Author: Peter Noah KC

MANCHESTER United have opened negotiations with Napoli to sign Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen in the next summer transfer window. Osimhen, who played a crucial role in ending Napoli’s 33-year wait for the Serie A title, has emerged as a prime target for Man United manager Ruben Amorim, who sees the 26-year-old as a perfect fit to bolster his attacking options ahead of the 2025/26 season. According to Tuttosport, Napoli’s sporting director, Giovanni Manna, is already in talks with United over a potential deal valued at around €70 million. Reports indicate the Red Devils could include Danish striker Rasmus Højlund as…

THE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) said the proposed international friendly against Russia, slated for June international break, will go ahead as scheduled. A top NFF official, who pleaded anonymity, revealed that the controversial friendly will be played at the magnificent Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, contrary to rumours making the rounds that the match may have been called off. “The friendly is expected to go ahead as planned, barring any last-minute hitch. “This is the first time Nigeria will be engaging its Russian counterpart in the senior category, and the FA believes such a friendly will help the players get into…

THE Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa has dissolved the board of the Ondo State Football Agency (ODSFA). The dissolution is contained in a statement issued on Wednesday in Akure by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ebenezer Adeniyan. This newspaper reports that ODSFA is the supervising agency of Sunshine Stars and Sunshine Queens. Sunshine Stars are currently 19th on the Nigeria Premier Football League(NPFL) log with 35 points. According to the statement, the dissolution, brings an end to the tenure of the Executive Chairman of the Board, Mr Bamidele Ologunloluwa, and other members. It directed them to hand…

SUPER Eagles coach Eric Chelle has revealed that he would name his strongest team for a historic friendly against Russia in Moscow during the June international break. “The core of the team from the matches against Rwanda and Zimbabwe will get another chance to play against Russia in the friendly,” the coach told SCORENigeria. It will be the first-ever meeting at full international level Nigeria and Russia. Nigeria will also use the international break to feature in a four-nation invitational tournament in England that has perennial rivals Ghana, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago. It is believed that the coach will…

THE Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC) announced it has met the March 28, 2025 deadline for expression of interest to bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games. Nigeria can only commence a formal bid with the backing of the country’s government. Nigeria lost a bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games to Glasgow. A statement released by NOC spokesman Tony Nezianya said that Nigeria’s bid for the 2030 Games in capital city Abuja will present a unique opportunity to showcase its development, enhance its global standing and invigorate its sports culture. Nigeria last hosted a major multi-sport event — the African Games…

MALI’s qualification for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup, is a lesson that Nigeria can pick in developing youth football in Africa’s most populous country. Nigeria failed to qualify for the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025, and missed out in contesting for a place in the 2025 U-17 World Cup set to be held in Qatar this November. By picking a continental ticket for Qatar 2025, Mali have once again underlined its status as a continental youth football powerhouse. The Aiglonnets secured their ticket with a 2-0 victory over the Central African Republic (CAR) in…

SUPER Eagles head coach Eric Chelle is confident that the team still have a chance in their bid for a ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Malian seems to have forgotten the disappointment of the draw against Zimbabwe and are focused on subsequent matches, and how the three-time African champions would influence the chances of qualification for global football showpiece, to be jointly hosted by the United States of America, Canada and Mexico. The 47-year-old has laid out how Super Eagles can still qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite their slow start in the qualifiers. Before…

NO fewer than 53 Polytechnics have registered to participate in the 22nd edition of the Nigeria Polytechnic Games, which will officially begin on Saturday (today), April 5, at the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara State. The Chairman, Media and Publicity Committee, Dr. Oluwakemi Ogungbamigbe, in a press release issued on Friday said the event would spread across eight days between April 5 and 12. The event will feature sports, cultural exchange and economic activities. She noted that the contingents from different polytechnics would compete in various events, including athletics, football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, chess, scrabble, handball, badminton, table tennis, judo, and…

THE latest FIFA ranking has placed Nigeria as the 43rd-best team across the globe. The World football governing body announced this on its X handle on Thursday. The ranking places Nigeria one step ahead as the Super Eagles rounded off 2024 in the 44th position. Argentina remained top thanks to impressive wins In second place is Spain and France is in third place. England is fourth, while Brazil ranked fifth, completing the top five. The Super Eagles’ latest improvement by one spot might not be unconnected to their latest form, beating Rwanda at home in their quest to qualify for…

A TOP official of the Nigeria Football Federation has described the reports making the rounds about a potential contract termination of Super Eagles coach, Eric Chelle as fake news. Chelle was appointed as the Super Eagles coach in January on a two-year deal, which is subject to renewal, but the Franco-Malian coach was reportedly said to have mulled a shock exit talk, which forced the NFF to convene an emergency meeting. The gaffer was said to be uncertain over his future on the Nigerian job after the mixed results in March’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers which further left the country’s…

