Sports

Enugu State Government Laid Foundation For Rangers To Break League Jinx In 2016.. Amobi

Published

5 years ago

February 17, 2022

Former Team Manager of Rangers International F.C of Enugu, Barrister Amobi Ezeaku has attributed the success recorded by the Flying Antelopes in 2016, as a conceited efforts of the Enugu State government.

Ezeaku who spoke as a Guest to the FCT SPORTS UPDATE Personality Interview Segment said the he State Government in 2016 had the deep desire to lift the trophy and break the 32 years jinx.

” In a bid to do so people were asked to apply for the positions they felt they were capable of working in. That singular act to me started that journey to glory. I recall the Governor particularly telling me he wanted international best practices”.

“In 2016 when I got to Rangers, we made frantic efforts to get the players to hold us in trust and to hold us accountable. We first found that most of the players didn’t have copies of their contracts and we had to start from there. The structure at Rangers then was good. All we did was to get a psychologist and a physio on board. And of course with the sound technical crew we were good to go”.

Continuing, Amobi said “In a nutshell I would say that once the players trust the Manager/Management the work becomes easier”.

On his recent course overseas, the former school boy player said “For my UEFA Certificate in Football management Course, I had always believed in improving myself, but when I served at the NFF in 2013 and the trio of Barr. Musa Amadu, Okey Obi and Dr. Emeruwa drummed those sermons about personal improvement as an avenue to generating values to the society. I knew it was worth it. Coming from very experienced seniors and achievers, you could bet I was not going to relent on that. Of course everyone prays to grow, so it would be correct to say I look forward to greater opportunities for the future”.

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Sports

Drogba, Amuneke, Eguavoen Lead African Legends’ Arrival in Lagos

Published

15 hours ago

November 7, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

With just one day to the much-anticipated Legends of Africa Football Game, Ivorian football icon Didier Drogba has arrived in Lagos, joining an impressive assembly of former African internationals already in the city ahead of Sunday’s star-studded encounter.

Drogba’s arrival further heightens anticipation for the game, which will bring together some of the continent’s most celebrated football figures at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, Lagos.

Also in Lagos are Nigerian football greats Mobi Oparaku, Emmanuel Amuneke, Emmanuel Babayaro, Garba Lawal, Austin Eguavoen and Mutiu Adepoju, alongside other members of the legendary Super Eagles generations of 1994 and 1996.

The African contingent also features distinguished names including Togo’s Emmanuel Adebayor, Senegal’s El-Hadji Diouf, Ghana’s Stephen Appiah and Cameroon’s Rigobert Song, among other former international stars.

The excitement will extend beyond the legends’ reunion, with popular Nigerian entertainers and celebrities preparing for a special Celebrity Match as part of the event. Yhemolee, Sheggz, Jeriq, Teddy A and Charles Okocha are among the personalities set to feature in the celebrity fixture, scheduled to begin at 1:30pm.

The Celebrity Match will form part of a wider programme of activities designed to give fans a full day of football, entertainment and celebration before the main legends’ fixture, which kicks off at 5pm. Gates open at 1:30pm.

Organized by Toptier Sports Management in collaboration with Afreximbank and CANEX as part of CANEX WKND 2026, the game will feature 15 Nigerian legends taking on 13 African icons in a celebration of the players whose achievements helped shape the history of football on the continent.

Beyond the match, the programme includes a football clinic involving 500 young players, entertainment and special recognition for the heroes of African football.

The Legends of Africa Football Game promises a memorable gathering of football royalty, bringing together generations of fans to celebrate the enduring legacy of the continent’s finest players.

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