Edo State Deputy-Governor of, Philip Shaibu will be joining the Governor of Lagos State and host of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon Babajide Sanwo-Olu to participate in the 2022 edition.Speaking while signing the entry form over the weekend Shaibu said he has been a distance admirer of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon.

“I congratulate the good people of Lagos State, especially the Executive Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for putting together the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, the biggest one-day sports event in Africa and one of the top ten marathons in the world in terms of prize money and participants.

“Having participated in the highly competitive Okpekpe 10km Road Race on a tough terrain because it is hilly, it will be a great joy to experience the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon alongside my brother Governor Sanwo-Olu. It will be fun to run in Lagos because the course is flat”.

Yussuf Alli General Manager Access Bank Lagos City Marathon urges politicians and celebrities to emulate Shaibu, “being active in sports cure many illness and diseases. Our leaders and celebrities that the masses emulate should join Shaibu by embracing sports culture. This will translate mass participation in sports leading to a healthier workforce and less spending on healthcare by the government”.

The League Management Company says it has granted a plea by the Management of troubled Heartland FC of Owerri to be given until January 25, 2022 to settle the salary arrears owed some of its players, officials and non-technical staff.

Spokesperson of the LMC, Mr. Harry Iwuala stated this in chat with sportswriters who has been keeping tabs on the Protest by some players of the club who claimed they are owed as many as nine months salaries, allowances and bonuses by the club, owned by the Imo State Government.

According to Mr. Iwuala the LMC upon receiving series of complains, which are also made public in the media, it wrote the management of Heartland FC on January 7, and gave them four days to clear all such indebtedness to players and officials; and include in their response, documents that show evidences of actual payments.

Rather than comply with the LMC directive, Heartland on January 11, wrote to the Chief Operating Officer of the League Management Company, Mallam Salihu Abubakar and asked to be given 14 days to clear all the debts owed players, and other employees of the club.

Asked how Heartland FC was cleared to register to play this season, when the LMC and NFF claimed that all NPFL teams complied with the FIFA and CAF Club Licensing regime; the LMC Spokesman said the club was registered because they brought licensing forms signed by the players.

It is however unclear if the said signatures were forged or the players were made some unfulfilled promises by the club, before their signed the dotted lines, out of naivety or desperation.

According to him, players are required to sign registration forms that amongst other conditions require them to confirm they are not owed by the club.

While waiting for the January 25 deadline day fixed by Heartland FC, the Commissioner for Sports in the State Dan Chike Ogu added a twist in the matter by telling reporters in Owerri that only Ghost Players were protesting unpaid salary.

Should Heartland fail to amicably resolve this impasse which has gone viral on the Social Media, they would have contravened Rule C 15 of the NPFL Guidelines; and the LMC must suspend them from the League, and impose other far reaching sanctions on the club.

Captain of black Stars of Ghana Andre Ayew has described Ghana exit from the ongoing African Cup of nation as unlucky.

Ghana ended in the bottom of group B after losing to Comoros island in their last match played yesterday night at Roumbe Adjia stadium.

speaking with the spots media in Cameroun, Ayew said,” We have been unlucky from the starting of the tournament. so we go home and review to see what was the problem and wait for a World Cup play off.

Asking when to retire from the African competition, Al Sadd SC of Qatar winger maintained he still have more time to play in the upcoming AFCON competitions.

“I am not thinking of retiring now because i think i still have much time and energy to play in AFCON tournament.” Andre Ayew stated.

President Muhammadu Buhari has charged the Super Eagles to sustain their winning streak in the ongoing African Cup of Nations (AfCON).

He said Nigerians expect them to bring the trophy back home.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Femi Adesina, the President said his administration will continue to support all football organisations to use sports as a tool for building a better and more peaceful world.

“President Muhammadu Buhari commends the Super Eagles of Nigeria for keeping hope alive in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon by winning all their group matches and advancing to the second round of the tournament in grand style.

“The President urges the Austin Eguavoen-led team to maintain and even surpass the terrific form that made them leaders in the group stage, as Nigeria hopefully looks forward to a total of seven emphatic wins in this competition.

“President Buhari trusts that the positive reputation of good sportsmanship the traveling fans, sportswriters and the football team have demonstrated in Cameroon will continue to enliven the importance of sports, particularly football, as an enabler of development, peace, tolerance, friendship and cooperation.

“The President wishes the Super Eagles the very best, pledging that his administration would continue to support the efforts of international, regional and national football organisations to use the sport as a tool to build a better and peaceful world,”the statement reads.

Former Senegalese football star Khalilou Fadiga, currently a member of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, Cameerron 2021 Technical Study Group (TSG), spoke to the media in Cameroun regarding Group C, that he described as very good and interesting.

“We saw some very good matches in Group C,” Fadiga said. “The pitch of Ahmadou Ahidjou stadium in Yaoundé was excellent. Several matches in the group were of a good standard. We saw some very interesting offensive game tactics. All the matches I attended were characterized with speed, technique and good football.”

For the former Teranga Lions’ attacking midfielder, Morocco have increased in power over the tournament with players who stand out like Achraf Hakimi and Sofian Boufal.

“Morocco were brilliant from one match to another, and their level evolved over the course of the competition under the guidance of Vahid Halihodzic. Players like Boufal or Hakimi started timidly on the first day before doing better later. This is beneficial for the tournament.”

Regarding the Panthers of Gabon Fadiga said “Patrice Neveu’s side played very good matches since the start of the competition, especially during the last day against Morocco. It’s a complete team with players who also complement each other.”

