Sports
Nike Extends Contract With NFF
The Nigeria Football Federation and sportswear company, Nike, on Tuesday in Asaba, Delta State, signed a new partnership agreement that officials from both organisations termed “dawn of a new era.”
American kit company Nike had teamed up with the NFF in April 2015 following the departure of another global brand, but Tuesday’s contract is seen by both parties as the real deal. The agreement is for four years at the first instance, with an automatic renewal clause that will take the marriage to the end of the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals.
“We need to know where we are coming from to be able to appreciate where we are now. A few months after we came on board for our first term in office, I was told that we needed to buy jerseys for the national team to play a football match. That was how bad it was because the kit sponsor at that time terminated the contract.
“So, I made contacts with some highly connected persons and worked hard to convince Nike to come on board. We were coming from a weak position but they made the agreement flexible for us. Today, we are happy we teamed up with Nike because after we qualified and participated at the World Cup in Russia, the company was the one chasing us for a new improved contract,” President of NFF, Amaju Pinnick, said at the contract-signing ceremony inside the Stephen Keshi Stadium.
Chairman of the NFF Marketing, Sponsorship and TV Rights Committee, Shehu Dikko, who is also the NFF 2nd vice president, said Nike’s faith in Nigerian football and its encouragement all the way has been heartwarming.
“They never stopped believing in us and in our teams, and after they conducted their due diligence on everyone involved in the running of the NFF, they were very eager to sign this new deal as far back as when we returned from the World Cup in Russia. But we kept telling them to give us some time.
“We are very happy because this new agreement comes with good money on annual basis, more supplies, improved qualification bonus for our teams, door-to-door delivery of kits, royalty for the NFF on jerseys sold and it has now been expanded to include our women national teams.”
Sourced From: SoccerNet NG
Complete Sports NG
Iheanacho Bags Sixth Assist As Leicester Slip Up In Top-Four Race After Frustrsting Draw At 10-Man Southampton
Kelechi Iheanacho provided his sixth assist of the season as 10-man Southampton held Leicester to a 1-1 draw and frustrate the Foxes in their push to clinch a top-four finish, Completesports.com reports. The in-form Iheanacho made amends by assisting Johnny Evans for Leicester’s equaliser, after he gave away the penalty which James Ward-Prowse converted to […]
The post Iheanacho Bags Sixth Assist As Leicester Slip Up In Top-Four Race After Frustrsting Draw At 10-Man Southampton appeared first on Complete Sports.
Sourced From: Complete Sports
The 26-year-old becomes only the second player to score 30 league goals in Europe’s top ten leagues this season and the first Nigerian to reach that mark after he scored in Genk’s 3-2 win at Antwerp
Paul Onuachu continues to break new grounds in what has been a remarkable season after he scored his 30th league goal to help Genk to a 3-2 win over Royal Antwerp in the opening game of the Jupiler League Championship playoff round.
After coronavirus ended the Belgian top-flight abruptly last season, the championship round resumed again this season, with Antwerp playing host to Genk.
Theo Bongonda put Genk ahead in the 20th minute following a ball from Junya Ito, but goals from Maxime Le Marchand and Koji Miyoshi in the space of four minutes turned the tie around for Antwerp.
However, Onuachu restored parity for The Smurfs in the 71st minute for his 30th league goal of the season. By reaching this milestone, the former Midtjylland striker becomes the first Nigerian to reach 30 league goals in a single season in Europe.
Also, he is just the second player after Robert Lewandowski to score 30 or more goals in Europe’s top ten leagues this season.
But the Nigerian international is still 11 short of the record for most goals in a single Belgian top-flight season, set by Arthur Ceuleers and Jules Van Craen in the 1942-1943 season.
Nonetheless, Onuachu is well on course to become the third Nigerian player to finish as the top scorer in the Belgian top-flight after Tosin Dosunmu and Joseph Akpala.
Meanwhile, Bongonda, who provided the assist for Onuachu’s goal, combined once again with Ito to fire home the winner for Genk two minutes from time.
Sourced From: Soccernet.ng
Asisat Oshoala netted a vital away goal for Barcelona Ladies who lost 2-1 to Manchester City but qualified for the semi-finals of the UEFA women’s Champions League on Wednesday, Completesports.com reports. Barcelona progressed into the last four stage with a 4-2 aggregate win over City, after winning the reverse fixture 3-0. It was a first […]
The post Women’s UCL: Oshoala Scores As Barca Knockout Man City, Clinch Semi-finals Ticket appeared first on Complete Sports.
Sourced From: Complete Sports
The Super Falcons star was the hero in the first leg, and was again brilliant in the return leg, even though La Blaugranes lost
Asisat Oshoala was once again on target, but Barcelona lost 2-1 in the return leg of their Uefa Women’s Champions League quarterfinal clash.
However, Barcelona still progressed to the semifinals 4-2 on aggregate, having won the first leg 3-0 in Rome.
Oshoala was the hero in the first leg, scoring once and winning a penalty. The Nigerian international picked up from where she left off as she scored Barcelona’s equaliser in the 59th minute after Janine Beckie had given City the lead.
The former Liverpool star finished off a cut back from Mariona Caldentey to draw Lluis Cortes ladies level. The 26-year-old now has 13 goals for Barcelona this season, including four in the champions league.
Although Samantha Mewis restored City’s lead from the penalty spot, it was the Spanish champions that progressed 4-2 on aggregate.
Barcelona will now face either Lyon or Paris in the semifinals next month.
Sourced From: Soccernet.ng
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Military, Police Ring Abuja to Forestall Boko Haram Attack
UFC: Usman gets N584m after beating Masvidal
Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings
Buhari Will Win In 2019: US Institute
The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) has predicted that President Muhammadu Buhari will win the 2019 election. The organisation...
Why Buhari Deserves Second Term – Lai Mohammed
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said that President Muhammadu Buhari deserved second term election because,...
Atiku Presidential Campaign Council: PDP Releases List of Members
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday released the list of party members to handle the campaign team of the...
Obasanjo Forgives Atiku, Endorses Him For President
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Thursday said he has reviewed his stance on not backing his former deputy for the...
Buhari, Atiku In Battle Of Integrity Over 2019 Poll
THE brickbats continued yesterday between President Muhammadu Buhari and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. The All Progressives Congress (APC) and...