NFF Archives | Page 5 of 22

8th African Nations Championship: Chelle Names Nduka, Daniel, Yusuf, 32 Others

Fola Badmus3 months ago3 months ago03 mins

Head Coach Eric Chelle has named 35 players, among them captain Junior Harrison Nduka, Papa Mustapha Daniel and forward Anas Yusuf in the provisional list of Super Eagles B for the 8th African Nations Championship taking place in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda next month. First-choice goalkeeper Henry Ani is also called, alongside defenders Waliu Ojetoye, Ifeanyi Onyebuchi, Mohammed Kabiru and Uzondu Harrison, midfielders Saviour Isaac and Haddi Haruna, and forwards Sunday Megwo, Adamu Abubakar and Godwin Obaje. Goalkeepers Kayode Bankole and Ebenezer Harcourt, defenders Sodiq Ismaila and Stephen Manyo Egbe, midfielder Adam Aminu, and forwards Atule Joseph and Temitope Vincent have also been invited. Nigeria, 2018 runners-up, are housed in group D of the 19-team tournament, alongside Cup holders Senegal, Sudan and Congo. The Super Eagles will play their first two matches of the competition, against Senegal and Sudan, at the Amman Stadium on the island of Zanzibar, before taking on Congo at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam. All invited players have been instructed to turn up at the Remo Stars Sports Institute, Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State on Monday, 7th July with their international passports and current club license. 35 PLAYERS FOR SUPER EAGLES B CAMPING IN IKENNE-REMO Goalkeepers: Henry Ozoemena Ani (Enyimba FC); Kayode Bankole (Remo Stars); Nurudeen Badmus (Kwara United); Lawal Mustapha (Shooting Stars); Ebenezer Harcourt (Sporting Lagos) Defenders: Sodiq Ismaila (Remo Stars); Waliu Ojewole (Ikorodu City);C Bankole Afeez (Kwara United); Taiwo Abdulrafiu (Rivers United); Uzondu Harrison (Ikorodu City); Junior Harrison Nduka (Remo Stars); Mohammed Kabiru (Kwara United); Ngengen Leonard (Ikorodu City); Ifeanyi Onyebuchi (Rangers International); Steven Mayo Egbe (Rivers United) Midfielders: Adebayo Olamilekan (Remo Stars); Adejoh Ojonugwa (Abia Warriors); Saviour Isaac (Rangers International); Musa Zayyad (El-Kanemi Warriors); Haddi Haruna (Remo Stars); Otaniyi Taofik (Rivers United); Papa Daniel Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes); Adam Aminu (Kano Pillars); Michael Tochukwu (Remo Stars) Forwards: Anas Yusuf (Nasarawa United); Adamu Abubakar (Plateau United); Shola Adelani (Ikorodu City); Sikiru Alimi (Remo Stars); Temitope Vincent (Plateau United); Ijoma Anthony (Abia Warriors); Atule Joseph (Enyimba FC); Ayomide Cole (Ikorodu City); Sunday Megwo (Abia Warriors); Aniekeme Okon (Rivers United); Godwin Obaje (Rangers International)

Mission X: Madugu Assures Super Falcons Will Continue to Improve After Win Over Ghana

