{"id":500,"date":"2026-05-18T20:01:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T17:01:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\/"},"modified":"2026-05-18T20:01:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T17:01:15","slug":"igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\/","title":{"rendered":"Igali Takes Ownership of Bayelsa United Relegation Despite Sports Progress Claims"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bayelsa State Sports Commissioner Hon. Daniel Igali has taken ownership of Bayelsa United\u2019s relegation from the Nigeria Premier Football League, even as he argued the setback is an exception rather than evidence of broader stagnation in Bayelsa\u2019s sports development.<\/p>\n

Igali accepts blame as Bayelsa United face the next steps<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Igali said he will not deflect responsibility for the club\u2019s fall, stressing that leadership should not \u201crun away\u201d from difficult moments.<\/li>\n
  2. He acknowledged that Bayelsa United\u2019s relegation is painful, but insisted it should not eclipse what he described as significant progress across multiple sports in the state during Governor Douye Diri\u2019s tenure.<\/li>\n
  3. The commissioner, a former wrestling world champion who oversees more than 40 sporting disciplines in Bayelsa, pointed to the state\u2019s reputation among Nigeria\u2019s top three sports destinations as proof of wider momentum.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    He cited achievements across a range of areas including wrestling, athletics, weightlifting, boxing, para sports and swimming, among other disciplines, arguing that these results demonstrate a wider transformation that extends beyond football.<\/p>\n

    Igali also delivered strong praise for Governor Diri, describing him as a leader driven by passion, foresight and a practical commitment to athlete development. He further claimed that no recent Bayelsa governor has matched Diri\u2019s level of investment in sports infrastructure and preparation for athletes.<\/p>\n

    According to Igali, a series of projects are already underway under the governor\u2019s watch. These include plans for a modern 30,000-capacity stadium in Igbogene, a 15,000-seat venue in Sampou, new wrestling training gyms, improvements at Asoama, the building of football pitches, and the regular hosting of national competitions. He said the overall effect is gradually building Bayelsa\u2019s profile as a national sports hub.<\/p>\n

    He highlighted another landmark achievement: Bayelsa\u2019s successful bid to host the 2028 National Sports Festival. Igali described the event as the country\u2019s biggest multi-sport gathering and also one of the largest on the African continent.<\/p>\n

    Igali said putting together a successful bid and hosting the festival demands careful planning, administrative competence, sporting credibility, infrastructure vision and the confidence of stakeholders across Nigeria. In his view, it is not something that happens casually.<\/p>\n

    Crucially, the commissioner insisted that hosting the festival is only part of the ambition. Bayelsa\u2019s goal, he said, is to compete to win the 2028 edition on home soil, which he argued requires long-term preparation, structured athlete development, expanded infrastructure and sustained investment across many sports\u2014efforts he said are already in motion.<\/p>\n

    Women\u2019s football success contrasted with United\u2019s setback<\/h2>\n

    When discussing football, Igali drew a direct comparison between Bayelsa United and Bayelsa Queens, the state\u2019s women\u2019s team. He noted that Queens won the Nigerian Women\u2019s Football League title twice within six years during the Diri administration, represented Nigeria on the continental stage in 2022, and finished third in Africa\u2014an accomplishment he said brought pride not only to Bayelsa but to Nigeria.<\/p>\n

    He added that Queens also completed last season\u2019s regular league campaign unbeaten, won the NWFL Super Six, and narrowly missed WAFU B CAF Women\u2019s Champions League qualification in C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire. Igali said the club currently leads the NWFL standings, has already secured qualification for this season\u2019s Super Six, and looks positioned to challenge for the title again.<\/p>\n

    \u201cThat is why I say respectfully that the situation with Bayelsa United is clearly an outlier and not a reflection of the general state of sports or even football development in Bayelsa,\u201d Igali said. \u201cOne difficult football season cannot erase years of progress and transformation.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Reasons for relegation and the plan to bounce back<\/h2>\n

    On the reasons behind Bayelsa United\u2019s relegation, Igali said recruitment shortcomings, timing issues and technical disruptions undermined the club, even though the governor continued to approve funding consistently.<\/p>\n

