This is definitely good news as help has finally come for the complete operations of former Nigerian youth international Sani Shehu also known as Sani Emmanuel, you will recall we reported earlier that the 2009 FIFA U17 tournament Golden Ball winner has been down with leg injury (Achilles Tendonitis), and Evangelist Bisola Hephzi-bah Johnson’s Bisola Johnson’s Foundation has been at the forefront of those trying to raise money for his treatment.
It was also well covered when former teammate and friend Ogenyi Onazi, decided to foot part of the bill to the tune of N1.4million which he had already paid into a Lagos based hospital that is supposed to carry-out the operation sometimes last week. However, help has come from a new direction has one of those who were reached by the social media campaign seeking help for him, later reached-out to the anchor of Brekete Family on Human Right Radio 101.1 FM Abuja, who in turn brought the young boy to the live programme where he was promised an all-expense paid proper treatment in Germany.
This information was made known to us be the convener of Bisola Johnson’s Foundation, who while appreciating the Brekete Family also frown at role of religious leaders who turned blind eye to his plight, the statement on her Facebook account states “Brekete Family is taking up Sani Emmanuel’s case. Shame to religious people. I bless God for this.”
Recently there’s story that former Nigerian youth international golden boy Sani Emmanuel has been off the radar because of a career ending injury, in the published news the player explained how injury forced him to quit the game of football at the time when he should be playing active soccer.
Sani Emmanuel was among the players who played for Nigeria at the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup which was hosted by the West African nation. Nigeria reached the final of the championship before losing 1-0 against Switzerland, and Sani Emmanuel was among the players who helped Nigeria that year.
The 26years old Sani Emmanuel scored five goals for the Golden Eaglets in the championship to win the Silver booth after he had won the Golden Ball in a tournament that paraded players like Alvaro Morata and Isco of Spain, Neymar of Brazil, Mario Gotze of Germany and Nigerian internationals Kenneth Omeruo and Ramon Azeez, and was forced to call it quit with football just four years into his playing career due to an hamstring injury.
Sani who recently took to the social media to solicit for support from Nigerians to enable him operate on his unhealed leg injury (Achilles Tendonitis) that has kept him bedridden for so long, since he had depleted the money he made during the four years he spent as a player for Beitar Jerusalem of Israel.
According to a story published by Evangelist Johnson Bisola Hephzi-bah on her blog, she shed light on the relationship between the General Overseer of Synagogue Church of all Nations (SCOAN), Prophet T.B. Joshua and the injured player whose fame during his playing days for the Golden Eaglet of Nigeria had been harnessed for publicity to the advantage of the pastor.
In her right up, she explained that the boy was just one of the boys using the church’s open field for training and that they decided to do a documentary on the boy weeks after he returned from the Golden Eaglet assignment, teaching him what to say as if the church was part of his success story.
She challenged Prophet T.B. Joshua on the welfare of the boy that was once dubbed the Golden son of the SCOAN. It was discovered that the Prophet T.B. Joshua led church had during and after the World U17 tournament the church blog had published a story under the title “SANI EMMANUEL: FROM TRAGEDY TO TRIUMPH!”
In the article the church claimed the young player is back in the church where he’s living “The news is that the boy honed his soccer career at a most unlikely place – the church, specifically the Synagogue Church Of All Nations, where he is top striker with My People FC, a football club owned and funded by the church’s General Overseer, Prophet T.B. Joshua.
Emmanuel has since returned to the Synagogue where he lives. And last Sunday 22nd November 2009, he set thousands of parishioners into rapturous celebration as he stormed the sanctuary for a thanksgiving session. Former Zambian president Frederick Chiluba was among other eminent persons that rejoiced with Emmanuel, who dedicated his awards to Nigeria’s rising army of suffering youth, pledging to start a foundation that would help them become useful and influential members of the society” the report said.
Evangelist Biola Johnson also accuse the televangelist of using Sani’s documentary on Emmanuel TV to lure youths who were of the opinion that they have a career in football into the church while he’s doing nothing towards the development of these boy, she affirmed that the disposition of the supposed benevolent giver towards the health implication of Sani Emmanuel during this his trying period shows Prophet T.B. Joshua’s giving philosophy is to merely gather publicity towards his supposed philanthropic nature.
The third edition of Prince Ned Nwoko Foundation golf tournament has teed-off in Royal Golf Course, Idumuje Ugboko, Aniocha North Local Government, Delta State.
Below are some of the pictures of the annual sporting and tourism event;
Prince Ned Nwoko fielding questions from the media presentCeremonial Tee-Off by Prince Ned Nwoko
It is definitely a week for sporting events as philanthropic billionaire businessman Prince Ned Nwoko Foundation will be hosting golf enthusiasts to a great time on the green with One Day Par-3 Golf Tournament on Saturday 23rd November at Royal Golf Course, Idumuje Ugboko Aniocha North Local Government, Delta State.
