Sports

Kano Pillars, Niger FC Shine Bright on Matchday One as Amputee Football Championship Kicks Off

Published

2 months ago

October 15, 2025

Joel Ajayi

Defending champions Kano Pillars began their title defense in style, dominating Matchday One with impressive performances despite being scheduled to play two matches on the same day.

In a thrilling opening encounter, Kano Pillars edged Plateau State FC 2–1 in a fiercely contested battle. Pillars took the lead through Bethel Emmanuel, but Abdullahi Mohammed equalized for Plateau to restore parity. However, like a cat with nine lives, Pillars fought back strongly, with Emmanuel striking again to seal his brace and hand his team a well-deserved victory.

In the second match of the day, debutants Gida Gida FC gave a spirited performance but fell short against the more experienced Niger FC, who managed to snatch a 1–0 win courtesy of a decisive strike from Mohammed Nasiru.

Meanwhile, Kaduna FC could not withstand the relentless pressure from a rampaging Kano Pillars side, who cruised to a convincing 3–0 victory in the final match of the day, further asserting their dominance in the competition.

Speaking after the matches, Paul Maduakor, President of the Nigeria Amputee Football Federation, described the ongoing championship as an important platform for scouting players ahead of the Amputee Football World Cup.

“I am impressed with the level of organization and the enthusiasm shown by the participants,” Maduakor said. “We are confident that from this competition, we will select some of the best talents to represent Nigeria at the World Cup while also blending in promising new players coming through the ranks.”

The Technical Director, Victor Nwenwe, also lauded the quality of play and commended the performance of the new teams competing for the first time, noting that the competition’s standard continues to rise each year.

“The level of play has been impressive. The new teams have shown great potential, and we’re hopeful of discovering top talents among them,” he said.

Matchday 2 Fixtures

Niger State FC vs. Phoenix FC – 10:00 a.m.

Plateau State FC vs. Kaduna State FC – 12:00 p.m.

Gida Gida FC vs. Phoenix FC – 2:00 p.m.

Six teams are participating in this year’s competition: Kano Pillars, Kaduna FC, Niger FC, Plateau FC, Gida Gida FC, and Kano Pillars 2.

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Sports

Tangerine APT Pension Crowned New Kings of PFA Games 2025

Published

11 hours ago

November 30, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi
Joel Ajayi Tangerine APT Pension stormed the 2025 Pension Fund Administrators Games and snatched the crown with a commanding 66 points—ending FCMB’s reign and announcing themselves as the new champions of corporate sporting excellence.

From the first whistle to the final scoreboard, Tangerine APT played like an organisation possessed. They dominated volleyball and snooker, showcased brilliant tactical depth to finish second in chess behind Norrenberger, secured second place in team bonding behind Premium Pension, and held their own across the board—fourth in football, sixth in table tennis, fifth in scrabble, and eighth in e-sports, press conference, discipline and grooming. Every point mattered, and Tangerine APT grabbed them with fire.

Defending champions FCMB, despite flashes of brilliance, simply could not summon last year’s magic.

They finished second overall with 63 points—just three points behind the new champions. FCMB were first in scrabble, second in football, third in table tennis and e-sports, fourth in snooker and team bonding, and fifth in volleyball, chess, and press conference/discipline/grooming. A brave defence, but not enough to stop the Tangerine wave.

Rounding off the podium is NPF Pension, finishing third with 57 points after a spirited campaign. They claimed gold in football, second in table tennis and e-sports, third in volleyball, fourth in scrabble, sixth in press conference/discipline/fanfare/most coordinated, seventh in chess, and eighth in snooker and team bonding.

The rest of the table saw fierce competition:4th – Norrenberger Pension: 52 points, 5th – Premium Pension: 47 points, 6th – NNPC Pension: 45 points, 7th – Access Arm: 41 points
In Others position 8th – Trustfund Pension: 29 points 9th – PENCOM: 28 points and 10th – NUPEMCO: 25 points.

With the dust settled and the cheers still echoing, one truth stands tall:Tangerine APT Pension has ushered in a new era—bold, dominant, and unforgettable.

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