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Tag: NFF

Morocco 2025: Eagles Remain Confident as Gusau Quashes Fears of Manipulative Officiating

Fola Badmus04 mins

President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau (MON) has dismissed fears of possible biased officiating when the Super Eagles lock horns with hosts Atlas Lions of Morocco in Wednesday night’s Africa Cup of Nations second semi-final in Rabat.   “I do not have the same fears of the match officials being biased as some people have. I believe that the grass is always green and that the playing pitch is level. I do not see a situation in which the match officials will be working against any team’s interest.   “Last summer, we were here in Morocco, for the Women Africa Cup of Nations, and we played the host nation in the Final, even coming from two goals behind to achieve victory. There is nothing to fear. This is the highest level of football on the African continent, and the officials know that CAF as well as the whole world is watching, and will not do anything untoward.”   The NFF supremo and President of WAFU B spoke against the backdrop of widespread fears among Nigerian ball fans that the match officials could blatantly or surreptitiously work in favour of the host nation, which is looking for a second AFCON title after its maiden gong 50 years ago.   The Super Eagles camp continues to radiate confidence and self-belief ahead of the encounter, as the players keep strictly and professionally to their daily schedule at the Hotel Rihab and at the training ground – Complexe Sportif Mohamed VI.   Feelers from the Atlas Lions camp reveal that the players are in trepidation of the impact that Nigerian midfielder Alexander Iwobi can have on Wednesday night’s game.   Iwobi supplied 22 line-breaking passes in the quarter-final game against Mozambique (which Nigeria won 4-0) and 14 against Algeria’s Desert Foxes in Saturday’s quarter final duel in Marrakech. Nigeria won both games, scoring six goals and conceding none.   The 29-year-old, who debuted for Nigeria against the Democratic Republic of Congo in a friendly in Belgium on 8th October 2015, also supplied the assists for Nigeria’s first two goals of the competition, in the 2-1 win over Tanzania in Fés on 23rd December.   He will earn his 96th cap for the Super Eagles on Wednesday night.

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AFCON 2025: Osimhen Named Man of the Match

Fola Badmus01 mins

By Bunmi Ogunyale   Former African Footballer of the Year and Super Eagles’ Vice Captain, Victor Osimhen, has been adjudged as the Man of the Match in the quarterfinal tie against Algeria. Osimhen scored the opener for Nigeria after both teams ended the first half of the encounter barren. The Galatasaray of Turkey striker rose splendidly, suspending himself in the air, to nod into the net from a perfect pull-out by defender Bruno Onyemaechi. The lanky forward now joined Ademola Lookman and Raphael Onyedika who have won the gong so far in the tournament. With doubt over the availabilty of Skipper Wilfred Ndidi due to injury, Osimhen may step in to the senior national team against hosts, Morocco on Wednesday.  

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Breaking: Super Eagles’ Players Embark On Strike

Fola Badmus02 mins

Reports from Fez, Morocco have it that members of the Super Eagles have embarked on a strike action, as they have declined resuming training after their 4-0 win over Mozambique. Camp sources informed that the players insisted that they would’t return to trainning should the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) fail to pay them their winning bonus and other camp allowance. The players, according to our reliable source, also threatened not to embark on the trip to Marrakech for their quarterfinal tie against Algeria if their demands are not met by the football house. So far, the Super Eagles has maintained 100 percent record as they have won all matches in their campaign at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2025). The latest development will be the second in the space on three months after the World Cup Play Off episode where the players protested to be paid their bonuses before filling out against DR Congo.

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Breaking: Akor Adams Leaves Super Eagles’ Camp in Morocco

Fola Badmus01 mins

Super Eagles’ stricker, Adams Akor has been granted to leave the national team’s camp in Morocco. The Sevilla forward was released to be with his mother who is currently receiving treatment in Morocco for an undisclosed ailment. “I’m very focussed. I have my family here. My mum is here, though in the hospital but I’m really focussed,” Akor revealed on Monday. Akor Adams scored his first AFCON goal and his third for Nigeria, when he hammered into the roof of the net for goal number four, after a textbook pass by Ademola Lookman. The player is expected back in the team’s camp ahead of Saturday’s quarterfinal clash against Algeria or Democratic Republic of Congo.  

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Morocco 2025: Eagles Trounce Cranes, Await Lions or Mambas in Round of 16

Fola Badmus05 mins

A strike by Paul Onuachu and a brace by midfielder Raphael Onyedika lifted a remarkably different Nigeria team to a 3-1 win over Uganda in their final Group C encounter at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco.   Onuachu, starting ahead of Akor Adams as Coach Eric Chelle made several changes to the squad that defeated Tanzania and Tunisia in their earlier games, connected perfectly with a pass from the left by Fisayo Dele-Bashiru in the 28th minute to give Nigeria the lead, only two minutes after veteran goalkeeper Denis Onyango had stopped a point-blank effort by the Trabzonspor of Turkey forward.   Before then, Nigeria had dominated play extensively, and as early as the 9th minute, Samuel Chukwueze’s shot came off the defensive wall after good work by Simon Moses. A teasing pull-out by Chukwueze in the 25th minute narrowly missed the head of Onuachu.   Moses himself came close with four minutes left in the first period, as his shot came off the wall after the Eagles poured forward in numbers once more.   In the second half, Rogers Mato came close to connecting with a good cross but missed. Nigeria regrouped and sustained the pressure on their opponents, who had won four of their previous eight encounters before Tuesday evening’s match in Fès.   Wing-back Bruno Onyemaechi side-netted in the 51st minute, and six minutes later, goalkeeper Salim Omar, who had come in for the injured Onyango, was red-carded after punching the ball outside his box as Victor Osimhen, Nigeria’s stand-in-captain, loomed towards goal.   Midfielder Raphael Onyedika, playing his first game at this AFCON, scored Nigeria’s second in the 62nd minute after connecting well with a pass by Samuel Chukwueze. Chukwueze and Raphael recreated a similar process four minutes later, leading to Onyedika, who plays his club football in Belgium, scoring his second and Nigeria’s third.   In the 70th minute, Paul Onuachu’s header was a little too high, and five minutes later, Rogers Mato scored at the other end as Uganda finished well from a brilliant team move.   Victory gave the Eagles the maximum nine points from their three matches, and they will now certainly meet the third-placed team in Group F, with both third-placed finishers in Groups A (Comoros) and B (Angola) already eliminated. This could be any of Cote d’Ivoire’s Elephants (Cup holders), Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions or the Mambas of Mozambique.   That match comes up on Monday, 5th January in Fès.   Tanzania’s gutsy 1-1 draw with Tunisia saw the Taifa Stars reach the knockout stage for the first time in their history. They will play host nation Morocco in the Round of 16.

