Sports

FIFA: Rashidi Yekini’s USA 94 celebration will live on in World Cup folklore

Ihesiulo Grace 25 October 2018 0

World football governing body FIFA and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Tuesday took to Twitter to pay post-humous respect to late former Super Eagles striker Rashidi Yekini. Yekini, who would have clocked 55 on Tuesday, was until his death Nigeria’s senior national football team

Sports

Gianni Infantino says Qatar 2022 to be best FIFA World Cup yet

Ihesiulo Grace 25 October 2018 0

FIFA President Gianni Infantino hailed Qatar’s progress on infrastructure ahead of its 2022 World Cup and said the tournament is poised to be the best one yet. Qatar’s tiny size, high temperatures and lack of ready stadium infrastructure have prompted some to question FIFA’s decision to make it host. But the desert state has since […]

Sports

FIFA welcome back NFF’s Amaju Pinnick

Ihesiulo Grace 5 October 2018 0

Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), has formally ‘welcomed’ the President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Melvin Pinnick back to the fold of its elite Football Family. This is after Pinnick’s re-election as NFF President at the Elective Congress in Katsina on 20th September. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) released the following

Sports

FIFA agrees to limit number of players clubs can loan out

Ihesiulo Grace 26 September 2018 0

FIFA plans to limit the number of players a club can loan out each season to prevent teams stockpiling talent.Football’s governing body had proposed a maximum of six loans per club. But is still has to come to an agreement with the game’s other stakeholders – including club, league and player representatives – as to […]

Sports

FIFA to start funding flights for Women’s World Cup teams

Ihesiulo Grace 21 September 2018 0

FIFA will start funding business-class flights for some 2019 Women’s World Cup teams when they travel to the tournament in France. FIFA official Emily Shaw also told a women’s sports law conference total prize money will “significantly increase” from $15 million shared among 24 teams at the 2015 edition. She said the total sum will […]

Sports

FIFA snubs Messi in the new shortlist for 2018 best player award

Ihesiulo Grace 4 September 2018 0

According to Spanish outlet Diario Sport, Lionel Messi has been left off the podium for FIFA’s The Best. Incomprehensibly, the Barcelona forward is not in the final three for the world football governing body’s prestigious annual prize. Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Antoine Griezmann are the three finalists. They top a shortlist of 10, which did include Messi, along

Sports

FIFA releases 3-Man shortlist for best player

Ihesiulo Grace 3 September 2018 0

Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Mohamed Salah are the finalists for Best Fifa Men’s Player award for 2018. Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Messi, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, missed out on a place in the top three. There was also no place for any member of France’s World Cup winning squad. Lyon’s Champions League […]

Headlines Sports

NFF crisis: Osinbajo acted in national interest, NBA chairman tells Giwa’s faction

Ihesiulo Grace 27 August 2018 0

The chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abuja branch, Mr Abimbola Kayode, has informed stakeholders from the Rufus Giwa-led faction of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) that the Federal Government’s recognition of Amaju Pinnick as Presisent of NFF was to save Nigeria from FIFA’s wrath. Victor Baribote, proprietor of Nembe City FC; Harrison

Sports

France on top in latest FIFA ranking, Nigeria No.49

Ihesiulo Grace 16 August 2018 0

The new ranking formula, which was approved by the FIFA Council in June after a lengthy period of testing, relies on adding/subtracting points won or lost for a game to/from the previous point totals rather than averaging game points over a given time period as in the previous version of the Ranking. The changes, of […]

Headlines Sports

Nigeria escapes FIFA ban as FG reinstates Pinnick-led NFF

Ihesiulo Grace 24 July 2018 0

Apparently taking a pre-emptive action to prevent the sledge hammer from the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA), the Federal Government through the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) ejected the NFF self-imposed leader, Christopher Giwa, from the secretariat. Believed to be acting on the orders of President Muhammadu Buhari, the DSS

