Sports
Alagura FC Retains 2024 Egbin Power Community Football Trophy
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Alagura Football Club has again emerged as the winner of the 2024 Community Football Competition organised by Egbin Power Plc to foster unity and youth development in its host communities.
The tournament recorded an impressive turnout of supporters and a display of football skills by players of the 16 participating teams drawn from Egbin, Ijede, and Ipakan in Ikorodu, Lagos.
The 16 football clubs were Alagura, Sterling Ipakan, Dragon Ipakan, Ebute Olowo, Abule-Eko II, Alaanu-Omo, Igbe-Ogunro, Egbin Classical, Egbin Diamond, Abule-Eko, Estate Boys, Alajede, Oko-Ope, Ajeri, Igbopa, Oke-Eletu.
At the finals held at Ipakan Community Stadium, Ikorodu, the defending champions, Alagura FC, retained the title after defeating Oke-Eletu FC 5-3 in a penalty shootout. The match had ended in a 1-1 draw. In the third-place encounter, Ajeri FC won against Igbe FC by 2 – 1 to clinch the 2nd position.
The winning team went home with a cash prize of N1 million, while the first and second runners-up received N700,000 and N500,000, respectively, with the Best Goalkeeper award going to Yusuf of Sterling Ipakan FC and Usman Multala winning the Highest Goal Scorer Award.
Speaking on the competition, the Head of Corporate Communication and Branding at Egbin Power, Mr Felix Ofulue, said, “As a responsible organization, we are proud to provide a platform that fosters unity, promotes sports development, and showcases the talents of our youth. This competition is a testament to our commitment to investing in the future of our host communities.”
“The football competition is eagerly anticipated by the youth every year, as it fosters sportsmanship among communities and provides a reputable platform for them to showcase their talents.
“We are thrilled by the resounding success we are witnessing annually and will continue to make it better for the growth and development of our host communities,” Mr Ofulue noted.
Nigeria’s ex-international player and Atlanta ’96 Olympic Gold Medallist, Mr Abiodun Obafemi, who was the special guest at the finals, applauded Egbin Power Plc for creating a strong platform for the development of sport and fostering unity among youths in the host communities.
“This is a high-level football exhibition sponsored by Egbin Power. Two years ago, I was here, and it shows that the competition is growing bigger every year. What I saw here today gladdens my heart, seeing the progressive development. I saw some players that have a bright future in football.
“Kudos to the company for the wonderful work they are doing for these communities. This is another way of engaging the youth. It’s a platform that will prepare a majority of them for a football career. My advice to the players is for them to embrace this gesture, to be serious about it and build on it. Congratulations to the winners and Egbin Power for putting up a top-class competition,” Obafemi said.
Egbin Power’s Head of Maintenance, Felix Ebiware, and the Head, of Quality, Health, Safety, and Environment (QHSE), Julius Akpong, including community leaders such as the Olisa of Ijede, High Chief Musediq Aliu and Baale of Ipakan, High Chief Mustapha Lasisi were among those in attendance at the occasion.
The Olisa of Ijede, Mr Musediq Aliu, commended Egbin Power for contributing to youth and sports development in the host communities.
“Egbin Power has consistently demonstrated its interest in promoting unity, growth, and development of our communities. We are grateful for the success of this competition, and we urge the company to keep investing and promoting youth and sports development,” he stated.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria made history after it beat New Zealand in one of the biggest ever upsets in the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Malaysia on Monday morning.
The Nigerian team, known as Young Female Yellow greens, defeated New Zealand by 2 runs in the World Cup. It is their first win against a non-African team in a major ICC tournament.
The Group C clash was played at the Sarawak Cricket Ground in Sarawak and was reduced to 13 overs per side encounter due to wet outfield.
Nigerian captain, Lucky Piety, and Lillian Udeh reached double-digits for Nigeria, scoring 18 and 19 runs, respectively.
Nigeria could only hit four fours and a six in their innings and at the halfway mark, creating opportunity for New Zealand to easily chase the target down.
The New Zealand U19 bowlers were able to restrict Nigeria to just 65 runs.
The intensity then saw both countries lose their openers with just seven runs on the board in 2.1 overs.
The New Zealand middle-order batters trio of Eve Wolland, Anika Todd and skipper Tash Wakelin lost their wickets at the wrong time.
Nigeria’s Udeh did really well in the final over to restrict the opposition conceding only three runs with the bat.
New Zealand could only score 63 runs in their 13 overs for the loss of six wickets and fell short eventually by two runs.
As soon as Captain Wakelin got run out on the last ball of the innings, Nigeria players began celebrating in ecstasy as they created history, knocking over one of the big full-member teams at the international level.
