Sports
Sports Minister Incurs Nigerians Ire With Explanations On Poor Showing At Paris2024
Efforts to explain Nigeria’s poor showing at the Paris 2024 Olympics by the Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh appear to have backfired.
Biztellers reports that Sen Enoh took to his socials on Sunday, with explanations, in the bid to soothe the nerves of disappointed sports fans by tendering apologies, asserting that Nigeria deserved more, as a country, particularly given the history of her performance at previous Olympic games.
“Athletes competition requirements were provided, allowances were paid early, and training grants were disbursed to all athletes. I made myself readily available to deal with any issue throughout the competition. Therefore, the underwhelming performance of our team is puzzling. We owe Nigerians an explanation,” he stated.
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However, Nigerians would have none of that, as one X user, Adekunle Gbadamosi lambasted Sen Enoh that the results merely reflected the level of preparations that the sporting authorities put in towards the games.
According to Gbdamosi, “He who failed to plan properly, has planned to fail properly. Super Eagles is still not having a coach by now and they have qualifying matches next month.”
Sen Enoh wrote, “The Olympic Games, Paris 2024, has ended, and I accept that our performance should have been a lot better. It obviously fell short of our objectives, expectations, and hopes of Nigerians. I must apologize to our compatriots and reflect on what went wrong while looking forward to the Paralympic Games, Paris 2024 (August 28- September 8th).
“When I assumed office as the Minister of Sports Development in August 2023, I was confronted with the task of executing four international competitions namely the AFCON, the African Games, the Olympic and Paralympic Games in a matter of a few months. I was also reminded that the Olympic Games is the world’s supreme sports competition, and countries require at least four years to prepare for it. I held extensive discussions with the management staff of the Ministry and got to know that preparations for the Olympics, which was less than a year away, had not started.
“In the true Nigerian spirit, it was our view that we should spare no effort to sustain the international sports image of our country. Our target was to re-enact the Atlanta 1996 performance or even improve on it. To this end, we embarked on a progressive approach to drive forward the performance of our athletes and coaches. In my first week in office, I requested all National Sports Federations to furnish me with plans and programmes. I also embarked on a nationwide inspection of our sports facilities.
“Subsequently, I constituted a Ministerial Podium Performance Advisory Committee comprising seasoned sports performance professionals to drive our preparations.
“At this time, we had hardly qualified for the Olympics in any sport. We focused on both the AFCON and the African Games (both of which were happening in quick succession) while our athletes also participated in Olympic and Paralympic qualification tournaments. This had the disadvantage of compelling the athletes to attain peak performances several times within a short space of time. I was also enlightened that athletes of many countries had qualified almost one year ago and had already structured their training programmes for the Olympics. We were not deterred.
“I convened a series of meetings involving the Presidents of the National Sports Federations, their Technical Directors, and Secretaries General. These meetings examined the preparations for the competitions. The Ministerial Podium Performance Advisory Committee was in attendance to discuss and streamline methodologies and training methods in the best possible way, considering the time constraints.
“After the African Games, subsequent meetings were limited to the Federations that had bright chances of qualifying for the Olympics. Medals projections were made by all the Federations, although their athletes were still trying to qualify; which lasted until about June 2024. The concerned Federations obviously prioritized qualification over preparations for the Games. This seems to have always been the case.This has to change.
“At the end of the qualification period, the selection of athletes and coaches was the absolute responsibility of each Federation. A few attempts to question selection after i got complaints were strongly resisted and defended.
“To achieve our targets, we approved onshore training in different locations in the country in addition to the offshore training camps for our teams in Saarbrucken, Germany, and Sevilla, Spain. Ten out of the eleven sports trained in Germany. The choice of the training facilities in Germany was based on the very positive recommendations of the Ministry team and included the President of one of our Federations who as a former world champion and Olympic gold medal winner, is quite familiar with Olympic-standard facilities and equipment. At the training camp, the Ministerial Podium Performance Advisory Committee offered scientific preparation and mental strength training support.
‘The very high quality of their participation was confirmed by independent sources comprising athletes, coaches, and team administrators.
