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NFF Concludes Arrangements for FIFA MA Courses for Technical Instructors, Young Talents

Fola Badmus14 mins

All is set for the annual double-salvo FIFA Member Association courses for technical and physical fitness instructors, and for young talents in refereeing, with a total of 80 participants to undergo classroom andfield drilling from June 8 – 19 at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja. The programme for technical and physical fitness instructors, who are 40 in number, will commence on Monday, June 8 with the objective of bringing Nigeria’s technical and physical fitness instructors up to speed with current trends, tendencies and ideals, for them to imbibe global best practices in the refereeing business. World football-governing body, FIFA, is sending Technical Instructor Ali Mohamed Ahmed, as well as Fitness Instructor Boubaker Hanachi to superintend the programmes, alongside Nigerian instructors Felicia Okwugba, Peter Edibe, Emmanuel Imiere and Stella Emoji, and IT/Video Instructor Promise Uwaeme. For the technical and physical fitness programme, participants will be taken through the course objectives, challenges and tactical fouls, and preparation of practical training on day one, with new law changes, tactical approach, handball, offside, penalty area incidents and use of new FIFA red among other presentations. Practical training with referees and players will kick off each day’s programme. For the young talents programme, there will be presentations on challenges and tactical fouls, penalty area incidents, modern refereeing, positioning and reading, fitness test analysis, among others. The exercise for technical and physical fitness instructors will end of Friday, 13th June, exiting the stage for the Young Talents program that will last between 15th and 19th June also inside the MKO Abiola National Stadium. Participants for Technical and Physical Fitness Course: Uwaeme Promise, Baba Abel, Alex Mana, Austin Eyeroli, Alfred Saiki, Aundugh Robert, Patrick Ishaya, Ben Neji, Wokoma Innocent, Umoh Sylvanus, Nasiru Ibrahim, Aliyu Jingi, Isaac Bolatito, Bukola Olisa, Kelechi Mejuobi, Victor Ijeremen, Ikechukwu Okpechi, Adamu Gambo, Uhumnwang Mike, Babatunde Irukera, Philip Alkali, Nicholas Achikasim, Friday Awugo, Mohammed Bala, Aku Margaret, Ibrahim Budah, Hanson Paris, Grace Obaze, Sesan Odukoya, Ahmad Rufai, Apeh Paul, Surakar Mahmoud, Umuago Paul, Fatimo Oyeniyi, Bethel Nwanesi, Innocent Egwutora, Folusho Ajayi, Joshua Dogo, Abdulrashid Oyakhire, Michael Oladeni Participants for Young Talents Programme: Mansur Mahmud Ngaski, Gbemisola Solihat Yusuf, Bashir Moukhtar, Dominion Chisom Kalu, Ibrahim Adams Boyi, Emmanuel Ajewole, Kwanga Eric Terhile, Asakpi Oritsetsolayemi, Esther Joseph, Patience Abi Azi, Ehinola Aanu Paulina, Omowunmi Adeola Oluwole, Adepoju Michael Oluwajuwonlo, Suleyman Sani, Semiat Opeyemi Mustapha, Stephanie Tse Henbafan, Alohan Uzoma Osakpamwan, Isah Nagogo, Ruth Ogunrombi, Andrew Iorkon, Jamilu Hamisu, Rachael Onyekwere, Adie Emmanuel Unimike, Umar Musa Anukpo, Yakubu Aliyu, Ismail Ishaq, Idowu Stephen Omolade, Al-Ameen Kabiru Yusuf, Scholastica Amalachukwu Ikeobi, Dahiru Mustapha, Baffa Usman Usman,Uzaifa Abubakar Ilela, Ebenezer Folaesho, Muhammad Bin Lawal, Aminu Kabiru, Habibu Salihu, Idris Ibrahim Buba, Aminu Muhammed Yakubu, Aziz Ahmed, Capehas Hamen.

