Former Nigeria’s Super Eagles càptain Ahmed Musa has rallied support for the newly appointed Super Eagles coach Finidi George.
Former Enyimba International Coach was permanently appointed as the Eagles coach after he oversaw the two international friendlies against Ghana and Mali.
While speaking in Uyo on Sunday, The most cap Nigeria Super Eagles player Musa said winning both World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin will improve the confidence of the team.
” There are a lot of expectations for him now that we have two very difficult games to play for the World Cup qualifiers.
” The important thing is just to win these two games because if we win, a lot of confidence will come for him and the team.
” So we just have to support him and wish him the best of luck”, he told newsmen.
Super Eagles defender, Olisa Ndah has won the 2024 Nedbank Cup in South Africa after Orlando Pirates defeated Mamelodi Sundwons.
Super Eagles defender Olisa Ndah put up a fine performance as Orlando Pirates defeated Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1 in the final of the Nedbank Cup on Saturday.
Ndah saw for action for 90 minutes in the keenly contested encounter played at the Mbombela Stadium.
The former Akwa United player was also involved in the second goal that delivered the trophy.
The 26-year-old was booked for a rough tackle four minutes after the break, The Buccaneers claimed the Nedbank Cup title for the tenth time.
Themba Zwane broke the deadlock for Sundowns in the 54th minute, tapping into an empty net after a perfect setup by Lucas Ribeiro.
Patrick Maswanganyi equalised for Pirates from the spot 11 minutes from time.
Substitute Relebohile Mofokeng was the hero for the Buccaneers as he scored the winning goal in stoppage time.
Ndah had a brilliant season with 19 appearances under his name at the end of Orlando Pirates’ PSL campaign.
Rivers United have sacked their coach, Stanley Eguma, after a disappointing season in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
The season has not gone as planned for the 2022 NPFL champions who are currently eighth in the league, 13 points behind leaders Enugu Rangers.
Eguma, who has been with the club since 2008, became Rivers United’s coach following the 2017 merger of Dolphins and Sharks. He led the team to the NPFL title in 2022 and has taken them to the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.
Rivers United announced Eguma’s departure on social media on Saturday. The Port Harcourt-based outfit stated.
“The Management of Rivers United FC officially announces the termination of Coach Stanley Eguma’s appointment as Technical Manager of the Club.
“Subsequently, Coach Evans Ogenyi, the club’s Chief Coach, has been appointed in an acting capacity as the head coach of the Club until the end of the 2023/2024 Nigeria Premier Football League Season.
Coach Evans
“The decision is in pursuit of a new direction aimed at achieving the objectives and goals of the club.
“However, we convey our gratitude to Coach Eguma for his services to the club and wish him the very best in his future endeavours.”
Eguma recently led Rivers United to the quarter-finals of the CAF Confederation Cup, where they lost to Algerian side USM Alger 2-1 on aggregate.
Rivers United will next face Enyimba in Aba in a league fixture on Sunday.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has arranged a pre-tournament training camp in Spain from July 5 to 16 for the Super Falcons in preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
It was gathered that the NFF has sent out invitation letters to players of the Super Falcons to train in Spain ahead of the competition to acclimatize to the weather conditions of France.
According to the report, the initial plan was for the nine-time African champions to hold a foreign or local camp in the ongoing FIFA women’s international window between 28 May to June 4, during which Randy Waldrum sought to do an open screening for his new additions ahead of the championship.
During the camp, the Super Falcons are scheduled to take on one of the high-profile teams (name withheld) in Group A, featuring hosts France, Canada, New Zealand, and Colombia.
Also the team’s schedule, leaked to NigeriaFootball.ng, informed of a Grade A friendly match that will likely come up July 15 – a day before the team departs for the tournament in France.
The Super Falcons who are making a return to the multi-sport event for the first time in 16 years thanks to a nervy 1-0 aggregate triumph over reigning African champions South Africa in April, are drawn against reigning world champions Spain, Japan and South American champions Brazil in Group C at the Paris Olympics holding from July 25 to August 10.
The West Africans will open their campaign against Brazil at Stade de Bordeaux on July 25 before taking on Spain three days later in Nantes and later Japan on July 31 at the same venue.
