NPFL KICKS OFF IN KANO

All attention now shifts to the Nigeria Premier League as action begins in Kano as Kano pillars will welcome Ifeanyi Ubah to the Sani Abacha stadium.

Kano pillars hoping to bounce back from last season woeful season of no silverware will want to send out warning to other clubs of their readiness this season while Ifeanyi Ubah still fresh from their euphoria of last season Federation cup and few day back triumph over last season league champion in the Charity Cup.

On sunday action moves to the remaining nine centres across the country.

2017 Nigeria Professional Football League - Week One Fixtures And Venues

Saturday 14th January

Kano Pillars Vs FC Ifeanyi Ubah

Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano

Sunday 15th January

Enyimba FC Vs Sunshine Stars

UJ Esuene Stadium, Calabar

Enugu Rangers Vs Abia Warriors

Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu

MFM FC Vs Niger Tornadoes

Agege Stadium, Lagos

Shooting Stars Vs Lobi Stars

Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan

ABS FC Vs Akwa United

Kwara Stadium, Ilorin

Remo Stars Vs Plateau United

Gateway Stadium, Sagamu

Katsina United Vs Gombe United

Karkanda Stadium, Kastina

Rivers United Vs Elkanemi Warriors

Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Port Harcourt

Wikki Tourists Vs Nasarawa United

Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi

ARUNA QUADRI WINS DEITIES MAIDEN AWARD

The maiden edition of Palace Deities sportsman of the year goes to Aruna Quadri.

Aruna Quadri is a talented young table tennis player, and he hails from Oyo state.

The young number one ranked Africa tennis player is also ranked 25th in the world of table tennis.

What more can be said of the first Africa tennis player to played in an Olympic games table tennis quarter final game.

The Palace Deities wish the young man a successful 2017 season.



Chierika Ukogu made history as the first Nigerian athlete to compete for the Rowing event at the Olympic games.

Chierika earned the sportswoman award with the passion showed in making sure Nigeria flag is hosted at the Olympic through her resilient effort, even though no fund came her away from the sports ministry, she made sure the country's flag was hoisted in the Rowling event.

OTHER AWARDEES ARE ;

TEAM OF THE YEAR : RANGERS INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL CLUB

MOST ACTIVE FEDERATION : NIGERIA TABLE TENNIS FEDERATION

SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR : SHEHU DIKKO

NPFL REVELATION OF THE YEAR :
AMOS GYAN - KANO PILLARS
STEPHEN ODEY - MFM FC
MOSES EBIYE - IKORODU UNITED

PALACE DEITIES HALL OF FAME : SEGUN TORIOLA

ARUNA TO PARTNER OMAR AS SEASON KICKS OFF

For this year’s ITTF World Tour, Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri has decided to partner his continental rival – Egypt’s Omar Assar in the men’s doubles event in their bid to make it to the World Tour grand finals later in the year.

The Africa’s best two players to begin their quest by joining might in the men’s doubles event of the first ITTF World Tour tagged Hungarian Open in Budapest.

Having started their partnership in the event in 2015 and 2016 when they made it to the quarterfinal of 2015 Polish Open and main draw of 2016 Austria Open with their biggest win being against the duo of Portugal’s Marcos Freitas and Croatia’s Andre Gacina at the 2015 Polish Open.

For Aruna Quadri, the decision to join forces with Omar Assar was smooth having played together in previous tournament. “It was an easy decision for me to decide to partner Omar Assar because we seem to understand ourselves when we play together. We played very well at the Polish Open and Austria Open and we have made up our mind to play together in all ITTF World Tours this year with the aim of having Africa’s presence at the World Tour grand finals later in the year. We intend to play doubles together in all the World Tour we will be taking part in this year and I am hopeful that we can achieve our aim.”

Explaining the rationale over their decision to concretise their doubles partner in 2017, Omar Assar said: “Aruna Quadri is a very good player in singles and doubles and I think our relationship has been closer lately so we share more ideas off the table too. The first time we played together was at the 2015 Polish Open when we got to quarterfinal with our big win over Freitas and Gacina. Our target is to make it to the grand finals of 2017.”

With both players plying their trade in the elite French league, Aruna Quadri is spearheading Jura Morez while Omar Assar is the key man in Istres.

WHO WINS IT AS BATTLEFIELD SHIFTS TO ENUGU

As the new season kicks off on 7th of December 2016, for the 2016 / 2017 season with the super 4 in Enugu.

The super 4 is intended to prepare the clubs that will be representing the country on the continent in the new season.

The league winner Rangers FC will play along side Rivers united, FC Ifeanyi Ubah and Wikki tourist in the pre-season tournament.

This will afford the clubs to test the strength of their new signing and also the depth of their technical crew on tactics and formations.

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

In as much as we all love the progress made in recent times by the Nigeria referees association and NFF Referees Committee, in which CAF and FIFA Referees Committee now look in the direction of our referees for matches.

With the development and training, which ensure that our referees are promoted and equipped with the latest techniques to face the challenges of modern day officiating.

It is a know facts that the Nigeria referees are good, judging with the exploit of Mimisen Agatha Iyorhe at the just concluded women nations cup, and the recent invitation extended to Abel Baba to be part of officials for next year nations cup that will hold in Gabon in 2017.

The Nigeria referees committee on Monday released the list of referees invited for 2016 / 2017 super 4 tournament, which will kick starts on Wednesday in Enugu.

To a point it is believed that the addition of Abel Baba to the list could be counter productive for the committee, in as the committee wants to use the tournament to prepare Abel for Gabon, it can be said that the timing is ill-timed, this is someone that just finished the vigorous NRA fitness test , and knowing fully well that he is going to take another fitness test in Gabon, why not allow him to rest instead of inviting him to be part of the super 4.

The only Elite B referee we have, is not even looked at, this is someone that is just came back from a training organized by CAF in Cameroun, who is fresh with ideas and yet NFF Referees Committee do not see it fit for Ferdinand Udoh to be in Enugu for the super 4.

The super 4 tournament should be for the best in the land and not for referees that were promoted to premiership last season.

The list of referees invited for this season super 4 are as follows,

REFEREES

Hannah Elaigwu

Adebimpe Quadri

Ago Abubakar

Bashir Salihu

Abdullahi Shuaibu

Joseph Ogabor

ASSISTANT REFEREES

Abel Baba

Samuel Pwadutakam

Peter Ogwu Friday

Usman Abdulmajeed

Igudia Osifo

Iyorhe Mimisen

NIGERIA TO BE IN GABON FOR TOTAL NATIONS CUP

As the Nationa cup kicks off next year in Gabon, one Nigeria will definitely be among those for the biannual football fiesta.

Nigeria topmost referee in the Elite A category, Abel Baba is among those officials invited by CAF to officiate in the one month tournament.

If Baba can put up a worthy and expectation performance in the preliminary stage, he may go all the way to the final.

MASS FAILURE TRAIL NRA FITNESS TEST

With the just concluded fourth quarter of the referees fitness test in Abuja, much can not be said of its success as there was mass failure of participants.

The fourth quarter fitness test is to usher both the promoted referees and the old ones to the new football calendar year.

With the referees subjected to take the test by running 12 lapses, it was obvious most of the referees were not medically fit and mentally sound as it is required by FIFA standard.

Palace Deities can reveal that most of the newly promoted referees from the lower league failed and also few old ones already in the NPFL, while the FIFA badge referees proved their worth by showing class .