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Osimhen Rejects Al Hilal Move

Fola Badmus02 mins

Serie A giants Napoli were close to selling Victor Osimhen to Al Hilal but the move will now not go through. Earlier today, it became clear that the Saudi Arabian club will trigger the player’s release clause and they were only waiting for the Nigerian’s go-ahead for a transfer. It seems as if the move will not go through after all. Gianluca di Marzio has reported that the striker has made it clear that he will not join Al Hilal. This has happened after the Napoli player made some final assessments about the potential transfer. Initially, the Saudi club had offered a fee that was slightly lower that the player’s release clause. But that wasn’t enough for Napoli, who wanted a higher fee and the release clause was triggered. Alfredo Pedulla has revealed that Al Hilal had offered Osimhen a wage of over €30 million per season but the player’s ‘no’ is quite decisive.

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Basketball: Rivers Hoopers Suffer Defeat to US Monastir in Seeding Game

Fola Badmus15 mins

Rahpiael Putney scored a Basketball Africa League (BAL) career-high 28 points along with 7 rebounds to lead the charge for Rivers Hoopers, but the Nigerian champions succumbed to an 89-81 defeat by Tunisia powerhouse US Monastir in the final seeding game on Saturday. Putney stole the show in a tightly contested first quarter during which both teams exchanged leads nine times, as he led from the front with 10 points to his name, before Madut Akec scored a 3-pointer in the final seconds of the 1st quarter to hand Rivers Hoopers a 2-point lead at 16-14. Ahmed Doumbia scored 7 points in 2 minutes midway through the 2nd quarter to stretch the KingsMen’s lead to 6 points at 27-21. Michael Okiki then found Madut Akec on a fast break for the South Sudanese forward to net an easy score with one of the best plays of the first half as Rivers Hoopers led by 4 points at Halftime with the score at 36-32. Rahpiael Putney, who scored 16 first half points, stayed hot at the start of the 3rd quarter, sinking back-to-back threes to stretch the lead to 9 points. But Monastir responded quickly with hot hands from Andrew Edogi, Patrick Hardy Jr., and Osiris Eldridge who scored in quick succession from the bench to rattle the KingsMen and steal a 4-point lead at the end of the 3rd quarter. US Monastir scored a whopping 41 points from the bench, compared to Rivers Hoopers’ 19. The fourth quarter belonged to BAL elevate star, Babacar Sane who ran the show for Monastir as the 2022 Champions opened up a 13-point lead and never looked back. Ahmed Doumbia brought some cheers to the crowd when he drilled in a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from deep to cut the deficit to 8 points, as Monastir held on for an 89-81 win. Peter Olisemeka was again efficient for the Rivers Hoopers, scoring the team’s only double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds, with Madut Akec who notched 15 points the only other player to hit double figures for the KingsMen. Speaking after the game, Rivers Hoopers Head Coach, Ogoh Oduaudu blamed the defeat on a loss of concentration in the third quarter. He said “Well, I think it’s [due to] a loss of concentration. We were up there in the first two quarters and then in the 3rd quarter everything broke down. We’re happy it happened in a game that was just a seeding game. Despite the loss, the BAL Season four coach of the year was however pleased with the performance of his team and was adamant of a better showing in the quarterfinals. “We didn’t want this to happen in the quarterfinals. So it gives us the opportunity to go back and try to clean it up tomorrow before we come back for the quarterfinals on Monday. But in all, I think we played a very good game and except for that break in the 3rd quarter I’m impressed with what they did.” he added. The outcome of the game means Rivers Hoopers will square up against Rwanda’s APR in the BAL Season 5 quarterfinals on Monday, 9th June, while US Monastir face defending champions Petro de Luanda.

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Basketball: Rivers Hoopers’ Amayo Upbeat Ahead Of US Monastir Clash

