Footballers in the Nigeria Professional Football League, have been making moving ahead of the new campaign of 2022/2023 season before transfer window is been closed.

The transfer window is on with teams looking to add a few faces to boost their sides ahead of new season.

The League Management Company (LMC) opened the 2022/2023 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) first transfer window will open on August 1st , at the window will wind up on September 30th, 2022.

Here are some of the headlines making the rounds ahead of this busy month of spending in the Nigeria Professional Football League.

Deals

OFFICIAL: Former Under 20 player, Aniekeme Okon joins Remo Stars from FC ONE Rockets as confirmed today by the club. The agreement sees Okon join on a 2-year deal.

Official: Boniface Nwaeze has completed his move to Remo Stars on a two-year deal from FC One Rocket. Meanwhile, Nwaeze featured on loan for Dakkada FC last season

Shooting Stars will on Monday unveil Gbenga Ogunbote as new head coach.

Latest Transfer Rumours Doing The Rounds 

Michael Ibe is on the verge of joining Rangers Intl from Abia Warriors on a two year deal.

The elective congress of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) will hold in Benin City, Edo State on September 30.

The election will usher in a new president and other executive committee members for a four-year circle.

The decision was reached during the Annual General Congress of the NFF in Lagos on Thursday.

October 20th was proposed for the election date but the Congress rejected the proposal and adopted the original date, September 30th.

Incumbent president, Amaju Melvin Pinnick it was gathered informed the NFF 44-man congress that he will not contest the September election.

Pinnick, who has come under intense criticism during his tenure at the glass house has spent two terms in office.

The first and second vice-presidents of the NFF, Seyi Akinwunmi, and Shehu Dikko are amongst the candidates vying for the position.

Other notable candidates are ex-internationals, Benedict Akwuegbu and Peterside Idaho as well as Ibrahim Gusau and Mainasara Iloh.

Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation, has praised the Under-20 Women National Team, Falconets for its excellent performance at the ongoing FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica, at which the team has won all three matches of the group phase and qualified for the quarter-finals as group leader.

The Falconets Thursday rounded off their group stage campaign in style; beating Canada 3-1 at the Estadio Alajuela Morera Soto.

Coach Chris Danjuma’s ladies had before now relied on late goals to secure slim 1-0 wins over France and the Korea Republic but the game against Canada was a completely different ball game.

Falconets’ imperial campaign in the group stage earns the Falconets a quarter-final date with The Netherlands in Alajuela as from 1am on Monday

The committee, speaking at the executive meeting in Lagos on Thursday, noted that the achievement, as well as the triumphs of the U20 and U17 Boys in regional tournaments in Niger Republic and Ghana, and the qualification of the U17 Girls for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup India 2022, is a marker of the dedication, vision and investment of the present NFF administration in youth development.

krainian heavyweight Oleksandr Usyk has drawn on his Cossack heritage as he prepares for his world title clash with towering Briton Anthony Joshua, whose career could face a reckoning on the Red Sea. 

Usyk, roared on by millions of war-wracked Ukrainians, is the bookies’ favourite for Saturday’s clash in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after he dismantled Joshua to snatch his belts in London last year.

Ukranian boxer Oleksandr Usyk adopted a Cossack look for the press conference ahead of his heavyweight rematch with Anthony Joshua

Joshua, the 6ft 6ins (1.98m) former Olympic heavyweight champion, has recruited respected coach Robert Garcia and looks set to unleash a more aggressive style to avoid back-to-back losses.

Usyk appeared the more relaxed pre-fight, donning a Cossack costume – complete with a traditional haircut, shaved apart from a single lock – and singing a centuries-old resistance song with gusto from the stage in front of the world’s media.

If any extra motivation were needed, Usyk spent time as a volunteer soldier fighting the Russian invasion before accepting the rematch, which will be screened free-to-air across Ukraine under a special deal.

