Local News

Big Weekend: Man City v Chelsea, Ivan Toney v Liverpool, David Moyes, Palace palaver

A 4-4 draw prompted the usual recency bias around the best-ever debate, but it was undeniably classic Barclays. Are Chelsea equipped to offer a similar performance at the Etihad?

They would be going there in a far more dour mood were it not for a couple of added-time goals at Crystal Palace on Monday night. Chelsea fans left Selhurst Park belting out Bob Marley but they know they could just as likely as not be departing the Etihad on the back of a 6-0 shellacking.

Because City are doing what City do: grinding through the gears as business time gets ever closer. The Treble winners are on an 11-match winning run just as Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland are getting back into their groove. Don’t worry about a thing, you say? Tell that to Mauricio Pochettino if those two are let loose and in the mood.

But City are not perfect. Defensively, they give up chances. Chelsea have to break a terrible habit and make sure they are ready to take them.

Team to watch: Crystal Palace
Initially, we suggested Sheffield United as the team to watch this weekend to see if they had any intention of mounting an unlikely survival push by building on last week’s win at Luton. But all eyes will be on Palace this weekend after a strange – and worrying – few days at Selhurst Park.

Here’s what we know as we write: Roy Hodgson was taken ill at Palace training on Thursday. Apparently, the episode left some players shaken, and though reports suggest he is doing well in hospital, details are, understandably, thin on the ground. Above anything else this weekend, we hope Roy recovers as fast as possible.

Secondary to that, all of this leaves Palace in a pickle of their own making. Before Hodgson was taken ill while taking training, just before a press conference he was set to host, it seems he was to be sacked and replaced by Oliver Glasner. The former Eintracht Frankfurt manager has reportedly agreed a two-and-a-half-year contract to take over the Eagles.

Now what do Palace do? They travel to Everton on Monday night for what has become a massive game at the foot of the table, towards where Palace are plummeting. Glasner’s appointment was intended to halt that slide. But the Eagles have to be seen to do right by Roy, even if it is too little too late for his reign.

Player to watch: Ivan Toney
Neither Toney nor Brentford were coy about the striker’s desire to make up for lost time when he returned to action following his eight-month ban and no-one has tried to hide the fact that, barring major surprise or catastrophe, the Bees’ biggest asset will be on his way in the summer. Brentford already appear to have signed his replacement.

Toney, though, has plenty to do in the meantime. Firstly, remove any doubts his suitors may have over his value – three goals in four games have taken care of that so far – and, secondly, impress upon Gareth Southgate his worth to England at the European Championships.

Southgate took some convincing over Toney before his ban and he’ll need to see more evidence before he inks the striker’s name on his squad list. So Toney will be gasping to ruffle Virgil van Dijk’s feathers when the Bees host Liverpool.

Toney rates Van Dijk as one of the best defenders – hardly a controversial shout – and he’s yet to score in three appearances against his boyhood club. There won’t be many better opportunities to catch the eye this season than putting that right on Saturday lunchtime.

Manager to watch: David Moyes
The West Ham manager has rarely, if ever, been more than five games from losing the Hammers fans, so it can hardly come as a surprise to anyone that a seven-game winless run has seen the tide turn against him once more.

The fact that run was prolonged by a six-goal humping by Arsenal made it inevitable that Moyes would come under pressure once more. Conceding half a dozen at home is bad enough – only once in the club’s history have they done that before – but the way they gave up those goals suggested there was more to it than simply a bad day at the office.

When a Moyes team offers no fight, no intent to close down and no desire to defend,the manager is in bother. Now it is a matter of how he chooses to respond at Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon.

Moyes doesn’t have many options – and he has even fewer than before the transfer window. Kalvin Phillips could come in to a midfield overrun by Arsenal but is anyone convinced the loanee is ready to make a difference after so long on Manchester City’s sidelines?

It is hard to think of a player more badly missed by anyone this season than Lucas Paqueta, who remains injured, while Moyes’ forwards aren’t likely to receive service from wingers since the Hammers barely have enough.

Most West Ham fans were long gone by the time the Irons were put out of their misery by the final whistle last week. At Forest, Moyes won’t get off as lightly unless there is a defiant response.

