FIFA rankings: Nigeria maintains 42nd spot

Nigeria has maintained its 42nd position in the latest world rankings released on Thursday by the world soccer-governing body, FIFA.

This came on the heels of the Super Eagles' inability to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to be staged in Equatorial Guinea.

Nigeria had in the October rankings moved to the 42nd best team in the world which it maintains in the latest rankings. 

The 2-0 victory of the Super Eagles in Point Noire over the Red Devils of Congo in the just-ended 2015 AFCON qualifying series, may have helped Nigeria to remain unmoved in the FIFA rankings albeit backward despite the 2-2 draw with South Africa in Uyo in the last AFCON qualifier.

Nigeria is now ranked ninth on the continent.

Algeria leads Africa with 948 points to occupy the 18th position in the world, while Tunisia  follows as second best on the continent and 22nd in the world,

Cote d’Ivoire places third in Africa with 842 points to occupy the 24th position in the world.

Germany, Argentina and Colombia occupy the first, second and third position respectively in the world as Brazil retains its sixth spot in the world.

GOtv will soon revive professional boxing in Nigeria--Joe Lasisi

FORMER African light heavyweight champion Joe Lasisi has described the introduction of GOtv Boxing Night as the best thing to have happened to professional boxing in Nigeria.

Lasisi, who was among the boxing legends honoured by GOtv last Sunday at the indoor sport hall of the National Stadium, Lagos, during the show tagged the biggest fights of the year, said that the glamour which was synonymous with professional boxing during his time will soon return.

"I am happy to be considered worthy of this honour. In fact, I believe that GOtv will soon change the face of professional boxing in Nigeria. This is a plus for Nigerian boxing and I'm happy that these boxers are provided this great platform to expose themselves to the outside world.

"You can imagine the number of countries where this show is being watched live. Even it is a source of pride to every boxer here that he is featuring in the competition that is beamed beyond the shores of Nigeria.

"Some of my colleagues can no longer produce one of the tapes of their fights today and this is why I'm happy for these boxers. So, this is a form of motivation to these young boxers coupled with the monetary aspect which is equally encouraging," said the Kwara State-born retired Customs officer.

The former WBC and IBF contender who lost the WBA title to American Virgil Hill in 1989 stated that with adequate motivation, Nigeria will continue to lead the continent in boxing.

"We have so many world-class boxers who are yet to be discovered and once these boxers are beginning to get good pay, more future world-class boxers would come out of Nigeria. Most of our professional boxers are also engaged in one form of vocation or another to make ends meet and that always affect their performances at big stage.

"I was lucky during my time that my employers, the Nigeria Customs and Excise gave me enough time to face my boxing career, while I was also getting promotion regularly for doing the establishment and the nation proud.

"So, we will see a turnaround in Nigerian professional boxing with adequate sponsorship whereby every boxer will be able to have up to three or four fights in a year with good pay," said the Smoking Joe as he is fondly called by his admirers.

Meanwhile, Lasisi was honoured by GOtv alongside the former WBC light heavyweight title contender Obisia Nwankpa; former Commonwealth super flyweight champion Ray Amao; former Commonwealth bantamweight champion, Hogan Jimoh, former Commonwealth lightweight champion Dele Jonathan and ex-Olympian, Jerry Okorodudu, as well as the president of NBB of C, Dr Gowdin Kanu.

Current Commonwealth super middleweight and WBO Africa Super Middleweight champion, Isaac 'Grenade' Ekpo, was also recognised during the show as he proudly displayed his belts while he was also asked to pick 10 of the lucky winners of the GOtv decoders through the raffle.

14th Gov's Tennis Cup: No regrets losing in the final--Adegoke

NIGERIA'S number one Sarah Adegoke who lost in the women's singles final of the 14th Governor's Cup Lagos Tennis Championship to Zarah Razafinmahatratra of Madagascar says the defeat will not give her a setback in her career.
 
Adegoke, who was overwhelmed by her opponent in the final decided last weekend at the centre court of the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan, 6-0, 6-1 said she lost because she couldn't play to her potential on the final day. 
 