Nigeria skipper won the player of the match award for her all-round show scoring 18 runs and picking up one wicket for just eight runs in three overs.
Watch the highlights here.
The WWE Universe is in for an electrifying night this Friday as SmackDown returns to California. With high-stakes matches, dramatic returns, and the inaugural defense of the new WWE Women’s Champion, fans can expect a blockbuster evening of action. Catch all the drama live from San Diego, California, on WWE Network, GOtv Channel 68 at 1 am on Saturday.
Here’s a preview of what’s in store:
Motor City Machine Guns vs. Los Garzas: The Motor City Machine Guns, Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin, will clash with Angel and Humberto of Los Garzas in a high-octane tag team match.
Last week, Los Garzas triumphed over Pretty Deadly, while the Motor City Machine Guns took down A-Town Down Under. The stakes are high as these two powerhouse teams battle for the chance to become the next contenders for the Tag Team Championship, currently held by DIY’s Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano.
WWE Women’s Championship Match: Tiffany Stratton vs. Bayley: Bayley, the self-proclaimed “Role Model,” earned her shot at the WWE Women’s Championship last week in a grueling Fatal Four-Way match. Now, she faces her toughest challenge yet against the newly crowned champion, Tiffany Stratton.
Stratton seized her opportunity two weeks ago, cashing in her Money in the Bank contract to become the WWE Women’s Champion. Determined to keep “Tiffy Time” alive, she’s ready to prove she belongs at the top.
But Bayley, a Grand Slam Champion, brings over a decade of experience to this matchup. Will Stratton defend her title successfully, or will Bayley reclaim the championship she once held?
The Return of Solo Sikoa: Solo Sikoa returns to SmackDown after falling short in his quest to dethrone Roman Reigns as the Tribal Chief. Despite giving everything in their brutal showdown, Sikoa was left without the coveted Ula Fala.
With Reigns now focused on the Undisputed WWE Championship and an entry into the 2025 Men’s Royal Rumble Match, the question remains: what’s next for Sikoa? Fans won’t have to wait long for answers, as the self-proclaimed former Tribal Chief will address the WWE Universe live this Friday.
Other WWE Superstars confirmed for this Episode of SmackDown: “Undisputed WWE Champion” Cody Rhodes, Nia Jax, United States Champion” Shinsuke Nakamura, La Knight, Women’s Tag Team Champions” – Bianca Belair & Naomi Prizefighter” Kevin Owens, The Enforcer” Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga, Apollo Crews, among others are expected to make an appearance on the night.
Stay connected to your GOtv to enjoy Smackdown and other WWE action live by downloading the MyGOtv app or dial *288# to reconnect/upgrade your package.
By Dipo Olowookere
In order to explore the African betting market, a leading bookmaker, Soft2Bet, has partnered with a prominent media firm, Channels Media Group.
The collaboration is to take advantage of the media platform to deploy Soft2Bet’s Motivational Engineering Gamification Application (MEGA), the gamification solution that enables operators to deliver market-leading ROI by providing quality content and driving player engagement in regulated jurisdictions.
As part of the deal, the online sports betting and casino company will power the broadcast station’s online sports betting and casino offering, Waddibet, to drive value for the group by managing its entire customer acquisition and retention strategy through its market-leading ‘Managed Services’ offering.
“Our joining forces with Soft2Bet will see us blend our local expertise with their cutting-edge online sports betting and casino operations.
“We’re also highly excited at the thought of integrating Soft2Bet’s MEGA gamification and are confident in our ability to deliver premium content and elevate player engagement across this market.
“Together, we’re committed to setting new industry standards and establishing a leading iGaming brand that will provide unmatched entertainment to our players,” the Group Strategist and Consultant of Channels Media Group, Tobi Momoh, said.
On his part, the Chief Business Development Officer of Soft2Bet, Martin Collins, said, “As a group, Soft2Bet is truly delighted to announce its first African partnership with a high-calibre media partner like Channels TV.
“Nigeria is the continent’s largest economy and a vibrant market and the combination of Channels TV’s strong brand equity and our highly localised and powerful solutions will deliver strong growth in this major market.”
Soft2Bet’s regulatory footprint grew significantly in 2023 as the group entered major markets like Sweden, Denmark, Romania and Italy and in 2024 this has continued and it is set to forge ahead on this path with worldwide expansion into Africa’s largest economy and most populous country with Channels TV.
As the company executes on its strategic roadmap throughout 2025 it will continue integrating new partners to its B2B platform and adding to its content library to deliver the richest and most complete turnkey solution for its partners.
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