VICTOR Osimhen has been left out of Nigeria’s squad for the doubleheader 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Libya. In the list released on Saturday, Head Coach Augustine Eguavoen omitted Osimhen due to injury concerns but named in-form Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman in the 23-man squad. The list contains regulars like skipper William Ekong, winger Moses Simon; Alex Iwobi; Stanley Nwabali, Samuel Chukwueze, Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi, and Victor Boniface among others. Defender Bright Osayi-Samuel returns to the side after missing the AFCON qualifiers against the Benin Republic and Rwanda in September. Playmaker Chidera Ejuke is also returning…
Author: Peter Noah KC
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SUPER Eagles captain Ahmed Musa is in contention to make his third debut for former champions Kano Pillars when they host Sunshine Stars in a Nigeria Premier Football League match-day five fixture at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium in Katsina on Sunday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. Musa and Nigeria midfielder Shehu Abdullahi rejoined the Sai Masu Gidas on short-term contracts for the 2024/25 season. Both players were pictured at the training ground of the former champions on Thursday, preparatory to their home game against the Owena Waves. “Ahmed Musa, Shehu Abdullahi, Nazir Laja, and the rest of the squad trained ahead…
THE 2024 Annual General Assembly of the Nigeria Football Federation will hold today in Asaba, the Delta State capital. All delegates arrived yesterday in the Delta State capital for the meeting slated to be held at the Unity Hall of the Delta State Government House. The NFF Annual General Assembly is the biggest assemblage of football administrators and stakeholders in the country in a given year, and serves as the melting pot of interplay of ideas and eventual formulation of policies and rules and regulations that govern the administration and organization of the game nationally for the succeeding one year.…
THE Nigeria Football Federation will on Thursday (today) reel out the maiden nominees for the NFF Monthly Awards, which will be voted by fans and journalists, the body announced on Wednesday. With three categories of awards, the project is aimed at celebrating Nigerian players in the Nigeria Premier Football League and those plying their trades with foreign clubs. The categories are Player of the Month for male and female, Goal of the Month, and Discovery of the Month. “As football leagues across the globe resumed fully last month, the Nigeria Football Federation is proud to announce the launch of the…
NOVA Bank has reaffirmed its commitment to the well-being and interests of high-net-worth individuals by sponsoring the 27th Nigeria Cup Golf Tournament. Hosted at the prestigious Ikoyi Golf Club 1938, the annual tournament for 2024 took place from, September 21st, to Saturday, September 28th, 2024. The Nigeria Cup Golf Tournament, organized by the Ikoyi Golf Community Nigeria Association (IGCNA), showcased the remarkable talent of golfers and the sport’s capacity to foster connections across board. This year, Mr, Tayo Babalakin emerged as the Nigeria Cup 2024 Champion, clinching the title with a stunning 85 gross with Handicap (HCP) 19 = 66…
THE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, has reaffirmed his commitment to advancing Nigerian football as he pledged concerted efforts to take the sport to higher heights. The former Chairman of Zamfara State Football Association who was elected on September 30, 2022 clocked two years in office yesterday. Speaking as his two years anniversary, Gusau cited the existing peace in Nigerian football as one of his major achievements in office. He said the peaceful relationship atmosphere has contributed to the improved performances of both the men’s and women’s national teams. Gusau maintained that the Super Eagles’ second place…
JUVENTUS Sporting Director Cristiano Giuntoli says it took him four months to bring Victor Osimhen to Napoli from Lille in 2020 while working at the club in 2020. Signing the 25-year-old has never been on the knife’s edge for his suitors since announcing himself as one of the world’s reputable strikers at Lille, where he notched 13 goals in 27 matches from 2019 to 2020. Giuntoli, who outwitted other suitors to bring Osimhen to Napoli for around €75m, revealed his frustrations at the time during a chat with Corriere della Sera, adding that Napoli should have sold the African Player…
ANTHONY Joshua has been suspended from boxing for 28 days following his knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois. The two-time heavyweight champion was sent to the mat four times as Dubois unleashed a blistering performance to defend his IBF heavyweight title at Wembley Stadium last Saturday. Joshua was knocked out in the fifth round after a savage right hand from his opponent, leaving him crumbled on the canvas. As a result of that defeat, Joshua has now been handed a 28-day suspension by the British Boxing Board of Control. Before anyone panics, Joshua’s ‘ban’ is standard procedure for British fighters who…
AUGUSTINE Eguavoen will continue in his role as the interim coach of the Super Eagles, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has said. NFF disclosed this in a statement on X on Thursday, saying the appointment followed a recommendation from the NFF’s Technical and Development Sub-Committee. “The Executive Committee of Nigeria Football Federation on Thursday approved the recommendation of its Technical and Development Sub-Committee for the Federation’s Technical Director, Coach Augustine Eguavoen to continue in his role as Head Coach of the Super Eagles, and lead the team in its 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Libya next month,”…
HEAD coach of El-Kanemi Warriors, Aliyu Zubairu, is confident that the Maiduguri side can win all their home matches in the 2024/25 Nigeria Premier Football League season. Following a thrilling 4-3 win at Nasarawa United last Saturday, the Maiduguri side have now picked up four points in two matches this season, and both were on the road. Ahead of what will be their first home match of the season against Plateau United on matchday four, the gaffer believes the Maiduguri side will be inspired by their away form as well. “No hiding place for any opponent that comes to Maiduguri,…
