YUSUF Abdullahi stole the show on match-day 11 of the 2023/24 Nigeria Premier Football League scoring all the goals for Kano Pillars as the former champions thumped Gombe United 5-2 at the Pantami Stadium, Gombe, on Sunday. It was an emphatic return to winning ways for Abdul Maikaba’s side, with Abdullahi leading the ring in the comprehensive win. He stuck Pillars in front as early as the 11th minute and made it 4-2 with three more goals at halftime. With the game already going to bed, Abdullahi further extended Pillars lead with the fifth goal just after the hour mark…
Author: Peter Noah KC
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SUPER Eagles Captain, Ahmed Musa has hinted on a return to the Nigeria Professional Football League at a point in his career. Musa started his professional career in the NPFL with Kano Pillars, winning the top scorer award in the 2009-10 season before moving to VVV Venlo the following season. The 31-year-old returned for a brief stint with Kano Pillars in 2021. He has now expressed his desire to play in the NPFL once again at some point in his career. “I will always talk about the Nigerian league because I was once their product. And that placed me where…
THE defending champion of the UEFA Euro, Italy, have been drawn alongside Spain and Croatia in Group B ahead of next year’s tournament, which is set to take place in Germany. Italy defeated England 3-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in full time to win their first major tournament after their 2006 triumph at the World Cup in Germany. In Group A, host Germany were drawn alongside Scotland, Hungary, and Switzerland. The Netherlands, France, and Austria should be another fixture to look out for in Group D. See Full Draw: Group A: Germany, Scotland, Hungary, Switzerland Group B: Spain,…
NIGERIA is now ranked 42nd in the latest ranking released by world football governing body, FIFA, yesterday. This latest ranking shows that the three-time African champions have lost two places from their rating announced at the end of October. The Super Eagles were involved in two competitive matches in November, drawing their first two 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Zimbabwe – two nations below them in the FIFA rankings. The Super Eagles are the sixth best team in Africa behind Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Algeria, and Egypt. Nigeria’s Group C rivals in the 2026 World Cup African qualifying series,…
THE President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ibrahim Gusau, has promised the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee to the Nigeria Football League. VAR is a system that helps referees to decide better about players’ fouls, if a goal was valid, red card decisions, in football matches. Gusau gave the assurance during the maiden retreat of the management and staff of NPFL in Abuja. He said the NFF will start the process of introducing VAR into Nigerian football by sending some referees to countries that have already put VAR into practice to study its application and usage. “I can assure…
SUPER Eagles coach, Jose Peseiro, told the Nigeria Football Federation Technical Committee not to teach him his job but rather pay him and his team their outstanding allowances. Peseiro allegedly said this while reacting to the NFF Technical Committee Chairman, Shariff Ahlan’s comment in the wake of his future as Eagles coach, stating that the Eagles job is bigger than the Portuguese. Ahlan told Peseiro in a meeting in Lisbon, Portugal in October that the Eagles had been struggling due to his poor technical abilities. “You’re busy too pay me my allowances but not busy to tell me what I…
A FORMER Nigerian international Samson Siasia has revealed that the Super Eagles are not ready for the 2023 African Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. The Super Eagles failed to win their first two matches in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Zimbabwe. Siasia believes the team is disorganised and not ready to impress at the 2023 Nations Cup and the 2026 World Cup. “Like the majority of Nigerians, I am worried about the Eagles’ lackluster performances so far. Struggling against countries like Lesotho and Zimbabwe is not a good sign of a team ready to win…
THIS newspaper has gathered that the Nigeria Football Federation is considering the future of Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro, with the coach likely to be disengaged soon as the search for his replacement has commenced. Our correspondent learnt that the Technical Committee of the federation was not pleased with the performance of the Eagles under the Portuguese and was desperate to hire a local coach. Since taking charge of the Eagles in 2022, Peseiro has won six and lost six of his 15 matches in the dugout with the three-time African champions scoring 31 times – with 10 coming in…
REIGNING Nigerian Premier Football League champions recorded their third straight win of the season after recording a hard fought 1-0 win away at Heartland in Owerri. It was their first Oriental derby win since June 2015. After a goalless first half that saw The Elephants dominate play and missed chances to score through Chijioke Mbaoma before he was replaced in the second half. With the game looking to end goalless, Enyimba coach Finidi George made some tactical changes which immediately paid off. He replaced Stephen Chukwude for Mbaoma who scored the match winner with his first touch of the game…
SUPER Eagles forward Taiwo Awoniyi has been ruled out for “months” with a groin injury and will miss Nigeria’s outing at the delayed 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) billed for early next year. “It’s bad news on Taiwo, he’s had to have surgery and he is going to be out for months,” Nottingham Forest Head Coach Steve Cooper said Thursday. “We’ll support him and try to get him back as quick and as fit as he can be, but it’s a really unfortunate situation and a blow for him.” The striker picked up the injury in Nigeria’s 1-1 draw…
