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Tag: South Africa

Chelle Picks Ekong, Osimhen, 21 Others For 2026 W/Cup Qualifiers

Fola Badmus03 mins

Captain William Ekong, midfielders Alex Iwobi and Raphael Onyedika, and forwards Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen have been included in Nigeria’s final list of 23 players for next month’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Rwanda and South Africa. Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali also makes the final cut, just as defenders Calvin Bassey, Olaoluwa Aina and Bright Osayi-Samuel, midfielders Wilfred Ndidi, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Frank Onyeka, and forwards Simon Moses, Samuel Chukwueze and Cyriel Dessers. Greece-based goalie Adeleye Adebayo returns to the group, alongside Unity Cup sensations Felix Agu and Benjamin Fredericks, and forwards Christantus Uche and Tolu Arokodare, who both impressed in the friendly with Russia in Moscow on 6th June this year. The Super Eagles confront the Amavubi of Rwanda in a Matchday 7 encounter at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Saturday, 6th September before flying to Bloemfontein to take on South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in a Matchday 8 fixture on Tuesday, 9th September. FINAL LIST OF 23 SUPER EAGLES FOR RWANDA & SOUTH AFRICA Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania); Adeleye Adebayo (Volos FC, Greece) Defenders: William Ekong (Al-Kholood, Saudi Arabia); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City, England); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece); Chidozie Awaziem (Nantes FC, France); Felix Agu (Werder Bremen, Germany); Benjamin Fredericks (Dender FC, Belgium) Midfielders: Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas FC, Turkey); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (SS Lazio, Italy); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Christantus Uche (Getafe CF, Spain) Forwards: Ademola Lookman (Atalanta BC, Italy); Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Simon Moses (Paris FC, France); Cyriel Dessers (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Tolu Arokodare (KRC Genk, Belgium)

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World Cup Qualifier: South Africa to Host Nigeria in Bloemfontein on Sept 9

Fola Badmus01 mins

South Africa’s Bafana Bafana will play host to three-time African champions Nigeria in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein on Tuesday, 9th September 2025. According to information from Gordon Savic, FIFA’s Head of Qualifiers and International Matches, the highly-anticipated game will commence at 4pm GMT (which is 5pm Nigeria time and 6pm in South Africa). Formerly known as the Vodacom Park and later as Free State Stadium, the Toyota Stadium in South Africa’s judicial capital, was opened in 1995 and has capacity for 46,000 spectators. The potentially-explosive Matchday 8 encounter is expected to have enormous implications for which team will eventually win the only ticket from Africa’s qualifying group C to the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals, and comes three days after the Super Eagles would have hosted Rwanda’s Amavubi on Saturday, 6th September.

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UNESCO Adds 26 New Sites to World Heritage List

UNESCO Adds 26 New Sites to World Heritage List

Fola Badmus02 mins

UNESCO has announced the addition of 26 new sites to its prestigious World Heritage List, recognizing locations of exceptional cultural, historical, and natural value. The newly inscribed sites span across continents, from ancient ruins in Turkey to biodiversity hotspots in Africa and sacred landscapes in Australia. In Turkey, the ruins of Sardis and the Lydian Tumuli of Bin Tepe—remnants of a powerful Iron Age civilization—were added to the list. The site includes a historic settlement, cemetery, and ancient temples. In Africa, several key locations earned recognition: In Brazil, the Peruaçu River Canyon was recognized for its dramatic landscapes, extensive cave systems, and more than 2,000 plant and animal species. Australia’s Murujuga Cultural Landscape, featuring ancient rock formations and spiritual heritage sites of the Ngarda-Ngarli people, was also inscribed for its cultural and spiritual significance. UNESCO’s list also grew with several Asian sites, highlighting the continent’s rich cultural and natural diversity.

