Author: Peter Noah KC

FORMER Nigeria internationals and stakeholders have expressed divergent views over the appointment of Eric Chelle as Super Eagles coach, with some questioning the choice of the Malian tactician while others believe he deserves a chance. Azubuike Egwuekwe, 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner, expressed disappointment over the Nigeria Football Federation’s decision to overlook indigenous coaches for the role. “When I saw his appointment, I was not really happy because I wanted us to turn to our own. Eguavoen has been doing well in the national team, it was just a matter of giving him the chance,” Egwuekwe told our correspondent.…

SUPER Eagles B stand-in coach Daniel Ogunmodede insists Remo Stars duo Sadiq Ismail and Jide Fatokun are both in line to feature for the country at the 2024 African Nations Championship, despite rumours of moves abroad surrounding both players. The 2025 CHAN will be played from February 1 to 28 in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda and the Super Eagles B have opened their training camp in Ikenne on Monday. Ismail has been linked with a move to Albanian side Fk Partizani while midfielder Fatokun is said to be joining Sudanese giants Al-Merrikh SC. While Ismail has flown to Albania for…

THE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed the appointment of Éric Sékou Chelle as substantive Head Coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles. This was reached at its ”meeting held in Abuja on Thursday, 2nd January 2025, the NFF Technical and Development Sub-Committee had recommended the appointment of the former Coach of the senior men national team of Mali as the new Head Coach of the Super Eagles.” ”This recommendation was on Tuesday, 7th January endorsed by the NFF Executive Committee,” the federation’s website revealed. His appointment is with immediate effect, and he has the responsibility of guiding the Super Eagles to…

JOSEPH Atule scored twice as Nigerian club Enyimba finally clicked in the CAF Confederation Cup by hammering Mozambican visitors Black Bulls 4-1 on Sunday. The two-time African champions remain bottom of Group D despite the victory, but they are only one point behind second-placed Al Masry of Egypt with two matchdays remaining. Clubs finishing first and second in the four groups qualify for the knockout stage and Enyimba are hoping to become the first winners from Nigeria. Enyimba host Masry in southeastern city Uyo next Sunday, seeking to atone for a 2-0 loss in north Africa last November. A string…

STAND-IN Head Coach, Daniel Ogunmodede has called up captain Nduka Harrison Junior, goalkeeper Henry Ozoemena, defenders Sadiq Ismail and Ifeanyi Onyebuchi, midfielder Saviour Isaac, and forward Sikiru Alimi among a list of 26 players to begin closed-camping exercise at the Remo Stars Sports Institute, Ikenne-Remo on Monday (Today) ahead of the 8th African Nations Championship finals. Goalkeeper Kayode Bankole, defenders Imo Obot and Stephen Manyo, midfielders Musa Zayyad, Rabiu Ali and Papa Daniel Mustapha, and forwards Adamu Abubakar and Emmanuel Ogbole have also been invited. The Super Eagles B, for the first time in the qualification series, bumped Ghana’s Black…

A FORMER president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinnick says the Super Eagles will get a substantive head coach “any moment from now”. Pinnick, a FIFA Council member, gave the hint on Friday. “Any moment from now, I am sure they would be announcing a coach, an enterprising coach at that,” he said during an interview on Channels Television’s Sports Tonight monitored by our correspondent. The Super Eagles have been without a coach since the departure of George Finidi in June 2024 after Jose Peseiro left the coach following the three-time African champions second-place finish at the Africa…

A FORMER president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinnick is confident of the Super Eagles’ chances of reaching the 2026 World Cup even though he admits it would be a “tough” road for the 2013 African champions. The Super Eagles who missed out on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar are fifth in Group C of the qualification race to the competition, four points behind leaders Rwanda after four rounds of matches. Despite this, Pinnick a member of the FIFA Executive Committee is optimistic of Nigeria’s chances of making it to the USA, Mexico, and Canada next year.…

SOME elders in Rivers State, under the aegis of Concerned Elders of Rivers State have called for an unreserved apology from the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike following his recent derogatory remarks against former Governor Peter Odili, a respected elder statesman and founder of PAMO University of Medical Sciences. The demand was issued in a strongly worded statement signed by prominent leaders of the state, including former Governor Celestine Omehia, Prince Uche Secondus, former Deputy Governor of the state, Tele Ikuru, former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Austin Opara, Senator Ngoji Denton West, former Minister of…

NEW Enyimba striker and 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner, Brown Ideye, remains confident that the nine-time Nigerian champions still have their destiny in their hands despite their recent struggles in all competitions, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. The People’s Elephants are currently ninth in the Nigeria Premier Football League with 24 points, although with three games at hand and are on the brink of elimination in the CAF Confederation Cup, having secured just one draw in their first three group matches. The 36-year-old has just joined the club until the end of the 2024/25 season, making his return to the…

SUPER Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has lost his mother, months after the Chippa United safe hands announced the death of his father. Nwabali shared the sad news of his mother’s death on X Wednesday evening. “Rip mom,” he wrote, describing it as the “worst year of my life already “. Before that, Nwabali had posted, “A very very crazy world indeed”. The goalkeeper, did not, however, give details of how the mother died. He lost his father just over a month ago. This happened a few hours before the Super Eagles match against Rwanda in a 2025 Africa Cup of…

