Governing Bodies
Nigeria Chess Federation invites 20 players for national championship
Nigeria Chess Federation (NCF), at the weekend released the names of the players invited to annual National Chess Championship of Nigeria will hold in Lagos from 8th-14th of November.
In the list made available by Caretaker Committee member of the federation, Alhaji Bode Durotoye, 20 players made up of 10 males and 10 females have been invited for the re-introduced format at selecting the best players from both gender annual.
The current National Champion, International Master Daniel Anwuli top the list of male players which also include Olanrewaju Ajibola, Bomo Kigigha, Chukwunonso Oragwu, Akintoye Abdulraheem, Oluwafemi Balogun, Abimbola Osunfuyi, Odion Aikhoje and Isaac Okeke who got a wild card entry.
In the female section; Jessica Pelomoh topped the list and the rest are Deborah Akintoye (current champion), Ehoho Ogbiyoyo, Toritsemuwa Ofowino, Emmanuelle-Trust Enomah, Ayisha-Azuma Suleiman, Sandra Aramide, Oluwaseun Assa, Iyefu Onoje and Nkem Omishogbon who got a wild card entry.
Durotoye also confirmed that NCF appointed Orchid-Lekki Chess Club (OLCC) as the host of the championship which will hold at Orchid Hotel, Lekki, Lagos.
He explained players were invited based on the current FIDE ratings.
“The selection of participating players was based primarily on current FIDE ratings and top nine rated players in both the male and female categories as at 1st of September 2021,” he stated.
He said further that an additional player is given wild card entry in both sections to complete the 10 entries just as two players in the section are on stand-by should any of the players invited decides to opt out of the competition.
In addition, there will be one Wild card player per category selected based on the discretion of the NCF making it 10 players in the two categories. Also, each category will have 2 standby players in case any of the 10 players listed to compete, pulls out for whatever reason.
In the male section, veteran star players, International Master Bunmi Olape and IM Oladapo Adu are on standby while Peace Samson and Yemi Osundinakin may come in from female section.
The mode of selection of the national champion of chess has been a bone of contention among stakeholders of the game since last decade with ‘reformist’ agitating for a separate tournament based on the rating of players in the year under review as against one of the major tournament in NCF calendar over the years.
“What we have today is a departure from the past because we have to go with the global standard which evaluates all the players in tournaments over a period of time and invite them for a separate tournament to award the best player in both male and female in a calendar year,” Durotoye explained.
World football governing body, FIFA, today clocks its 122nd anniversary, celebrating more than a century of overseeing and expanding the global game.
Founded on May 21, 1904, in Paris, France, FIFA began with just seven member associations — France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
From that modest beginning, the organisation has grown into the most influential sports governing body in the world, with 211 member associations spread across all continents.
Over the decades, FIFA has transformed football into a truly global phenomenon through competitions such as the FIFA World Cup, Women’s World Cup, Club World Cup, youth tournaments, and developmental programmes aimed at growing the game worldwide.
The organisation has also witnessed remarkable milestones, including the expansion of the men’s World Cup from 13 teams in 1930 to 48 teams beginning from the 2026 edition to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
FIFA’s journey has equally reflected football’s growing influence beyond sport, with the game becoming a major tool for diplomacy, social inclusion, youth empowerment, and economic development across the world.
As FIFA celebrates 122 years of existence, attention is now focused on the future of the game, technological innovations, expanded competitions, women’s football growth, and the continued globalisation of football.
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UEFA has issued a lifetime ban to Petr Vlachovsky, a Czech women’s soccer coach who secretly filmed his players, the governing body announced on Tuesday.
Czech media reported that the coach was convicted in May 2025 and initially received a suspended one-year prison sentence and a five-year domestic coaching ban for filming FC Slovacko’s players in changing rooms, the youngest of whom was 17.
In a statement, UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) said it had decided to ban Vlachovsky “from exercising any football-related activity for life” following the appointment of an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to investigate allegations of potential misconduct.
“The CEDB further decided to request FIFA to extend the abovementioned ban on a worldwide level and to order the Football Association of the Czech Republic to revoke Mr Petr Vlachovsky’s coaching licence,” the statement added.
FC Slovacko did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Football players’ union FIFPRO welcomed the ban as well as UEFA’s request for world soccer governing body FIFA to impose an international ban on Vlachovsky.
“This outcome sends a strong and necessary message that abusive and inappropriate behaviour has no place in football and that safeguarding the well-being of players must remain a priority at every level of the game,” FIFPRO added in a statement.
Vlachovsky had also previously served as coach of the Czech women’s Under-19s team.
RELATED STORY: https://sportsvillagesquare.com/2026/04/08/outrage-as-male-coach-who-secretly-filmed-women-players-still-free-to-work-in-football/
-Reuters
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Southampton have been kicked out of the Championship playoff final after being found guilty of spying on semi-final opponents Middlesbrough, the English Football League said on Tuesday.
Middlesbrough, who lost 2-1 to Southampton on aggregate in the semi, have been reinstated and will face Hull City on Saturday in what is dubbed the world’s richest soccer match.
Promotion to the Premier League, even with an immediate relegation, is estimated to be worth in the region of 200 million pounds ($268.10 million) over three seasons.
Southampton, who admitted the charges, were also found guilty of filming training sessions involving Oxford United in December and Ipswich Town in April during the regular season.
They have also been deducted four points from the start of next season in England’s second tier.
“An Independent Disciplinary Commission has today expelled Southampton from the Championship play-offs after the club admitted multiple breaches of EFL regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other clubs’ training,” the EFL said.
“Southampton admitted breaches of Regulations requiring Clubs to act with the utmost good faith and prohibiting the observation of another Club’s training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match.
“The effect of today’s order is that Middlesbrough are reinstated into the 2026 play-offs and will proceed to the play-off final against Hull City. The final remains scheduled for Saturday 23 May, with the kick-off time to be confirmed.”
The EFL confirmed that Southampton could appeal against the decision and that “parties are working to try and resolve any appeal on Wednesday 20 May.
“Subject to the outcome, it could result in a further change to Saturday’s fixture,” the statement said.
‘BORO CALLED FOR SOUTHAMPTON EXPULSION
Middlesbrough had called for Southampton’s expulsion after having a training session at their Rockliffe Park site filmed 48 hours ahead of the first leg of their playoff semi-final with Southampton which ended 0-0.
The north-east club said they welcomed the decision.
“We believe this sends out a clear message for the future of our game regarding sporting integrity and conduct,” the north Middlesbrough said in a statement.
“As a club, we are now focused on our game against Hull City at Wembley on Saturday.”
Southampton were relegated from the Premier League last season and were struggling in the early part of this campaign until a storming finish in which they went unbeaten in 19 league games to finish fourth and enter the playoffs.
The south-coast club are the first to fall foul of the Football League’s regulation 127 — brought in after Leeds United were found guilty of spying on Derby County seven years ago, an offence for which they were fined 200,000 pounds.
-Reuters
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