"Well, I don't know what really went wrong, I just discovered that I was not getting it right against my opponent. I wasn't under pressure at all. Everything did not work out for me, but I'm not disappointed. I have to take in good faith and forge ahead in my career.  I know her (Razafinmahatratra) style of play because we won the doubles event together in this competition, but I didn't believe the final could go this way. Everything was practically wrong, but I did my best.

" So, there is no regrets losing in the final. My dream is to be the first Nigerian to feature in the grand slam." said Adegoke, who became the second Nigerian woman to play in the final of the competition after Osaro Amadin, who claimed the title at the inaugural edition in 2000.  
 
Meanwhile, Moses Michael became the second Nigerian to win the men's singles title of the championship with his great comeback to defeat Duncan Mugabe of Uganda in the epic final watched by governor Babatunde Fashola.
 
Michael after losing 4-6 came back stronger to win the last two games 6-1, 6-2 and equalled the record of Sule Ladipo who won the title in 2001.
 
An elated Michael later dedicated the victory to his coach (Abbey), who he said greatly motivated him to attain thus far in his career.
 
Fashola in his remark expressed joy at the feat achieved by Michael in the International Tennis Federation-sanctioned tournament.
 
"I'm most delighted that we were able to hold this championship after the postponement which was caused by Ebola and thank God we were able to contain it. I am happy also that a Nigerian has won the championship this time which obviously is the valedictory edition for me as governor of Lagos State.    

 
"We have proved that nothing can be bigger than our resolve to make our people happy by ensuring that this annual championship holds again this year after the Ebola issue," Fashola said

Caption: Moses Michael, second Nigerian to win the Governor's Lagos Tennis men's singles title.

Thrills and spills of 2014 Federation Cup finals

Eguma tastes defeat

ENYIMBA on Sunday at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, lifted the 2014 Federation Cup with a 2-1 victory over Dolphins FC.

Interestingly, the two leading scorers at the just-ended Globacom Premier League season, Mfom Udoh and Emem Eduok were on target for their respective teams.

Udoh who finished the season with all-time goal record, 23 goals, scored first for Enyimba while Eduok, who had 20 goals in the league scored Dolphins' only goal after the People's Elephant were two goals up. Enyimba's Chinosom Okonkwo holds the record of scoring his team's winning goal in the match.
It was the first time Dolphins had lost in the final of the Federation Cup having won all its previous finals in 2001, 2004, 2006 and 2007.

Technical Adviser of Enyimba, Kadiri Ikhana (MON) could not show up when the stars on parade
filed out at half time during the men's final of the Federation Cup. Reason: the former international went straight to the dressing room to give pep talks to his players. Business before pleasure you will say.

It was also the first time Ikhana had lifted the Federation Cup as a coach. While the former international won the trophy with Enyimba, Dolphins' coach Stanley Eguma also lost in the final of the Federation Cup for the first time in his coaching career.

Former Nigeria goalkeeper Peter Fregene was among the stars on parade by the Lagos State government during the final of the men's Federation Cup. Fregene who featured in the 1968Olympics is however, confined to the wheel chair as a result of protracted illness.

A player of Rivers Angels created a mild drama during the final of the women's Federation Cup against Sunshine Queens of Akure which ended in 2-0 in favour of the Garden City ladies.
The player who spotted No. 19 shirt helped the centre referee to book a player of Sunshine Queens. At the time the (women) referee had dipped hand into her back pocket to pick up a yellow card, she discovered that it was missing, while the Rivers Angels' player who picked it up flashed the card before she handed it over to the referee, a scene which thrilled a handful of spectators at the stadium then. The centre referee completed the booking in her record as she retrieved the yellow card from the player who came on as a substitute.

Reigning FIFA U-20 World Cup Most Valuable Player (MVP) and highest goal scorer AsisatOshoala scored the first goal for Rivers Angels in the 2-0 win over Sunshine Queens while veteran Super Falcons' winger Stella Mbachu was also on target. Both goals were scored in the 66th and 86th minute respectively.
Rivers Angels coached by the Super Falcons' tactician Edwin Okon lifted the trophy for the fourth year in a row.

