Local News

AFN Board: “Resolve your in-fighting or face Consequences from Congress”

Chairman Gombe State AthIetics Association Hon. Ahmed Shuaibu Gara Gombe has tasked the Board of the AthIetics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) to amicably resolve lingering issues among members before its too late.

Gombe who stated this in a Press Statement, said, Members of the AFN Congress have taken keen interest in the in-fighting going on among AFN Board Members and wants it resolved in the interest of AthIetes and other Stakeholders.

The statement reads thus:
“We members of Congress of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria have been most tolerant with the Board, as at today, the Board have placed the entire federation into Moral and Credibility Crisis.
We (Congress) have kept quiet not because we don’t know what to do, not because we are cowards, not because we don’t know our authority but we tried to give peace a chance to see if the Board could retract its steps but the more we look the other way, the more the Board’s in-fighting continues unabated”.

Hon. Gara Gombe insisted that should the AFN Board delay in fixing itself, there would be consequences of unimaginable magnitude from Congress members.

“The stinking smell of corruption, lack of accountability, transparency, unity, Good governance oozing out from the Board of AFN is not only unimaginable but unprecedented. Very soon we (Congress) will give the Board an ultimatum to fix all these mess going on among themselves, failure to do that will amount to a unified and sustained revolt from the Congress in view of taking back our Federation.
“Be inform that not all Congress members the board can influence or throw crumbs at. Many of us are well established and comfortable.
We all know how some of us became Board Members, we also know your contributions to Athletics or lack of it but above all, we are the Congress and Authority lies with us.
Those who have ears let them hear” Gombe concludes.

In recent times, the AFN board has been bedeviled by lingering issues such that some aggrieved members have accused the AFN leadership of over-protecting the federation’s Secretary General Rita Mosindi who was allegedly indicted in AFN special report to have mismanaged the federation’s funds.
Again, the alleged mismanagement of AFN sponsorship funds for which the AFN Helmsman Chief Tonobok Okowa withdrew N40 million as funds loaned to the federation also raised some dust.
Hon. Gara Gombe is therefore, demanding quick resolution of these issues before it begins to affect set goals of the federation.

He avarred that the Unity of AFN members must be firstly restored, the protection Mrs. Mosindi is enjoying from the Sports Minister and AFN President must be withdrawn for her to face the alleged financial misconduct leveled against her by the AFN Special Panel Report

Local News

Fresh Details Emerge As CAF Announces Dates For AFCON Draw

The Confederation of African Football have announced the draw for the 2025 AFCON finals will be held on January 27 in Rabat, Morocco.

The draw dates were announced following a CAF executive committee meeting held yesterday in the North African country.

The meeting was followed by a gathering of the 54 CAF member associations to discuss the development of football in Africa, including strengthening partnerships with governments, FIFA, other confederations, and the private sector. CAF president Patrice Motsepe revealed the opening match of the 2025 AFCON finals will be played on December 21, 2025, and the final on January 18, 2026.

The qualifiers for the AFCON tournament were concluded last month with 24 countries securing qualification for the tournament.

Zimbabwe qualified for the AFCON finals last month as runners-up of Group J of the qualifiers, won by Cameroon.

The Warriors will be making a sixth appearance at the tournament, having missed the previous edition due to a FIFA suspension.

However, the Warriors will be among the unseeded teams due to their low ranking. Zimbabwe are currently ranked 121 in the world, having dropped four places last month.

Along with neighbours Botswana, they are currently the two least ranked teams among the 24 nations that qualified for the 2025 AFCON finals.

The next rankings will be released on Thursday this week. The CAF committee also outlined schedules for key youth and women’s football tournaments, including the Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be hosted by Morocco in March-April 2025, and the Under-20 edition set for Cote d’Ivoire in April-May. Other major competitions in the packed calendar, including the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup, also had their final match dates confirmed, with decisive games planned for May and June 2025.

CAF Key dates:

U17 Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025: The opening match will be played on Sunday, 30 March 2025; the final match will be played on Saturday, 19 April 2025.

