Nigeria’s Super Falcons are one step away from qualifying for the Paris Olympics Games after a hard-fought 1-0 win against WAFCON defending champions South Africa’s Banyana Banyana at the MKO Stadium, Abuja on Friday.

The hosts created better chances in the early stages but failed to put any into the net.

Chiwendu Ihezuo and Uchenna Kanu were lively in Nigeria’s attack, causing problems for the South African defence.

The Super Falcons were awarded a penalty four minutes before the break when Ihezuo was brought down inside the box by Noko Matlou.

The Algerian referee Mehat Ghada who was spot on, wasted no time but point at the spot after a needless challenge from Banyana’s Noko Matlou.

Ajibade sent Swart the wrong way to hand the home team the lead going into the break.

The Super Falcons came close to doubling their lead in the 52nd minute but Swart made a brilliant save to prevent the ball from going into the net.

Desiree Ellis’s team struggled to create clear-cut chances against the number-one-ranked women’s team on the continent, meanwhile, Jermaine Seoposenwe had a shot saved by Chiamaka Nnadozie four minutes later.

It is the Falcons first win against South Africa since edging them on penalties in the final of the 2018 WAFCON.

The two teams will clash in the second leg in Pretoria next Tuesday at Loftus Stadium, Meanwhile, the winner of the match will join Brazil, Japan and world champions Spain who are already waiting in Group C.

The Olympics will take place in July and August in Paris and both Banyana and Nigeria are fighting to represent the continent for the third time in the event.

After appearing at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, the Falcons failed to feature at the London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 games.

The Falcon’s beat outing at the Olympics was at Athens in 2004 when they reached the quarter-finals.

Meanwhile, the other qualifier is between Morocco and Zambia.The Olympics will take place in July and August in Paris.

Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali says he’s yet to receive offers from clubs after the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Reports had previously suggested interest from Queens Park Rangers, Union St Gilloise and Al Ettifaq in the Saudi Arabia Professional Football scene towards the shot stopper.

Belgian Pro League side, Union St Gilloise and Kaizer Chiefs have also been linked with the shot stopper in the past.

It would be recalled that the 27-year-old became the first Eagles goalkeeper to keep four consecutive clean sheets in a major tournament in 44 years, surpassing Alloy Agu’s three games in a row in 1990.

Meanwhile, the last shot stopper to keep four consecutive clean shots in a tournament in Eagles jersey was Ogedegbe in 1980, when the team won their first continental title.

However, Nwabali, a pivotal figure in Nigeria’s runner-up finish at AFCON 2023, in a chat with FARPost, emphasized the lack of direct contact regarding any transfer discussions.

“You see, to be honest, I’ve never seen anything on my table ever since AFCON,” Nwabali told FARPost.

“Maybe those clubs might have spoken to my team or my manager. But at this point, we can’t do anything.

“And they can’t approach me because it would be unprofessional. They must go to my club or my manager.

“So I don’t know if there’s something on the table maybe waiting for towards summer or transfer window. You know most clubs always do this. When they show interest, you’re opening the way to some other clubs.

“So, some people always keep it a secret, and when they get you, they get you once. For now, I know nothing.”

The Turkish Football Federation has cleared Super Eagles and Fenerbahce defender, Bright Osayi-Samuel of any wrongdoing following his altercation with Trabzonspor fans in a Turkish Super Lig game last month.

Osayi-Samuel was involved in a brawl with Trabzonspor fans who invaded the pitch after their Turkish Super Lig clash which Fenerbahce won 3-2.

The Turkish Football Federation on Monday informed that the Nigerian was among the three Yellow Canaries players who will appear before the disciplinary hearing of the TFF in the wake of the pitch invasion, which happened during a Turkish Super Lig game involving Trabzonspor and Fenerbahce on March 17.

Verdict from the disciplinary hearing on Wednesday read, that Trabzonspor has received a 6-game ban and a 112,000 TL fine for events on the field and not following guidelines.

