reports of an outstanding debt to former captain Christian Chukwu and has challenged anyone with verifiable documents to prove otherwise.

Chukwu, a former national team captain and chief coach, died last Saturday.

The Nigeria Football Federation decried statements in a section of social media that the football-ruling body was indebted to the deceased.

Reacting to one statement on social media that claimed NFF owed the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations-winning team captain the sum of $128,000, NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, said: “There is no record in the NFF of any outstanding indebtedness to ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu.

“During the first term of the Board headed by Amaju Pinnick, a committee was set up to diligently peruse the papers of coaches who were being owed, even from previous NFF administrations.

“That committee was given the clear mandate to verify all debts and ensure that the coaches being owed were paid immediately. I am aware that the ‘Chairman’ was in the employ of the NFF between 2002 and 2005, before he was relieved of the post following the 1-1 draw with Angola in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Kano in August 2005. There is certainly no record of indebtedness to him in the NFF.”

Sanusi challenged anyone with genuine and verifiable documents of NFF indebtedness to any coach, who has worked with any of the National Teams over the past two decades, to come forward and tender those documents.

“As a credible organization that is very much alive to its responsibilities, if we are confronted with any genuine document of indebtedness to any coach, we will offset the debt immediately.”

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H