U20 Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2025 – The opening match will be played on Saturday, 26 April 2025; the final match will be played on Sunday, 18 May 2025.

CAF Confederation Cup 2024-25: Final, First Leg will be played Saturday, 17 May 2025; Final, Second Leg will be played Sunday, 25 May 2025

CAF Champions League 2024-25: Final, First Leg will be played Saturday, 24 May 2025; Final, Second Leg will be played Sunday, 1 June 2025

CAF Women’s Champions League 2025: The opening match will be played on Saturday, 8 November 2025; the final match will be played on Sunday, 23 November 2025.

Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025: The opening match will be played on Sunday, 21 December 2025; the final match will be played on Sunday, 18 January 2026.

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Local News

Tijani Babangida To Represent PFAN On National Sports Commission Board

In a communique signed and released by Chairman of PFAN Board of Trustees, Comrade Harrison Jalla, the President of the Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria (PFAN), Comrade Tijani Babangida (MON), has been nominated by the PFAN Board of Trustees (BOT) to represent the association on the National Sports Commission (NSC) Board.

This nomination, according to PFAN, aligns with Section 2 of the National Sports Commission (Establishment) Act 2023.

At a meeting held on Saturday, 23rd November 2024, the PFAN BOT, made two significant decisions:

1. Extension of Leadership Tenure: The BOT unanimously agreed to extend the tenure of the Tijani Babangida led Executive Council.

2. NSC Board Representation: Tijani Babangida was chosen as the PFAN representative on the National Sports Commission Board.

These decisions are, however, subject to ratification by the PFAN Congress.

The BOT also advised the PFAN Executive Council, to reach out to aggrieved members and unify the players’ union under one umbrella, in line with the standard practice in other countries.

It also deliberated about the ongoing efforts and legal challenges. The PFAN BOT emphasized that the next critical phase involves securing representation on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Board, Congress, and Sub-Committees. These slots, are currently subject to the ongoing case at the Federal High Court in Abuja, which seeks equal and proportional representation.

The BOT also assured stakeholders that representation on the NFF Board, would strictly be based on merit.

Local News

Int’l Friendly: Gusau, Sanusi, Falode To Cheer Super Falcons Against Les Bleues

The President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, as well as Chairman of the NFF Women’s Football Committee, Ms Aisha Falode and the General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi will be in the stands to cheer the Super Falcons in Saturday’s international friendly match against the Les Bleues of France in Angers.

The match comes up inside the 18,000 -capacity Stade Raymond Kopa – home ground of Ligue 1 side Angers SCO, and which was opened in 1912 and renovated seven years ago.

Madugu and his charges are set to have the official training session at the match venue on Friday evening, with the Coach robbed of a defender following injury to Turkey-based dependable centre-back Oluwatosin Demehin.

Both teams last clashed nearly five-and-half years ago, when the Super Falcons needed a result to progress to the Round of 16 at the FIFA Women’s World Cup finals. Hosts France edged the tie by the odd goal, after Wendie Renard’s twice-taken penalty kick with 11 minutes left on the clock. The defeat notwithstanding, the Super Falcons made the Round of 16 as results in another pool weighed in their favour, while France finished top of their group with the maximum nine points from three matches.

On Saturday night, Madugu will have to decide which of England-based Rofiat Imuran and home-girl Sikiratu Isah will pair veteran Osinachi Ohale at the heart of the defence, with Michelle Alozie and returning Ashley Plumptre expected to man the wing-back positions. Madugu may also decide to use another home-girl, Shukurat Oladipo in her accustomed centre-back position.

Portugal-based Christy Ucheibe, England-based Toni Payne and France-based Jennifer Echegini (who scored Nigeria’s only goal at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in France this summer) are available in the middle, alongside home-based professionals Adoo Yina and Josephine Mathias.

At the fore, with Captain Rasheedat Ajibade also not in Angers as a result of injury, much will be expected of the Spain-based duo of Gift Monday and Rinsola Babajide, with home -girl Mercy Omokwo, as well as Egypt-based Blessing Nkor and France-based Ifeoma Onumonu, also available.