Touted as the most glamorous football derby in the South East of Nigeria, the encounter between the Peoples Elephants, Enyimba Football Club of Aba and their rivals Enugu Rangers International saw honours shared on Tuesday.

The re-arranged match day 15 NPFL 2024/2025 fixture between the two sides at Enyimba Stadium ended without a winner, with neither side able to score a goal, thus gifting the reigning Rangers, a vital draw in Aba, the home of Enyimba.

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For the encounter, Coach Fidelis Ilechukwu kept faith with the match day squad the demolished Lobi Stars 3-0 in their last match in Enugu and it was an assured performance from his backline with his last man in defense, Lucky Abdullahi, making brave saves to deny the ‘Aba Elephants’ some decent opportunities.

The home side quickly went on the offensive as they kicked off the encounter before the massive fans that turned up for the fixture but Chinemerem Ugwueze, Ejike Ugochukwu as well as the backline were on top of their game to curtail the forays of Ekene Awazie, Kalu Nweke, Clinton Jephter and Ifeanyi Ihemekwele upfront for the home side.

Godwin Obaje had the brightest chance in the first period but he missed after some neat interchange of passes between Isaac Saviour, Kazeem Ogunleye and Chinemerem Ugwueze set him free but he failed to drill past goalkeeper, Ani Ozoemena as the visiting bench rued a missed opportunity.

On the other end, Lucky Abdullahi was at his imperious best to make a full-length dive to stop Imoh Obot’s goal-bound free kick from the edge of the box as the home fans moaned the the opportunity.

In the second period of the encounter, the home side became hungrier for the opening goal just as the ‘Flying Antelopes’ defended doggedly with eyes for occasional counter-attacks which failed to trouble the backline of the ‘Peoples Elephant’ ably marshaled by Paschal Eze.

Chief-coach of Rangers, Ekeh Ekenedilichukwu, in a post-match chat, described the encounter as a highly entertaining one as both side gave their best on the day but there was no goal to celebrate the fine display, stressing, “It was a good result for our side, Rangers, coming all the way from Enugu to pick a point off Enyimba was not an easy task even when our target was to annex the maximum points at stake in the highly entertaining encounter. Both sides played well but my players were at their best as we sat back to hit our opponent on the counter. The result will surely serve as a motivation for the boys in subsequent games as we continue our unbeaten run.”

With the result, Rangers are now placed 4th on the twenty-team log with 24 points from 16 matches and will next, trade tackles with table-topping, Rivers United F.C inside the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu on Sunday, December 8, 2024.

FIFA has flagged Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 World Cup as a “medium risk” for human rights, citing the significant time and effort required to implement necessary reforms.

The evaluation report, released on November 30, precedes the FIFA Congress vote on December 11, which will determine the hosts for the 2030 and 2034 tournaments.

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The report praised Saudi Arabia’s bid as a “very strong all-round proposition,” awarding it an average score of 4.2 out of 5—higher than the United States, Canada, and Mexico’s combined bid for the 2026 World Cup.

FIFA highlighted the Gulf nation’s proposed infrastructure and commercial potential as major strengths.

However, the governing body emphasized that implementing various human rights measures “could involve significant effort and time,” leading to the elevated risk rating.

Despite these concerns, FIFA suggested that hosting the World Cup could spur positive human rights reforms in Saudi Arabia and the broader region.

“There is good potential that the tournament could serve as a catalyst for some of the ongoing and future reforms,” the report stated, suggesting the event might yield benefits beyond football.

Saudi Arabia has faced widespread criticism for its human rights record, including allegations of torture, restrictions on women’s freedoms, and crackdowns on free expression.

Rights groups have also drawn attention to mass executions and lengthy prison sentences for dissent on social media.

The country has been accused of “sportswashing” by using high-profile sporting events, such as Formula One races and the WTA tennis finals, to divert attention from its rights abuses.

A similar debate surrounded the 2022 World Cup in neighboring Qatar, where human rights issues were a major talking point.

To host the 2034 World Cup, Saudi Arabia must still construct several proposed stadiums.

The tournament may take place in winter, following the precedent set by Qatar, to avoid the country’s extreme summer temperatures.

The 2030 World Cup will feature a joint bid from Morocco, Spain, and Portugal, with Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay hosting matches in honor of the tournament’s centenary.

This contrasts with Saudi Arabia’s solo bid for 2034, which underscores the increasing involvement of Arab and Asian nations in global sporting events.

Notably, Japan and South Korea co-hosted the 2002 World Cup, marking a milestone for the region.

Four Nigerian football stars have been nominated for prestigious categories at the 2024 FIFA Best Awards, as announced by FIFA on Friday.

The players, who have enjoyed standout performances in their respective clubs and international competitions, will now compete for top honors in global football.

