Welcome to Sportinglens.blogspot.com: July 2016

Sunday, 31 July 2016

Ahmed Musa suffers first defeat with Foxes

.Plays for 44 mins

Super Eagles striker Ahmed Musa performances was not enough to save his new club, Leicester City from an embarrassing 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint Germain in a pre-season friendly on Sunday morning in California. The Nigerian international came on as a second half substitute for Okazaki in the 46 minutes but his efforts proved nothing, as the premier league champions were outclassed by Unai Emery's side, who were somewhat unlucky not to increase their lead.

Celtic fans blast Ambrose: You are our worst player ever

.Want Nigerian out

Super Eagles defender Efe Ambrose has become a figure of fun at Celtic but Hoops fans are starting to think the defender is beyond a joke after another calamitous display against Barcelona in the International Champions Cup on Saturday at the Aviva stadium. The Nigerian international scored a comical own goal in Dublin and got nutmegged for the third in a 3-1 defeat and Parkhead punters are worried about more bombscare behaviour against Astana in the Champions League showdown on Wednesday.

Hull City reject Odemwingie

.Leaves club after failing to secure contract

Nigerian international Peter Odemwingie will not be offered a Premier League lifeline by Hull City after ending his brief spell at the club. Odemwingie featured in three of City's pre-season friendlies during a fortnight of training but was absent from Saturday's 2-1 win away to Nottingham Forest.

Newly –appointed National Technical Director, Mr. Bitrus Bewarang on Friday visited the NFF\FIFA Goal Project to monitor the Golden Eaglets' training session ahead of next week's 2017 Africa U17 qualifier against Niger Republic. It was the former Super Eagles assistant coach’s first official duty following his appointment and it afforded him the opportunity to interact with the team's technical crew and to familiarize with the schedule of the U-17 side.

Nigeria-born Victor Kayode insists he has not given up hope of playing for Sierra Leone, despite being continuously overlooked for selection. The Azerbaijan-based midfielder, who was born in Ondo state to Nigerian parents, decided to play for Leone Stars four years ago - claiming his maternal grandfather was from Sierra Leone.

Rangers International of Enugu are back on top of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) table after they forced Enyimba to a 1-1 draw in the ‘Oriental Derby’ in a Matchday 29 clash on Sunday in Port-Harcourt. Rangers are now top of the table with 48 points from 28 matches, a point ahead of Wikki Tourists, who lost their leadership after they lost 3-0 at Akwa United, also on Sunday.

Siasia makes Mikel captain of Nigeria U23

. Team off to Brazil on Monday

Head Coach of the Nigeria Olympic team, Samson Siasia has appointed Chelsea midfield ace John Mikel Obi as captain of the team going into the men’s football tournament of the 31st Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Siasia made the announcement while meeting with players and other officials.

LMC postpones Rivers United, Ikorodu Utd clash

The League Management Company (LMC) has postponed the match day 29 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) game between Rivers United and Ikorodu United. The postponement was at the behest of Rivers United following an auto crash involving the club’s official vehicle on Thursday in Ndele, Rivers State which left several players and official injured.

Nasarawa United supporter breaks leg in motor accident

Supporters of Nasarawa United cheated death on Friday when the bus they were travelling in was involved in a fatal accident that that left one person with broken leg. It is understood that many people suffered various degree of injuries in the accident which occurred on their way back home from a Federation Cup match just a day after Rivers United team bus was involved in a crash.

The Nigeria Wrestling Federation, NWF will on Saturday unveil it's Olympic team for the 2016 games. According to NWF President, Hon Daniel Igali, the official send forth of the wrestlers will be held at the High Performance Hostel, Package B of National Stadium, Abuja by 2pm.

Nigeria women's 4x400 metres relay team have lost their place at the Olympic Games here after a member of their team positive for banned drugs for the second in her career, it has been reported. According to reports, 400m runner Tosin Adeloye has been banned for eight-years following the second positive drugs test of her career.

Nigerian referee Benjamin Ekabatiem Ekabatiem Odey will officiate Ghana’s African Junior Championship qualifier against Burkina Faso on 07 August. Compatriots Efosa Celestine Igudia, Tejiri Digbori and Salisu Basheer will assist him on the lines.

The management of Nigeria National League Side, Mighty Jets Football Club of Jos has asked the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, to intervene on behalf of the club and compel Kaduna United, Sokoto United and FC IfeanyiUbah to pay the clearance fee of her players with these teams.

