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NPFL: Nasarawa State Govt Drums Support For Lobi Stars Ahead Abia Warriors Tie In Lafia

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In shared solidarity, the Nasarawa State Government has continued to show support to border neighbours, Benue State, as the latter State’s men’s football team, Lobi Stars, use the Lafia City Stadium for their 2023/24 Nigeria Premier Football League Season home games.

After receiving unprecedented support from indigenes and residents of the State a fortnight ago in Lobi’s 3-2 win over visiting Sunshine Stars of Akure in the NPFL match-day two clashes, the Nasarawa State’s Government continues to strengthen the bond that binds both States together with the surprise visit of the State’s Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Jafaru Ango, alongside other top Government functionaries to the evening training session of the “Yes Father” Boys, as Lobi Stars are nicknamed, at the Lafia City Stadium on Thursday ahead of their match-day four encounters against Abia Warriors FC on Saturday, 21st October 2023, in Lafia.

Addressing the team, the Commissioner, Jafaru Ango, said Nasarawa and Benue States share many things in common, including sports.

“Politics aside, Nasarawa and the Benue States are one. We were all together before the creation of States, and you can testify to this by the mixture of ethnicities and cultures that exist in both States; you find some of your people here, so also some of our people there, as well as the cultures.

“Recently, your State Governor, His Excellency, Hyacinth Alia, wrote a letter to our Governor, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, requested the release of the Lafia City Stadium to enable Lobi Stars to play their home games here, and the Governor graciously granted the request.

“Today, you have adopted the Lafia City Stadium as your home for the 2023/24 NPFL Season, the same place that our dear Clubs, Nasarawa United and Nasarawa Amazons use as their home ground.

“Ordinarily, one would have said the pressure would be much on the turf, but we are brothers, and we must be seen to be supporting each other to achieve our common goals.

“We want to see Lobi Stars succeed and even win the League on our turf, which would be historic, because not many teams could win the league on a make-shift venue, and we hope that that will spur our team, Nasarawa United, to return to the elite domestic football league.

“In your first home game here, some high-profile dignitaries from your State were here, including the Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, my friend, the Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Creativity, a House of Assembly Member, and other personalities, and I think they didn’t regret the reception they got from the Government and people of Nasarawa State.

“We are going to do more for Lobi Stars and Benue State here because a portion of our State’s Anthem talks about ‘passion, loyalty, peace and unity’.

“So, feel at home here; Nasarawa State is your home. We will continue to garner the needed support for the team and State to excel.”

Validating the position of the Commissioner, Permanent Secretary, Nasarawa State Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Chief Barr. Isaac Danladi said it was the shared bonds between the two States that made it possible for the allocation of the venue as the home ground for Lobi Stars.

He revealed that Benue State had shown similar solidarity to Nasarawa State when the Lafia City Stadium was undergoing renovation as both Nasarawa United and Nasarawa Amazons used the Aper Aku Stadium, Makurdi, for their home matches in the past, and had success in their various leagues.

Danladi noted that Benue State and her people have continued to close ties with Nasarawa State in myriads of ways, emphasizing the concrete relationship he has been enjoying with Lobi Stars’ Vice Chairman cum Chief Executive Officer, Dominic Iorfa, and other worthy Benue indigenes.

He wished the Club well in their sojourn in Nasarawa State, and hoped that the Benue State Government would speed up the completion of the renovation work at the Aper Aku Stadium in Makurdi.

Responding, Lobi Stars’ Captain, Daniel Atsaka, appreciated the Nasarawa State delegation for the visit.

He acknowledged that the support his team has been getting from their host State is the reason for their current performance in the league and would spur them to outperform their outings in the previous seasons.

He specifically commended the Permanent Secretary, Chief Barr. Isaac Danladi, for always checking up on the team to ensure everything is intact and in accordance with the mandate of the Club and League Organizers.

Other members of the Nasarawa State delegation included Rt. Hon. Shuaibu Sani(SSA to Governor Abdullahi Sule on Youth and Students’ Affairs), Comr. Hamza Moyi Awe(SSA to Governor Abdullahi Sule on Sports Affairs), Lawrence Shammah (Director, Sports Organizing), Mustapha Isa(Director, Administration and Supplies, Ministry of Youth and Sports Development), Abdul Yakubu Balarabe(Director, Finance and Accounts, Ministry of Youth and Sports Development), Haruna Viba(Director, Youth Development), Hajiya Hussaina Suleiman Nagogo(Chairperson, Nasarawa Amazons FC), Hajiya Fatima Yamusa(Head of Audit, Ministry of Youth and Sports Development) and Comr. Ja’afar Loko(Chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Nasarawa State Chapter).

The match between Lobi Stars versus Abia Warriors FC will be held at the Lafia City Stadium on Saturday, 21st October, 2023, by 4pm, with supporters and fans encouraged to troop out en masse to cheer the host team to victory.

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Super Eagles Midfielder Ndidi Pays Courtesy Visit To Sports Minister

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Super Eagles midfielder Wilfred Ndidi paid a courtesy visit to the office of the Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator

Super Eagles midfielder Wilfred Ndidi paid a courtesy visit to the office of the Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, on Wednesday, May 14, 2024.

Accompanied by his manager, Yahaya Atom, and Mr. Yemi Idowu, Ndidi engaged in discussions with the Sports Minister on various matters pertaining to Nigerian football.

During the visit, Senator Enoh extended his congratulations to Ndidi on Leicester City’s promotion to the English Premier League, acknowledging the midfielder’s contributions to the team’s success. He also took the opportunity to discuss the upcoming World Cup qualifying matches, scheduled to commence early next month.

