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D’Tigers AfroBasket crisis: B’ball players lament unfair treatment

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Basketball players have lamented the controversy surrounding D’Tigers’ trip to Tunisia for the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket qualifiers window, saying it’s a reflection of how they’ve been poorly treated by the Nigeria Basketball Federation.

There was anxiety among basketball stakeholders on Wednesday after the NBBF announced that former African champions D’Tigers had been withdrawn from the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket qualifiers, which begins today in Tunisia.

According to a release by the NBBF, the withdrawal from the qualifiers was due to the inability of the Ministry of Sports to provide the federation with the needed funds for the trip.

A few hours later, the federation again said it was making last-minute attempts for D’Tigers to participate in the tournament.

“The federation is aiming to finalise a roster and gather funds in time to play AfroBasket qualifiers,” a post read on the D’Tigers X handle.

The PUNCH has, however, gathered that the team arrived in Tunisia Thursday ahead of the qualifiers.

Some basketball players, who spoke with The PUNCH , said they weren’t surprised by the NBBF’s statement, adding that they had been unfairly treated over the years.

Former First Bank player, Theresa Dangosu, said, “At this point in time, there’s nothing to be shocked about when it concerns basketball because of the type of leadership we have in the NBBF, and we can also extend it to the country as a whole.

“The main focus has always been placed on football, as though there aren’t other sports in Nigeria.

“Our women D’Tigress won their fourth consecutive AfroBasket, there weren’t any encomiums from the government to them, they just qualified for the Olympics, and still everyone is silent.

“Even with how badly everyone said the Super Eagles performed at the AFCON and came second against hosts, Ivory Coast, they still got welcomed, celebrated and given honours, awards, lands and money.”

She added, “I think we all know where the priorities of the Nigerian government lie when it comes to sports.

“And can you blame the government? No, because we have a failed system in the NBBF, people who cannot go to the government with the needs of the federation because of how much they’ve abused those privileges in the past. This is a clear case of incompetence because what does an incompetent body do? Blame everyone every time for their failures, nothing is ever their fault.

“This is where we are in the affairs of governance with the NBBF and the country as a whole, so nothing surprises me again.”

Marilyn Ogoigbe, who plays for First Bank basketball club, said NBBF officials cared less about the players.

She said, “About this, I’m not surprised at all, I mean the people in charge don’t care about players, they are all about themselves.

“A tournament they ought to have prepared for and they decided to withdraw days before jump ball because of lack of funds. What’s the ministry doing about it? I mean they were able to sponsor the Super Eagles to AFCON, why is basketball always different?”

Former Rivers Hoopers star Austin Akpejiori, who now features for Tunisian side Union Sportive El Ansa, said he was left embarrassed after the NBBF announced they had withdrawn D’Tigers form the tournament.

“Truth is I wasn’t shocked, I was embarrassed. How low can we get as a basketball community? The federation keeps staining our white.”

It is not the first time that paucity of funds has threatened D’Tigers’ participation in a major basketball tournament.

In 2019, the team nearly missed out on featuring in the 2019 FIBA World Cup until a late intervention by the then Muhammadu Buhari-led government.

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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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