Author: Peter Noah KC

ONE of Nigeria’s CAF Confederation Cup representatives El Kanemi Warriors were shock first round casualties on Saturday after losing 2-1 to African debutants Dadje in Benin. Dadje qualified 3-2 on aggregate following a 1-1 first leg draw last weekend and will face two-time title-holders Renaissance Berkane of Morocco next month for a group stage place. Bless Salassi was once again the Dadje hero, following up his first leg goal by scoring twice in the return match in the African equivalent of the UEFA Europa League. Salassi netted on 30 minutes and Clement Naantum equalised seven minutes later to bring the…

HEARTLAND FC Coach, Christian Obi is dead. A statement by Heartland Media on Saturday said he died on Friday from a road accident collision en route Abakaliki, Ebonyi State on his way to participate in the TICO/SELECT Ifeanyi Ekwueme Preseason Tournament. It said, “With sadness in our heart and with total submission to the will of God, Heartland FC is announcing the death of Christian Power Obi who died on Friday 23rd August, 2024 from a road accident en route Abakaliki, Ebonyi State to participate in the TICO/SELECT Ifeanyi Ekwueme Preseason Tournament. “The heartbreaking day saw the Heartland FC team…

EDO State-owned female football club, Edo Queens have emerged winners of the CAF Women’s League WAFU B Qualifiers. Edo Queens finished the championship unbeaten, coasting through the group stages. The team defeated Inter FC in the Semi-finals and trounced Ainonvi FC of Benin Republic 3-0 to emerge champions. The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has congratulated the team. In a statement, Obaseki hailed the team for their doggedness, commending their brilliant play, hard work, and commitment. He said, “I congratulate our darling ladies for their superlative performance, emerging champions of the CAF Women’s League WAFU qualifier champions. They gave…

THE Super Eagles are set to begin their training camp in Uyo on September 1, as they prepare for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Benin and Rwanda. The camp will open in Uyo, where the three-time African champions will finalize their strategies for the crucial matches ahead. On September 7, the Super Eagles will host the Cheetahs of Benin Republic at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, with the match scheduled to kick off at 5 pm. Shortly after this encounter, they will depart for Rwanda, where they are set to face another 2026 World…

NIGERIAN National League (NNL) side, Barau FC has announced the appointment of former Super Eagles coach, Salisu Yusuf popularly known as Dee Black as its new coach. In a statement released by the team from the press officer, Ahmad Hamisu Gwale, said the coach signed the one-season agreement in the presence of Barau FC president, Ambassador Ibrahim Shittu Chanji. Barau FC owned by Nigeria’s Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau hired Yusuf, because of his skills and experience in the Nigerian football league. Yusuf has coached many teams including Kano Pillars, Enyimba, El-Kanemi Warriors and Enugu Rangers. He also served as…

IN a recent interview with NewsCentral, Sade Olatoye, a Nigerian shot put athlete, revealed that she and her teammates received no financial support from the Nigerian government in their preparations for the 2024 Olympics. When asked about the support they received, Olatoye stated that everything was self-funded, including training, coaching, medical expenses, and competition fees. She emphasized that it wasn’t until they reached the championship stage that they heard about potential grants, which barely covered two per cent of their four-year training expenses. Olatoye said “Pretty much every year, me and my teammates, everything is out of pocket. “We pay…

NIGERIAN clubs Enugu Rangers and Remo Stars made winning starts in CAF Champions League qualifying on Sunday as they bid to become the first title-holders from the country since 2004. Frank Uwumiro netted midway through the first half to give Enugu a surprisingly narrow 1-0 ‘away’ first-round, first-leg win over Zilimadjou of the Comoros in Uyo. Zilimadjou forfeited home advantage because the Comoros does not have an international-standard stadium, meaning both legs will be staged in the south-eastern Nigerian city. Enugu, winners of the now defunct African Cup Winners Cup in 1977, are hoping to emulate back-to-back CAF champions Enyimba,…

IN a highly charged main event at UFC 305, South African fighter, Dricus Du Plessis, retained his middleweight title, defeating Nigerian-born Israel Adesanya by submission in the fourth round. The grudge match, which had been fueled by pre-fight tensions over race and identity, culminated in a dramatic turn of events as Du Plessis secured the victory with a rear-naked choke. Adesanya, a former two-time champion, came into the fight determined to reclaim the belt he lost to Sean Strickland last September. Despite trailing 2-1 on the scorecards heading into the fourth round, Du Plessis turned the tide with a series…

FORMER Super Eagles captain John Mikel Obi has voiced his frustration with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), urging government intervention if the body fails to address ongoing issues. Mikel, who has been outspoken about the state of Nigerian football, did not hold back in his criticism, highlighting instances where he had to step in due to the negligence and questionable practices of those in charge. He also questioned the competence of those occupying key positions, with poor decision-making and a lack of proper support for the national teams the order of the day. “The (NFF) need to make sure they…

MINISTER of Sports Development John Ewah Enoh says a new coach for the Super Eagles will be announced sooner than later. He made this disclosure during an appearance on Politics Tonight on Channels TV on Wednesday monitored by News Point Nigeria. The team have been without a coach since Finidi George resigned in June after a poor run of games in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. But the wait seems to be nearing an end over the minister’s assurance, which may have come late, with the Super Eagles facing Benin Republic in a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification tie…

