Newly crowned champions of the Nigeria Premier Football League Rangers International have entered into a technical partnership with a women’s football club side.
According to Rangers, the partnership with Green Foot FC will lead to the Enugu based club investing in various ways in the women’s team.
“We are glad to announce an exciting new technical partnership between Rangers International FC Enugu and Green Foot Ladies Enugu. Through this collaboration, Rangers International FC will provide comprehensive support to Green Foot Ladies to foster the growth and development of women’s football in our community,” reads a statement on Rangers’ social media network.
“This partnership underscores our commitment to promoting inclusivity, excellence, and opportunity in the sport we love. Together, we aim to nurture talent, enhance skills, and elevate the profile of women’s football in Enugu and beyond.”
Under Amobi Ezeaku, Rangers’ chairman, the club has gone into various partnership and sponsorship deals, geared towards repositioning the eight time domestic champions.
The successes of Rangers on and off the pitch are expected to rub off on the fortunes of Green Foot who are also based in Enugu.
Continental football will return to Enugu, popularly called Coal City, next season when Rangers fly the country’s flag in Africa’s premier club competition, the CAF Champions League.
Tag: CAF
-
-
Nigeria’s Beach soccer national team will be back in action next month after a long layoff occasioned by the country’s Football Federation.
According to the draw by the Confederation of African Football CAF today in Cairo Egypt, the Nigerian Beach Eagles will clash with their Mauritanian counterparts in the 2024 Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations (BSAFCON) qualifiers.
Both Nigeria and Mauritania will battle each other over two legs with winners advancing to the Egyptian championship.
The first leg is scheduled to take place between July 19-21, 2024, while the second leg will be played between July 26-28, 2024.
Seven (7) teams will join host, Egypt at the 2024 BSAFCON which also serves as Qualifiers for the next FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Seychelles. -
Uncertainties surrounding next edition of the Africa Cup Of Nations AFCON in Morocco have refused to go away with the UK Guardian reporting new dates for the tournament.
The championship according to the news outlet could start in mid-December to accommodate the expanded Club World Cup and the new Champions League format next year.
But the Confederation of African Football (Caf) has strongly denied claims that the competition may only take place every four years in future.
The 2025 tournament had originally been earmarked to take place in June and July next year in an attempt to reduce scheduling conflicts with European club teams and competitions.
But Caf was forced to deny reports last week that it would be moved to January 2026 due to the clash with the Club World Cup – the 32-team competition that will be held in the United States between 15 June and 13 July next year.
A final decision is expected within the next fortnight but it is understood that leading figures in Morocco’s organising committee have been pushing for the group stage to begin in mid-December, with the final being held in the middle of January.
That would mean a potential clash with the busy festive Premier League programme that usually takes place over Christmas, with 17 of its 20 clubs having had a representative at the last tournament in Ivory Coast this year.
The situation has been further complicated by the addition of two extra match days scheduled for the last two weeks of January in the newly-expanded Champions League that begins next season in Europe.
That means the traditional window for Afcon in mid-January to mid-February – when the knockout stages of the Champions League are due to start – is likely to cause even more disruption than usual.
Caf sources have refused to rule out the possibility of starting the group stage in December after months of talks between stakeholders that have failed to reach consensus.
In February, it was reported to have reached an agreement in principle to stage the tournament between 20 July and 17 August 2025 due to the clash with the Club World Cup – a move that was said to be backed by Fifa.
But that option now appears unlikely with negotiations continuing.
The 2025 edition is set to become the seventh Afcon in succession to be rescheduled from its original dates.
“There is no Caf position or announcement on the dates for AFCON 2025,” wrote Luxulo September, Caf’s head of media relations and operations on X last week.
“There are on-going discussions between stakeholders to find common ground on dates. Caf Exco will meet to discuss and take a decision soon.”
Several sources from African national associations have also revealed their fears to the Guardian that plans for the tournament to be held every four years instead of two are accelerating.
The Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, proposed the change in 2020 when he outlined his vision to “project African football to the top of the world”, arguing that it would be more beneficial for countries “at the commercial level”.
However that was dismissed as “impossible” by Caf sources, with president Patrice Motsepe having also committed to maintaining the status quo when he was elected in 2021.
“This is one area where there are different views among different people – I have no doubt it has to be every two years,” he said.
Motsepe has not yet announced whether he will be standing for re-election next year. -
The Super Eagles will have their second training session later today as 15 players hit Uyo camp in Akwa Ibom State.
The Nigerian team will play their South African opponents in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier scheduled for 7 June at the Godswill Akpabio stadium in Uyo.
Two Eagles Chiedozie Awaziem and Alhassan Yussuf teamed up with their colleagues today to swell the total number of players in the nest to 15.
More of the invited 23 players is expected as Nigeria begin quest to turn around their fortunes in the qualifying where the Eagles are placed 3rd in the group.
Rwanda lead the pool while South Africa occupy 2nd place. -
Five-time world champions Nigeria and three-time world champions Ghana were eliminated from the WAFU B U17 Championship at the semi-final stage on Saturday.
Burkina Faso got the better of the host nation and the Baby Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire narrowly sent the Eaglets packing.
