Nigeria Premier League

Usyk says Fury vs Ngannou is a nothing fight, demands four-belt unification bout

Unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk 20-0 (13) has called out WBC counterpart Tyson Fury 33-0-1 (24) for what he sees as a money grab in his next fight.

The 35-year-old Brit is set to face boxing debutant and former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in a 10-round non-title bout in Saudi Arabia on October 28.

Ukrainian southpaw Usyk, 36, was in negotiations early this year for a two-fight series with Fury before talks fell apart over the purse split for the rematch.

Usyk conceded a 70-30 split in Fury’s favour for the first fight, but wanted a 50-50 split for the rematch should he come through the bout victorious.

Fury turned down the offer.

In the week leading up to his title defence against mandatory contender Daniel ‘Dynamite’ Dubois 19-1 (18) at Stadion Wroclaw in Wroclaw, Poland on Saturday night, Usyk let his thoughts be known on Fury’s next matchup.

“I think it’s easy money for Tyson Fury,” WBA, WBO and IBF champion Usyk said to BBC Sport. “I think for me it looks a little bit strange, to me, too strange.

“A guy who is WBC heavyweight champion instead of fighting a guy from the top 10, suddenly chooses the guy as his opponent coming from the UFC. For Ngannou, this is cool. But for Tyson Fury, it isn’t. Your perception and my perception are different. You treat it like show, I treat it as an athlete. If he chooses this way, okay, I respect his choice.”

Alexander Krassyuk, who promotes the former undisputed cruiserweight champion, is adamant that Usyk vs Fury must happen not just for the boxers themselves, but for the good of the sport.

“It’s our obligation to deliver this fight,” Krassyuk said to BBC Sport. “The whole world wants to see this fight. Not just ourselves or people involved in boxing, but the whole world.

“People who know nothing about boxing would love to see the heavyweight undisputed fight for the four belts for the first time in the four-belt era. I can promise you and promise all the fans around the world that I will do everything that can depend on me to make this fight happen.”

But Fury’s British co-promoter Frank Warren, who works longside American Bob Arum, scoffed at the notion of Fury facing Usyk.

He is convinced that his boxer Dubois, 25, will defeat Usyk, leading to an all-British showdown with Fury.

“How’s it going to happen when Daniel wins?” Warren said.

“I think our man beats him. Our man beats him and if he beats him then Usyk is out of the picture. Then we’ll see where we go from there.”

Now pushing 37, Usyk knows he does not have time on his side to add to his legacy in the sport. But he disputed suggestions he was on the home straight of his career.

“No, it is not the final point,” Usyk said. “I am 36, but this is just the beginning. I started boxing at the age of 15. It’s just the beginning now.

“I do realise there are not many years left for me in boxing and I don’t want to spend much time in boxing. I want to take my kids to school and whatever.”

Nigeria Premier League

Akwa Ibom Commissioner Dissolves State Football Club Boards

The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Sports, Elder Paul Bassey, has announced the immediate dissolution of the management teams of the four state-owned football clubs following the conclusion of the 2024/25 Nigeria Football League season.

The affected clubs are Akwa United FC, Dakkada FC, Ibom Angels FC, and Ibom Youth FC—all fully funded by the Akwa Ibom State Government.

Elder Bassey made the announcement during a meeting held in Uyo with representatives of the four clubs.

He directed the chairmen and secretaries of each club to submit their handover notes to the Ministry of Sports within two weeks.

According to the commissioner, the decision is in line with the state’s broader plan to reposition sports and elevate performance levels across all sporting fronts, in alignment with Governor Umo Eno’s Arise Agenda.

“A new management structure will be announced soon to commence preparations for the upcoming football season,” Bassey stated, adding that the dissolution marks the beginning of a renewed vision for sports excellence in the state.

He expressed appreciation to the outgoing officials for their service and contributions to the growth of football in the state, wishing them well in their future endeavours.

In his reaction, the Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Football Association, Mr. Samuel Umoh, acknowledged that the just concluded football season was challenging for all four teams. He applauded the commissioner’s decision as a timely move to reposition the clubs for future success.

Representatives of the clubs—Elder Omon Bassey (Akwa United), Coach Aniedi Dickson (Dakkada), Coach Edwin Okon (Ibom Angels), and Coach Lawrence Iquaibom (Ibom Youth)—thanked the commissioner for the opportunity to serve and pledged their continued support for football and sports development in Akwa Ibom State.

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Nigeria Premier League

Commissioner Inspects Lafia Stadium, Assures NPFL Standards

In a decisive move to ensure compliance with Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) requirements ahead of the 2025/26 season, the Nasarawa State Government, on Monday, commenced a comprehensive inspection and evaluation of facilities at the Lafia City Stadium.

