KUNLE SOLAJA.

With 26 days to a destiny-shaping match between Rwanda and Nigeria, the latest partners of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Carloha Nigeria have pledged to drive the Super Eagles to victories.

Super Eagles are lying deep below the summit of Group C of the World Cup qualifying series and are due to face table-toppers, Rwanda in a ‘must-win’ match on Monday 17 March.

Carloha, who are the exclusive dealer and franchise holders of Cherry vehicles in Nigeria signed a strategic partnership deal with the NFF.

The deal is worth N500 million with a renewable tenure of a year.

The firm pledged to support the development of football in Nigeria as the brand Cherry becomes the official automobile partner of the national teams.

The official signing ceremony at the corporate headquarters of the company on Wednesday was attended by Shehu Dikko, chairman of the National Sports Commission as well as the chieftains of the NFF led by Ibrahim Musa Gusau.

Managing Director of Carloha, Sola Adigun expressed enthusiasm about the initiative, stating that the partnership aims to have a long-lasting impact on football growth by providing essential support to grassroots and professional football initiatives.

“We believe in investing in the future of sports development in Nigeria, especially supporting the national teams.

“This partnership is a step towards strengthening football in Nigeria by ensuring that players and teams receive the necessary support to excel.”

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Carloha, the exclusive dealer and franchise holder of Chery vehicles in Nigeria, on Wednesday signed a strategic partnership with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to support the development of football in the country.

This collaboration underscores Carloha’s commitment to fostering sports excellence and empowering talents in Nigeria’s football ecosystem.

The official signing ceremony, which took place on Wednesday, February 19, at Carloha’s head office in Alapere, Lagos, was attended by Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC);  Ibrahim Musa Gusau, President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF); CEO of Carloha, Liang Long; Sola Adigun, Carloha’s Managing Director;  Sharif Rabiu Inuwa, Chairman of the NFF Technical and Development Committee and; Ms Aisha Falode, Member of the NFF Executive Committee.

There were also NFF’s Director of Media and Communications, Dr Ademola Olajire; NFF’s Director of Legal Services, Okey Obi; NFF’s Director of Marketing and Sponsorship, Alizor Chuks; Carloha’s Sales Director, Joseph Omokhapue; Carloha’s Marketing Director, Dexter Li; alongside media partners, other stakeholders and football enthusiasts.

Speaking at the event, Dikko praised the NFF and Carloha for coming into a relationship that is certain to work wonders for the Nigeria game:

“The NSC is happy for the NFF and Carloha coming into this relationship, and we believe it will open more doors for corporate bodies to seek partnership with sports federations in the country.”   

 TheCEO of Carloha, Long described the partnership as auspicious, saying the company is determined to drive the Super Eagles to overtake their opponents and qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals, as a priority project.

“Football is the most popular sport in the world. The Super Eagles is the best team in Africa and we are happy to have the opportunity to support Nigeria football, as the best car company in Nigeria.”

Managing Director of Carloha Nigeria, Sola Adigun, expressed enthusiasm about the initiative, stating that the partnership aims to have a long-lasting impact on football’s growth by providing essential support to grassroots and professional football projects and programmes.

Dikko (second from left), Gusau (third from left), Adigun (third from right), Inuwa (right), Falode (left) and Omokhapue (second from right)

As a leading automotive brand, Carloha recognizes the unifying power of football in Nigeria and seeks to leverage its resources to enhance the sport’s infrastructure and talent development. Through this partnership, Carloha and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will work together to support the national teams and contribute to the overall advancement of football in the country.

President of NFF,  Ibrahim Musa Gusau, highlighted the significance of private sector involvement in sports development:

 “We are excited to welcome Carloha on board as a key partner in our mission to elevate Nigeria football. With their support, we can further develop programmes that will benefit our teams and the millions of football lovers across the country.”

The signing ceremony was indeed a memorable occasion, bringing together the football and business communities in celebration of this milestone partnership.

As Carloha continues to champion sports development, this collaboration with the NFF is expected to open new opportunities for Nigerian football to thrive.

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BY JOHNKENNEDY UZOMA, OWERRI

Rejuvenating Heartland scored one of their memorable victories on Sunday when they dramatically beat visiting league title contenders, Shooting Stars 2-1.

Heartland’s coach, Emmanuel Amuneke admitted it was not an easy match as he had to dig deep to get the necessary result.

He remarked that his boys had to take control of the midfield to cut off possible lively ball passing by the Shooting Stars.

He praised his lads for remaining focused on the match plans and subjected the visiting side to intense pressure.

As a result, Shooting Stars had to resort to long balls to locate their strikers up front as the midfield had been condoned off.

“Our target was to pick all the available three points as we steadily climb up the ladder.”

Heartland has now moved up to the 12th position on the log after obtaining 32 points, just six below what the current fourth-placed team, Enugu Rangers has.

He however regretted the penalty controversies that enveloped the encounter in which the referee was believed to have made questionable calls.

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