THE Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has announced a new format for the UEFA Champions League. This newspaper reports UEFA as saying the new format will begin with the 2024/25 season of European club football. This promises an exciting new era for the UEFA Champions League as the popular group stage has been knocked off. The pivotal change in the reforms announced by the UEFA Executive Committee on Monday is the departure from the current format’s group stage system. The present Champions League group stage includes 32 participants divided into eight groups of four. However, from the 2024/25 season,…
Author: Peter Noah KC
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SEVEN-TIME NPFL champions, Enugu Rangers secured a 2-0 away win over Niger Tornadoes as their general manager and chief executive officer, Amobi Ezeaku, made his professional bout for the Flying Antelopes in the league at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna on Sunday. Ezeaku, whose inclusion in the match-day squad attracted attention before kick-off, came on in the second half after Chidiebere Nwobodo and Godwin Obaje had given them the lead in the first half. Both goals were scored within three minutes as Nwobodo opened scoring in the 22nd minute while Obaje doubled the advantage in the 25th minute to make…
FOLLOWING the exit of Jose Peseiro as the Super Eagles Coach, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has appointed ex-Super Eagles head coach and Super Eagles legend, Augustine Eguavoen, to serve as the Super Eagles Interim Coach. Jose Peseiro has left his role as the coach of the Super Eagles after taking the team to the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The team lost to Cote d’Ivoire in the final of the competition. His contract with the team expired in February. Although there were reports that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) was negotiating with the Portuguese to…
JOSE Peseiro has left his role as the coach of the Super Eagles after taking the team to the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The team lost to Cote d’Ivoire in the final of the competition. His contract with the team expired in February. Although there were reports that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) was negotiating with the Portuguese to renew his contract, Peseiro is leaving the post. Yesterday, we concluded our contract with the NFF. It was a pride and honor to coach the Super Eagles. It has been 22 months of immense dedication, sacrifice,…
PLATEAU United have tightened the top three race in the 2023/24 Nigeria Premier Football League after securing a 5-1 win over bottom-placed Heartland in a match-day 22 game in Aba on Wednesday. The visitors raced to a two-goal lead inside 20 minutes courtesy of Olawale Doyeni and Lawrence Agbor, while Nenrot Silas made it three two minutes after the restart. Victor Makalala and Harrison Ebah completed the rout for the Jos side before Onyekachi Okafor pulled one back for the hosts in added time. With the win, Plateau United moved up to second in the table and one point behind…
EX-ARSENAL star William Gallas has warned his former side against a move for Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen this summer due to the risk of the Napoli star having a poor relationship with Gunners coach Mikel Arteta, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. The Londoners are keen to acquire the services of a top-quality No. 9 at the end of the season, with several options being explored. Osimhen is one of the top targets for the role, with Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain also keen on the Nigeria international. However, Gallas is not convinced that the 25-year-old is the missing piece of the puzzle…
THE Super Falcons of Nigeria are through to the final round of the qualifiers for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The Falcons defeated the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon 1-0 at the MKO Abiola Stadium Abuja on Monday evening to go through on 1-0 aggregate after a 0-0 draw in Cameroon last week. Esther Okoronkwo scored the only goal of the match in the 14th minute. The Cameroonians ended the game with ten players after Enganemben Annie was shown a red card for a reckless challenge on Chiamaka Nnadozie. Nigeria will face the winner between South Africa or Tanzania for one…
A BRACE from Ibrahim Yuga as well as other goals from captain Rabiu Ali, Auwalu Ali and Mustapha Umar saw former champions Kano Pillars hand visiting Sunshine Stars a heavy 5-1 defeat at the Sani Abacha Stadium on Sunday. The hosts wasted no time in the match-day 21 encounter, taking the lead as early as five minutes and they were already three up at halftime. Yuga completed his brace in the 52nd minute and Umar added the fifth three minutes later before Promise Awosanmi scored Sunshine Stars consolation goal in the 81st minute – his second goal for the club…
SHOOTING Stars will attempt to halt Plateau United’s impressive home-winning streak in the Nigeria Premier Football League game billed for the New Jos Stadium on Sunday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. The Peace Boys boasts of a perfect home record, winning all 10 games so far this season while Gbenga Ogunbote’s side are desperate to return to winning ways after losing to Enyimba last week. Mbwas Mangut’s side currently occupy the fifth position on the table and a win against the Oluyole Warriors could see them move top of the table should Lobi Stars fail to record maximum points in their…
BARCELONA and Arsenal legend, Theirry Henry, has tasked Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen, to be more consistent in scoring but urged the forward not to join Arsenal if he eventually made the move to the English Premier League. The Frenchman stated this after Osimhen;s goal against Barcelona in Wednesday’s Champions League last-16 first-leg clash in Naples kept the Partenopei in the tie. The Nigerian striker drew Napoli level at 1-1 with his only attempt on goal in the encounter 15 minutes after Robert Lewandowski broke the deadlock on the hour mark. The goal was his first in as many games since…