“We learned from each other in the first fight, but this is a continuation and the first round on Saturday will be round 13,” the 35-year-old said.

“We had enough time to study each other. We were born to compete for life, for belts, for everything. The one who does not compete, does not win.”

Usyk’s Cossack routine is not the only unconventional part of his build-up, in which he showed off his reflexes by balancing four coins on the back of his hand, throwing them in the air and catching them separately as they dropped.

– ‘Looks like a cyborg’ –

The gap-toothed southpaw also went on 100-kilometre (60 miles) bike rides in 45 Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) heat, swam for up to five hours and was able to hold his breath underwater for four minutes and 45 seconds, until he almost passed out, his manager Egis Klimas said.

“He looks like a cyborg. He went through hell in the training camp in the last three months,” promoter Alexander Krassyuk said of Usyk, who enjoyed a stellar amateur career and is unbeaten in 19 professional fights.

Krassyuk added: “He made his decision to take the rematch in these circumstances after he had received massive support from his Ukrainian compatriots.

“He was in touch with high-ranking military officers and he visited the hospitals with injured soldiers. In every conversation he heard words of blessing and support to take the rematch. People wanted him to fight.”

Joshua has kept his counsel about his tactics but he is expected to try to impose his physique on Usyk, the shorter man at 6ft 3ins, whose speed and variety flummoxed the Briton last September.

The 32-year-old has dismissed speculation that a defeat would end his career, but admitted he could not afford to slip to a third career loss.

“It’s a must-win fight. Preparations have been tough, but I like the pressure,” said Joshua, adding: “I want to compete. I’m looking forward to it.

“I can’t really say much else, but you’ve got to have a competitive spirit. I’m prepared to do whatever it takes and I’m looking forward to competing this weekend.”

Anthony Joshua said the bout was a ‘a must-win fight’

Joshua has tasted revenge before in Saudi Arabia, when he came back from his shock TKO to Mexico’s Andy Ruiz Jr by winning the rematch in Diriyah by unanimous decision in late 2019.

One wildcard is Usyk’s added bulk, after the former world cruiserweight champion gained a reported 15 kilos (33 pounds) in muscle, giving him greater strength and durability but potentially affecting his speed.

“That’s the only thing that I’d be concerned about. I keep in mind that he’s a lot bigger,” Evander Holyfield, a former cruiserweight and heavyweight world champion, told AFP.

“But that’s a decision that he chose to make. Does it help you or not? We’ll see.

“The art of the game is the fastest man and the most skillful boxer is usually the one that wins,” added Holyfield.

The Executive Committee of Nigeria Football Federation met on Thursday, 18th August 2022 at the Best Western Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos to deliberate on important issues in Nigeria Football and resolved as follows:

1) The Executive Committee commended the Federal Government for the support and encouragement that it has always provided for the Nigeria Football Federation, the various National Teams and Nigeria Football generally to grow and blossom in spite of certain debilitating challenges.

2) After listening to the presentation of the 2nd Vice President/Chairman, LMC on the challenges that beleaguered this year’s AITEO Cup competition, the Board adopted resolutions reached at the meeting of the NFF with the owners of Clubs that reached the men’s quarter-finals that the competition reboot at that stage and the Clubs be refunded their expenses for travelling for last-eight matches that did not take place. However, Heartland FC, who defeated Katsina FC in their quarter-final game in Ilorin, are already through to the semi-finals. It was agreed that the competition (men’s version) restarts after the NFF Annual General Assembly of Thursday, 18th August 2022, with the key objective of providing considerable mileage for sponsors, AITEO.

3) Following a detailed presentation by the Head of Delegation of Nigeria team to the 12th Women Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, the Executive Committee directed its Technical and Development Sub-Committee to hold a meeting and make recommendations on the way forward for the Senior Women National Team, Super Falcons, including but not limited to a thorough evaluation of the capability of the coaching crew to lead the team to a creditable performance at the FIFA World Cup finals in Australia and New Zealand next year.

