Confed Cup: Kwara United Moves Asante Kotoko Tie to MKO Abiola Stadium

By Bunmi Ogunyale Nigeria’s Kwara United has moved their Confederation Cup preliminary second leg match against Asante Kotoko to Moshood Abiola Sports Arena, Abeokuta. The Ilorin-based side fondly known as the Afonja Warriors made the announcement on her Twitter handle now X on Tuesday. “Due to ongoing renovations at the Rashidi Yekini Mainbowl, our CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round second leg match against Asante Kotoko of Ghana will now be played at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta,” Kwara United stated on their official X handle. Asante Kotoko edged Kwara United 4-3 in a thrilling first-leg clash at Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday. Both teams delivered an intense, attacking display that kept fans on the edge of their seats throughout the match. The Nigerian side will aim at overturning the first leg result and secure a place in the next round of the CAF Confederation Cup.

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Ballon d’Or: NFF Congratulates Nnadozie, Madugu

The Nigeria Football Federation has congratulated Super Falcons and Brighton & Hove Albion of England’s safe hands Chiamaka Nnadozie on her fourth-place finish at this year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony, in Paris on Monday night. Nnadozie, who has been Africa’s Best Goalkeeper for the past two years, was also named Goalkeeper of the Tournament for this summer’s Women Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco, where she played a key role in Nigeria’s 10th triumph. “We heartily congratulate Chiamaka Nnadozie on her fourth-place finish in the race. It is a commendable feat given the calibre of goalkeepers she was up against. Finishing fourth is a big achievement and we believe in her capacity to win this trophy very soon,” NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi said. Sanusi also gave kudos to Super Falcons’ Head Coach Justine Madugu, who also finished fourth in the Women’s Coach of the Year category. “Coach Madugu’s feat further underscores the fact that the NFF was right to have given him the Super Falcons’ head coach’s role, which had earlier been validated with him leading the team to victory at the WAFCON in Morocco. We congratulate him on this feat and wish him victory in the awards in the coming years.” Nnadozie finished fourth behind England and Chelsea FC’s Hannah Hampton who took home the Trophée Yachine (named after former Soviet goalkeeper Lev Yashin), Gotham FC’s Ann-Katrin Berger and Barcelona FC’s Cata Coll. She however finished above Arsenal FC’s Daphne van Domselaar in the Top Five. Madugu was fourth in a race won by Sarina Wiegman, who led England to the UEFA Women’s Championship title, and which also included Chelsea’s Sonia Bompastor, Brazil’s Arthur Elias and Arsenal FC’s Renée Slegers.

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NWFL Congratulates Newly Promoted Premiership Clubs

The Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) has extended hearty congratulations to Sunshine Queens, Castmog Ladies, Ahudiyannem Queens, and Imo Striker Queens on their successful promotions to the NWFL Premiership at the conclusion of the 2025 Championship season, staged from September 11 to 21 in Umuahia and Abiriba, Abia State, South-East Nigeria. Sunshine Queens of Ondo State, a government-owned side with Premiership pedigree, return to the elite division. They are joined by three ambitious debutants, Castmog Ladies of Ogun State, Ahudiyannem Queens of Abia State, and Imo Striker Queens of Imo State, all privately owned and making history with their maiden ascent. In a statement on Monday, September 22, 2025, NWFL Chief Operating Officer, Modupe Shabi, commended the promoted clubs for their resilience and quality performances while appreciating other participating clubs. “We warmly congratulate the four teams on their deserved qualification to the Premiership. Their success is a testament to hard work, determination, and commitment to excellence. The NWFL is proud of the quality of football displayed throughout this year’s Championship and we are excited to welcome fresh talents and new clubs into the top division,” said Ms. Shabi. The league organisers also paid glowing tribute to the official sponsor of the 2025 Championship, Dr. Robert Daniel Onyeani, Chairman of Ahudiyannem Queens, whose support was pivotal to the successful delivery of this year’s event. “We owe a special gratitude to Dr. Onyeani for his vision and generosity in sponsoring this Championship. His investment has not only elevated his club but also strengthened the entire ecosystem of women’s football in Nigeria. He has set a laudable benchmark for private sector involvement in our game,” Shabi added. The NWFL COO further appreciated the Abia State Football Association, the Abiriba community, participating clubs, referees, match officials, and fans whose dedication and commitment ensured the smooth organisation and vibrant atmosphere of the tournament. “The unity of purpose displayed by all stakeholders reaffirms our vision to raise the standard of women’s football across Nigeria. We deeply value the contributions of everyone who played a part in making this Championship a success,” Shabi concluded. With the Championship now concluded, the NWFL reiterated its pledge to strengthen its competitions, empower young female footballers, and sustain the Premiership as a benchmark of excellence, integrity, and inclusivity in Nigerian women’s football.

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WAFU-B U17 Boys Tourney: Golden Eaglets Pass MRI Tests

All 20 players of the U17 Boys National Team, Golden Eaglets, to this year’s WAFU-B U17 Boys Tournament in Yamoussoukro, Cote d’Ivoire have scaled the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) hurdles. The tests were conducted on the players in the early hours of Thursday by the CAF Medical Team. The Eaglets will play their first match of the competition on Wednesday, 24th September against their counterparts from Benin Republic. They will also play Burkina Faso in group B. Hosts Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Niger Republic and Togo make up group A.

