Sports

I Am Ready To Serve In Any Capacity -Coach Ilerika

Published

4 years ago

April 20, 2022

Joel Ajayi

Newly appointed assistant coach to the under -17 national team, Usman Haruna Ilerika has stated that he is ready to serve in any capacity deemed fit by the Nigeria football federation.

He said has had the privilege to serve this country in different capacities at the age-grade level so giving him the opportunity to serve at the under -17 level is an added privilege.

The former FCDA FC, FC Abuja, and National Under- 15 coach stated this while reacting to criticisms that have trailed his appointment following the reports that he has better qualifications than the people being put ahead of him.

According to him, I am a coach and always ready to serve my country in any capacity whenever I am called upon.

“I have served at U-13 and U-15 for so many years, now I have been given the opportunity which is a rare privilege and I am ready to take it with both hands.

‘Being among the chosen ones in a country of over two hundred million people means so much to me and I am happy to serve.”

Haruna Ilerika is one of the most qualified coaches in Nigeria having acquired the requisite knowledge to handle any of our national teams.

He graduated from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria with a first degree and later went to Nigeria Institute of sports, NIS where he bagged a diploma in coaching after studying for two years in a reputable institution.

Ilerika is also a CAF licensed coach and currently CAF and NFF instructor and has contributed immensely to the discovery of players like Taiwo Awoniyi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Chidera Eze, Taiwo Abdurahman, John Lazarus, and many others.

In 2014, he took Nigeria under 15 teams to African youth games in Botswana where he won gold in football, and in 2018 in Algeria, he won silver.

Though it is a big source of worry for many stakeholders after NFF named him the third assistant coach despite his achievements and qualifications like he said ‘I am ready to serve in any capacity.’

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Sports

Plateau Vipers, Benue Queens Crowned Champions at HFN North Central Division One Tourney

Published

19 hours ago

October 3, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The President of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Jibril Seidu, has said the federation will continue to intensify its grassroots talent development drive through zonal competitions across the country.

Seidu stated this on Saturday in Abuja at the finals of the 2026 North Central Division One Handball Championship, where Plateau Vipers defeated Suleja Shooters 29-24 to emerge champions in the men’s category.

In the women’s final, Benue Queens of Makurdi defeated City Queens of Suleja to claim the title.

The eight-day tournament featured teams from across the North Central Zone, with Plateau Vipers of Jos, Confluence Stars of Lokoja, Unity Boys of Abuja, Suleja Shooters and Nasarawa Ambassadors of Lafia competing in the men’s category.

In the women’s category, Nuela Handball Academy of Ilorin, Inikpi Babes of Idah, Benue Queens of Makurdi and City Queens of Suleja competed for honours.

At the end of the competition, four teams — two male and two female — emerged as the North Central Zone’s representatives for the national Division One league.

According to Seidu, the tournament was organised as part of the federation’s deliberate strategy to take handball development back to the regions and discover talents that might otherwise remain unnoticed.

He said the HFN board, inaugurated on October 25, 2025, resolved that grassroots development was essential to creating a sustainable pipeline of players for national and international competitions.

“All the teams you have seen here are from the North Central Zone of the country, and every state is represented with an academy or state team,” he said.

Seidu explained that the new approach marked a departure from the previous system, where talent identification was largely centred on the federation’s major league competitions.

He said taking competitions to the regions would provide young players with greater opportunities to showcase their abilities while strengthening the foundation of handball across the country.

The HFN president also linked the grassroots initiative to Nigeria’s recent achievements in international handball, stressing the need to develop younger players who can eventually replace members of the current national teams.

He noted that Nigeria had qualified for the 2027 Men’s Junior Handball World Championship in North Macedonia, describing the achievement as evidence of the potential within the country’s handball system.

“How do we replace these players with upcoming players? This is the avenue for us to get players,” he said.

Seidu added that the federation was determined to make handball more visible and accessible, describing it as one of Nigeria’s major sporting disciplines with significant potential for growth.

The North Central tournament is part of a wider zonal programme designed to decentralise handball development across Nigeria.

According to the federation, similar competitions are being organised across other zones, including the South East, North East, North West and South South, with qualifiers from each zone expected to converge at a designated venue for the next stage of the competition.

The federation also appealed for greater support from sponsors, stakeholders and state associations to sustain its grassroots development programme.

It expressed appreciation to the participating states, academies, team sponsors and other stakeholders for their support and commitment to the growth of handball in Nigeria.

The federation said the initiative would provide a platform for discovering the next generation of Nigerian handball stars while expanding the sport’s reach beyond its traditional centres.
While Speaking the elated coach of Benue Queen Godwin Tondo has promised a stronger and more tactical performance after guiding the team to victory at the 2026 North Central Division One Handball Championship in Abuja.
He attributed the success to the team’s long-term youth development programme, noting that the squad was built through a deliberate process of identifying and nurturing young talents.
According to him, the programme began with the selection of 92 girls from secondary schools, who were subsequently trained and developed over a four-year period.

He said the team’s success was a product of sustained hard work and commitment despite the challenges encountered during preparations for the tournament.

“I feel very pleased being a champion today. The road to this stage was very, very hard, but I am very happy that we have got the result from all the toughness of the game,” he said.

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