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Inter Miami making Messi work too hard – Coach, Martino

Inter Miami are expecting too much work from their Argentine star Lionel Messi, coach Gerardo Martino said on Friday, ahead of the team’s Florida derby clash with Orlando City.

Miami are unbeaten in their opening two games, with a home win over Real Salt Lake followed by a draw at the Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday.

But with a busy run of fixtures for club and country coming up for Messi this month, Martino says the team need to find a way to reduce the eight-times Ballon d’Or winner’s workload.

“I feel that in these last two matches, he has expended too much energy, and that is also my responsibility to make sure the team operates in a way that we can use him in the best way,” Martino told reporters.

Messi has been playing in a relatively free role, behind former Barcelona team-mate Luis Suarez, often floating deep to find the ball and then seeking to drive his team up the field.

It was Messi’s stoppage time goal that earned Miami a point at the Galaxy but Martino says the performance took a lot out of the 36-year-old.

“I’ve been discussing some things with him and what concerns me the most is the day-to-day and how he is recovering game by game. I feel that in these first two matches, we have relied on him too much, which has caused him significant fatigue in both games,” he said.

The former Argentina and Mexico national team coach said the team have to re-find a way to provide Messi service closer to goal.

“In the Leagues Cup game against Orlando (last season), he often found the ball in the final quarter of the field and was able to finish the play, he scored from inside the area. That’s what we need to get back to, the team finding him to make plays and sometimes finding him for the finishes,” he said.

Miami are hoping their latest Argentine signing, midfielder Federico Redondo will have his paperwork resolved in order to make his debut on Saturday.

 

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Niger Delta Sports Festival: Online Registration Portal Closes On Friday 28 Feb.

Technical Committee Co-Chairman of the Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF), Enefiok Udo-Obong has announced that the registration portal would be closed on February 28 as he urged State Liaison Committees to double their efforts at facilitating registration of athletes in their respective states. He hinted that there will be a reward for the state with highest entries.  
Udo-Obong spoke in a virtual review meeting of the Technical/Facilities Committee and the States Liaison members.
He also seized the opportunity to remind them of the eligibility rules, emphasising that, “the only eligibility criteria are being an indigene of a Niger Delta Development Commission state and being under 25 years of age”.
He disclosed that an exception to the age cap rule is for football and boxing where professionals and League players are not qualified to register.
“We excluded the Para Sports from the age cap, there is no age limit in those
sports. But Olympians who are under 25 years are eligible to participate”.
A cursory check on the registration data shows that more entries have been received for athletics, followed by football and Para athletics.
On a state by state registration scale, Delta State is ahead of the rest and are trailed by Ondo, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Edo states.
The Australia 2000 Olympics gold medalist in the 4x400m relay disclosed that he has secured the confidence of the Main Organising Committee (MOC) Co-Chairman, Itiako Ikpokpo for a reward to the top three states in the registration ladder.
The NDSF is the very first regional sports festival in the country and will hold in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State from April 1-9. The festival is sponsored by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for athletes indigenous to the nine mandate states of the Commission.
Over 3,000 athletes are expected to participate in 17 select sports.

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Federation Cup: GTI Thumbs Up NFF organisational Prowess, Lauds Clubs

 

 

Strategic partners to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on the President Federation Cup (PFC), GTI Asset Management and Trust Limited, has commended the high level of organisational prowess exhibited by the nation’s football-ruling body and the quality of competitiveness among clubs featuring in the ongoing 2024/2025 PFC competition.

 

According to GTI Head of Media and Publicity, Andrew Ekejiuba in Lagos on Friday, he commended all the clubs that registered for this year’s competition for exhibiting high level of discipline as the state finals are expected to be concluded this weekend. The contending teams are encouraged to uphold the spirit of Fair play.

 

“As it has been the tradition in the past, some of the big teams in this year’s edition have succumbed to the fire-power of the so-called minnows. In Abia State, a non-league club, Ahudiya Nnem FC, dumped out Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) club, Abia Warriors from this year’s edition. The Abiriba-based amateur side defeated Abia Warriors, last year’s national finalists 3-1 on penalties after the match ended one goal apiece in the regulation time in the semi-final decided at the Umuahia Township Stadium last week.

 

“Therefore, with the state finals slated for this weekend, fans are expected to look out for more surprises,” Ekejiuba said. “The PFC (formerly Federation Cup) is the oldest domestic football competition in Nigeria and GTI Group is committed to improving Nigerian football at all levels. We will continue to energise the competition as strategic partners to NFF and also make the competition more attractive.”

 

Meanwhile some finalists have emerged in the men and women categories for the PFC state finals to be decided this weekend. In Cross River State, Rovers United will be battling E World FC in the men’s final slated for E. J Esuene Stadium Calabar by 3pm on Saturday, while in Sokoto State, Sokoto United will square up against Sokoto North FC also in the men’s final on Sunday at Giginya Memorial Stadium Sokoto by 4pm.

 

From Rivers State, Rivers United will lock horns with Willbros FC in the men’s final game, while defending champions Rivers Angels will tackle Sporting Angels FC in the women’s final. Both matches will be played at Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt on Saturday, February 22, 2025.