Trabzonspor trainer Egemen Korkmaz, and Fenerbahce player Irfan Can Egribat have received 1a -game ban and a 1a 3,000 TL fine for fighting.

Fenerbahce player Bright Osayi-Samuel has been cleared for no wrongdoing, while Jayden Oosterwelde has received 1a -game ban and 5a 2,000 TL fine for fighting and actions towards stands.

Fenerbahce administrators Kursat Ciftkik and Okan Ozkan received 15 days of deprivation of rights for fighting.

Bendel Insurance is gearing up for their Nigeria Premier Football League matchday 29 encounters against Niger Tornadoes.

The Benin Arsenals over the weekend won the Edo State Federation Cup after defeating Metrice FC in the final.

Monday Odigie’s side is aware of the task ahead.

As we are still reveling in our Edo FA Cup triumph, we are also mindful of our responsibilities and duties to deliver on our mandate to entertain our fans and get maximum points from MD 28,” the club wrote on their X handle.

“Wish us victory as we host Niger Tornadoes on Wednesday.”

Bendel Insurance will host Niger Tornadoes at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium on Wednesday.

Bendel Insurance is ninth on the NPFL table with 37 points from 28 games.

Al-Ittihad of Saudi Arabia defender Ashleigh Plumptre has been confirmed to be out of the Super Falcons clash with Banyana Banyana.

The 9-time African champions will confront the current African champion in the final round of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games qualifier.

The first leg match is scheduled to be held in Nigeria on Friday with the second in Pretoria next week Tuesday.

The update from the camp Falcons shows that Plumptre has been ruled out due to injury and she has been replaced by Jumoke Alani.

The winner over the two legs will reach the ancient games in Paris, France.

Nigeria’s representative in the CAF Confederation Cup Rivers United claimed a 1-0 win over Algerian side, USM Alger in the first leg of their CAF Confederation Cup quarter-final clash at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo on Sunday.

Augustine Okejepha netted the only goal of the game in the 10th minute to give the Pride of Rivers an edge.

Rivers United wasted several other chances to double their lead in the game.

In the second half, the Algerian played defensively and pegged back the attacking threat of the home team.

They now face a massive task in their bid to scale through it to the semi-final of the competition following their slim first leg advantage.

The reverse fixture will take place at the Stade du Juliet next week Sunday in Algiers.

It would be recalled that Stanley Eguma’s side was eliminated in the same stage of the competition last year by Young Africans of Tanzania.

However, Rivers United technical adviser, Stanley Eguma has expressed optimism that his side will improve their game in the return leg fixture against USM Alger, Augustine Okejepha scored the only goal of the encounter but Eguma said his team will work on the lapses identified ahead of the return leg in Algiers.

Eguma expressed displeasure with his team’s failure to convert their chances in the encounter.

“We started with a lot of intensity which yielded that early goal. I thought my boys would continue that way. We worked hard to create a lot of scoring chances but unfortunately, the chances were not converted. The scoreline did not reflect the standard of our play.


“I was impressed with my team’s level of chance creation but over-anxiety affected them in scoring during vital moments.


“We will go back to the drawing board and see how we can improve on that. For the scoreline, we just thank God we were able to win because that is the most important thing.

“At this stage last season, we lost our home game (against Young Boys of Tanzania) 0-2 but eventually got a draw in the return leg away from home. We will go away to Algeria with a good fight and hopefully, we will come out with a better result.”

Algerian club USM Algiers had a training session at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium ahead of the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup quarter-final clash against Nigeria’s Rivers United on Sunday in Uyo.

The team arrived in Nigeria without five key players who will miss the match due to injury.

The quintet of Oussamma Chita, Salim Boukhenchouche, Ismail Belkacemi, Brahim Benzaza, and captain Zinedine Belaid will miss the game due to injury.

The USMA contingent arrived in Uyo for the game on Friday afternoon.

Sunday’s encounter will kick off at 2 pm local time.

