THE Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the combined Confederation of Africa Athletics (CAA) U-18/U-20 Championships billed to hold in Abeokuta, Ogun State, has rolled out various sub-committees that will oversee the smooth running of the Games. The championships will run from July 16 to 20. The LOC, headed by Bukola Olapade, who is also the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), reiterated its commitment to delivering a championships that Nigerians and Africans would be proud of. “The little time for preparations notwithstanding, we are committed to delivering a hitch-free CAA U-18/U-20 Championships,” he said. “Members of the committees…
Author: Peter Noah KC
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A FORMER Super Eagles player, Sunday Oliseh, has explained the reason for his disapproval of a foreigner taking over the reins of the senior Nigerian national team. Oliseh spoke on Channels Sports on Sunday monitored by News Point Nigeria, where he insisted there were worthy home-based coaches capable of doing a better job. ”I am totally against having that role not being handed over to a Nigerian because we have qualified Nigerians who can do that job,” he said. In January, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) appointed Eric Chelle, a French-born former Mali international, to succeed Augustine Eguavoen, who had…
SOUTH Africa’s Manager, Hugo Broos, is still confident that Bafana Bafana will make the 2026 World Cup from Group C despite the threat of a FIFA three-point sanction hanging over his team. South Africa leads Group C with 13 points with Rwanda and the Benin Republic on eight points each, while Nigeria, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe are on seven, six, and four points respectively. Nigeria must win its remaining matches in the group to retain hopes of overtaking the South Africans, who host the Super Eagles on September 8. That game in Pretoria would have been seen as inconsequential if the…
BRITISH-NIGERIAN, Anthony Oluwafemi Joshua’s illustrious boxing career could come to an end in 2026, according to his long-time promoter, Eddie Hearn. The 35-year-old former two-time heavyweight world champion is currently recovering from elbow surgery and is expected to return to the ring later this year, targeting a comeback fight in September. However, Hearn has revealed that Anthony Joshua is likely approaching the final stretch of his professional boxing journey. “Probably 2026 will be his last year in the sport,” Hearn said on The Ariel Helwani Show. “You never know, but thinking about it realistically, it’s probably three fights away. If…
TWENTY-EIGHT years after the city of Ibadan, Oyo State hosted the Third African U-20 Athletics Championships, the country is set to host the biennial competitions once again. This time, Nigeria will host the combined U-18/U-20 Championships from July 16 to 20, in Abeokuta, Ogun State. In the 1997 event in Ibadan, Nigerian athletes dominated the championships, topping the medals table with a total of 39 medals, comprising 13 gold, 11 silver,, and 15 bronze medals, ahead of Algeria (seven gold, six silver, and five bronze). Kenya, South Africa, and Ghana were in third, fourth, and fifth positions respectively. While the…
EUNISELL, an Indigenous chemicals and oilfield solutions company, is set to present its prestigious Eunisell Boot Award to Anas Yusuf of Nasarawa United, who emerged as the top scorer in the 2024/25 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season with 18 goals. The award ceremony will be held on Friday, June 13, 2025, in Lagos. In keeping with tradition, each goal has been valued at N200,000, earning Yusuf a total cash reward of N3.6 million. The prize reinforces Eunisell’s commitment to celebrating excellence and encouraging elite performance in Nigerian football. Chika Ikenga, Group Managing Director of Eunisell, emphasised the company’s passion…
THE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has approved the Sam Okwaraji Secondary Schools Soccer Championship across Nigeria. The approval is sequel to the endorsement of the Senate Committee on Sports Developments led by Senator Abdul Ningi. This initiative, which is billed to be an annual event, is an initiative of the Samuel Okwaraji Foundation to immortalise the late Nigerian international who slumped and died at National Stadium Surulere, Lagos in August 1989, during a crucial FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Angola. The NFF in a letter signed by Ruth David, Acting Director of Competitions noted that endorsement…
SUPER Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has reportedly rejected a lucrative €40 million annual salary offer to move to Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal, despite the €75 million transfer fee already agreed between the Saudi club and Napoli. Al-Hilal, coached by Simone Inzaghi, had tabled a massive contract offer worth over €30 million per year, later increasing it to €40 million annually, in a bid to secure the signature of the 26-year-old Nigerian forward. However, in a dramatic twist, Osimhen has declined the proposal, halting what seemed to be an almost completed transfer. “Despite an agreement between clubs on a €75m…
SUPER Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has emphasized the need for his team to refine their playing pattern and achieve better balance as they prepare for upcoming challenges. Speaking after Nigeria’s 1-1 draw with Russia at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium on Friday, Chelle acknowledged the difficulties posed by an under-strength squad but maintained a focus on future improvements. During the post-match press conference, Chelle noted that the absence of key players such as goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, defenders Ola Aina and Calvin Bassey, midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, and forwards Ademola Lookman, Victor Osimhen, and Samuel Chukwueze affected the team’s usual style of play.…
RUSSIA and Nigeria played to a 1-1 draw in their international friendly on Friday, with both teams displaying determination and flashes of brilliance throughout the match. Russia opened the scoring in the 27th minute when Nigerian defender Semi Ajayi accidentally turned the ball into his own net. The Super Eagles fought back in the second half, leveling the score in the 71st minute thanks to a composed finish from Tolu Arokodare after an error by the Russian goalkeeper. It wasn’t the Super Eagles’ best performance, but they showed grit and determination to earn a share of the spoils in Moscow.…
