Following are results of seven Match Day 15 fixtures in the 2020/2021 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), played on Sunday:
Dakkada FC 1-0 Katsina United
Abia Warriors 4-1 Kano Pillars
Kwara United 0-0 Heartland FC
Rangers International 1-0 Adamawa United
Lobi Stars 3-2 Plateau United
Wikki Tourists 1-0 Warri Wolves
FC IfeanyiUbah 0-0 Rivers United
Postponed:
MFM FC vs Enyimba International
Jigawa Golden Stars vs Akwa United
Following are results of Match Day 14 fixtures in the 2020/2021 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), played on Sunday:
Adamawa United 2-0 Dakkada FC
Heartland FC 2-2 Abia Warriors
Kano Pillars Rangers 1-1 International
Katsina United 0-0 Sunshine Stars
Nasarawa United 1-0 Lobi Stars
Plateau United 3-1 MFM FC
Rivers United 2-0 Jigawa Golden Stars
Wikki Tourists 1-1 Kwara United
To be played on Monday:
Warri Wolves vs Akwa United
Postponed:
Enyimba International vs FC IfeanyiUbah
Following are the results of Match Day 13 fixtures in the 2020/2021 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), played on Sunday:
Akwa United 3-0 Rivers United
Jigawa Golden Stars 0-0 Enyimba International
FC IfeanyiUbah 0-0 Plateau United
Lobi Stars 2-1 Katsina United
Sunshine Stars 0-0 Adamawa United
Rangers International 2-0 Heartland FC
Kwara United 2-0 Warri Wolves
Dakkada FC 3-2 Kano Pillars
Played on Saturday:
Abia Warriors 1-0 Wikki Tourists
To be played on Monday:
MFM FC vs Nasarawa United
By Osayande Ero
The roller coaster of a year that is 2020 has struck again as the football world mourns the passing of Diego Armando Maradona, the then diminutive Argentine, considered as one of the greatest players to ever grace the sport, and easily one of the greatest athletes that ever lived. On Wednesday 25th November, Maradona passed away from confirmed heart attack at his home in Tigre, Buenos Aires at the age of 60.
He made his professional debut for Argentinos Juniors 10 days before his 16th birthday, making him the youngest debutant in Argentine Primera Division history. He spent five successful years at the club scoring 115 goals in 167 appearances. He moved to Boca Juniors in 1981 where he scored 28 goals in 40 appearances for the club he supported as a kid and always wanted to represent. His stint at Boca lasted just a year as the Spanish club, Barcelona, paid a then world record 7.6 million dollars in the summer of 1982.
He spent two years in Spain scoring 38 goals in 58 appearances for Barcelona. During his time in the Camp Nou, he became the first player in El Classico history ever to be applauded by opposition fans after an eye-catching display against their fiercest rivals. His time in Spain was ravaged by injuries and on-field squabbles with opponents, most notably his last match in a Barcelona shirt which ended in a violent brawl after a defeat to Athletic Bilbao.
Maradona, who was a victim of violent tackles from Bilbao players and xenophobic chants from their fans during the game, lost his cool and viciously attacked several players after one of them started taunting him with the xenophobic chants the Bilbao fans had directed at him during the match. Both teams got into a bloody fight that was witnessed by over 100,000 fans in attendance, which included Spanish Royals, and over half of the country’s population watching on television. Over 60 people were reported to have sustained injuries as a result of the brawl.
That incident signaled the end of his time in Spain. In the summer of 1984, Maradona moved to Napoli in Italy for another world record fee of 10.48 million dollars. Over 75,000 fans trooped into the stadium for his presentation. It was during his time in Naples that he gained legendary status. His arrival sparked the most successful era in the club’s history, winning Serie A twice. He brought Napoli their first ever Serie A title in the 1986-87 season. They dominated domestically, and in European competitions during his time in Italy, lifting the UEFA Cup, and the Coppa Italia. He became Napoli’s all-time leading goal scorer with 115 goals.
