Sports
A real Stakeholder has landed! All Hail Abba Mukhtar, the man with the midas touch
Many have declared before him but his declaration has left tongues wagging. His coming has given this whole contest a fresh dimension
In the last few weeks or so, names emerged from the blues as stakeholders staked their money for the ultimate prize. Names cropped up from the north, south, east and west leaving many with the option of permutations and calculations.
Reason is that, some felt that the time has come for the new order. They say, if Amaju must go, all those his kingpins that conspired with him to leave our football in this present mess, have to go with him.
They say, if for eight years, these men failed woefully to right the many wrongs in Nigeria football,, they stand no chance to get it right if given the chance to try.
We have in this group of unlookers, a man who skillfully wants to play nice. For eight years, he surrendered to loyalty and never for once did he stand up to look his boss at the face. Is that the leader we want to have? The answer is no!
Then there is another who flourishes in the glamor and razzmatazz of international appointments at the expense of his original assignment. He is loved by many but has overstretched the handshake. Today, those who love him have joined the opposition to fight him. That’s the unfortunate reality of the moment but it has to do with hia ungodly loyalty and attachment to a man who for eight years as NFF president spent more time before the mirror, admiring himself and his personal achievements at the expense of our National pride and goal.
You might want to exonerate others who claim that there is little or nothing they could do to steady the ship. However, if the head is bad, the body is useless.
Now step forward Alhaji Abba Mukhtar, a man whose tenure as FCT FA chairman has brought new lease of life to a state struggling to live up to it’s status as the home of Nigeria football.
Mukhtar has changed the narratives, he has employed men and women with capacity and class and has given them authority to work. The secretariat stands out as one, if not the best in the land, the FCT grassroot policy stands out as the very best in Nigeria today and added to that, we have a selfless leader who is determined to return Nigeria football to it’s rightful place on the global map.
In outlining his plans for Nigeria football, Mukhtar didn’t mince words. He has identified his priorities and has promised to stay loyal to them.
Among these priorities is creating an enabling environment for Nigeria football to thrive, putting in place a functional and working secretariat, relaunching Nigeria football as one of the Super powers of Africa and World football, investing in age grade national teams and returning to the grassroot, the home of talent.
For those who don’t know this man, let me educate you a little.
Abba Mukhtar Mohammed is a successful businessman and politician who was elected FCT FA Chairman three years ago after he had served the FA as Second Vice Chairman. Mohammed majored in Accounting and Economics at the Middlesex University in the United Kingdom and has a deep passion for the round leader game.
His passion is football. Infact, he eats and drinks football. No wonder, most Nigerian footballers, especially those that grew up in the north identify with him.
For him, the footballers come first. He doesn’t collect money from footballers, he gives them money if and when they ask. He is focused, young and enterprising, he is an ambitious goal getter, one with an eye for results.
Two days after announcing his intention to contest for the NFF presidential seat, the game changer has had to battle with negative and positive vibes but he is resolute and determined, ready to see this to the very end.
Sports
Plateau Vipers, Benue Queens Crowned Champions at HFN North Central Division One Tourney
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.
-
Featured7 years agoLampard Names New Chelsea Manager
-
Featured6 years agoFG To Extends Lockdown In FCT, Lagos Ogun states For 7days
-
Featured7 years agoChildren Custody: Court Adjourns Mike Ezuruonye, Wife’s Case To April 7
-
Featured7 years agoNYSC Dismisses Report Of DG’s Plan To Islamize Benue Orientation Camp
-
Featured5 years agoTransfer Saga: How Mikel Obi Refused to compensate me After I Linked Him Worth $4m Deal In Kuwait SC – Okafor
-
Featured7 years ago
Board urges FG to establish one-stop rehabilitation centres in 6 geopolitical zones
-
Sports4 years ago
TINUBU LAMBAST DELE MOMODU
-
News2 years agoZulu to Super Eagles B team, President Tinubu is happy with you
