Author: Peter Noah KC

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.…

THE 2023 CAF African Cup of Nations ended on Sunday night on a disappointing note for Nigeria’s Super Eagles as they lost the trophy to the host nation, Ivory Coast. The Ivorians won 2-1 against Nigeria, courtesy of goals from Franck Kessie and Sebastien Haller who helped The Elephants clinch their third AFCON trophy. Below is the full list of awards given at the AFCON: Ecobank Best Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams – South Africa Air Côte d’Ivoire Fair Play Team award South Africa Puma Golden Boot Emilio Nsue – Equatorial Guinea (5 goals) Puma Silver Boot Gelson Dala – Angola (4…

THE Super Eagles of Nigeria made two changes to the starting lie-up for their AFCON 2023 final encounter with the host Ivory Coast. The Super Eagles recalled Samuel Chukwueze to the line-up while Zaidu Sanusi recovered from injury to make the starting XI. Moses Simon and Bright Osayi-Samuel are the players that were dropped to the bench by Jose Peseiro. It is, however, the usual players on the starting line-up with Victor Osimhen leading the line while Stanley Nwabali remains the man between the sticks. William Troost-Ekong captains the side and also leads his three-man backline that also includes trusted…

AFTER a record number of goals, unrelenting shocks and an apparent capacity for unceasing drama, the Africa Cup of Nations will finish on Sunday when either hosts Ivory Coast or fellow former champions Nigeria will be crowned kings of Africa. The Super Eagles are aiming for a fourth continental crown in Abidjan while the Ivorians are looking to add to their triumphs in 1992 and 2015. The teams will meet for the second time at this year’s finals, 24 days after the Ivorians suffered a first-ever home defeat by Nigeria when they won 1-0 in the group stage. The Elephants…

NIGERIA’s run to this Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final against hosts Ivory Coast is a personal triumph for coach Jose Peseiro, the veteran from Portugal who had been the subject of stinging criticism in the run-up to the tournament. The 63-year-old had been widely written off in Nigeria as the wrong man for the job long before they opened their AFCON campaign with a 1-1 draw against Equatorial Guinea in Abidjan on January 14. Yet four weeks later he will lead the Super Eagles out at the same Ebimpe Olympic Stadium for a showdown against the Ivorians as Africa’s…

SOUTH Africa took third at the Africa Cup of Nations after beating DR Congo 6-5 on penalties to secure their best finish at a Nations Cup since 2000. Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams was the key man again, as the quarter-final hero saved two spot-kicks. First, DR Congo captain Chancel Mbemba had the chance to win it, only for Williams to block, before Meshack Elia’s penalty was also saved. The game, which ended goalless, went straight to penalties after 90 minutes. In the quarter-final win against Cape Verde, Williams saved four penalties in the shootout. In Abidjan’s Felix Houphouet-Boigny stadium,…

THE President of the Confederation of Africa Football, Patrice Motsepe, says President Bola Tinubu will attend the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final in Ivory Coast. Nigeria and hosts Ivory Coast clash in the final of the competition at the Alassanne Ouattara Stadium, Ebimpe, Abidjan, on Sunday. Motsepe made this known during a press conference on Friday at the Palace de la Culture in Trechville, Abidjan, after he was asked when Africa could host the World Cup again. He said, “Nigeria must put in a bid. The Nigerian president (Bola Tinubu) is coming to watch the final on Sunday. I…

CAF African Player of The Year, Victor Osimhen, has assured Nigerians that the Super Eagles are fully focused on winning the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, ahead of the final against the hosts. Nigeria reached the final of the 34th edition of the AFCON following a pulsating encounter against South Africa at the Stade de la Paix, Bouke, that saw the Eagles claim a 4-2 win on penalties after 120 minutes of football ended 1-1 on Wednesday. Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali was the Man of The Match as he saved two Bafana Bafana penalty kicks and during an Instagram…

THE Super Eagles will receive $7m (N8.9bn) if they win the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. Nigeria reached the final of the 34th edition of the AFCON following a pulsating encounter against South Africa at the Stade de la Paix, Bouke, that saw the Eagles claim a 4-2 win on penalties after 120 minutes of football ended 1-1. As one of the finalists, the Eagles, alongside the hosts, who they face on Sunday, have already secured $4m. Earlier reported by this newspaper, Dr Patrice Motsepe, Confederation of Africa Football president, had announced a 40 per cent increment…

SUPER Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, who plays for Chippa United in South Africa, has reportedly received threats from South African fans following his standout performance against the country. The South African fans reportedly warned him against returning to his club after the AFCON. Former Super Eagles international Idah Peterside revealed the threats while speaking on newsmen on Thursday, stating that some fans have warned Nwabali not to go back to Chippa United in South Africa after the AFCON tournament. While the threat has not been reported, it’s believed that some South Africans are displeased with Nwabali’s role in preventing their…

SUPER Eagles goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, expressed his affection for South Africa, stating that he loves the country as much as its fans love him. Nwabali shared this sentiment in a statement on his Instagram account following Nigeria’s advancement to the final of the 2023 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire. Nwabali, who plays for South African Premier Soccer League, Chippa United, emphasized his passion for the game and his commitment to the team, affirming his admiration for South Africa despite the competitive atmosphere. He wrote, “This is a game I’m born to play. A night to remember!!!…

Vice President Kashim Shettima has celebrated with the Super Eagles after victory over South Africa’s Bafana Bafana at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 semi-final in Cote d’Ivore. The match finished 1-1 after extra time and the three-time champions will face hosts Ivory Coast or the Democratic Republic of Congo, who meet later, in the final on Sunday. Both regular-time goals also came from penalties with captain William Troost-Ekong scoring after 67 minutes for Nigeria and Teboho Mokoena equalised from a 90th-minute spot-kick. Before the commencement of the match, the vice president was sent by President Bola Tinubu to…