Desportspastor Blog

The maiden edition of the Ottasolo Pre-season Tournament will be held in Lagos for top football teams in Nigeria. According to the Coordinator of the Tournament, Kola Daniel the event is meant to prepare teams for the 2021/2022 season. The highly respected media practisioner said the competition is aimed at helping to prepare them adequately for the new campaign and give them the opportunity to assess all their new recruits. He said 23rd to 30th October has been proposed for the competition at Agege Stadium. Mr Gabriel Davies is the financier of the Ottasolo Pre-season Tournament. He is the Proprietor of Ottasolo International Football Club, a team that will participate in the Nigeria National League next season. The beauty of Pre-season matches and competitions in Nigeria includes having teams play in superb atmospheres where the players and clubs have a more conducive ambiences to show how good they are. Pre-season games offer fans the opportunity of glimpsing the true qu

36 Lion were held to a goalless draw by Benin Republic top-tier side Ayema FC in a friendly match played on Saturday. The game which took place at the Seme Krake Stadium saw plenty goalmouth action with both teams settling for a draw. It was the clash of Lions as five players of Ayema were developed by 36 Lion before moving back to Benin Republic to join the top tier side in the country of their origin.  The two captains Azeez Oseni (Flying Eagles) and Ishola Olaitan (Benin senior team) were also familiar with one another which made this encounter and all attacking football match.  Youthful mistakes were made by both teams but the goalkeepers were in brilliant form.  Each player covered minimum of10 kilometers in the game. There was never a dull moment at Seme Krake Stadium today.  It was a good game for 36 Lion who faced a side that finished in the Benin Republic Premier League last season.

Our attention has been drawn to reports in some section of the media on a purported ban of the football pitch of the Samson Siasia Stadium, Yenagoa by Confederation of African Football (CAF) ahead of the next home game of Bayelsa United against CS Sfaxien of Tunisia. The report which appeared to have been sponsored in various newspapers is not only false, and misleading, it is an attempt to blackmail the Bayelsa State Government into awarding maintenance contract of the pitch to a certain contractor. It is wicked and disappointing that people who have benefited so much from the State Government would put up such a show of shame just to discredit and sabotage their own State. It is good to put on record that a team from CAF is currently in Yenagoa to inspect the facilities and so far, they have been impressed by what is on the ground including the recent upgrade before the Confederation cup game between Bayelsa United and AS Ashanti of Guinea. As a Ministry, we are confident

By Bassey Ibiatisuho International Businessman Akan Udofia has promised to give Akwa United FC $20,000 if the team beats Algerian Champions, CR Belouizdad in the CAF Champions League second leg preliminary round match in Algiers. The Chief Executive Officer of Desicon Engineering Limited made the promise while redeeming a pledge of N5million to the club, a promise he made to give the team one million for each goal scored against MFM FC in the last home match of last season played at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium which the home side won 5-2. During the presentation, Udofia commended the team's effort last season which saw them emerge champions of the NPFL for the first time in the team's 25 years history, adding that the team deserves every support and encouragement to do more. "I am proud of Akwa United, much more proud to be an Akwa Ibomite. I have been following your activities online and when I saw that Akwa United needed a win or draw in their

      Substitute Gift Monday handed Nigeria a sweet 2-0 victory on the opening day of the maiden edition of the Aisha Buhari Invitational Women’s Tournament in the City of Lagos.   Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State led eminent political big-wigs, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino and CAF President Patrice Motsepe led football’s top echelon, including President of NFF and FIFA Council Member Amaju Melvin Pinnick, to the showpiece at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan.   Monday, interestingly a player of FC Robo Queens of Lagos, spun in the air to meet a cross by Captain Asisat Oshoala in the 83rd minute and nod past goalkeeper Fatoumata Karenta, six minutes after coming into the fray for Francisca Ordega.   The goal put the Super Falcons in the lead after a rather turgid day on Lagos island, with the Malians showing greater zest and desire in the opening half and returning after the recess with the same impressive fighting spirit.   The visitin

Anything he touches is gold. That is the story of former Ogun state commissioner of Sports, Bukola Olopade, a man that is best remembered for his many success stories as an administrator and his achievements as a sport marketer.  As commissioner of sports, Bukola Olopade hosted the best National sports festival ever in the history of the games in Nigeria. As Chairman of the wheelchair basketball federation of Nigeria, he singlehandedly raised over 200m naira to help popularize the sport and improve the lives of players and officials.      As Chief executive officer of the Nigeria National League, Bukola Olopade did the unthinkable, as he managed to bring in over 300m naira to the coffers of the league board at a time when the board seriously needed a face-lift.  It is on record that he remains the only football administrator that had the boldness to step down from his position as NNL CEO, when he felt things were not going as planned.  That did not stop him from doing what

Gateway United head coach Hakeem Busari had his Secondary education at CMS Grammar School. He made his name in grassroot competitions in Lagos. Curiosity piqued, Busari shadowed coaches in the academies for a while. His foot now firmly wedged in the door, there was no looking back. Learning on the job, he swiftly demonstrated his promise on the touchline. His tactical shrewdness, man management and ability to recognise and grab opportunities when they arose helped the coach. He started his journey as Technical Assistant to the Golden Eaglets before getting employed by Shooting Stars Sports Club in 2008. His next step was even more unusual. Eager to prove to himself that he could be a success away from the football pitch, Busari studied Sport & Recreation Management at university. The gaffer had stints at Crown FC and FC BESCOLA. He was well loved by supporters of both clubs. During his time at Crown, he earned a reputation as one of Nigeria's football

African Pillar of Sports and Chief Whip of the Senate,  Senator Orji Uzor Kalu  has asked  the Federal Government  not to wait until 2024 to begin preparation for the Olympics  He advised the federal government to begin training now to avoid losing  another  generation of young players in international market  Kalu recently made the call when  Nigeria’s only decorated male gymnast,  who won Gold at the 2019 All African games in Morrocco and equally represented Nigeria in the recently concluded Olympic games in Tokyo , Uche Eke, was honored with a three in one party in Maryland,  United States of America.  He said people should not just look at the trophy part of each tournament but consider the economic gain or loss that comes with it .  According to the former Abia  state Governor  who during his tenure helped Enyimba Footbal Club win African Championship Cup and Super Cup back to back "  We lost a generation of young players in the internation