For Comoros, which surprised the group by finishing in third place, the Teranga Lions star said “It’s a surprise for a team which plays its first big competition, but which contains very lively players. It’s a bonus for them to be there and play the TotalEnergies AFCON. These are players who evolve very quickly during the matches”.

Regarding Ghana, which came out in the first round, Fadiga indicates that the Black Stars “play very well on the wings, thanks in particular to Kamaledine Sulemana and the experience and risk-taking of Andre Ayew, but that was not enough to reach the round of 16”.

Finally, Khalilou Fadiga said he was surprised by the level of the goalkeepers of the Group C teams, but also of the other groups since they have become actors in the game of their teams by even participating in offensive actions.

“It is not like it used to be. We now see goalkeepers participating in the collective game with higher clearances, but above all by participating in defending since most defensive systems are currently very high,” concluded Fadiga.

Holders Algeria and two-time champions Cote d’Ivoire lock horns in the matchday 3 with Les Fennecs needing a win to avoid an early unexpected exit, while Les Elephants need a point to secure their place in the Round of 16.

Match Card

Date: 20 January 2022

Time: 17:00 local time (16:00 GMT)

Venue: Japoma Stadium, Douala

Group: E

Match: Cote d’Ivoire v Algeria

Following are the Match Facts from Opta:

●      Côte d’Ivoire and Algeria are meeting in the Africa Cup of Nations for the ninth time. Côte d’Ivoire hold the upper hand with three wins to Algeria’s two (D3), although their last encounter saw Djamel Belmadi’s men prevail on penalties in the quarter-finals of the 2019 edition.

●      Côte d’Ivoire and Algeria will face off for the fifth time in the Africa Cup of Nations since 2010, the most played fixture in that time alongside Ghana-Mali. Their last four encounters have produced 15 goals.

●      Algeria could fail to win all three group stage games at a single edition of the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time since 2017 (D2 L1). Coming into MD3 at this year’s tournament, no side has attempted more shots than Algeria (32), who have yet to find the net.

●      Côte d’Ivoire have lost just two of their last 16 matches at the Africa Cup of Nations (W7 D7), with both defeats coming against Morocco (in 2019 and 2017). Indeed, Côte d’Ivoire are unbeaten in their last five in the competition (W3 D2).

●      Algeria’s Sofiane Feghouli has scored two goals in the Africa Cup of Nations – both have come against Côte d’Ivoire: in 2013 and 2019.

Mohamed Abdelmoneim El Sayed scored the only goal to secure Egypt a 1-0 victory over Sudan to confirm their place in the knockout stages of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Cameroon 2021.

The Pharaohs broke the deadlock 10 minutes before the break through Abdelmoneim’s close range header from Abdalla Mohamed’s outswing corner.

The record AFCON winners came into the match with the sole objective of qualifying to the knockout stages.

The Pharaohs were led by talisman and captain Mohamed Salah to take on Sudan who also needed a win to have any chance of progressing.

Egypt started brightly at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaoundé with Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny firing over the goal inside the first minute.

Mohammed Hussein came close for Sudan with a low drive early on after Hegazy lost possession outside the Pharaohs box.

Mostafa Mohamed forced a save from Sudan goalkeeper Mohamed Mustafa Mohamed on the half hour mark.

The diminutive forward connected with Abdalla Mohamed’s inviting cross but the keeper was on hand to turn his header away for a corner.

Abdelmoneim was Egypt’s unlikely hero with a brilliant goal to beat Mustafa Mohamed and put Carlos Queiroz and his charges on the driving seat.

Sudan came into the second half looking for the equaliser and Egypt had El Shenawy to thank for keeping the level in their favourite. The Al Ahly keeper was quick to push away an inviting cross from the left for a corner as Sudan continued to push forward on the counter.

Mohamed Salah saw his right footed effort saved on the hour mark from close range, the Liverpool man beat two defenders before firing straight at the keeper who had a hand to it.

El Shenawy was again called to action 10 minutes from time with a brilliant double save to keep his second cleansheet of the tournament.

The victory seals the Pharaohs place in the round of 16 with 6 points, three behind first place Nigeria and five ahead of Guinea-Bissau and Sudan.

Nigeria made it full mark, after beating Guinea-Bissau 2-0 in the third and final round of Group D of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon 2021, thus breaking the dream of Djurtus moving forward in the competition. The Nigerians, who had already guaranteed their presence in the round of 16 in previous rounds, finish the group stage with 9 points.

Guinea Bissau entered this round with one point, as a result of draw with Sudan, having lost the second match 1-0 to Egypt. Nigeria, already qualified, with six points (another victory was 3-1 against Sudan).

Without goals and with a game without much intensity, the Super Eagles from Nigeria and the Djurtus from Guinea-Bissau played a first half characterized by a lot of physical contact and some stoppages, which made the game lukewarm.

In fact, the biggest pressure was on Guinea Bissau, since only victory was important to guarantee their permanence in the competition, which didn’t apply to Nigeria, who entered this duel with their passage to the next phase already guaranteed.

Both teams were stuck to their tactical systems and only created sporadic goalscoring situations. Nigeria had three chances to open the scoring, but they lacked objectivity in their attempts at goal.

The most noteworthy chance registered by Guinea Bissau came with a minute to go in the first half, when the striker fired a shot from the edge of the penalty area, but the ball flew over the goal.

Nigeria had to wait 56 minutes to get a goal. A combined counter-attacking move led to a goal from striker Sadiq Umar, who successfully finished off a pass from Kelechi Iheanacho.

Nigeria captain, William Ekong scored in the 74th minute to give his team a convincing win.

Nigeria qualified on nine points, the only wide to have maximum tally in the group stage.