The chairman of Wikki Tourists FC Isa Matori has said that the club won’t be distracted with their federation cup ouster as he reaffirmed their intention to win the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) at the end of the season. Speaking to Sportinglens.blogspot.com through the club’s media officer Nasiru Kobi, Matori said the team will concentrate more on the league where the tourists currently lead the table.

Sportinglens.blogspot.com can report that coach Abdullahi Biffo has been granted a two-year America Visa to enable him travel to United State of America (USA) in September for BFUT – Instituto Brasileiro de Futebol License level 1. It is understood that the Niger Tornadoes manager has qualified to participate in the two-week programme that will be held in Juno Beach, Fl, USA from September 13 to 25th, 2016.

Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) club, Rivers United have written to the League Management Company (LMC) to postpone its league game against Ikorodu United following an auto crash involving the team on Thursday. Rivers United is billed to face Ikorodu United in an NPFL clash on Sunday, July 30 at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium.

Head Coach of the NPFL All-Star team, Salisu Yusuf on Thursday released the final list of the 25-man squad to play on the friendly tour of Spain even as the organizers, LaLiga released Fixtures, time and venue of the NPFL All-Star tour which shows that their first match against LaLiga side, Valencia CF will hold inside the Alzira Stadium in the city of Valencia. The match will hold on August 10 with kick-off slated for 9.30pm Spanish time.

ORIENTAL DERBY: RANGERS INTENSIFY TRAINING FOR ENYIMBA’S CRACKER

Players and Technical Crew of Rangers Intl. Football Club of Enugu has intensified their preparation ahead of Sunday’s Oriental Derby against Enyimba FC of Aba in Port-Harcourt. The team’s Director of Media and Public Relations, Foster Chime said, in a statement, said that the team went straight into serious training on Monday under the supervision of Coach Imama Amapakabo and other Coaches to correct lapses observed in Saturday’s one all draw against Lobi Stars FC of Markurdi.

Heartland fined N4.5m, to play three matches behind closed doors

.Face suspended points deduction

.To pay for damages to FC IfeanyiUbah bus

Heartland FC of Owerri has been issued a Summary Jurisdiction notice with fines totalling N4, 750, 000, an order to play three home fixtures behind closed door and suspended points deduction for the crowd incidence that trailed their Match Day 28 fixture against FC IfeanyiUbah at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri. One, Iyke Jacob, identified as the Club’s Supporters CLUB Chairman was also banned from all Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) matches for the rest of the 2015/16 season by the League Management Company (LMC).

Another big star falls off the firmament permanently as the remains of Nigeria football legend, Stephen Okechukwu Chinedu Keshi, are interred at his hometown, Illah, Delta State on Friday. The final rites began in Benin City, Edo State on Thursday with a one –hour church service at Saint Paul’s Catholic Church, off Airport Road, before lying-in-state at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, where Keshi played many matches for the New Nigeria Bank FC.

Kano Pillars and Nigeria midfielder Ifeanyi Matthew has joined Norwegian side Lillestrom. Matthew, a key member of the home- based Super Eagles side that featured at the African Nations Championship in January, penned a four-year contract with Lillestrom on Thursday.

Captain of Team Nigeria to the Rio Olympics, John Mikel Obi has denied media reports making the rounds in Nigeria that he gave $30,000 dollars to his teammates in the U23 football team. Speaking from the team’s camp at the Hyatt Place in Atlanta, USA, Mikel said, “I was first told of this unfortunate story by a friend who called me from Nigeria. I thought he was joking until he sent me the link."

Warri Wolves General Manager Moses Etu has confirmed that the club have sent a formal protest letter to the Nigeria Football Federation over the conduct of the centre referee during Wednesday’s Federation Cup quarter-final tie against FC IfeanyiUbah. Etu alleged that his side scored good goal which was disallowed by the centre referee, Ola Olayemi from Ogun State, during their encounter played at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta, with FC IfeanyiUbah leading 1-0 at the time.

Mikel named Team Nigeria Rio 2016 Captain

John Obi Mikel has been named the Team Nigeria captain for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The sports ministry in Nigeria stated that the Chelsea midfielder has been picked as he is regarded as "a role model to the upcoming athletes."

