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Nigeria Football Federation tells berieved Odegbami: “We share your pains”

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Nigeria Football Federation tells berieved Odegbami: “We share your pains”

The Nigeria Football Federation has commiserated with former Nigeria captain, Dr. Olusegun Odegbami over the death on Friday last week of his son, Oluwagbeminiyi Omo Odegbami.

 

The legend himself made the sad news public on Monday morning when he announced the demise of the young man who breathed his last on Good Friday, 29th March 2024.

 

The General Secretary of Nigeria Football Federation, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, MON empathized with the 1980 AFCON winner: “The death of a son is perhaps the worst thing that can happen to any living parent. It is with a deep sense of sorrow that we commiserate with Dr. Olusegun Odegbami. This must be a very tough period for him.

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“I remember the passion with which our former captain traversed the whole of Cote d’Ivoire covering the Africa Cup of Nations earlier in the year, and his palpable passion and fervour any time he had the opportunity to speak with the Super Eagles’ players. He believed strongly in the team and wanted it to win the trophy. I know how disappointed he was that we lost in the Final match.”

 

Dr. Sanusi disclosed that the NFF and the entire Nigeria Football fraternity have been praying for the repose of the soul of Oluwagbeminiyi Omo Odegbami since the unfortunate news broke on Wednesday.

 

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“We are in grief. Dr. Odegbami is a great friend apart from being a legend of the Nigeria game and a former captain of Nigeria. Most of us marvel at his unflagging love and zest for the Nigeria game. We pray that God gives him the fortitude to pull through these difficult moments and also grant the departed young man eternal rest.”

 

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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FEDERATION CUP

President Federation Cup: At least five Premier clubs are doomed for elimination

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Star War in Akwa as Lobi Stars face Shooting Stars. One Premier League club will be eliminated

No fewer than five clubs in the Nigeria Premier League will be eliminated this week from the President Federation Cup.

At the moment, 11 of the 17 premier league clubs are on course as the knock-out competition gets to the Round of 32.

Undoubtedly, the non-application of seeding has seen five fixtures pitching the top clubs together while another five pitched lower division clubs against one another.

The remaining six pairings have premier league clubs facing lower ranked teams. These include: relegation-threatened Akwa United facing Zamfara United in Abuja and Gombe United facing former top division sides, El-Kanemi Warriors in Kaduna.  

Another ‘mixed fixture’ will see Premier sides, Kwara United facing Warri Wolves while Abia Warriors will face Sporting Supreme of the FCT.

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Premier sides, Bendel Insurance will face Wikki Tourists of Bauchi as Enyimba are pitched against Akwa Ibom’s FC Rockets.

But nothing is guaranteed to the Premier League sides as knockout competitions are replete with underdogs upstaging power houses.

No matter the situations, five of the Premier League are doomed for elimination. Former champions Lobi Stars and Shooting Stars in a “Star War” in Awka.

Plateau United and  Sunshine Stars are meeting in Abuja just as Rivers United will face fellow Premier League sides, Niger Tornadoes in Auchi.

Katsina United and Bayelsa United will play in Abuja while Doma United face  Kano Pillars in Bauchi.

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MEN’S ROUND OF 32 FIXTURES

Bendel Insurance (Edo) Vs Wikki Tourists (Bauchi) – Abuja Area 3 – 22/05/24 – 4pm

EFCC FC (FCT) Vs Edel FC (Anambra) – Ilorin – 22/05/24 – 4pm

ABS FC (Kwara) Vs Kebbi United (Kebbi) – Abuja Goal Project – 23/05/24 – 4pm

Akwa United (Akwa Ibom) Vs Zamfara United Feeders (Zamfara) – Abuja Bwari – 23/05/24 – 4pm

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Gombe United (Gombe) Vs El-Kanemi Warriors (Borno) – Kaduna – 22/05/24 – 4pm

Lobi Stars (Benue) Vs Shooting Stars (Oyo) – Awka – 22/05/24 – 4pm

Ikorodu City (Lagos) Vs Coal City (Enugu) – Benin City – 23/05/24 – 4pm

Hammola Int’l (Osun) Vs Inter Lagos (Lagos) – Ibadan – 22/05/24 – 4pm

Warri Wolves (Delta) Vs Kwara United (Kwara) – Enugu – 22/05/24 – 4pm

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Abia Warriors (Abia) Vs Sporting Supreme (FCT) – Benin City – 22/05/24 – 4pm

Nasarawa United (Nasarawa) Vs Sokoto United (Sokoto) – Kano – 22/05/24 – 4pm

FC One Rocket (Akwa Ibom) Vs Enyimba FC (Abia) – Yenagoa – 22/05/24 – 4pm

Plateau United (Plateau) Vs Sunshine Stars (Ondo) – Abuja Goal Project – 22/05/24 – 4pm 

Rivers United (Rivers) Vs Niger Tornadoes (Niger) – Auchi – 22/05/24 – 4pm

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Katsina United (Katsina) Vs Bayelsa United (Bayelsa) – Abuja Bwari – 22/05/24 – 4pm

Doma United (Gombe) Vs Kano Pillars (Kano) – Bauchi – 22/05/24 – 4pm

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South Africa plans for ‘Mother-of-all-Battle’ in final Olympic qualifier with Nigeria –

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South Africa plans for ‘Mother-of-all-Battle’ in final Olympic qualifier with Nigeria -

Banyana Banyana game plan was to either beat the Super Falcons at home as they did two years ago in Lagos or earn a draw in Friday’s first leg match of Olympic qualifier in Abuja.

 

That did not happen as Rasheedat Ajibade’s penalty kick earned Nigeria an outright 1-0 win over South Africa – a first win since the Super Falcons’ 1-0 win in Limbe, Cameroon in 2016.

 

But according to an account in the South African Football Association website, “Banyana Banyana will have to give it all in the second leg.”

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It reported that Banyana Banyana came back from the first half break a much more improved side but failed to convert the few chances that came their way.

 

“Outstanding goalkeeper Kaylin Swart had to work overtime to deny the hosts from extending their lead.

“Despite creating numerous chances for an equaliser, the game ended 1-0 for the Super Falcons.”

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The two African giants will lock horns for the second leg on Tuesday at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria where coach Desiree Ellis’ charges will be hoping to overturn the deficit.

 

Coach Ellis believes they are still in the game and can turn things around in the second leg on Tuesday.

“Look, we said it was going to be a tight game but we are hopeful of overturning this result in the second leg.”

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“We are still in the game. We created a couple of chances, a penalty decided the match but the game is not over.

 

“I thought in the second half we raised our game a lot and created good chances and could have equalized.

 

“Maybe we could also have gotten a penalty at the end when Jermaine was fouled but I’m very proud of the team and we will take it back to Pretoria,” said Ellis.

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Nigeria’s Super Falcons on slippery path to Paris 2024 –

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Nigeria’s Super Falcons on slippery path to Paris 2024 -

Nigeria’s Super Falcons beat Banyana Banyana of South Africa 1-0 in their first leg of the final qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The return leg comes up on Tuesday in Pretoria.

The South Africans consider the result a good one going into the final qualifier.

Skipper of the side, Rasheedat Ajibade scored the lone goal from a penalty spot in the 43rd minute.

It is Nigeria’s first outright defeat of South Africa since 2018 when Nigeria excelled in an ensuing penalty shootout after a goalless draw in the final match of the Africa  Cup of Nations in Ghana.

In their next two matches.

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First, they pulled off a big upset beating Nigeria 4-2 to win the Aisha Buhari Cup in Lagos in September 2021 and followed up with another 2-1 win in a Group C match at the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

 

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