NFF to withdraw club licences for match fixing

THE Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) said it would withdraw the licence of any football club involved in match fixing in the country.

The NFF President, Ibrahim Gusau gave stated this at the opening of the Nigeria National League (NNL) Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Jos on Friday.

Gusau was represented by Margaret Icheen, a member of the NFF Executive Board.

He said that anyone who dents the image of the game would be decisively dealt with according to the laws guiding the game.

The president said that he would do everything possible, to project activities of NNL and indeed football in Nigeria.

He said that NNL being the bedrock of football in the country, its standards  must not be compromised for anything.

“And once the foundation is laid very well, we’ll have a quality premier league in Nigeria.

“It is not going to be business as usual where clubs buy matches for their clubs to be promoted.

“The referees have been trained on what to do, the coaches have been trained, the match commissioners also have been trained, anyone who does anything wrong will lose his licence.

“If you have enough resources to buy matches, you better make your players comfortable so that they can produce a better result for your club.

READ ALSO:

• PDP rejects Kaduna tribunal’s judgment, heads to Appeal Court

• Russia-Ukraine war : Putin meets former Wagner commander, Andrei Troshev

• Impeachment: Ganduje sets up committee to address crisis in Ondo

“NFF is ready to do that which will bring back the good name of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) and the NNL for the good of the country,’’ he added.

Gusau wished the delegates a wonderful deliberation that would yield positive results that would impact positively on the nation’s football.

The NNL Chairman, George Aluo said that the present board of the league was constituted to make the league more viable, more competitive, more attractive to sponsors and professionally driven.

Aluo said that the onerous task requires the cooperation of all football stakeholders particularly the management of NNL clubs.

The chairman stated that the board was committed to ensuring that clubs get value for their investment, adding that for such to come to fruition, a symbiotic relationship was required.

“The present leadership of the NNL under my leadership hereby states our resolve to work with all stakeholders to move the game of football forward.

“We are open to constructive criticisms and advice that will come for the fountain of your indispensable knowledge of football administration.

“No football league world-wide can strive without huge financial investment. Collectively we shall work to secure reputable sponsors/partners for the NNL,’’ he added.

He said that the date and format of the league would be made public at the end of the AGM.

NFF to withdraw club licences for match fixing

(NAN)

Nigeria’s Sports Minister ‘intervenes’ in Osimhen, Amusan’s cases

Minister of Sports Development, Sen John Enoh, said he has started making efforts to resolve the issue between Nigeria’s Super Eagles forward, Victor Osimhen and his Italian club side, Napoli.

Recall that Osimhen was mocked in a TikTok video by Napoli’s official following his penalty miss against Bologna in a goalless match days ago.

Osimhen exhibited frustration twice when he was substituted by his manager, Rudi Garcia, and also removed all of Napoli’s pictures from his Instagram account.

The sports minister said he was sad over the issue, saying he had made contact with Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar and the Nigerian ambassador to Italy, Mfawa Abam, to resolve the matter.

Enoh made this known on his X account on Thursday, adding that he also contacted Nigerian celebrated athlete, Tobi Amusan, last week.

READ ALSO:

• Fuel scarcity looms as NUPENG directs members to shut down supply operations

• I was offered N3m to frame Mohbad’s wife – Uche Maduwagwu

• [BREAKING] Subsidy: You can’t go on strike, FG writes NLC, TUC

BREAKING : Napoli issue official statement in response to Osimhen’s ‘mockery’

Serie A champions, Napoli, have issued official statement over alleged mockery of Nigeria international Victor Osimhen for missing a penalty on Sunday.

The club in a statement on Thursday said it never intended to mock Osimhen, saying it valued the player.

“Calcio Napoli, wishing to avoid any exploitation of the issue, point out that we never wanted to offend or mock Victor Osimhen, who is a treasure of this club.

“As proof of that, during the summer training retreat, the Club firmly rebuffed every offer that was received for the striker’s transfer abroad.

“Social media, in particular TikTok, has always used an expressive form of language with a light heart and creativity, without wanting to, as in the case with Osimhen as protagonist, have any intention of insult or derision

READ ALSO:

• Protesting workers allegedly lock up Minister Umahi inside his office

• NLC denies having agreement with FG to suspend strike

• Breaking! Tribunal Sacks Kaduna Governor, Uba Sani

“In any case, if Victor perceived any offence towards him, this was not what the club intended, ” Napoli said.

Newstrends reports that Osimhen, who was the club’s top scorer last season as the Parthenopeans won the Scudetto after three decades, missed the penalty that denied Napoli a chance to win all three points against Bologna on Sunday.

And with just four minutes to the end of the game, the Super Eagles striker was substituted for Giovanni Simeone.

Not happy with the substitution, Osimhen expressed his anger at Napoli coach Rudi Garcia as he walked away to the bench.

Osimhen has since sent his apologies to the coach and his teammates over his action but on Tuesday, the official TikTok of the team, which had posted a video three days ago referring to Osimhen as a coconut head, posted another video trolling the Nigerian for missing the penalty against Bologna.

BREAKING : Napoli issue official statement in response to Osimhen’s ‘mockery’