Nigerian striker John Utaka talked about his Ismaily return, former Daraweesh coach Ahmed Hossam Mido and the truth about Al Ahly negotiations. Earlier this month, the Daraweesh announced the return of the Nigerian player 15 years after leaving the club in 2001 for Qatari side Al-Sadd.

SUPER EAGLES JOB: Salisu Yusuf awaits NFF directive

.Says his role won’t clash with new technical adviser

Newly appointed Super Eagles chief coach Salisu Yusuf Coach Salisu Yusuf has said that there won’t be a conflict of interest between him and the yet to be appointed new technical adviser, even as he awaits directive from the Nigeria Football Federation. NFF had last week announced Yusuf as the chief coach and Paul Le Guen as the technical adviser. But the French coach rejected the offer.

Nomination Opens for 2016 Nigerian Sports Award

.As organizers restate call for sponsorship

The organizers of the Nigerian Sports Award, Unmissable Incentives Limited, has announced that all is set for the 5^th edition of the Award as members of the public are now open to nominate Nigerian athletes who have exhibited excellent performance in their various sporting fields. Speaking at a press conference held in Lagos on Tuesday, the Chairman of the Award Panel, Mr. Ikeddy Isiguzo disclosed that nominations for the various categories of the award has opened from 26^th of July, 2016 to the 23^rd of September 2016.

The management of Wikki Tourists FC of Bauchi have appointed Nasiru Abdullahi Kobi as new media officer of the team. Kobi replaced former media officer, Abbas Shehu Gungura.

Dalung summons AFN, federation staff

Minister of Youth and Sports Barrister Solomon Dalung has summoned the Athletics Federation of Nigeria's Secretary-General, Olumide Bamiduro and ministry staff of the Federation of Elite Athletes Department (FEAD) today to explain the ticket scandal that rocked the social media at the weekend.

Oliseh reveals: My recent near death experience as coach of Super Eagle

.Says 'NFF technical committee, most awkward one I have ever seen, ever'

A day after the Late Stephen Keshi was relieved of his duties as coach of the Super eagles of Nigeria, I got a phone call from the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) offering me the job which I immediately rejected. The call lasted just 2 minutes!

I was to further refuse the offer twice again in the next 2 days that followed as they kept on calling. Their argument: With the new president Muhammadu Buhari in place, the Nff was ready for a change and was abandoning their old ‘Shady’ ways!

unveilingIt took the intervention of a phone call from a highly Ranked federal government official for me to bulge. His point was simple “your country is in dire need of your services and the NFF promised me a change, put your terms in writing and if they do not accept it, let them go elsewhere”.

Which is what I did and we all eventually signed a working agreement. Thus began the adventure to coach the Super Eagles of Nigeria. Sometimes I wish I stood my grounds and refused their offer, but I guess the urge to help my country was just too much to ignore.

Vincent Enyeama, John Obi Mikel & Victor Moses

My first official act was to call the team Captain Vincent Enyeama (Lille OSC, France) to rub minds and fix an appointment to see him. Same act was accorded to John Obi Mikel and Victor Moses of Chelsea. All except for Obi Mikel picked up my call and Mikel even ignored my eventual sms.

Spent a lovely day at Lille with Enyeama, took him to lunch and shared my Philosophy with him and he seemed genuinely inspired to work together but kept on talking about pending retirement which we agreed he would shelve aside till after AFCON 2017 at least.

Went to London to see Mikel & Moses but could only see Moses as Mikel did not reply my calls & we could not get a hold of him.

Moses came 2 ½ half hours late to our meeting but none the less we had a productive talk in company of my assistant, Jean Francois Losciuto.

3 weeks to my first official game in charge of the Super Eagles, vs Tanzania, and the invitations were sent out to the clubs, 2 weeks to the game Victor Moses opted out citing fear of contracting an injury whilst playing for Nigeria in favour of his club via a written letter to the Team manager of the super eagles.

Most players reported to camp on Monday prior to the Tanzania game, Vincent Enyeama was supposed to fly in Tuesday Morning, only for me to be surprisingly informed via sms that he was skipping the game because he lost the mum some weeks earlier.

I called him up and made an agreement with him, as I needed not only my captain and such a good goalkeeper for my opening game, that if he came for the game on Friday I would release him to go to the village after the game and skip the friendly game versus Niger scheduled for 3 days later after the Tanzania encounter, which he agreed.

The team was scheduled to fly out on Thursday. On Wednesday afternoon Enyeama called to say he was not coming for the game, definitively.