Coach of the Bafana Bafana of South, Hugo Broos, has selected his final 23-man squad for next month’s World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria and Zimbabwe.
The game is poised to be a bigger fixture for the South Africa national team who are out for revenge after falling Nigeria emerged victorious when both sides met at the AFCON 2023 semi-final in Ivory Coast. The Super Falcons of Nigeria also edged Banyana Banyana by a slender goal, to seal a place at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Nigeria were drawn into Group C alongside Rwanda, Benin Republic, South Africa, Lesotho and Zimbabwe. The team that tops the group at the end of the summit will automatically qualify for the first 48-team World Cup in Canada, Mexico and America. The four best runners-up go into a playoff to decide one side to contest a six-team intercontinental tournament.
Afcon bronze medalist South Africa are currently on three points after their 2-1 win against Benin at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, even though they lost 2-0 away to Rwanda. Nigeria are yet to lose, but they’re also yet to win. Two draws against Lesotho and Zimbabwe leave the group wide open for anyone to stamp their foot on the ambition to qualify.
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has announced his squad for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against Nigeria and Zimbabwe!#SABCSportFootball pic.twitter.com/WRVG4LfBP5
The Bafana Bafana Squad in full;
Goalkeepers:
Ronwen Hayden Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns) Ricardo Goss (SuperSport United) Veli Mothwa (AmaZulu)
Forwards: Themba Zwane (Mamelodi Sundowns) Oswin Appollis (Polokwane City) Patrick Maswanganyi (Orlando Pirates) Iqraam Rayners (Stellenbosch FC) Elias Mokwana (Sekhukhune United) Lyle Foster (Burnley, England) Percy Tau (Al Ahly, Egypt) Relebohile Mofokeng (Orlando Pirates) Nigeria will play against South Africa next week Friday at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, with kick-off time set for 8 pm.
The Confederation of African Football has announced the host country for the 2025 U17 African Cup of Nations.
The football apex body in the continent on Tuesday announced Ivory Coast as the country for the competition.
The Young Elephants has qualified for the championship as one of the teams from the WAFU B region but their hosting right means another country from the region could take their position.
The Ivorians were awarded the right to stage the tournament as the facilities used for the 2023 African Cup of Nations are still intact.
Less than two months after surrendering the top spot in the continental ranking, Quadri Aruna has reclaimed his place after leaping to 17th place in Week 22 of the 2024 ITTF Ranking released on Tuesday, May 28 by the world table tennis ruling body.
Aruna, who recently reclaimed the ITTF Africa Cup in Rwanda this month, rose by two steps up the ranking ladder to become the highest-rated African in the world.
Meanwhile, Egypt’s Omar Assar slipped to 22 in the world rating after occupying the top spot in Africa in the last two months following his triumph at the last African Games in Ghana.
Omar Assar
Assar’s drop in the world ranking was due to the expiration of the quarterfinal points he garnered at the Durban 2023 World Championships in South Africa, and this automatically made him lose some points that prompted his fall in the ranking.
While others are dropping from the pecking order of ranking, Aruna’s points remain static, and the freefall of others prompted his rise in the world ranking.
Africa’s biggest movers in May, Mohamed El-Beiali, who became the third-best-ranked player in the continent after finishing as runner-up at the 2024 ITTF Africa Cup after a 4-0 loss to Aruna in Kigali, dropped to 49th in the world rating.
Despite dropping by a step, Egypt’s Dina Meshref held on to the top echelon of Africa as the 24th best player in the world.
Meshref’s compatriot, Hana Goda, remained static as the best rated African in the world, ranked 31st in the world.
Following the conclusion of all continental quotas for the Olympic Games, players are now eager to pick up their tickets to Paris through the world ranking, which will be in force on June 11 as ITTF concludes the list of participants at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in France.
Rwanda’s head coach, Thorsten Frank Spittler, has stated that they are awaiting approval from FIFA to allow former Lobi Stars now Bugesera FC striker Elijah Ani to play for Amavubi in the upcoming June World Cup 2026 qualifiers against Benin and Lesotho.
