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Governing Bodies

NFF EXTOLS SIMBA AT PARTNERS SIGN CONTRACT RENEWAL

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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has described Simba Group as a worthy partner in the journey to make Nigerian football fulfilling for players and fans.

According to NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, who spoke at the contract renewal signing ceremony between Simba Group and the Federation in Lagos over the weekend, the commitment of the company to the development of Nigerian football and the Super Eagles is worth emulating.

Simba Group, distributors of TVS tricycle and motorcycle, extended its contract with the NFF for two years as the “Official Motorcycle and Tricycle of the Super Eagles” at a ceremony in Lagos on Friday.

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Super Eagles enjoy jolly ride in Simba tricycle

Pinnick described the contract renewal by Simba Group as epochal as it marked the first time a partner was desirous to have its contract renewed before expiration.

He therefore commended Simba Group for believing in the NFF and the Super Eagles. “We are happy that despite the man-made turbulence of recent time, companies like Simba have done their due diligence and concluded with a strong belief in the NFF,” he said.

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From left… Simba Group Head of Marketing, Karthik Govindarajan; President Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick; and Business Head Simba TVS, Mahendra Pratap at the contract renewal signing ceremony between both partners in Lagos

The NFF President added: “We are very happy to renew this contract with Simba for the next two years. I thank the Simba Group very profoundly. They will never regret their continuous belief in the NFF. We will do everything in ensuring that they have the desired leverage.”

Pinnick said the NFF was particularly delighted that despite the critical and dicey time for Nigerian football, “Simba, a company that has an untainted image, can say that it wants to partner with us. That goes to confirm that they believe in our integrity, probity and transparency in doing things.”

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Speaking for Simba Group, Mahendra Pratap, Business Head-Simba TVS assured that the company was committed to working together with the NFF to help develop football further in the country.

He stated: “Like all of us here in Nigeria, we at Simba TVS are extremely passionate about football and proud of our Super Eagles. We are delighted to be extending this partnership, which will enable us work closely with the NFF, the Super Eagles and the Super Falcons.”

 

He reminisced that as the “Official Motorcycle and Tricycle of the Super Eagles, Simba TVS played its part during major football events for the nation.

 “Fans will recall the ceremonial escort TVS keke gave the national team as they departed for the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019 and several other occasions,” Pratap further said.

Simba Group Head of Marketing, Mr Karthik Govindarajan added that Simba was in a joint journey to further develop football in Nigeria together with the NFF.

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 “Like every Nigerian, we are proud of our footballers. And that is why we have been supporting them for the past two years.

“We are very happy to renew this agreement and partnership. It’s our passion for Nigeria and its football that makes us not to just support from the stands,” he further said.

The Simba Group, founded in Nigeria in 1988, is a conglomerate with operations across Nigeria’s most dynamic economic sectors – agriculture, alternative energy, backup power supply systems, networking and data transmission, ICT infrastructure development, and commercial vehicles sales and servicing.

The Group commands leadership positions in all five companies that share a simple, yet effective, corporate philosophy: providing the customer with unparalleled satisfaction.

Through a network of ten branches, Simba works in collaboration with its over-600 channel partners and service outlets, to ensure its products are available and serviceable, in all parts of the country.

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Simba TVS King tricycle is the largest selling tricycle in Nigeria.

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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Governing Bodies

Sanusi set for record-extending tenure as Nigeria’s football politicians assemble in Asaba

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Speculations gathered ahead of the 2024 Annual General Meeting of the Nigeria Football Federation holding in Asaba on Friday have it that tenure elongation for the General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, is a major item on the agenda.

Neither formal confirmation nor denial has been issued since one of the leading newspapers in Nigeria, ThisDay dropped the hint.  

 The agenda of the meeting is also not made public. Dr, Sanusi is the longest-serving General Secretary in history having been in office from 30 March 2015 making 3,476 days or nine years six months and four days.