I was shocked as we had an agreement, we needed his experience, leadership and I was aware he was yet to miss a training session for his club side talk less of a league game.

As faith will have it, with a brand new team that trained only for two days we were able to come out of the Tanzania game with a point and my newly discovered and talented goalkeeper, Carl Ikeme of Wolverhampton was the man of the match. A 2-0 resounding victory over Niger 3 days later gave a successful look to the first camping but cast questions on if we could count on the three above named players to help us proceed. I chose to build alternatives!

Kidnapping Attempt!

On the day I was unveiled, the very vocal president of the NFF, Amaju Pinnick boasted to the world that he was going to pay me 6 months’ salary in advance, we were never ever going to be owed as he had procured sponsorship from Zenith bank, that he knows I am the African Guardiola etc. declarations that not only added unnecessary pressure on us but made us hated by certain quarters as ‘prima Donnas’. Far from smart at all!

We now know that, that was a ploy to make the world falsely believe that I was giving all the tools to succeed whilst intending to eventually starve us of tools to succeed in reality to have a scape goat and employ his dream foreign coach for obvious reasons, as was tried failingly recently!

This false claim was repeated often by the Nff and Mr Pinnick often in the following months whilst I was not only u paid but so were my assistants too.

In October 2015, with the belief that I had millions from the Nff, kidnappers attacked a family member of mine’s home in Lagos, but thanks to God the intended victim was not at home.

Shaken at the news, I called Mr Amaju to inform him of my displeasure of his false public declarations in my regard and there and then the seed of Resignation started to grow in me. Is this worth my peaceful family suffering?

Unpaid Wages, FIFA and World Football Regulations

I signed my contract as Chief Coach Of the super Eagles in July 2015 and was paid in August for July and August but did no longer get any payments till January 2016.My assistants were worse off as they received just a month’s pay as at January 2016.The Nff and its allies in public claimed otherwise!

Whilst this was the case, president Pinnick still kept on telling the world I was paid in advance several months.

All equipment’s I used to coach, even as down to simple cones and tactics boards, I had to buy them all myself as the super eagles had none available!

In February 2016 I wrote an official demand letter to the Nff asking for payment of my owed wages otherwise I would act as the international law demands.

The International law states that if after serving your employer as a coach a demand letter of payment and they refuse to pay, you are still entitled to the total sum of the remaining totality of your contract should you resign!

As at today by my reckoning, I am still being owed wages and should it come up to CAS (The international Court of Arbitration of sports) the NFF will be forced to pay me the sum of the contractual remaining 28 months’ salary in addition to the owed wages. I leave you to calculate how much that is. In my place what would you do today?

Super Eagles’ Assistant Coach Jean François Losciuto’s near death experience.

After the first round of CHAN training preparations in Abuja Nigeria, the team landed Pretoria for the final stage of the CHAN preparations.

2 days later my assistant coach Jean Francois Losciuto collapsed in the lobby of the hotel and was rushed to the hospital. The doctors refused to operate unless payment was paid in advance.

The Nff had failed to inform the Embassy of Nigeria in South Africa of our presence hence we were all on our own and jean François was facing probable death.

I therefore had to put up a deposit payment that allowed the hotel to admit and stabilize him before operation. Eventually he was operated on and what was dug out from his stomach was the scariest experience we ever saw till then. Here it is above………… the metal was 4.8centimeters long!

Had he not been timely operated on he would have died and how that 4.8 centimeters piece of metal got into his stomach was a mystery to the doctors and still is to us till date, but the most painful part of it was barely was this made public knowledge to our country we were serving by our so called sports editors.

Imagine near death and the people you serve are not intentionally well informed by the press? Scary no?

The NFF ‘s Infamous Technical committee

A day to the Unveiling, the Nff’s technical committee called me for a meeting, headed by Dr Felix Ayansi of Enyimba. To our shocking surprise we were so aggressively received, attacked and Mr Paul Bassey almost blew his top when I refused their demand to participate in team selection of the super eagles.

I could see Bassey still held the grudge from the 90’s: He categorically stated a dislike that my inclusion into the super eagles cost Friday Ekpo, a tribesman his place in the super Eagles. I believe that’s a grievance he should have towards the then coach Clemence Westerhoff, no?

In all fairness Dr Felix Ayansi was so calm, matured and relatively positive with his management of affairs.

