19th AAC: Team Nigeria will top with 12 gold--Alli

COORDINATOR of Team Nigeria's track and field team to the 19th African Athletics Championships, Marrakesh 2014,  which begins on Sunday in Morocco, Yusuf Alli, has expressed optimism that Nigeria will successfully defend the title it won two years ago in Benin Republic.
Speaking at the team's hotel, Golden Tulip, Rawabi, Morocco after the athletes' training session, the Auckland 1990 Commonwealth Games gold medallist said Marrakesh 2014 is coming at the right time when Nigeria's athletes are in perfect conditioning.
"After studying the entries and looking at our strength and those of our competitors, I'm confident that we will win this championship with about 11 or 12 gold medals," he said.
Alli dismissed fears on the weather condition the athletes will battle with in the north African country.
"I don't think so, I have been there before and I have done it at this level, the weather will not affect us, this is our weather, and our success in Glasgow will serve as morale booster for this championship, we must not forget that the African Championships is a step down compared to the Commonwealth Games," said the former international long jumper.
The national record holder in the long jump with 8.27 metres believes Team Nigeria has what it takes to dominate the sprints, hurdles, quater-mile, relays and the jumps.
"Our athletes are highly motivated and we are ready to go, there are no injuries concern and the athletes are well behaved, With respect to our competitors, I can say this is our championship. I know South Africa is here with a strong team, ditto Egypt, Algeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, and even hosts Morocco, since this championships also serves as the qualifier for the IAAF Athletics World Cup also slated for Marrakesh next month.
"I am confident we will overcome all the oppositions to be crowned the champion of Africa again," said the former Nigeria's captain to 1984 and 1988 olympic Games.
Team Nigeria will parade the likes of the Golden Girl, Blessing Okagbare, Gloria Asumnu, Ese Brume, Dominique Duncan, Mozavous Edwards, Merk Jelks, Regina George and Ogho-Oghene Egwero,
among others at the biennial Games.
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Caption: Dominique Duncan, one of Nigeria's athletes vying for honours at Marrakesh 2014.

Marrakesh 2014:

REIGNING double gold medallist at the just-ended 20th Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, will on Sunday lead Team Nigeria to begin medal haul as the 19th African Athletics Championships kick off in Marrakesh, Morocco.
Blessing Okagbare, who won the 100m and 200m titles at Glasgow 2014 in 10.85 seconds and 22.25 seconds respectively, will alongside Gloria Asumnu, and Lawretta Ozoh compete with Africa's best for places in the semi-finals of the women's 100m.
However, the Delta State-born Okagbare has opted out of the 200m leaving the trio of Gloria Asumnu, Regina George and Dominique Duncan in contention against their fellow Africans.
Mark Jelks, Mozavous Edwards and Ogho-Oghene Egwero who were also at Glasgow 2014 will represent Nigeria in the men's 100m event with finalists scheduled to emerge on Sunday.
On Sunday afternoon, Ameachi Morton and Miles Ukaoma will hoist Nigeria's flag in the men's 400m hurdles as Samson Idiata and Hammed Suleiman will compete in the qualifying rounds of the men's long jump.
Stephen Mozia and Augustine will also battle with their counterparts from South Africa, Egypt, Algeria and the host, Morocco in the men's shot put.
The early rounds of the 100m hurdles is also stated for Sunday as Queen Obisesan will compete in the women's hammer event.
On Monday morning, Glasgow 2014 gold medallist, Ese Brume and Amadi Chinazom will compete for
places in the final of women's long jump slated for Tuesday.
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Caption: Blessing Okagbare going for the 100m gold at Marrakesh 2014.

NNL Week 23 and Nigeria Premier League Week 22 results

Nigeria National League Week 23 results
Group A

Kwara Utd        1 Jigawa Stars       0
Sokoto Utd       1 FRSC                0
Ranchers Bees  3 Niger Tornadoes 1
TEAP               1 Wikki Tourists    0
Spotlight           2 Adamawa Utd   0
Kogi Utd          3 Ngr Prisons       2
DSS FC           3 Mighty Jets        1
Supreme Court 2 Plateau Utd       1

Group B
MFM, Lagos        1 Prime FC              0
Ekiti Utd              1 Bendel Insurance   0
Akwa Starlets       2 COD Utd, Lagos   0
Shooting Stars      2 Abia Comets          0
Gabros                 3 Go-Round FC        0
Firstbank              2 Gateway Utd          1
ABS                      2 Stationery Stores   0
UNICEM Rovers  p  Remo Stars          p
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Nigeria Premier League Week 22