Fola Badmus3 months ago3 months ago03 mins

Head Coach Justine Madugu insisted on Monday that Nigeria’s Super Falcons must continue to improve in several areas, despite an emphatic 3-1 win over Ghana’s Black Queens in a friendly in Casablanca on Sunday evening. Goals by Mexico-based Chinwendu Ihezuo, Asisat Oshoala and captain Rasheedat Ajibade affirmed the Falcons’ supremacy over the Queens, at a closed-door game played at the Ziaida Palace Benslimane field. “The match gave us the opportunity of having the full squad together to really assess our strength as a team, and build on team cohesion, coordination and on various combinations. “It will always be work in progress, but we are very focused on our realisable and achievable target of Mission X. The girls are ready and are showing real hunger for victory and team spirit is high. We are looking forward to our first match on Sunday against Tunisia.” The victory over Ghana’s Black Queens extended Madugu’s stellar record with the Super Falcons. He was in charge when the Falcons easily surged past Ethiopia in the qualifying race for the 2024 Olympics, and also led the team to crush Cape Verde to secure qualification for the 13th Women AFCON, which kicks off on Saturday. Last year, Madugu led the Falcons to rout Algeria’s senior girls in two friendly matches in Ikenne and Lagos, and restricted France to an odd-goal victory in another friendly match in France in November. This year, Madugu has led the Super Falcons to a 2-0 win over Cameroon in a friendly game in Cameroon, and on Monday last week, picked a team that fought hard against Portugal in a 0-0 draw in Lisbon. “We will continue to work on our weak areas, and I believe that by the time of our first match, we will be ready,” Madugu added.

Kwara United, Rivers Angels Win 2025 President Federation Cup

Fola Badmus3 months ago3 months ago04 mins

Cup holders Rivers Angels made it 10th title accomplished as they edged Nasarawa Amazons on penalties, while Kwara United won their first-ever national trophy at the grand finale of this year’s President Federation Cup in Lagos on Saturday. The women’s final showcased a compelling match-up between the reigning champions, Rivers Angels and arch-rivals Nasarawa Amazons. Amazons began aggressively and notched the first goal in the 8th minute through former junior international Shola Shobowale. The Jewels of Rivers responded by increasing their offensive efforts so as to restore parity. However, in the 20th minute, Shobowale netted her second goal of the match, extending the Amazons’ lead to 2-0 at half time. Despite the apparent control maintained by the Amazons in the second period, Rivers Angels mounted a significant comeback effort. In the 57th minute, former Nigeria U17 team captain Taiwo Ajibade, scored to reduce the deficit. Shortly after, the Jewels found parity through a well-taken goal. In the ensuing penalty shootout, the Angles prevailed 4-2 to successfully defend their crown and collect the trophy for the 10th time. Goalkeeper Anderline Mgbechi, who won the best goalkeeper award, converted her team’s final kick for victory. In the men’s final, Kwara United stood firm against ‘giant-killers’ Abakaliki FC from Ebonyi State and eventually prevailed 4-3 after penalty shootout following a scoreless situation after regulation time. The Afonja Warriors came close to scoring in the 31st minute, advancing from midfield and executing strong play that brought them close to the Rice Boys’ goal. However, their attempt struck the woodwork, keeping the scoreline at 0-0 as both teams looked for the breakthrough. In the second half, Kwara United pushed hard to break the deadlock, with Wasiu Alalade nodding a goal in the 57th minute, which was ruled offside by Referee Joseph Ogabor. In the penalty shootout, Kwara United were triumphant in a 4-3 win. AWARDS WOMEN’S COMPETITION Winner: Rivers Angels (N25million) Runner-Up: Nasarawa Amazons (N10million) MVP: Shola Shobowale (Nasarawa Amazons FC) Top Scorer: Abasi Ofon Uwa (Ibom Angels FC) Best Goalkeeper: Anderline Mgbechi (Rivers Angels FC) MEN’S COMPETITION Winner: Kwara United FC (N50million) Runner-Up: Abakaliki FC (N20million) MVP: Victor Okoye (Kwara United FC) Top Scorer: Mercelle Akinocho (Beyond Limits FC) Best Goalkeeper: Suraj Aiyeleso (Kwara United FC)

President Federation Cup: Four Governors, Gbajabiamila, Entertainment Icons to Grace Finale