    \u201cThese are realities we must confront honestly if we truly want to rebuild properly,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Igali called for immediate recruitment of young, motivated and disciplined players who fit the demands of the Nigeria National League.<\/li>\n
    2. He identified the state\u2019s Prosperity Cup as a direct pathway for local talent into Bayelsa United, arguing that major ability exists within communities and must be channelled with greater intention.<\/li>\n
    3. He urged the appointment of a focused technical team with a clear mandate, alongside a more analytical, less emotional approach to recruitment and scouting.<\/li>\n
    4. He also called for the full restoration of discipline, structure and club identity.<\/li>\n
    5. Igali appealed to stakeholders to avoid destructive blame campaigns, saying endless negativity cannot rebuild clubs and that Bayelsa United needs unity, planning and clear direction.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      To reinforce his confidence, Igali pointed to the examples of Kano Pillars and Bendel Insurance\u2014clubs that returned after relegation to compete again at the highest level, with Insurance becoming continental contenders immediately following promotion.<\/p>\n

      \u201cThis relegation is painful, but it is not the end of the story. Big clubs all over the world have suffered relegation and returned stronger,\u201d Igali said. \u201cBayelsa United will rise again and when it does, it will return stronger, more stable and better structured for long-term success.\u201d<\/p>\n

      He concluded by setting a clear objective: to win promotion back to the NPFL within one season. Igali framed this as part of a broader mission to keep Bayelsa sports among Nigeria\u2019s elite, while the state continues preparations to host\u2014and win\u2014the 2028 National Sports Festival.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Bayelsa State Sports Commissioner Hon. Daniel Igali has taken ownership of Bayelsa United\u2019s relegation from the Nigeria Premier Football League, even as he argued the setback is an exception rather than evidence of broader stagnation in Bayelsa\u2019s sports development. Igali accepts blame as Bayelsa United face the next steps Igali said he will not deflect […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":499,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Igali Admits Bayelsa United Relegation in NPL Season","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Daniel Igali admits Bayelsa United\u2019s NPL relegation, taking full responsibility while insisting the setback won\u2019t derail Bayelsa\u2019s","mma_seo_breadcrumb_text":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_url":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_hide_ui":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_labels":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-500","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\nIgali Admits Bayelsa United Relegation in NPL Season<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Daniel Igali admits Bayelsa United\u2019s NPL relegation, taking full responsibility while insisting the setback won\u2019t derail Bayelsa\u2019s\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Igali Admits Bayelsa United Relegation in NPL Season\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Daniel Igali admits Bayelsa United\u2019s NPL relegation, taking full responsibility while insisting the setback won\u2019t derail Bayelsa\u2019s\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Zalebs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-18T17:01:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/igali-counts-diri-8217-sporting-e6d7.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"607\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"402\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Zibuyile Dladla\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Zibuyile Dladla\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Zibuyile Dladla\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/6da1a9a659a2b9fb37587bf050637d1e\"},\"headline\":\"Igali Takes Ownership of Bayelsa United Relegation Despite Sports Progress Claims\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-18T17:01:15+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":897,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/igali-counts-diri-8217-sporting-e6d7.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Sports\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\\\/\",\"name\":\"Igali Admits Bayelsa United Relegation in NPL Season\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/igali-counts-diri-8217-sporting-e6d7.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-18T17:01:15+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/6da1a9a659a2b9fb37587bf050637d1e\"},\"description\":\"Daniel Igali admits Bayelsa United\u2019s NPL relegation, taking full responsibility while insisting the setback won\u2019t derail Bayelsa\u2019s\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/igali-counts-diri-8217-sporting-e6d7.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/igali-counts-diri-8217-sporting-e6d7.webp\",\"width\":607,\"height\":402},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Igali Takes Ownership of Bayelsa United Relegation Despite Sports Progress Claims\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/\",\"name\":\"Zalebs\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/6da1a9a659a2b9fb37587bf050637d1e\",\"name\":\"Zibuyile Dladla\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1f581f0bb57ed4fd97eeb8353242d5a3c12548c2ff26373e9e5be1e00d4fad05?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1f581f0bb57ed4fd97eeb8353242d5a3c12548c2ff26373e9e5be1e00d4fad05?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1f581f0bb57ed4fd97eeb8353242d5a3c12548c2ff26373e9e5be1e00d4fad05?