The Amavubi tactician hailed the Nigeria Premier Football League striker, as an excellent player and a nice person who can help his team to greater heights, revealing that Rwanda FA is waiting for a feedback from FIFA feedback and he is optimistic laws governing player’s nationality switch amended in April could stand in the player’s favor to play for Amavubi.
“Ani is a talented footballer and a great personality. Our federation is liaising with FIFA if it is possible for him to be in the team for the next World Cup qualifiers,” Spittler told the press.
“We called him to camp and he is training with us to ensure that he gets ready to play upcoming qualifiers once the clearance comes out positive. Some of the FIFA rules on nationality switch changed last month and I am positive he will be cleared. I want to use him against Benin and Lesotho if he is cleared, that is why he is still with us,” he added.
Spittler explained that he and his technical team watched games at various league centers across the country to spot Ani.
“As the coaching staff, we watched games at all the venues to scout talented players who could help our team and we all came to agree on him. We talked to him and he was also ready and happy to feature for the national team. Now the final decision rests in FIFA’s hands,” he said.
The 2024 edition of the National Sports Festival has been postponed to January 2025.
The former Minister of Sports Hon. Sunday Dare at the end of the last edition announced that the next edition will be held in Ogun State in 2024.
According to update from the statement released after the National council for Sports at the Old Government College Lodge, Enugu, the Minister of Sports John Enoh announced the postponement.
The Minister hailed the readiness of Ogun State to stage the events, noting that it plays a vital role in the national unity of the country
Egypt Premier League giant Al Ahly has retained their CAF Champions League trophy.
Ahly entered this season’s competition as the defending champions and they were able to stabilize despite starting the tournament on a shaky
The first leg was played last week at the famous El Men Stadium in Tunis and ended in a goalless affair, and the hosts took an early lead when Rami Rabia’s header from Hussein El Shahat’s corner deflected off Esperance midfielder Roger Aholou and into the bottom right-hand corner at the Cairo, International Stadium.
Marcel Koller’s men went unbeaten throughout this season’s tournament – matching the feat of their 2005 side – with Mostafa Shobeir keeping nine consecutive clean sheets.
The Cairo club extended their unbeaten run in continental competition to 22 games and won back-to-back Champions League titles for a fourth time.
The result means that Ahly emerged as the competition winner 1-0 on aggregate and they will face arc-rival Zamalek in the final of the Super Cup.
Both Al Ahly and Esperance had already qualified for Fifa’s expanded 32-team Club World Cup, which will be held in the United States in June and July next year, alongside Wydad Casablanca and Mamelodi Sundowns.
Nigeria’s Head Coach, Finidi George, has picked rave-of-the-moment Ademola Lookman, African Player of the Year Victor Osimhen and safe hands Stanley Nwabali among a crop of 23 players who will do battle with South Africa’s Bafana Bafana and the Cheetahs of Benin Republic in upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.
The former Enyimba International head coach Finidi also selected goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, England-based defenders Calvin Bassey and Semi Ajayi, midfielders Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi and Alhassan Yusuf, and forwards Kelechi Iheanacho, Victor Boniface and Terem Moffi.
Remo Stars’ hard-as-nails defender Sadiq Ismael is called for the first time, with Turkey-based midfielder Fisayo Bashiru, Bayer Leverkusen of Germany’s Nathan Tella and lanky forward Paul Onuachu also called.
Nigeria confronts South Africa at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Friday, 7th June starting from 8 pm, and then fly to Abidjan to tackle Benin Republic at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny on Monday, 10th June starting from 4 pm CIV time (5 pm Nigeria time).
EAGLES FOR BAFANA, CHEETAHS BATTLES
Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy); Ojo Olorunleke (Enyimba FC)
Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets booked a place in the semi-final of the WAFU B U-17 Championship following a comfortable 3-0 victory over Togo in their final Group B game on Thursday.
The game was shifted from Wednesday to Thursday morning after heavy rain rendered the University Stadium pitch unplayable.
The Eaglets took control of the game from the blast of the whistle and scored the curtain-raiser through Abdulmuiz Adeleke following an assist from Abdulmuiz Oladimeji.
Rapha Adams nodded home the second from captain Simon Cletus’ sublime cross 10 minutes before the break.
It was Adam’s second goal of the competition.