THE Super Eagles may soon find a permanent nest in Lagos when the rehabilitation of the Teslim Balogun Stadium is completed, Chairman, Lagos State Football Association, Faoud Oki, has said. The 24,000-capacity facility is one of the five stadiums currently undergoing rehabilitation by the Lagos State Government. Others are Agege stadium, Ikorodu stadium, Ifako-Ijaiye mini stadium and Gbagada stadium. According to the chairman, the Lagos State Government is keen on bringing back the glory of the stadium with a direct impact on the capacity of coaches in the state. “I’m looking forward with excitement to the completion of the rehabilitation…
ACCORIDNG to multiple reports, Algeria’s Football Association has opted not to continue negotiations with Jose Peseiro and is set to announce the appointment of Vladimir Petkovic as the new coach of their men’s senior national team. The imminent appointment of Petkovic as the new head coach of the Fennec Foxes will bring an end to speculation surrounding Peseiro’s potential appointment. Following Djamel Belmadi’s departure after a disappointing outing at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, Algeria sought a replacement, initially considering Peseiro due to his commendable performance with Nigeria, guiding the Super Eagles to a second-place finish in the tournament.…
ENGLAND-BORN Luton Town players of Nigerian descent, Gabriel Osho and Elijah Adebayo, are both open to playing for Nigeria at international level. Both players were born in England to Nigerian parents but have never made any appearance at international level despite being eligible to play for England and Nigeria. They have been outstanding for Luton Town, who are battling to stay in the Premier League after gaining promotion to England’s topflight division for the first time in the club’s history in 2023. For Adebayo, Luton Town’s top scorer with nine goals in 23 Premier League games, is one of the…
THE second half of the 2023/24 Nigeria Premier Football League hit the gears with aplomb on Sunday as Rivers United striker, Nyima Nwagua, scored a hat-trick in the former champions pulsating 3-2 win over Doma United at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt. Nwagu got the opening goal seven minutes into the encounter but Bidemi Owoku levelled matters for the visiting Doma in the 32nd minute. Nwagua then added the second and third in the 47th and 55th minute before Hillary Ekawu pulled one back for the visitors. Despite their win, Stanley Eguma’s side are still 10th in the…
CHIJIOKE Mbaoma scored the winner as Enyimba defeated Shooting Stars 1-0 in a Nigeria Premier Football League, matchday 20 encounter at the Enyimba stadium on Saturday. Mbaoma netted the decisive goal a minute in the 44th minute of the feisty clash. The striker was also on target in Enyimba’s 2-1 win against the Oluyole Warriors in the reverse fixture in Ibadan last month. The win moves Enyimba to spot with 35 points from 20 games while 3SC are placed 11th with 26 points from the same number of games. In the other game of the day, Heartland played a 1-1…
THE Super Eagles are now 14 places higher in the latest FIFA ranking following a great showing at the just-concluded 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Nigeria lost to Cote d’Ivoire in the final of the competition concluded last weekend and have deservedly climbed up the FIFA ladder after that impeccable showing. “Indeed, across the two continents, no fewer than six teams have scaled ten places or more. Amongst the African sides, Côte d’Ivoire (39th, up 10) reap the rewards of their continental triumph on home soil, secured following an eventful tournament campaign,” FIFA wrote on its website while announcing…
SUPER Eagles trio, William Troost-Ekong, Ademola Lookman and Ola Aina, have been included in the CAF Best XI of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, while reigning CAF Player of The Year, Victor Osimhen was visibly missing from the list. Despite being one of Nigeria’s most outstanding players at the AFCON, where he had a hand in four of the Eagles eight goals (scored once, provided an assist and won two penalties) at the tournament, Osimhen was excluded from the Confederation of African Football AFCON XI. The Technical Study Group of the Confederation of African Football released…
THE United States authorities have released images from the site of the tragic crash that killed the Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, Herbert Wigwe, and five others. In the photos released on Tuesday, two officials of the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) were seen inspecting the debris of the ill-fated helicopter. Wigwe, his wife, Doreen; their son, Chizi Wigwe; and former Nigerian Exchange Group Chairman, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, crashed in an Airbus EC130 helicopter close to the California-Nevada border near Halloran Springs. The four passengers and two crew members on board the ill-fated helicopter died on Friday, February…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu on Tuesday honoured each player and official of the Nigerian Super Eagles with the Member of The Order of The Niger national award for securing the silver medal at the just-concluded 2023 Africa Nations Cup. The Eagles, three-time African champions, lost the AFCON final 2-1 to hosts Ivory Coast in Abidjan on Sunday. The President also announced the donation of a flat and a plot of land to each of them even as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, immediately distributed forms for land allocation to each player at a yet-to-be-disclosed location. “‘It is…
DESPITE losing to hosts Ivory Coast in Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final, Super Eagles captain, Ahmed Musa, has hailed the team for its resilience and determination. Ivory Coast came back from a goal down to defeat the Nigerian team 2-1 in the final game of the competition which was concluded inside the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan, capital of Ivory Coast. Reflecting on the tournament, Musa who was an unused substitute in all games the team played, in a social media post on Monday, said that the unity of the team on the field transcended religious and tribal differences.…