His time in Italy ended after he failed a drug test for cocaine and served a 15-month ban from the game. In 1992, Maradona left Naples and headed back to Spain where he spent a year playing for Sevilla. He moved back to his native Argentina to play for Newell’s Old Boys and Boca Juniors before retiring from football. He had an eventful international career too. He scored 34 goals in 91 appearances. His most notable moment for Argentina came in the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. He scored two goals, the first of which was the talk of the match as he appeared to use his arm to guide the ball into the net and the goal was allowed to stand. In his post-match interview, when asked about the goal, he claimed it was “a little bit with the head of Maradona, and a little with the hand of God”. That goal, from that day onwards, is fondly remembered, not by the English fans for obvious reasons, as the ‘HAND OF GOD’. He went on to captain his country to glory and lifted the biggest price in football, beating West Germany 3-2 in the final in front of 115,000 fans.
His international career came to an abrupt end during the 1994 world cup when he tested positive for banned substances. He had brief stints as a manager most significantly, his role as Coach of Argentina from 2008-2010. Expectedly, tributes have been pouring in from grief-stricken football fans across the world. Three days of national mourning have been announced by Argentine President, Alberto Fernandez to “honour the memory of Diego Armando Maradona”. Fernandez described him as “the best football player in the world and a person who made Argentinians immensely happy”.
Brazil’s football legend, 80-year-old Edson Arantes de Nascimento, popularly known as Pele, penned on Twitter, a very moving tribute to fellow talented footballer, “What a sad news. I lost a great friend and the world lost a legend. There is still much to be said, but for now, may God give strength to family members. One day, I hope we can play ball together in the sky”.
Peter Shilton, the goalkeeper who was at the receiving end of Maradon’s Hand of God goal, in a tweet, lamented that the iconic player was “taken too soon”. Shilton acknowledged him as “the greatest footballer I ever played against without question”, and expressed sadness that “In recent years, he suffered with health and addiction…”.
Carlo Ancelotti, Everton boss, and former AC Milan player, also tweeted: “You were alwaysa genius. Today is a very sad day and a great loss. But you my friend are eternal. Ciao Diego. Rest in peace”. Marseille head coach, Andre Villas-Boas urged world football body, FIFA. In his tribute, he wrote: For Maradona, it’s a hard blow. I would like FIFA to withdraw the number 10 for all competitions, all team”. Villas-Boas believed “…it’s the best tribute that can be given to the greatest player in the history of football. It is an incredible loss for the world of football”.
For Boca, the club where Maradona first made his name as a teenager, it was a symbolic honour. Boca Junior’s La Bombonera stadium was on Thursday night cast into darkness but for a single light of remembrance for his exploit. The only light was from Diego Maradona’s VIP box.
He is survived by an ex- wife, Claudia Villafane, and their two daughters – Dalma and Gianinna – though it is rumored that he had a total of eight children from other relationships.
The football world says goodbye to one of its most treasured ambassadors; a master dribbler on the field of play who could not dribble death to score a life-saving goal at the critical moment. And in honour of his passing, Napoli President, Aurelio De Laurentiis, has confirmed that their stadium – Stadio San Paolo – would be renamed after the greatest player in the club’s history. Maradona was an icon of football and sports in general, and his memory will forever be lodged in history.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and European soccer governing-body, UEFA, are seemingly now at loggerheads over the resumption of football amid on-going battle to contain the scourge of Coronavirus.
According to Italian paper La Repubblica, the WHO have reportedly called for all football to be suspended until the end of next season – 2021.
It is understood that the organisation would prefer all matches to be axed until at least the end of next season, in 18 months’ time.
WHO are said to be considering all possible scenarios, but are concerned about causing a second wave of the pandemic.
A lengthy suspension could plunge a huge number of clubs into financial instability due to the lack of matchday income.
Teams across the world have already called on their players to take a pay cut to help ease their cash woes.
But UEFA has categorically denied that the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended to them this week that all international competition should be suspended until the end of 2021.
The governing body have been discussing with their 55 member associations a range of issues that are affecting football including the restructuring of the football calendar.
A UEFA spokesperson said: “This is not correct. WHO never recommended that football should no longer be played until the end of 2021.”
The WHO is acting as the lead United Nations (UN) body that advises a number of sporting federations during the Coronavirus pandemic.
With clubs currently speaking with players and agents to accept a pay cut, and the shutdown of various football competitions around the world, Coronavirus has left a sour taste in the mouth of football faithful.
These were the thoughts of the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick.
Speaking in a monitored interview in Lagos, Pinnick lamented that a lot of money have gone down the drain, because no football activities have taken place in the last two months to generate income.
He pointed at the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga and German Bundesliga as some examples.
