Nigeria Premier League
Celtic vow to break 10-year Champions League spell against Lazio

Once feared as a fortress of European football, Celtic are aiming to end a 10-year wait for a Champions League win at home when Lazio visit Parkhead on Wednesday 4 October 2023.
Brendan Rodgers wasted no time on his return as the Hoops’ manager in revealing his ambition to finally make a mark on the Champions League.
CELTIC RECORD ALONGSIDE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
In domestic football, Celtic remain in a class of their own, having won 11 of the last 12 Scottish Premiership titles and four domestic trebles in the past six seasons.
But Rodgers was in charge during his first spell at the club the last time the Hoops won a game in Europe’s elite competition in 2017 away to Anderlecht.
After failing to qualify for the next four seasons, Celtic collected just two points from six games on their return to the Champions League last season under Ange Postecoglou despite some impressive performances.
The reality facing Rodgers was laid bare in a 2-0 defeat to Feyenoord two weeks ago.
After a bright start, the visitors were undone by red cards to new signings Gustaf Lagerbielke and Odin Thiago Holm, whose inexperience showed on their Champions League debuts.
Celtic’s business model of hoovering up young talent from around the globe at bargain prices to be developed and sold on at big profits has been highly successful for the club’s bank balance.
FINANCIAL CONCERN IN THE PREVIOUS SEASON
Financial results for last season revealed a club record pre-tax profit of £40.7 million ($50 million) for the 2022/23 season and £72 million of cash in the bank.
Rodgers could be forgiven for wishing he had, therefore, been handed more significant funds to strengthen his squad in the transfer window, especially after suffering a number of injuries to key players early in the season.
“If you look at the strategy of the club, it’s signing the younger players to develop and improve,” said the Northern Irishman. “You need quality, and you need experience, and that will obviously help and support potential that you have.
“So that’s something that hopefully, over the course of my time here, the squad can regenerate into that way.”
After spending most of his managerial career in the Premier League, Rodgers is having to readjust to living within the constraints of a budget in the small pond of Scottish football.
But he still believes Celtic are capable of far more than they have shown in recent times in European football.
The Scottish champions have not won a knockout tie beyond the qualifying stage in any European competition since 2004, during which time local rivals Rangers have reached the UEFA Cup and Europa League finals.
RODGERS WANTS TO MAKE AN IMPACT IN EUROPE
“We want to see if we can make an impact in Europe,” added Rodgers. “It’s always a challenge at the really highest level, but we want to go in there and see if we can progress and show our good side.”
Lazio’s own troubles give Celtic some encouragement – as does recent success against the Italians. Four years ago, they beat the Biancocelesti home and away in the Europa League group stages.
Lazio arrived in Glasgow sitting just outside the Serie A relegation zone, having won just two of their opening seven league games of the season.
And they only salvaged a point at home to Atletico Madrid in their opening Champions League game thanks to a remarkable stoppage time equaliser by goalkeeper Ivan Provider.
Maurizio Sarri’s men appear there for the taking, but that requires Celtic to rise to the Champions League challenge for the first time in a long time.

Nigeria Premier League
Abiodun Celebrates The NPFL’s New Era As Remo Stars Clinch The 2024/25 Trophy

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has expressed delight at the steady transformation of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), commending the league’s organizers for aligning its calendar with international standards.
Governor Abiodun made the remarks in Abeokuta while receiving a delegation from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), led by its President, Ibrahim Gusau, and the Chairman of the NPFL, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye.
The officials visited to congratulate the Governor following the official presentation of the 2024/25 NPFL trophy to Remo Stars—champions of this season.
Speaking on the sidelines of the visit, the Governor praised the NPFL’s decision to synchronize its season with global leagues, many of which conclude by May or early June.
“While the champions, our own Remo Stars from Ogun State, were crowned on Sunday, there is just one more game to conclude the season—meaning the NPFL will wrap up in May, just like most European leagues. This is commendable,” he said.
Abiodun, who attended the trophy presentation in Ikenne, also applauded the NPFL board for conducting a smooth and rancor-free season.
“It is to the credit of the NPFL Board, led by my brother, Elegbeleye, that we had this beautiful celebration today. All stakeholders agree that Remo Stars are worthy champions,” the Governor stated.
Present at the reception were several NFF Board members, including Ganiyu, Aisha Falode, and Silas Agara.
Sports247.ng
Nigeria Premier League
NPFL Drama: Late Spot-kick Seals Shooting Stars’ Win Over Sunshine Stars