AS the abysmal performance of Team Nigeria at the 2024 Paris Olympics continues to raise dust, Minister of Sports Development John Enoh says the different sporting federations in the country need comprehensive reforms for efficient sports development. The minister, who apologised to Nigerians over the poor outing in Paris, indicted the leadership of sporting federations for the lacklustre performance, emphasising the need for systems and structures at the federations to get the best athletes to represent Nigeria and get the desired medals in the next games. “I’ve always stated that we need to reform our federations,” he said on Channels…

AFTER Nigeria failed to win any medals in the Olympics, sporting officials are under pressure from accusations of incompetence and calls for reform over what the sports minister branded a “disastrous outcome” in Paris. While smaller nations on the continent came home with multiple medals, the Giant of Africa left empty-handed for the first time since the 2012 London Olympics. Despite fielding continental champions like 100m hurdles record holder Tobi Amusan, Africa’s most populous nation did not live up to Olympic expectations. A day after the Olympics closed, former and current Olympians lashed out at the country’s sporting federations calling…

THE Paris Olympics may have ended with Team Nigeria winning no medal in what has been described as one of the country’s worst outings. However many athletes of Nigerian descent competed for other nations and had a podium finish. Some heartbreaking misses and what many have pegged as administrative lapses saw Nigeria having its worst Olympics outing since 2012, mirroring similar performances in the past. In the wake of Nigeria’s outing in Paris, the Federal Government has called for a review of the contingents’ performances. While the heartbreak of a poor outing in France would linger in the minds of…

THE Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh has issued an apology to Nigerians over the poor outing of the Nigerian team at the just-concluded 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. President Bola Tinubu had approved ₦12bn for the country’s outing at the Olympics and the Paralympics. ₦9bn was earmarked for the former while ₦3bn was budgeted for the latter. Despite the funding, Nigeria had ended the games without a medal. Apologising to Nigerians in a statement on Sunday, Enoh said the team had fallen short of expectations. “The Olympic Games, Paris 2024, have ended, and I accept that our performance should…

D’TIGRESS Rena Wakama has won the best coach at the women’s basketball event in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Wakama is also the first Nigerian National Female Basketball Team coach to win the women’s Afrobasket title since it began in 1966. She took the Nigerian female team to the quarter-finals of the tournament t for the first time in its history. That feat made them the first-ever African team (men or women) to play at that stage of the event. Nigeria would eventually bow out of the women’s basketball event losing 74-88 to the US. “Best coach of #Paris2024 Women’s…

NIGERIA has ended the 2024 Paris Olympics without a medal. Hannah Reuben lost her Women’s Freestyle 76kg fight early Saturday to effectively put the country’s slim hope of making the podium to rest. She lost 5-2 to Mongolia’s Enkh-Amaryn Davaanasan in the round of 16 tie, capping off a woeful showing for the West African nation. Team Nigeria went to the Olympics on the back of some great performances in qualifying events. The country registered for 12 events, but sadly – like previous Games – failed to translate its continental dominance at the Olympics. A series of heartbreaking losses and…

MINISTER of Sports Development, John Enoh, has explained why Nigerian athlete, Ese Ukpeseraye, had to ‘borrow’ a bicycle from the German team to compete at the ongoing 2024 Paris Olympics. Ukpeseraye had on Thursday via X revealed that due to short notice, she could not get a bicycle and was almost at the risk of not participating but for the intervention of the German track team, who helped her with a bike. “Due to the short notice of me competing at the Keirin & Sprint, #teamNigeria I had no bicycle to race with on the tracks. In the spirit of…

IN a display of sportsmanship, Nigerian cyclist, Ese Lovina Ukpeseraye, received crucial support from the German cycling team during the Paris Olympics. Ukpeseraye, representing Team Nigeria, found herself in a difficult situation when she had no bicycle to race with in the keirin and sprint events due to the short notice of her participation. “Due to the short notice of me competing at the keirin & Sprint, #teamNigeria I had no bicycle to race with on the tracks,” Ukpeseraye said in a post via her X handle on Thursday. However, the German team, Bund Deutscher Radfahrer, stepped in to assist…

NIGERIA’s D’Tigress suffered a 74-88 quarter-final defeat to the U.S. women’s basketball team at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Wednesday night. Nigeria, who have made physical play a trademark, looked anything but intimidated by the powerhouse Americans as they traded buckets in the opening minutes. Two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player A’Ja Wilson scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to pace a US side that could break a tie with the US men’s basketball team for the most consecutive Olympic golds — set from 1936-68. Jackie Young added 15 points and Breanna Stewart — another two-time WNBA MVP chipped in…

WORLD record holder Tobi Amusan qualified for the 100-meter hurdles semi-finals in the ongoing 2024 Olympics in Paris on Wednesday. Amusan led the pack of eight athletes with 12.49 seconds, followed by America’s Alaysha Johnson with 12.61 and Jamaica’s Janeek Brown qualified with 12.84 seconds. The semi-finals will be held on Friday, August 9, while the final is slated for the penultimate day of the athletics event, Saturday, August 10. This is Amusan’s third consecutive Olympic Games. Speaking, Amusan said she is confident of securing a medal in the event at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris after failing to…