News
NFF AGA on hold after court notice
A planned NFF Annual General Assembly (AGA) will now have to be put on hold after a Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, ordered that hearing notices be served on the football federation.
The AGA fixed for Monday in Yenagoa is to deliberate on the NFF elections in September.
According to The Punch, The plaintiffs in the suit marked FHC/YNG/CS/70/2026 are a former Super Eagles player, Awala Jumbo, and a legal practitioner, Tekena Ediyekio.
Justice Ayo Emmanuel made the order on Wednesday when the matter came up for mention.
At the proceedings on Wednesday, the parties were absent. However, counsel to the plaintiffs/applicants, Rumson Baribote, who appeared in court, informed the judge that the plaintiffs had filed an ex parte application dated March 13, 2026.
He sought the court’s leave to move the application.
“My Lord, we have an ex parte application dated March 13, 2026, and we seek leave of this honourable court to move same,” Baribote said.
The court, however, declined the request.
In a short ruling, Justice Emmanuel held that the application would not be taken and directed that the defendants be put on notice.
“Having refused to hear the ex parte application, it is hereby ordered that the defendants be put on notice,” the judge ruled.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter to March 31, 2026, for hearing.
In an Originating Summons filed before the court, the Plaintiffs are praying the court to nullify the September 30, 2022, election of the Nigeria Football Federation and restrain its current leadership from further administering Nigerian football.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to determine whether the Ibrahim Gusau-led board can continue to parade itself as the validly elected leadership of the NFF in light of a Court of Appeal judgment delivered on January 19, 2024.
They specifically urged the court to resolve, among other issues, whether:
The plaintiffs also asked the court to decide whether it can enforce the appellate court’s decision under Section 287 of the 1999 Constitution by stopping the defendants from acting as beneficiaries of the disputed election.
In addition, they questioned whether the continued stay in office of the NFF leadership, including plans to convene a congress on March 23, 2026, amounts to contempt of court.
Upon the resolution of the issues, the plaintiffs are seeking several reliefs from the court, including:
“A declaration” that the court has the power to enforce the Court of Appeal judgment by restraining the defendants from parading themselves as elected officials;
“An order nullifying and/or setting aside” the entire electoral process that produced the current NFF leadership;
“An order directing the setting up of an interim board” with equal representation across the federating units of Nigeria.
They further urged the court to grant “such further orders as it may deem fit in the circumstances.”
In a supporting affidavit, Tekena Ediyekio stated that the suit was brought with full knowledge of the facts and with the consent of the co-plaintiff, whom he described as a former Super Eagles player actively involved in football.
He told the court that a subsisting order of the Federal High Court in Abuja made on September 15, 2022, directed parties to maintain the status quo and restrained the conduct of elections into the NFF.
According to him, although the defendants appealed the order and obtained a temporary stay, the Court of Appeal later struck out the appeal on January 19, 2024.
“The decision of the Court of Appeal extinguished the temporary stay and restored the full force of the status quo order,” he deposed.
Ediyekio argued that the implication is clear: “There is no valid legal basis upon which the respondents can claim that the status quo order was ever lawfully displaced.”
He further maintained that the September 30, 2022, election was conducted “in deliberate violation of a subsisting court order” and is therefore “null and void ab initio.”
The deponent accused the NFF leadership of continuing to act without legal authority despite the appellate court’s ruling.
“They have continued to hold themselves out as the lawfully elected leadership engaged with FIFA and CAF, organised congresses, and made appointments without any legal mandate,” he stated.
He added that the planned NFF Congress scheduled for March 23, 2026, in Yenagoa further demonstrates what he described as “continuing contempt of court.”
Ediyekio warned that the situation has created instability in the administration of football in Nigeria.
“The continued state of governance uncertainty… has caused and continues to cause irreparable harm to the development of football in Nigeria,” he said.
He added that the actions of the defendants undermine “the rule of law, good governance, and the supremacy of the Constitution.”
The dispute traces back to a suit filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, where Justice Inyang Ekwo, on September 15, 2022, ordered parties to maintain the status quo and restrained the conduct of NFF elections pending the determination of the case.
The order followed an ex parte application brought by stakeholders, including Harrison Jalla, Chief Victor Baribote, Austin Popo, and the National Association of Nigerian Footballers.
