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Nigerian Football

A three-horse race for two continental ticket is set up after Enugu Rangers league win

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Enugu Rangers have broken loose from the pack as title contenders – Remo Stars, Enyimba and Shooting Stars all blew their chances in the penultimate match days as all lost with identical scorelines of 2-1 in their respective away games.

  The title is gone, now resting in Enugu who are having their second league celebrations in over 30 years. They win the jackpot N150 million prize for their title.

  But the battle is not over for the initial aspiring trio. At best they have the second CAF Champions League ticket to battle for. One of the three will win that on the last match day. The second placed team gets the CAF Champions League slot while the third gets the Confederation Cup ticket.

 Another

Coincidentally, the trio will be at their familiar home ground. As it is, second placed Remo Stars are at advantage to pick a ticket if they can pick a point from their home game with Katsina United. It will be their third consecutive adventure in the continent.

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 The fierce battle will therefore be between third placed Enyimba and fourth placed Shooting Stars.  Both badly need a win to get either the Champions League ticket or that of the Confederation Cup.

  However, Plateau United are lurking and an away win by the Jos team in Aba will not only upset Enyimba, it could land the Plateau United a continental ticket should Shooting Stars lose or draw with Sporting Lagos.

On the other side of the divide, the battle to escape the drop has taken a dramatic twist. As the Sunday matches were on, Sporting Lagos initially thought they had escaped the drop.

 But a turnaround by Bayelsa United who came from behind to beat Shooting Stars change the weather condition for the worst for the Lagos sides.

  They now face an herculean task next weekend in their duel with continental ticket chasing Shooting Stars. The confirmed teams for relegation are Gombe United and Heartland.

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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.

Nigerian Football

Nigeria’s 2nd tier league opens its new season in  November

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Nigeria’s NNL gathers momentum at Match Day 17 -

The Nigeria National League 2024/2025 season has been announced to kick off on Saturday 30 November 2024.

According to the Groupings, Southern Conference Group A comprises; Sporting Lagos, Madiba FC, 1472 FC, Gateway United, Dakkada FC, Solution FC, Osun United, Warri Wolves and Kun Khalifa.

In the Southern Conference Group B; Inter Lagos, First Bank, Smart City, Beyond Limits, Godswill Akpabio FC, Edel FC, Igbajo United, Rovers FC and Abia Comets.

In the Northern Conference Group C; Sokoto United, Gombe United, Wikki Tourists, Uejele FC, Malatarki FC, Emalex FC, Kada Warriors, Crown FC and Basira FC.

In the Northern Conference Group D; Kebbi United, Doma United, Yobe Stars, Coal City, Sporting Supreme, Adamawa United, Mighty Jets FC, Barau FC and Zamfara United.kun

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Nigerian Football

Nigerian Women coaches bag CAF C-License certificates

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A total of 30 women coaches who began a first-ever, three-module CAF C-License coaching course in the month of July were presented with their certificates at a colourful closing ceremony in Abuja on Saturday.

Organized by the Nigeria Football Federation, the epochal coaching course saw more than a dozen former stars of the Super Falcons involved in the intensive classroom and on-field sessions that saw the coaches proceed on internship with clubs after the each of the first modules, with the third module ending with examinations at the NFF/FIFA Goal Project, MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, President of NFF,  Ibrahim Musa Gusau charged all participants not to rest on their oars and to be more proactive in their quest to effectively utilize and impact their knowledge in the immediate society.

He noted that his dream is to see women coaches pulling their weight with even men’s teams across the land, with accomplishments to underscore the fact that those appointments were well-deserved.

“We are keen to see you utilize the knowledge you have acquired in this programme. The NFF will interface with the States that own Premier League clubs to integrate you into their system, in order that you are able to acquire more technical knowledge on the field.

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“My dream is to see young women coaches standing in the dugout giving instructions in a men’s team. I will do the best I can to see that this happens during my tenure as the NFF President.”

Earlier, NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi had tasked all graduands to productively apply the knowledge they have gained while taking part in the exercise, demanding that they should continue to remain as good ambassadors of themselves and the country at large.

“The knowledge you have acquired, please make sure you apply the same. It is not enough to get the certificate. We hope you will be good ambassadors of this country so that the NFF will be fulfilled, and FIFA and CAF will also be excited about this programme going forward.”

Present as well at the occasion were NFF Technical Director, Coach Augustine Eguavoen; Deputy Director Technical, Mrs Faith Ben-Anuge; Chairman of the Benue State Football Association, Paul Edeh and; Chairman of Lobi Stars FC, Dr. Phillip Nongu.

 

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Former NFF Protocol officer,  Akpenpuun now Comptroller in Nigeria Immigration Services

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Robert Terlumun Akpenpuun, (R) with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume

Robert Terlumun Akpenpuun, a former Nigeria Premier League match commissioner as well as a protocol officer in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) who is now on diplomatic assignment at the Nigerian Embassy in Cote d’Ivoire has been elevated to the position of Assistant Comptroller in the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).

His promotion to the senior cadre of the NIS comes from an unwavering commitment and dedication to duties.

According to a source in the diplomatic circle, Akpenpuun has “shown exemplary and uncommon strides in improving lives as well as upliftment of the vulnerable as well as the emotionally abused and the downtrodden in the society.”

It was gathered that he recently spearheaded the rescue of Tiv girls trafficked from Nigeria to Abidjan for prostitution.

“He has continued to be a good ambassador of his country, a beacon of hope, a restorer of norms, destinies, and dignity of his people, thus bringing pride, and honour to Nigeria,” the diplomatic source told Sports Village Square.

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 “As the Nigerian Immigration Service continues to drive innovations in Passport Issuance, and Corporate relationships, this promotion of Amb. Akpenpuun to Assistant Comptroller of the NIS attests to its dedication to maintaining the highest standards in its operations, at home, and in foreign missions, while achieving sustained excellence, and progress in the ever-evolving travel, and security landscape.

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