Led by the State’s Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Kwanta Yakubu, a high-powered delegation comprising government officials, engineers, and stadium experts assessed the readiness of the stadium, which serves as home ground to Nasarawa United and Nasarawa Amazons.

The inspection comes on the heels of the NPFL Board’s June 3rd directive mandating all participating clubs to upgrade stadium facilities to meet modern football standards. Among the key requirements are the installation of standard LED floodlights for night matches, a functional backup generator, perimeter fencing, improved changing rooms, emergency exit routes, and a quality-approved playing turf.

Speaking after the facility tour, Hon. Yakubu reiterated the commitment of Governor Abdullahi Sule’s administration to meeting the NPFL’s expectations before the new season kicks off on August 22, 2025.

> “We’ve identified key areas for immediate improvement,” said Yakubu. “We’ll begin installing new floodlights, refurbishing changing rooms, replacing damaged turf, and improving emergency response infrastructure. Governor Sule’s passion for sports is unwavering, and we won’t let our teams play home matches away from Lafia again.”

Nasarawa United FC Chairman, Solomon Babanjah, lauded the state government’s swift response, describing the move as a significant morale booster for both Nasarawa United and the Nasarawa Amazons.

> “This will change the psychology of our teams,” Babanjah said. “Playing at home, in front of our fans, on a well-equipped pitch, gives us the confidence and environment we need to compete at the highest level.”

The inspection also holds strategic importance as Lafia is set to host the prestigious Gusau/Ahlan Cup Preseason Tournament, a major curtain-raiser for the Nigerian football calendar.

Key stakeholders on the inspection team included Permanent Secretary Dr. Ibrahim Adamu Alhassan, Director of Facilities Ahmad Yusuf, and Nasarawa FA Chairman Salisu Galadima ‘Basira’.

With the 2025/26 season fast approaching, and Nasarawa United aiming to build on their 12th-place finish in the just-concluded season—highlighted by striker Anas Yusuf finishing as league top scorer with 18 goals—the state’s infrastructural push may well be the game-changer the club needs.

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Nigeria Premier League

Remo Stars Can Conquer Africa With Better Pitch – Egbe

Winners of this season’s contest in the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL), Remo Stars FC of Ikenne have been tipped as credible contenders to become Africa’s next club champions, once their home stadium’s pitch is upgraded to continental standards.

This verdict was passed by the chief executive of Monimichelle Sports Facility Construction Limited, Ebi Egbe, who told Sports247 that his own contribution to ensure that the Ogun State-based outfit owned by Honourable Kunle Soname win the next CAF Champions League is to help them upgrade their home ground in Ikenne.

While many Nigerian football fans already adjudge Remo Stars Stadium as best in the country at present, Egbe pointed out that some upgrades have to be made at the arena in order to make it meet up to both African and global standards.

Egbe added duting an exclusive interview with Sports247 in Abuja: “We are trying to upgrade the Remo Stadium pitch to meet CAF standard, because we all know they have a continental run coming up; and we have just few months to get it ready for them.

“So, we are already discussing and looking at the World Cup standards in Abuja; to see how we can work on the floodlights and stuff like that.”

Egbe then pointed at some high standards that have already been set in the NPFL and gave applause to the league board’s chairman, Honourable Gbenga Elegbeleye, for ensuring that most clubs now have television friendly venues.

He added, “Let me thank Honourable Gbenga Elegbeleye. He’s a great guy who’s setting standards. One of them is that if you do not have a good playing surface, they’ll move your team to a different venue.

“It’s all about TV friendly pitches; but facility owners have to understand that Gbenga cannot do it alone. They, too, have a part to play.

“It’s also important for them to understand that the playing surface is the most important part of a stadium … followed by the ancillary facilities.

“If we want to talk about growing our league, let facilities owners support Gbenga Elegbeleye by making sure all venues meet the correct standard for our local league.”

He concluded by stating that another factor which should propel Remo Stars far in the CAF Champions League is because they emerged as credible winners of a well-organised and highly competitive domestic contest in the NPFL’s immediate past term.

Egbe posited: “The league management board is doing a great job. Big thanks too to GTI for all their support to the league. That’s why this last season’s run was very good.

“We were all excited, and we saw the real champions emerge. That’s why I can tell you that Remo Stars is going to go far in the Champions League. They have all the facilities and they have all the boys to make it happen.”

The pitch installation expert equally predicted that the new wave of upgrade for sports facilities across Nigeria will help the country get better performances from the national teams in all their forthcoming international engagements.

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