Sports

FCT on fire as Future Guaranteed FA, New Dawn FC storm Moshood Abiola Stadium, for RSFL Super 4 Final

Published

9 months ago

September 25, 2024

Joel Ajayi

The 66, 000 capacity of Moshood Abiola Stadium in Nigeria’s Capital City will be ablaze on Friday as Future Guaranteed FA and New Dawn FC will slug it out in the much-awaited Rising Stars Football League (RSFL) Super 4 Final.

The final game in Abuja will feature an array of grassroots talents where the winner between the two teams will smile home with 11 Million Naira.

RSFL which is a form of the league format saw 12 teams kick start a few weeks ago across all the 6 area councils in FCT.

While Speaking at a Press conference ahead of the final game on Tuesday in Abuja, the Project Coordinator, Ifeanyi Kama expressed that, the Federal Capital Territory will witness a showcase of exceptional young football talents during the final on Friday.

We aim to develop this array of talent and showcase them on our platform. We all know that grassroots football in the country has been in the dark for a while which is why we are working seriously to bring such an opportunity back.

“The RSFL is not just about football—it’s about creating opportunities for our youth to become better people, and in turn, give back to their society. We believe in the power of sports to shape futures and communities.

“We had the qualifiers that have to do with the six areas in FCTave to tell the six areas at which 12 teams participated and we are trying to make it national where we will comb every part of the country for talent, nurture them in such a way that they will be useful to themselves as well as society.”

He appealed to football lovers in FCT and its environs to come out en mass to come and watch the much-awaited final.

An elated ex-international, Emmanuel Babayaro urged the organizer to make the grassroots hunt a holistic package where players will be discovered, guided, and nurtured for them to be useful to themselves and the country at large.

According to him, It’s been a long coming, we need to support this laudable project to succeed.

Also, the 2003 AFCON Winner, Juwon Oshaniwa, thumbed the organizer for the grassroots development saying the event would help them to be useful to society.

He charged every grassroots talent to embrace the rising football league to showcase their talent.

On his own, Captain of New Dawn Anthony Egbenu envisaged a tough match come Friday but expressed the readiness of his team to light the trophy

He said: “The match is not going to be an easy one but, on our part, we are fully prepared and ready.

However, the music star Portable will also grace the event, bringing an extra dose of entertainment to the fans.

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Sports

No crisis in NAWIS ahead of AFN elections on Monday

Published

13 hours ago

June 8, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Association of Nigerian Women in Sports (NAWIS), known for its orderliness since its establishment in 1990, continues to uphold its standards ahead of the upcoming Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) elections.

With members across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, NAWIS has consistently operated without external interference.

Over the years, its members have been nominated to various boards of national sports federations after meeting established criteria, including the payment of annual dues.

The association has attracted a strong base of respected sportswomen who have served the country with distinction, both during and after their active careers.

In preparation for the AFN elections, zonal elections were conducted on June 2 and 3, producing representatives for the national exercise.

While NAWIS initially planned to hold its election in Zaria, Kaduna State, the association’s headquarters, it was later rescheduled for Abuja on Monday, June 9, following directives from higher authorities.

Importantly, NAWIS has a set of strict guidelines that govern its electoral process, particularly the requirement for timely payment of annual dues. Failure to meet this condition results in automatic disqualification.

This guideline was the basis for the disqualification of Maria Wophil, who has reportedly not paid her annual dues since 2017. Her attempt to hurriedly settle outstanding debts just before the election was deemed non-compliant with NAWIS regulations.

Who is Fatima Yusuf-Olukoju?

Commonwealth gold medallist Fatima Yusuf-Olukoju is one of the leading contenders for the NAWIS representative position in the AFN.

She made history as the first African woman to run the 400m in under 50 seconds and brought glory to Nigeria by winning a silver medal in the 4x400m relay at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics.

Yusuf-Olukoju also claimed gold in the 400m at the 1991 All-Africa Games and silver in the 200m.

Based on nominations and her track record, Yusuf-Olukoju is considered the most qualified candidate. However, three other contenders have also shown interest, and the final decision will be made in the election slated for Monday, June 9, in Abuja.

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