Burkina Faso was the first team in the final after a 2-1 defeat of the Black Starlets.
In the second semi-final, rampaging Cote d’Ivoire scored through Youbah Coulibaly, off a defensive mix-up by Nigeria in the 54th minute.
The strike separated both nations at the University of Accra Stadium.
It was a difficult battle for the Eaglets as the Baby Elephants showed greater composure and hunger for the final ticket.
Goalkeeper Dominic Chinedu came to the Eaglets’ rescue on several occasions.
Baring any last minute changes to qualifying rules, the result means that the Golden Eaglets have failed to qualify for next year’s Africa U17 Cup of Nations, where the continent’s flag-bearers at next year’s FIFA U17 World Cup finals will emerge.But news emerging from Ghana has it that it is likely that three teams will qualify from WAFU Zone B for U17 AFCON.
There could still be all to play for Nigeria in the third place game against Ghana.
Credit: NFF Media -
Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets hammered Sparrow Hawks of Togo 3nil today in the West African Football Union WAFU Zone B Under 17 championship in Ghana.
The group B game was postponed from yesterday until today due to a waterlogged rugby pitch of the university of Ghana.
Abdulmuiz Adeleke put Nugeria 1nil up in the 11th minute after an assist by Abdulmuiz Oladimeji while Number nine shirted striker Rapha Adams nodded into the net off a sublime pull out from captain Simom Cletus to make it 2nil for the Eaglets in the 36th minute.
Adeleke grabbed his brace in the 57th minute off a through ball by Cletus to earn Nigeria a third goal despite missing a penalty on 68 minutes.
Nigeria will play group A runners up Cote d’Ivoire in the semifinal on Saturday 25 May at 7pm while hosts Ghana confront Burkina Faso who finished second in group B after beating Niger Republic 1-0 also today.
Winners of the two semifinals will represent the region in this year’s CAF Under 17 AFCON slated for a yet to be announced venue. -
African soccer governing body, CAF, has issued a deadline to member association, including Nigeria, to submit lists of their representatives ahead of the preliminary rounds of the Champions League and Confederations Cup.
According to an update from CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, participating countries have until 15 June 2024 to submit names of their representatives.
CAF had initially informed member associations that the preliminary round will commence in August 2024.
Winners of the Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, and the runners-up will represent the country in the CAF Champions League.
Third placed team in NPFL and the President Federation Cup winners will play in the CAF Confederation Cup.
League football in Nigeria will resume this weekend after a one month break to clear outstanding games accumulated by Rivers United. -
The awards are coming thick and fast for Africa’s safest pair of hands and Super Falcons’ undisputed number one goalie Chiamaka Nnadozie.
The 23 year old keeper was recognised yesterday for her sterling qualities in goal for French side Paris FC after she scooped THE NATIONAL UNION OF PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLERS keeper of the year 2024 award.
Nnadozie also made the All Star team for 2024 in the D1 Arkema – France’s elite women football league.
The 2024 Olympic bound keeper took to her X account to express joy at the turn of events in her career.https://twitter.com/Nadoziechiamaka/status/1790339410677927993?s=19
“l’m incredibly grateful and humbled by this award. @tropheesunfp thank you for recognizing my efforts @paristc_feminines, the president, the entire team staff, the fans and my wonderful teammates.Your belief in me and my work is a tremendous source of motivation,” she penned.
A recent highlight video where Nnadozie showed excellent reflex saves against PSG Women has been trending online with a deluge of comments heaping praises on the current Africa Goalkeeper of The Year.
She won the player of the game in the PSG game despite her team losing the playoffs 4-5 via penalties after 2-2 in normal time.
Paris will be in action next Friday for a chance to secure a slot in next season’s European football.
-
Kano Pillars’ management has appointed Jangora Ahmed and Ahmed Yaro Yaro Garba as coaches for the remainder of the team’s fixtures in the Nigeria Premier Football League this season.
Both managers will take charge of the team following suspension of head coach, Abdullahi Maikaba as announced by the club on Tuesday.
The veteran tactician had earlier complained about his working condition at Pillars which didn’t go down well with the club’s management.
The new caretaker coaches who assisted Maikaba during this season’s campaign played for the Sai Masu Gida in the past.
Kano Pillars have recorded 44 points from 32 games in this campaign. -
Former Nigeria Premier Football League NPFL champions Rivers United’s back to back knockout phase qualification on the continent has continued to bode well for the country’s participation in CAF Club Competitions.
According to the updated CAF’s five year rankings, the Pride Of Rivers as United are known are now placed 18th in the standings which puts Nigeria in 12th spot overall in the coefficient ratings.
This means that Nigeria will continue to produce 4 teams in the 2024/25 CAF Club Competitions – CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.
Rivers’ back to back quarter final qualification in the last two Confederation Cup competitions ensured that Nigeria didn’t drop out of the top 12 standings, which guarantees playing nations four slots in the next continental season.
Dropping out of the top 12 is Guinea while Cote d’Ivoire takes up the vacated spot(11th,) thanks to ASEC Mimosas’ exploits in Inter CAF Club competition, during the period under review.