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Zibuyile Dladla\"},\"description\":\"Zibuyile began her media journey as a sales intern at Mediamark (Kagiso Media) before moving into digital content creation for ZAlebs.com. Over four years, she helped evolve the platform from a simple blog into one of South Africa\u2019s leading independent entertainment news sites. Following ZAlebs\u2019 transition to Celebrity Worx in 2016, Zibuyile was promoted to Executive Editor, recognized for her sharp audience insight and ability to match editorial with branded content. Highlights of her time include a Bookmark Award nomination, judging TLC\u2019s Next Great Presenter, reporting from the MTV EMAs, and building partnerships with radio stations like YFM, Cliff Central, and Good Hope FM. Her editorial work also expanded to include fast-growing digital verticals\u2014such as lifestyle tech, online entertainment, and gambling-related content\u2014tailored to evolving reader interests and brand opportunities.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/za.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/zibuyile-dladla-9a26628a\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/zalebs.com\\\/news\\\/author\\\/zibuyile-dladla\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Igali Admits Bayelsa United Relegation in NPL Season","description":"Daniel Igali admits Bayelsa United\u2019s NPL relegation, taking full responsibility while insisting the setback won\u2019t derail Bayelsa\u2019s","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Igali Admits Bayelsa United Relegation in NPL Season","og_description":"Daniel Igali admits Bayelsa United\u2019s NPL relegation, taking full responsibility while insisting the setback won\u2019t derail Bayelsa\u2019s","og_url":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\/","og_site_name":"Zalebs","article_published_time":"2026-05-18T17:01:15+00:00","og_image":[{"width":607,"height":402,"url":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/igali-counts-diri-8217-sporting-e6d7.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"Zibuyile Dladla","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Zibuyile Dladla","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\/"},"author":{"name":"Zibuyile Dladla","@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/6da1a9a659a2b9fb37587bf050637d1e"},"headline":"Igali Takes Ownership of Bayelsa United Relegation Despite Sports Progress Claims","datePublished":"2026-05-18T17:01:15+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\/"},"wordCount":897,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/igali-counts-diri-8217-sporting-e6d7.webp","articleSection":["Sports"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\/","url":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\/","name":"Igali Admits Bayelsa United Relegation in NPL Season","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/igali-counts-diri-8217-sporting-e6d7.webp","datePublished":"2026-05-18T17:01:15+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/6da1a9a659a2b9fb37587bf050637d1e"},"description":"Daniel Igali admits Bayelsa United\u2019s NPL relegation, taking full responsibility while insisting the setback won\u2019t derail Bayelsa\u2019s","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/igali-counts-diri-8217-sporting-e6d7.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/igali-counts-diri-8217-sporting-e6d7.webp","width":607,"height":402},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/igali-takes-ownership-of-bayelsa-united-relegation-despite-sports-progress-claims\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Igali Takes Ownership of Bayelsa United Relegation Despite Sports Progress Claims"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/","name":"Zalebs","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/6da1a9a659a2b9fb37587bf050637d1e","name":"Zibuyile Dladla","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1f581f0bb57ed4fd97eeb8353242d5a3c12548c2ff26373e9e5be1e00d4fad05?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1f581f0bb57ed4fd97eeb8353242d5a3c12548c2ff26373e9e5be1e00d4fad05?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1f581f0bb57ed4fd97eeb8353242d5a3c12548c2ff26373e9e5be1e00d4fad05?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Zibuyile Dladla"},"description":"Zibuyile began her media journey as a sales intern at Mediamark (Kagiso Media) before moving into digital content creation for ZAlebs.com. Over four years, she helped evolve the platform from a simple blog into one of South Africa\u2019s leading independent entertainment news sites. Following ZAlebs\u2019 transition to Celebrity Worx in 2016, Zibuyile was promoted to Executive Editor, recognized for her sharp audience insight and ability to match editorial with branded content. Highlights of her time include a Bookmark Award nomination, judging TLC\u2019s Next Great Presenter, reporting from the MTV EMAs, and building partnerships with radio stations like YFM, Cliff Central, and Good Hope FM. Her editorial work also expanded to include fast-growing digital verticals\u2014such as lifestyle tech, online entertainment, and gambling-related content\u2014tailored to evolving reader interests and brand opportunities.","sameAs":["https:\/\/za.linkedin.com\/in\/zibuyile-dladla-9a26628a"],"url":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/author\/zibuyile-dladla\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/500","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=500"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/500\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/499"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=500"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=500"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=500"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}