SPORTS
Wikki Tourists 60% Ready for New NPFL Season – Dogo
Wikki Tourists Football Club of Bauchi Technical Adviser, Kabiru Dogo, has said that his team is 60 per cent ready for the upcoming 2021/2022 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season.
Dogo, who spoke to the newsmen during the maiden Unity Pre-season Tournament yesterday in Abuja, said he was happy with the team’s preparation for the new league season.
A date for the kick off of the 2020/2021 NPFL season is yet to be decided, with the club owners expected to meet to deliberate on the Nov.
21 date proposed by the League Management Company (LMC).Preparations were ongoing to ensure that the team was 100 per cent ready before the commencement of the league season.
“I can tell you that we are 60 per cent ready for the league. So, we still have 40 per cent of work to do before the commencement of the league.
“We are also very grateful to the organisers of this preseason tournament because it has given us an ample opportunity of further assessing the team’s performance level as well as those of our league rivals also taking part in the tournament.
“The tournament has, indeed, lived up to its billing and we have achieved to a large extent what we came here for, which is to build a new team for Wikki Tourists FC.
“From what I have seen so far, I will say we are not yet were we are supposed to be, but we are gradually making progress and this has been a learning curve and a very competitive tournament for my boys,” he said.
On his target for the season, the technical adviser sounded very modest in his expectations, saying that improving on the team’s no so impressive position last season in the NPFL log and avoiding the drop was very crucial.
“Of course, our goal is to ensure that we begin the season on a bright note and improve on our position on the NPFL log last season.
“But we know it is not going to be easy as other teams are also preparing very hard for the upcoming season as well,” said the technical adviser.
Wikki Tourists finished 15th on the 20-team log with 45 points from 38 games played, narrowly escaping relegation with just two points in the 2020/2021 NPFL season.
They won their first two games of the pre-season tournament, thrashing Capital City FC 3-0, and walloped NYSC 4-0 in their first and second games respectively, before playing out a goalless draw with Katsina United to top Group C with seven points.
Katsina United finished second with six points, while Capital FC and NYSC finished at the bottom of the log with no point.
Wikki Tourists will lock horns with Group B winners Plateau United in the semi-finals, while Group A winners Nasarawa United do battle with the best losers of the tournament, Katsina United in the other semi-final encounter. (NAN)
Nigeria’s Super Falcons will find out their opponents for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games women’s football qualifiers this week.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Tuesday that the draw for the African qualifying series will take place on Wednesday at its headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.
The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 12 noon and will be streamed live on CAF TV.
A total of 35 national teams, including Super Falcons will participate in the qualifiers, which will be played over five rounds.
The other countries are; Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea.
Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe are the other countries that will take part in the qualifiers.
Two teams will earn Africa’s slots at the women’s football tournament of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The Super Falcons and Copper Queens of Zambia represented the continent at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.
The Lagos Boxing Hall of Fame (LBHF) monthly tournament returns on Saturday, celebrating founder Wale Edun’s 70th birthday marked on Monday, April 20.
“This special edition honours our founder’s enduring legacy,” said Mr David Mohamed, LBHF Director, in a statement issued on Thursday.
The tournament will be held at Agege Stadium in Lagos State.
Founded in 2010 by Edun, LBHF is widely regarded as Nigeria’s and Africa’s longest-running amateur boxing tournament.
Until Tuesday, Edun was the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, before resigning his post on health grounds.
“The initiative provides a platform for young boxers to train and gain exposure,” Mohamed said, noting its role in grassroots boxing development.
As a non-profit organisation, LBHF has nurtured talents who have achieved national and international success.
“This edition doubles as a tribute to Edun, whose vision has shaped many boxing careers,” Mohamed added.
Action begins with Fatade Juwon facing Abiodun Yusuf in the men’s 50kg category.
Tajudeen Yekini will then confront Adele Faruq in the 55kg division.
In the men’s 60kg category, Tajudeen Rasheed meets Ogunleye Aliazeem, while Mosuru Adedeji battles Innocent Prosper.
Exhibition bouts will feature Princess Adeola against Zainab Ibrahim in the women’s 28kg category, and Adeseye Kalid versus Saliu Razak in the men’s 34kg division.
The sole women’s main-card clash will see Oluwatoyin Amirat face Aminashaun Raheemo in the 48kg division.
Wahab Ramadan will meet Lawal Opeyemi in the men’s 70kg bout, before Makinde Mohamed faces Ibadiaro Idris in the 75kg category.
The event concludes with Lawal Mohammed against Oluwapo Oluwaseun in the men’s 80kg title bout.
Over the years, LBHF has developed talents like Taiwo “Esepo” Agbaje, producing fighters who have represented Nigeria with distinction.
“This celebration reinforces our mission to sustain boxing as a pathway for young Nigerians,” Mohamed said.
English and Italian football giants Manchester City, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Juventus will square up for pre-season friendlies in Hong Kong in August, the clubs announced yesterday.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, currently arm-wrestling Arsenal for the Premier League title, will take on Inter Milan on Saturday, August 1, spearheaded by their Norwegian goal machine Erling Haaland.
The match will kick off the “Hong Kong Football Festival” at the city’s futuristic 50,000-seat Kai Tak stadium.
The gleaming arena opened a year ago, featuring a roof that can be closed and air-conditioning to combat the fierce summer heat and humidity in Hong Kong.
Chelsea will play Juventus on Wednesday August 5 to round off the mini-tournament.
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