Author: Peter Noah KC

FEW months after jostling for the job of the Super Eagles coach, ex-internationals Finidi George and Emmanuel Amuneke will be at the opposite end in the dugout when Rivers United host Heartland in a 2024/25 Nigeria Premier Football League match-day two clash with Heartland in Port Harcourt on Saturday (today). Coincidentally, both managers are in search of their first league wins in charge of their new clubs after they both made the switch before the start of the campaign. Finidi, who got the Super Eagles job and had a two-game stint with the national team, however, refused to play the…

THE Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh, has warned that any attempts at age cheating in the National Youth Games would not be tolerated, reiterating that the Games were intended for athletes of 15 years and below. Enoh, who emphasised the importance of upholding the integrity of the games by strictly adhering to the age requirement, called on participating states in the games to embrace the spirit of fair play and sportsmanship. He also urged spectators and fans to support the young athletes representing their states in various sporting activities. This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday, by…

THE Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, yesterday made a declaration that this year’s edition of the National Youth Games will be better than what was witnessed last year. Delta State hosted the 7th edition of the Youth Games in Asaba, last year when the Governor was barely a few weeks in office. The Governor who spoke shortly after inspecting facilities at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, the state capital, which is the main venue for the games, assured that participants will have a completely different experience. Oborevwori, who inspected the swimming pool, shooting range and other facilities at the…

RWANDA held Nigeria’s Super Eagles to a frustrating 0-0 draw during their second match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. The Eagles could not find the breakthrough despite being dominant in most part of the game, as the Rwandese team remained disciplined in the defence. With the 3-0 convincing win over Benin Republic on Saturday, expectations were high for the Nigerians to come out with victory and maintain 100 per cent record in the qualifiers. Only one change was made by coach Augustine Eguavoen from the last game, as Alex Iwobi made way for Fisayo Dele-Bashiru in the…

LONG-TERM Chelsea target and Napoli forward Victor Osimhen is “not a greedy boy”, according to former Blues midfielder John Obi Mikel. Throughout the summer transfer window, Chelsea were heavily linked with the 25-year-old who had been made available by his Italian club. Despite the saga dragging on for weeks, there was an expectation that the Nigeria international would eventually link up with one of the biggest clubs in Europe or the Saudi Pro League. However, a deal failed to materialise in either situation, Osimhen instead moving to Galatasaray on a season-long loan deal having continued to be frozen out by…

SUNSHINE Stars Football Club of Akure started the Nigeria Premier Football League season with a 3-0 win over Bayelsa United. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the match was played on Sunday at the Dipo Dina Stadium, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun. Sunshine Stars’ forward, Seidu Salisu opened the scoring with an assist from Promise Awosanmi in the 44th minute into halftime. On resumption of the second half, Awosanmi made it 2-0 for the home side from a free kick in the 54th minute. Stephen Chuckwudi, who came from the bench, made it 3-0 in the 90th minute with a clinical finish…

GOALS from Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen ensured that Nigeria’s Super Eagles began the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 qualifiers with a 3-0 victory over Benin Republic at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo on Saturday. Lookman, who just got nominated for the 2024 Ballon d’Or award, celebrated the feat with two well-taken goals to set the 2024 AFCON runners up on their way to making it to Morocco for the next edition. The Beninese thought that they had done enough to hold out for a 0-0 first half with a spirited defensive display, but the Atalanta of Italy star…

HEARTLAND coach Emmanuel Amuneke has expressed confidence in his team’s ability to match nine-time champions Enyimba when they face off in their first game of the 2024/25 Nigeria Premier Football League season at Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, on Sunday. Although they were relegated last season, Heartland were reinstated to the topflight by the NPFL board on Tuesday following the disqualification of Beyond Limits Football Academy, who didn’t meet up with the league’s framework on dual ownership. The Naze Millionaires wrapped up their preparations for the new season on Wednesday by lifting the Dan Anyim Cup in Owerri, beating Kun Khalifat…

SUPER Eagles of Nigeria forward, Ademola Lookman, has been nominated for the 2024 men’s Ballon d’Or award. In the list announced by France Football Magazine on Wednesday, the 26-year-old Atalanta of Italy player was shortlisted alongside 29 players for the coveted award. He is the only African player in the list. Eight-time winner and current holder Lionel Messi is not listed for this years’s award as well as five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo. Lookman was in scintillating form as Atalanta won its first-ever European trophy last season, with the Nigerian scoring a hat-trick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen.…

INTERIM coach of the Super Eagles, Austin Eguavoen, has expressed confidence in the ability of his players to beat the Cheetahs of Benin Republic in Saturday’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match in Uyo. Speaking ahead of the match scheduled for the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, the coach said despite the recent poor results recorded by the former African champions, the team is filled to the brim with quality players who can do the job on Saturday. Eguavoen said he had spoken to the players but he will speak to them again before they take on the Cheetahs.…

