Sports
Rivers United shape up for CAF Champions League with refresher course on latest rules
Highly-respected CAF/FIFA Instructor, Peter Edibi on Thursday oversaw a refresher course for players, coaches and officials of Rivers United FC as the reigning Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) champions shape up for exertions in the 2022-23 CAF Champions League.
In a bid to leave no stone unturned and also to ensure that the United give Nigeria creditable representation in the competition, an intensive course was arranged to keep the team in the loop as regards the latest regulations of the game.
“What I and the team did (on Thursday afternoon) was to prepare them for the continental competition they are going into – the CAF Champions League,” Edibi said.
“The basic things we looked at were the amendments in terms of the application and interpretation of the laws of the game.
“We looked at (physical) challenges (during matches), offsides, illegal use of arms, we went to handball situations, and others.
“I think with these, the players are well equipped now to go into the (CAF Champions) League.
“We will continue with the process (of teaching the team) because this is a learning process and it will not be a one off,” he said.
Rivers United won last season’s NPFL title with four games to spare, playing swashbuckling, attacking football while maintaining the meanest defence in the division.
The “Pride of Rivers” will now be looking to transfer that dominance onto the continental stage as they shape up for a two legged battle in the first (preliminary) round of the CAF Champions League against Liberia champions, Watanga.
Rivers State Sports Commissioner, Barrister Chris Green, who also attended the session on Thursday did not mince words as he weighed up the scale of the task to listening members of the club.
“You are all ambassadors of Rivers State and Nigeria in the upcoming CAF Champions League,” Barrister Green stated.
“No Nigerian club has won this competition since 2004 and many years have passed since a Nigerian club last reached the group stages of this competition.
“We as Rivers United must go into this season’s competition with a mindset of conquerors and we are leaving no stone unturned in our drive to participate with distinction, pride and honour.
“It is not enough to just walk into the pitch for games without a firm grasp of the rules of the game.
“Playing without knowledge of the rules of the game will be useless to us.
“So you all have the opportunity to go through the rudiments of the new rules of the game through an expert, Mr. Peter Edibi.
“It is important to be conversant with the amended rules so you (the players) get aquatinted and also assimilate what will be taught,” he implored.
The Sports chief concluded by reminding the players of continued support from the sponsors, the Rivers State Government.
“We are not taking part in the Champions League to make up the numbers,” he said.
“The Governor of our dear State (Rivers), His Excellency, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has promised that each member of the team will receive $40,000.00 USD of you reach the group stages of the competition.
“So you can imagine what will happen if the team goes past that stage and reaches the quarter finals, semis and even the final.
“You (players and officials) also know what the management of the team will do for you if you perform creditably in the competition.
“So I implore you all to put in your very best to ensure you make everyone proud.
“On our part as sponsors, we will ensure that the team is totally prepared and catered for in all respects.
“The refresher course co-ordinated by Peter Edibi is just a minute part of our comprehensive preparation of and for this team, not just fir continental games but domestic exertions as well,” he concluded.
United will proceed with the next phase of their preparations for the CAF Champions League when they make the trip to Ikenne, Remo, Ogun State where they will participate in the Value Jet Cup.
The competition will also integrate three of Nigeria’s other representatives in CAF’s inter club competitions, namely Plateau United, Remo Stars and Kwara United.
Sports
Plateau Vipers, Benue Queens Crowned Champions at HFN North Central Division One Tourney
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.
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