Best Attacker Nominee, Ademola Lookman, who finished 14th in the 2024 Ballon d’Or rankings, has been shortlisted for the Best Attacker award.

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He faces fierce competition from football legends such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Erling Haaland, and Bukayo Saka, as well as rising stars like Vinicius Junior and Lamine Yamal.

Nigeria’s stand-in captain, Troost-Ekong, is nominated for the Best Defender award.

He will compete against top names in defense, including Arsenal’s William Saliba, Real Madrid’s Antonio Rüdiger, and Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji.

His leadership and defensive strength have been key for both the Super Eagles and his club.

Puskas Award Nominee
Southampton striker Onuachu has earned a spot in the men’s Puskas Award for Best Goal.

His sublime flick in Trabzonspor’s 2-1 victory over Konyaspor in November 2023 has been recognized as one of the most memorable goals of the year.

Additionally, Asisa Oshoala, the prolific Barcelona Femeni forward, is a nominee for the newly introduced Marta Award, which recognizes the best goal in women’s football.

Her stunning acrobatic strike against Benfica in the Women’s Champions League in November 2023 has been nominated for the prestigious accolade.

Here is the full list of nominees across various categories for the 2024 FIFA Best Awards:

Best FIFA Men’s Player Nominees

Dani Carvajal (Spain), Real Madrid

Erling Haaland (Norway), Manchester City

Federico Valverde (Uruguay), Real Madrid

Florian Wirtz (Germany), Bayer Leverkusen

Jude Bellingham (England), Real Madrid

Kylian Mbappe (France), Paris Saint-Germain/Real Madrid

Lamine Yamal (Spain), Barcelona

Lionel Messi (Argentina), Inter Miami

Rodri (Spain), Manchester City

Toni Kroos (Germany), Real Madrid (now retired)

Vinicius Jr (Brazil), Real Madrid

Best FIFA Women’s Player Nominees

Aitana Bonmati (Spain), Barcelona

Barbra Banda (Zambia), Shanghai Shengli/Orlando Pride

Caroline Graham Hansen (Norway), Barcelona

Keira Walsh (England), Barcelona

Khadija Shaw (Jamaica), Manchester City

Lauren Hemp (England), Manchester City

Lindsey Horan (USA), Olympique Lyonnais

Lucy Bronze (England), Barcelona/Chelsea

Mallory Swanson (USA), Chicago Red Stars

Mariona Caldentey (Spain), Barcelona/Arsenal

Naomi Girma (USA), San Diego Wave

Ona Batlle (Spain), Barcelona

Salma Paralluelo (Spain), Barcelona

Sophia Smith (USA), Portland Thorns

Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi), Paris Saint-Germain/Olympique Lyonnais

Trinity Rodman (USA), Washington Spirit

Best FIFA Women’s Coach Nominees

Arthur Elias (Brazil), Brazil

Elena Sadiku (Sweden), Celtic

Emma Hayes (England), Chelsea/USA

Futoshi Ikeda (Japan), Japan

Gareth Taylor (England), Manchester City

Jonatan Giraldez (Spain), Barcelona/Washington Spirit

Sandrine Soubeyrand (France), Paris FC

Sonia Bompastor (France), Olympique Lyonnais/Chelsea

Best FIFA Men’s Coach Nominees

Carlo Ancelotti (Italy), Real Madrid

Lionel Scaloni (Argentina), Argentina

Luis de la Fuente (Spain), Spain

Pep Guardiola (Spain), Manchester City

Xabi Alonso (Spain), Bayer Leverkusen

Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper Nominees

Alyssa Naeher (USA), Chicago Red Stars

Ann-Katrin Berger (Germany), Chelsea/NJ/NY Gotham

Ayaka Yamashita (Japan), INAC Kobe Leonessa/Manchester City

Cata Coll (Spain), Barcelona

Mary Earps (England), Manchester United/Paris Saint-Germain

Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper Nominees

Andriy Lunin (Ukraine), Real Madrid

David Raya (Spain), Arsenal

Ederson (Brazil), Manchester City

Emiliano Martinez (Argentina), Aston Villa

Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy), Paris Saint-Germain

Mike Maignan (France), AC Milan

Unai Simon (Spain), Athletic Club

2024 FIFA Puskas Award Nominees

Paul Onuachu (Nigeria), Southampton – for his exquisite flick for Trabzonspor against Konyaspor in November 2023.

2024 FIFA Marta Award Nominees

Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria), Barcelona Femeni – for her acrobatic goal against Benfica in the Women’s Champions League in November 2023.

Voting and Ceremony Details
Fans and an expert panel will equally share the responsibility for voting.

Supporters can cast their votes via the FIFA website until December 10, 2024.

The winners will be announced in the coming months, celebrating the best footballing achievements across the globe.