Sports

Talent Hunt: Football Expert Scouts For Talents In Bauchi

Published

2 months ago

July 28, 2025

A football academy expert, Usman Ya’u, on Sunday, began scouting for footballers with special talents in Bauchi state.

Speaking during the 2025 Usman Ya’u Unity Cup organized for all the tertiary institutions in Bauchi metropolis, Ya’u explained that the essence of the competition was to identify football talents and project them in a global world

According to him, the competition was also to unite all the students across Bauchi state as a whole.

“Some of the issues we are facing in Nigeria currently is the lack of unity, patriotism and understanding of each other.

“So, I took it upon myself to see what are some of the things I will be able to contribute to my state.

“We have done so many things from the grassroot and then we decided how do we come to tertiary institutions because these are people that are going to be the leaders of tomorrow, professionals and people that are going to lead us in many aspects of our lives.

“We decided that football is one of the things that unite us all and that’s what sport does.

“As you can see from the crowd, you will see all the calibre of people from males, females, the young and the old. Everybody is here regardless of culture, religion, age or where you are coming from,” he said.

The football expert said that the competition would be able to unite the students of tertiary institutions and bring them together irrespective of where they come from.

He explained that 10 institutions in Bauchi metropolis were participating after which players with special talents would be discovered.

“I have a football academy in my local government, Darazo and we are hoping to go to Europe next year, so, this is an opportunity for scouts across Bauchi to come and see the kind of grassroot talents that we have,” said Ya’u.

Similarly, Mohammed Nasir, Secretary, Local Organising committee of the competition, said that the essence of the tournament is to bring unity among the students of Bauchi state tertiary institutions and to also identify talents to develop sports from the grassroot.

Also speaking, Usman Abubakar, a lecturer from the School of Nursing, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBU-TH), said it was high time such competition is organized.

“This is because as medical personnel, we know the importance of exercise and unity.

“Organising such a competition will bring unity among the youth and we thank the organisers for organising such a competition,” he said.

Nuhu Abubakar, Students Affairs Coordinator, College of Agriculture, Bauchi, believed that the competition would improve sportsmanship, adding that it was an avenue for the students to familiarise with each other.

He called on the players to obey the rules and regulations of the competition, saying it was not a donor die affairs.

Sports

PHOTOS: Fulham Marks Nigeria’s Independence Day With Players, Staff At Motspur Park

Published

2 days ago

October 2, 2025

Editor

Alex Iwobi at Nigeria's Independence Day party alongside other Fulham players and members of staff

English Premier League club Fulham on Tuesday hosted a gathering for its Nigerian players and staff to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day anniversary.

The event, held at the club’s Motspur Park training ground, brought together members of Fulham’s Nigerian contingent, including Super Eagles internationals Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, and Samuel Chukwueze.

Club officials said the occasion was organised to recognise the contributions of its Nigerian players and to celebrate their country’s national day.

Photographs from the gathering showed the Nigerian trio joined by several of their non-Nigerian teammates, who participated in the celebration.

The get-together included light refreshments and informal conversations, with the players using the opportunity to reflect on Nigeria’s place in football and beyond.

Nigeria gained independence from the United Kingdom on 1 October 1960, and the 2025 celebration marked its 65th year as a sovereign nation.

Sports

UCL: Spurs Snatch Late 2-2 Draw At Bodo/Glimt

Published

3 days ago

October 1, 2025

Editor

Tottenham emerged from a chastening trip to the Arctic Circle with a 2-2 draw in the league phase of the Champions League thanks to a late own-goal by Bodo/Glimt’s Jostein Gundersen.

Local-born Jens Petter Hauge scored a brace for the impressive hosts before Micky van de Ven and the 89th-minute own-goal snatched a point for Thomas Frank’s Europa League winners.

The repeat of last year’s Europa League semi-final, which Spurs won 5-1 on aggregate, looked set to finish as a first win for Champions League debutants Bodo/Glimt until the late drama.

The result leaves Spurs on four points after an opening win against Villarreal, while Bodo/Glimt have back-to-back 2-2 draws following their late equaliser last time out at Slavia Prague.

Playing at home for the very first time in Europe’s top-club competition, Bodo/Glimt grew into the occasion and soon took a firm grip ahold the match.

The referee awarded a penalty to the dominant hosts shortly after the half-hour when Rodrigo Bentancur followed through and caught Fredrik Andre Bjorkan.