Bayelsa Utd          0 Gombe Utd             1
Heartland             1 Crown FC                0
Abia Warriors      2 El-Kanemi Warriors  0
Rangers               1 Enyimba                    1
Giwa FC             1 Dolphins                     1
Warri Wolves      1 Nembe City                0
FC Taraba          2 Kaduna united            0
Sunshine Stars    3 Kano Pillars                0
Akwa United      0 Nasarawa Utd            0
Lobi Stars           1 Sharks                        0

No animosity over Crown's exit--Akpokona

SUSPENDED Technical Adviser of Crown FC, Lawrence Akpokona has described the indefinite suspension slammed on him by the management of the Nigeria Premier League side as unfair, just as he said has taken the decision in good faith.
Akpokona believed to be on a monthly salary of N750,000 was relieved of his duty following Wednesday's 0-1 home loss to visiting Lobi Stars at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan in a Week 21 game, as the management attributed its decision to the spate of poor results posted by the Ogbomoso-based team.
The former coach of Dolphins of Port Harcourt however, said he did his best to handle a demoralised team that is battling with unpaid backlog of players salaries and match bonuses.
"I don't think it was the wise thing to do by the management, even after they have failed to motivate these players properly to perform well. The management considered the decision to suspend me as the best option for the club in moving forward, but I have tried my best and I have no regrets whatsoever," said the man who coached Bendel Insurance FC to win both the defunct WAFU and the CAF Cup in 1994.
The former handler of Julius Berger, Rangers and Enyimba further stated that his suspension did not come to him as a surprise.
"To start with, the home defeat to Lobi Stars informed why I have been suspended indefinitely but I have taken it in good faith. As a coach, you have to prepare for anything. As coaches, we always receive blame for the woes that befall our teams on and off the pitch," he said.
The Delta State-born tactician added that he will take some time off to get over his unceremonious exit from the side being managed by the Oyo State government.
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Globacom Premier League Week 22 fixtures, Sunday August 10

Giwa                        vs    Dolphins
Bayelsa Utd             vs     Gombe Utd
FC Taraba               vs    Kaduna Utd
Abia Warriors          vs    El-Kanemi Warriors
Sunshine Stars         vs    Kano Pillars
Lobi Stars               vs     Sharks
Heartland                vs     Crown
Akwa Utd               vs    Nasarawa Utd
Rangers                   vs    Enyimba
Warri Wolves          vs     Nembe City
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Caption: Coach Akpokona.

Crown/Lobi fallout: Referee Udoh is a killjoy-Ibadan fans

THE majority of fans who watched the Nigeria Premier League Week 21 game between Crown FC and Lobi Stars on Wednesday left the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan disappointed.
Reason: the 0-1 defeat suffered by the home team, Crown was believed to be a product of bias officiating of referee, Ferdinand Udoh.
Right from the blast of the whistle, the FIFA-badged referee from Akwa Ibom State. established firm control of the match but he however, on a number of occasions took decisions that were roundly condemned
from the terrace.
One of such occasions was when a player of Lobi Stars wrestled his opponent down, but Udoh instead warned the former to the chagrin of the spectators who followed the scene, as he also failed to award an infringement in favour of the homers as well.
The 52nd minute penalty kick he awarded to Lobi Stars which was converted by Moses Bunde, was equally believed to be an error of judgment, as the foul which resulted in the penalty appeal was committed on the edge of the box.
The match had to be temporarily suspended by Udoh as fans resorted to show displeasure with his officiating while the play resumed after after about six minutes of stoppage as the host FA quickly restored sanity.
After the final whistle, it took Udoh and his assistants time before they could leave the playing arena, as fans continued to pour vitriols on them for the woes that have befallen the home team.
"It's like this referee came here with a script which he played out to the letter. I mean, how can you be hostile to your host in the first instance? Right from the first half, he has expressed bias for the away team to win and this is not good for our football," lamented one of the fans.
Another soccer fan said: "My advice is that the Nigeria Referees Association should watch the match clip to know the extent of damage this referee has done to Nigerian football. He was far from the ball if not, the penalty kick he awarded was committed outside the box, they should go and watch the clip again".
Some of the fans who also spoke fumed that Nigerian football needs to be sanitised in terms of officiating.
"That is why our clubs don't always go far in the continental championships. The only way to grow our football is to encourage productivity by ensuring that every team wins on absolute merit. It is not also good for the image of Nigerian referees and that is why they don't assign them to handle international matches despite Nigeria's pedigree in international football," said a football analyst.
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Caption: Referee Udoh.

