By; AYO OJEDOKUN, Lagos
Flying Eagles’ forward, Ahmed Abdullahi has recovered and is recuperating in hospital following a scary incident during the Nigeria, Burkina Faso game at the WAFU B Championship in Niamey, Niger Republic on Wednesday.
The former Golden Eaglet, who scored Nigeria’s second goal against Cup holders and African champions Ghana on Sunday after coming off the bench, was rushed to hospital after suffering a head injury during the 2-2 draw with the Junior Etalons at the Stade General Seyni Kountché.
“The player has recovered fully and is in good health, but he is out of the tournament. We went through several scary hours before and after he got to the hospital, but we thank God that he is fully recovered now,” Team Secretary Aliyu Lawal Ibrahim told thenff.com.
General Secretary of the NFF, Dr Mohammed Sanusi was with the Abdullahi at the hospital and asked the player to remain focused and pray for the team to succeed at the tournament.
The 2-2 draw sustained Nigeria’s leadership of Group B, and the seven –time African champions will play in the semi finals as group winners should Burkina Faso fail to defeat Ghana by up to three goals on Saturday.
PHOTO: NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi (right) with Ahmed Abdullahi in the hospital in Niamey on Thursday.
India 2022: Namibian officials to take charge of Ethiopia, Nigeria clash
The Confederation of African Football has appointed Namibian official Antsino Twanyanyukwa as the referee for next week’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup final qualifying round first leg match between Ethiopia and Nigeria in Addis Ababa.
Twanyayukwa will be joined at the potentially –explosive encounter, scheduled for the Abebe Bekila Stadium as from 4pm Ethiopia time on Friday 20th May, by compatriots Eveline Augustinus (assistant referee 1), Pulen Agnes Mahomo from Lesotho (assistant referee 2) and another Namibian Vistoria Shangula (fourth official).
Amina Ali Karuma from Tanzania will serve as match commissioner while Ugandan Constance Adipo will be referee assessor.
Nigeria’s Flamingos prevailed over their Egyptian counterparts 6-0 on aggregate in the last round, after dismissing their counterparts from the Democratic Republic of Congo 8-0 on aggregate.
The Ethiopian girls edged into the third round of the series after overcoming Uganda on the away goal rule following a 3-3 aggregate, and then turned back South Africa 3-1 on aggregate in the last round.
For the second leg match already scheduled for the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Saturday 4th June, CAF has appointed Senegalese officials to preside over proceedings, with Mame Coumba Faye at the centre.
It is an all-Senegalese crew with Adia Isseu Cisse (assistant referee 1), Fatou Bintou Sene (assistant referee 2) and Fatou Thioune (fourth official) also heading to Nigeria’s administrative capital.
Souadatou Djallo-Kalkaba from Cameroon will be the match commissioner while Emmanuella Grace Aglago from Ghana will serve as referee assessor.
The winner on aggregate will pick one of Africa’s tickets to this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals, holding in India 11th – 30th October.
Player Iyikwobe banned worldwide for two years
A football player of Nigerian origin, Christopher Chizoba Iyikwobe has been slammed a two-year worldwide ban from the game after a request by the Bangladesh Football Federation for the ban placed on him by the Federation to be rendered global was granted by world governing body, FIFA.
The Bangladesh Football Federation had placed a two-year worldwide ban on Iyikwobe on 26th September 2021, and subsequently appealed to FIFA to give it worldwide effect.
FIFA has now granted the request and Iyikwobe remains suspended from all football –related activities globally until 26th September 2023.