But Kasper Hogh’s woes from the spot in the league phase this year continued as his effort flew over the crossbar — following on from his saved effort against Slavia Prague on matchday one.

Spurs remained penned in their own half through the rest of the first period, and Bodo/Glimt’s dominance finally paid off eight minutes after the break when Hauge curled in from inside the box.

The jubilant scenes at the Aspmyra Stadion were curtailed two minutes later when Pedro Porro’s free-kick drifted onto the post and Bentancur turned in the rebound.

However, the yellow-clad mass of Norwegian fans soon roared again as VAR spotted a foul by Van de Ven as Porro’s cross came in and the referee disallowed the goal.

Hauge doubled Bodo/Glimt’s lead in the 66th minute with a rifled left-footed finish that flew past Guglielmo Vicario after the 25-year-old had glided easily past Porro on the edge of the box.

Porro and Van de Ven made amends for their errors two minutes later when the Dutchman headed home the right-back’s pinpoint cross to give Spurs hope.

Tottenham manager Frank rang the substitutions in search of a leveller, and replacement Destiny Udogie found Wilson Odobert, but the Frenchman’s header glanced off the woodwork on 85 minutes.

The hosts responded to the pressure as Andreas Helmersen hit the crossbar down the other end.

But it was heartbreak in the end for Bodo/Glimt as Spurs forced an 89th-minute equaliser when Nikita Haikin’s save smashed into the stomach of Gundersen from close range and trickled over the line — the leveller validated after a length check for offside.
AFP

Sports

UCL: Galatasaray Beat Liverpool 1-0 As Osimhen Shines

Published

3 days ago

October 1, 2025

Editor

Liverpool slumped to a shock 1-0 Champions League defeat to Galatasaray on Tuesday as Victor Osimhen’s 16th-minute penalty handed the Turkish giants victory.

The English champions were punished for the latest in a series of poor performances in Istanbul as they suffered back-to-back defeats for only the second time under Arne Slot.

Liverpool were beaten for the first time this season at Crystal Palace on Saturday, but a series of late winners have masked an unconvincing start since a summer transformation of the squad that strolled to the Premier League title last season.

Slot responded by leaving Mohamed Salah and £125 million ($168 million) signing Alexander Isak on the bench among four changes.

The Dutchman was scathing in his assessment of Liverpool’s first-half performance at Palace as only Alisson Becker prevented an embarrassing half-time score.

However, Slot got little in the way of a response in another disjointed display from his array of star names.

Galatasaray had been thrashed 5-1 at Eintracht Frankfurt to start their Champions League campaign.

The Turkish champions are a far more formidable force on home soil, though, and made the most of Liverpool’s defensive deficiencies.

Slot’s decision to play midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back backfired.

Baris Alper Yilmaz gave the visitors a warning of the threat down Galatasaray’s left when he failed to beat Alisson when one-on-one with the Brazilian.

Liverpool should have led just seconds before they fell behind.

Hugo Ekitike was denied by Ugurcan Cakir as he tried to round the goalkeeper and Ismail Jakobs cleared Cody Gakpo’s follow-up effort off the line.

Galatasaray swiftly broke upfield and Yilmaz was awarded a soft penalty for a stray Szoboszlai arm into the Turkish international’s face.

Osimhen had previously seen a Champions League penalty saved by Alisson, but this time converted the resulting spot-kick.

Florian Wirtz has struggled badly to deliver on his £100 million price tag and is still waiting for his first Liverpool goal after his effort was turned behind by Cakir, while Ibrahima Konate headed just off target from a corner before half-time.

Konate’s poor form has been a major factor in the Reds’ defensive issues at the start of the season and the Frenchman nearly cost his side a second goal early in the second half.

Alisson saved his teammate’s blushes with another save from Osimhen but at a cost as the Liverpool number one suffered an injury sprinting off his line and had to be replaced by Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Slot introduced Salah and Isak on the hour mark, but Liverpool were still an impotent attacking force.

Isak fired tamely into the arms of Cakir with his first touch.

The closest the visitors came to a response was when French referee Clement Turpin intially pointed to the spot by a foul on Konate, but overturned his decision after a VAR review.

Instead it was Galatasaray who were inches away from the second goal of the night in stoppage time when Lucas Torreira drilled a shot just wide.

AFP