Adeleke scored his brace after collecting a through pass from Cletus three minutes before the hour mark.
The young forward missed the chance to complete his hat-trick when he missed from the spot on 68 minutes.
Manu Garba’s side tops Group B with seven points from three games and will face Cote d’Ivoire in the semi-final.
Hosts Ghana and Burkina Faso will clash in the other semi-final.
The Eaglets are the defending champions of the WAFU B U-17 tournament.
It is the qualifier for the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.
Meanwhile, Edward Ochigbo was named Player of the Match following the Golden Eaglets’ victory over Togo
Ochigbo, who came in as a second-half substitute, delivered a commanding performance following his introduction.
Ochigbo with the MOTM award
Captain Simon Cletus won the Player of the Match award in Golden Eaglets’ previous two games against Burkina Faso and the Republic of Niger.
Ademola Lookman was the hero as his hat-trick secured a 3-0 win for Atalanta in the Europa League final in Dublin on Wednesday.
The Super Eagles international lookman becomes only the second player to score a hat-trick in the final of a major European competition for an Italian side.
The victory cements Atalanta’s first-ever European title and their first major trophy since 1963.
Atalanta had lost in the final of the Coppa Italia against Juventus heading into Wednesday’s clash with Bayer Leverkusen.
But Lookman hattrick end Leverkusen’s dream of winning the treble unbeaten this season.
Atalanta winger, Ademola Lookman, also become the first African footballer to score more than two goals in the final of a major UEFA competition.
He also became the third Nigerian player to score in the final of a major UEFA competition, after Alex Iwobi (2019 Europa League) and Joe Aribo (2022 Europa League).
Meanwhile, The first player to score a hattrick for an Italian club was Pierino Prati in Milan against Ajax in the 1969 European Cup.
Also, Lookman’s hat-trick is the sixth to be scored in the final of a major UEFA competition, and the first since Jupp Heynckes’ for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the 1975 UEFA Cup.
Following his superb outing in the just-concluded season, English Premier League side Nottingham Forest has triggered the contract extension of Nigeria’s Super Eagles defender Ola Aina.
The utility defender joined the Forest last summer following the expiration of his contract with the Italian Serie A side Torino
The 27-year-old has enjoyed a positive first season on Trentside having joined the club on a free transfer last summer.
The versatile full-back made 22 appearances for Forest this season, establishing himself as a popular amongst supporters for his all-action displays on either side.
Aina scored his first goal for the club in a 2-0 home win over Aston Villa, whilst also reaching the final of the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria as well as being named in the Team of the Tournament.
The 22-year-old also claimed the Goal of the Month award once.
The club announced his arrival via its official website on Tuesday afternoon.
” Nottingham Forest is pleased to confirm that it has activated a one-year extension in Ola Aina’s contract”, the club said.
Aina said: “I’ve been really happy with my time spent here at Forest and the fans have been great.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing what the future holds.”
Meanwhile Chief Football Officer Ross Wilson added: “Since Ola joined the club last summer he has impressed all of us with his performances both on the pitch and also with the positive personality that he brings to the group every day.
“We are delighted that he will move forward with us.”
The 8th edition of Nigeria’s National Youth Games has been scheduled to be held in Asaba, the Delta State capital, from the 10th to the 20th of September, 2024.
Officials of the Ministry of Sports and the Management Committee of Delta State Sports Commission (DSSC), met last week in Asaba to conclude arrangements for the 8th National Youth Games 2024.
The stakeholders at the meeting expressed appreciation to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State as well as Minister of Sports Senator John Enoh, for their unalloyed commitment and contribution to the development of the Nigerian Youth.
The meeting x-rayed several issues and it also approved the September 10th to 20th, 2024 date for the 8th edition of the NYG.
The date was effectively chosen into the academic calendar of schools in Delta State and the forthcoming Olympics and Para-Olympics Games.
It’s noteworthy to mention that the Organizers of the National Youth Games (NYG), will be using selected school hostels to accommodate the over 5,000 athletes during the Games.
The Stephen Keshi Stadium Asaba which is already receiving some attention is the main venue for the Games.
Delta State is the defending champion of the National Youth Games.
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