It easily drowned that of his closest rival in tenure – Sani Toro whose tenure from 21 December 1993 to 3 May  1999 is merely 2020 days or five years, six months and 12 days.

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 Thus, no one had enjoyed a longer period in office than the incumbent, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi.  It is speculated that the tenure will be extended as NFF has reported that all delegates have arrived in the Delta State capital by Thursday evening.

The NFF Annual General Assembly, the first of which took place 90 years ago in Lagos on 19 February 1934, is the biggest assemblage of football administrators and stakeholders in the country.

In one such meeting on 24 July 2008 in Makurdi, the football body changed its name from NFA to NFF.

This year, according to a press release by the NFF, the plenary will have in attendance, the chairmen and secretaries of football associations in the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory, chairmen and secretaries of the Nigeria Premier Football League, Nigeria National League, Nigeria Women Football League and the Nationwide League One, as well as chairmen and secretaries of the referees’ association, players’ union and coaches’ association. This group of 88 makes up the Congress.

 They are joined by the members of the NFF Executive Committee and the management team as well as former NFF Presidents and General Secretaries.

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The Minister of Sports Development, John Owan Enoh, is announced as the special guest. Nigeria’s Member of the FIFA Council, Amaju Melvin Pinnick is also expected as well as a representative of the West African Football Union (WAFU B).

The Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Francis Oborevwori will declare the General Assembly open. 

Venue is the Unity Hall of the Delta State Government House.

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Governing Bodies

Like in Egypt, former Nigerian Olympian, Sadiq Abdulahi wants Tinubu to declare ‘State of Emergency’ in Sports

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Former Nigerian tennis player and Olympian, Prof. Sadiq Abdulahi has called for drastic action to arrest the decline of Nigeria in global sporting events.

  The former tennis player who is now a professor in the United States declared that the “failure to win a medal at the regular 2024 Paris Olympics, the few medals at the Paris Paralympic and the fallout at the National Youth Sports Festival has exposed the deep problems facing the sport’s sector.”

  He wants Nigeria to have the same approach that the Egyptian president has taken while reacting to the country’s performance at the Paris 2024 Olypics.

Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi ordered  a comprehensive evaluation of sports federations that  participated at the Paris Olympic Games, following a mission report submitted by the country’s sports minister.

 According to Prof. Abdulahi, the National Sports Federations charged with the preparation of elite athletes have failed to do their job despite the cry for funding from the government.

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“Federal Government cannot adequately fund all the Olympics sports. It is impossible.

“By declaring a state of emergency, new people, new approaches and new funding models will be identified. More importantly, the Federal Government will redefine grassroots sports development.

“We will lay sustainable foundation for sports development.”

Continuing, he called for the return of the National Sports Commission (NSC) which enabling decree was abolished through Decree No. 7 of 1991, but came back through presidential proclamation under Sani Abacha before it was abolished again.

 The original NSC was established in 1964 as National Sports Council before the promulgation of Decree 34 of 1971 which legalised it as  the apex Federal Government agency to control, regulate and organize sports.

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  “The FG may now bring back the National Sports Commission or the National Sports Authority. Our emerging national economy with the full participation of the private sector can support this new beginning. I hope this helps.” 

RELATED STORY: President Al-Sisi orders sports system overhaul

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Governing Bodies

CAF gives Yoruba and Arabic interpretations of  ‘OLA’ the Super Cup 2024 Official Match Ball

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The Confédération African of Football, CAF, has given the linguistics interpretation of OLA, the confederation’s official match balls produced by Puma which has also unveiled a special edition for the Super Cup duel holding on Friday in Saudi Arabia.

According to CAF, OLA, symbolizing the dynamic and energetic nature of African football, means “wealth,” “honour,” and “respect” in Yoruba and “rise” and “success” in Arabic.

The OLA ball stands out with its vibrant design and cultural significance. “OLA” 

The ball is a mix of black and gold, representing power and sophistication. The ball will be the centrepiece of the eagerly-awaited match between the two giants of African football.

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