The minister emphasized the importance of preparation and urged Ndidi to play a pivotal role in the Super Eagles’ quest to secure their place in the World Cup. He encouraged Ndidi to continue to exhibit the same level of dedication and skill that has made him a valuable asset to both club and country.

Also, Ndidi conveyed his appreciation to Senator Enoh, expressing gratitude for the minister’s undiluted support and commitment to the well-being of the Super Eagles team, particularly during the recent Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament. He commended Senator Enoh for the excellent care and assistance provided to the team throughout their campaign.

The meeting concluded on a positive note, with both Ndidi and Senator Enoh expressing optimism for the future of Nigerian football and pledging their continued support to the advancement of the sport in the country.

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Morgan slams ‘disgraceful’ Tottenham ‘idiots’ after Arsenal blow

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Television broadcaster and Arsenal supporter Piers Morgan has branded any Tottenham fan celebrating their 2-0 loss to Manchester City last

Television broadcaster and Arsenal supporter Piers Morgan has branded any Tottenham fan celebrating their 2-0 loss to Manchester City last night as ‘disgraceful idiots’ in a fierce rant.

In what was such a pivotal game for the title race, Spurs dealt their bitter rivals Arsenal a brutal blow as they handed Man City the top spot in the league table thanks to Erling Haaland’s second-half brace alongside Heung-min Son’s late missed chance that could’ve levelled the scoreline with just five minutes left.

Ange Postecoglou’s side could’ve still mathematically finished in the top four before last night’s clash, with them needing to overturn a five-point deficit to Aston Villa, but the result meant that Spurs were left in a position where they can now finish outside the top five on the final day of the season.

Even after the full-time whistle, supporters noticed a playful conversation between Pep Guardiola and Tottenham centre-back Cristian Romero, with the Man City boss finishing it off by playfully punching the Argentinian in the chest with a smile – a stark contrast to the post-match press conference of Postecoglou who appeared incensed on the touchline at a fan celebrating his side’s loss.

With emotions running high for all three teams, it was Morgan who summarised what many Arsenal fans have been claiming in the days leading up to the match, which saw Tottenham fans asking the club on social media to lose in order to derail Mikel Arteta’s side’s attempt at lifting their first Premier League trophy in over 20 years.

One of those fans was former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara, who took to watching the match in a Manchester City shirt during a live watch along on talkSPORT, in which he was also seen doing the poznan and singing Blue Moon.

Speaking to Ally McCoist and Alan Brazil on TalkSPORT’s Breakfast show the following morning, Morgan fumed: “Morning chaps. I’ll tell you what I can say [about the match], Jamie O’Hara and all the other little Spurs fans who were actually celebrating their team losing are possibly the most disgraceful bunch of tiny-club-mentality idiots I think world football has ever seen!

“I mean honestly, they were dancing around in celebration as Man City scored against them. O’Hara is wearing a City shirt and jumping around because it’s the closest thing they’ll ever get to winning anything in their tiny, godforsaken lives.

“It’s got to be the most embarrassing, humiliating, self-harming act of treachery I’ve ever seen and I really feel sorry [for them], because I’ve woken up this morning knowing how it feels to be a Spurs fan for a night and it’s horrible. I’ve woken up with a massive headache, I got hardly any sleep, I drank too much and I felt a sense of self-loathing which only disappeared when I remembered I was an Arsenal fan.

“Just to remind everyone, O’Hara was in the Arsenal academy before we got rid of him and sent him to Tottenham, that just shows his mentality. I do feel sorry for Ange Postecoglou because he’s an Australian, he doesn’t understand what it means to want to lose something in sport because losing is alien to them. Postecoglou has literally had to turn around in a massive game for them which could’ve helped them to qualify for the Champions League but no, there was a Tottenham fan behind him chanting throughout the game for him to throw the match.

“Postecoglou, because he’s a winner, turned around and had a go at him. What a moment for Tottenham fans, I mean, how can any of them live with themselves after watching that scene go down last night? They had a chance to try and make top four, they were the better team for 70 percent of that match against City but Son missed an absolute sitter and Arsenal aren’t heading for the Premier League on Sunday. I’m annoyed, I’m annoyed but I’m also ashamed, even more so than usual, of Spurs fans.”

 

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First Women’s Club World Cup to take place in 2026

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The inaugural Women’s Club World Cup will take place in January and February 2026, Fifa has confirmed. The 16-team tournament will be held

The inaugural Women’s Club World Cup will take place in January and February 2026, Fifa has confirmed.

The 16-team tournament will be held every four years and fall during the domestic season for European leagues, between the Women’s Champions League group stages and the knockout rounds.

The USA’s National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season usually begins in March.

Fifa announced its intention to create a global women’s club competition in December 2022 and a Fifa congress confirmed the plans on Wednesday in Bangkok.

Barcelona are the current European champions, NY Gotham FC the reigning NWSL champions and Brazilian side Corinthians are the holders of the Copa Libertadores Femenina.

The Fifa congress also approved a new international match calendar from 2026-29 with the aim of providing players with more opportunities for rest and recovery by reducing the number of international breaks from six to five.

“The women’s international match calendar and the subsequent amendments to our regulations represent an important milestone in our pledge to take the women’s game to the next level by enhancing competitiveness across the world,” said Fifa president Gianni Infantino.

The first edition of the expanded men’s Club World Cup tournament – which will also be staged every four years – is scheduled for next summer.

The Fifa congress is also set to vote for the host of the 2027 Women’s World Cup with Brazil up against a joint bid from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.

 

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