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NFF Investigates DR Congo Over Ineligible Players, Boosting Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup Hopes

Wale busari04 mins

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced an investigation into DR Congo’s use of potentially ineligible players during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, a move that could revive Nigeria’s chances of reaching the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, PUNCH Online reports. DR Congo eliminated Nigeria from the African play-offs in November, winning 4–3 on penalties in Morocco and ending the Super Eagles’ hopes of advancing to the FIFA intercontinental play-off. The Congolese team has since advanced to the final of the intercontinental play-off, where they are set to face the winner of the semi-final between New Caledonia and Jamaica. However, the NFF has raised questions about the eligibility of several DR Congo players fielded during the African play-offs. Reports indicate that six to nine players who switched national allegiance may not have fully complied with Congolese law, which prohibits dual citizenship. While FIFA cleared the players based on possession of DR Congo passports, it is alleged they did not formally renounce their previous nationalities, potentially violating the country’s constitution. “NFF has done the needful,” a member of the federation’s executive board told PUNCH Online. “Their constitution does not allow dual citizenship, and about six to nine players had that status during the play-off. That is the loophole we are exploring. Our lawyers must have submitted the relevant documents to FIFA as well.” NFF General Secretary Dr. Mohammed Sanusi also confirmed the federation’s challenge, saying, “We’re waiting. The Congolese rules say you cannot have dual citizenship or nationality. Some of the players have European passports—French, Dutch, or others. The rules are very clear, and we have submitted our petition. “FIFA rules say once you have a passport of your country, you’re eligible, and that is why they were cleared,” he added. “But our concern is that FIFA was deceived into clearing them. It is not FIFA’s responsibility to enforce Congo’s domestic regulations; FIFA acts based on what is submitted. What we are saying is that the process was fraudulent.” The development has renewed hopes for Nigeria’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup, following their failure to reach the 2022 edition in Qatar. DR Congo has made a single FIFA World Cup appearance, in 1974, when the country was known as Zaire.

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Morocco 2025: Super Eagles Set for NAIJA 4 THE WIN Campaign as AFCON Beckons

Fola Badmus03 mins

The Nigeria Football Federation has announced the commencement of the NAIJA 4 THE WIN campaign as the Super Eagles return to the continent for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, with a renewed commitment to reclaiming the prestigious title for the nation.   Nigeria, three-time winners of Africa’s flagship football championship, arrive in Morocco with a rich history and a firm resolve to restore continental glory. The silver-medal finish at the 2023 edition in Abidjan, though commendable, remains a reminder of unfinished business. Those memories serve not as setbacks, but as motivation for a stronger, more decisive outing.   Under the leadership of Head Coach Eric Sékou Chelle and the unwavering total support of the National Sports Commission and the Nigeria Football Federation, the team continues to build a solid structure based on discipline, experience, emerging talent, and collective ambition. The objective is unambiguous: to improve on the last performance and bring the Africa Cup of Nations trophy back to Nigeria.   The NAIJA 4 THE WIN campaign serves as a unifying call to Nigerians across all regions and the diaspora. It reinforces the belief that, just as in Nigeria 1980, Tunisia 1994 and South Africa 2010, Nigeria can once again rise to the summit of African football. Each of these victories carries its own legacy, and Morocco 2025 presents another opportunity to inscribe a new chapter in that storied tradition.   The NFF urges supporters to stand firmly behind the Super Eagles throughout the tournament from homes and viewing centres across the country to the stands in Morocco. The passion, encouragement, and presence of Nigerians remain critical to the team’s success.  

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Mikel Obi Seeks NFF Role, Vows to Reject Corruption

Wale busari02 mins

Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel has revealed his interest in taking a leadership position within the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), but made it clear that he would only step in if the system is free from corruption. Speaking after Nigeria failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, the 37-year-old ex-international said the problems in Nigerian football run deeper than poor results on the pitch. Mikel, who has long been vocal about his commitment to the national team, said he is willing to offer his expertise again, provided the federation operates transparently and with accountability. He said: “I have always fought for my country from my early days. I don’t know how many players have done that the way I have, from the U17 and U20 teams to the senior national team. I have sacrificed years and never once said no to my country.” He continued: “When I know I can contribute meaningfully, I will always be ready. But I will never have corruption tied to me. That is a line I will not cross. “If progress is the goal, the right people must be in place—people who share the same vision. That way, when players return home to play, they will find an environment where they can perform and thrive.”

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