Sports

From Mavlon FC to Finland: The Rising Journey of James Samuel Friday

Published

2 years ago

March 21, 2025

Joel Ajayi

James Samuel Friday, a promising young goalkeeper from Nigeria, has recently made headlines following his transfer from Mavlon FC to SJK Seinäjoki II in Finland. Born on April 5, 2006, the 18-year-old shot-stopper is already making a name for himself with his impressive performances between the sticks.

Pls remove paragragh 2 and paste this.

Mavlon FC, a modest Nigerian side known for discovering and nurturing talented footballers beamed their search light on Friday at the cradle when he joined the club as a young boy in 2018. This early recruitment under the ‘catch them young’ policy of Mavlon, underscores the club’s confidence in his talent and highlights Ftiday’s unwavering dedication, which has been instrumental in his development as a promising footballer.

During his time at Mavlon FC, Friday also gained valuable international exposure, participating in the prestigious 73rd and 74th Viareggio Youth Tournaments in Italy. His performances caught the attention of scouts and clubs beyond Nigeria’s borders.

On February 1, 2025, Friday officially joined SJK Seinäjoki II, a Finnish club where he aims to develop further and gain vital experience in a competitive European environment. Prior to this significant move, he was invited by English club Charlton Athletic for a training and development program in London, where he impressed the technical crew and management with his goalkeeping skills.

Internationally, Friday has already represented Nigeria at the U20 level. He made his debut on March 7, 2024, under coach Ladan Bosso, earning his first cap for the national team. Since then, he has remained committed to improving his game and proving himself on bigger stages.

In modern football, where goalkeepers are expected to contribute to team play beyond shot-stopping, Friday excels with his ball-playing abilities. His precise passing allows him to connect with teammates effectively, facilitating quick transitions from defense to attack. Standing tall at 1.95m, he commands his area with authority and provides a strong presence between the posts.

With his talent, work ethic, and the right environment at SJK Seinäjoki II, Friday is poised for a bright future in European football.

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Sports

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

Published

7 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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