Nigerian midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, has completed his first degree at De Montfort University in England

The Leicester City midfielder revealed this in a video interview with Football Daily explaining that the degree will afford him more options outside football.

Ndidi explained that the knowledge in business and management would come in handy as he plans to get into business after he retires from playing.

He said, “Yeah, I am done. I did like a 10-course class which can enrol me into a proper university degree.”

Back in 2019, Ndidi was interviewed by Sportsmail and spoke extensively on his desire to pursue education while still being an active footballer.

“I have spare time, so instead of sitting and playing FIFA, it’s good to understand the four walls of schooling,” Ndidi said.

“In Nigeria some players want to play football and then they forget about school. But if you do both you can continue with whichever one works out, instead of just hoping for football, football — and then you don’t make it.”

Ndidi also spoke about a vision to create more options outside football for youths in Nigeria.

“All my life I wanted to play football and this is my career now but there was pressure from my dad not to go that way because he wanted me to stay at school. He was not convinced I was doing the right thing until he first saw me on television, playing for the Under 17 national team.

“The population of Nigeria is massive and it is so hard to make the grade as a footballer, so I have a clear vision of a place where you can play football and study, either in Lagos or Abuja.

“I have spoken to my godfather about making it happen. If kids don’t make it in football, I want them to think they can get a degree and work, instead of roaming the streets.”

World champion and series leader Max Verstappen topped the times for Red Bull ahead of nearest rival Charles Leclerc of Ferrari in Friday’s second practice at the Belgian Grand Prix.

After being outpaced by Carlos Sainz in the opening morning session, the 24-year-old Dutchman bounced back to stamp his authority on proceedings with a fastest lap of one minute and 45.507 seconds.

That left Leclerc adrift by eight-tenths of a second around the majestic Spa-Francorchamps track where thousands of fans, including many in the visiting ‘orange army’ of Verstappen supporters, were camped amid the pine trees.

On an inconclusive and slightly topsy-turvy day, Lando Norris was third for McLaren ahead of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Sainz, in the second Ferrari.

Wherever they qualify, the two leading title race contenders, separated by 80 points, are set to start from the back of the grid among a group of six drivers taking penalties for fitting new power-unit components.

Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who is chasing a sixth consecutive podium position in Sunday’s race, was sixth for Mercedes ahead of two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Alpine and George Russell, in the second Mercedes.

Daniel Ricciardo, who on Wednesday announced he will leave McLaren at the end of the year after agreeing to terminate his contract, was ninth and Sergio Perez 10th in the second Red Bull.

After a short downpour at the end of opening practice, the second session began in dry conditions, but with many heads turning to the skies in expectation of more rain from the capricious microclimate at the sprawling Ardennes circuit.

The usual suspects were soon back in control at the top of the timing monitors with Verstappen leading the way ahead of Sainz and Leclerc.

Sainz regained top spot briefly after 28 minutes, but the Dutchman responded with a lap in 1:45.507 to move eight-tenths clear of Leclerc, who slotted into second behind him.

By the end of their soft tyre running, the two remained ahead of Norris, Stroll, Sainz and Hamilton with Alonso taking seventh.

By then, also, it was clear that at least six drivers were due to face grid penalties for taking new power unit components led by Verstappen, Leclerc, Norris, Estaban Ocon, Valtteri Bottas and Mick Schumacher, a group that ensures a dynamic opening lap is in prospect on Sunday.

Rain began to fall again with 12 minutes remaining, prompting an array of coloured umbrellas rising around the track as the drivers began slithering wide and sliding into gravel traps.

With six minutes to go, all 20 cars were back in the pits only to venture out again for an exploratory lap and some practice starts.

The process will kick off on Monday, 29 August, with the sale of nomination forms and endorsements.

The NFF Electoral Committee 2022 released the timetable for the elections, which are scheduled for Friday, September 30, 2022, in Benin City, Edo State.

The nomination, endorsement, and return of forms for a new NFF Executive Committee to replace the Amaju Pinnick board, which has served for eight years, will begin on Monday, August 29. This process will last until Thursday, September 8, 2022.

The screening of candidates will be within two days–Friday and Saturday, 9 and 10 September. On Monday, 12 September, the Electoral Committee will release the names of candidates that scaled.

Candidates who are dissatisfied with the screening procedure may file protests between Monday, 12 September and Thursday, 15 September, with the hearing and determination of the appeals taking place on Friday, September and Saturday, 16 and 17 September, 12 noon daily.

The Electoral Committee will release the final list of successful candidates for the elections on Monday, 19 September, with campaigning beginning on Tuesday, 20 September, and ending at midnight on Thursday, 29 September, 2022.

Benin officials will oversee the 7th African Nations Championship qualifying match between Nigeria and Ghana

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed Benin officials to oversee Super Eagles Team B’s seventh African Nations Championship qualifying match against Ghana on Sunday.

