Sport

We owed Amuneke, Siasia but they won Trophies – NFF blasts Oliseh

Published

8 years ago

February 4, 2016

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has once again criticized head coach of the Super Eagles, Sunday Oliseh, for blaming the federation for the country’s poor outing at the ongoing CHAN 2016.

Oliseh claimed that his squad were not well motivated and he had to spend $4,000 of his personal money, during their training camp in Pretoria, South Africa.

Responding to the former national team skipper’s claims, NFF board member, Chris Green, told Oliseh to imbibe tolerance like Samson Siasia and Emmanuel Amuneke, who despite being owed went ahead to win important trophies for Nigeria.

In an interview with TheCable, he said: I don’t think it is very fair to the NFF that Sunday Oliseh will say the team was not motivated. Of course, he sent his programme to the NFF, for him to camp in Nigeria as well as Pretoria in South Africa and that programme was executed. In South Africa, he had good matches to play, which he played. These were part of the preparations for the CHAN tournament.

“Ordinarily, in a tournament where one will have domestic players, one would have said they should remain in the country and prepare. But in this case, in total obedience to the programme of the coach, they had to leave Nigeria and went to Pretoria. And so, I will not want to say that the NFF did not motivate the team.

“What about Samson Siasia’s team that played all the way to the final and won the cup without being paid their match bonuses and allowances? What about Emmanuel Amuneke that played till the final and won the World Cup in Chile without being paid?

“Also, what about the girls that went to Namibia and won? They all know that their money will be paid to them. And I can assure you that very soon, all debts will be cleared when the NFF receives its money.”

Green also admitted that the federation were broke and that is why they were finding it hard to clear up debts and pay allowances.

“You and I, just like every Nigerian, know that the federation is very stretched financially, and money that has accrued to the federation is being expected. I wonder why, when we are getting to the tail end of when the money will be delivered to the football federation, one will now start saying it is because money was not given to the players that they were eliminated from CHAN at the early stage. I know that very soon, even though they did not make it to the next stage of CHAN, the players will be paid what they are owed,” he added.

Foreign

Roman Abramovich, Hands Over Club To Charity Amid Fears Of Sanctions Over Ukraine’s Invasion By Russia

Published

2 years ago

February 28, 2022

lagoslately

Abramovich has been the owner of Chelsea since 2003 and since his arrival has seen a transformation in the fortunes of the club.

In a statement on its website, he said, “During my nearly 20-year ownership of Chelsea FC, I have always viewed my role as a custodian of the club, whose job it is ensuring that we are as successful as we can be today, as well as build for the future, while also playing a positive role in our communities.

“I have always taken decisions with the club’s best interest at heart. I remain committed to these values. That is why I am today giving trustees of Chelsea’s Charitable Foundation the stewardship and care of Chelsea FC.

“I believe that currently they are in the best position to look after the interests of the Club, players, staff, and fans.”

Abramovich has been the owner of Chelsea since 2003 and since his arrival has seen a transformation in the fortunes of the club.

The trustees of the Chelsea Foundation are Bruce Buck, John Devine, Emma Hayes, Piara Powar, Seb Coe and Hugh Roberston.

News

Nigeria vs Cape Verde: NFF Admits Error, Says FIFA Right On Ahmed Musa’s Record

Published

2 years ago

September 8, 2021

lagoslately

The Nigeria Football Federation has admitted error in its earlier counting of Super Eagles’ captain Ahmed Musa’s record.

The Federation said FIFA was right in its counting, in a statement titled, ‘NFF defers to FIFA on Ahmed Musa’s record’.

While NFF earlier said Musa had made 100 appearances for the Eagles, FIFA said he had 98 caps for the national team after featuring in Nigeria vs Cape Verde 2022 World Cup qualifier.

NFF in a statement on Wednesday said it deferred to FIFA’s record of 98 caps for Super Eagles’ captain Ahmed Musa, after the nullification of two of the matches he played.

“We defer to FIFA in this regard, so Ahmed Musa has 98 caps. If he features, as expected, in the home-and-away matches against Central African Republic in October, he will clock the tally of 100 and the celebrations will follow in full flow,” NFF’s Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire, said on Wednesday.

FIFA said on Tuesday that Musa’s appearances in the 3-0 defeat of Togo in a friendly match in Paris in June 2017 and the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 qualifier against Algeria in Constantine in November 2017 did not count.

The match against Togo was struck off as both Nigeria and Togo made more than the regular number of changes in the game, while the encounter in Constantine, which ended 1-1, was deleted because Nigeria fielded an ineligible player and the result was overturned, with Algeria awarded the game, even as Nigeria had already picked the World Cup ticket before the tie.

News

Chidi Offor-Okenwa, Enugu FA chairman, Is Dead .

Published

4 years ago

May 6, 2020

lagoslately

Chidi Offor-Okenwa, the chairman of the Enugu State Football Association, has died after a battle with Leukemia. He was 50.
Mr. Okenwa, who was also a Member of the Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation and Chairman of the Nigeria National League died on Tuesday morning, May 5, 2020.
According to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Okenwa had been diagnosed as having leukemia, and was said to have been restless throughout the night before he slumped in the early hours. He was rushed to a private hospital in Enugu, where he was confirmed dead.