Globacom Premier League Week 21 results and table

Crown        0    Lobi Stars 1
Kano Pillars 3    Giwa FC    1
Dolphins     1    Heartland  0
Enyimba      2    Sunshine   0
Sharks       2    Bayelsa Utd 0
Nembe City   2    Rangers      1
Kaduna Utd   3    Abia Warriors  2
Gombe Utd    2    Akwa Utd    0
Nasarawa Utd 2    FC Taraba  0
El-Kanemi    2    Warri Wolves 0
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Globacom Premier League table at Week 21

     Teams                              P     W     D     L  GF   GA   GD   PTS
1    Kano Pillars                  21    10    7    4    33    21     12      37
2    Nasarawa Utd              21    10    4    7    23    17     06      34
3    Abia Warriors               21    10    3    8    30    23    07      33
4    Dolphins                       21    9    6    6    23    16       07      33
5    Sharks                          21    9    6    6    24    18      06       33
6    Enyimba                       21    9    5    7    20    13      07       32
7    Giwa FC                      21    9    4    8    21    19      02       31
8    Warri Wolves              21    9    4    8    22    21       01       31
9    Akwa Utd                   21    9    4    8    19    20      -1        31
10    Lobi Stars                  21    10    1    10    24    26   -2       31
11    Sunshine Stars            21    7    9    5    28    27      01       30
12    El Kanemi                  21    8    5    8    25    19     06        29
13    Taraba                       21    9    1    11    14    21    -7       28
14    Rangers                     21    8    3    10    27    25     02      27
15    Heartland                  21    6    9    6    19    18      01        27
16    Bayelsa Utd              21    8    3    10    25    32    -7         27
17    Kaduna Utd              21    7    3    11    19    26    -7        24
18    Crown FC                21    7    3    11    16    25    -9        24
19    Gombe Utd              21    6    5    10    23    24    -1        23
20    Nembe City              21    4    7    10    11    35    -24      19
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Glasgow 2014: Nigeria emerges Africa's 2nd best

As England tops with 174 medals

TEAM Nigeria finished with 11 gold, 11 silver and 14 bronze medals to place eighth on the final medals table at the 20th Commonwealth Games which ended on Sunday in Glasgow, Scotland.
Nigeria became the second best country from Africa at the Games after South Africa which finished seventh with 13 gold, 10 silver and 17 bronze medals.
Interestingly, Nigeria finished ahead of Kenya which placed ninth on the table with 10 gold, 10 silver and five bronze medals and Jamaica which placed 10th with 10 gold, four silver and eight bronze medals.
England topped the medals table after the 12-day event with 58 gold, 59 silver and 57 bronze medals ahead of Australia which amassed 49 gold, 42 silver and 46 bronze medals.
Team Canada followed with 32 gold, 16 silver and 34 bronze medals as Scotland placed fourth with 19 gold, 15 silver and 19 bronze medals. India with 15 gold, 30 silver and 19 bronze medals and New Zealand with 14 gold, 14 silver and 17 bronze medals placed fifth and sixth respectively. 
Meanwhile, the gold medallists for Team Nigeria at the Games were Blessing Okagbare who accounted for two golds and one silver; Ese Brume (women's long jump with a jump of 6.56m); Oluwatoyin Adesanmi (women’s 63kg weightlifting); Maryam Usman (women's Weightlifting +75kg); Odunayo Adekuoroye (women's 53kg freestyle wrestling); Aminat Adeniyi (women's 58kg freestyle wrestling); Esther Oyema (women's para-powerlifting up to 61kg); Loveline Obiji (women's para-powerlifting heavyweight class (from 61.1kg); Paul Kehinde (men's para-powerlifting lightweight (up to 72kg) and Abdulazeez Ibrahim (men's heavyweight (from 72.1kg).
It will be recalled that Nigeria's first gold medallist at the Games, Chika Amalaha after her heroics in the women's weightlifting 53kg where she set new games record 85kg in snatch and 196kg in total lift was
stripped of the medal by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) for using performance-enhancing substances.

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Caption: Nigeria's Golden Girl, Blessing Okagbare celebrates her golden moments at Glasgow 2014. She finished the Games with two gold and one silver medals.