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Rivers Hoopers’ Odaudu Set Priorities Ahead Of BAL Playoffs

Fola Badmus13 mins

Rivers Hoopers coach Ogoh Odaudu has announced that the team has made additions to its squad to address defensive issues ahead of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) playoffs in Pretoria, South Africa. According to Odaudu, the team’s defensive problems were a major concern after finishing the Kalahari Conference with two losses to Al Ittihad Alexandria. To address this issue, the team has brought in Ahmed Doumbia, a defensive-minded players from the French League and Chingka Garba a Nigerian who plays in Rwanda. “We wanted to address that [defensive problems], so we wanted to bring someone who will address that issue,” Odaudu said. When asked about the addition of Ahmed Doumbia and Garba Chingka, Odaudu replied: “We needed to address the deficiency in defence. “Of course, Ahmed plays in the French League. [He is] very defensive minded and, of course, he is a beast on the offense. We needed someone to assist Kelvin [Amayo] in defensive duties in the back court, so we brought him [Doumbia] here.” Preparation has been all plain sailing for Odaudu, with Nigeria forward Chingka joining the fold to stack up the quality of the team. “Also, we brought in another player, Odaudu said. “We were almost playing Peter [[Olisemeka] to the ground. We needed someone who could do that, too that was why we brought in Garba Chingka. The KingsMen will face US Monastir in the seeding game on Saturday, June 7, a side they had played four times previously and won as much as they had lost (twice).

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Chingka Garba Joins Rivers Hoopers Ahead of BAL Season 5 Playoffs

Fola Badmus11 mins

Rivers Hoopers have completed the signing of Chingka Garba for the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) playoffs in Pretoria, South Africa. Garba joins the KingsMen from Orion Basketball Club in Rwanda, where he proved his mettle as one of the most efficient players in the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL). He also starred for Gboko City Chiefs during the 2024 Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) where he averaged near double-doubles, leading to his inclusion in the league’s All-star 5. At 6’8”Garba brings size, mobility, on-court intelligence, and an aggressive style of play that’s expected to give the KingsMen a new dynamic in both offense, , ahead of the BAL season 5 playoffs billed to hold between 6th-14th June, in Pretoria, South Africa.

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Egypt 2025: South Africa’s Amajita Condemn Flying Eagles to Third Place Match

Fola Badmus03 mins

Nigeria failed to reach the final of the 18th Africa U20 Cup of Nations as a calm and composed Amajita soaked up all the pressure and intensity from the Flying Eagles, and then landed the sucker punch midway into the second half to win by the odd goal and condemn the seven-time champions to Sunday’s third-place match. The Flying Eagles started with so much intensity and muscle-flexing, butcould have done with a lot more coordination and composure in the final third as the opportunities came and went without any one being utilized. Forward Kparobo Arierhi could not get his head to a teasing cross byClinton Jephta in the 22nd minute, and then missed target from six yardswith only the goalkeeper to beat on the half-hour. Three minutes later, Thabang Mahlangu could have profited from Amajita’s first real incursion upfront when goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt missed an inswinger, but captain Daniel Bameyi spirited the ball away from goal. Arierhi, always with the chances, bundled over the bar another cross byJephta in the 37th minute, and two minutes later, after turning his marker, saw his shot diverted away from goal. On the hour mark, Nigeria lost the dependable goalkeeper Harcourt toinjury, and one minute later, substitute goalkeeper Ajia Yakub cameclose to bungling a simple cross with Kgomotso Madiba waiting for aslip. The slip came five minutes later, as Yakub again miscalculated the ballfrom a pull-out and defender Tylon Smith rose above him to head into the net. Opportunities fell to substitute Mendos Rickson and Auwal Ibrahim lateron, but the Flying Eagles could not find parity and must now play the loser of the second semi-final (between hosts Egypt and Morocco) for the bronze medals on Sunday.

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Egypt 2025: Zubairu Promises A More Composed Flying Eagles against South Africa