“The English Premier League is one of the most priceless leagues in the world. On TV rivalry alone, they have lost about 800 million pounds. La Liga has lost about 780 million Euros, the Italian Serie A have lost 750 million Euros.
“The German Bundesliga is engaging their TV right holders and negotiating with them. Bieng Sports and Canal, the two TV right owners of the French Ligue 1, they are meant to pay 200 million Euros but they cannot pay because there is no content. It is a major minus to World football.” Pinnick said
Speaking on how Coronavirus have affected football activities in Nigeria, the NFF boss revealed “We ought to have started our Aiteo/NFF Cup. We don’t know if this can happen again, even if an abridged version.
“We were planning for our highly revered NFF/Aiteo award, where the FIFA President was scheduled to attend, because we wanted to celebrate our girls that got to the quarter finals of the 1999 FIFA World Cup. We don’t know if it will hold again, and even if it holds, it will not be very loud.”
Amaju Pinnick however said that this is a time for reflection, and everyone all over the world should make good use of it.
“No doubt, this is a time of reflection. If after COVID-19, you do not come out with something new, then it means that you are not part of this planet. We are going to come out with some new ideas after now.”
The President spoke on how Nigerian players are faring period. According to him, many of them intend to come back to Nigeria.
“We are in touch with all our players, I spoke with the Super Eagles captain, and the players also have a network where they speak to themselves.
The players even intend to come back to Nigeria; it’s just that they are trying to get clearance.
Onazi called me to inform me that his club gave him a jet, and he was asking how he could get a landing permit. Kalu called to tell me that he is in Lagos and he is happy with reactions he is seeing from government.
On the future of Nigerian football, Pinnick said “We are working with the team and we will see how we can right many wrongs and chart a new focus and see how we can build Nigerian football to that stead which we have always craved for”
The age limit for the Tokyo Olympics men’s football tournament could be raised, world football ruling body FIFA said on Friday.
It said this was to ensure that players who were eligible in 2020 will not miss out following the postponement of the Games until the following year.
Olympic football is usually restricted to under-23 teams for the men’s tournament, with three overage players allowed per team.
“However, a working group set up by FIFA recommended on Friday that the competition should remain open to players born on or after Jan. 1, 1997, as originally planned,’’ FIFA said in a statement.
This will effectively raise the age limit by one year, as requested by both South Korea and Australia.
There is no age limit for the women’s tournament.
The working group also recommended the postponement of all international matches due to be played in June.
This is a formality as Euro 2020, the Copa America and the month’s World Cup qualifiers have already been called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The recommendations still have to be approved by the FIFA Bureau, a reduced version of its decision-making Council.
“FIFA also reiterates that health must always be the first priority and the main criteria in any decision-making process, especially in these challenging times,” the football ruling body said.
The group proposed discussions with continental confederations to finalise a revised schedule for 2022 World Cup qualifiers, after matches this month and in June were postponed.
It also recommended the postponement of the under-20 women’s World Cup, due to be co-hosted by Panama and Costa Rica in August and September.
The group further advised on the postponement of the under-17 women’s World Cup in India, originally scheduled for November.
A decision on the Futsal World Cup in Lithuania in September should be made by the end of this month, it said.
Football will be totally different when it eventually resumes after the coronavirus outbreak, the head of global body FIFA Gianni Infantino said on Thursday.
“Football will come back, and when it does, we’ll celebrate coming out of a nightmare together,” he told the Italian news agency ANSA in an interview.
“There is one lesson, however, that both you and me must have understood: the football that will come after the virus will be totally different…(more) inclusive, more social and more supportive, connected to the individual countries and at the same time more global, less arrogant and more welcoming.”
He added: “We will be better, more human and more attentive to true values.”
Last week, Infantino told Italian sports media outfit Gazzetta dello Sport that it was the right time to take a step back.
He added that it was time to reform a sport where fixture lists have become overloaded and financial resources increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few elite clubs.
Infantino suggested there could be “fewer, but more interesting tournaments. Maybe fewer squads, but more balance. Fewer, but more competitive, matches to safeguard the health of the players.”
Later on Thursday, Infantino told the annual congress of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) that “it is our responsibility as football administrators, first of all, to ensure football can survive and secondly move forward once again.”
“On the international match calendar we have to look for global solutions to tackle these global problems in a spirit of cooperation and solidarity,” Infantino said in a video link from Zurich.
