FC Ifeanyi Ubah's Brazilian Coach Swimming With His Players

FC Ifeanyi Ubah's Brazilian Coach enjoying a swimming pool bath with his players (PHOTOS)

FC Ifeanyi Ubah's Coach, Everton Matheus Rafael is one of the youngest and foreign coaches in the Nigeria Professional Football League. His style of play and instilling team spirit amongst players is simply amazing as he can be seen in the picture above swimming 

and having fun with his players.

So, If you are an ardent lover and follower of this season's Nigeria Professional Football league, You would wonder just as I am the sudden turnaround in FC Ifeanyi Ubah as they now display a robust style of team play and energy. Well, the reason is not far-fetched as we can see from the pictures how the players bond together, feeling at home with the coach (now that's what I call team spirit just as we normally see in Europe especially in the English Premier League).

Swimming and having fun together amongst players and the coaching crew has proved to boost players morale and energy. The owner of the club Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah (CEO of Capital Oil and Gas) has been very tremendous in making sure that his players and staff are much comfortable. He bought the club (formerly Gabros International FC) some few years ago, saved them from being relegated and has succeeded in turning around the club's fortune as they are currently 4th on the table and are serious contenders of 2015/2016 Nigeria Professional Football League title.

Source:

http://get9jasports.blogspot.com.ng/2016/09/fc-ifeanyi-ubahs-brazilian-coach.html

Ezuruike Wins Gold At RIO Paralympic

Team Nigeria continued their impressive run on Friday at the 2016 Rio Paralympics as 

Rolland Ezuruike sets a new Paralympic record of 190kg to win gold in the men’s -54kg.

His first lift of 185kg broke the previous Paralympic record before he extended it with his second lift of 190kg.

Source:

http://punchng.com/ezuruike-breaks-paralympic-record-wins-gold/

CAF Rejects Pinnick's Nomination For FIFA Seat

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Amaju Pinnick will not contest for a FIFA council seat later this month after CAF did not endorse his nomination.

The elections into the FIFA Council are slated for on September 29 with seven possible candidates have already been announced by CAF - Almamy Kabele Camara (Guinea); Suketu Patel (Sychelles); Kwesi Nyantakyi (Ghana); Ahmad (Madagascar); Augustin Senghor (Senegal); Hamidou Djibrilla (Niger) and Chabur Goc Alei (South Sudan).

The seven shortlisted candidates will undergo the FIFA integrity test, before their names are finally ratified for the ballot.

An AfricanFootball.com investigation had revealed that Pinnick’s invitation of Infantino and 17 other African football federation presidents in July was only a cover-up to seek for support for his bid to contest for one of the FIFA seats, and this much has been confirmed by the man himself.

“As big as Nigeria, we don’t have a representative in CAF or in FIFA, so if I am ambitious to go to CAF or FIFA, yes because I am the president of the NFF, not because I’m just a member,” Pinnick told Lagos-based radio station, Lagos Talks FM on Tuesday.

“I am praying about it and if God wills it, why not? But the truth is Nigeria needs a presence globally and this is exactly what we are doing.”

AfricanFootball.com had earlier reported Pinnick’s interest in securing one of the two vacant African seats at the FIFA Council (formerly executive committee).

Source:

http://africanfootball.com/news/645375/CAF-reject-Amaju-Pinnicks-nomination-for-FIFA-seat

The colours of Barcelona are set to adorn New York's Empire State Building on Wednesday...

It seems Barcelona opening an office in New York is a big deal. How big? About 381 metres.

The colours of the Spanish giants are set to adorn New York's Empire State Building on Wednesday, in recognition of the club spreading its wings to the Big Apple.

No less than Ronaldinho will help in switching said lights on, and Barcelona say "the skyscraper will light up the New York sky with the club’s colours throughout the night".

Standard stuff for a city that never sleeps, I guess.