Fola Badmus03 mins

Rivers Hoopers guard Kelvin Amayo is confident that the KingsMen will showcase a high level of intensity on defense ahead of their seeding game against US Monastir on June 7 in Pretoria. The KingsMen, who are ranked fourth, will be up against third seed, Us Monastir, in a seeding game on Saturday. Kelvin Amayo was gracious and quick to congratulate US Monastir for entering the BAL Season 5 Playoffs as Sahara Conference winners. He said, “I just want to say congrats to US Monastir. I watched them in the Sahara Conference, [and] they played well. They’re definitely not the same team from last year to this year. Amayo, who led the Kalahari Conference in blocks, believes that the team’s defensive efforts will be crucial in limiting the Sahara Conference winners. “I think what we are going to do is showcase a high level of intensity in the defensive end,” Amayo said. The 6-foot-4 guard has a positive record against US Monastir, having helped Rivers Hoopers win 92-88 in the 2024 BAL quarterfinals with 18 points, six rebounds, and 10 assists. Both teams have grown to become familiar foes at the BAL and are now set for the fifth installment of their growing rivalry, with the previous four meetings evenly split at two wins apiece. Most recently, the KingsMen knocked out US Monastir in an electrifying quarter-final showdown at the BAL Season 4, which ended 92-88 in favour of the Hoopers. They face the KingsMen on Saturday, June 7, in one of the four seeding games before the 2025 BAL quarter-finals at 6pm local time (6pm Nigerian time), and Amayo is positive about the meeting. “Everybody is going to have fun, and I think Saturday is a great game for everybody to come and watch.”

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Int’l Friendly: Super Eagles Seek to Sustain Winning Mentality Against Russia’s ‘Boys’

Fola Badmus06 mins

Fresh from winning the four-nation Unity Cup tournament in London, Nigeria’s Super Eagles will seek to maintain their unbeaten run in all competitions since the beginning of this year, when they take on the Sbornaya (The Boys) of Russia at the 78,000-capacity Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on Friday night. It is the first official meeting for both countries at senior level, and though Russia have not played competitively since February 2022, they have been busy playing friendly games, the last one being a 5-0 routing of Zambia’s Chipolopolo at the VTB Arena in Moscow on 25th March. The win took their winning streak to eight games. Nigeria defeated Rwanda 2-0 in Kigali in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match on 21st March, were held to a 1-1 draw at home four days later by Zimbabwe in the same series, and then defeated Ghana 2-1 on 28th May before overpowering Jamaica on penalties after a 2-2 draw on 31st May to win the Unity Cup tournament in London. While still in the form of that single and mammoth USSR, the Soviet Union hosted the FIFA World Youth Championship (now FIFA U20 World Cup) in 1985. The host nation defeated Nigeria 2-1 in a group phase match in Minsk, but when both teams clashed in the tournament’s third-place match, Nigeria triumphed 3-1 after a penalty shootout following 0-0 in regulation and extra time in Moscow. On Friday, Franco-Malian Eric Chelle will be put out a squad that will be determined to earn a critical win for Nigeria, in order to sustain the winning mentality built from the Unity Cup tournament, and also set their eyes confidently on an even more critical couple of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches coming up in September. The Super Eagles, lying fourth in their group, will host Rwanda’s Amavubi in the first week of September, and fly out to Johannesburg four days later to tackle group leaders Bafana Bafana of South Africa in what could be a flaming war. Injuries and withdrawals have combined to tweak Chelle’s ensemble for this encounter, but the spine of the squad is largely intact, with only the fore missing telling performers, such as reigning African Player of the Year Ademola Lookman, the peerless Victor Osimhen and AC Milan of Italy’s Samuel Chukwueze – who was in imperious form in London. Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has another opportunity to reign between the sticks, with Igoh Ogbu and Benjamin Fredericks (from the Unity Cup in London) tugging for the rearguard shirts with captain William Ekong, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Bruno Onyemaechi and Semi Ajayi. A rich midfield cast includes Frank Onyeka, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Raphael Onyedika, Christantus Uche, Papa Daniel and Saviour Isaac. Much will be expected of Simon Moses and Tolu Arokodare in the attack, as Krasnodar FC’s former junior international Olakunle Olusegun hopes fervently for his first senior cap. The iconic Luzhniki Stadium hosted the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final, in which France defeated Croatia 4-2. During the competition, Russia defeated Saudi Arabia 5-0 in the group phase, and also eliminated Spain 4-3 after penalty shootout in the Round of 16, at the same Luzhniki Stadium. Friday’s encounter will kick off at 8pm Russia time (6pm Nigeria). SUPER EAGLES FOR RUSSIA FRIENDLY: Goalkeepers: Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy); Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania) Defenders: William Ekong (Al-Kholood FC, Saudi Arabia); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce SK, Turkey); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiacos FC, Greece); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Igoh Ogbu (SK Slavia Prague, Czech Republic); Sodiq Ismaila (Remo Stars); Benjamin Fredericks (Brentford FC, England) Midfielders: Frank Onyeka (Augsburg FC, Germany); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Lazio FC, Italy); Christantus Uche (Getafe CF, Spain); Papa Daniel Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes); Saviour Isaac (Enugu Rangers) Forwards: Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Simon Moses (FC Nantes, France); Tolu Arokodare (KRC Genk, Belgium); Olakunle Olusegun (Krasnodar FC, Russia); Sikiru Alimi (Remo Stars)

