Sports

NFF Have Wasted Our Five Years In Football-Senator Kalu

Published

4 years ago

November 19, 2021

Ibrahim Lawal

Africa’s Pillar of Sports and former Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu has called on the Nigeria Football Federation president, Amaju Pinnick to wake up and replace Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr,

Senator Karim Benzema hopes he will win the Ballon d’Or when the award is handed out on November 29th.

Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski, and Jorginho are just some of the frontrunners for world football’s most prestigious individual award, but the Real Madrid forward also has a good chance of winning the trophy for the first time in his career.

Last year he was the second-highest scorer in La Liga. Benzema scored 30 goals for the club last season, his joint-highest haul, and has 293 goals for the side since his arrival in 2009

Orji said that the last five years under Rohr as Eagles coach have been wasted as far as football in the country is concerned.

Kalu wondered how under Rohr the team that parade stars and talented players are struggling to qualify for Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup competitions.

“In the last five years, we have wasted our time in football. There is nothing new we are doing any longer. To see a country with many professional players home and abroad struggling to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup is heart-breaking.”

He said Gernot Rohr is not a good coach adding that he rejected the German when he applied to be Enyimba FC of Aba coach while he, Kalu was Governor.

“Gernot Rohr is not a good coach and I don’t understand why he is still managing Super Eagles.

“When I Was Governor, he applied to become employed as Enyimba coach. He was brought to Nigeria by Oscar Udoji but I refused to employ him.

“I am calling on the Chairman of NFF, Mr Amaju Pinnick to wake up and to quickly find a replacement for Rohr,” he continued.

Kalu who under his stewardship as Abia State Governor, Enyimba International FC won back-to-back the CAF Champions League in 2003 and 2004; said Nigerians have the capacity to make themselves proud and blamed Rohr for not doing anything new with the team since 2016.

The report emerged Wednesday morning that Gernot Rohr, 68, was sacked by the NFF but the spokesperson of the federation, Ademola Olajire denied the story claiming that he was not aware of the reported sack.

Super Eagles of Nigeria on Tuesday qualified for the World Cup play-off where they will likely come against Ghana, Egypt, Cameroon, DR Congo, or Mali.

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Sports

Football Fever Hits Abuja as Montage FM 99.7 Launches Maiden Community Tournament November 18

Published

3 hours ago

November 4, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

In its determination to foster unity among communities across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), identify and promote raw football talent, encourage physical fitness and discipline, and tackle youth restiveness, Montage FM 99.7 Abuja has unveiled plans for the Maiden Edition of the Montage Community Football Tournament.

The highly anticipated grassroots competition, themed “Montage FM 99.7: Empowering Youth, Uniting Communities Through Football,” is set to kick off on November 18, 2025, with playoffs across the six Area Councils of the FCT.

The tournament will feature 24 teams, with four teams representing each Area Council, competing for a cash prize of over ₦2 million and other valuable rewards.

However, grand finale scheduled for December 7, 2025, at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, where the top four teams will battle for first, second, and third place honors.

Speaking during a press briefing on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, the Cordinator of the Tournament Mr. Raphael Ekpang, described the tournament as a significant initiative aimed at using sports as a tool for unity, youth engagement, and talent discovery across the FCT.

According to him, I am honored to stand before you today to announce the upcoming Montage FCT Community Football Tournament a dynamic grassroots inter-community football competition that promises to unite communities and discover hidden talent across the six Area Councils in the FCT,” Ekpang said.

“This tournament is more than just football; it is a celebration of community spirit and youth empowerment. Our long-term goal is to expand beyond football to include other sports like basketball and athletics in future editions.”

Ekpang further noted that registration and awareness campaigns are currently underway across the six Area Councils, urging interested teams and individuals to participate.

“We are grateful for the support of our sponsors and partners who share our vision of promoting sports development and community engagement within the FCT. We also call on other organizations and individuals to join this noble cause,” he added.

The organizers emphasized that the Montage Community Football Tournament aligns with Montage FM 99.7’s mission to promote peace, unity, and positive engagement among youths while strengthening its brand presence as a youth-driven, community-focused platform.

They encouraged the public to follow updates and live coverage of the tournament through Montage FM 99.7 Abuja and its social media platforms

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