EFL game to watch: West Brom v Southampton
Three of the Championship’s top five are on the box this weekend, with Leeds tasked with going to Plymouth for a 12:30pm kick-off on Saturday afternoon, by which time Southampton might have bundled them out of the automatic promotion spots.

To do that, Saints will have beat a West Brom side sat snuggly in fifth, unable to move up and in no danger of falling amid the gaggle of play-off chasers. Just one point separates sixth and tenth, and the Baggies are bursting to keep a safe distance from that chaos.

Saints, for the first time in 25 matches, must bounce back from a defeat after Bristol City ended the unbeaten run that has powered Russell Martin’s side into promotion contention. Martin will have spent the time since working on a defence which has shipped six in their last two matches. Prior to that, they conceded the same amount over 13 games.

European game to watch: VFL Bochum v Bayern Munich
Bayern were one of the subjects of last weekend’s game to watch and we make no apologies for focusing on them again after two defeats in a week intensified the sense of crisis in Bavaria. And, frankly, there’s not much else going on across the continent this weekend.

Thomas Tuchel is in a spot of bother. Last week, in the crucial top-of-the-table clash with Bayer Leverkusen, he took a gamble on a new formation and it backfired spectacularly. At Lazio in the Champions League last-16 first leg, he went back to Bayern basics with a 4-2-3-1. That didn’t pay either.

Local News

NDSF: Igali Hails Champions Team Bayelsa

Bayelsa State Commissioner for Sports Development, Honourable Daniel Igali, has praised Team Bayelsa for their exceptional triumph at the inaugural Niger Delta Sports Festival, held in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital — where they emerged overall champions, finishing ahead of Delta and Edo States.

In a statement personally signed on behalf of the Governor of Bayelsa State, His Excellency Senator Douye Diri, Igali lauded the team’s fierce determination and excellence, which led to an impressive haul of 86 medals — 42 gold, 29 silver, and 15 bronze.

“Our athletes ran, swam, wrestled, paddled, and fought their way into history,” Igali declared. “From the thunder on the tracks to the brilliance on the mats and in the water, Bayelsa’s sons and daughters showcased the new, unstoppable spirit of our state — proud, prepared, and poised for greatness.”

“On behalf of His Excellency Governor Douye Diri, I say welcome home, champions! Thank you for making Bayelsa the pride of the Niger Delta at this historic maiden edition of the festival. You stood tall at the centre of a region redefining its future — a future beyond oil, driven by talent, hard work, and excellence.”

He continued: “To the Director of Sports, Braveman Wodi, our dedicated coaches, technical staff, secretaries, media team, and every single athlete who gave their all — you have etched your names into gold. We celebrate you. You have made us proud.”

Igali, however, reminded the team to stay grounded and focused as the journey continues: “While we revel in this remarkable achievement, our eyes must now turn to the bigger challenge ahead — the National Sports Festival, Gateway 2025, in Ogun State. It’s time to rest, recover, and prepare to raise the bar once again.”

Delta and Edo States finished second and third respectively, with Delta securing 41 gold, 26 silver, and 32 bronze medals, while Edo claimed 23 gold, 35 silver, and 31 bronze medals.

Bayelsa has spoken — and the message is clear: this is only the beginning.

Local News

As curtain falls on NDSF, NDDC weighs return in 2027

After six days of sporting contests, the curtain was partially drawn on the Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF) with finals in football, athletics and wrestling.

For the close to 3,000 athletes who made it to Uyo with their respective states, it’s possibly an experience they will live with even if they drop out of sports as a career in the future.

This was succinctly captured by Alabo Boma Iyaye, Chairman of the NDSF Main Organising Committee (MOC) when he addressed the media shortly after the rounding off meeting of the organising body.

“This festival has provided opportunity for bonding among youths of our region, memories that they will carry all their lives. We are happy at NDDC to have made this platform available,” Iyaye has remarked.

For a festival that took off with all the trappings of a carnival on the opening night, the closing is not expected to be less of a spectacle.

Dunamis Icon Limited, the festival project managers are expectedly retaining the services of Smile Global Entertainment, producers of the opening ceremony for an encore.