EL-KANEMI Warriors, who defeated Abia Warriors 2-0 in the final game of the 2024 President Federation Cup, will face another team from Abia State, Enyimba, in a round-of-32 battle for the trophy this year. Both El-Kanemi and Enyimba are mid-table strugglers in the 2024/25 Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL), and the President Federation Cup presents the teams with a possible route to return to the continent next year. They participated in the CAF Confederation Cup this year, with El-Kanemi exiting the competition in the first round, while Enyimba were knocked out in the group stage. To qualify for the round…

STILL reeling from the tepid display by some of his players in the recent 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Super Eagles Coach, Eric Chelle, has started rebuilding his team for better performance when the qualifiers resume in September. The move to re-organise the Super Eagles will start this week with Chelle expected in London to, among other things hold talks with Arsenal star, Ethan Nwaneri. The 17-year-old attacking midfielder, who has been making waves under Mikel Arteta, remains eligible to play for both Nigeria and England. Despite representing England at youth levels, Nwaneri has not yet committed to the senior team,…

A NIGERIAN boxer, Segun ‘Success’ Olanrewaju, on Saturday, died in Ghana during a boxing bout. Olarenwaju was a former National and West African light-heavyweight champion. He was competing against Ghanaian boxer, Jon Mbanugu, at Fight Night 15 of the Ghana Professional Boxing League at Bukom Boxing Arena when he suddenly lost consciousness. Reports indicate that he was ahead on points before the unfortunate incident occurred. A widely circulated video on social media captures the moment he collapsed in the ring, further shocking fans and the boxing community. Olanrewaju, a highly respected figure in Nigerian boxing, held both National and West…

VICTOR Osimhen has become Nigeria’s second-highest goal scorer after netting a first-half brace in the Super Eagles’ 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Rwanda at the Amavubi Stadium on Friday. The Napoli striker, currently on loan at Galatasaray, opened the scoring in the 11th minute before adding his second goal just before halftime. His 25th goal for Nigeria saw him surpass Segun Odegbami’s 23-goal record, cementing his place in Nigeria’s football history. Osimhen’s heroics not only propelled him up the goal-scoring charts but also handed Eric Chelle his first win as Nigeria’s coach. The Super Eagles, desperate for a win…

SUPER Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has suggested that Victor Osimhen will finally make the switch to the Premier League next season. Osimhen, currently on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli, has been in sensational form in the Turkish Super Lig, netting 20 goals in 22 appearances. The 26-year-old striker has long been linked with a move to England’s top flight, and Troost-Ekong believes the summer transfer window will be the moment it happens. Manchester United have already sent scouts to watch Osimhen, while Chelsea remain long-time admirers. Liverpool and Arsenal are also expected to be in the market for a striker…

NIGERIA took a giant step to qualification for the 2025 U-17 Women’s World Cup on Saturday, beating South Africa 2-0 at the Remo Stars Stadium, Ikenne, Ogun State. The Flamingos had last week defeated the Bantwana 3-1 in the first leg of the clash, meaning they soared to the next phase of the qualification race with a whooping 5-1 aggregate victory. The game produced no goal after the early exchanges. But two-goal heroine in the first leg, Harmony Chidi coolly nodded home from an acute angle in the 37th minute on Saturday, to compound the fixture for the visitors. Shakirat…

BELGIUM-BASED defender Jordan Torunarigha has replaced Bayer Leverkusen forward Nathan Tella in the Super Eagles’ 23-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe. Tella withdrew from the squad due to injury, forcing Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle to adjust his final selection. Chelle had initially trimmed his 39-man provisional squad to 23 players; however, with Tella opting out, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) confirmed the latest squad change via social media. “Jordan Torunarigha has been called to replace injured Nathan Tella. “We wish Nathan a quick recovery,” the Super Eagles posted on their X…

VICTOR Osimhen says Nigeria will be driven by desperation in 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers this month as they look to avoid missing out on a second successive World Cup finals, reports BBC. The Super Eagles have made a winless start in Group C, drawing three of their first four games, with striker Osimhen absent through injury. The West Africans endured what the 26-year-old described as a “heartbreaking disappointment” three years ago when fierce rivals Ghana progressed from a play-off and reached Qatar 2022 at their expense. “It’s a dream of every footballer to play at the World Cup and…

EGYPT has requested the right to host a set of group-stage matches for the 2034 World Cup which will be held in Saudi Arabia, the African country’s football federation president said on Wednesday. “Saudi Arabia will stand up and organise a historic edition of the World Cup, and we wish our Saudi brothers every success,” Hany Abo Rida said during the 14th CAF extraordinary general assembly in Cairo. “But at the same time we hope that (FIFA president) Mr. (Gianni) Infantino will grant us, as Africans and Egyptians, the honour of hosting and organising one of the World Cup groups…

SKIPPER Ahmed Musa, and forward Kelechi Iheanacho were among notable absentees as Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle listed his final 23-man squad for the crunch 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe. Musa was one of the surprise inclusions in Chelle’s 39-player provisional list for the World Cup Qualifiers with fans questioning his call to the team after almost one year of absence. But in the final list for the games billed for next week, the Malian gaffer who will be leading the Super Eagles out for the first time yanked off the Kano Pillars man and Iheanacho of…