19042019 - CCT axes Onnoghen, to forfeit money, barred for 10 years

46— Vanguard, FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2019
Kidnapping: Kalu
relocates family to Lagos
Super Eagles
attacker Samuel
Kalu has moved his
family after his mother
survived a kidnap ordeal
back in March.
Kalu who plays for
Bordeaux of France
coughed out a ransom to
free his mum, Ozuruonye
Juliet Kalu after a week in
the kidnappers den.
“Kalu decided to
relocate the family to
Lagos after the ugly
incident that saw his
mother kidnapped for
several weeks in Aba,” a
source said.
“The family has still not
recovered from that shock
and for their safety he has
now moved them to
Lagos.”
FIFA WWC:
Odemwingie backs
Super Falcons to
cause upsets
Peter Odemwingie,
former Super Eagles
striker and FIFA ambassador
for the Women
World Cup billed for France
in June said the Nigerian
team can cause some upsets
in France.
The Super Falcons are in
group A with hosts France,
Korea Republic and Norway
who are highly rated
above the African Champions,
but according to
Odemwingie, with good
preparations the Super Falcons
can go beyond the
group.
“No doubt they have a great
record on the continent but
they have a tough group in
Okocha set for Bundesliga
legend Tour in Nigeria
StarTimes and Bundesliga have
said that former Suer Eagles
captain and Nations Cup winner,
Austin Okocha will headline the next
Legend Tour starting on April 25 in
Lagos as part of the Bundesliga Legends
Tour to Nigeria.
Okocha, a former Bundesliga star
will take part in the three-day visit to
Nigeria along with other Bundesliga
representatives to interact with
Bundesliga fans, StarTimes subscribers
and to promote the league among
Nigerian youths and football lovers.
During the tour, Okocha will visit the
Little Tigers Academy in Lagos, to
inspire and motivate the youngsters at
the Academy who aspire to be just like
him, in a country where millions of
young people have an interest in
football. Okocha is also billed to be
hosted by award winning radio and TV
sports pundits in Lagos.
Other activities during the
‘Bundesliga Legends Tour’ will include
media interviews, a Facebook live-chat
with football fans, training session with
the MFM Boys of the Nigeria Premiere
League and a visit to SOS Children’s
The ordeal somehow
affected Kalu’s
performance for his club.
According to the Super
Eagles coach Gernot Rohr.
“ He suffered a small tear
as he was eager to come
back. But with the fatigue
accumulated by the anxiety
for his mother and the
sleepless nights, he suffered
a relapse,’’ said Rohr to
French regional newspaper
Sud Ouest.
‘’He came back to take
care of his family, he found
them a house in an isolated
and safe place and moved
them.
‘’Bordeaux have shown a
lot of understanding and
have been reactive to help
him.’’
Norway, France the host
nation and of course Korea
who are also a decent side
in the women’s game.
“But we all know football is
a game of inspirational
moments. We have great talents
in the squad already and
on our day we can be unstoppable
so I believe there is
definitely a chance for
them,” Odemwingie.
The Super Falcons are in
billed to play in the Group
B of the Women’s WAFU
zonal tournament billed for
Cote d' Ivoire May 8- 18.
They will play Burkina
Faso, Niger and Mali with
the first and second placed
team from each group progressing
to the semifinals.
Village’s Nigeria in Lagos.
The Bundesliga legend will also
interact directly with fans and on
Saturday, April 27 during a Fan Fest
scheduled to host Bundesliga fans.
There, fans will be able to watch the
Borussia Dortmund versus Shackle FC
and FC Nurmberg versus Bayern
Munchen matches. Live entertainment
with DJ SBU, give-aways, youth soccer
tournaments, food, drink and much
more will also give fans a taste of the
Bundesliga experience.
Speaking on the tour, Okocha said: “I
am very proud to be associated with the
Bundesliga many years after I stopped
playing professionally. Till date,
Bundesliga fans continue to enjoy quality
football in the league by talented
players, many of whom are from Africa,
playing quality football and showing the
fans ‘Football As It’s Meant To Be’. He
added that the highest number of goals
in any European top-flight league comes
from the German Bundesliga, describing
the packed stadiums during matches as
“electrifying” – it’s not difficult to see
why so many African fans love the
Bundesliga’’.
Joshua to
know world
title opponent
next week
Anthony Joshua will receive
confirmation of his world title
challenger in the “early part of next
week” with an America-based
opponent viewed as the ‘ideal’
choice, says Eddie Hearn.
