DESPITE a disappointing start to their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali remains confident that Nigeria can still secure a place at the tournament. Nigeria currently sit fourth in Group C with seven points from six games: one win, four draws, and a defeat, leaving them six points behind group leaders South Africa, who have amassed 13 points. Rwanda and Benin, both on eight points, occupy the second and third positions, respectively. With only four matches remaining, the margin for error has narrowed significantly. However, Nwabali, who has featured in all six qualifiers so far,…
Author: Peter Noah KC
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THE Federal Government has finally fulfilled its three-decade-old promise of house allocations to members of the 1994 Super Eagles squad that won the Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia. This was disclosed in a statement posted on the ministry’s website on Wednesday. One of the beneficiaries, former striker Efan Ekoku, was presented with an allocation letter for a house in Abuja. He was represented at the brief ceremony by his niece, Lisa Jenifer Nwagbogun. The Director and Head of Department, Public Building and Housing Development, Pemi Temitope, presented the letter on behalf of the Minister of Housing and Urban Development.…
THE governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, has appointed Super Eagles and Udinese of Italy goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye, as an ambassador of the Southeastern state. Okoye, who hails from Enugu State, is currently spending time at home after a long season with his Italian club, which he helped finish 12th in Serie A. Governor Mbah also promised to provide land for the football academy which Okoye wants to establish in Enugu. The governor made this known in a post on his X handle following a meeting with the player on Tuesday in Enugu. He wrote, “Today, I had the pleasure…
THE Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has stated that the reports alleging that Olympic sprinter Favour Ofili has switched her allegiance to Turkey are disheartening. It, however, emphasised that she remains a beacon of hope in the country’s athletics. “Just like every other sports-loving person in Nigeria, on the continent and beyond that, he and his newly elected board read and heard her desire to change nationality from the media,” a statement signed by the President of AFN, Chief Tonobok Okowa, on Sunday, read. “If this is true, it is sad, disheartening and painful, but we have yet to get…
NIGERIAN sprint star and Commonwealth Games silver medallist Favour Ofili has reportedly filed to switch her nationality to Turkey, months before the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. According to Jamaican journalist Kayon Raynor, the 22-year-old’s switch took effect from May 31, 2025, following a formal request to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU). Ofili, who holds the world record in the rarely run 150m with a time of 15.85 seconds, reportedly decided due to long-standing frustrations with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN). Sources told TVJ News Centre that Ofili’s decision arose from repeated administrative failings by Nigerian officials. She…
IN what appears a true confession, the President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Gusau, has declared that the absence of Nigerian referees at international tournaments gives him sleepless nights. “Most times, when FIFA or CAF release the list of referees for international tournaments without the inclusion of any Nigerian referee, I suffer sleepless nights,” he said. “I keep wondering why Nigeria, with thousands of referees, cannot make the final cut. “It is embarrassing, and we at the NFF have vowed to change the narrative positively,” Gusau said at the monthly awards ceremony of Nigeria’s second-tier league, the Nigeria National…
SUPER Falcons’ star striker Asisat Oshoala and experienced defender Ashley Plumptre are part of the list of players named by coach Justin Madugu for the 2024 Women’s African Cup of Nations. The list released on Friday also has captain Rasheedat Ajibade, with 11 players set to make their debuts at the tournament which will take place in Morocco from July 5 to 26, 2024. Three players from the local league are also included in the team, and will be hoping to make their mark and repay the coach’s confidence in them. Goalkeeper Rachael Unachukwu and defenders Sikiratu Isah and Miracle…
SUPER Eagles star forward Victor Osimhen has spoken candidly about his early years in Lagos, recounting the odd jobs he took on to support himself before beginning his professional career. In a recently released interview with broadcaster Daddy Freeze, Osimhen detailed how he performed various small tasks—including fetching water and cleaning gutters—for minimal pay while growing up in the densely populated Olusosun area of Lagos. Speaking in the interview, the Galatassaray Loanee described a time when he earned between N30 and N80 for cleaning household gutters or fetching water for tenants in a nearby apartment block. “There was a building…
PLAYERS and officials of the Super Eagles will meet with the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) this weekend to plan the successful execution of the country’s remaining 2026 World Cup qualifiers in September. An official of the federation told The Guardian yesterday that the planned meeting will be held in Lagos during or before Skipper William Troost-Ekong’s celebrity charity game billed to be held at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, on Saturday. With the theme “Play for Purpose,” the Troost-Ekong Foundation (TEF) show will bring together some of Africa’s biggest names in sports and entertainment to raise awareness…
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…
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.…