All through my almost 1 year in charge, there was no help received from this committee and all technical information we asked of via telephone, emails were all ignored. We never saw them.

This committee’s composition for a technical committee is the most awkward one I have ever seen, ever!

Being myself a member of the technical sector of the world’s football governing body,FIFA, I found it quite strange to see people whose knowledge of the game are limited to what they learnt as spectators and not from first-hand experience as ex-players of the super Eagles or graduates of football educations.

The 3 ex super Eagles players members of this group were ones who during our playing days were either the most hated egoistic trouble making team mate we ever had, or ones who were not leaders or regulars of the team.

Had it being with the likes of Edema Foludu for example, we could understand instead of colleagues who have problems reading or pronouncing Chelsea for example!

How they now have to charter the technical progression of a national team like Nigeria I don’t know.

I believe if you ever had any doubt as to regards how disjointed this group is, I believe their role in the now worldwide famous humiliation of Nigeria with the Coach Paul Le Guen saga, has put them to rest!

Poor Super Eagles Players Welfare

In my entire 23 years of involvement with the super eagles, never has the working conditions and player welfare been as bad as it was when I was in charge. The team stood out like beggars!

For a team like the legendary super eagles, our players were not furnished with as little as bathroom slippers from NIKE. The training equipment’s had to be bought from local stores in Aba and Lagos.

Football shoes were not available and on the camp in South Africa during CHAN, I had to buy 2 football shoes for my players.

Even the barest minimum like food was lacking. Feeding was unsuitable to put it lightly and had to pay for the feeding of the team. Little did I know that not only will I not be reimbursed, it would be contested by the Nff and I would be criticized for it?

The Nigerian ambassador to South Africa was rightfully incensed as to why the Nff failed to notify him of the team’s arrival to south Africa and be left to fender in such a sorry state!

I had organized via my South African friends the world standard performance centre in Pretoria for the super eagles and the on the only thing the Nff was left to do was the accommodation and transportation, and those were the areas we saw hell!

Problems rom the Nigerian Press. (This applies to just some & not all pressmen)

If you want to be praised in the Nigerian press as a coach you need to be shady, accept the blackmail from certain sectors or get attacked non-stop.

Surprising as it may sound, we do have some good talented and honest journalist, it is however unfortunate that from my experience of over 23 involvement with the super Eagles, we have perhaps some of the most “Shady” sports editors in the history of the world football.

I believe the President Buhari is aware of this take a look at this quote from the sitting sports minister Solomon Dalung : “Sports Journalists Are Part of the Corruption in NFF”…

“Nigeria’s sports minister, Solomon Dalung, blames the crisis in Nigerian football on corrupt journalists whom he said collect bribes from the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF”

Two days after I started training in Abuja, I was approached with an illicit proposal to trade exclusive inside and preferential information for in return positive write-ups or get slaughtered in the press. I obviously refused and till date that popular website praises a national embezzler of public funds than Oliseh Sunday.

During our Belgian tour, Vincent Enyeama’s insubordination at a team meeting was not accepted by me and I asked him to leave the camp and go home.

Some of the Nigerian press reported that I ordered security in the Belgian hotel camp to strip him naked, drag him out of the hotel on the floor. Even some daytime TV.

The most humiliating experience for the press was the response they got from the Swaziland coach, Coach Harris Bulugna, whom they pestered to criticize the Super Eagles after defeat, only for the man to raise up his hart for the immense work I had put up on the team that totally broke their game plans down. You should have seen how foolish our press were made to look, pitiful.

Since I obviously refused to be blackmailed and play along it was nonstop criticisms and at the height of it I put out this video on YouTube now called the famous super eagles coach Rant on critics.

CHAN Experience

The camping and tournament proper of CHAN lasted more or less 5 weeks, first stage in Nigeria, to South Africa (Pretoria) and then finally, Rwanda. All through this period not only were the coaches, players and staff unpaid and uncared for but we were completely abandoned. In a 2 star hotel, poor nutrition, room states and dangerous conditions.

When as a coach I tried to enquire for a change we were instructed not to share this with the public as the Nff was cash strapped.

That would have been acceptable if the whole federation were not at the same period on a paid holiday trip of over 60 officials for over a week to expensive London hotels whilst we barely had food to eat on a national mission 6,000 kilometres away from home.

The training equipment’s were all lacking, 2 sets of jerseys and though Nff is sponsored by NIKE, the players barely had bathroom slippers to walk around in but also no football shoes.