THE Technical Adviser of El-Kanemi Warriors, Aliyu Zubairu, has been appointed Head Coach of the National U-20 Boys team, the Flying Eagles. The NFF said the appointment of the coach is based on the recommendation of its Technical and Development Sub-Committee. The appointment of Zubairu, who led El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri to win the President Federation Cup at the expense of Abia Warriors FC in Lagos in June, takes immediate effect. The Warriors have since crashed out of the CAF Confederation Cup after losing 2-1 on aggregate to Benin Republic’s Daje FC in the preliminary Round. They, however, opened their…

SUPER Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, and eight other members of the team arrived at the Uyo camp on Monday morning preparatory to the 2025 AFCON qualifying clash with the Cheetahs of Benin Republic on Saturday, September 7 at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo. Other early arrivals to the camp were Ola Aina, Semi Ajayi, Ademola Lookman, Olisa Ndah , Taiwo Awoniyi, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Wilfred Ndidi, Amas Obasogie and Victor Boniface. Chippa United of South Africa goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali’s late arrival brought the number of players in camp to 11. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had announced the list of…

SUPER Eagles players are expected to report to their Uyo camp on Monday (today), ahead of the 2025 AFCON qualifier matches against the Benin Republic and Rwanda, according to the Nigeria Football Federation. After a second-place finish in Ivory Coast earlier this year, the road to another showpiece, which will be played in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, begins for Nigeria against Benin Republic on Saturday, September 7, while they will face Rwanda three days later in Kigali. The NFF released a 23-man squad for the two games last Tuesday. Some of the early birds expected…

ENUGU Rangers were held to a goalless draw by El Kanemi Warriors in their Nigeria Premier Football League opener at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium on Saturday. The Flying Antelopes, who clinched their eighth league title just 68 days before the clash, found themselves frustrated by a resilient President Federation Cup winner in front of their home fans. The match saw both teams creating chances but ultimately failing to find the back of the net. El Kanemi, a newly promoted side, showed no signs of intimidation facing the Nigerian champions. In fact, they appeared to be the more dominant team for…

THE appointment of Bruno Labbadia as the head coach of the Super Eagles has been botched by stringent regulations of German tax authorities, the Nigeria Football Federation has confirmed. The NFF said that in the event, Technical Director of Nigeria Football Federation, Coach Augustine Eguavoen will now take charge of the Super Eagles for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Benin Republic (Uyo, 7th September) and Rwanda (Kigali, 10thSeptember). It will be Eguavoen’s fourth stint in charge of the three-time African champions, after earlier experience in 2005-2007, 2010 and 2022. In a statement released by the…

NIGERIA’s female basketball team D’Tigress have been placed eighth in the world in the latest FIBA rankings. In the list released on Thursday by the world basketball governing body, the six-time AfroBasket champions jumped four spots to become one of the top 10 teams globally. With its eight position in the latest ranking, the D’Tigress become the first African team — men or women — to break into the top 10 of the FIBA world rankings. The historical rise of the team in the world ranking could be linked to its dazzling performance at the Paris Olympics. D’Tigress defeated both…

FORMER Super Eagles striker Brown Ideye has advised Victor Osimhen to consider joining Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli, despite interest from Chelsea. After four successful years at Napoli, the 25-year-old striker is poised to leave the club, having gained global recognition for his outstanding performances. Osimhen has scored 76 goals and provided 18 assists in 133 appearances for Napoli, attracting interest from top European clubs. PSG, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Al Ahli are leading the race to sign him, but no deal has been finalized. Al Ahli, like many Saudi Arabian clubs, is hoping to lure Osimhen with a lucrative offer.…

THE Nigeria Football Federation has announced that it has agreed with German tactician, Bruno Labbadia, to become the Head Coach of Nigeria’s Senior Men’s National Team, Super Eagles. In the early hours of Tuesday, NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi said: “The NFF Executive Committee has approved the recommendation of its Technical and Development Sub-Committee to appoint Mr. Bruno Labbadia as the Head Coach of the Super Eagles. The appointment is with immediate effect.” Born in Darmstadt, Germany on 8th February 1966, Labbadia, won two caps for the German national team in his playing career that took him through clubs…

NIGERIA’s first Olympic medallist, Nojim Maiyegun, died on Monday, aged 85. The former boxer, who made history by winning a bronze medal at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, passed away in Vienna, Austria, where he resided for several years after relocating from Nigeria. Multiple sources confirmed that Maiyegun died of natural causes after being in and out of the hospital for the past six months. Known to have been visually impaired for several years, Maiyegun’s condition had reportedly worsened before his death. The news of his death was verified by Stephen Ogboh, a Nigerian acquaintance living in Austria, who confirmed the…

SAMSON Siasia has raised concerns about the Mighty Jets blunt attack, which is the fulcrum of his assignment when he takes up the coaching job at the Nigeria National League side. The former Nigeria striker, who recently served out his five-year ban by FIFA, spoke after watching the team take on Kano Pillars at the ongoing Gusau/Ahlan pre-season tournament at Jos New Stadium on Thursday. “Mighty Jets played better in the first half; they are young players, and they still have a lot to do, mostly in the goal-scoring aspect. Today. They had three clear chances, which they should have…