RWANDA pulled one of the biggest shocks of the Africa qualifying series for the 2024 World Cup when they beat South Africa 2-0 on Thursday. With Nigeria getting two points from their first two games in Group C of the qualifiers, the fears of a second consecutive World Cup miss was on the horizon. But goals from Innocent Nshuti and Gilbert Mugisha ensured all three points for the Amavubi Stars at the Huye Stadium in Butare, Rwanda. The win means South Africa did not pick up six points from two games which could have them firmly in control of the…
A BOARD member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Nse Essien says the federation won’t be able to pay the Super Eagles Head Coach Jose Peseiro his compensatory fees if he were to be relieved of his job. The Portuguese coach has been under pressure of late after his side played out consecutive draws against Lesotho on Thursday and Zimbabwe in their Group C, World Cup qualifiers a few days later. Many Nigerian football fans had expectations that the Super Eagles would almost waltz through the group, however, the teams ranked, 151st and 125th took the lead in their encounter…
FOLLOWING another unimpressive performance against Zimbabwe in the 2026 World Cup qualifier, some fans have once again slammed the Super Eagles labelling their display a shameful outing, The PUNCH reports. Jose Peseiro’s men put up an underwhelming performance as they laboured to a 1-1 draw against the Warriors in the second game of the qualifiers. The draw means the Eagles have just two points from a possible six points having drawn their first game against a lowly-ranked Lesotho side at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Thursday. Peseiro made six changes from the side that drew to the Crocodiles…
TITLE holders Kano Pillars earned their first win of the second phase of the Ardova Handball Premier League 2023 in Lagos. Kano Pillars dispatched Benue Buffaloes 33-24 to stay fifth in the men’s standing. Lagos Tojemarine Academy continued in their good form as they defeated Correction Boys 29-22. Lagos Seasider Boys struggled to defeat Confluence Stars 24-22 while Safety Shooters eased past Police Machine 29-19. League leaders, Niger United outscored bottom-placed Bendel Dynamos 36-17 as De Defenders secured a vital 25-22 victory over Sokoto Rima Strikers. In the women’s category, defending champions, Safety Babes maintained their winning streak this season…
VICTOR Osimhen has made the final list for the 2023 CAF Best Player award, a statement from the football body has shown. “CAF has announced the shortlists for the men’s categories for the CAF Awards 2023,” the African football governing body said on Friday. The Napoli forward, who is the overwhelming favourite, is the only Nigerian to make the cut and will be aiming to cap off an impressive year in which he won the Italian Scuddeto and top scorer gong in the league. A few weeks ago, Osimhen finished eighth in the 2023 Ballon d’Or awards held in the…
SUPER Eagles coach, José Peseiro, has come to the defence of his shot-stopper Francis Uzoho, insisting he has faith in the 25-year-old as they prepare to face Lesotho in the World Cup qualification tie on Thursday. Since the exit of Carl Ikeme, Nigeria’s goalkeeping department has struggled to find a suitable replacement. South Africa-based goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi and Maduka Okoye have been the targets of severe criticisms on social media as the latter has been harassed by online trolls over his looks to death wishes upon him and his loved ones. It has been no different for Uzoho as his…
NIGERIAN striker, Victor Osimhen, has said that the lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia would’ve changed his life and revealed why he chose to reject the multi-billion niara offer although it was a tough choice. The Nigerian striker was the star of the show in the Campania capital last season during their historic Scudetto success, scoring 26 goals and providing five assists across 32 league games. He stood out as one of the most dangerous centre-forwards in Europe, attracting widespread attention from the biggest clubs in the World including Manchester United and Chelsea. Speaking to John Obi Mikel on the ‘Obi…
CHINEDU Sunday’s 29th-minute goal for Lobi Stars secured a 1-0 victory for the Makurdi side over Sporting Lagos in Lafia on Sunday, just as Abah Adams’s second half header also settled the high-profile game between Kano Pillars and Enyimba 1-0 in favour of the four-time champions. Sunday, a defender grabbed his moment on the stroke of halftime to ensure Eugene Agagbe’s side made it three wins in a row and also keep up their lead on the table with 17 points from eight matches. In Ikenne, Remo Stars kept up the pace with Lobi by beating Gombe United 4-0. Striker…
TWENTY students of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) were yesterday rushed to the university’s teaching hospital following a stampede at an examination hall in the campus. This newspaper reports that the stampede occurred where the students were billed to write the General Studies and Communication Skills (GSS) examination that was postponed to Saturday from Friday. The GSS examination was for100-level students from all the faculties of the university. The examination, meant to be taken in batches, saw the students rushing to secure the few available spaces. This newspaper also reports that Saturday’s GSS examination was meant to be the climax…
ON a run of two straight wins in the Nigeria Premier Football League, pacesetters Lobi Star will aim to make it three in a row and five in eight league games with another victory on Sunday (today), when they host newcomers Sporting Lagos in Lafia. Lobi Stars stayed clear by a point at the top in the NPFL after defeating Bayelsa United 2-1 in a mid-week rescheduled fixture. Their newly promoted visitors, the Noisy Lagosians, will aim to build on their impressive 3-0 home win over Kano Pillars in Lagos despite losing their last two consecutive away games against Kwara…