HEARTLAND coach Emmanuel Amuneke has expressed confidence in his team’s ability to match nine-time champions Enyimba when they face off in their first game of the 2024/25 Nigeria Premier Football League season at Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, on Sunday. Although they were relegated last season, Heartland were reinstated to the topflight by the NPFL board on Tuesday following the disqualification of Beyond Limits Football Academy, who didn’t meet up with the league’s framework on dual ownership. The Naze Millionaires wrapped up their preparations for the new season on Wednesday by lifting the Dan Anyim Cup in Owerri, beating Kun Khalifat…
Author: Peter Noah KC
SUPER Eagles of Nigeria forward, Ademola Lookman, has been nominated for the 2024 men’s Ballon d’Or award. In the list announced by France Football Magazine on Wednesday, the 26-year-old Atalanta of Italy player was shortlisted alongside 29 players for the coveted award. He is the only African player in the list. Eight-time winner and current holder Lionel Messi is not listed for this years’s award as well as five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo. Lookman was in scintillating form as Atalanta won its first-ever European trophy last season, with the Nigerian scoring a hat-trick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen.…
INTERIM coach of the Super Eagles, Austin Eguavoen, has expressed confidence in the ability of his players to beat the Cheetahs of Benin Republic in Saturday’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match in Uyo. Speaking ahead of the match scheduled for the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, the coach said despite the recent poor results recorded by the former African champions, the team is filled to the brim with quality players who can do the job on Saturday. Eguavoen said he had spoken to the players but he will speak to them again before they take on the Cheetahs.…
THE Technical Adviser of El-Kanemi Warriors, Aliyu Zubairu, has been appointed Head Coach of the National U-20 Boys team, the Flying Eagles. The NFF said the appointment of the coach is based on the recommendation of its Technical and Development Sub-Committee. The appointment of Zubairu, who led El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri to win the President Federation Cup at the expense of Abia Warriors FC in Lagos in June, takes immediate effect. The Warriors have since crashed out of the CAF Confederation Cup after losing 2-1 on aggregate to Benin Republic’s Daje FC in the preliminary Round. They, however, opened their…
SUPER Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, and eight other members of the team arrived at the Uyo camp on Monday morning preparatory to the 2025 AFCON qualifying clash with the Cheetahs of Benin Republic on Saturday, September 7 at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo. Other early arrivals to the camp were Ola Aina, Semi Ajayi, Ademola Lookman, Olisa Ndah , Taiwo Awoniyi, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Wilfred Ndidi, Amas Obasogie and Victor Boniface. Chippa United of South Africa goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali’s late arrival brought the number of players in camp to 11. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had announced the list of…
SUPER Eagles players are expected to report to their Uyo camp on Monday (today), ahead of the 2025 AFCON qualifier matches against the Benin Republic and Rwanda, according to the Nigeria Football Federation. After a second-place finish in Ivory Coast earlier this year, the road to another showpiece, which will be played in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, begins for Nigeria against Benin Republic on Saturday, September 7, while they will face Rwanda three days later in Kigali. The NFF released a 23-man squad for the two games last Tuesday. Some of the early birds expected…
ENUGU Rangers were held to a goalless draw by El Kanemi Warriors in their Nigeria Premier Football League opener at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium on Saturday. The Flying Antelopes, who clinched their eighth league title just 68 days before the clash, found themselves frustrated by a resilient President Federation Cup winner in front of their home fans. The match saw both teams creating chances but ultimately failing to find the back of the net. El Kanemi, a newly promoted side, showed no signs of intimidation facing the Nigerian champions. In fact, they appeared to be the more dominant team for…
THE appointment of Bruno Labbadia as the head coach of the Super Eagles has been botched by stringent regulations of German tax authorities, the Nigeria Football Federation has confirmed. The NFF said that in the event, Technical Director of Nigeria Football Federation, Coach Augustine Eguavoen will now take charge of the Super Eagles for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Benin Republic (Uyo, 7th September) and Rwanda (Kigali, 10thSeptember). It will be Eguavoen’s fourth stint in charge of the three-time African champions, after earlier experience in 2005-2007, 2010 and 2022. In a statement released by the…
NIGERIA’s female basketball team D’Tigress have been placed eighth in the world in the latest FIBA rankings. In the list released on Thursday by the world basketball governing body, the six-time AfroBasket champions jumped four spots to become one of the top 10 teams globally. With its eight position in the latest ranking, the D’Tigress become the first African team — men or women — to break into the top 10 of the FIBA world rankings. The historical rise of the team in the world ranking could be linked to its dazzling performance at the Paris Olympics. D’Tigress defeated both…
FORMER Super Eagles striker Brown Ideye has advised Victor Osimhen to consider joining Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli, despite interest from Chelsea. After four successful years at Napoli, the 25-year-old striker is poised to leave the club, having gained global recognition for his outstanding performances. Osimhen has scored 76 goals and provided 18 assists in 133 appearances for Napoli, attracting interest from top European clubs. PSG, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Al Ahli are leading the race to sign him, but no deal has been finalized. Al Ahli, like many Saudi Arabian clubs, is hoping to lure Osimhen with a lucrative offer.…
THE Nigeria Football Federation has announced that it has agreed with German tactician, Bruno Labbadia, to become the Head Coach of Nigeria’s Senior Men’s National Team, Super Eagles. In the early hours of Tuesday, NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi said: “The NFF Executive Committee has approved the recommendation of its Technical and Development Sub-Committee to appoint Mr. Bruno Labbadia as the Head Coach of the Super Eagles. The appointment is with immediate effect.” Born in Darmstadt, Germany on 8th February 1966, Labbadia, won two caps for the German national team in his playing career that took him through clubs…
NIGERIA’s first Olympic medallist, Nojim Maiyegun, died on Monday, aged 85. The former boxer, who made history by winning a bronze medal at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, passed away in Vienna, Austria, where he resided for several years after relocating from Nigeria. Multiple sources confirmed that Maiyegun died of natural causes after being in and out of the hospital for the past six months. Known to have been visually impaired for several years, Maiyegun’s condition had reportedly worsened before his death. The news of his death was verified by Stephen Ogboh, a Nigerian acquaintance living in Austria, who confirmed the…
SAMSON Siasia has raised concerns about the Mighty Jets blunt attack, which is the fulcrum of his assignment when he takes up the coaching job at the Nigeria National League side. The former Nigeria striker, who recently served out his five-year ban by FIFA, spoke after watching the team take on Kano Pillars at the ongoing Gusau/Ahlan pre-season tournament at Jos New Stadium on Thursday. “Mighty Jets played better in the first half; they are young players, and they still have a lot to do, mostly in the goal-scoring aspect. Today. They had three clear chances, which they should have…
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,…