Sports
PHOTOS: 3SC Opens Academy with 176 students
•Oke, Owolabi, Akande, Adepoju harp on discipline
IT was a gathering of old, young and budding football stars on Saturday afternoon when Shooting Stars Sports Club, 3SC football academy was inaugurated inside the main bowl of the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan.
About 200 prospective students and their enthusiastic parents were in attendance to witness the august gathering which also attracted all other stakeholders.
In his address of welcome, the club’s Executive Chairman, Gbolagade Busari said the young players should count themselves lucky for stepping into one of the legendary club sides in Africa.
He added that with a dint of hard work and discipline, the world would soon celebrate them as prominent footballers.
“You are going to be fulcrum of Shooting Stars. You are going to be the prayers we are looking for in the future to wear the jerseys of the club. And from there, it will be a platform to be known all over the world while the sky would be the limit”, Busari concludes.
The head coach, Edith Agoye while explaining the rudiments of the academy project, said its programme would be fashioned after an England Academy model of physical corner, technical corner, tactical corner and social corner especially for the U-13 & U-15 categories as basics for their learning process.
He therefore, urged the parents to compliment the efforts of the coaches in moulding these youngster to stardom.
For the club’s legendary players and coaches like Niyi Akande, Felix Owolabi and Mutiu Adepoju, they advised these youngsters to make hard work and discipline their watch words while they commended the management for the initiative which they believed is long overdue!
In his own speech, the commissioner for youth & sports, Mr Abayomi Oke explained that establishment of the football academy is a way of creating a proper vision of culture, character and discipline for the club by nurturing home grown stars as it operates in other climes especially Europe.
He added that the academy is self sustaining hence all stake holders should work for its survival even after that the current management .
Oke further disclosed that this official inauguration notwithstanding, the management would still pay adequate attention to further screening of the students to avoid any form of age cheats an other inadequacies.
In their reactions after collecting their notification letters, some of the parents lauded the management on the event and the proper take off of the football academy with assurance that they would not be found wanting in their efforts at supporting the project.
However, the general manager of the club, Mr Rashidi Balogun appreciates the parents for bringing their children into Shooting Stars family with a promise that all the students will be giving a conducive atmosphere to excel.
Meanwhile, the training session will commence on Tuesday morning, 17th April, 2018 for the categories in U-13, U-15, U-17 & U-19
Other stakeholders at the event were SA to the government on youth & sports, Hon Bolaji Afeez Repete, Professors, EmiOlohun Ayelari, Akinola Alada, Remi Raji-Oyelade, Dr Isiaq Salami, (all from University of Ibadan, general manager, OYSSC, Gboyega Makinde, Oyo FA Secretary, Kehinde Ojelowo, Coach Idowu Oloyede and Chairman Ibadan City Polytechnic, Mr Amos Ajanaku among other.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed the appointment of German tactician Bruno Labbadia as the new Head Coach of Nigeria’s Senior Men’s National Team, the Super Eagles.
This development was announced by the NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, in the early hours of Tuesday, following the approval of the NFF Executive Committee based on a recommendation from its Technical and Development Sub-Committee. Labbadia’s appointment takes immediate effect.
Born on 8th February 1966 in Darmstadt, Germany, Labbadia enjoyed a distinguished playing career, earning two caps for the German national team. His club career included stints at prominent clubs such as Darmstadt 98, Hamburger SV, FC Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich, FC Cologne, Werder Bremen, Arminia Bielefeld, and Karlsruher SC. Notably, he won the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich in 1994.
Labbadia’s coaching career has seen him manage top-tier clubs such as Hertha Berlin, VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg, Hamburger SV, and Bayer Leverkusen, among others. He holds a UEFA Pro License and is well-regarded for his tactical acumen.
With his appointment, Labbadia becomes the sixth German to lead the Super Eagles, following in the footsteps of Karl-Heinz Marotzke, Gottlieb Göller, Manfred Höner, Berti Vogts, and Gernot Rohr. Höner notably guided the Super Eagles to a runner-up finish at the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations, while Rohr qualified Nigeria for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Labbadia’s immediate task is to prepare the Super Eagles for their upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying matches.
Nigeria will face Benin Republic on Saturday, 7th September in Uyo, and Rwanda on Tuesday, 10th September in Kigali. The team will also play four additional qualifying matches in October and November as they aim to secure a spot in the 2025 AFCON, scheduled to be held from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
The Super Eagles, placed in Group D, will face familiar foes Benin Republic, who recently defeated Nigeria in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The draw for the AFCON qualifiers, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, last month, also sees Nigeria taking on Libya and Rwanda, both of whom are also part of the Super Eagles’ group for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers set to be hosted in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Labbadia’s appointment comes at a crucial time as the Super Eagles look to regain their dominance on the African continent and secure qualification for both the AFCON and the World Cup.
Finidi George has stepped into a new role as the technical manager for NPFL side, Rivers United, following his resignation as coach of the Super Eagles.
During his brief tenure with the Eagles, George’s 1-1 draw against South Africa in Uyo and a 2-1 loss to Benin Republic in Abidjan cast doubts on Nigeria’s World Cup qualification, prompting calls from fans for his dismissal.
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Nevertheless, Rivers United, the 2021-22 champions, expressed optimism in a statement on Wednesday via their official handle about having the former Eagles international manage their team.
“Finidi brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our team, having had a distinguished playing career spanning over fifteen years,” the statement read.
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Dr. Okey Kpalukwu, General Manager of Rivers United FC, welcomed George, stating, “We are delighted to have Finidi George join our team. His appointment marks a new chapter in our club’s history, and we are committed to working together to achieve success.”
Expressing his gratitude to the club, an elated George remarked, “I am honored to have this opportunity, and I thank the Sports Commissioner, the General Manager, and the supporters for their confidence in me. I am committed to working hard and making the team win.”
Inter Milan were taken over by US fund Oaktree on Wednesday after the Serie A champions’ outgoing owners Suning missed a deadline to repay a debt worth hundred of millions of euros.
In a statement, Oaktree announced they had “assumed control” of Inter after the non-repayment of a “three-year loan to Inter Milan’s holding companies that matured on 21 May 2024 with a total balance due of approximately 395 million euros ($428 million)”.
Chinese conglomerate Suning have relinquished control of Inter to Oaktree three days after the team were officially crowned Italian champions for the 20th time.
Suning borrowed 275 million euros at over 12 percent interest three years ago to pay staff and players as the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the finances of clubs across Europe, putting up their controlling stake in the club as collateral.
“Oaktree is dedicated to achieving the best outcome for the long-term prosperity of Inter Milan, with an initial focus on operational and financial stability for the Club and its stakeholders,” Oaktree continued.
Inter became a powerful force at home and abroad after Suning acquired the club in 2016, with seven trophies including two Serie A titles and two European finals.
Simone Inzaghi’s team cruised to this year’s championship, winning the Scudetto with five matches remaining by beating AC Milan in a thrilling local derby.
Oaktree, which manages $192 billion in assets, said they are “committed to working closely with Inter Milan’s current management team, partners, the league and governing bodies to ensure the Club is positioned for success on and off the pitch”.
Inter ended up in the hands of Oaktree in a manner similar to the way another US fund, Elliott Management, took control of their local rivals Milan in 2018.
Elliott became Milan’s owners when Chinese businessman Li Yonghong was unable to repay a loan he had taken out when he bought the club from the late Silvio Berlusconi’s Fininvest the previous year.
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