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Saudi Club Al-Hilal Lures Victor Osimhen

Fola Badmus03 mins

Al-Hilal have made a contract offer to in-demand striker Victor Osimhen. The forward, lit up the Super Lig at Galatasaray last season, scoring 25 goals and providing five assists in 29 games for the Turkish giants. Osimhen, who has previously been discussed by Manchester United and Chelsea, is currently on loan from Napoli and is set to return to the Italian club this summer, where his contract expires in 2026. The 26-year-old scored 31 goals in all competitions as he fired Napoli to a first Serie A title in 33 years in the 2022-23 season, and has since been rated as one of Europe’s elite frontmen. However, he was forced to desperately search for a new club in last summer’s transfer window after Napoli boss Antonio Conte signed Romelu Lukaku and left Osimhen out of his squad. Despite reports of a potential move to Chelsea and a host of Saudi sides, no move permanent move materialised. Last summer, Chelsea legends John Obi Mikel and Didier Drogba reached out to the forward to try and talk him into a Stamford Bridge switch. ‘I hope that Chelsea fans will finally see him come to the club. I’ll make sure I send him those text messages and calls, making sure Chelsea is his top priority,’ said Mikel. ‘But it seems like he loves the club and wants to come to Chelsea. I’m sure he has all the big clubs wanting to sign him. I think if we can secure his signature it would be fantastic for the club. ‘Didier is also speaking to him, sharing his own ideas and what the club means to us. We all want to see Victor come to the club. If it happens, it happens. It’s a huge transfer fee, but if we can match it and get him to the club that would be absolutely fantastic.’

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Chelsea Signs Delap From Ipswich Town

Fola Badmus13 mins

Chelsea have completed the signing of striker Liam Delap from Ipswich Town. The 22-year-old arrives at Stamford Bridge on a six-year deal following an impressive Premier League campaign in which he finished as Ipswich’s top scorer with 12 goals and two assists from 37 appearances. “I understand the stature of this club and can see the trajectory it is on with these players and the head coach,” Delap told Chelsea’s official website. “It’s going to be an incredible place for me to develop, and I hope to achieve amazing things here and help the club win more trophies.” Delap will add to the existing forward options available to head coach Enzo Maresca, including Nicolas Jackson, Marc Guiu, Christopher Nkunku and Armando Broja. The transfer means Delap is reunited with Maresca, who worked with him at Manchester City’s Academy. Ahead of Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat at Ipswich in December 2024, Maresca praised the young striker, describing him as a “fantastic player.” “We spent one year [at City] and he scored 24 goals,” Maresca added. “He’s working hard off the ball. On the ball, he understands the game. He can be an important player for England.” Delap will also reconnect with two former team-mates from City’s Academy, Romeo Lavia and Cole Palmer. Delap joined Derby County’s Academy at the age of six and he spent a decade there before moving to Man City in 2019. He signed for Ipswich from City in July 2024, quickly establishing himself as a key player in their first season back in the Premier League. One of Delap’s standout performances came against Chelsea at Portman Road where, he scored a penalty and provided an assist for Omari Hutchinson in what proved to be Ipswich’s only home league win of the campaign. Internationally, Delap has represented England at Under-21 level, scoring on his debut in a 3–0 win over Luxembourg in a 2025 UEFA European U21 Championship qualifier. He also remains eligible to play for the Republic of Ireland at senior level.

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