This is the second sporting event in one week that has something to do with the foundation of this billionaire with milk of kindness, he had earlier in the week brought in foreign coaches, football agents and football scouts into Abuja the country capital under the Prince Ned Nwoko’s Foundation Soccer Star Project. The project which is a football talent hunt where grassroots players are given opportunity to be coached by foreign tacticians after which their talents will be exposed to the football agents and scouts who will be picking 40 best for a footballing tour of Europe.
The golf tournament is the third edition of the yearly sporting event that is promoting tourism and sport development in the country. According to close source, this year’s event will even be greater as it will attract known international golfers with lots of prices to be won.
Prince Ned Nwoko’s Foundation is a non-governmental, non-partisan ethnic neutral organization that is dedicated to improving sport, tourism and environment while working tirelessly to better the lives of an average Nigerian.
For Participation and inquiries contact @megastar_magazine on Instagram or call 07053111111
Nigeria’s premier and leading financial services provider, First Bank of Nigeria Limited has announced that the FirstBank Lagos Amateur Golf Championship scheduled to Tee-Off on Friday, 15 November 2019 is now listed amongst the golf tournaments in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR). The WAGR isoffered by the R&A and the United States Golf Association as a global service to golf. Through incorporation and assessment worldwide of both amateur and professional events, WAGR™ encourages the international development of the competitive game.
Since 1894, FirstBank has continued to promote the growth and development of sports in Nigeria. Apart from the Lagos Amateur Golf Championship which the Bank has supported for 57 years, the Bank has sponsored the Georgian Cup of the Kaduna Polo Tournament for 100 years. Other sports supported by the Bank include; the Dala Hardcourt Tennis, Kano for 32 years and for over a combined 30 years, the Bank has sponsored and owned the popular Elephant Girls Basketball club – which has remained a dominant force in the Nigerian Women Basketball league for many years – and the Elephant boys football club. The highpoint of these is the 2019 100th unbroken years of sponsoring the Kaduna Polo Tournament, widely attributed as the longest running sports sponsorship in the world and a Guinness Book of Records potential.
The 56-hole golf tournament, to be played over three days would be rounded off with a grand finale and awards ceremony on Sunday, 17 November 2019. Other activities to be held in the course of the tournament are the “Professional Coaching Clinic” to nurture the skills of young and upcoming talents and “Beat the Pro Skills competition”. The 2018 edition which had over 260 golfers in attendance was won by Sam Njoroge from Kenyan.
Speaking on the Bank’s sponsorship of the tournament, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, Chief Executive Officer, First Bank of Nigeria Limited said; “We are excited at the giant strides achieved with the FirstBank Lagos Amateur Open Golf Championship. The championship is now one of the international golf events where all amateur golfers worldwide can now participate and amass points to aid their WAGR rankings.”
“FirstBank has been in the business of supporting sports in Nigeria throughout its 125 years of existence. We have partnered with individuals and institutions to provide support, not only in the sports arena, but also in Education, the Arts and Small and Medium Enterprises”, he concluded.
Almost all the impact players for the Golden Eaglets in Saturday night’s 4-2 defeat of Hungary in the opening match of the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup tournament in Brazil are products of the annual Zenith Bank/NFF Future Eagles Championships, including the goal scorers.
The competition, sponsored by NFF’s partner, Zenith Bank Plc, was launched in 2016 and has been widely lauded for its vision, with both U-13 and U-15 competitions running side-by-side right from the states to the zones and then to the national finals.
Samson Tijani, captain of the team and playmaker, who netted two goals (Nigeria’s first and last goals), and was named Man Of The Match, is a product of the competition, as well as defender Usman Ibrahim, whose powerful header off a corner kick restored parity after several attempts by Nigeria had been foiled.
Right back Oluwatimilehin Adeniyi, whose powerful header off a cross by another substitute Ibraheem Jabaar put Nigeria ahead for the first time in the game (3-2), also emerged from the Zenith Bank/NFF Future Eagles competition. He was severely injured before the Africa U-17 Cup of Nations in Tanzania in April, and could not make the trip.
Also of note is Akinkunmi Ayobami Amoo, whose entry into the game in the second half brought more vigour into the Nigerian attack. Amoo is a product of the Zenith Bank/NFF Future Eagles Championship, alongside forward Olakunle Olusegun, who also fought like a Trojan in Saturday’s encounter.
Another player who is a product of the Future Eagles Championship and is with the Eaglets in Brazil is Divine Nwachukwu, but he did not taste action against the Hungarians.
The Zenith Bank/NFF Future Eagles Championship also supplies the players to the U-15 National Boys’ team, which finished as runner-up at a tournament in Japan few months ago. In fact, Usman Ibrahim, who netted the equalizer against Hungary before further goals by Adeniyi and Tijani, was in the squad that went to Japan.