Brown Chinedu Wilfred, the Abia State born all-white dresser was all over the Uyo Township Stadium venue of the event, coordinating his team as they mounted exotic lights and high quality speakers.

“We are setting up differently from what we did on opening day but this time, it’s going to blow minds,” Wilfred boasted.

Itiako Ikpokpo, the Lead Consultant, told journalists that the festival objectives have been met but added, “We will surely put up a good show befitting all that was accomplished in attention to details we brought to organise this event. However, the real accomplishment will be achieved when we are able to groom discovered athletes to be on the podium in years ahead.”

Earlier, Iyaye had announced the decision of the MOC to recommend that the festival be a biennial event.

“We have received commendations from all over the country and the MOC reached a decision today to recommend to the NDDC Board that this festival should hold every two years,” said Iyaye who also is the Executive Director Finance and Administration at the NDDC. Present at the briefing and on hand to watch the final races was the Chairman of the NDDC Board, Chinedu Ebie.

David Akahalu anchored the Edo State 4×400 meters quartet to clinch the gold medal in the very last event that drew the curtains on the festival. That win, coming after Delta State girls took the gold in the 4x400m relay seem to have pushed Bayelsa State off the pinnacle of the medals table.

Local News

Uyo, Akwa Ibom To Host 11th Nigeria Pitch Award On 25 March

Organizers of the Nigeria Pitch Awards on Tuesday announced plans to host the 11th Award Ceremony after the FIFA World Cup Qualifier match between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Warriors of Zimbabwe on 25th March 2023 at the Four Points by Sheraton, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State.

In a statement, Mr Shina Philips, President of the awards stated that in addition to unveiling of winners for all award categories, two distinguished Nigerians would be honoured with the Special Achievement in Sports Award for their contributions to the development of sports in the country.

Alhaji Shehu Dikko, the Chairman of the National Sports Commission will be honoured for his contributions to the growth of sports in the country. Uptill 2011, he had served as a consultant to the sports committee in the Federal House of Representatives where he assisted in drafting the National Sports Commission bill in the National Assembly. He was also second Vice-President of the Nigeria Football Federation between 2014 and 2022.

Another distinguished Nigerian to be honoured at the 11th Award Ceremony is AIG Garba Baba Umar (rtd). In 2010, he served in an ad-hoc capacity as Chairman of NFF Security Committee at the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa and as Chief Detail of Team Nigeria to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. As Security Adviser to the Nigeria Football Federation, he has been involved with security and safety arrangements at stadia all over the country during matches involving the National Teams and Representative Clubs.

Other highlights of the 11th Award Ceremony include announcement of winners in 18 award categories. It will be noted that organizers unveiled nominees for the 11th edition of the awards on 20th February 2025 in Lagos.

Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, NFF President (M), Shina Philips, President of the Nigeria Pitch Awards (R) and Nelson Olafisoye also of the Nigeria Pitch Awards (L)

The King of the Pitch category will be a straight contest between Atalanta FC sensation, Ademola Lookman, Galatasaray FC Victor Osimhen and Al-kholood FC defender, William Troost Ekong. In the Queen of the Pitch category, Bay FC forward, Asisat Oshoala will square up against Paris FC goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie and Atlético de Madrid Femenino forward, Rasheedat Ajibade.

In the Football Friendly Governor of the Year category, Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, Pastor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State and Godwin Obaseki, former Edo State Governor who was in office from12 November 2016 to 12 November 2024 will compete for the crown.

Ademola Lookman of Atalanta FC is up against Victor Boniface of Bayer Leverkusen and Victor Osimhen of Galatasaray in the race for the Striker of the Year Award.

The battle for the Best Corporate Sponsor of Football Award will be between GTI Financial, MTN Nigeria and Bet9ja Limited.

Other categories to be decided are Goalkeeper of the Year, Defender of the Year, Midfielder of the Year, Team of the Year, Coach of the Year, Sam Okwaraji Award, Sportsmanship Award, State with the Best Grassroots Football Development Programme, Football Pitch of the Year and Football Journalist of the Year Awards.

Mr. Philips expressed organizers’ gratitude to the President and entire management team of the Nigeria Football Federation for their support and partnership since the awards began in 2013.