Oshoala also went home with the MVP award of the Women's Federation Cup while Emem Eduok of Dolphins who also finished the competition with five goals clinched the men's MVP award.

Ebere Orji also of Rivers Angels emerged the goal queen of the tournament with three goals which she scored in the 6-1 win over City of David Babes in a round of 16 game, while a player of Nembe City won the men's version having finished with six goals.

Caption: Stanley Eguma.

GOtv set to honour Joe Lasisi, Obisia, Okorodudu, others at Boxing Night

FORMER Africa and Commonwealth lightheavyweight champion, Joe Lasisi and four other Nigerian boxing legends will be honoured on Sunday at the GOtv Boxing Night, scheduled to hold at the Indoor Sports of the National Stadium, Lagos.

The professional boxing contest tagged the GOtv Boxing Night has been sanctioned by the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C), with the national featherweight title clash between Dare 'Fighting Machine' Oyewole and Waidi 'Scoro' Usman serving as the main bout of the night

Lasisi, who also lost the WBA belt to American Virgil Hill in 1989 will be honoured on the night alongside the former WBC light heavyweight title contender and former Commonwealth champion, Obisia Nwankpa; former Commonwealth super flyweight champion Ray Amao; former Commonwealth bantamweight champion, Hogan Jimoh and ex-Olympian, Jerry Okorodudu.

Listed for the undercards are the national heavyweight champion Adewale 'Tiger' Abbey versus Tope 'Young' Ogunshakin; David ‘Lucky Boy’ Ekpeyong versus Muhammed 'Fearless' Tijani (in the featherweight category); Chijioke 'Painless' Nigige versus Sunday 'Capo' Olalekan (middleweight category); Stanley 'Edo Boy' Johnson versus Saheed 'Happy Boy' Olayiwola (light Welterweight) and Dele 'Lagelu' Adeleke versus Rasheed 'Afonja Warrior' Abolaji in the light middleweight division.

The event, which is being sponsored by GOtv, Custodian Life Assurance Plc, Paragonis Multimedia Productions and Zetaweb, is aimed at reviving professional boxing in the country.

According to the General Manager Sales and Marketing of Multichoice, subscriber services providers for Gotv said that more Nigerian boxing greats will be honoured at future editions of the Gotv boxing night.
The six-bout thriller will also witness the first live telecast of Nigerian boxing recent memory.

Caption: Joe Lasisi (left) with the 2004 Olympian Issac Ekpo.

History favours Dolphins to lift 2014 Federation Cup

As Ikhana aims to break jinx with Enyimba

THE Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos comes alive on Sunday as Enyimba attempts to retain the Federation Cup when it takes on Dolphins of Port Harcourt which has never lost in the final of the competition before.

What is today known as the Federation Cup started in 1942 as War Memorial Challenge Cup before it was changed to the Governor's Cup in 1945 and in 1964 to the FA Cup which reigned till 1960 when it became  the Challenge Cup,  The competition became the Coca Cola FA Cup in 1999 before it got a new name the Federation Cup in 2009.

Enyimba clinched the trophy last year at the same venue with 5-4 scoreline via penalties, after they came from behind on two occasions to settle for a 2-2 draw with Warri Wolves at regulation time.

The People's Elephant is gunning for its fourth title following its victories also in 2005 and 2009 as attempts to win in 2010 and 2011 ended in futility.

Interestingly, Coach Kadiri Ikhana will be aiming at winning the Federation Cup title for the first time as a coach, and this he has made the Aba millionaires to realise.

Having lost the Globacom Premier League title to Kano Pillars, Ikhana has set his sight on the oldest trophy in the land moreso to pacify the hard fans of Enyimba.

“Our consolation after losing the league title to Pillars is that we have a CAF Champions League ticket in the kityy, but I have told my players that we can’t afford to lose the Federation Cup and they have all promised to beat Dolphins in Lagos,” the man who coached Enyimba to win the Champions League for Nigeria for the first time in 2003 declared.

