Nigeria was on Monday drawn against Ethiopia in the play-off for Brazil 2014 World Cup in Cairo the Headquarter of CAF.
The Super Eagles will have the onerous task of facing the Walya Antelopes in the play-off on the road to Brazil 2014 a task many have described as an easy passage for the African champions.
The first leg matches will be played between October 11-15 while the second leg will be played between 15-19 November as the Super Eagles will travel to Addis Ababa for the first leg and the return leg due in Nigeria a month after.
Other draws made in Cairo will see Ivory Coast face Senegal while Ghana will trade tackles with Egypt as Tunisia is drawn against Cameroon. The last play-off tie will see AFCON 2013 finalists, Burkina Faso the Desert Warriors of Algeria.
The matches will be played on knock-out basis with the winning five teams going on to represent Africa in Brazil next year and this fixtures also states clearly the disqualification of Cape Verde for using an ineligible player in their last qualifier against Tunisia.
Grasshoppers Stadium Facility
Not Restricted to Any Gender
-Director of Sports
By Sam Orji, Ohanele Casca
The Ag Director of Sports, Imo state, Mrs Chizotam Aretola has cleared the air on some insinuations making the rounds that some area of Grasshopper stadium or any other facility at Dan Anyiam stadium is out of bound to any gender.
The dynamic sports administrator noted that government has never brought any policy that restricts men from using any part of the stadium. She however reminded that due to the attitude of some outsiders that come into the stadium area which has been bringing negative publicity to the management and sports men and women, there is need for people who come to the stadium to maintain decorum. She added that in addition to office spaces at the stadium, some categories of sport men and women have been allowed temporary accommodation at the stadium on compassionate ground.
Mrs Aretola however wish to state that her management do not allow truancy or indiscipline among the sports people who reside at the stadium complex or those that come for training. She stressed that what many may assume to be negative night life at the stadium is occasioned by members of the public that come from outside in the evening times at some of the eatries and relaxation spot to unwined or better still people who visit the police post area inside the stadium. “Imo people should know that the stadium is for them and must be protected.
Our people should respect the stadium facilities and support our sports men and women to be their best. There is no gender restriction policy at the stadium but everybody must exhibit decorum. We are training responsible sports personnel and discipline is our watchword.
The people that come from outside to relax sometimes bring negative publicity to us by their activities. Please anything people say concerning this place, I am available always to clarify issues to avoid misrepresentations”, Mrs Aretola concluded.
Adding his voice, Comrade Chuzzy Onyeka, secretary, Imo State Joint Public Service Negotiating council, collaborated what the Ag Sports Director said. He commended the Director, Mrs Aretola for her transparency in explaining issues about the stadium facilities noting that she has been working round the clock to promote the best ethical conduct by sports men and women. He also commended the media for the good job they are doing in sports promotion.
FA House Receives Face Lift
…As Six Imo players gets U-13 call-up
At last the oldest structure inside the Dan Anyiam Stadium Community, the Imo State Football Association secretariat House is finally undergoing a major repair to at least give the football house a face-lift.
Trumpeta Sports desk gathered that the repair is being effected by the State FA Chairman, Chief Amanze Uchegbulam, who under his tenure has embarked on several programs and projects to ensure that the States football reclaims its lost glory.
It would be recalled that for about 3 years now, the Imo FA Cup competition has been bankrolled by the Amacuf Group of Companies owned by Amanze to sustain the growth of the oldest football competition.
Just recently, he, Amanze doled out the sum of N100, 000 to enable the FA academy take-off as well as donated N250, 000 to the States U-13 team to also attend the recently concluded National U-13 Football Championship in Abuja were six players from the Imo team were selected to the National U-13 football team.
The players who are Nkwazema Miracle, Emerenini Chibuike, Nnoshiri Samuel, Njoku Prosper, Ohizu Ifeanyi and Njemezi Chikadibia will all be joining their folks from other States for the camping exercise that will be announced later by NFF.
Kelechi Iheanacho is one of the players selected from Imo State four years ago who has gone to become a house hold name in the National U-17 football team that will be representing Nigeria in the FIFA U-17 world cup in UAE by October.
Reacting to Trumpeta, the FA technical Chairman, Mr Ndubuisi Opara also revealed that the one-time NFF 1st Vice President under Sani Lulu’s administration has equally ordered for brand new suites for all the FA board members which they will always use ceremonial occasions.
Meanwhile, the repair work which is ongoing at the football house when finished will go a long way to illustrate the achievements of the FA chairman who is not just a house-hold name in Nigerian football but in Africa were he holds an important position as a CAF Committee member.
NPFL WEEK 32 GAMES (18/9/13)
Heartland — 3SC
Sharks fc — ABS fc
Rangers — Akwa Utd
Nasarawa — Bayelsa Utd
Enyimba — Wikki T.
Nembe City — Pillars
Wolves — Lobi Stars
Kaduna Utd — Dolphins
Kwara Utd — Gombe Utd
Sunshine — El Kanemi
FEDERATION CUP RESULTS
Enyimba 5pen4 Wolves (Male)
R Angels 3 — 0 Amezons (Women)
CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RESULTS
AC Leopards 1 — 0 O/Pirates
Al Ahly 4 — 2 Zamalek
Esperance 3 2 CRD Libolo
Sewe Sports 0 — 0 Cotonsports
CAF CONFEDERATIONS CUP
TP Mazembe 4 — 2 ES Setif
E Sahel 1 — 1 CS Sfaxien
Bizertin 1 — 0 FUS Rabart
S Malien 1– 0 St Georges
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (17/9/13)
Man Utd — B/Leverkusen
R/Sociedad — S/Donetsk
FC Copenhagen — Juventus
Galatasaray — R/Madrid
Benfica — Anderlecht
Olympiacos — PSG
B/Munich — CSKA Moscow
Viktoria P — Man City
18/9/13
Chelsea — Basel
Schalke O4 — S/Bucuresti
Marseille — B/Dortmund
A/Madrid — Zenit
Austria Wien — Fc Porto
AC Milan — Celtic
Barcelona — Ajax
