SPORTS
Sports Minister Lists Benefits of Super Eagles- Brazil Friendly

Minister of Youths and Sports and Sports Development, Sunday Dare Development, on Saturday in Abuja said the upcoming friendly game between Nigeria and Brazil would expose the Super Eagles’ strengths and weaknesses.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that three-times African champions, Super Eagles will take on Brazil at the Singapore National Stadium in Kallang on October 13.
This is coming 23 years after Nigeria, on their way to winning Africa’s first Olympic football gold medal, spanked the Selecao 4-3 after extra-time.
This was in the semi-finals at the Athens Stadium in the State of Georgia, U.S.
Dare said that even though the October 13 game was a friendly, there was a lot at stake for both countries, describing it as a good test for the Super Eagles.
“The game in Singapore is a friendly, but also it is a friendly that we think will test our boys and we will see how prepared they are.
“It will also show our strong departments and areas where we are weak, so, we look forward to a very engaging and interesting game.
“We all know that Brazil is reputed to be a footballing nation and Nigeria is also one. We have ego at play even though it’s a friendly, but we have two great footballing nations playing a friendly and we hope Nigeria will excel.
“I am not one that predicts matches, but I hope our boys will play excellently well because we have got talents on that team and I know they will show what they have got on the day,” he said.
Dare also said the Buhari administration was committed to ensuring an all-round development of sports, adding that the Sports Ministry was ready to work with all the federations in the country.
“Let me also say, like I used to say, that I have brought to sports development in this country a fresh insight, an injection of a new dynamism in sports administration.
“In the past, there were distractions. But we will not be distracted, our eyes are set at the tip of the spear, we have a template and we will follow our plans.
“Also, we will go by the rule of law and also work with all federations, so long as the leadership is recognised by law.
“At that point, we owe it to Nigerians to work with them to such a point where we can develop every sports activity in our country the way they should be and put them in the right perspective,” the minister said.(NAN)
Foreign News
Husband of Slain Kenyan Runner Tirop Seeks Plea Bargain

The husband of slain Kenyan distance runner Agnes Tirop is seeking a plea bargain after initially denying a charge of murder, his lawyer said yesterday.
Tirop, a rising star in the world of athletics, was killed last October in her home in Iten, a high-altitude training hub in western Kenya for top runners.
Emmanuel Ibrahim Rotich was arrested after a dramatic late-night chase the day after Tirop’s body was found with stab wounds, and has been in custody ever since.
The 41-year-old denied a charge of murder at a November court appearance.
But in the latest twist in the legal saga, his lawyer Ngigi Mbugua told the Eldoret High Court that Rotich was willing to plead guilty to a lesser charge in the hope of attracting a more lenient sentence.
The prosecution said it was not against the idea of a plea bargain but wanted Tirop’s family to be involved in the process.
A hearing on Rotich’s request will take place on 22 September.
SPORTS
Ganduje Appoints Galadima Acting Kano Pillars Chair

Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has appointed Ibrahim Galadima as acting Chairman of Kano Pillars Football Club.
The appointment is with immediate effect, the governor said.
Surajo Shuaibu Yahaya who had chaired the club was relieved of the job.
The appointment of Galadima who is Chairman of Kano State Sports Commission to oversee activities of Kano Pillars is part of routine exercise in sports administration of Ganduje, a statement by his Chief Press Secretary Abba Anwar said yesterday.
“As Kano Pillars is facing more competition in National Premier League (NPL) it will be good to have a leadership that will perfectly lead the Club.”
“Ibrahim Galadima, Chairman of Kano State Sports Commission, will now replace the current Chairman of Kano Pillars FC, Surajo Shu’aibu Yahaya.
“Galadima will serve in acting capacity, before the appointment of a substantive Chairman,” Ganduje said.
SPORTS
FIFA Emerges Best Global Sports Federation on Governance Standards

By Eze Okechukwu, Abuja
FIFA has been rated among the international sporting federations with the best standards of governance following a review conducted by the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations.
FIFA was among seven out of 33 international federations who achieved a score of 175 points or more out of 200 and were placed in the top group, A1, which the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations described as “an exclusive group”.
The federations were divided into five groups according to their score, with the target score, regarded as satisfactory, set at 130 for full members of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations.
It was the fourth such review conducted by by the association, with FIFA also placed among the leading international federations and the previous was in the year 2020.
The aim of the project, led by ASOIF’s Governance Task Force, is to promote and ensure a culture of good governance within the international federations and help drive continuous progress.
The review looked at five aspects of governance – transparency, integrity, democracy, development and control mechanisms – and these were further divided into ten sub-sections, with a score of zero to four awarded for each.
The review began with a self assessment in January and February this year where international federations were asked to complete a questionnaire and determine a score for each question, providing explanatory evidence for their decision. These assessments were then independently moderated by an external sports governance consultancy.
The assessment took place in the context of the ongoing global pandemic, which has severely affected sport, but was conducted before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has caused more uncertainty in the sporting world.