I had no choice seeing the sorry state of these poor boys but to arrange for feeding at my own expense and buy football shoes for some of the players whose shoes became damaged.

The accommodating conditions chosen by the federation were worse in Rwanda and though we were leading the Group heading off to the Final group game versus Guinea, the boys awaited some form of aid financially from the Nff to ease up but all promises were never honoured.

The disappointing Phone call from the Nff President Pinnick just hours to the game that he would be coming over with the player’s remunerations only when the team got to the finals broke down the morale of the boys and obviously we lost the game and faced elimination.

Till date these boys are yet to be paid their owed allowances in full 6 months later.

It should be noted that Nigeria was the only team at this tournament without leading federation members present. Only Mr Chris Green of the technical committee stayed behind but he lodged in a 500 dollars a night 5 star hotel and we barely ever saw him!

NFF Crisis

Having played, captained and now coached the super Eagles I could read the Nff easily .The crisis that now exists today I saw it coming way back as in November 2015 when we camped and beat Swaziland to qualify into the world cup qualifiers group stage in port Harcourt.

The signs were everywhere to see but funny enough many, even the so called experienced pappy ex coaches and analysts were blind to it.

The infighting and imminent power struggle was so evident that my players, coaches were asking some questions.

The sacking of Tijani Babangida as my assistant was because he was a friend to Mr Giwa the presumptuous NFF president from the other faction nothing else but that. Just weeks to an important AFCON qualifier.

The moment Ayansi was replaced as head of the infamous technical committee by Mr Chris Green, we all knew that disaster and chaos was on the way.

Chris Green is a man who late Stephen Keshi almost beat up just midway into the 2013 AFCON adventure in South Africa and eventually was going around all of Rwanda telling all who cared to listen that he won the 2013 AFCON for Nigeria and the 2014 world cup qualification and not Keshi.

How? I leave you to guess as I don’t remember him ever scoring one goal or being a player or coach at these events. The implications of his statements were what any sane human being would distant themselves from. So we avoided him like the flu!

My Near Death Experience As Coach

One day whilst coaching the super Eagles in Abuja stadium prior to the Burkina Faso game I all of a sudden felt dizziness, light headedness, headache and could barely stand. I managed to finish the session before calling on the doctor into my room who was clueless to what was happening.

From then on it was sleepless nights, loss of appetite, high blood pressure and before I knew it I started losing weight.

After several visits to doctors abroad nothing was found though the doctors found anomalies they couldn’t pin point the actual illness to.

Prior to the away trip to Burkina Faso for the final CHAN qualifier game in Port Harcourt after lunch I was struck with the worst feat of this illness again. Could not walk, talk, dizzy and felt like I was going to pass out.

I quickly demanded to be rushed to the airport and with the evening flight travelled to Germany to see specialists .After 2 days of nonstop tests I was diagnosed to have narrowly escaped a total collapse in Nigeria.

For weeks I was bed ridden, lost 7 kilos and could barely walk 5 metres without sitting down. My family was petrified and all feared the worst. One thing was for sure though: had I not taking that evening flight to Germany when I did, there was a strong possibility of a far worse outcome. Thank God for his mercies.

All through the last 4 months of my tenure as coach I was far from my complete healthy self and coached the team and stayed in my bedroom. Often on my bed or sofa.

Imagine how betrayed and pained I must have felt with the lack of support at these life threatening times from my employers the NFF and the shady pressmen who made it a duty not to report the gravity of the illnesses that befell me and my assistant to the Nigerian people and kind of like wished us the worst!

On the day I put in my resignation letter I was still far from my best health wise and I guess it is better staying alive than getting embroiled with these people who have no interest of Nigeria at heart.

In my entire life, I have never felt so deeply unfairly treated, betrayed, wickedness, ingratitude and fear of my dear life as was the case when I coached the super Eagles of Nigeria. All because I refused to be corrupt and elected to do things the rightful, honest and professional way for the benefit of my country in need.

Thank God I came out of this alive with hindsight!

NFF won't disband Flying Eagles, says Akinwumi

.Says Technical Committee will determine Amuneke's fate

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has described the Flying Eagles as the future of Nigeria football despite their failure to qualify for the 2017 Africa Youth Championship in Zambia. Nigeria lost to the national U-20 team of Sudan on an away goal rule.

