Author: Peter Noah KC

THE Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh, has officially unveiled Finidi George as the new head coach of the Nigerian men national team, the Super Eagles. The Minister unveiled the former Super Eagles forward at an event in Abuja attended by the leaders of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) at the Media Centre of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja on Monday morning. “Any country I find an indigenous coach sitting on the bench, I always feel very proud and I am glad that we have an opportunity that have a Nigerian coach, Finidi George, as football men national…

BRITAIN’s Prince Harry and his wife Meghan are in Lagos, where the Duke of Sussex will take part in a basketball event and a fundraiser later today. The Royal couple is on a three-day visit to Nigeria to promote his Invictus Games and support mental health for young people affected by conflicts. Both arrived at the Federal Capital Territory on Friday, Prince Harry played a seated volleyball match with army veterans, most wounded in battle against the country’s Islamist insurgency on Saturday.. At an officer’s mess complex in Abuja, Harry’s team dressed in yellow played off in an exhibition against…

RETIRED footballer, Ibrahim Babangida, a member of the 1993 U-17 World Cup-winning Golden Eaglets squad, who died in a ghastly accident along the Kano-Zaria Road on Thursday, was buried on Friday according to Muslim rites. Babangida died while travelling with his older sibling and Atlanta 1996 Olympics gold medallist Tijjani Babangida, his wife, his one and a half-year-old son, and a maid, who survived and are currently receiving treatment at Shika Hospital in Zaria. A chieftain of the Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria, Harrison Jalla, said officials of the players body were in Kaduna to pay their last respect to…

ATLANTA 1996 Olympic Games gold medallist and President of the Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria, Tijjani Babangida, was on Thursday involved in a car accident that claimed the life of his younger brother Ibrahim Babangida. Former teammate, Emmanuel Babayaro, the General Secretary, PFAN, announced the incident in a statement. Though the details of the accident remained sketchy as of the time of filing this report, our correspondent learnt that the accident happened along the Kaduna-Zaria Road. “Comrades! Let us be in prayers for our president, Tijjani Babangida, who just had a ghastly motor accident along the Kaduna-Zaria Road. “Ibrahim Babangida,…

SUPER Eagles forward Ademola Lookman is still basking in the euphoria of his first Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, with the Atalanta forward saying his second goal against Cameroon still gives him goose bumps. The 26-year-old scored three goals at the continental showpiece with two of them against Cameroon in the round of 16 as Nigeria booked a place in the quarter-finals against Angola. In the 36th minute of the encounter, Lookman was played through by Victor Osimhen and his shot squeezed through goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoa, who was chosen ahead of Manchester United’s Andre Onana. In stoppage time,…

THE Nigeria Football Federation has said new Super Eagles manager, Finidi George’s impressive record as coach handed him the job. After leading Nigeria in two international friendlies in March, the Glass House named Finidi as substantive coach of the team. He beat compatriot, Emmanuel Amuneke and others to the job. Revealing what stood out for the ex-Ajax winger, NFF Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire, stated that his experience working as an assistant coach to Portuguese manager, Jose Peseiro was crucial “I’m not a member of the Technical Committee but I can also look at a lot of positives around Finidi…

ENUGU Rangers coach Fidelis Ilechukwu, 3SC coach Gbenga Ogunbote, Stanley Eguma of Rivers United and Niger Tornadoes gaffer Majin Mohammed have been nominated for the League Bloggers April Manager of The Month Award in the Nigeria Premier Football League. The League Bloggers Award is an initiative of MatchRoom Sports & Media Ltd and has since 2009, been a platform where the efforts of top performers in Nigerian top flight are recognised. In the month under review, Eguma led the table toppers to three wins in five matches against Sunshine Stars, Plateau United and Abia Warriors, scoring 10 goals in the…

FORMER Super Eagles players and football enthusiasts on Saturday paid tribute to Nigeria’s all-time top scorer, Rashidi Yekini, 12 years after he passed on at 48 after a protracted illness. The late Yekini was reportedly kidnapped shortly before he passed away, and the cause of his death is still unclear. Despite his sad ending over a decade ago, there is pride in the achievements of the 1993 African Footballer of the Year, yet sadness at his death and anger at the way he had been treated by the government and football authorities. Super Eagles coach George Finidi, who made an…

SOME football stakeholders have tasked the Nigeria Football Federation to release the details contained in the contract of newly appointed Super Eagles coach, George Finidi, following his appointment on Monday. The NFF Board approved the appointment of the former Ajax and Betis player following the recommendation of its Technical and Development Committee to hand over the reins to the 52-year-old. However, details about Finidi’s contract have become a subject of discussion among a lot of football faithful. The football governing body in a statement released on Monday which announced the appointment of the Enyimba gaffer did not specify the coach’s…

BAYERN Munich midfielder, Jamal Musiala, has spoken of his admiration for Nigerian culture while also declaring his love for African delicacy ‘fufu’. Musiala, a guest on the popular show ‘How Hungry Are You’ by Chef Serge Ibaka, admitted that he had never been to Nigeria, the country of his father, but said he grew up knowing a lot about Nigeria and African cultures. “I’ve never been to Africa before even though I always wanted to but we’ve never really had the time to go over there,” he said. “My dad is from Nigeria and he always tells me about the…