“Everyone has different interests, but we must talk and put on the table topics that we perhaps didn’t discuss in the past.’’
As the only Nigerian and African in the 100 best women footballers in the world 2019 packaged by the influential London Guardian, and in line for the CAF African Women Player of the Year 2019 for the fourth time, Asisat Oshoala has attributed the on-going Asisat Oshoala Football Championship for Girls holding at Campos Mini Stadium Lagos, as part of her quest to be responsible and give back to the society.
The first phase of the clinic which has become an annual event is aimed at discovering talented girl footballers in Nigeria and Africa and helping them achieve their dream of playing for world-rated clubs in Europe.
In collaboration with FC Barcelona Academy, the final phase of the clinic will hold from Dec 21-24 where the best of the over 100 talents that started the journey will be selected and processed for Europe.
Speaking with newsmen, the Barcelona and Nigeria striker who on Wednesday again made the iconic 100 female players of the world list, a second year running, said the clinic and other giving were not to showcase herself but to make her responsible and complete.
The Guardian citation on Oshoala, who jumped 31 places from 86th to 55th from the 2018 edition, goes thus; “After helping Nigeria to the Africa Cup of Nations title at the end of 2018, Oshoala embarked on an exciting new journey with Barcelona in 2019 after some time in China. It couldn’t have started much better as Oshoala found the net three times in her first two games and she has been one of the club’s most consistent goal scorers since. She scored a further four goals before finding the net in the Champions League final against Lyon. With her pace, skill and finishing ability, Oshoala was on target at the World Cup but her best form has been seen this season. Two goals in a 6-1 demolition of Atlético Madrid set the tone before she went on to find the net in five consecutive games, scoring six goals.”
The Super Falcons star described herself as sometimes a lone fighter who takes up whatever she believes in without waiting for anyone. That, she said, was behind her resolve to take up the task of liberating girls through her foundation.
On an individual level, she has won awards from everywhere. She was the first BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year in 2015, has won African Women’s Player of the Year award three times and several others.
She said all that awards make no sense if she cannot be responsible for people who are vulnerable in the society.
The fight for the girl-child is uppermost in her heart now.
Oshoala added: “I have an opportunity through football. It is something I acknowledge and I’m grateful for, but beyond football, I am fully concentrated on my foundation.
“Even when I’m not around, my foundation takes care of the less-privileged. We’ve been involved in feeding programmes, especially during Ramadan periods, visiting schools, distributing books and educational materials to students and even partnering with a major pharmaceutical company to donate drugs and health equipment to hospitals.
“I believe it’s the only way I can connect with the grassroots. I have a world outside football and that is exactly why I am fully committed to my youth empowerment programme and other social projects.
“Life is all about opportunities. I won’t say I was the best player among my friends in those days. I think I am fortunate and feel I must be responsible for the others and younger ones coming after.”
Oshoala hinted that her foundation has also been doing behind the scene consultation with parents of talented girls to make them understand the need to support their girl-children who aspire to become professional footballers.
“I am trying to change the mentality and help this generation to believe they can achieve whatever they want. With my foundation, I want to help the under-privileged girls, so that they attend school and play football at the same time.”
The 2019 edition of the football clinic where hundreds of young girls, including parents, are enlightened and educated on how their female children can become professional footballers is ongoing in Lagos currently.
“We have brought in the academy wing of my club FC Barcelona to help us out and partner with us because they have the expertise and we have coaches from them coming to see with their own eyes. Also my colleagues from my former club, FC Robo, are on ground to oversee things for me.
Oshoala is also in the forefront of anti-drug campaign as a Lagos State Anti-Drug Ambassador. “I have achieved by staying drug free, so we tell and sensitise the young ones against drug abuse and motivate them to be believe in themselves,” she said.
Team Lagos on Friday defeated their Delta counterparts 1-0 to win the gold medal in the male football event at the ongoing National Youth Games (NYG) in Ilorin.
Hassan Haruna’s 33rd minute strike was all Lagos needed to win the competition’s final match as the state dominated the football event at the Games.
The Lagos side dominated most of the proceedings, thanks to the huge support they received from their fans who cheered them with drumming and singing from the beginning to the end.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Edo defeated Kano State 1-0 to clinch the bronze medal in the third-place match played earlier.
Lagos had defeated Edo 2-1 in the semi-final played earlier on Friday while Delta beat Kano State 1-0 in the other semi-final match.