However, coach Stanley Eguma will bank on tradition to dislodge Enyimba on Sunday as his team has never lost in the final of the Federation Cup before.

Dolphins formerly Eagles Cement FC first won the Cup in 2001 and thereafter emerged champions
in 2004, 2006 and 2007 thus, will be gunning for its fifth title in the city known as the Centre of Excellence on Sunday.

The final will also see the highest goal scorer of the just-concluded Globacom Premier League season, Mfom Udoh with 23 goals take on his counterpart from Dolphins Emem Eduok who finished with 20 goals.

The final of the Women's version of the Federation Cup between Sunshine Quuens and Rivers Angels will precede the Enyimba/Dolphins showdown billed for 4pm.

The winner of the men's Federation Cup will represent the country in next year's CAF Confederation Cup.

Caption:  Kadiri Ikhana, can he break the jinx on Sunday?

Past winners of the competition since 1999.

                                                 Coca Cola FA Cup

• 1999 : Plateau United (Jos) 1-0 Iwuanyanwu Nationale (Owerri)
• 2000 : Niger Tornadoes (Minna) 1-0 Enugu Rangers
• 2001 : Dolphin FC (Port Harcourt) 2-0 El-Kanemi Warriors (Maiduguri)
• 2002 : Julius Berger FC (Lagos) 3-0 Yobe Stars (Damaturu)
• 2003 : Lobi Stars (Makurdi) 2-0 Sharks FC (Port Harcourt)
• 2004 : Dolphin FC (Port Harcourt) 1-0 Enugu Rangers
• 2005 : Enyimba FC (Aba) 1-1 Lobi Stars (Makurdi) (aet, 6-5 pen)
• 2006 : Dolphin FC (Port Harcourt) 2-2 Bendel Insurance (aet, 5-3 pen)
• 2007 : Dolphin FC (Port Harcourt) 1-1 Enugu Rangers (aet, 3-2 pen)
• 2008 : Ocean Boys FC (Brass) 2-2 Gombe United FC (aet, 7-6 pen)

                                                     Federation Cup

• 2009 : Enyimba FC (Aba) 1-0 Sharks FC (Port Harcourt)
• 2010 : Kaduna United F.C. 3-3 Enyimba FC (Aba) (aet, 3-2 pen)
• 2011 : Heartland F.C. 1-0 Enyimba FC (Aba)
• 2012 : Heartland F.C. 2-1 Lobi Stars
• 2013 : Enyimba F.C. 2-2 Warri Wolves (aet, 5-4 pen)
• 2014:  Enyimba           ?  Dolphins ?

We deserve to beat Super Eagles--Mashaba

Head coach of Bafana Bafana of South Africa, Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Mashaba is not pleased with the late minute's equaliser by the Super Eagles which earned both sides a 2-2 draw, on Wednesday night at the Akwa Ibom International Stadium, Uyo, in a 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) last group qualifier.

Second half substitute Sone Aluko's brace denied the Rainbow Nation its first win over Nigeria in a competitive game, after Bournemouth striker Tokelo Rantie had scored in the 42nd and 49th minute respectively.

The 64-year-old tactician said his wards deserved to run away with three points and break the jinx of beating Nigeria for the first time in a competitive game.

“Nigeria is a dangerous side with a lot of world-class players and so, we did well in that match. Our two goals actually frustrated the Super Eagles and prevented them from playing their normal game and I think luck was just against us. We should have run away with victory.

“This is still a good result because we have proved that the players, who are mostly domestic lads, can compete with any side.

“I’m quite confident that South Africa won’t add to the numbers in Equatorial Guinea (AFCON
2015) but will compete for the title," said Mashaba, a former coach of Swaziland.

He stated that the 1996 AFCON winners will ensure adequate preparation for the bi-ennial showpiece saying that: “We will prepare well for the championship after we would have organised two or three friendlies".

Meanwhile South Africa topped the group A of the AFCON qualifying series with 12 points ahead
of the Republic of the Congo with 10 points, while Nigeria finished with eight points leaving
Sudan at the rear.

Caption: Shakes Mashaba.