Sports

NFF Have Wasted Our Five Years In Football-Senator Kalu

Published

5 years ago

November 19, 2021

Ibrahim Lawal

Africa’s Pillar of Sports and former Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu has called on the Nigeria Football Federation president, Amaju Pinnick to wake up and replace Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr,

Senator Karim Benzema hopes he will win the Ballon d’Or when the award is handed out on November 29th.

Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski, and Jorginho are just some of the frontrunners for world football’s most prestigious individual award, but the Real Madrid forward also has a good chance of winning the trophy for the first time in his career.

Last year he was the second-highest scorer in La Liga. Benzema scored 30 goals for the club last season, his joint-highest haul, and has 293 goals for the side since his arrival in 2009

Orji said that the last five years under Rohr as Eagles coach have been wasted as far as football in the country is concerned.

Kalu wondered how under Rohr the team that parade stars and talented players are struggling to qualify for Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup competitions.

“In the last five years, we have wasted our time in football. There is nothing new we are doing any longer. To see a country with many professional players home and abroad struggling to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup is heart-breaking.”

He said Gernot Rohr is not a good coach adding that he rejected the German when he applied to be Enyimba FC of Aba coach while he, Kalu was Governor.

“Gernot Rohr is not a good coach and I don’t understand why he is still managing Super Eagles.

“When I Was Governor, he applied to become employed as Enyimba coach. He was brought to Nigeria by Oscar Udoji but I refused to employ him.

“I am calling on the Chairman of NFF, Mr Amaju Pinnick to wake up and to quickly find a replacement for Rohr,” he continued.

Kalu who under his stewardship as Abia State Governor, Enyimba International FC won back-to-back the CAF Champions League in 2003 and 2004; said Nigerians have the capacity to make themselves proud and blamed Rohr for not doing anything new with the team since 2016.

The report emerged Wednesday morning that Gernot Rohr, 68, was sacked by the NFF but the spokesperson of the federation, Ademola Olajire denied the story claiming that he was not aware of the reported sack.

Super Eagles of Nigeria on Tuesday qualified for the World Cup play-off where they will likely come against Ghana, Egypt, Cameroon, DR Congo, or Mali.

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Sports

Kukkiwon President Hails Popoola’s Impact on Nigerian Taekwondo, NTF Boss Celebrates One Year of Progress

Published

11 hours ago

October 28, 2026

The Gleamer

The President of the Taekwondo Federation of Nigeria, Grand Master Tayo Popoola has received a letter of commendation from the president of Kukkiwon, Yun Ung- Suk, for her outstanding contribution to the development of the sport.

Grand Master Popoola was hailed for her consistent drive improving the game within a short time of her stewardship in the NTF and the dissemination of Taekwondo activities in Nigeria to the global space.

The commendation letter dated October 25, 2026, was personally signed by Kukkiwon President, Ung-Suk.

Popoola said the commendation came to her as a pleasant surprise.

“I did not see that coming but It is a good one not only for me but the entire federation. I did not do it alone and it is also a challenge to do much more in the days, weeks and months ahead. I thank all the board members and I am optimistic that we will do more for the athletes,” Popoola said.

Incidentally, it is just about one year in office for Grand Master Popoola who has recorded a string of successes in the federation including the National Open Trials in Abeokuta, the Africa Taekwondo Championship 2026 in Bamako Mali where Nigeria won several Medals, the first ever Micheal Opeyemi Bamidele National Taekwondo Championship which took place last month in Lagos and the recently held Korean Ambassador Cup in Abuja which also had in attendance the World Kukkiwon Demonstration team.

The demonstration team dazzled fans in Abuja with spectacular display only last weekend just as the para-athletes in taekwondo were duly classified by experts from the world body in preparation for the Los Angeles Olympics 2028.

“I want to thank the National Sports Commission for the support given to me and the entire NTF. Things can only get better,” Popoola stressed.

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