The unified world heavyweight
champion will press ahead with his
planned US debut at Madison
Square Garden in New York on
June 1, live on Sky Sports Box
Office, after Jarrell Miller was
refused a boxing licence following
an adverse finding from a drug test.
Miller has protested his
innocence and will await a B-
sample, but promoter Hearn has
drawn up a shortlist of alternative
opponents for Joshua, and expects
to make an announcement in the
coming days.
“Obviously it’s a fight in America,
so from our point of view, we would
like an American challenger
really,” Hearn told Sky Sports
News. “I don’t think it will be
Dillian Whyte.
“You go through the list: Luis
Ortiz; Adam Kownacki; Michael
Hunter; Manuel Charr; Agit
Kabayel, the European champion
who beat Derek Chisora.
Rohr expects Kalu to
be fit for AFCON 2019
Samuel Kalu is battling to be fit for the Africa Cup
of Nations in Egypt after suffering a relapse from
an injury which he has nursed for two and half months
according to Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr.
Kalu is yet to play for Bordeaux in the past three
weeks and he is not close to returning for the team
due to the injury set back, which according to Rohr,
became worse after he tried to force his return to action
in a league game against Monaco on the 9th of March,
a game he ended up playing just 29 minutes.
The Franco-German coach revealed that
Kalu’s family issues, particularly when
his mother was kidnapped for ransom
also aggravated the injury as the 21
year old didn’t sleep for nights in his
bid to secure the release of his mother
from her abductors.
He rounded up by saying he is however hopeful
that the forward will play for Bordeaux this season
and also prove his fitness on time for the Africa Cup of
Nations because he is a very important player to the
Super Eagles.
“It’s an elongation at the limit of a small tear. He
wanted to resume a little too fast , so he forced it and
with the fatigue accumulated by the anxiety for his
mother who was kidnapped, he had sleepless nights
which further aggravated the injury,” Rohr said.
“Bordeaux has shown a lot of understanding and
have been helpful to him. The injury halted his
progress but I am sure he will bring something more
when he returns because he is also key to our plans
for the Africa Cup of Nations “.
Unmissable Match: Puyol's
team thrash Okocha Shine
Shine Bobo 5-2
Former Champions
League winner and
legendary international
footballer, Carles Puyol,
who is in Nigeria as part
of the UEFA Champions
League Tour presented
by Heineken®, played
an Unmissable Match
Tuesday as Captain of the
Chairman team against a
Shine Shine Bobo team
led by Austin Jay Jay
Okocha at the Godswill
Akpabio stadium in Uyo.
The game which lasted
an hour, saw the Puyol
led Chairman team beat
Okocha’s Shine Shine
Bobo, made up of ex-
Nigerian internationals,
current NPFL
wavemakers, Akwa
United players and select
consumers 5-2.
With fun moments like
directions from coaches,
the Finance Director,
Nigerian Breweries, Plc,
Rob Kleinjan and the
Marketing Director,
Nigerian Breweries, Plc,
Emmanuel Oriakhi, the
game saw all the players
and 30,000 fans treated
to an hour of exciting
unmissable moments.
One of the most exciting
moments was when
Okocha scored from a
well-taken free kick to
level scores at 1-1.
GOtv Boxing Night 18: We've made
adequate security plan – Alumona
Flykite
Productions,
organisers of GOtv
Boxing Night, have assured
boxing fans coming for the
18th edition of the show of
adequate security.
GOtv Boxing Night 18,
which holds on Sunday at the
Indoor Sports Hall of the
Obafemi Awolowo Stadium
in Ibadan is expected to draw
a large number of dignitaries
and boxing fans.
Speaking in Lagos
yesterday, Jenkins Alumona,
CEO of Flykite Productions,
explained that the huge
number of fans expected at the
show imposes the
responsibility of making
premium security
arrangements in and around
the venue, as it had been done
everywhere the show had held.
He stated that security is the
most important factor in any
undertaking, the reason
Flykite Productions has made
it the top priority.
“No use holding an event
where the fans are not safe.
We have always prioritized
security and we know the
venue very well. This will be
the third time it is hosting
GOtv Boxing Night. Among
our partners is KSquare
Security, the country’s
leading security firm, which
has tonnes of experience in
mega events. We are also
working with government
security agencies to ensure
fans and their belongings,
including cars, are safe. The
arrangements are as tight as
they have always been. Not
once have we recorded a
breach since we began in
2014,” he said.