Source:

http://www.bbc.com/sport/live/37157240?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=57cec078e4b0a17b497aa38e%26From%20Barcelona%20to%20the%20Big%20Apple%26&ns_fee=0#post_57cec078e4b0a17b497aa38e

Nigeria Loses Its Place As The Number One Scrabble Nation In The World

Nigeria Loses Its Place As The Number One Scrabble Nation In The World


Nigeria has lost its place as the Number one scrabble nation in the world after a defeat at the just concluded MSI (Mind Sports International) World Championship 2016 in Lille, France. World champion Wellington Jighere, lost his title to Brett Smitheram of the UK and managed a 23rd place finish..

Wellington blamed the loss on external factors and inadequate preparations following hassles he and his team encountered before their trip (as they were initially denied visas by the French embassy). He said;

For those who still have questions, I hope this statement clears the air:

The MSI (Mind Sports International) World Championship 2016 has come to an end. A winner (Brett Smitheram of the UK) has emerged and Yours Truly could only manage a dismal 23rd place finish.

While it would be convenient to blame external factors for my failure to perform, I'd like to categorically state that my failure was due mainly to inadequate preparations. Our performance may have been affected by the numerous hassles that culminated in us arriving Lille just a few minutes before the commencement of the games but I believe that being a World Champion should come with the ability to surmount such obstacles. Moreover, the conditions preceding/surrounding my ascent to the crown in the first place were no better than these.

For those who would still choose to call me World Champ, you might be right because technically, my title defense, WESPAC (World English-speaking Scrabble Players Championship) isn't until November 2017 but I'd like to think that Brett Smitheram is the reigning World Scrabble Champion and I'd attempt to do better next time.

I'll be spending a few extra days to cool off in Europe after which I would return to my beloved fatherland to continue doing my best to become a better player and organizer as I now have to split my time between preparing for the next World Championship and running the activities of my Foundation (the Wellington Foundation for Scrabble and Mind Development in Africa.)

Thanks all for the support and I look forward to doing you proud when next I'm presented with the opportunity.

Source; 

http://www.nationalhelm.net/2016/09/nigeria-loses-its-place-as-number-one.html

Super Eagles Get N10m From Awka-Ibom State Government

Super Eagles get 10M Naira from Awka-Ibom State Government for beating Tanzania

Victorious Super Eagles who beat Tanzania 1-0 in Uyo, were rewarded with 10 million naira (about $25,000), while AFCON qualifier opponents Tanzania received $10,000 from the Akwa Ibom State Government.

“The Eagles got 10 million Naira and Tanzania were given $10,000 by the Akwa Ibom Government,” a team official announced.

The Akwa Ibom State governor was present to watch the match.

This is a good news as the BROKE NFF stated that Eagles will not get any match win bonus.

Source:

http://get9jasports.blogspot.com.ng/2016/09/iheanachos-thunderbolt-ensures-eagles.html

I Can’t Guarantee World Cup Ticket – Rohr

Newly appointed Technical Adviser of the Super Eagles Gernot Rohr signed on by the NFF with the mandate to qualify Nigeria for the 2018 World Cup with a monthly salary of $40,000 has said he cannot guarantee Nigeria’s qualification for the Mundial scheduled for Russia.

This, he claims, is because the Super Eagles are in a tough group and it requires hard work for the team to top the group regarded as the toughest in the African qualifiers.

“There is no guarantee that the Super Eagles will be in Russia because there is so much quality in our group but the motivation is very high,” added Rohr.

The coach who was speaking in Uyo ahead of Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations tie disclosed that he will hold talks with Vincent Enyeama with a view to making him change his mind on his forced retirement.

Enyeama quit in 2015 after a bust up with coach Sunday Oliseh in Belgium but Rohr said the goalkeeper regarded as Nigeria’s best in recent times still has much to offer to the national team.

“I plan to meet with Enyeama after the game against Tanzania, I will most likely meet him in France and see how best I can persuade him to come out of international retirement as he is still very much vital to our plans of reaching Russia 2018,” said Rohr in Uyo.

Stressing that he is not bothered with the likelihood of working and not being paid by Nigeria Football Federation, Rohr said, 

“I was owed between 6-8 months in Niger. I’m used to being owed in Africa. I have a contract and I am focusing on honouring it.

Source:

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/09/rohr-cant-guarantee-world-cup-ticket/