Sports

CHAN2025Q :“I Saw Hope” – Gusau

Published

2 years ago

December 29, 2024

Joel Ajayi

President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has expressed optimism about the future of Nigerian football following the CHAN Eagles’ emphatic victory over Ghana in Uyo on Saturday.

The jubilant NFF President described the win as a symbol of brighter days ahead for Nigerian football, particularly in 2025. He highlighted the team’s determination, noting that their performance demonstrated the resilience of Nigerians to overturn expectations.

“We are thrilled to close the year on such a high note,” Gusau remarked. “Securing a spot at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) has been a key goal, and we’re delighted to have achieved it. Now, the real challenge is to prepare the team thoroughly to compete for the trophy in East Africa next year.” Gusau also congratulated the team and commended Nigerians for their unwavering support in the face of adversity.

Nigeria achieved a landmark moment by defeating Ghana for the first time in an African Nations Championship qualifier, securing their ticket to the tournament’s eighth edition, scheduled for February 2025 in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda. A scintillating 3-1 victory at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium rewrote the narrative of Nigerian-Ghanaian contests at this level.

Three brilliantly executed goals within six minutes defined the encounter, delivering a crushing blow to Ghana’s aspirations. The Black Galaxies, despite their pre-match confidence, struggled to cope with Nigeria’s relentless attacking display.

The game began with Nigeria on the front foot, and in the 18th minute, Captain Junior Nduka’s precise long ball found Ismaila Sodiq, who broke Ghana’s offside trap and slotted past goalkeeper Benjamin Asare. Two minutes later, Nigeria almost doubled their lead, but Adamu Abubakar’s close-range effort was deflected by defender Abban Ebenezer.

From the ensuing corner, Nduka capitalized on Ghana’s defensive lapse, sending the ball into the net for Nigeria’s second goal. Just three minutes later, Saviour Isaac exploited a mix-up between goalkeeper Asare and defender Nurudeen Abdulai to score the third.

The Black Galaxies, overwhelmed and disoriented, were fortunate not to concede a fourth before halftime when Sikiru Alimi missed a golden opportunity after being set up by Isaac.

In the second half, Nigeria maintained their dominance, with Isaac and Alimi coming close to increasing the lead. Despite Ghana pulling one back through Stephen Amankona in the 72nd minute, the damage was already done.

The loss capped a dismal year for Ghana, marked by the Black Stars’ early exit at the Africa Cup of Nations, their failure to qualify for the next edition of the tournament, and the Black Starlets’ inability to reach the Africa U17 Cup of Nations.

Nigeria, silver medalists at CHAN in 2018, celebrated their return to the tournament with gusto. The victory over perennial rivals Ghana was particularly satisfying and underscored the promise of a brighter future for Nigerian football.

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Sports

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

Published

11 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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