Sports

President Cup: Semifinal showdown confirmed in FCT

Published

4 months ago

February 14, 2025

EFCC FC will face Galadima FC while Family Worship Champions FC (FWC FC) will square off against N-Youth Academy on Monday 17th February at the FCT Sports Complex, at Area 3, Abuja.
All four teams secured their semifinal tickets in style, after two weeks of enthralling football at the ongoing FCT President Cup.

Goals flowed in the first and second quarterfinal matches as defending champions EFCC FC zoomed into the Semifinal by displaying sheer grit and dominance over Derby FC following a 2-1 victory.
It was a third straight win over Derby FC in the competition, but this time around EFCC shed bucket of sweats before earning it.
In the second quarterfinal match played on Monday, high flying Galadima FC sent warning signals to other teams still in the competition, with a 4-1 win over Milantarki Care FC. That number took their goalscoring tally to six 6⃣, the highest in the competition, so far.

In the third quarterfinal match, FWC FC kept their nerves in the penalty shoot-out, to eliminate Assess FA (4-2) after a goalless 90 minutes on Thursday evening. The coach Bunmi led boys failed to convert their chances during regular time and were taken to the game of lottery by Assess, where they kept their cool.
Similarly, in the fourth quarterfinal match, N-Youth Academy proved they are unstoppable when it comes to penalties as they secured yet another victory from the spot following a (3-1) shoot-out victory over Sporting Supreme, after play ended 1-1 in normal time. It was a highly tensed game that got the crowd on their toes. N-Youth after proving more clinical in the penalties.

Thus the FCT Sports Complex will be a busy ground on Monday, with all to play for, as the team battle to earn the tickets that will qualify them for the national finals. EFCC FC vs Galadima FC has been set for a 2pm kick-off tike while FWC vs N-Youth Academy will take center stage by 4pm.
Fans and stakeholders are guaranteed of great football artistry as all four teams eye the giant trophy and perks that comes with being the champions of FCT President Cup.

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Sports

NLO’s Shola Ogunowo Earns Praise for Driving Grassroots Football and Exemplifying Integrity

Published

30 mins ago

June 7, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Nigerian football community has lauded Mr. Shola Ogunowo, Chief Operating Officer of the Nationwide League One (NLO), for his unwavering commitment to integrity and the development of grassroots football, earning him widespread respect and admiration across the sporting landscape.

In a statement released in Abuja and signed by Okechukwu Okebugwu, Mr. Ogunowo was praised as a transformative leader who has redefined the ethics and standards of football administration at the grassroots level. According to the release, Ogunowo has emerged as a “leading figure in the fight against match-fixing, bribery, and all forms of corruption” that have plagued the lower tiers of Nigerian football for decades.

Through consistent enforcement of transparency, fairness, and accountability, Mr. Ogunowo is steering the NLO toward becoming a credible platform where talent can be discovered and nurtured based on merit, rather than manipulation or favoritism.

“In an environment where shortcuts and compromises are all too common, Shola Ogunowo has remained a pillar of integrity,” Okebugwu stated. “He is restoring credibility to grassroots football by ensuring that fair play, discipline, and professionalism are non-negotiable.”

Since taking over as COO, Ogunowo has spearheaded a number of structural reforms aimed at instilling discipline and operational excellence among participating clubs. These include stricter licensing requirements, performance audits, and compliance monitoring to ensure clubs uphold the league’s code of conduct. His administration has also emphasized youth development, with a renewed focus on coaching education and player welfare.

The result is a reinvigorated Nationwide League One that is beginning to attract renewed attention from fans, corporate sponsors, and local communities. Observers say Ogunowo’s leadership is helping reshape perceptions of grassroots football—not just as a stepping stone to the elite leagues, but as a vital foundation for the future of Nigerian football.

“His leadership is not only impacting the pitch—it’s rebuilding trust, creating real value, and setting a good standard for sports administration in Nigeria,” Okebugwu concluded.

As the NLO season progresses, many stakeholders believe that with figures like Shola Ogunowo at the helm, the future of grassroots football in Nigeria is not only secure, but promising.

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