Despite the order, the plaintiffs in the present suit contend that the NFF proceeded with the election and has continued to operate in violation of subsisting court directives.
The post NFF AGA on hold after court notice appeared first on Score Nigeria.
Heading into the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Women’s Volleyball Tournament, Detdet Pepito was vocal in saying that this is University of Santo Tomas’ best chance in recent years to claim the championship.
Ten games in, however, the Golden Tigresses are barely holding on in the Final Four race.
Hype and belief were high for UST entering the season, with an intact lineup, the return of healed players Jonna Perdido and Xyza Gula, and the addition of their high school team’s Best Middle Blocker duo, Avril Bron and Lianne Penuliar.
But the Golden Tigresses faced not just setbacks, but alarming losses, leaving them in a three-way tie for third to fifth places with the Adamson Lady Falcons and the FEU Lady Tamaraws during the Holy Week break, all standing at 6-4.
UST appeared poised to be the first team to challenge De La Salle University’s perfect record last March 25, building a commanding 20-12 lead in the third set with the match tied at one set apiece. Instead, the moment exposed the squad’s instability.
The Lady Spikers delivered a comeback for the ages, taking that set 25-23 before dominating the fourth to secure a 25-12, 18-25, 25-23, 25-14 victory and stay unbeaten.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
UST bounced back with a 25-17, 25-17, 18-25, 25-17 win over FEU on Sunday at their home court, the Quadricentennial Pavilion, forcing the three-way tie for third.
For captain Pepito, turning the season around will require the Golden Tigresses to find a deeper sense of purpose in their play.
“I think ‘yung puso. Kasi nakita natin na ‘yung puso ng La Salle nung time na yun, until now parang hindi pa rin kami makapaniwala na nahabol kami up 20-12,” said the fifth-year libero, reflecting on what her team still lacks.
“Kailangan pang mas mahalin ‘yung ginagawa, kailangan mas laliman pa ‘yung reason kung bakit kami naglalaro.”
While UST is clearly not a title favorite at the moment, with La Salle sitting atop the standings at a perfect 10-0, Pepito believes the season is far from over, with four more games left in the elimination round.
When things come together at the right time, and all that is lacking has been filled, the Golden Tigresses can still wreak havoc and show their fangs.
“Sinasabi ko sa kanila kung gaano kami kalakas as individuals and as a team. Doon lang po talaga kami lagi tumitingin kasi iniiwasan naming tingnan kung gaano kalakas yung kalaban kasi di ba doon kami minsan natatalo na namamangha kami kung anong kaya ng kalaban pero hindi namin alam kung hanggang saan din yung kaya naming gawin,” said Pepito, a two-time UAAP Best Libero in college.
“Sana mas madala pa po namin yung ganoong mindset na UST pa rin kami, hindi pa rin kami dapat basta-basta nagpapatalo.”
UST will still face University of the East, Adamson University, University of the Philippines, and National University.
The post Detdet Pepito urges Tigresses not to be intimidated: ‘UST pa rin kami’ appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
Nxled’s play-in win on Saturday carried more significance than just a step closer to the semifinals—it also closed a painful chapter that began a month ago against the same Galeries Tower squad.
It was that preliminary-round encounter that first unraveled the Chameleons’ campaign: a 19-25, 25-17, 20-25, 21-25 loss that sparked a four-game losing streak and ultimately proved costly in their bid to reach the qualifying round of the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference.
Nxled still had a chance to salvage their qualifying hopes after stringing together two consecutive wins to close the preliminaries, but the damage had already been done. The permutations simply did not fall in their favor, leaving the Chameleons stuck in the play-in stage.
But Saturday’s match offered sweet revenge, as Nxled ousted the Highrisers, 25-23, 25-18, 25-23, in the play-in semifinal at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, moving them one step closer to the round-robin semifinals.
When asked what made the difference this time, head coach Ettore Guidetti cited two key factors but emphasized that having MJ Phillips—who missed their previous encounter due to a knee injury—was decisive, as her presence alone transformed the team’s dynamics on both ends of the court.
“Well, do you want me to be honest or polite?” said Guidetti.
“First of all, we didn’t play with MJ Phillips last time. She had a minor knee problem, so we couldn’t field her.”