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Super Eagles Slip on FIFA World Ranking

Former African Champions, Super Eagles have dropped one spot in World football governing body, FIFA monthly world ranking. The Eric Chelle lads are ranked 45th in the world and are sixth in Africa behind Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria and Cote d’Ivoire. Nigeria won 1483.86 points as against her 1484.26 points in July. Meanwhile, Spain have returned to the ranking summit after a making a sensational start to qualifying for World Cup 26. They kicked off their campaign with a 3-0 win in Bulgaria, then made it back-to-back away victories with a 6-0 trouncing of Turkey. La Roja last topped the ranking back in June 2014, when they were world and European champions. Argentina – the reigning world champions – booked their ticket to next year’s global finals back in March and had already secured top spot in the CONMEBOL qualifying standings before their final-round defeat to Ecuador. That loss has resulted in them losing their grip as the planet’s top-ranked team, however. La Albiceleste are now third, with France second after back-to-back wins over Ukraine and Iceland.

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Flamingos Win Back-to-Back Friendlies in Abuja

Nigeria’s U17 Women’s National Team, the Flamingos, stepped up preparations for the 2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco with two wins on Wednesday, 17th September at the FIFA Goal Project, Abuja. In the first game, the Flamingos edged Eagle’s Wing U13 Boys 1–0 thanks to an early strike from Fatimoh Shuaib, who calmly slotted home after a neat exchange with Tabitha Terlumu. Despite pressure from the opponents, goalkeeper Elizabeth Boniface and her defence held firm to secure the narrow win. Later in the day, the Flamingos returned to action against Harmony FA U13 Boys, sealing a comfortable 3–0 victory. Zainab Raji opened the scoring after pouncing on a defensive error, before Olamide Olanrewaju tapped in for the second. Substitute Favour Etim made an instant impact, adding the third to complete a dominant performance, even as Terlumu saw her penalty kick saved. With these results, the Flamingos have now shown both resilience and attacking sharpness as all called-up players remain in camp ahead of the World Cup (Oct 17–Nov 8), where they face Canada, France, and Samoa in Group D.

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WAFU-B U17 Boys Tournament: Golden Eaglets Off to Yamoussoukro

The U17 Boys National Team, Golden Eaglets, will on Wednesday depart the country for the city of Yamoussoukro, Cote d’Ivoire where they will participate in this year’s WAFU-B U17 Boys Tournament. In their final friendly game before the tournament, the Eaglets drew 0-0 with Mop Stars FC on Monday. The team played a total of 13 friendly matches while in camp, winning 10, drawing two and losing only one. They scored 25 goals and conceded five. The five-time world champions will begin their campaign in the tournament against Baby Cheetahs of Benin Republic on Wednesday, 24th September, before taking on Burkina Faso in Group B. Group A has hosts Cote d’Ivoire, Niger Republic, Ghana and Togo. Matches will be played at the Stade du Lycée Scientifique in Yamoussoukro, which has a natural turf and was constructed for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. GOLDEN EAGLES FOR WAFU-B U17 BOYS TOURNAMENT Goalkeepers: Aquila Ahur (Mailantarki FC); Great Edafe (Beyond Limits); Paul Awelewa (Morak FC) Defenders: Abdullateef Lasisi (La Planet); Mubarak Rasheed (RFO FC); Sadiq Salihu (Niger Tornadoes); Godwin Menyaga (Adoration FC); Abdulsamad Salisu (Central FC); Emmanuel Asika (Mailantarki FC) Midfielders: Paul Ugwu (RBM FC); Famous Umole (Derby FC); David Edeh (Adoration FC); Umar Yahaya (Footwork FC); Ahmed Yusuf (One-Touch FC)

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Dorcas Koki Joins Nigeria U17 Women’s Team as Media Officer

The Nigeria Football Federation has appointed Erenayo Dorcas Koki, a journalist and football commentator with NigeriaInfo FM, as new Media Officer of the U17 women national team, Flamingos. Koki, who has under her belt, years of experience in covering local and international sporting events and programmes, has a reputation for bold story-telling, engaging analysis, and strong advocacy for women sports, especially women football. Port Harcourt-based Koki steps into the shoes left by the vibrant, highly energetic and sapient Monsurah Olatunji, who was the team’s Media Officer at last year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals in the Dominican Republic, and who had taken over from the affable Faith Meremegbunam. Koki is intentional about bringing the Flamingos, 2022 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup bronze medallists, closer to Nigerians and the rest of the world, by deploying skills that will ensure greater visibility for the team. “I will work with the NFF Communication department to amplify the voices of the players and coaches, to ensure the team’s journey is shared with all stakeholders countrywide and beyond. My vision is to make the Flamingos a household name, not only during tournaments but all-year round. We will tell their stories in ways that inspire pride, build fan connection, and position the team as the future of Nigeria football, by combining fresh digital content, stronger media engagement and authentic story-telling.” The Flamingos will resume camping on Sunday as they commence preparations for this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals, taking place in Morocco, 17th October – 8th November.

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