FORMER Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, has extolled Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman following his impressive performances for the Italian club. Lookman has emerged as an important figure since moving to Atalanta from RB Leipzig in 2022 for €9.35m. After not having much success in previous spells with Everton, Leipzig, Fulham, and Leicester City, the 26-year-old has quickly adjusted to life in Italy to become one of the best players in the league since his arrival. In his debut season, Lookman scored 15 goals and registered eight assists in 33 appearances across all competitions and he has not shown any sign…

THE Nigeria Football Federation has garnered commendations from former Super Eagles players following the appointment of George Finidi as the new coach for the men’s senior national team but adds that he must be supported to succeed. On Monday, the NFF board endorsed the recommendation of its Technical and Development Committee to name Finidi as the successor to Jose Peseiro, who voluntarily stepped down after guiding the team to a second-place finish at the recent 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. However, the NFF did not disclose the contract specifics for Finidi, nor did they reveal his assistants.…

A FORMER Super Eagles captain, Christian Chukwu, has revealed that the Nigeria Football Federation still owes him salary from his time as the country’s male senior national team head coach. Chukwu led the team to a bronze medal at the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia. He was however relieved of the job in June 2005 during the qualification campaign for the World Cup in Germany. The former skipper of the then Green Eagles while speaking on why local coaches are not treated well by Nigeria, said he had a better experience managing in Kenya and Lebanon. “They owe…

THE Nigeria Football Federation has appointed former Super Eagles winger Finidi George as the new head coach of the nation’s senior men’s national team. The announcement came in a statement on Monday, with the NFF Board approving the recommendation of its Technical and Development Committee to hand over the reins to the 52-year-old former Ajax Amsterdam and Real Betis forward. Finidi George, who spent 20 months as an assistant to the outgoing José Santos Peseiro, had been serving as the interim coach after the Portuguese tactician’s departure following the Super Eagles’ impressive run to the final of the 2023 Africa…

ENUGU Rangers defeated Plateau United 2-0 at the Cathedral to move two points clear at the top of the Nigerian Premier Football League standings following the conclusion of matchday 32 fixtures on Sunday. A goal in the 26th minute from Okorie Chiedozie put the Flying Antelopes in the lead at halftime before Godwin Obaje sealed the victory from the spot in the 93rd minute. The win ensured that the Coal City outfit secured a vital victory over the ‘Tin City’ side, who were 2-1 winners in the reverse fixture at the New Jos Stadium in December. Despite the defeat, Plateau…

FOR the second consecutive time in two months, the Super Eagles have seen their squad market value drop in the transfer market. Despite finishing second at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast in February, the three-time African champions suffered a massive drop of €121m, the first this year. They dropped down two steps and are now ranked the 15th most valuable international team in the world, while retaining their position as the most financially valuable team in Africa. The Eagles boast players who ply their trade in Europe’s lucrative leagues, making them one of the world’s most…

FORMER Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia says the Nigeria Football Federation supported FIFA to have him banned for alleged involvement in match-fixing in August 2019. In a recent interview with Athlist, the 56-year-old, whose ban ends in a few months, said the NFF not only refused to support him but also carried out FIFA’s instruction not to let him know he was under investigation by the world football body. “Nigeria abandoned me at that time of need; that’s my own take on how this thing played out,” the former Eagles striker and member of the 1994 AFCON-winning squad, said. “It’s…

FORMER Super Eagles captain and coach, Samson Siasia, has lifted the lid on the national U-23 team’s ugly experiences in Atlanta during preparations for the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil. Siasia made the revelation during a podcast with ex-international Emmanuel Babayaro and journalist Matthew Edafe on Saturday. The 1994 AFCON winner qualified Nigeria for the 2008 and 2016 Olympic Games in Beijing and Rio, winning silver and bronze medals respectively. However, the bronze-medal winning team is famously remembered for arriving in Brazil just hours before their first game at the Olympics and started their campaign with a 5-4 victory over…

THE race for the 2023/24 Nigeria Premier Football League title and battle against relegation remained on a crescendo over the weekend as champions Enyimba cut the gap on leaders Enugu Rangers to two points with seven matches to go. The nine-time champions secured a 1-1 draw against the Sunshine Stars in Akure on Sunday (their 12th point on the road this season with three draws and three wins) to take their point haul to 52 after 31 matches, while Rangers failed to extend their lead on the log following a 2-0 defeat to Rivers United in Port Harcourt. Chidiebere Nnachi’s…

THE Nigerian government is determined to see the Super Eagles qualify for the next World Cup and is making sure the team gets everything it needs to make that happen. Nigeria missed out on the 2022 World Cup after they were edged by rivals Ghana. They have started the race for the next edition of the tournament on a shaky note, drawing their first two games in a group that contains South Africa. But the Minister of Sports Development John Enoh says the country cannot afford to miss out on another World Cup tournament in 2026. “I think we have…