News

Lingard banned from driving for six months

Former Manchester United footballer Jesse Lingard has been fined £900 and disqualified from driving for six months.

Lingard, 30, whose contract with Nottingham Forest ended in June, appeared at Manchester Magistrates’ Court to admit the offence during a brief hearing.

He was charged after failing to provide details to identify the driver of his Range Rover caught speeding by police in August last year.

Frank Rogers, representing Lingard, said he was not the driver of the speeding car but missed the letter telling him to provide the drivers’ details as it went to his old address in Manchester while he was then living in Nottingham.

He was liable to be disqualified under the ‘totting-up’ process as he had points from two previous speeding offences.

District Judge Jane Hamilton fined him £900 with a further £560 in costs and warned him not to drive for the next six months.

News

NFF breaks ground for construction of Players’ hostel and new training pitches

The Ibrahim Musa Gusau-led NFF administration will add another milestone on Tuesday when the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of Players’ Hostel and a number of new training pitches holds in Abuja. The groundbreaking will be done by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas GCON.

Named the NFF-FIFA Players’ Hostel, the 68-room facility is located at the heart of Package B of the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, almost directly opposite the NFF Secretariat. It is a two-wing edifice, with A and B sections, and has a total of 62 single rooms, four suites and two executive suites.

Alongside the hostel is the construction of two new training pitches (one synthetic and one natural grass), re-construction of the existing synthetic pitch, sitting terraces for spectators, two dressing rooms for players (each accommodating 27 players at a time) and two dressing rooms for officials. The spectators’ terraces will have 1,838 seats.

The construction, which is projected to last 24 months, is funded by world football-governing body, FIFA through its FIFA Forward 3.0 program.

The FIFA Forward is the largest and biggest sport development program in the world, and was created in 2016 when FIFA President Gianni Infantino was first elected to office. The core idea is three-fold: increase the investment into football worldwide; achieve more impact with specific and tailor-made projects and; make sure to have more oversight to ensure that the investment in football development is transparent, carefully-managed and effective.

NFF President, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, said: “The NFF is excited about the Players’ Hostel and new training pitches. It is a transformational project around our national teams and we are grateful to FIFA for providing the funds for these amazing facilities.

“Right from the inception of the present NFF administration, we were very clear on what we wanted to do with our FIFA Forward 3.0 funds. Building a players’ hostel and having new training pitches will not only enhance team management, it will substantially reduce expenditure in these areas and enable us to commit more funds to grassroots development programs.”

FIFA’s Deputy Chief Member Associations Officer and Regional Director (Africa), Gelson Fernandes, said: “The main objective of the Forward Programme is to ensure top-quality infrastructure that drives football development worldwide. The NFF’s transformation of its Technical Centre is a perfect example – upgrading training pitches, building modern accommodation and creating a true home for the national teams; this project is a brilliant one for Nigeria football.

“We’re proud to support and to work alongside the NFF, not only with funding but also by sharing expertise to make this project a reality. Nigeria lives and breathes football, and FIFA is committed to helping the game grow as much as we can.”

Among the special guests invited to Tuesday’s ceremony are the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa; the Ambassadors of the UAE and the Kingdom of Morocco; former deputy governor of Edo State, Comrade Phillip Shaibu; Inspector General of Police, Dr Kayode Egbetokun; Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi; Comptroller General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap and; Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Alhaji Shehu Dikko.

Also invited are the Chairmen of sports committees in the Senate and House of Representatives; NOC President, Engineer Habu Gumel; former sports ministers Sunday Dare and John Enoh; Director General of the National Sports Commission, Hon. Bukola Olopade; former NFF President Sani Lulu Abdullahi; former NFF scribes Ambassador Fanny Amun and Barr. Musa Amadu and; 10 legends of Nigeria football, viz former senior team captains Olusegun Odegbami, Augustine ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, Daniel Amokachi, Nwankwo Kanu, Mutiu Adepoju, Samson Siasia, Victor Ikpeba, Ahmed Musa, Precious Dede and Stella Mbachu.

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Gumel Re-elected Unopposed as ANOCA Treasurer-General in Algiers

Engr. Habu Ahmed Gumel has been re-elected unopposed as the Treasurer-General of the African Olympic body. at its General Assembly in Algiers.

The African Olympic body is known officially as the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA).

The announcement was made during a successful General Assembly held in Algiers, the Algerian capital, where Gumel was confirmed in his role without opposition.

This marks another term of four years for Engr. Gumel in his capacity as the Treasurer-General.

This is a demonstration of the trust and confidence placed in his leadership by the members of ANOCA drawn from mainly the presidents of the Olympic Movement in the continent.

Alongside Mr. Gumel, the Algerian president of ANOCA, Moustspha Berraf, was also re-elected unopposed, reflecting continued stability and unity within the organization.

Gumel is currently the President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) and the country’s lone member to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The Assembly was rounded up with a special Awards ceremonies with our own Rena Wakama, Nigeria’s D’Tigress Coach to the 2024 Paris Olympics being one the recipients.

She was adjudged the Best African Coach at the Olympics by ANOCA.

Her Trophy was received on her behalf by Gumel and was presented by the National Sports Commission (NSC) Chair, Mallam Shehu Dikko.

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It’s Out Again: Sports Market International March- May 2025 Edition

This publication is reintroducing itself with renewed vigor. Following a brief hiatus for content enhancement and logistical improvements, we are pleased to present the inaugural edition of the esteemed SMI Magazine. This edition features a detailed examination of the recent AFCON 2025 draw, during which Morocco committed to hosting a memorable tournament and has provided a glimpse of what to expect in December 2025 and January 2026 through an impressive draw.

The content includes a comprehensive group-by-group analysis of the 2025 AFCON participants, categorizing them as Contenders, Pretenders, and offering predictions for each group to build anticipation for African football. In the realm of boxing, we delve into Anthony Joshua’s reportedly £200 million worth, juxtaposed with his continued residence with his mother, despite his financial capacity to explore various lifestyle choices.

Additionally, we provide insights into Nigeria’s striker Victor Osimhen’s forthcoming transfer worth €75 million amid numerous speculations regarding his future. We also analyze the 20 most significant transfers during the January 2025 window, highlighting notable movements such as Moroccan forward Omar Marmoush’s transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt to Manchester City.

On the local front, this edition underscores the significance of sports governance, particularly the promising development of a world-class stadium in Warri, Delta State, an initiative spearheaded by His Excellency Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.