NIGERIA Football Federation (NFF) President, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, on Thursday, expressed concern over Nigeria’s exclusion from the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup. He described Nigeria’s exclusion from the championship as a big blow to the country’s football development, which calls for urgent steps to address the problem. Gusau, who was represented by NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, at a two-day workshop organised for chairmen and chief operating officers of Nigeria’s football leagues and premier league clubs, said: “FIFA just came up with the Club World Cup, and four countries are representing Africa. Unfortunately, Nigeria is not among them.…
REMO Stars and Rivers United are poised to represent Nigeria in the upcoming 2025/2026 CAF Champions League, according to the latest qualifying updates compiled by Agence France-Presse and reported by The Guardian. Nigeria, ranked among the top 12 African footballing nations by CAF, retains its right to two slots in the premier continental competition. As it stands, Remo Stars and Rivers United are in pole position to fill those berths, having emerged as front-runners in domestic competitions. The CAF Champions League remains Africa’s flagship club tournament, and qualification is fiercely contested across the continent. This newspaper reports that the list…
A BRACE from Rashidat Ajibade was all the Super Falcons of Nigeria needed to earn a comfortable 2-0 victory over the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon in a friendly international on Tuesday. Nigeria took the lead in the 28th minute of play at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta, Ogun State, when Ajibade won a penalty and converted the same. The Super Falcons pressed on, threatening the Cameroonian defence as Ajibade, who recently left Atlético Madrid, pushed for Nigeria’s second. But the Central African held them out, barely surviving. Two minutes before halftime, it was Nigeria who, expectedly, scored another goal.…
THE Super Eagles of Nigeria will face Russia in an international friendly this Friday with a significantly reshuffled squad, following a string of injuries and withdrawals that forced changes to Head Coach Eric Chelle’s original list. First-choice goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali was never scheduled to make the trip due to burial rites for his late parents. However, the goalkeeping department remains stable, with Maduka Okoye of Udinese and Amas Obasogie of Tanzania’s Singida Blackstars set to compete for the starting spot. In defence, team captain William Ekong and Bright Osayi-Samuel lead the group in Moscow, alongside Unity Cup participants Bruno Onyemaechi,…
WHEN the Nigerian boxer who died while fighting in Ghana, Gabriel Olanrewaju, slumped and lost consciousness in the boxing ring in March, his 22-year-old wife, Adebusola Olanrewaju‘s life came crashing down. The Secretary-General of the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control (NBBofC), Remi Aboderin, revealed that they had permitted the 40-year-old boxer to fight a day before his death. The fight was cancelled after he was adjudged overweight for the round. Another fight was, however, scheduled for the following day, and Olanrewaju participated in it. It was during this fight that he lost his life, leaving behind his young wife and…
CHRISTANTUS Uche converted the winning penalty as Nigeria beat Jamaica 5-4 in a shootout to win the Unity Cup, defending the title they won 19 years ago. The friendly tournament was hosted at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium and staged for the first time since 2004, when the Super Eagles first got their hands on the trophy. They did so again here, as after a 2-2 draw in normal time the shootout began with six perfect penalties. Jamaica’s Dwayne Atkinson then stepped up and smashed his effort off the top of the bar and over. Amari’i Bell made no mistake with…
THE Super Eagles of Nigeria are set to rekindle a decades-old rivalry with the Reggae Boyz of Jamaica in a pulsating Unity Cup Invitational Tournament final at the Gtech Community Stadium in West London this Saturday. Having clinched the title in the only previous edition of the tournament in 2004, Nigeria will be looking to retain their crown against a Jamaican side just as hungry for glory. This year’s edition of the Unity Cup has been about more than just football—it has succeeded in uniting diverse communities across the United Kingdom through sport, culture, and shared celebration. The tournament has…
TEAM Delta has been named the overall winner of the 22nd National Sports Festival held in Ogun State. The event, called “Gateway Games 2024,” was officially opened by President Bola Tinubu on May 18. Bayelsa team secured second place with Ogun finishing third. Enugu State will host the 2025 Gateway Games. Delta State won 109 gold, 75 silver, and 87 bronze medals. The Executive Chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission, Onoriode Oborevwori, dedicated the win to the state governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, as part of the celebrations for his two years in office. “This victory is for His Excellency, Rt.…
THE Ogun State Government has described as regrettable the protest staged by some athletes representing the state at the ongoing National Sports Festival over delayed allowances. It said those who protested did so in error as it was a clear case of impatience. In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, the government expressed its disappointment, stating that the protest was inconsistent with the values and objectives the state upholds. He noted that the athletes acted out of impatience, as all necessary arrangements had been concluded for the payment of their…
THREE African football legends – Samuel Eto’o, Emmanuel Adebayor and Jay-Jay Okocha – took to the pitch in Somalia on Tuesday for an exhibition match aimed at restoring the country’s image. The three superstars were part of a FIFA-backed “peace tour” that Somalia hopes will help it once again host international fixtures. Somalia has been in a state of near-constant internal conflict since 1991, and its national team has had to play matches mostly in neighbouring Djibouti. The national stadium in Mogadishu, the capital, was heavily damaged after being used as a base by Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab insurgents from 2008 and…