Fola Badmus3 months ago3 months ago03 mins

Nigeria’s National Cup final on Saturday in Lagos will bring together the crème de la crème of the nation’s political, football and entertainment industries, with four States chief executives already confirmed to be in attendance. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos will arrive the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in company with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State and the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas. Chief of Staff to the President of the Federal Republic, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Mr. Seyi Tinubu, SSA to Mr. President on Grassroots Sports Development, Mr. Anthony Adeyinka Adeboye, and a number of music and movie stars will also grace the grand finale. Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, President of NFF and President of WAFU B, will lead members of the NFF Executive Committee and Management, while Alhaji Abubakar Lawal will lead the GTI team. Prominent members of the Lagos State cabinet and the Lagos State Sports Commission and Lagos State Football Association are also expected. One-time President of WAFU, Chief Jonathan Ogufere and Nigeria’s oldest practising football writer, Pa Segun Adenuga have confirmed their attendance. The Lagos State Football Association has concluded plans to honour Pa Biliaminu Thanni, the oldest living-winner of the Nigeria National Cup. The Mobolaji Johnson Arena hosted the very first edition of Nigeria’s Cup final, in its first incarnation as King George V Stadium, in 1945. It was the sole venue until it was re-christened as Lagos City Stadium in 1963. It continued to host until 1972, when the final between Bendel Insurance of Benin and Mighty Jets of Jos had to be replayed following a 2-2 draw, thanks to the heroics of Sam Garba Okoye. The replay was taken to the Liberty Stadium, Ibadan. This year’s grand finale will see Cup holders Rivers Angels of Port Harcourt take on Nasarawa Amazons of Lafia in the women’s final that begins at 1pm, while the men’s final, between Abakaliki FC and Kwara United, will commence at 4pm.

Mission X: Mary Akinsola joins Super Falcons as Media Officer

Fola Badmus3 months ago3 months ago02 mins

The Nigeria Football Federation has appointed Mary Akinsola, a media and public relations expert, as the media officer of the Senior Women National Team, Super Falcons. Miss Akinsola brings over 10 years of experience in communications and sports management to the role, having previously worked with Warner Bros Discovery (Eurosport) as a production/commentary coordinator, with sportsgazette.uk as a sports writer, editor and digital media manager, and with ACLSports.com as a podcast host and writer. She also worked with Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State as a sportscaster, writer and producer. Akinsola, who holds a master’s degree in international sports journalism from St. Mary’s University, London has managed production communications for Eurosport during a number of major sporting events, including the Olympic Games, tennis grand slams, the English Premier League and major European club competitions. She joins an ambitious squad that is targeting a record-extending 10th continental title, when the 13th Women Africa Cup of Nations finals commences in Morocco on 5th July. She believes her passion for the game and ceaseless quest for excellence matches those of the Super Falcons, and is committed to promoting the Nigeria senior women team’s story and connecting with stakeholders and supporters globally.

Mission X: Super Falcons Land in Casablanca

Fola Badmus3 months ago3 months ago02 mins

The delegation of Nigeria’s title aspirants, Super Falcons, will arrive in Morocco’s economic capital, Casablanca on Wednesday night from the Portuguese capital, Lisbon. The delegation will comprise 22 players and team officials. China-based forward Folashade Ijamilusi and USA-based Asisat Oshoala are already in Morocco’s economic capital. The nine-time African champions played a gutsy game to hold their Portuguese counterparts to a scoreless draw in a friendly at Lisbon’s Estádio José Gomes on Monday evening. Goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, defender Shukurat Oladipo and veteran forward Francisca Ordega each had a game to remember. Nigeria’s first match of the 13th Africa Cup of Nations finals will be against Tunisia’s senior women national team at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca on Sunday, 6th July, before other games against Botswana and Algeria in the group phase. The Super Falcons have never failed to reach the last four at the Women Africa Cup of Nations, since it was launched as the African Women Championship in 1998. Winners in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2016 and 2018, the Falcons made the last four in 2008, 2012 and 2022.