INTERIM Super Eagles B coach, Daniel Ogunmodede, said he was open to having more Nigeria Premier Football League stars compete for spots in the home-based squad for next year’s African Nations Championship, The PUNCH reports. The tournament will be hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda from February 1 to 28, 2025. Ogunmodede and his Rangers International coach counterpart Fidelis Ilechukwu secured Nigeria’s qualification to the tournament for the first time in six years after beating Ghana 3-1 on aggregate in their final qualifying game. Nigeria and Ghana played a goalless draw in Accra during the first and finished the job…

NINE-TIME Nigerian champions, Enyimba, have announce the signing of 2013 AFCON winner, Brown Ideye, until the end of the current season. The Aba giants confirmed the new addition in a statement it posted on its X handle on Monday. “We are delighted to officially announce the addition of former Super Eagles Striker, Brown Ideye to our fold. “We are expectant of the experience & professionalism he will add to our game/quest in our remaining games, this season especially under the New Gaffer,” the statement read. Since leaving Kuwaiti side Al Yarmouk in 2022, the 36-year-old has been without a club…

THE Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, has fulfilled a personal promise of a N10 million donation to the Super Eagles B team for qualifying for the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN). The home-based Eagles defeated Ghana’s Black Galaxies 3-1 on Saturday in Uyo to secure qualification for the CHAN slated for February 2025 in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. The NSC Director General, Bukola Olopade, had initially expressed the intention to reward the team for a win. However, Dikko interceded, insisting on taking up the gesture himself. “Before the game, I made a personal pledge to reward…

NINE-TIME Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) champions, Enyimba International FC, Enyimba have appointed Stanley Eguma, a seasoned tactician and one of the most respected figures in Nigerian football, as their new head coach. This followed the departure of their former head coach, Yemi Daniel Olanrewaju. Eguma, who previously served as part of Enyimba’s coaching staff during their CAF Champions League triumphs in the early 2000s, brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success. He is best known for his long-standing tenure with Rivers United, where he achieved remarkable success, including league titles. His return to Enyimba…

IT’S been six years since Nigeria last qualified for the African Nations Championship tournament and a new array of home-based stars will hope to end the fruitless run when they take on arch-rivals Ghana in the second leg of the qualifier for the 2024 tournament on Saturday (today) in Uyo. The eighth CHAN tournament will be hosted by Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, from February 1-28, 2025 and Nigeria and Ghana are still locked in a delicately poised contest for one of the tickets. Both countries played out a goalless draw in the first leg of the encounter in Accra last…

THE renowned Nigerian economist, investmemt banker and philanthropist, and architect of the famous Tony Elumelu Foundation donated 1,800 bags of rice to the seven traditional quarters of Onicha-Uku. The Onicha-Uku royal palace and council of chiefs, elders, faith-based organisations including the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) as well as various socio-cultural and youth groups also benefited from the Elumelu gesture. Excited leaders of the different groups and elders were at the country home of the Elumelu’s on Sunday to profusely express their appreciation of the donation of the popular but currently expensive cerea I’ll and staple food in the country.…

SUPER Eagles and Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen has brought Christmas cheer to his childhood community Olusosun in Lagos, distributing about 2,000 motor-tricycles and food items to youths and mothers. The 2023 African Footballer of The Year’s gesture follows similar charitable acts by his Super Eagles teammates Alex Iwobi and Tolu Arokodare, who have also embarked on various Christmas giveaways across Europe. According to TVC’s Facebook page, the distribution, which has already commenced in Lagos, will extend to the striker’s hometown in Benin, with plans already in place to reach more beneficiaries. The 25-year-old striker, who has been in scintillating form…

RECENTLY crowned African Footballer of The Year Ademola Lookman marked his return to Atalanta’s starting lineup with a crucial goal in their 3-2 victory over Empoli on Sunday, helping extend La Dea’s lead at the Serie A summit to two points. Lookman, who paraded his CAF award before kick-off at the Gewiss Stadium, netted just before half-time to put Atalanta 2-1 ahead after falling behind to an early Lorenzo Colombo strike. “Hungrier than ever. Big win,” Lookman wrote on social media after the match, which extended Atalanta’s club record winning streak to 11 consecutive Serie A victories. The 27-year-old Nigeria…

SUPER Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi brought Christmas cheer to east London on Sunday as he gave out free food, including turkeys, to struggling families at his temporary shop. The Fulham star, who has been in scintillating form this season with five Premier League goals, opened ‘AleXpress’ in Canning Town, his hometown, where he distributed food items to 100 families as part of Project 17. Speaking about his charitable initiative, Iwobi credited his parents for instilling in him the spirit of giving. “In the house I was raised in, my dad naturally just gave back. To people in Nigeria, to his…

REMO Stars Football Club returned to the apex position in the 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League on Sunday with a 2-0 home win over visiting Bayelsa United of Yenagoa. This newspaper reports that they won their Match Day 18 fixture at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne with two late goals. Jabbar Malik scored in the 84th and 88th minutes for the three points to take them to 33 after 18 games, made up of 10 wins, three draws and five losses. They have scored 21 goals and conceded 11 to be ahead of title rivals Rivers United of Port…