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Organisers Unveil Nominees For 11th Nigeria Pitch Awards In Lagos

 

Nominees for the annual Nigeria Pitch Awards were unveiled at a Thursday ceremony in Lagos, southwest Nigeria. Expectedly, the nomination list is packed full of notable Nigerian footballers who have made significant impacts in their careers both for themselves and the nation in the year 2024.

Clubs, coaches, administrators, state governments and governors are not left out as the Nigeria Pitch Awards recognise, celebrate and honour those who have contributed in no small ways to the country’s football development.

President of the Nigeria Pitch Awards, Shina Phillips, told newsmen in Lagos at the BON Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos on Thursday, that the awards processes right from voting make it unique and standout, adding that “from inception, our intention was to create an award platform that has a unique character of its own; a character moulded by our core values of transparency, credibility and integrity. To achieve this, we have followed a carefully laid out award process which brings together a College of Voters comprising some of Nigeria’s most knowledgeable, experienced and professional sports journalists and an independent collation body. As organizers, we are very proud of and deeply appreciative of our College of Voters whose decisions year after year have shown them to be true and selfless patriots.

 

“The award process has been designed in such a way that it will not only be transparent but also sustainable. This is why the award process transcends organizers’ personal influence while putting the responsibility of deciding winners in the hands of professional journalists with many years of experience, knowledge and expertise in reporting and analysing football. We are sure that our College of Voters will always make the best possible decisions in the interest of our football. In the same vein, our independent vote collation body is a vastly experienced and professional player in Nigeria’s accounting and auditing sector. SIAO Partners which has over two decades of experience in accounting, prides itself as Nigeria’s largest indigenous professional services firm,” he said.

Representative of SIAO Partners, Oluwadare Ojelade further reiterated the integrity of the voting process, which he said gone through a painstaking independent and transparent process determined solely by the voters who are mainly sports editors, correspondents and reporters.

According to Ojelade, voting for the 11th Nigeria Pitch Awards began on 25 November 2024 and ended on 18 January 2025, while collation of the votes by the auditing firm, SIAO Partners, was done between 6-31 January when the nominees emerged.

FULL LIST OF THE NOMINEES

QUEEN OF THE PITCH

Rasheedat Ajibade                  Atlético de Madrid Femenino

Asisat Oshoala                        Bay FC

Chiamaka Nnadozie                Paris FC

 

 

KING OF THE PITCH

Victor Osimhen                        Galatasaray S.K

Ademola Lookman                     Atalanta BC

William Troost-Ekong                 Al-kholood FC

 

GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR

Maduka Okoye                                Udinese Calcio

Stanley Nwabali                              Chippa United

Kayode Bankole                              Remo Stars

 

DEFENDER OF THE YEAR

Ola Aina                                  Nottingham Forest FC

William Troost-Ekong              Al-kholood FC

Calvin Bassey                         Fulham FC

 

MIDFIELDER OF THE YEAR

Alex Iwobi                               Fulham FC

Frank Onyeka                         FC Augsburg

Wilfred Ndidi                           Leicester City FC

STRIKER OF THE YEAR

Victor Osimhen                              Galatasaray S.K

Victor Boniface                              Bayer 04 Leverkusen

Ademola Lookman                          Atalanta BC

 

TEAM OF THE YEAR

Remo Stars FC

Rangers International FC

Edo Queens

 

COACH OF THE YEAR

Moses Adukwu                        Edo Queens FC

Fidelis Ilechukwu                   Rangers International FC

Daniel Ogunmodede                Remo Stars FC

 

 

SAM OKWARAJI AWARD

Segun Odegbami                             Nigerian Ex-International

Ahmed Musa                                   Kano Pillars FC

Kunle Soname                                Bet9ja

 

STATE WITH THE BEST GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

Edo

Lagos

Delta

 

FOOTBALL PITCH OF THE YEAR

Remo Stars Stadium                              Remo, Ogun State

Mobolaji Johnson Sport Arena              Onikan, Lagos State

Godswill Akpabio Int’l Stadium             Uyo, Akwa Ibom State

 

FOOTBALL FRIENDLY GOVERNOR OF THE YEAR

His Excellency, Babajide Sanwo-Olu        Lagos State

His Excellency, Umo Eno                       Akwa Ibom State
His Excellency, Godwin Obaseki             Former Governor, Edo State

 

CORPORATE SPONSOR OF FOOTBALL AWARD

GTI Financial                                  Financial Services

MTN Nigeria                                    Telecom

Bet9ja                                             Sport Betting

 

 

SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD

George Aluo                            Chairman NNL

Hon. Kunle Soname                 Chairman, Remo Stars

Ahmed Musa                            Kano Pillars FC

FOOTBALL JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR – PRINT

Charles Diya                           New Telegraph

Abiodun Adewale                    Punch Newspapers

Johnny Edward                              The Nation Newspapers

 

FOOTBALL JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR – TV

Mozez Praiz                            Supersport

Blessing Nwosu                       Silverbird TV

Cecilia Omorogbe                   Channels TV

 

 

FOOTBALL JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR – RADIO

Micheal Obasi                         Hot FM Abuja

Chuma Nnoli                                   Nigeria Info FM

Olawale Adigun                               MainlandFM

Anthony Bekederemo                    Brila 88.9 FM

 

 

FOOTBALL JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR – ONLINE

Niyi Busari                              BSN Sports Concept

Samuel Ahmadu                      Savid News

Kunle Solaja                            Sports Village Square

 

 

 

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