Niger Top News

Director-General, National Sports Commission, Alhassan Yakmut has appealed to President Mohamadu Buhari to allow a percentage of proceeds of the Nigeria Lottery Trust Fund for development of sports in Nigeria.
 The DG made the appeal after briefing President Buhari on the activities of his Commission at the presidential Villa yesterday in Abuja. He commended the federal government for being the highest financier of sports in Nigeria, stating that a lot also needed in exploiting opportunities in the medials won in swimming competition. “We briefed Mr. President on sports development in Nigeria and its retinue of social economic values.
 “Mr. President was impressed with the presentation but he raised observation on the need for us to rekindle the exploitation of the medals available in swimming in order to make Nigeria top in All African Games table in future and that is actually the presidential observation that we have taken technical interest to ensure that it is implemented to the letter.
 “You know that we also have cultures that are oriented with gymnastics and that culture is the one that we will first of all technically invest in terms of facilities, coaches and programmes to make sure we compete with others.
 “Yes, we did discussed funding. But rather in discussion of funding we commended the Federal Government for being the highest financier of sports in Nigeria. And we also sought for his intervention to encourage the private sector to do the same with their budget for corporate social responsibility to promote sports.

Abuja – Super Eagles Goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, says Godswill Akpabio, immediate past governor of Akwa Ibom, prevented him from retiring from the team after it failed to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Enyeama said on Monday in Abuja that his wife and pastor also prevailed on him to drop the plan. “I actually wanted to stop, it wasn’t a rumour. Nigeria is blessed with great goalkeepers, just that we need to give them confidence.
 “Nobody gave me a chance when I started, I was a rookie also; I belt it up, I worked hard for it and became the big person that nobody wants to lose. Enyeama Vincent Enyeama Vincent “What changed my mind was the passion of Nigerians; I had a lot of calls, my governor, Akpabio.
 “A lot of people talked with me.
These things, you don’t just ignore and my wife also talked with me. “My wife didn’t want me to leave yet. I talked with my pastor and he said if everybody said stay, why not; so I decided to continue, but then, there is going to be a time to call it quit.’’ Enyeama, who is also the Super Eagles captain, said that the reason why he wanted to retire from the national team was to give other goalkeepers the chance to develop themselves.
 He said that he had been in the scene since 2002, adding that there was every reason for him to give way for others to take over. The Eagles goalkeeper, however, said that 2017 AFCON finals would be his last outing for Nigeria, saying that everybody around him were now in support of his 2017 plan. - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/06/ex-aibom-gov-my-wife-stopped-my-retirement-from-super-eagles-says-enyeama/#sthash.CE3dh5c2.dpuf

The Fifa Women's World Cup starts on Saturday, June 6 in Canada. The opening match will be between hosts Canada and China in Edmonton.
The Super Falcons, drawn in Group D alongside with USA, Sweden and Australia, will play their first game on Monday, June 8.
Due to the difference in time zones, Canada is between six (6) and eight ( hours behind Nigeria, the matches will be played mostly late in the night in Nigeria. The last group game of the super falcons will be played very early in the morning of the next day.

Head coach of Nigeria’s Under-23 team, Samson Siasia is not worried about the prospect of facing Congo in the third qualifying round of the men’s football event of the 2016 Olympic Games. NOT A LAUGHING MATTER - Siasia NOT A LAUGHING MATTER – Siasia Nigeria’s Dream Team XI drew bye in the penultimate round and will now meet Ghana’s conquerors, Congo in the penultimate round of qualifying for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Siasia was coach of Nigeria’s men’s football team at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and is relishing the upcoming battle with Congo. “Siasia knew that we would face either Ghana or Congo in this round and he had no particular preference. Now that Congo has qualified, he is prepared for the challenge,” spokesman of the team, Timi Ebikagboro said -

Argentina pre-tournament favourites to win Group B, are facing an early exit after they lost 3-2 to Ghana in an exciting Fifa Under-20 World Cup match in Wellington.
Argentina, who boast a side laced with promising players, including senior international Emanuel Mammana, have been one of the biggest disappointments during the early stages of the tournament.
They were held to a 2-2 draw against Panama in their opening match on Saturday and were then upset by a Ghanaian side who played with unlimited passion.

Herve Renard’s first major signing as Lille new coach could well be Nigeria defender Kenneth Omeruo.
Sources close to the Ligue 1 club have informed that Renard has swung into action immediately to shore up his new team ahead of the new season by compiling his list of transfer targets.
And one of his top targets is the 21-year-old Omeruo, who has caught the eye of Renard since the AFCON 2013 when the Super Eagles brushed the Frenchman’s Zambia on their way to winning a third continental title.

The Coach Manu Garba-led Flying Eagles started its 2015 U-20 Fifa World Cup campaign with a defeat.
They lost 2-4 to the Brazilians in their opening game played in  Taranaki in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
Brazil opened scoring in the 4th minute. The South Americans also scored in the 35th, 60th, and the 80th minutes. Nigeria scored in the 11th and 27th minutes.
The Flying Eagles have been beaten finalists at the 1989 and 2005 tournaments and have qualified for this competition without a break for the past 10 years.

Okocha wants to be President of NFF on April 28, 2015 / in Sports 12:41 am / Comments Former Super Eagles captain Austin Okocha says he has no plans of going into coaching but hopes to one day be the president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). “No, not for the moment. I’m more interested in the executive positions. I prefer to be the one who appoints them and tells them what to do “ was Okocha’s response when he was asked if he will one day be a coach. Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha,