Former Shooting Stars Sports Club Coach Fatai Amoo has criticized the state of Nigerian football, citing the poor performance of Nigerian national teams as evidence of regression.

Ina chat, Amoo called for immediate reforms and a long-term, youth-focused rebuild for the national team ahead of 2030.

He also blamed the condition of pitches in some parts of the country and also said there is a need for leaders to address long-standing issues.

“I think our football is retrogressive in terms of players and results,” Amoo said.

“For me, I have tried my best.

You do your best and leave the rest. Nobody can be a champion forever. From my understanding, the reason why we aren’t doing well is that we have left so many things undone, and we aren’t trying to do it right — especially those that are taking charge of football in Nigeria today,” he said.

“And of course, it’s the Nigeria Football Federation, isn’t it? I think if we can go back and look at what and what we have not done well, and try to correct them, I think we will bounce back.

“For example, we want to talk about our football pitches, especially at the national level. You’re talking about hosting, most of the time they say Nigeria doesn’t have the pitches. It’s part of our problems. It shouldn’t be that.”

He also charged the Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, to rebuild the team ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

Amoo noted that Nigeria can follow the same blueprint as Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta if the team must be successful.

“Now we should get our bed ready first to make sure they (senior players) feature in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers, and for us to qualify. That’s very important, we can’t gamble with that.

“Those playing who have established themselves in the national team, we know what they can do.

“When we qualify then we will start looking for both Nigerian players home and abroad, it won’t be bad if we take a gamble every now and then during the qualifiers; introducing one or two new players at least in the squad even if not starting.

“But we must ensure we qualify first and we have the players to qualify in the group we have found ourselves in if we don’t joke with it.”

Kwara-born table tennis player Tobi Matti has intensified his ambition of reaching the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, as he continues his professional career in Italy and targets improved global ranking performances.

The 25-year-old, who has spent more than five years competing professionally in Italy, said qualifying for the Olympics remains his primary objective as he seeks to establish himself among the sport’s elite.

Framing his long-term ambition around the Games, Matti said the 2028 Olympics represent the clearest measure of his progress and career direction, while also acknowledging the difficulties he has faced in pursuit of that goal.

“My goal is to participate in the 2028 Olympics and also attend multiple international tournaments, and that ambition has shaped my journey despite the challenges I face in trying to progress at this level,” Matti told our correspondent.

The Italy-based player, who features for TT Centro Sportivo Bonacossa, also spoke about the financial strain of competing internationally without consistent sponsorship, saying he has largely depended on personal funding to sustain his career.

He added that the lack of structured support has made participation in overseas competitions difficult, though he remains determined to continue competing at the highest possible level.

“My experience pursuing my professional aspirations internationally has been quite demanding due to the absence of sponsorship,” he said.

Matti began playing table tennis at the age of eight while studying in Nigeria, later pursuing a degree in Business Administration at Kwara State Polytechnic.

He has represented Nigeria at several international events, including the ITTF Nigeria Open between 2013 and 2018, as well as the 2019 Portugal Open and the Africa Senior Table Tennis Team Championship.

His career in Europe has also included domestic success, notably winning a league title with TT Ennio Cristofaro after several near misses in previous seasons.

Reflecting on that achievement, Matti said persistence played a key role in finally securing silverware after multiple unsuccessful attempts.

“Winning the league title has been challenging. As the team’s number one player, my team and I struggled for three years, consistently finishing second or third. We eventually secured the league title in our third year,” he said.

In the most recent campaign, Matti finished fourth with Tennistavolo Torre del Greco ASD, continuing his steady presence in Italy’s competitive table tennis structure.

Matti has also remained committed to giving back to his home state, previously donating table tennis equipment to young players in Kwara as part of efforts to support grassroots development.

He said he hopes his career progression will enable him to inspire the next generation of Nigerian players, while also calling for greater financial support for athletes in the sport.

“Nigeria is really blessed with a lot of talents, but players need support to attend tournaments and training camps because table tennis is an expensive sport to play,” he added.

Matti now hopes his continued development in Europe will eventually translate into Olympic qualification and the chance to represent Nigeria on the world stage in 2028.

The Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF) has flagged off the 2026 Phase One Division One and Division Two National League Championship at the Indoor Sports Hall of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

The championship began with a technical meeting and will feature teams from across the country competing for honours.

Speaking at a press briefing ahead of the tournament, Chairman of the League Management Committee (LMC), Tanimu Adamu, said the federation faced financial and logistical challenges in organising the competition.

Adamu, who is also the NVBF Vice-President, apologised on behalf of the federation’s President, Musa Nimrod, and board members over the delay in commencing the league.

According to him, a congested international volleyball calendar and inadequate funding affected preparations for the championship.

“This is a qualification year with several international competitions lined up, including Olympic qualification events in beach volleyball and the Nations Cup,” he said.

He said Nigeria would participate in four international tournaments within the next three months, with events scheduled for Nigeria, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Kenya.

Adamu said further delay in commencing the domestic league would have disrupted the federation’s calendar and preparations for international competitions.

“If we fail to start the league now, it will become a disaster for our volleyball calendar and preparations for international competitions.

“Eleven teams will compete in Division One, while seven teams will feature in Division Two.”

He added that the championship would commence immediately on Sunday and end on June 4.

Adamu also disclosed that the federation suffered a setback following the death of its technical referee, Samuel Timothy, noting that activities were temporarily suspended in honour of the deceased official.

In spite of the challenges, he commended the commitment of the federation’s leadership, saying the competition was largely being financed by the federation’s president and board members due to lack of government and corporate sponsorship.

“Up till this moment, it is the president and members of the board that are financing this competition.

“We have not received support from the government or sponsors,” he said.

Adamu described the Division One and Division Two leagues as vital platforms for talent discovery and player development.

He added that the championship would also help Premier League clubs and national team selectors identify quality players.

The LMC chairman called on volleyball enthusiasts and stakeholders to support the competition and witness the standard of play on display in Abuja.

“Very soon, we may begin charging gate fees because of the level of competition and interest volleyball has generated across the country,” he added.

Adamu said the NVBF remained committed to clean sport, adding that it was the first sports federation in Nigeria to begin structured anti-doping awareness campaigns.

He recalled that the federation organised an anti-doping seminar for players during the last Super Cup and said the initiative would continue throughout the current league season.

According to him, anti-doping education remains a fundamental principle of the federation and a compulsory requirement for players at all levels, in line with global best practices.

Adamu said the establishment of a national anti-doping centre in Nigeria had further strengthened the federation’s capacity to uphold integrity in the sport.

He added that player, official and spectator welfare remained top priorities for the championship.

“Accommodation has been arranged within walking distance of the playing venue, while partners are providing feeding and other essential services throughout the competition.

“A fully-equipped clinic with doctors and medical equipment is also on standby to handle health needs.

“All aspects of preparation, including security, welfare, medical support and logistics, have been put in place for players, officials and spectators.

“Matches will also be streamed live to allow fans across the country to follow the action,” he said.