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Category: Soccer

2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup: Flamingos Edge Paraguay in Five-Goal Thriller

Fola Badmus04 mins

Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, rounded off their pre-World Cup preparations in style with a hard-fought 3–2 victory over Paraguay in Casablanca on Tuesday evening. It was a match filled with pace, precision, and plenty of lessons as Coach Bankole Olowookere’s girls sealed their 12th warm-up game, extending their scoring tally to an impressive 50 goals while conceding just six.   The Flamingos wasted no time announcing their intent, taking the lead inside the opening two minutes. Goalkeeper Elizabeth Boniface launched a pinpoint long ball that found captain Shakirat Moshood, who cleverly laid it off for Mariam Yahaya. The forward made no mistake, chipping the onrushing Paraguayan goalkeeper to give Nigeria an early advantage.   Eight minutes later, Shakirat had a chance to double the lead, but her effort flew just over the bar. Paraguay found a lifeline in the 15th minute after a defensive error from Christiana Sunday gifted them an equaliser against the run of play. The South Americans grew in confidence, forcing Boniface into two fine saves as the Flamingos briefly lost their rhythm.   However, the Nigerians quickly regained control, and just before halftime, they were back in front. A defensive mix-up at the back allowed Yahaya to pounce for her brace in the 44th minute before completing a sensational first-half hat-trick a minute later, thanks to a delightful pass from Kaosarat Olanrewaju.   The second half saw the Flamingos maintain their attacking momentum, with Ayomide Abubakar and Shakirat Moshood both coming close to adding to the tally. Substitute goalkeeper Sylvia Echefu made a crucial save in the 69th minute to preserve Nigeria’s two-goal cushion as Paraguay searched for a route back into the game. In the final moments, another defensive lapse allowed Paraguay to pull one back, but it was too late to deny Nigeria a deserved 3–2 win.   With their Morocco training camp now concluded, the Flamingos will head to Rabat on Wednesday morning to settle into their FIFA accommodation ahead of the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, which kicks off on October 17. Drawn in Group D, Nigeria will open their campaign against Canada on Sunday 19th October, then face France three days later, before wrapping up the group stage against Samoa on October 25.

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World Cup Qualifier: Tinubu, Atiku, Obi Thumb Up Super Eagles

Fola Badmus04 mins

By Bunmi Ogunyale   President Bola Tinubu has congratulated the Super Eagles on their emphatic 4-0 victory over the Cheetahs of the Benin Republic and commends the team for keeping the nation’s hope alive as they pursue qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.   The President, in a statement by his media aide, Bayo Onanuga, praised the Super Eagles for the hunger, passion, and determination displayed on the field in Uyo, noting that the superlative performance has reignited Nigerians’ football pride.   ”While the job is not yet complete, I join millions of Nigerian football fans in wishing our team every success in the playoffs.   “The mood across the country reflects a shared belief that Nigeria deserves a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Canada, Mexico, and the United States will host.   “As your President, I assure you and the coaching crew of the Federal Government’s support as you strive to secure your place at the tournament. Nigerians everywhere believe in you, and I do too.   “We look forward to seeing you fly our flag proudly on the world stage.   In a similar vein, the former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party Presidential Candidate in the 2023 General Election, Mr. Peter Obi also congratulated the Super Eagles on recillence in the World Cup qualifier.   Both frontline politicians took to their twitter handles now X to commend the senior national team for keeping alive their 2026 FIFA World Cup participation.   “Dear Super Eagles, thank you for this beautiful evening of superlative soccer and a sweet victory to make the country proud,” Atiku wrote.   The former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi also saluted the doggedness of the Eric Chelle lad, saying; “Congratulations to our Super Eagles.   “Today, my day started very early at 6am, and after a very hectic day of participating in 5 different events of commissioning and campaigning in Anambra State, I had to watch the Super Eagles game.   “I watched with so much confidence and pride, and it was such a brilliant and sweet victory against the Benin Republic.   “The performance was really Super showing that it’s Possible.   “You showed true Nigerian spirit, strength, dominance, and unity on the field. This is the power of perseverance and teamwork.   “Well done, Super Eagles.   “Congratulations.”

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Asisat Oshoala Becomes CAF Ambassador

Fola Badmus03 mins

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially welcomed Asisat Lamina Oshoala into its cadre of Ambassadors, celebrating her outstanding contributions to African women’s football. The announcement marks another milestone for the Nigerian forward, whose influence both on and off the pitch has been unmatched across the continent. Oshoala, born October 9, 1994, in Ikorodu, Lagos, has built a decorated career with clubs including Barcelona and Bay FC. The former FC Robo Queens player steps into this new ambassadorial role with so much achievement bagged over her enviable career. Her record-breaking, consistent, and inspirational resume speaks volumes. She has won the CAF Women’s Player of the Year a record six times (2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023), more than any other African female player. In the 2022-23 season for FC Barcelona Femení, she was the top scorer in Spain, netting 20+ league goals and 27 in all competitions as the club secured the league title and UEFA Women’s Champions League. In her time with Barcelona, she amassed 117 goals in 163 official matches across all competitions, helping the club to win multiple domestic titles, Spanish cups, super cups, and Champions League honours. For Nigeria’s Super Falcons, Oshoala has played over 60 matches, scoring close to 37 international goals. She has featured in multiple Women’s AFCON tournaments and Women’s World Cups — she is the first African player to score in three different Women’s World Cup tournaments. As a CAF Ambassador, Oshoala will no doubt leverage her platform to uplift women’s football across Africa. She will continue encouraging young girls, advocating for growth in women’s competitions, and continue to embody excellence at every level.

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World Cup Qualifier: Super Eagles May Battle Gabon in Semi-Final Play-Off

Fola Badmus04 mins

By Bunmi Ogunyale Three-time African Champions, Nigeria’s Super Eagles have been tipped to battle The Panthers of Gabon in the semi-final of FIFA World Cup qualifying play-off in November. Nigeria are among four nations waiting to discover their opponents in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) semi-final. As announced by FIFA earlier in the week, two semi-finals will be held on November 13 and then the final on November 16 at venues still to be confirmed. Furthermore, the four teams will have to wait until the next FIFA rankings is issued on October 23 to discover their opponents with the highest-ranked side taking on the lowest and the second-highest taking on the third-highest. Nigeria (45) are the highest-ranked African nation to have finished second in qualification which means they would face a play-off semi-final against Gabon (79). Nigeria saved their best performance in qualification for the final game, thumping Benin 4-0 in Uyo on Tuesday evening to leapfrog their rivals in Group C. Victor Osimhen was the hero for Eric Chelle’s side as he netted a superb hat-trick in his nation’s hour of need. Although, with time ticking away, the hosts still needed another goal to guarantee a play-off spot. Frank Onyeka, in the first minute of injury time right at the end of the game, scored the decisive goal and one that could be worth its weight in gold over the next few months. The victory was not enough for the Super Eagles to top the group and therefore qualify automatically for next summer’s tournament as that honour went to South Africa instead after they beat Rwanda 3-0. However, Nigeria do have a lifeline thanks to a four-star showing inside the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium. At the final whistle, Nigeria joined Cameroon as two of the definite best runners-up from the CAF qualifying section with either Gabon/Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso or DR Congo set to fill the remaining spots. Once the identity of all four teams have been revealed, they will play a mini tournament in Morocco in November to determine a single team that will go on to compete in an inter-continental playoff in March for a place at the 2026 World Cup.  

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Breaking: Osimhen’s Hat-Trick Brightens Super Eagles’ World Cup Hope

Wale busari01 mins

An hat-trick from Victor Osimhen against the Squirrels of Benin Republic on Tuesday has boosted Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Galatasaray of Turkey forward struck after three minutes into the game after connecting with a sublime pass from Samuel Chukwueze. Osimhen doubled the lead for Nigeria with an header in 37th minute of the tie. The red-hot forward completed his hat-trick with another header in the 51st minute. Nigeria finished second place with 17 points in Group C of the qualifiers behind South Africa, who came tops in the group and qualified automatically for the mundial. Brentford of England midfielder Frank Onyeka completed the routing of the Beninoise on the dot 90 minutes to make it four nil. Former African Champions will go through another round of play-off to punch her ticket for the next edition of the FIFA World Cup.

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Oliseh Alleges NFF Withheld $1 Million From 2002 World Cup Qualifiers Players

Wale busari02 mins

Former Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh has accused the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) of withholding $1 million from FIFA that was meant to reward players for helping Nigeria qualify for the 2002 World Cup. Speaking on the Home Turf podcast, Oliseh said there had been a clear agreement to split the money evenly, with half going to the players who participated in the qualifying matches. According to him, each of the 30 players was supposed to receive around $18,000. Oliseh claimed the NFF, however, removed him and his assistant captain, Finidi George, from the team to prevent the payout. “We qualified for the World Cup, but the federation disbanded the team and kept the money. The squad that eventually went to the finals largely hadn’t played in the qualifiers, so they were never entitled to that reward,” Oliseh said. He emphasized that the players would only have received their share if he had been present to ensure the arrangement was honored. The former coach’s revelations add to longstanding allegations of mismanagement and lack of transparency within the NFF.  

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Cape Verde Qualify For First Ever World Cup After Historic 3-0 Victory Over Eswatini

Wale busari03 mins

Cape Verde have made history by qualifying for their first-ever FIFA World Cup after defeating Eswatini 3-0 at home, becoming the second-smallest nation ever to reach the global tournament. The emphatic victory secured the Blue Sharks’ top spot in their qualifying group, edging out African powerhouse Cameroon to book their place at the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. After a tense first half in Praia, Dailon Livramento opened the scoring early in the second half, converting a loose ball inside the six-yard box. Moments later, Willy Semedo doubled the lead with a brilliant volley, before veteran defender Stopira sealed the historic win with a third goal in stoppage time. Jubilant scenes erupted at the 15,000-capacity National Stadium as fans celebrated the nation’s greatest football achievement. Cape Verde President Jose Maria Neves, who watched from the stands, joined in the celebrations as players and supporters reveled in the moment. Cape Verde, an island nation of just under 525,000 people off the coast of West Africa, gained independence from Portugal in 1975. Since then, the Blue Sharks have steadily risen in African football, reaching the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013 and 2023. They currently rank 70th in the world. Only Iceland, who played at the 2018 World Cup, have a smaller population among countries that have ever qualified for the tournament. The islanders had earlier missed a chance to qualify after a dramatic 3-3 draw against Libya, where a last-minute winner was controversially ruled out for offside. However, they made no mistake this time against winless Eswatini, becoming the sixth African team to secure their ticket to next year’s finals.  

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NPFL Sanctions Kano Pillars With 3-Point Deduction, N9.5m Fine, And Stadium Ban Over Fan Violence

Wale busari04 mins

The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has imposed tough penalties on Kano Pillars following violent scenes that marred their Matchday 8 home fixture against Shooting Stars at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano on Sunday. In a Summary Jurisdiction Notice dated October 13 and signed by NPFL Chief Operating Officer Davidson Owumi, the league found the club guilty of several offences, including poor security, fan violence, throwing objects onto the pitch, and assaulting Shooting Stars players and match officials. According to the NPFL, Kano Pillars failed to provide adequate and effective security, which allowed unauthorized persons to invade restricted areas and the field of play. The league also faulted the club for failing to control its supporters, who harassed and physically attacked the visiting team and match officials. As punishment, the NPFL deducted three points and three goals from Kano Pillars’ total and issued fines amounting to N9.5 million. This includes N1 million each for inadequate security, throwing dangerous objects, fan misconduct, and bringing the game into disrepute — totaling N4 million. An additional N2 million fine was placed on the club for the assault on players and officials, while N1.5 million will serve as compensatory damages of N250,000 each to the affected match officials. Another N2 million fine was issued as compensation for medical treatment and damages sustained by Shooting Stars players and the officials. In addition to the financial penalties, the NPFL ordered Kano Pillars to relocate their home matches to Katsina for the remainder of the season — or at least ten matches — until the league is satisfied that proper security measures are in place. The Sani Abacha Stadium has been closed indefinitely to Kano Pillars’ home games. The club has also been directed to identify and produce those responsible for Sunday’s violence, show proof of their prosecution, and submit a detailed matchday security plan within seven days. Kano Pillars have 48 hours to either accept the ruling or appeal it. However, the NPFL warned that any baseless appeal could lead to additional sanctions under Rule E1 of the league’s framework. The decision follows nationwide outrage over the chaotic scenes in Kano, with many football fans and analysts condemning the violence as a stain on the image of Nigerian football.

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