8th African Nations Championship: Rabiu Ali, Manyo, Alimi, 15 others to tackle Black Galaxies

Stand-in Head Coach Daniel Ogunmodede has picked ageless warhorse Rabiu Ali, wing-back Sadiq Ishmael, centre-back Stephen Manyo, midfielders Musa Zayyad and Jide Fatokun, and forwards Anas Yusuf and Sikiru Alimi in an 18-man roster for Sunday’s 8^th African Nations Championship qualifying match against Ghana’s Black Galaxies in Accra.

The gaffer also picked goalkeeper Henry Ozoemena, defender Victor Collins and forward Abubakar Adamu for the must-win two-leg fixture, with the Galaxies being the reason why Nigeria failed to qualify for the championship on two different occasions in the past, namely 2009 and 2023.

The Super Eagles B, with Ogunmodede and Coaches Fidelis Ilechukwu and Olatunji Baruwa in charge, had staggered training sessions over three weeks from the month of October, before a final training camp commenced at the Remo Stars Sports Institute, Ikenne-Remo three weeks ago.

Sunday’s first leg fixture is scheduled for the Accra Sports Stadium, with kick-off set for 4pm Ghana time (5pm in Nigeria), and some kilometres away, both countries’ U17 girls will be battling for the inaugural WAFU B U17 Cup at the Ghana Centre of Excellence in Prampram. 

Over the past 10 months, Nigeria have dominated Ghana at international level, starting with the Super Eagles’ 2-1 defeat of the Black Stars in a friendly match in Marrakech, Morocco – a first win at senior level for Nigeria against the West African rivals in 18 years. 

In the summer, Nigeria’s U17 boys edged the Black Satellites 3-2 in the third-place match of the WAFU B U17 Championship staged by Ghana, and in October, the Flying Eagles defeated the Black Satellites 3-1 to successfully retain their WAFU B U20 Championship title in Lome, Togo. 

Togolese referee Aklesso Gnama will be in charge of Sunday’s encounter at the Accra Sports Stadium, with compatriots Jonathan Ahonto Koffi, Wassiou Tchamolla Ourotou and Kossi Fabrice Senyo in the roles of assistant 1, assistant 2 and fourth official respectively.

Liberian Ivan Gartor Brown will serve as commissioner while Hugues Alain Adjovi from Benin Republic will be the referee assessor.

The second leg will hold at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Saturday, 28^th December, with the winner on aggregate to pick a ticket to the 8^th African Nations Championship taking place in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, 1^st – 28^th February, 2025. 

18 SUPER EAGLES B FOR WAR AGAINST GHANA’S BLACK GALAXIES

Goalkeepers: Henry Ozoemena (Enyimba FC); Kayode Bankole (Remo Stars) 

Defenders: Ismail Sadiq (Remo Stars); Waliu Ojetoye (Ikorodu City); Imo Obot (Enyimba FC); Junior Nduka (Remo Stars); Victor Collins (Nasarawa United); Ifeanyi Onyebuchi (Rangers International); Steven Manyo (Rivers United) 

Midfielders: Jide Fatokun (Remo Stars); Rabiu Ali (Kano Pillars); Saviour Isaac (Rangers International); Musa Zayyad (El-Kanemi Warriors) 

Forwards: Anas Yusuf (Nasarawa United); Adamu Abubakar (Plateau United) Sikiru Alimi (Remo Stars); Emmanuel Ogbole (Kwara United); Papa Daniel Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes)

CAF Safe Stadium Initiative: CAF commends NFF, charges participants to be change agents 

The first-ever CAF Safe Stadium Initiative Workshop in Nigeria came to a close in the Federal Capital, Abuja on Thursday. The workshop drew participants from diverse sectors, including the 20 Nigeria Premier Football League clubs and was impactful for the participants, as they acquired new skills and knowledge of how to safeguard and protect lives and properties within the stadium environment. 

The last day of the workshop saw the resource persons from CAF, led by the Head of CAF Safety and Security, Dr Christian Emeruwa, take a tour of the MKO Abiola National Stadium for an enlightened practical session of the initiative, teaching and with emphasis on crowd control..

While speaking, Dr Emeruwa expressed his deepest appreciation to the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation for their commitment in ensuring that the workshop was a success. He noted that the initiative will usher in a new lease of life in the area of managing the operations of safety and security in the country.

"Let me start by sending my deepest appreciation to the leadership of Nigeria Football Federation for their uprightness and commitment in making this workshop a reality. A new dawn is taking place on the continent of Africa when it comes to the area of managing safety and security operations, and for all the participants that have been involved today in the last minute training, it is now your responsibility to carry the torch and begin to make the little changes required for football in Nigeria to be played in a safe and secure environment for all. 

"Personally, I do not expect to see a one hundred percent turn-around overnight, but I believe you can start taking steps to improve the situation around your competition zones, the VIP area, your media area, as well as general spectator-areas. If we do this, we are sure to solve seventy-five percent of our problems and, more importantly, prevent deaths in our stadiums." 

The General Secretary of Nigeria Football Federation, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, expressed happiness and thanked Dr Emeruwa for his perseverance in ensuring that Nigeria profited from the initiative. 

He declared the workshop closed by charging the participants to be polite in the discharge of their duties "It is important that when you want to address issues, you should be polite, in order that you do not have problems with anybody while going about to implement the knowledge of this workshop that you all have acquired." 

Certificates of participation were presented to all the participants at the end of the workshop. 

PHOTO 1: NSC Chairman, Dikko (second left), Chairman of NFF Security Committee Babagana Kalli (left), his deputy Hon Essien (right) and Dr Emeruwa in Dikko’s office on Thursday. 

PHOTO 2: Dr Sanusi presenting certificate to Rtd AIG Wilson Inalegwu. 

PHOTO 3: Group photograph of the participants.