Nigeria, five –time champions of the FIFA U-17 World Cup take on Ecuador, host of the 1995 edition, in their next match of the tournament on Thursday, also at the Estadio Olimpico in Goiania where they put Hungary to the sword. Their final match of Group B, against Australia, will take them to Brasilia, on Friday.
Zenith Bank remains the biggest corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributor in the Nigerian financial services industry. The bank regularly make donations towards the development of various sectors of the Nigerian economy including education, health, sports, etc. In addition to being a major sponsor of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF), Zenith Bank is the sole sponsor of the Zenith Bank/NFF Future Eagles Championship, the Zenith Bank Women Basketball League (for 15 years running), the Zenith Bank Delta Principals’ Cup, and the Zenith Bank Next Gen Tennis Championship, amongst others.
First Bank of Nigeria Limited has announced its sponsorship of the Georgian Cup of the Kaduna polo tournament for the 100th year.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the bank said the decision to continue its support of the tournament is due to its commitment to the growth and development of sports, nation building and the economy at large.
The bank said it is “possibly the longest running sports sponsorship in the world and a Guinness Book of Records potential”.
It said the 2019 edition of the sports championship runs from October 12 to 20 at the Kaduna polo club, Murtala Mohammed Square.
“The Kaduna Georgian Cup centenary Polo Tournament commenced in 1919, with FirstBank sponsoring the sports tournament for a 100 years. The Cup, which was donated by the Bank to the Kaduna Polo Club, is the oldest and most respected Polo trophy in West Africa,” the bank said.
“The 2018 edition of the tournament was won by team El-Amin, also billed to participate in the 2019 edition to defend its trophy, contested by other teams; Rubicon, Imani, Malcomines, Lintex Agad. A total of 45 teams are billed for the 2019 tournament.”
Speaking on the sponsorship, Folake Ani-Mumuney, FirstBank’s group head of marketing and corporate communications, said it is a feat the brand is proud to achieve.
“2019 is indeed an eventful year for us and one of the many high points since we were founded 125 years ago. Part of our excitement stems from the pride we feel at having supported the Georgian Cup Polo Tournament for 100 years consistently,” she said.
“We are indeed proud to achieve this feat as it reinforces our leadership role as an institution committed to the continued growth and development of sports and the economy at large. The Georgian Cup Polo Tournament is one of the many heritage sporting sponsorships supported by FirstBank over the years.
“Another example is the FirstBank 58th Lagos Amateur Golf Open tournament, in partnership with Ikoyi Club 1938 holding in November this year which we have also supported for 57 years. We dare say perhaps another record in sports sponsorship.”
African Freestyle Football (AFFC) Championship 2019 in collaboration with World Freestyle Football Association (WFFA) have commended Heritage Bank Plc for its pivotal role in enhancing youth development and engendering the Nigeria’s entertainment space on the world’s stage.
The 2019 African Freestyle Football Championship ended on a high note, with defending champion Abdul Titi Kone of Cote d’Ivoire emerging as the African Champion once again. This event marked the 2nd edition of the African Championship and the 3rd annual edition of the Nigerian Championship hosted by Feet ‘n’ Tricks International Limited. The final was a repeat of the 2018 championship, as Kone again defeated Egypt’s Yousef Mohamad just as he did in last year’s final while Ashley Mhkize of South Africa placed third.
In the female category, Evelyn Okafor (Nigeria), Hadhara Charles (Tanzania) and Augustina Unamba (Nigeria) placed first, second and third respectively.
This year’s edition accommodated at least 30 African countries that participated at the championship.
The Chairman of AFFC, Valentine Ozigbo, who commended bank for being at the forefront of promoting freestyle football for the past two years, said Heritage Bank is “always very innovative and supportive to the cause of entertainment and youth development.
According to him, these achievements would have been impossible without the extensive support of the official bankers (Heritage Bank) for the championship for two years running.
Speaking further, Ozigbo hinted, “since inception, Feet ‘n’ Tricks has been committed to promoting freestyle football talent to stardom and we haven’t relented. Through this platform, we have seen talented freestylers get a head start in life, travel to exciting places and represent our beloved continent doing what they know how to do best.”
The MD/CEO, Heritage Bank, Ifie Sekibo, said the bank has strong desire towards developing and positioning youths to become world-class citizens equipped and ready to be absorbed into an increasing competitive professional skills and endeavours.
Sekibo, who was represented by an Executive Director, Jude Monye advised the youths who were participants to adopt strong positive character to enable them take advantage of the platform being presented to them.
“One of the reasons why we chose, as an organization, to support the freestyle championship is to enhance youth development in sport and entertainment, which will empower them play vital roles in the socio-economic development of the country and help curb the high level of unemployment,” he stressed.
