Sports

By Els William The super Eagles, on Friday night, could not fly over the barrier mounted by Bafana Bafana, the senior national football team of South Africa. The Eagles, though hard fighting, could only settle for a 1-1 draw in the 3rd round of their World Cup Qualifying game played at Godswill Akpabio stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state. Themba Zwane struck first for South Africa in the 29th minute, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, for Nigeria, gave a quick answer, equalizing with a slick turn and low shot to the post in the 46th minute to level the match!. The match ended in a stalemate. Benin had earlier offered them the rare chance of taking the top spot in the group after they beat the hitherto group leader Rwuanda in Abidjan the previous day. With the outcome of the match Nigeria occu...

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has insisted that the South African delegation has no reason to cry foul after having to stay the night in Port Harcourt on Wednesday after arriving in Nigeria. The team only flew into Uyo on Thursday morning. NFF’s Protocol Chief, Emmanuel Ayanbunmi, said the South African Football Association informed the NFF that its chartered aircraft would depart South Africa on Wednesday morning by 8 a.m. and land in Lagos to undergo immigration formalities before proceeding to Uyo. “The problem has nothing to do with the NFF. As at the time they said they were taking off, it took them a further five hours to actually depart from South Africa. We were not informed. We had informed officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service and other relevant agencies in L...

Photo BBC: Gernot Rohr By Els William The Cheetahs, the senior national team of Benin have brightened Nigeria’s chances at WCQ, with 1-0 win over Rwanda, yesterday night at Abidjan. Benin secured the win with a 37th-minute goal from Douko Dodo." "The Cheetahs now have earned four points from three matches, tying them with group leaders Rwanda. However, Rwanda maintains the top spot due to a superior goals difference. As a result, the Super Eagles have dropped to fourth place, alongside Lesotho and Zimbabwe, who both have two points each.  Today, the Super Eagle will face South Africa in a crucial World Cup Qualifying match at Uyo. Next, the Super Eagles will take on Benin on Monday evening in Abidjan. Benin is coached by Gernot Rohr, a former Super Eagles coach...

By Ali Elias The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has been rescheduled for early 2026, avoiding a clash with the expanded 32-team Club World Cup. Originally set for June, the tournament will now take place in Morocco six months later. The move comes after CAF's general secretary, Veron Mosengo-Omba, raised concerns about player welfare and the feasibility of consecutive tournaments. "We must prioritize player interests and balance scheduling with our partners," Mosengo-Omba said, acknowledging the "scheduling nightmare" faced by all. The Club World Cup is set to take place in the United States from June 15 to July 13, making a June AFCON date impossible. By delaying the tournament, CAF aims to ensure player safety and avoid a scheduling conflict.

Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo, Werder Bremen's Justin Njinmah, Caleb Okoli of Frozinone and Luton Town playmaker, Gabriel Osho are four newly invited players to the Super Eagles in their next two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Meanwhile, Udinese of Italy goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye is making a return to the Super Eagles fold after over a year while Francis Uzoho has been omitted in the 25-man team released by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for the June World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic. As expected, Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen headlines the list that also includes Bayer Leverkusen marksman, Victor Boniface, Samuel Chukwueze, Nathan Tella and Terem Moffi. Chuba Akpon, Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka, Joe Aribo and Onyedika of Club Brugg...

By Els William Banyana Banyana, the South African senior female football team failed to qualify for Paris 2024 Olympic Games, courtesy of a goalless draw they played with the Super Falcons of Nigeria at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium, South Africa, on Friday, April 5, 2024. The Desiree Ellis coached side had earlier lost 0-1 to the Super Falcons in the First leg of the two-legged game played earlier at MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja, the Federal Capital of Nigeria. Having failed to upturn the 0-1 loss to Nigeria in Abuja, the Super Falcons advanced to the Finals of the Women Football competitions at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. However, former Banyana Banyana captain, Portia Modise, is unfazed with the outcome of the game. She is unconvinced with the performance of the Super Falco...

The name Isa Matos might sound relatively unfamiliar to the average Nigerian football fan without a knack for the women's game in particular. Isabela Christiana de Matos Uduezué was born in São Paulo on August 12, 2002 to a Nigerian father and a Brazilian mother. She is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for Atletico Miniero Femenino in the Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino Série A1, the top division in Brazil.  Isa Matos as she's fondly called, began her career as a youth player for Osasco Audax in 2018, Corinthians in 2019, Goiás in 2020, Santos in 2021, and Cortiba in 2022. In attempts at first team football, She returned to Osasco Audax in 2019 and made two senior appearances after previously playing for their U17 team in 2018, alongsi...

By Ali Elias Anyone who has football eyes would have observed right from the start of the Super Eagles game at the AFCON 2023 edition just concluded, that Peseiro was a copycat of Jose Mourinho's style. It has no flare, no inspiration, no fluidity, not attack minded, but rely extensively on choking the defense. Such tactics doesn't produce goals. Any wonder Victor Osimhen could not score goals because nothing was coming from the midfield to him save occasional break out from the wings, especially with Moses Simon and Ola Aina. Osimhen even had to go back sometimes to join the midfield. How can he be composed to score goals with that setup? Peseiro’s adopted tactics is totally wrong. He lacked flexibility.  You do not invite a war to be fought in your backyard, in your ter...

Report by Ali Elias, 11/27/2023 Speaking to the Sunday World, Etafia, who kept the posts for Lobi Stars, and presently a goalkeeper coach with TS Galaxy, a South African club, was positive that Nigeria would qualify for the 2026 World Cup. He said “Nigeria will come out strong when they are against the wall” “We have good players; it’s just that the coach is struggling to strike the balance. In football, you cannot invite all the camp. “You have to know which kind of football will give you the results instead of calling up all the good players and failing to field them. The coach cannot satisfy all the superstars. “But it is still early for the group to be decided. We [Nigeria] have only played two matches and there are many more matches to be played. “The Super Eagles still...

“Iwobi only plays when he has the ball and goes to sleep when he is not” Godwin Izilein, a former Super Falcons coach, said of Super Eagles star, Alex Iwobi, while assessing the team  ahead of Nigeria’s 2023 AFCON quarter-final clash with Angola. He said this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.  “The only snag is that Alex Iwobi has really not been fully into this tournament. He loses possession easily and does not defend and cover up for his colleagues. “Iwobi only plays when he has the ball and goes to sleep when he is not” he added of the Fulham player Overall , he had some positives of the team, saying that the Jose Peseiro’s boys now understand themselves more.  “They understand th...