Sports

Heads May Roll, As Senate Summons Minister, NFF President Stadium Vandalization

Published

4 years ago

April 6, 2022

The Senate has summoned Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, over the vandalization of Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, by hoodlums on March 29, after the Super Eagles failed to qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

The upper chamber equally invited the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, and other agencies involved in the maintenance of the stadium.

The resolutions were sequel to a Point of Order raised by Sen. Michael Nnachi (PDP-Ebonyi) during Wednesday’s plenary.

The Senate also mandated its Committee on Sports and Youth Development to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the failure of the national team to qualify for the World Cup in spite of the numerous government support.

“Violent reaction by irate fans reportedly took place in the aftermath of Nigeria vs Ghana qualifier leading to vandalization of facilities at the stadium and the unfortunate death of Zambian CAF official, Joseph Kabungo.

“The national stadium was packed with highly expectant Nigerian fans throughout the controversial match and the alleged violent reaction of those fans to the outcome of this match has become a subject of local and international media criticism.

“A lot of valuable facilities at the stadium were destroyed but the extent of the destruction is yet to be determined by the relevant government authority.

“There is no gainsaying that the destruction will cause the government of Nigeria several millions of naira to either replace or effect repairs.

“Apart from several unidentified football fans who were injured as a result of this incident, the death of Dr. Joseph is a huge loss to the global football community,” he said.

Supporting the motion, Sen. Abba Moro (PDP-Benue) said it was a very sad day for Nigeria.

“It is sad that Nigerians vented their anger and frustration on the physical stadium.

“There is an urgent need for this senate, if possible, to intervene to see that our stadia across Nigeria are properly structured and made in such a way that future occurrences or fans invading the pitch or destroying the stadium will be prevented,” he said.

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Sports

From Streets to Stardom: Unique Futbol Academy Scouting Program Inspires Ibadan’s Young Footballers

Published

15 hours ago

November 4, 2025

The Gleamer

Ibadan is buzzing with excitement as the Unique Football Academy Scouting Program kicks off, bringing together top European football clubs and talented young Nigerian players.

The four-day program, which commenced on Monday, features a delegation of four directors from prominent European teams, including two from Kosovo and one from India, led by renowned football agent Diego Martins from Portugal.

The scouting program aims to identify and select outstanding players who will be given opportunities to showcase their skills in Europe.

Successful players will be offered the chance to take their careers to the next level, with the organizers assuring them of opportunities abroad.

According to the Director of the program and founder of Unique Football Academy, Mr. Jelil Oladimeji, this is not the first time the academy has organized such an event.

“This is the 4th edition, and we are proud of the progress and impact we have made so far in terms of exposing our raw talent to the European market,” he said.

The program has already proven successful, with several players from previous editions going on to excel in European leagues. Some notable examples include Haruna Saleh with PAOK in Greece and Praisegod Emersons in Slovakia.

As the program continues, clubs are gearing up to exhibit their talents, and the future looks bright for Nigeria’s young football stars.

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