Sports
Qatar 2022: Eguavoen lists Musa, Ekong, 30 others in provisional squad to battle Ghana
Technical Adviser Augustine Eguavoen has called up Captain Ahmed Musa, deputy captain William Ekong, midfielder Wifred Ndidi and forwards Moses Simon and Kelechi Iheanacho in a Super Eagles’ provisional list of 32 for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 play-off round against the Black Stars of Ghana.
Also called up are goalkeepers Maduka Okoye and Daniel Akpeyi, defenders Kenneth Omeruo, Oluwasemilogo Ajayi and Abdullahi Shehu, midfielders Oghenekaro Etebo and Joseph Ayodele-Aribo, and forwards Victor Osimhen, Odion Ighalo and Samuel Chukwueze.
Leicester City FC of England forward Ademola Lookman, recently cleared by FIFA to switch international allegiance and former U17 World Cup star Akinkunmi Amoo are officially called for the first time, while defender Calvin Bassey and forward Emmanuel Dennis return to the fold of the three –time African champions.
2021 AFCON forwards Taiwo Awoniyi and Peter Olayinka, defender Chidozie Awaziem and long-time absentee Ogenyi Onazi are in a seven-man standby list.
The camp opens in Abuja on 21st March, with a 24 –man final list for the two big games to be released at a later date.
Nigeria take on Ghana in the 20,000 –capacity Cape Coast Sports Stadium as from 7.30pm on Friday 25th March, with the reverse leg set for the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Tuesday, 29th March as from 6pm. The winner over two legs will earn one of Africa’s five tickets to the 22nd FIFA World Cup finals, scheduled for 14th November – 18th December this year in Qatar.
FULL SQUAD:
Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, The Netherlands)
Defenders: Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); Calvin Bassey (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Abdullahi Shehu (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal)
Midfielders: Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Oghenekaro Etebo (Watford FC, England); Akinkunmi Amoo (FC Copenhagen, Denmark)
Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Fatih Karagumruk, Turkey); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain); Victor Osimhen (Napoli FC, Italy); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Sadiq Umar (UD Almeria, Spain); Odion Jude Ighalo (Al-Hilal FC, Saudi Arabia); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Emmanuel Dennis (Watford FC, England); Ademola Lookman (Leicester City, England)
Standby: Chidozie Awaziem (Alanyaspor FC, Turkey); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Chidera Ejuke (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Taiwo Awoniyi (Union Berlin, Germany); Paul Onuachu (KRC Genk, Belgium); Peter Olayinka (SK Slavia Praha, Czech Republic); Ogenyi Onazi (Al-Adalah FC, Saudi Arabia)
Sports
“ This Award Gives Me Hope” Makanjuola Nureni Honoured for His Dedication to Nigerian Sports
Abuja-based football administrator and philanthropist, Makanjuola Nureni, has been honoured with the Distinguished Service Award by the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) in recognition of his outstanding support to sports journalism and his immense contributions to sports development in Nigeria.
The prestigious award was presented on Friday in Abuja during SWAN’s Diamond Jubilee Celebration held in Abuja, marking 60 years of promoting sports journalism and excellence across the nation.
Expressing his gratitude after receiving the honour, Makanjuola Nureni described the award as a source of inspiration and renewed motivation to continue his lifelong commitment to youth and grassroots sports.
“This award gives me hope and motivation to do more. It’s a source of inspiration to me and my supporters, and I believe it will encourage us to invest more in youth sports development in Nigeria,” he said.
He added that the recognition serves as a morale booster after decades of hard work and silent impact in the sports community.
“I feel happy and fulfilled because we have been doing this for decades, and many times, our efforts went unnoticed. But I thank God that SWAN recognized people like us,” Nureni expressed.
Makanjuola Nureni is the founder and owner of Water FC Academy, a renowned football institution based in Abuja that focuses on discovering, nurturing, and empowering young Nigerian talents.
Through Water FC, he has developed and sponsored numerous players who have gone on to represent Nigeria’s national teams and play professionally in clubs across Africa, Europe, and beyond.
His consistency, passion, and investment in the development of young athletes have made him a key figure in Nigerian grassroots football.
In presenting the award, SWAN commended Nureni’s unwavering dedication to the growth of sports and his continuous support for sports journalism and youth empowerment.
The association highlighted his decades-long service to football development and described him as a true partner in the promotion of excellence within Nigerian sports.
The SWAN Diamond Jubilee Celebration brought together prominent figures from sports administration, the media, and government sectors to honour individuals and organizations whose contributions have advanced sports development and journalism in Nigeria.
Nureni’s recognition stands out as a testament to his vision, consistency, and commitment to creating opportunities for young athletes and strengthening the foundation of Nigerian football.
With this honour, Makanjuola Nureni further cements his legacy as one of the foremost private contributors to sports growth and youth development in Nigeria.
His story continues to inspire a new generation of sports administrators and philanthropists dedicated to transforming Nigerian sports from the grassroots up.
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