The reverse fixture will be held next Sunday in Algiers.

Super Eagles winger, Moses Simon underwent a successful surgery on his fractured left leg on Friday.

Simon sustained the injury in Nigeria’s 2-0 friendly defeat to the Eagles of Mali on Tuesday night.

The 28-year-old collided with Mali goalkeeper Mamadou Samassa in the first half and had to be stretchered off the pitch.

His French club, Nantes, revealed afterward that he has been ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Simon is expected to begin his rehabilitation process after the surgery.

He has registered three goals and six assists for Nantes this season.

In a surprising turn of events, Nigeria Premier League sides Heartland FC, Sporting Lagos, and Remo Stars have been eliminated from the Nigeria FA Cup qualifiers, signaling their absence from the prestigious tournament this season.

Heartland FC faced disappointment in the Imo State FA Cup qualifiers as they succumbed to a defeat against third-division side Ikukuoma FC.

The match concluded with Ikukuoma FC emerging victorious in a penalty shootout, securing a 3-2 win and denying Heartland FC the opportunity to advance to the Nigeria FA Cup.

Meanwhile, Paul Offor’s Sporting lagos side were eliminated by Nigeria National League, NNL, side, Inter Lagos.

Inter Lagos claimed a 2-0 victory over their rivals in the semi-final fixture at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan on Thursday. Tony Obia and Abubakar Taheer scored for Inter Lagos in the game.

In the same vein, Daniel Ogunmodede’s Remo Stars encountered a setback in the ‘Ogun State FA Cup qualifiers, where they were defeated by NNL side Beyond Limits. Despite their efforts, Remo Stars fell short in the penalty shootout, with Beyond Limits securing a 5-4 victory and eliminating Remo Stars from contention for the Nigeria FA Cup.

It would be recalled that the last time the two teams met in this tournament, Beyond Limit FA recorded a 3-2 victory against the former CAF Champions League campaigners.

The unexpected exits of Heartland FC and Remo Stars from the Nigeria FA Cup qualifiers have sent shockwaves through the Nigerian football community, highlighting the unpredictable nature of cup competitions and the competitive spirit of lower-division teams.

Super Eagles of Nigeria and Bayer Leverkusen forward Victor Okoh Boniface has said he missed being on the field of play with his teammates.


Recall that the Nigerian international has been out of action for a couple of months after coping with an injury while in the camp with the Super Eagles in preparation for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and had to undergo surgery to correct the injury.

The skillful attacker resumed training with the rest of the team this week ahead of their game against TSG Hoffenheim this weekend.

However, in an interview with Sport Bild, Boniface lauded his teammates for their impressive performance in his absence.

“The team did very well without me. When I came to Leverkusen, I said that I don’t look at rankings or individual scores.

“Of course goals and assists are important, but the most important thing for me is to be able to help the team with my style of play and simply have fun. I miss being on the pitch with my teammates and hope to be back soon”, the former Union SG said

Boniface has registered 16 goals and eight assists in 23 appearances across all competitions for Die Werkself this season.

Doma United Football Club has announced Bala Abubakar Mohammed as its New Technical Adviser.

In the words of the club’s Chairman, Alh. Suleiman Umar, “The appointment of Coach Bala is imperative given our recent challenges in the second half of the season. We believe his extensive experience in managing teams within the league will significantly contribute to our objective of maintaining our status.

“Coach Bala brings a wealth of experience garnered from managing top-tier clubs in the league. His proven track record and tactical acumen make him the ideal candidate to lead our team forward.

“It’s worth noting that Coach Bala will be collaborating closely with Coach Akinade Onigbinde and our dedicated coaching staff. We anticipate that their collective efforts will yield positive results on the field. We urge our entire coaching team to extend their utmost cooperation and support to Coach Bala as we strive to achieve our goals.

“While we welcome constructive input from all stakeholders, we emphasize the importance of allowing our technical department to operate without undue interference. As reiterated by Chairman Alh. Suleiman Umar, “The technical department is not open to all, and we caution against unwarranted meddling as we remain focused on our objectives.