According to Sekibo, the drive to support youths seeks to create, preserve and transfer wealth across generations.
It is against the backdrop of the competition that Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Amaju Pinnick, promised to give more support to the entertaining part of football.
“We need to encourage this entertaining part of football because what they are doing here is great. Freestyle is quite interesting, and I am happy with what I have seen so far.
“With this project, a goal has been achieved. I also want more ladies to come out and do freestyle football because it is highly entertaining and competitive.
“I will see to how we can give more support to freestyle football in the future,”he said.
Congratulating the Feet n Tricks team, Daniel Wood, Co-founder and Head of Global Partnerships, World Freestyle Football Association (WFFA) said, “Feet n Tricks have proven that they can produce world class events and we are so excited to be extending our partnership. We are fully committed to creating opportunities for young people and this event is to be the focus point for our sport in the continent of Africa.”
L-R: Dan Akpovwe, Publisher, Abuja Inquirer; Valentine Ozigbo, Chairman of Feet n Tricks Limited; Jude Monye, Executive Director, Heritage Bank Plc and Oluwafunmi Aloku, Head, Product Strategy and Business Solutions, Heritage Bank, during the 3rd edition of African Freestyle Football Competition 2019 in Lagos.L-R: Erlend Fagerli, Multiple World Champion, Freestyle Football (AFFC Judge); Valentine Ozigbo, Chairman of Feet ‘n’ Tricks Limited; Jude Monye, Executive Director, Heritage Bank Plc; Philip Gertsson, Sweden-based Norwegian-Filipino Football Freestyle (AFFC Judge) and Laura Biondo, first female freestyle to establish a Guinness World Record (AFFC Judge), during the 3rd edition of African Freestyle Football Competition 2019 in Lagos.
Nigerian born striker, Tammy Abraham netted a hat-trick as Chelsea produced a stunning display at Molineux to run out 5-2 winners away to Wolves on Saturday.
Another uncapped Nigerian Fikayo Tomori had put Frank Lampard’s Blues ahead with a superb 31st-minute strike and Abraham doubled the advantage three minutes later.
Abraham, who had netted twice in each of his previous two games, then added a header in the 41st minute and a 55th-minute finish to make victory look all but secure for the away side.
Wolves hit back via an Abraham own-goal in the 69th minute and it was 4-2 in the 85th thanks to substitute Patrick Cutrone, before Mason Mount notched Chelsea’s fifth in added time.
Abraham’s eventful outing concluded with him coming off injured in the 77th minute – but he had a big smile on his face come the final whistle.
In a quiet opening to the game, it was Wolves – who were celebrating 130 years of playing at Molineux – looking the livelier in an attacking sense as Adama Traore and Diogo Jota had crosses cleared.
Chelsea then registered the contest’s first attempt on goal in the 20th minute as a flick by the fit-again Antonio Rudiger, making his maiden appearance of the season, deflected wide.
Willian subsequently fired over the Wolves goal before the visitors grabbed the lead in spectacular fashion when Jota’s challenge on Mount sent the ball to Tomori and the young defender curled in a stunning strike from around 30 yards out.
Three minutes later the advantage was doubled as Tomori played a pass towards Mount in the box, he went down but the ball ricocheted to Abraham, and the striker turned and fired past Rui Patricio.
And after Andreas Christensen had taken the ball away from Jota in the Chelsea area, Abraham then notched his second, Conor Coady unable to prevent the former Aston Villa loanee from heading in Marcos Alonso’s cross.
As Wolves looked to reply, Raul Jiminez headed wide in first-half stoppage time and three minutes after the break Ruben Neves saw a drive deflect behind off Abraham.
The hosts were then tormented once again by Abraham at the other end of the pitch as he completed his treble, bringing down a Jorginho pass, getting past Coady and slotting a shot into the net.
Cutrone just failed connect with a low Jota delivery in the danger zone, before Mount rounded Patricio, only to see his effort go into the side-netting.
Soon after, Wolves pulled a goal back when Romain Saiss’ header from Joao Moutinho’s corner went in via the gloves of Kepa Arrizabalaga and Abraham.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s team then had a penalty appeal turned down by referee Graham Scott when substitute Matt Doherty went down under pressure from Alonso, before Abraham was forced off having made an uncomfortable landing as Chelsea defended a corner.
Wolves reduced the deficit further with five minutes of normal time remaining when Doherty’s shot was parried by Arrizabalaga and Cutrone converted from close-range on the follow-up, the effort being allowed to stand after a VAR check for offside.
The home side had another penalty shout rejected, following a coming together between Tomori and Cutrone, before Mount wrapped up the scoring late on, taking a pass from substitute Michy Batshuayi, cutting inside Jesus Vallejo and shooting past Patricio.
