Sports

Goals Galore as Amazing Grace FC Downs Firestone FC 3-1 in League Opener

Published

1 year ago

May 11, 2025

By Joel Ajayi

The much-anticipated Kuje Football League kicked off in grand style as Amazing Grace FC delivered a commanding 3-1 victory over Firestone FC in the opening match of the tournament.

Organized by the Kuje Football Association, the maiden edition of the league is aimed at fostering talent discovery and promoting unity through football across the Kuje Area Council.

The opening game, held at the Kuje Township Stadium, showcased a dominant performance from Amazing Grace FC. Nabala Vincent, wearing jersey number 8, opened the scoring early in the first half and quickly followed up with a second goal, completing a brace to give his team a 2-0 lead.

Just ten minutes later, Joseph Emmanuel extended the lead with a well-taken goal, putting Amazing Grace FC 3-0 ahead. Despite the pressure, Firestone FC managed to pull one back later in the game through Samuel Otisi, narrowing the final scoreline to 3-1.

With this strong start, Amazing Grace FC has set the tone for what promises to be an exciting and competitive tournament.

Speaking after the match, one of the sponsors of the league, Managing Director of Defemak Concepts Ltd., Akinwale Femi Stephen, praised the initiative, calling it a timely platform for youth development.

“This tournament is a bold and timely intervention in the effort to give the youth a voice through sport. Honestly, this is what we have been clamouring for, especially to keep the youth engaged. There is so much untapped talent out there, and football is a powerful tool that brings people together. I think this is a truly commendable and well-organized competition,” he said.

Also lending his support, Mr. Alex Alale, representative of Solution Estate, expressed his company’s commitment to the initiative.

“We are ready to assist in every aspect of this project. This is one of the best ways to connect with the youth. We’ve been in this community and understand the importance of initiatives like this. When the idea was presented to us, I keyed in 100%,” he stated.

As the tournament continues, anticipation builds for more thrilling matches and the opportunity for young talents to shine on the local stage.

Share on Facebook

Sports

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

Published

1 hour 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.

Share on Facebook