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Lagos FA Ready for 16-team Pre-Season Tournament Kicks Off

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The Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan will host matches at the Lagos pre-season tournament organized by the Lagos State Football Association under the leadership of Ogboni Fouad Oki scheduled to kick off on Saturday, September 18.

The pre-season tournament organised by the Lagos FA will serve as a preparatory event for the teams that will compete in the Nigeria National League (NNL) and Nationwide League One (NLO).

Three NNL and 13 NLO teams were drawn to compete at the tournament with the clubs pulled into four groups of four teams each for the preliminary round.

In Group A are First Bank FC, Real Sapphire, Lekki United and Broad City. Tradesafe Sports FC, A.S Racine, Emmydinho FC and BYT FC are in group B.

Smart City FC, Okaka FC, TCCG FC and Dannaz FC are in group C, while 2023 Lagos FA Cup champions, Ikorodu City are pitched in Group C alongside Spartans FC, Magic Stars and Buruj FC.

Speaking at the press conference and the draws for the tournament, Vice Chairman, Lagos State Football Association, Liameed Gafar said the tournament will help the teams to test their squads ahead of the forthcoming season.

Liameed stated further that the quality of quality of officiating will be top notch throughout the tournament and urged the teams to use the championship to expose and showcase their players.

Ex-Nigerian international goalkeeper, Peter Rufai commended the LSFA under the leadership of Fouad Oki for putting the tournament together in order to get the teams ready for the 2023/2024 campaign.

He said it will keep them on their toes into the various leagues. “It will be an opportunity for the coaching department to assess themselves and the players in examining their strengths and weaknesses”, said Rufai.

First Bank FC and Real Sapphire will clash in the opening match of the five-day tournament. Eight matches will play on each day during the group phase. The final is scheduled to hold on Friday, September 22nd.

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Jos, Plateau Comes Alive As NNL AGA Holds This Friday

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All is set for the Annual General Meeting of the Nigeria National League which is scheduled to hold in the capital city of Plateau state.

Already, stakeholders have started arriving the Tin City for the one-day deliberation.

The AGA which is the first activity of the season will see the NNL board meet with the 40 club representatives to fashion our all formalities for a successful season.

Kickoff date, format, funding and other matters of critical importance will be decided at the assembly.

NNL Chairman George Aluo who is already on the ground, gave further insight on the agenda.

“At the NNL AGA we will be rubbing minds with the club owners, share our thoughts and plans with them and be on the same page and decide when the league will start basically, as that is the most important thing so that after the AGA in Jos, we should be able to tell Nigerians when the league will kickoff.”

He continued, “The President of the NFF Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau has given us a mandate to start the league on time and ensure it aligns with the international calendar and that is the direction we want to go. So we have come up with our own plans and by the time we finish with our AGA in Jos, we’ll tell Nigerians what the plans are and how the league will be played.

He revealed that the board ” has put some plans in place as the NNL has been able to partner with the National Institute for Sports (NIS) for a pre-season capacity building seminar for our coaches. We want to upscale our coaches to make them better. Already, we have invited some resource persons from the NIS and the Technical Director of the NFF Augustine Eguavoen who will be involved in that and a Portuguese coach Thiago Conde so, at the end of the day, we would have upscale our coaches technically and before the start of the season by the time you’ve taken them to the classroom, I’m sure it will rub-off on the NNLas the 2023-2023 season gets underway.”

He appreciated the Plateau state Government for hosting the board as they begin deliberation this Friday.

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Colombia 2024: Falconets progress to third round as Mauritius withdraw

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The Mauritius Football Association has notified the Confederation of African Football of the withdrawal of the country’s U20 Women National Team from the ongoing African qualifying series for next year’s FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals.

“Kindly note that CAF was informed of the withdrawal of Mauritius FA from the African qualifiers of FIFA U20 WWC 2024. Consequently, Nigeria is qualified to the next round of the competition and the missions of all officials of matches 37 & 38 are cancelled,” read a communication from CAF to the Nigeria Football Federation.

The Falconets were to fly to Mauritius next week for the first leg in Saint Pierre against the Mauritius U20 girls, with the return leg scheduled for the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Saturday, 14th October.

With this situation, 2022 World Cup quarter-finalists Nigeria now progress to the next round of the qualification series.

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Confed Cup: Insurance players vow to beat RS Berkane for their chief motivator, Obaseki

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As Federation Cup champion, Bendel Insurance of Benin plays RS Berkane on Friday in a Caf Confederation Cup match, the players and officials said they are ready to shed blood to win for the good people and government of Edo State especially their number one supporter and motivator Governor Godwin Obaseki.

Though Insurance has a mountain to climb in the decisive leg in Morocco after they were forced to a 2-2 draw by RS Berkane at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin, in the first leg on Saturday, September 16, they are confident that will beat their host and qualify for the next round of the competition.

Monday Odigie’s side will miss the services of striker Osarenkhoe Imade, who scored their opener in the first leg as well as their other goal in the last round.

The 22-year-old just penned a deal with United Arab Emirates side, United FC.

Despite missing their highest goal scorer from last season, stand-in captain and goalkeeper, Amas Obasigie, echoed the confidence of the team.

“Knowing the honour that awaits us if we beat our opponents to qualify for the group stage, we are going to fight for everything in the field of play to go home happy. We made two mistakes in Benin and will not want a repeat. We are facing very strong opponents who have been champions twice in a space of three years, but we will not allow their intimidation to affect our play. They should expect a good fight from us the way they also fought in Benin.

“Above all, we want to fight to win for our state Governor, who has been wonderful in giving his all, in sponsorship and motivation that has taken us thus far both in the domestic league and continental level,” Obasogie said.

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