(C) PVL Images
The two-time league Best Middle Blocker made an immediate impact, tallying a game-high 17 points on 13 attacks, three kill blocks, and one ace—contributions that Nxled sorely missed in their preliminary-round defeat.
“And today, she scored 17 points in just three sets. Honestly, when one of your two best players is unavailable, it changes the whole situation,” Guidetti said.
“With MJ, we have three rotations we can rely on for side-outs. I don’t want to say it’s automatic, but more or less, yes—it gives us balance.”
Aside from Phillips, the Italian tactician said another factor in the earlier loss was the absence of veteran playmaker Djanel Cheng, who had been providing crucial minutes as the steady backup to starting setter Jules Tolentino.
“Also, to be honest, we had a little misunderstanding about Cheng’s physical condition last time, so I couldn’t play her. She helps a lot in every single game,” Guidetti explained.
With the win over the Highrisers, Nxled is now just one victory away from the semifinals. Guidetti believes that as long as the team maintains the same discipline and intensity, they have a strong chance of advancing.
“So, today, we were complete. And that’s the key. I’m not so full of myself to say I did something special. This is a great team,” he said.
“When they play together, they play great.”
#WATCH: A LOT OF ALCHEMY — AND IT’S A STRANGE ONE
Nxled head coach Ettore Guidetti talks about the up-and-down #PVL2026 of the Chameleons#ReadMore
https://t.co/n30BG0uRjU
@jonashdcd /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/D3otnbsflk
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) March 28, 2026
The post MJ Phillips’ presence made the difference in Nxled’s revenge win appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
Camilla Lamina has already set—and made plays for—some of the best spikers in her UAAP career.
At the top of that list are three-time UAAP collegiate women’s volleyball MVP Bella Belen and two-time Best Opposite Spiker Alyssa Solomon.
Also part of that star-studded lineup are Faith Nisperos, Ivy Lacsina, Cess Robles, and Lamina’s current teammate Vange Alinsug.
For Lamina, a two-time Best Setter at the collegiate level, you can now add Sam Cantada to that impressive roster.
The first-year outside spiker from Dasmariñas, Cavite, has continued to draw praise, including from De La Salle University head coach Ramil de Jesus, who called her a “super rookie.”
“Actually po, very happy kasi si Samantha, very masayahing tao na kahit ano lang i-set mo sa kanya, papaluin niya,” Lamina said of her new star hitter.
“Kahit magkandakuba na siya, wala na siyang pakialam sa set ko minsan, basta magawan niya lang daw ng paraan, kaya nakakatuwang bata ito. Very proud ako sa kanya,” she added.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Lamina spearheaded National University’s 25-19, 25-16, 25-15 sweep of Ateneo de Manila University on Saturday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion, marking a successful bounce back in the Season 88 tournament.
The Lady Bulldogs were coming off a crushing five-set loss to the FEU Lady Tamaraws last Sunday.
Despite only playing in the last two sets against Ateneo, Lamina delivered 12 excellent sets along with three points to guide NU back to the win column.
Cantada, meanwhile, contributed 10 points, highlighted by five service aces.
As the team’s leader, Lamina prioritizes doing whatever she can to stabilize the Lady Bulldogs—whether on the court or on the bench.
“For me, hindi pa tapos yung laban just because natalo kami ng isang game. Siguro, ang inisip lang namin agad is what’s next? And also kailangan talaga namin mag move forward kasi may mga next games pang nakaabang sa amin,” Lamina recalled her message to the team after the loss to FEU.
“As an ate and as a leader, ginaguide ko talaga ‘yung mga bata especially sa dikdikan ‘yung laban, binibigyan ko talaga sila ng advices pagdating sa paglalaro.”
With NU still figuring things out as the elimination round nears its end, Lamina aims to share all her experience to keep their three-peat hopes alive.
The Lady Bulldogs remain in second place with a 7-3 record but have shown vulnerability, suffering defeats against lower-ranked teams like the Lady Tamaraws and UP Fighting Maroons.
#WATCH: LA-MI-NA
Lams Lamina is grateful to her supporters, who have been chanting her name in #UAAPSeason88
#ReadMore
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) March 28, 2026
The post Lams Lamina proud to guide NU’s future, Sam Cantada appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
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