Sports

Lukman and Roman net as Mahanaim FC beat Assess FA 2-nil

Published

7 months ago

February 28, 2025

Hot Boys of Mahanaim FC continue to stay hot in the year after another hard fought victory over Assess FA at the FIFA Goal Project inside Package-B of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

Lukman Adigun opened the scoring in the 25th minute of the match and was joined by Nambou Jean Roman-Emerite late in the second half as the Hot Boys claimed victory.

This victory in the first meeting with Assess FA extends their unbeaten run of nine straight matches since August 2024 when they lost to City FC by 3-1.

Coach Saheed Jimoh made whole some changes to the line up that defeated Sarkin Daji a fought night ago, yet, the result is similar, another 2-nil win over Assess FA.

Starting XI
David Adolphus-(Gk), Ramadan Yusuf (RB) ,Hamisu Salisu(LB), Awala Hamisu(DM) Nura Yahaya(LCB), Jesse Mokele(RCB), Monday Abdul(RW) Haruna Abdullahi(AM) Aliyu Imran(ST) Lukman Adigun(CDM), Gilbert Michael(LW)

     Reserves

Nambou Jean Roman Emerite(ST)
Ikoh Joseph Danjuma(CDM)
Ifechwuku James Chukwuchebe(LW)
Harry Dogmi(RW)
Khilifa Imam(CB)
Emmanuel Elijah(AM)
Samed Adejumo-(DM)
Christopher Edoh(GK)

The match started before 8am, under a cool weather, as the sun was just rising, which set the tone for a good game by both teams.

The Hot Boys created some early chances but couldn’t convert, including a 20th minute penalty miss by Haruna Abdullahi, who saw his effort saved by the goalkeeper as his low shot to the bottom right corner was well parried.

The miss gave the boys more impetus to press high and they were rewarded five minutes later when Lukman Adigun reacted quickest to a lose ball after a miss kick by the goalkeeper; following a press from Gilbert which pressured the goalkeeper to kick onto the path of Lukman who wasted no time directing his shot into the back of the net from 25 yards, to give the Hot Boys a deserved lead.

Assess tried to find an equaliser but their effort was in futility as Mahanaim led into halftime.

The second half was more intense, as both teams tried to score. Mahanaim continued to miss chances while Assess also found themselves inches away from scoring on several occasions. The tone of the game at that point made coach Saheed to send on Ikho Danjuma for Awala Hamisu, Ifechukwu James for Gilbert, Emmanuel Elijah for Lukman and Nambou Roman for Monday in other shore up things and find a security goal.

Moments later, the changes paid off as substitute Nambou Roman created a space after beating his marker, before sending a curling shot from outside the box, that beat the goalkeeper, into the back of the net. There was room for two more changes as Samed Adejumo replaced Haruna while Khalifa Imam also replaced Nura Yahaya.

Despite the victory, Coach Saheed Jimoh insist there is still alot of improvements expected from his team.

10th Match Unbeaten

Meanwhile, in another match at the team’s temporary home ground at Brown Check School, Chikakore, Kubwa, Harry Dogmi was the match winner as the Hot Boys took on Soccer Stars Football Academy- winning 1-0.

Harry was an unused sub in the match against Assess FA earlier in the day, however, that only fired him up to deliver victory for the team in the evening fixture. The win over Soccer Stars FA thus taking Mahanaim’s unbeaten run to 10 straight matches.

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Sports

FCT FA Board Member Urges Grassroots Reform, Hopeful For Super Eagles World Cup Qualification

Published

16 hours ago

October 5, 2025

The Gleamer

Legal Practitioner And Administrator Barr Bucknor Threatens To Petition FCT Minister Over Abandoned Stadiums

Despite Nigeria’s precarious position in the race for a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Barrister Babatunde Burknor, a board member of the FCT Football Association (FA), remains hopeful that the Super Eagles can still secure qualification.

Nigeria currently sits third in their qualification group with 11 points from 8 matches, trailing Benin Republic and South Africa, who both lead with 14 points. Yet Burknor, a seasoned football administrator and grassroots sports advocate, believes all is not lost.

In a recent interview made available to BSN Sports, Burknor said: “Nigeria’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup may appear almost impossible, but that doesn’t mean it is out of reach. The situation is tough, yes, but looking at the quality of players in our squad, I still believe we can make it.”

He added that unexpected results from other group rivals could work in Nigeria’s favour.

“Football is unpredictable. There is still a chance that South Africa, Benin Republic, or Rwanda could drop points. If we win our remaining two games, we still stand a chance. Sometimes football reflects life where the strong may fall while the seemingly weak stand tall.”

Calls for Grassroots Reform in the FCT

Beyond national team concerns, Burknor also used the opportunity to address the state of sports development in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), urging the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to take concrete action to revamp local infrastructure.

“We have deep-rooted problems when it comes to grassroots sports. The major issue is a lack of funding and commitment from those charged with driving development at that level,” he said.

Burknor lamented the disappearance of once-thriving youth competitions like the Chairman’s Cup, Principal’s Cup, and Shell Cup, stating that such events played a crucial role in identifying and nurturing young talent.

“It’s disheartening that these programs are no longer active. Development is impossible without facilities, yet we lack even basic training grounds.”

The legal luminary revealed that he personally upgraded the sports facility at a government secondary school in his area to serve as a makeshift training centre, due to the absence of a functioning local stadium.

He is currently drafting a petition to Minister Wike, over abandoned stadiums in FCT, urging a comprehensive audit of officials responsible for sports development across the six Area Councils of the FCT.

Progress in Gwagwalada Football Development

As Vice Chairman of the Gwagwalada Football Council, Burknor highlighted the success of the Gwagwalada Football League, which has become a model for other Area Councils.

“In just two years, we’ve turned the Gwagwalada Football League into a success story. Several players from the league have already secured contracts in Europe. This shows what can be achieved with vision and consistency.”

Barrister Burknor, emphasized that grassroots football holds the key to Nigeria’s long-term football success and must be taken seriously.

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