8th African Nations Championship: Super Eagles B to Play Group Phase Games in Zanzibar

Fola Badmus3 months ago3 months ago03 mins

2018 silver-medallists Nigeria will play their group B matches of the 8th African Nations Championship in Zanzibar – a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa. It is an island of less than two million people. Nigeria is in group B with Cup holders Senegal, Congo and Sudan. Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, the three East African nations that have been jointly awarded the hosting right for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations finals, have been mandated to host this year’s African Nations Championship as proper dress rehearsal. The tournament will be staged 2nd – 30th August. According to an announcement by the Confederation of African Football on Thursday, the tournament’s opening match will take place at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam (mainland Tanzania), while the third and fourth matches will hold at the Mandela Stadium in Kampala, Uganda. The final match, on Saturday 30th August, will be played at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. With the defenestration of Equatorial Guinea from the tournament following a ruling of the CAF Appeals Committee, Congo has been restored to Nigeria’s group B. The Super Eagles B, who were also bronze-medallists in South Africa in 2014, qualified for this year’s finals after a 3-1 aggregate defeat of Ghana in their qualifying fixture in December last year. GROUP A: Kenya, Morocco, Angola, DR Congo, Zambia (Nairobi) GROUP B: Tanzania, Madagascar, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic (Dar es Salaam) GROUP C: Uganda, Niger, Guinea, South Africa, Algeria (Kampala) GROUP D: Senegal, Congo, Sudan, Nigeria (Zanzibar)

FIFA MA Course: Gusau, FIFA Instructors Harp on Hard Work, Integrity and Fraternity

Fola Badmus3 months ago3 months ago05 mins

The two-week FIFA Member Associations Course for physical and technical instructors, and Young Talents came to a close in Abuja on Thursday with FIFA Technical Instructor Ali Mohamed Ahmed publicly declaring his confidence in the ability of Nigeria’s budding arbiters to reach unprecedented heights in the vocation globally. The physical and technical instructors’ course was activated between 9th – 13th June, while the Young Talents programme lasted between Sunday, 15th – Thursday, 19th June 2025. President of NFF, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau (MON), who also doubles as President of WAFU B, told the young talents to endeavour to put all they have learnt during the course into practice, as the Federation is in the process of elevating more of the young talents to take on higher responsibilities, such as handling matches of the Nigeria Premier Football League. “I am happy that now, we have a total of 86 young talents in our refereeing pool. This deeply gladdens my heart. Last year, we had 40 people undertake this course, and this year, we have 46. Let me reveal to you that 10 of those young talents from last year have been elevated to the NPFL, and none of them was found wanting throughout the season. “Their record of performance gives great hope to yourselves, and also shows that the NFF is right in our commitment to the young talents. However, in order to keep improving, I charge you to always find ways to fraternize, collaborate in all aspects, and bond together to jointly and severally enhance your capacities.” Mohamed, who is from Somalia, said: “I am very satisfied with the group that we worked with over the past one week – the young talents. Their level of assimilation is very high and I see them going places in the work of refereeing. Please always have integrity at the back of your mind in whatever you do. “We know Nigeria is everywhere, qualifying for all major tournaments and winning trophies and putting up podium performances here and there. But it will also be good to have Nigerian referees not only in the AFCON but also at the FIFA World Cup. Having worked with these young ones for the past one week, I can tell you with assurance that the future of Nigerian refereeing is in very good hands.” President of NRA, Hon. Sani Zubairu thanked FIFA and the NFF for the success of the programme, and asserted that the growing confidence in Nigerian referees at home and abroad can be traced to the support that the referees continue to get from the NFF for their capacity-enhancing programmes, and the intentionality of the NFF President. FIFA Fitness Instructor Boubaker Hanachi from Tunisia was also present at the closing ceremony, as well as Nigerian instructors Felicia Okwugba, Peter Edibe, Cecilia Ugbuji, Emmanuel Imiere, Stella Emoji and Promise Uwaeme. There were also President of the NRA, Hon. Sani Zubairu; Chairman of the NFF Referees Committee, Madam Faith Irabor; deputy chairman Rafiu Umar Gusau; members of the committee, Kabiyesi James Odeniran, Calistus Chukwudi Chukwujekwu, Dr Bello Mohammed, Abraham Zakowi, Waziri Abba Gawe and secretary, Mohammed Ameenu; NFF’s Director of Communications, Dr Ademola Olajire and; Chairman of the Nigeria Football Coaches Association, Isah Ladan Bosso.