Sunshine Stars narrowly lost 0-1 to Shooting Stars in a tightly contested Matchday 36 fixture of the 2024/25 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan.
The decisive goal came in the 84th minute after the referee awarded a late penalty to the home side, following a scramble in the box.
Just two minutes earlier, Sunshine Stars were reduced to ten men when defender Yusuf Olowoshile received a red card.
Shooting Stars capitalized on the advantage, converting the penalty with composure to secure all three points.
Despite the defeat, Sunshine Stars displayed grit and determination, going toe-to-toe with their hosts and creating several scoring opportunities.
Goalkeeper Emma Offori was a standout performer, making several key saves to keep the Owena Whales in the contest.
Speaking after the match, Shooting Stars head coach Gbenga Ogunbote praised Sunshine Stars for their resilience, labeling their current league standing as “unfortunate.”
On his part, Sunshine Stars coach Bobola Akinfolarin expressed frustration with the result, particularly the timing of the penalty. Nevertheless, he stressed that the team must now shift focus to their final two games of the season.
Sports247.ng
Nigeria Premier League
Football World Stunned As NFF PSAC Reverses Rivers United Decision

In a stunning and unprecedented move, the Nigeria Football Federation’s Players Status and Arbitration Committee (NFF PSAC) has reversed its own judgment in the high-profile contractual dispute between Rivers United FC and former player Deputy Echeta—six months after issuing a definitive ruling, Sports247 reports.
The controversial reversal, handed down on March 1, 2025, but only made public at the end of April, has left legal experts and football stakeholders baffled.
It directly contradicts PSAC’s earlier decision from December 2, 2024, which ruled in favor of Echeta, citing multiple breaches of FIFA regulations by Rivers United.
The Original Judgment: A Clear-Cut Case
In its initial ruling, the PSAC made the following key findings:
1. Unlawful Suspension: Rivers United’s indefinite suspension of Echeta was declared illegal, violating FIFA’s cap of 30 days for player suspensions pending investigations.
2. Wage Breach: The club was found guilty of failing to pay the player for over four months—qualifying under Article 14bis of FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP) as just cause for unilateral contract termination.
3. Contractual Compensation: While Echeta was entitled to seek compensation under Article 17bis of the RSTP for unlawful termination, he waived that right.
4. Excessive Transfer Fee: The club demanded N15 million to loan Echeta to Sunshine Stars, despite the latter offering N1 million—a move deemed a deliberate effort to block his career progression.
5. Provisional Clearance: PSAC issued Echeta clearance to sign with any club of his choice immediately.
6. Admonishment: Rivers United was chastised for bad faith and actions that jeopardized Echeta’s career and economic freedom.
Despite the ruling, Echeta remained without a club as Sunshine Stars delayed signing him until the transfer window opened. In January 2025, a lifeline came from a foreign club offering a short-term contract.
However, when Echeta submitted his PSAC-issued clearance to register abroad, the NFF’s Transfer Matching System (TMS) manager refused to issue his International Transfer Certificate (ITC), contrary to standard protocol.
Only through intervention under revised FIFA guidelines was the player eventually registered, rendering the provisional clearance practically redundant.
The Shocking Reversal
In a twist that many are calling a “procedural disgrace,” the NFF PSAC quietly reconvened the case on March 1, 2025—without notifying or inviting Echeta to the hearing. Instead, only Rivers United was granted audience, and the committee took the unprecedented step of overturning its previous decision.
This move flies in the face of standard arbitration procedure. PSAC had initially acknowledged that only a higher legal authority—such as the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) could review or overturn ithe ruling.
Moreover, procedural time limits for lodging appeals had already lapsed by the time the case was reopened.
The New Ruling: A Legal Contradiction
The committee’s new ruling includes the following points:
1. Revocation of Clearance: Citing Article 9 of the RSTP, PSAC rescinded the provisional clearance, arguing it was misused to facilitate an international transfer without the club’s consent.
2. Mandatory Reconciliation: Echeta was instructed to return to Rivers United to negotiate a mutual contract termination so the club could “benefit from his economic rights.”
3. Financial Penalties: The player was fined N5 million for “gross misconduct and misrepresentation,” along with an additional N1 million payable to the NFF for allegedly breaching trust.
Confusion Breaks the Bone
Legal experts point to the existence of two conflicting rulings of equal legal weight as a glaring flaw that now complicates enforcement and undermines the integrity of the arbitration body.
More troubling is that the latest judgment was issued in the absence of one party, a breach of basic principles of fair hearing.
A Precedent of Chaos
The fallout from this case could be seismic for Nigerian football’s dispute resolution framework.
By overturning its own decision without proper procedure or jurisdiction, the PSAC may have set a dangerous precedent, where settled cases could be re-opened without cause or due process.
“This is not just a misstep, it’s a collapse of credibility,” said a legal analyst who asked not to be named. “You cannot act as judge and appellate court on the same matter. It’s unheard of.”
The Unanswered Question
As stakeholders try to make sense of this stunning reversal, one critical question lingers:
What changed between December 2024 and March 2025 to prompt this legal about-face?
Was there external pressure? Political influence? Or internal interference from powerful actors within the football ecosystem?
Whatever the cause, the PSAC’s credibility now hangs in the balance. Once seen as a bastion of fairness, the committee’s integrity is now under intense scrutiny, and unless this decision is reviewed.
Nigerian football risks descending into an era where justice is neither predictable nor guaranteed.
Sports247.com
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