According to a statement from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Director of Communication, Ademola Olajire, the centre referee will be Issa Mouhamed.

He will be assisted by Eric Ulrich Ayimavo as assistant referee 1, Koudogbo Kougbemede as assistant referee 2, and Tanisla Ahomlanto as the fourth official.

Sierra Leone’s Prince Kai Saquee will serve as match commissioner, and Sanusie Rashid, another Sierra Leonean, will serve as referees’ assessor.

The statement, however, added that Nigeria’s team will arrive in Cape Coast on Friday

”Head Coach, Salisu Yusuf and his assistants have been working on 34 invited players for the past few weeks.

”A final list of 22 players for the trip and for the return leg in Abuja on Saturday next week will be released just before the squad jets out on Friday morning,” Olajire said.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the match will begin at 4 p.m. , Ghana time on Sunday at the Cape Coast Stadium (5 p.m. Nigeria time).

The return leg is scheduled for the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Saturday, 3 September

D’Tigers lost a close game in the final stretch of the fourth quarter.

Nigeria’s D’Tigers lost their first qualifying game against Cote d’Ivoire on Friday night at the Palais des Sports Treichville in Abidjan

The Nigerian team, who had suffered three defeats in their last qualifier window, suffered another in the hands of the Elephants, who out-fought them 78-66.

In the first quarter, both teams went tied on 14 points each. But the Elephants took the lead in the second quarter with a 28-22 score. They went further to claim wins in the third and fourth quarters; 18-16 and 18-14, respectively.

Chimezie Metu and Josh Okogie missed three points shots in the final 30 seconds as the Nigerian team became desperate to catch up to the home team, but Côte d’Ivoire capitalised on the misses to extend their lead.

Udoh Udofia, Coach Mike Brown’s representative at the post-match conference, stated that the team will bounce back in their next two games.

Udofia admitted his team fell to the Elephant but said they will make corrections in their next games.

“I want to say they are one of the tough teams in Africa at the moment. They were good tonight, but our guys fell. We have to put it together. There are some things we have to clean up.

“This is the first time we are playing together against this group. We’ll be okay, we just look at the film. We look at the things we did good and things we did bad and correct it.”

Josh Okojie, while speaking about the full-court zone press, said D’Tigers didn’t struggle while playing against such style but needed time to get themselves together.

After their defeat against Cote d’Ivoire, D’Tigers will battle Guinea on Saturday and their last game of the group will be against Angola by Sunday.

Africa Woman in Badminton Award winner for 2019, Oby Solaja as resource person, addresses the participants.

Community Sport and Educational Development (CSED) Initiative a none governmental organisation which has as its focus, sports development at the grassroot has held  two-day badminton clinic at St Theresa’s College, Nsukka, Enugu State.

Done in conjunction with lead partner of the South East Badminton Outreach and Badminton Federation of Nigeria’s zonal representative in the East, Obiageli Edoga Solaja, the clinic had in attendance, 10 schools and 12 games masters and mistresses from schools in Nsukka area.

This is the first training event that is jointly held by the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) and CSED Initiative, as part of the two years’ grassroots badminton development programme that was signed in April 2022.

The goal of this two-day training event is to build the capacity of the games masters/mistresses at the grassroots level and to provide Nigerian children/youths with access to learn the basic skills and technicalities that is required to develop their talent in badminton.

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Students from five boys’ schools and five girls’ schools in the Nsukka zone attended the event. The boys’ schools are; St Theresa’s College, Nsukka High School, Urban Boys Secondary School Nsukka and Community Secondary School Nru.

The girls’ schools are; St Cyprian’s Girls Secondary School, St Cyprian’s Special School, Urban Girls Secondary School and Queen of the Rosary Secondary School Nsukka.

Also in attendance were two mixed schools – Community Secondary School, Isienu and Government Technical College

Customary of CSED, the participating schools received sports equipment.

At the end of the training event, more than one hundred badminton rackets, shuttlecocks and badminton nets were donated to representatives of the schools that attended this training event.

Medals were also presented to some of the students that excelled in the demonstration games.

More than forty participants attended this event and some of them expressed their gratitude to the event organizers for taking their grassroots badminton development event to Nsukka.

According to CSED prime driver, Cornelius Ehimaghe, “grassroots approach is the key to the discovery of natural talents, nurturing and monitoring and eventual development of true elite athletes.”

In his message to the clinic’s attendees, he remarked that “what CSED has done in Nsukka zone is expose students who ordinarily would never have had the opportunity of ever touching badminton rackets as well engage in the actual play.

“And as they have been exposed to the basic skills and technicalities of the game, the seed has been shown and it will sure being forth good fruits and amazing results”, he concluded.  