Fola Badmus06 mins

Aliyu Zubairu has assured that the Nigeria U20 squad will be even better when they take on South Africa’s Amajita in the first semi-final of the ongoing CAF U20 Cup of Nations in the city of Ismailia on Thursday evening. Pundits have praised the seven-time champions for dominating the tough quarter-final encounter against Senegal at the same venue on Monday, before sending the Cup holders out of the tournament after a 3-1 penalty shootout win. “I believe we are going to have a great semi-final against the South Africans. I can guarantee that our approach will be much better, as the anxiety of whether or not we will earn a FIFA World Cup ticket is no longer there. It was a tense 120 minutes for ourselves and the defending champions on Monday. “We have the World Cup ticket now and are quite happy. Against South Africa, we will play with great determination and composure, as we aim for the trophy, but without the tense atmosphere around the last match. Of course, we know the little matter of the rivalry between Nigeria and South Africa and what the game means, and we will go in there to do a real battle,” Head Coach Zubairu said on Tuesday. The man who led El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri to win last year’s President Federation Cup competition believes his team has improved considerably since the first match against Tunisia on the first day of May. “We can all see that the team has improved, and actually getting better with each match. We will go all out against the South Africans.” Apart from their seven titles, Nigeria have also finished as runners-up on two occasions (1999 and 2007), and as bronze medallists on two other occasions as well (2009 and 2013). To set up a clash with the most-decorated team in the competition’s history, the Amajita had to also endure a 120-minute affray against the Democratic Republic of Congo, also at the same Suez Canal Authority Stadium where the Flying Eagles upended Senegal’s expectations. They won their own game 1-0 after extra time. Nigeria had collected four of her seven titles (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989) before South Africa (isolated for decades) was assimilated back into global sport following the release of Nelson Mandela from prison in 1990. Amajita’s first experience of the U20 Africa Cup of Nations was in 1997, and they finished as runners-up to hosts and winners Morocco. Nigeria did not qualify for the finals. Four years later, in Ethiopia, both Nigeria and South Africa finished bottom of their pool and exited at the group stage in what remains Nigeria’s worst outing ever in the history of the tournament. In 2009, Nigeria defeated South Africa 2-1 for bronze, and four years later defeated Mali by the same margin to also pick up the bronze medals in Algeria. As hosts in 2011, the Amajita crashed out at the group stage after winning one and losing two matches, while Nigeria roared to her sixth title with a 3-2 defeat of Cameroon in the final in Soweto. In 2015, Nigeria grabbed her seventh title in Senegal, while South Africa’s campaign ran into the sands in the group stage after losses to Ghana and Mali. Eight years ago, Nigeria didn’t qualify for the competition when South Africa finished in fourth place. In 2019, in Niger Republic, Nigeria defeated South Africa 5-3 after penalty shootout to win the bronze medals, after both teams had tied scoreless in a group phase encounter. In the second semi-final on Thursday, hosts and four-time winners Egypt – conquerors of 1999 world champions Ghana -will take on Morocco in Cairo.

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Cote d’Ivoire 2025: Flying Eagles coach accepts North Africans, South Africa challenge

Fola Badmus03 mins

The head coach of Flying Eagles, Aliyu Zubairu, has voiced his optimism following Thursday’s group stage draw for the Africa U20 Cup of Nations, which will take place in Cote d’Ivoire, 26th April – 18th May. The Nigerian team finds itself in a demanding group alongside traditional powerhouses Morocco, Egypt, and South Africa, all of whom have a rich history in African youth football. In his reaction to the draw, Coach Zubairu remarked: “It’s a very good draw. If a team truly aspires to reach the FIFA World Cup, there is no need to shy away from any opponent. Facing Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa at this stage presents a tremendous opportunity. I believe it’s a blessing.” This perspective not only highlights Zubairu’s confidence in his squad’s capabilities but also underscores his commitment to challenging his players against formidable rivals, which can ultimately foster their development and resilience. Understanding the gravity of the situation, Coach Zubairu stressed the necessity of mental preparation as his team gears up for these high-stakes matches. He is keen on instilling a robust sense of self-belief within his players, emphasizing that they should approach every opponent with respect and seriousness. “We need to dispel the notion that this is a ‘group of death,’” he said. “In African football, there are no small teams anymore. The key is to prepare very well. A lesser-known nation can surprise everyone if they come prepared.” To ensure the team is adequately prepared for the task, the NFF has not only put the Flying Eagles in camp to resume training, with a 30-man squad, but has also organised a two-match tour of Cairo for the team to play the Egyptian U20 team at the end of this month. The friendly matches in Cairo have been scheduled for 25th and 27th February.

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