Coach Bala Abubakar Mohammed, however, has been tasked to reignite Doma United after going without a win in 10 straight games, a run of form that has seen them drop from 3rd position to 13th place.

Super Eagles goal machine Victor Osimhen is back in training with Napoli after pulling out of international duty with Nigeria against Ghana and Mali in Morocco, and could be fit to face Atalanta.

The centre-forward was forced to withdraw from the call-up for his country due to the inflammation of an old scar, which had already ruled him out of the 1-1 draw with Inter.

Osimhen is working separately with the fitness staff rather than with the rest of his teammates, but there is already progress in his recovery.

Meqnwhile According to Sky Sport Italia, the striker should be available to feature on Saturday against Atalanta at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona and is a head-to-head for European qualification.

Osimhen has scored 13 goals and provided four assists in 24 appearances for the club this season between Serie A, the Champions League and Coppa Italia.

However, of the 11 goals scored in Serie A this term, only one was against teams in the top half of the table – and it was a penalty against Fiorentina.

However, Osimhen could even start the match flanked by Matteo Politano and Kvicha Kvaratskhelia

Super Eagles defender, Bright Osayi-Samuel has defended his action following the fight that broke out after the match between Fenerbahce and Trabzonspor.

Some Trabzonspor fans stormed the pitch after the game which Fenerbahce won 3-2.

The defender’s action has generated mixed feelings and it remains to be whether he will be sanctioned by the Turkish Football Federation.

“Some people say what I did was not self-defense. If someone comes at you with a knife in his hand, how can this not be self-defense? They came to the field from the stands,” he was quoted by Bein Sports.

“I only had to defend my team and my friends there. Many of my teammates were coming into the locker room with cuts and bruises.

“I cannot understand how such events are possible on a football field.”

Coach Randy Waldrum has extended invitations to captain Rasheedat Ajibade, US-based Africa queen Asisat Oshoala and high-riding goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie among a group of 22 players for the two-legged Paris Olympics final qualifying fixture against South Africa next month.

Saudi Arabia-based defender Ashley Plumptre and veteran rearguard Osinachi Ohale are also called, as well as youthful midfielder Deborah Abiodun, and forwards Esther Okoronkwo and Uchenna Kanu.

There are recalls for 2019 World Cup star Chidinma Okeke and veteran forward Chiwendu Ihezuo, and a first invitation for U20 defender Shukurat Oladipo.

The American left out Oluwatosin Demehin and Rofiat Imuran from the squad.

Waldrum however kept faith with regulars like wing-back Michelle Alozie, midfield lynchpins Christy Ucheibe and Halimatu Ayinde, and forward Gift Monday.

It would be recalled that the Falcons defeated the Indomitable Lioness of Cameroon by a lone goal over the two legs to pick a date against the African champion South Africa after Desiree Ellis’s girls walloped Tanzania 4-0 on aggregate scoreline.

The Super Falcons are at home for the first leg scheduled for Friday, 5th April at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja before flying to Pretoria for the return at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Tuesday, 9th April. The winner over two legs will earn one of Africa’s two tickets to this year’s Women’s Olympic Football Tournament, with Zambia and Morocco to clash for the other ticket on the same dates.

Fulham defender, Calvin Bassey, will miss Nigeria’s friendly against the Eagles of Mali due to injury.

The Super Eagles reached the final of the 2023 African Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast with the Fulham defender playing a major role, winning the most tackles at the Afcon 13, behind teammate Frank Onyeka 14.

Despite reporting to the camp of the national team for the doubleheader friendly, the left-footed player missed the game against the Black Stars of Ghana.

The centre-back didn’t train with his teammates in the build up to the game and was named among the substitutes.

The former Ajax defender Bassey has been unable to train with the team since he arrived and it’s certain that he will not play a part in the game against the Eagles of Mali on Tuesday in Marrakech.