“In all these, the President and Commander in Chief of the Federation, HE Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ensured that funds were not a limiting factor. Athletes competition requirements were provided, allowances were paid early, and training grants were disbursed to all athletes. I made myself readily available to deal with any issue throughout the competition. Therefore, the underwhelming performance of our team is puzzling. We owe Nigerians an explanation.
“As a responsible organisation, we have swung into a review process. We shall evaluate the competition readiness of every athlete comprehensively, including their injury and medical history within the limits of patient confidentiality. The role of coaches and administrative staff will also be examined.
“There must be a lot of lessons to learn from our performance and improvements must be made in all ramifications. The last time we returned from the Olympics without a medal was in 2012. The next two Olympics after that we’ve had a bronze medal in 2016 and a silver and bronze in the 2020 Olympics. As a country, we deserve more. Let’s turn the disastrous outcome of the 2024 Olympics to a huge positive for Nigerian sports.”
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Congress has summoned an emergency meeting of its members to deliberate on recent developments within the football governing body.
The meeting is scheduled to hold on September 26, 2026, at 12 noon in Abuja.
Those expected to attend include chairmen of State Football Associations, club representatives, members of the Referees Association, Coaches Association, Players Union and the Nigeria Referees Association.
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According to an invitation signed by Yakubu Sarma on behalf of the Congress members, the meeting will focus on the “current developments” within the NFF, as well as the status and functioning of the federation’s Executive Committee and secretariat.
The Congress is also expected to examine the implications of the developments for the governance, stability and independence of the NFF.
Another major item on the agenda is the consideration of “appropriate measures” under the statutes of the NFF, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).
The Congress will also deliberate on the way forward following the recent developments within the federation.
“All members are expected to attend,” the invitation stated, urging members of the Congress to confirm their attendance.
The Congress added that details regarding travel and accommodation arrangements would be communicated to members.
The emergency meeting comes amid growing attention to the administration and governance of Nigerian football, with the Congress expected to review the situation and determine its next steps.
Strategic partners to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), GTI Asset Management & Trust Limited, have commended the Board of the Nigeria Premier Football League under the purposeful leadership of its Chairman, Otunba Gbenga Elegbeleye, for successfully securing a historic partnership deal with Euromatch as the new Official Title Sponsor of the elite league in the country ahead of the 2026/27 season.
In a press statement made available to journalists by GTI’s Head of Media and Publicity, Andrew Ekejiuba, shortly after the unveiling ceremony in Abuja, he described the deal as a bold and encouraging step that reflects the determination of the NPFL Board to reposition the elite league as a more commercially attractive asset with great brand value.
The sponsorship deal which is valued at $7.5 million over a three-year period—approximately ₦10.5 billion—represents another significant milestone in the ongoing repositioning and commercial transformation of the Nigeria Premier Football League.
“GTI Group believes that the entry of Euromatch into the Nigerian football ecosystem is a strong vote of confidence in the renewed vision, structure and growing commercial appeal of the NPFL. Therefore, we congratulate Otunba Gbenga Elegbeleye, the entire NPFL Board, the clubs, players, officials, football stakeholders and, indeed, millions of passionate football fans across Nigeria on this landmark achievement.
“The unveiling of Euromatch here in Abuja signals the dawn of a new and more promising era for elite football in Nigeria. It reinforces the conviction that with the right leadership, sound corporate governance, transparency, innovation and strategic partnerships, the NPFL can continue its journey towards becoming one of the most competitive, commercially viable and globally respected football leagues in Africa.
“As strategic partners to the NPFL, GTI is committed to the growth and sustainable development of Nigerian football. We are encouraged by the progress being recorded by the NPFL and we believe that the arrival of more credible corporate partners will accelerate the transformation of the beautiful game in the country,” Ekejiuba said.
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In his speech at the unveiling ceremony, Otunba Elegbeleye explained that beyond acquiring the league’s naming rights, the new partnership would play a key role in strengthening NPFL’s financial value and visibility. Elegbeleye further commended the trajectory and mileage the league has recorded, emphasising that his administration is no longer worried about bringing the spectators to stadium but how to manage the surging crowd.