News Sports

‘Please Don’t Escape In Russia’- FG Begs Nigerians

Ihesiulo Grace 13 June 2018 0

The federal government on Tuesday begged Nigerians traveling to Russia not to escape during or after the 2018 World Cup tournament. Solomon Dalung, Minister of Youths and Sports made the appeal in a chat with newsmen in Abuja. Speaking on the fears of trafficking in persons during the mundial, Dalung said that nobody would be […]

Sports

European football market now worth €25.5 bn

Ihesiulo Grace 11 June 2018 0

The European football market in 2016/17 was worth a record €25.5 billion with the Big 5 leagues accounting for €14.7 billion. The headline numbers of Annual Review of Football Finance from the Sports Business Group at Deloitte show the top 92 Premier League and Football League clubs generated a record £5.5 billion in revenue in […]

Headlines Sports

Russia 2018: Team spirit will help us against Croatia, Iceland, Argentina – Gernot Rohr

Ihesiulo Grace 19 May 2018 0

Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has admitted that his team may have no match winners, but team spirit and tactics will see them soar over their group D opponents at the FIFA World Cup in Russia. The Super Eagles are the least ranked team in the group and accordingly, book makers believe the odds are […]

Sports

Nigeria move five spots in latest FIFA ranking

Ihesiulo Grace 12 April 2018 0

Nigeria has moved five places up, now 47th in the world and sixth in Africa with 635 points in the April FIFA/Coca-Cola rankings released on Thursday.   In the previous rankings, Nigeria was on 52nd position with 609 points.   Meanwhile, Tunisia is the highest ranked African team on 14th place with Senegal and DR […]

News Sports

Nigeria move five places up in new FIFA ranking

Ihesiulo Grace 12 April 2018 0

Nigeria has moved five places up, now 47th in the world and sixth in Africa with 635 points in the April FIFA/Coca-Cola rankings released on Thursday. In the previous rankings, Nigeria was on 52nd position with 609 points. Meanwhile, Tunisia is the highest ranked African team on 14th place with Senegal and DR Congo on […]

Sports

FIFA ranking: Nigeria slip as Germany stay top

Ihesiulo Grace 15 February 2018 0

Nigeria went down one notch in the latest FIFA Coca Cola World ranking of national teams announced today. The Super Eagles who will be playing in the Russian World Cup, were ranked 52nd, one place down from their position last month. Cameroon slid six points to displace Nigeria at 51st. Tunisia were the first African […]

Sports

FIFA, CAF presidents to visit Nigeria next week

Ihesiulo Grace 14 February 2018 0

FIFA president, Gianni Infantino and his CAF counterpart, Ahmad Ahmad, are expected to be in Nigeria next week, when the FIFA Executive Football Summit takes place between February 20 and 22 in Lagos. This was disclosed by the president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Melvin Pinnick, on AIT. Pinnick expressed the country’s readiness […]

Sports

FIFA thanks ´responsible´ Mutko stepping down

Ihesiulo Grace 26 December 2017 0

FIFA has thanked Vitaly Mutko for his “responsible step” in removing himself as the president of the Russian Football Union (RFS) as he appeals a lifetime Olympic ban. Mutko, who is Russia’s deputy prime minister, was banned by the IOC this month after the release of the Schmid Report, commissioned by the IOC, confirmed allegations […]

Sports

Fifa sanction: Pinnick warns Federation staff

Ihesiulo Grace 14 December 2017 0

Nigeria Football Federation President, Amaju Pinnick, has read the riot act to the staff of the Federation in the wake of sanctions imposed by Fifa for fielding an ineligible player, Abdullahi Shehu, in the national team’s final 2018 World Cup qualifier last month. The Anorthosis Famagusta right-back was automatically suspended for the game versus Algeria […]

Headlines Sports

Shocker: FIFA awards Eagles World Cup match to Algeria over ineligible player

Ihesiulo Grace 13 December 2017 0

FIFA has punished Nigeria for using an ineligible player in their final World Cup qualifier against Algeria in November. The match in Constantine originally ended in a 1-1 draw but that has now been overturned and Algeria awarded a 3-0 win. The sanction does not affect Nigeria’s World Cup qualification as they had already clinched […]