Tobiloba Amusan of Nigeria finished second in Friday’s Athletissima Diamond League meeting in Laussane.

While many expected the World Record holder to win in Lausanne, it was Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico who finished first, setting a new Meet Record of 12.34s (-0.9).

Though Amusan, who also holds the Commonwealth Record, had a good start in Friday’s star-studded race, she could not power to a strong finish as she did in Birmingham and Oregon, finishing in 12.45s.

Though her time was not good enough for the first position on the night, Amusan did enough to qualify for the final leg of the Diamond League billed to take place in Zurich.

Amusan is the defending champion of the Diamond League trophy and she will hope to retain her title even though she is guaranteed a fierce contest with her rivals

United States’ Tia Jones, who ran a new Personal Best time of 12.47s, finished in the third position behind Camacho-Quin and Amusan.

Delegation of Super Eagles B to Ghana for Sunday’s African Nations Championship qualifying match against the Black Galaxies has arrived in the Ghanaian coastal city, Cape Coast. 

Head Coach Salisu Yusuf is at the head of a contingent that includes 22 players, who will prosecute the home-and-away games against the Galaxies. 

The Eagles B and their officials travelled aboard Asky Airline flight from Abuja and landed in Accra after a stop-over in Lome, before a road trip to Cape Coast.

Nigeria and Ghana clash at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium on Sunday evening in the first leg of a final qualifying fixture for a spot at the 7th African Nations Championship to be staged in Algeria early next year. 

Salisu is in Cape Coast with a total of 22 players, including three goalkeepers, eight defenders, six midfielders and five forwards. 

SUPER EAGLES B IN CAPE COAST 

Goalkeepers: Adeyinka Adewale; Olorunleke Ojo; Kayode Bankole
Defenders: Tope Olusesi; Kazie Enyinnaya; Ebube Duru; Temple Emekayi; Faisal Sani; Samson Gbadebo; Isah Ali; Tosin Adegbite
Midfielders: Babatunde Bello; Morice Chukwu; Chiamaka Madu; Joseph Onoja; Afeez Nosiru; Zulkiflu Rabiu
Forwards: Adamu Abubakar; Chidiebere Nwobodo; Chijioke Akuneto; Ossy Martin; Andy Okpe

As Roma are playing well under manager Jose Mourinho and the Serie A clash against Juventus this weekend will be a tight encounter despite Juve’s dominant record over the capital club, manager Massimiliano Allegri said on Friday.

Juve have beaten Roma in their last three matches and against no other team have they won more top-flight games. They have also won 10 of their last 11 home games against Roma.

However, Mourinho’s Roma have made a perfect start to the season with two wins in two games to sit two points above Juve before Saturday’s trip to Turin.

“Tomorrow is the first direct clash against a Roma side that is doing well,” Allegri told reporters.

“Facing Mourinho again is always a pleasure, he is doing a great job and shaping Roma in his own way. It will be a very balanced match.”

Roma signed former Juventus forward Paulo Dybala in the close season and the Argentine makes his first return to the Allianz Stadium, where he was Juve’s top scorer in all competitions.

“We spent some extraordinary years (together), with his game he made everyone have fun,” Allegri said. “Tomorrow we will meet him again as an opponent, it is a pleasure to see him again.”

Juve are still busy in the transfer market with the club linked with Paris St Germain midfielder Leandro Paredes while Poland striker Arkadiusz Milik has joined on a one-year loan from Ligue 1 side Olympique de Marseille.

“Paredes hasn’t arrived yet and I don’t know if he will arrive,” Allegri said

“We’re very happy with Milik, he has impressive numbers. As regards to his characteristics he can also play with (Dusan) Vlahovic.

“We are waiting for the clearance… which I hope will arrive in the afternoon so he will be available tomorrow.”

Allegri said defender Leonardo Bonucci will not return as he is unwell while new recruit Angel Di Maria is expected to recover from his injury only in time to face Fiorentina next weekend, but goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny is available.

Less than four months after penning an emotional goodbye to Scottish giants Rangers, Super Eagles defender Leon Balogun has joined Queens Park Rangers on a one year contract. The former Brighton & Hove Albion ace parted ways with Glasgow Rangers in June following expiration of his contract. An elated Balogun expressed delight at getting back to action.

“It is a big relief to know I can get back to action and I am looking forward to it,” Balogun told the club’s official website.

We have been speaking for some weeks so I am happy we got it done.

“The manager is one of the main factors for me. When he left Rangers I messaged him and said in terms of a football brain he is one of the best I have worked with.”

Balogun hasn’t played since leaving Rangers at the end of last season but he is confident he can get up to speed quickly as he looks to get his career back on course.

“I have managed to keep myself fit,” he said.

“I haven’t been able to have team training so that is what I will try to catch up with as quickly as possible.

“The foundation of my fitness is there so it really shouldn’t take me long.”