“The partnership between the NPFL and Euromatch have brought renewed energy and greater possibilities to the domestic game. Beyond the financial value of the sponsorship, this development has the potential to further strengthen the league’s commercial profile, attract greater investment, improve its competitiveness and create more opportunities for players, clubs and other stakeholders within the football value chain.
“We also call on more corporate organisations, financial institutions, telecommunications companies, manufacturers and other private-sector players to come on board and support football development in Nigeria. Corporate investment is critical to building a stronger and more sustainable football ecosystem capable of nurturing young talents, improving infrastructure, strengthening clubs and creating opportunities across the entire football industry.
“Therefore, the success of the NPFL is not the responsibility of the League Board alone. It requires a collective commitment from government, corporate bodies, investors, the media, clubs, supporters and every stakeholder who believes in the enormous potential of Nigerian football as NPFL continues its journey towards the great future it truly deserves,” he stated.
Speaking to reporters after the unveiling ceremony, The Group Chairman of Euromatch, Mr Sacli Semih, affirmed that Euromatch is in the country to ensure that NPFL is lifted to European standard in terms of quality and visibility, while admitting that football talents abound in the country.
“We believe that by the end of the second year of this deal we are sure to get back our ROI because we are eager to help transform the NPFL to European standard. There are enormous talents here and our efforts on the NPFL will help our brands compared to other markets.
“We trust the NPFL, though it’s currently underrated, but people don’t understand that so many good players in Africa who play in other top leagues in the world are from Nigeria. The demand of the contents coming from the action of these players in the NPFL is going to be high going forward and this is why we agreed to invest in the league.
“We believe we are going to be successful doing business with NPFL and we don’t envisage seeing any challenge because Nigerians are very hardworking people who never give up easily when there is a challenge,” he concluded.
Present at the unveiling ceremony are: President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau; NPFL Chairman, Otunba Gbenga Elegbeleye; Presidential Special Adviser, Media and Public Communications, Mr. Sunday Dare; Members of the NPFL Board; NPFL Secretary/Legal Adviser, Danladi Ibrahim Esq; COO of NPFL, Prince Davidson Owumi; GTI Executive Director, Nelson Ine; The Group Chairman Euromatch, Mr Sacli Semih; ex-internationals like Daniel Amokachi, Austin Eguavoen, Samson Siasia, Brown Ideye; Director-General National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu; Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace as well as the representative of the Director General of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Dr. Mohammed Bulama and other distinguished personalities present.
Italy’s national football federation, FIGC, has withdrawn its support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, dealing a fresh blow to his bid for re-election at next year’s FIFA Congress.
The FIGC announced the decision on Wednesday, saying it was aimed at clearly expressing its position on recent initiatives promoted by Infantino concerning the governance and development of international competitions.
SEE MORE: FIFA Rift Deepens as Mexico Defies CONCACAF to Support Infantino
The development comes amid growing opposition to Infantino from several European football associations, with England, Ireland and Wales also reportedly having withdrawn their backing.
Infantino has faced mounting pressure over his now-abandoned plan to attract private investment into FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup.
The proposal had raised concerns among European football authorities about the governance and direction of international football.
UEFA, European football’s governing body, has also threatened a boycott of FIFA competitions over the issue.
FIGC President Giovanni Malagò said Italy would continue working with UEFA and other European federations to promote a vision of football centred on merit, solidarity, sustainability and the interests of fans.
“We will continue to work alongside UEFA and the other European federations to promote a vision of football based on merit, solidarity, sustainability and the central role of the fans,” Malagò said.
He added that the federation supported a model based on dialogue, listening and shared responsibility, which he said had enabled football to grow and innovate while preserving its founding principles.
Infantino, 56, a former UEFA secretary-general, had enjoyed broad support from European football associations when he succeeded Sepp Blatter as FIFA president in 2016.
However, Italy’s decision to withdraw its backing adds to the growing pressure surrounding his leadership as he seeks another term at the helm of world football.
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