FC Ifeanyi Ubah players and supporters who were both in jubilant mood after a well deserved point secured from a scoreless draw against Heartland in Match Day 28 of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) had their joyous moment of celebration short lived as they were massively attacked by irate Heartland FC fans immediately after the game at the Dan Anyiam Stadium.

Dalung denies asking athletes to buy tickets to Rio

The Ministry of Youth and Sports Development says it did not direct foreign based athletes going to the Olympic Games in Rio to buy their own air tickets. The Minister of Youth and Sports Barrister Solomon Dalung said this in a statement following a purported mail asking athletes to buy their tickets to the Olympics and which was said to have originated from the Ministry.

Kano Pillars missing Aggreh, Matthew, Edmund, says Ganaru

Kano Pillars technical adviser, Mohammed Baba Ganaru has admitted that the club is feeling the absence of Prince Aggreh, Emmanuel Edmund and Ifeanyi Matthew. Sportinglens.blogspot.com reports that Aggreh, Matthew, Edmund had travelled to Norway for trials with the hope of signing a professional contracts there.

Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia striker, Chinenye Agoha has said that they will give Wikki Tourists a run for their money when the two sides meet in this weekend's week 28 Nigeria Professional Football league encounter at the Abubakar Tafewa Balewa Stadium in Bauchi.

Nigeria Under-23 head coach Samson Siasia has released his 18-man football squad for the Rio 2016 Olympics. Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel is the most experienced of the lot and goes in as one of the over-aged players alongside goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi.

Spanish Ambassador, Barnuevo joins Tebas to open LaLiga Nigeria Office

.As LaLiga President Counts benefits of Partnership with NPFL

President of LaLiga, Javier Tebas listed the benefits of the three months old partnership with the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) when he was joined by the Ambassador of Spain to Nigeria, Alfonso Barnuevo to formally open the LaLiga office in Nigeria located inside the Corporate Headquarters of the League Management Company (LMC) in Maitama District, Abuja. The LaLiga President afterwards spoke at a media conference where he restated the Spanish League body's commitment to making the five-year commercial and technical partnership with the NPFL a success.

As part of its plans to empower its coaches to meet up with required standard in modern football, management of Kogi United will be sending two of it technical crew to coaching school at Nigeria Institute of Sports. Chairman of Kogi United, Mallam Abdul Sule who disclosed this to Kogi United Media noted that the move was part of the club's programs to empower not only the players but coaches to impact to their wards.

Sam Allardyce is the new England manager after the Football Association officially appointed him on Friday, 10 years after he failed to convince them he was the right man for the job. The 61-year-old Englishman -- who lost out to Steve McClaren 10 years ago after Sven-Goran Eriksson left -- signed a two-year contract with his task to guide England to the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia.

Total is new sponsor of AFCON, CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, CHAN

Multi-national oil company Total is the new title sponsor of the Africa’s foremost football event, the Africa Cup of Nations, according to a statement from the Confederation of African football. Total will replace telephone company Orange as the AFCON title sponsors.

.Depart for Brazil

.To play Brazil friendly July 30

The Japan men’s Olympic soccer team coach Makoto Teguramori has said his boys will go all out for their first Group B match against Nigeria on August in Manaus. The young Samurai Blue left for Brazil on Thursday and will launch the Rio Olympic against Nigeria, followed by a game versus Colombia three days later, and then another against Sweden to close out the first round on Aug. 10.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has taken the No 9 shirt at Manchester United, with previous occupant Anthony Martial moving to No 11. The Swedish striker has varied between numbers eight, nine and 10 throughout his career but with all three taken upon his arrival at Old Trafford, he was expected to have to settle for different number.

Chief Security Officer (CSO) of Kano Pillars FC Chief Superintendent of Police Shaaibu Bello has resigned from his position. According to a release made available to sportinglens.blogspot.com by the club’s media officer Rilwanu Idris Malikawa, Bello resignation took effect from 20/7/2016.

Argentina and Nigeria are going to know each other very well by the time they square off at the Olympics on 7 August because the teams have now traded blows twice in the space of three days.

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick narrowly escaped being impeached by his fellow executive committee members in the wake of the scandalous handling of botched appointment of French coach Paul Le Guen.

Adegboye Onigbinde, former Super Eagles coach, has warned the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) against further waste of time in naming a substantive coach for the Super Eagles, saying that the country is toying with Nigeria’s qualification for the World Cup.

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