Sports

Unity Preseason Tournament : Nasarawa United, Lobi Stars Zooms Into Semifinals

Published

2 years ago

October 27, 2022

Nasarawa United and Lobi Stars on Wednesday qualified for the Semifinals of the ongoing Unity Pre-season tournament holding in Abuja.

The two teams brought their experiences to bearing when they dispatched their opponents at the dot of regulation time.

The Solid Miners booked their place in the Semi-finals when returning
Central defender, Emeka Onyema, made the difference against Nigeria National League side, City FC of Abuja, after he lifted highest to nod home a Nentaka Bangs’ corner kick in the 59th minute of the tension-soaked encounter.

Former Niger Tornadoes shot-stopper, Yinka David, had to be at his best to earn United the deserved victory after severally denying the opponents from drawing level.

Obasi Dennis, Anas Yusuf, Abubakar Abdullahi and Ayuba Francis each made attempts on goal to increase United’s scoreline but were unlucky.

In the second quarter final pairings, two goals from the duo of Lobi Stars Alex Jerry and Umar Abba combined to score in both halves of the game to stop the ambition of Like-Minds FC to progress into the last 4 of this year’s Unity Soccer Tournament, Abuja 2022.

Jerry Alex was on the score sheet with just 23 minutes of play when he was clever to cover the first post to divert a pullout into the net from the right side of the attack by former Abia Warriors winger Mustapha Jubrin. The goal was his second since the start of the tournament which put Lobi Stars ahead going into the break.

In the second stanza, Mathias Samuel who has brought an unprecedented innovations into Lobi Stars midfield since signing for the Makurdi based side, the former Plateau United man created the needed environment for Umar Abba.

The Like-Minds boys fought hard and reduced the deficit to 1-2 when Gabriel Achu scored in the 79th minute to reignite comeback, though all their efforts proved abortive.

At the nick of time, goalkeeper Mustapha Alinko of Lobi Stars was assumed to have tripped junior international Onuche Ogbelu, but the referees allowed play to continue.

Both teams now awaits their opponents in the Semifinals after the two remaining games on Thursday between Mahanaim FC and Setraco FC , and EFCC against FWC Champions.

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Sports

Cricket: Nigeria To Host ICC U19 Men’s World Cup Qualifier

Published

20 hours ago

March 17, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

Nigeria Cricket Federation , NCF, says it is ready to host five other nations for the International Cricket Council ,ICC, Under 19 Men’s World Cup African Qualifier.

The tournament is billed for Lagos, with the matches to be held at the cricket ovals in Tafawa Balewa Square ,TBS, and the University of Lagos ,UniLag, from March 26 to April 6.

Uyi Akpata, President of the Federation, said in a statement on Sunday, that the tournament is about celebrating the growth of the game on the continent.

“Nigeria is thrilled to welcome these talented young cricketers and their supporters to Lagos.
“Our nation is known for its warm hospitality and fascinating cricketing potential, and we are committed to making this qualifier a memorable experience for all.

“This tournament is not just about competition; it’s about celebrating the growth of cricket in Africa and inspiring the next generation of players”, Akpata noted.

However, Kenya, Uganda, Namibia, Tanzania and Sierra Leone will join Nigeria to jostle for the continent’s sole ticket to the 2026 ICC Under 19 Men’s World Cup.

Meanwhile, Nigeria will be hoping to secure the ticket, having achieved same feat in 2019 and competing at the World Cup in South Africa 2020

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