FOOTBALL enthusiasts have taken to social media to urge the President and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, to invest in the Nigeria Premier Football League. This is against the backdrop of the billionaire business mogul regretting not buying the English Premier League giants, Arsenal, when his interest lies in owning a football club. In an interview with Bloomberg’s Francine Lacqua in New York, Dangote explained that he missed out on buying Arsenal when the club were valued at around $2bn but instead committed his resources to the refinery project in Nigeria. The Kano-born had in 2020 made…
THE President and Chief Executive of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has expressed his regret for not buying Arsenal when his interest lies with owning a football club. He said he wished he had bought the English side club when the team was valued at around $2 billion. Speaking in an interview with Bloomberg’s Francine Lacqua in New York, the billionaire business mogul explained that he missed out on buying Arsenal by committing his resources to the refinery project. He said, “I think that time has passed. The last time when we had this interview, I told you as soon…
THE Director of Sports, Defence Headquarters, Air Vice Marshal Abidemi Marquis, has disclosed that about 1,600 athletes will compete in the forthcoming Armed Forces Games 2024 between 23rd to 27th September, 2024 in Kaduna. Addressing a press conference in Kaduna to usher in the commencement of the games with the theme, ‘Enhancing Military Professionalism Through Sport’, AVM Marquis who doubles as the Chairman, Local Organising Committee (LOC) said the event will feature 19 sporting activities. He noted that the Organization of African Military Sports awarded Nigeria the hosting right for the African Military games 2024 to be held in Abuja.…
KANO State athletes, who participated in the 8th edition of the National Youth Games (NYG) in Asaba, Delta State, on Friday called on Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to address the issue of their poor camp allowances. The athletes, speaking anonymously, expressed dissatisfaction with the daily allowance they received, claiming it was significantly lower than that of their counterparts from neighbouring Northwestern states. “We were given less than N20,000 for ten days, while athletes from Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara received N50,000. Jigawa athletes were paid the highest, receiving N80,000,” one of the athletes said. Despite the disparity in allowances,…
SUPER Eagles and Bayer Leverkusen striker, Victor Boniface, has recounted how he used to pay a token of ₦30 as a young player to watch Champions League matches, and is now living his dream by playing in the same competition. Boniface reflected on his journey in a post obtained from Fabrizio Romano’s X handle on Friday. The striker was expressing his delight at playing in his first Champions League match during his team’s 4-0 victory against Feyenoord on Thursday. The German club signed Boniface from Union SG to Bayer Leverkusen in 2023 in a deal worth over €21.7m. He said:…
DELTA State has emerged the overall winner of the 8th edition of the National Youth Games (NYG), tagged Asaba 2024, after amassing 98 medals, including 41 gold, 27 silver, and 30 bronze. The latest update of the medal table, released on Wednesday night, shows Delta firmly in the lead, with Lagos State taking the second spot with 62 medals—25 gold, 19 silver, and 18 bronze. Edo State, which had earlier held second place, slipped to third with 17 gold, 12 silver, and 24 bronze medals. While Delta celebrated its dominant performance, the NYG proved challenging for some states. Ebonyi and…
THE ongoing Flying Eagles screening exercise meant to select players for the 2024 WAFU B U20 Championship, scheduled for October and November in Togo, has been hijacked by government officials, football agents, and football academy owners. According to some of the players undergoing the selection process at the FIFA Goal Project in Abuja, who spoke to this newspaper on the condition of anonymity for fear of being victimised, the exercise has been completely taken over by the infiltrators, leaving the Aliyu Zubairu-led technical crew confused. “Some players are either sent here by top government officials with lettesr or by football…
DEFENDING champions, Delta State, are leaving no stone unturned in their quest to win the ongoing 8th National Youth Games. At the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Delta’s Dominion Udoh clinched the 400m boys’ gold medal with a time of 49.33 seconds. It was a personal best that left him in tears on seeing his new PB of 49.33s, winning the gold medal for Delta state. Former champion, Michael Aniche (Abia state) had to settle for Silver this time around, but he also ran a new PB, going under 50s as well to finish 2nd in 49.76s. Kennedy Erhieyovwe (Delta) finished 3rd…
NIGERIA’s junior D’Tigress suffered a 76-56 loss to Mali in the final of the FIBA U-18 Women’s Afrobasket final on Saturday night. Oummou Koumare, who was voted the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament, put up a massive 31 points, four rebounds, and five steals against Nigeria. The U-18 national women’s basketball team, the Junior D’Tigress, fell short in the FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket 2024 final on Saturday, losing 56-76 to Mali, who clinched a record ninth title. Despite a strong start with a 5-0 run, the Nigerians struggled to keep up with the dominant Malian side. Mali won…
THE First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu has commended the Team Nigeria to the just concluded 2024 Paralympics in Paris, noting that their success has united all Nigerians in celebration. She stated that their stellar performance has shown the true meaning of perseverance, dedication and true sportsmanship. The First Lady stated this while receiving the athletes and officials led by the Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh, in her office at the State House, Abuja. This was disclosed by the media aide to the First Lady, Busola Kukoyi, in a statement made available to News Point Nigeria late Saturday. She…