4) After his solemn declaration that he would not be contesting to retain his seat as President at the next NFF Elective General Assembly, the Board greatly commended the President for his huge sacrifices for Nigeria Football in the past eight years, and wished him success and progress in his future endeavours and pursuits. The President stated that he would be ready at all times to offer his support, encouragement and wealth of experience to the incoming President and the Board.

5) The Executive Committee praised the U20 Women National Team, Falconets for its excellent performance at the ongoing FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica, at which the team has won all three matches of the group phase and qualified for the quarter-finals as group leader. It noted that the achievement, as well as the triumphs of the U20 and U17 Boys in regional tournaments in Niger Republic and Ghana, and the qualification of the U17 Girls for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup India 2022, is a marker of the dedication, vision and investment of the present NFF administration in youth development.

7) The Board directed the Secretariat to ensure that no stone was left unturned in preparations ahead of the African Nations Championship qualifying fixture between Nigeria and Ghana at the end of this month. The first leg of the final qualifying fixture will take place in Cape Coast on Sunday, 28th August while the second leg will hold at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja on Saturday, 3rd September.

IN ATTENDANCE: Amaju Melvin Pinnick (President); Shehu Dikko (2nd Vice President); Ibrahim Musa Gusau (Member); Yusuf Ahmed ‘Fresh’ (Member); Felix Anyansi-Agwu (Member); Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande (Member); Babagana Kalli (Member); Sharif Rabiu Inuwa (Member); Ganiyu Majekodunmi (Member); Aisha Falode (Member); Mohammed Alkali (Member); Mohammed Sanusi (Secretary)

COMMUNIQUE OF THE 77TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE NIGERIA FOOTBALL FEDERATION HELD AT THE BEST WESTERN HOTEL, VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS ON THURSDAY, 18TH AUGUST, 2022

1) The General Assembly expressed heartfelt appreciation of the entire Nigeria Football fraternity to the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR as a person and the Federal Government as a body, for the continued support and encouragement of the NFF, the various National Teams and Nigeria Football generally.

2) The Congress approved the suspension of the provisions of the NFF Statutes (2010) and the NFF Electoral Code (2009) that provide a certain duration between the time of constitution of the Electoral Committee and the conduct of elections into the NFF Executive Committee. The Congress thereby adopted Friday, 30th September as date for the NFF Elective Congress 2022.

3) Following from the above, the Congress constituted the NFF Electoral Committee and the NFF Election Appeals Committee 2022 thus:

NFF Electoral Committee 2022: Aikhunegire Anthony Malik (Chairman); Justice Abdulkadir Zakariyya (Vice Chairman); Babatunde Ogala – SAN (Member); Daha Umar Daura – Danburam (Member); Gambo Mamman (Member). Alternate Members: Barrister Ifeanyi Dike; Barr. Ransom Ariyo

NFF Election Appeals Committee 2022: Barrister Gandi Umar, mni (Chairman); Ayo Akindele – SAN (Vice Chairman); Rev. Obioma Onyeaghala (Member). Alternate Members: Barrister Chive Kaave; Barrister Idi Halidu Ali

4) The General Assembly approved Benin City, capital of Edo State as venue for the NFF Elective Congress 2022.

5) Following a motion on the floor of the General Assembly, the Congress approved that the present NFF Executive Committee remain in office to conduct the 30th September 2022 elections in order to avoid any form of vacuum.

6) Congress approved that all decisions reached at the Annual General Assembly, in particular the Electoral Roadmap, be communicated to world football-governing body, FIFA by the NFF General Secretary without delay, for approval, endorsement and ratification.

7) The General Assembly expressed appreciation to the Lagos State Government for its support and encouragement of Nigeria Football at all times.

Communiqué Drafting Committee:

Aisha Falode (Chairman); Mohammed Nasir Saidu (Member); Imoh Attat (Member); Ademola Olajire (Secretary)