World Cup Qualifier: Fans to Pay N3,000 & N1,000 to Watch Eagles, Amavubi Clash

Football fans will pay the sum of N3,000 and N1,000 respectively to watch Saturday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Amavubi of Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo. Tickets for the VIP section will go for N3,000 and the popular seats will sell for N1,000 at designated centres within the Uyo metropolis from Friday morning. NFF’s Director of Marketing and Sponsorship, Alizor Chuks, said on Wednesday: “It is important to let the general public know that the NFF Security Committee has declared total war on all ticket manipulators this time. Ticket fakers and racketeers will be dealt with. “All tickets will be scanned at the gates. All intending spectators are advised to buy their tickets from accredited ticket sellers. Fake ticket sellers or holders will be arrested and prosecuted.” Ahead of Saturday’s match, the Amavubi contingent landed at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo at 5.28pm on Tuesday. The delegation was led by the newly-elected President of the Federation Rwandaise de Football Association (FERWAFA), Fabrice Shema Agoga. The contingent was well-received by a team from the local organizing committee, and is staying at the Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort, Uyo. They are scheduled to train at the practice pitch of the Nest of Champions by 4pm on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Nigerian camp at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, Ikot-Ekpene has been further enlarged with the arrivals of Africa Player of the Year, Ademola Lookman, and new Panathinaikos of Greece forward Cyriel Dessers. Both arrived in Uyo on Wednesday morning. The remaining five players, viz Victor Osimhen, Christantus Uche, Tolu Arokodare, Samuel Chukwueze and Raphael Onyedika were being expected on Wednesday evening.

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World Cup Qualifier: Eagles’ Camp Comes Alive, as Training Begins in Uyo

Nigeria’s camp has come truly alive ahead of Saturday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying showdown with Rwanda, with team captain William Troost-Ekong leading by example. The Saudi Arabia-based defender arrived camp on Monday, alongside goalkeeper Amas Obasogie and defenders Bruno Onyemaechi and Felix Agu. Agu, who plays his club football with Werder Bremen in Germany, impressed at left back at the Unity Cup Tournament in London in the summer. Dependable forward Simon Moses, who scored a goal and made an assist in his new club, Paris FC’s league win at the weekend, is also in camp, as Greece-based goalkeeper Adeleye Adebayo, defenders Chidozie Awaziem and Benjamin Fredericks, and midfielders Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru. Wing-back Olaoluwa Aina, defenders Bright Osayi-Samuel and Calvin Bassey, and midfielder Alex Iwobi have also arrived. First-choice goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, back in training after an injury scare last week, was being expected on Tuesday evening, while midfielder Christantus Uche, who moved to English side Crystal Palace from Getafe of Spain on transfer deadline-day, is being expected alongside forwards Samuel Chukwueze (now in English Premiership side, Fulham FC from AC Milan of Italy), Tolu Arokodare (now in Wolverhampton Wanderers from KRC Genk in Belgium) and Cyriel Dessers (now in Panathinaikos in Greece from Glasgow Rangers of Scotland). African Player of the Year, Ademola Lookman, Galatasaray of Turkey’s Victor Osimhen and midfielder Raphael Onyedika are also being expected. The squad of 23 will also execute Tuesday’s Matchday 8 encounter against South Africa in Bloemfontein, which will be played at the Toyota Stadium (also known as Free State Stadium) on Tuesday evening.

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2026 W’Cup Qualifier: Rwanda’s Amavubi to Storm Nigeria on Tuesday

Rwanda’s delegation to Saturday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Nigeria will arrive in Lagos on Tuesday afternoon. A one-man advance party will be in Lagos on Monday, but the full delegation will make landfall in Lagos on Tuesday aboard a Rwandair Airline flight at 1.15pm, and will proceed to Uyo, capital of Akwa Ibom State by 4pm of the same day. The Matchday 7 encounter has become very crucial to both teams as they are both wide away from group leaders South Africa, who have 13 points (prior to FIFA’s decision on their use of an ineligible player in the win over Lesotho in March this year). Rwanda are second in the pool with eight points, same as Benin Republic, with Nigeria in fourth on seven points. Lesotho have 6 points, with Zimbabwe propping up the table on four points. While the world still awaits FIFA’s decision, Nigeria and Rwanda will go for each other’s jugular in order to be appropriately-placed to benefit from Bafana Bafana’s error. The Crocodiles will leap to 9 points if South Africa are penalized for their infraction.

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

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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Brown Ideye Retires From Professional Football

2013 Africa Cup of Nations winning Super Eagles’ striker, Brown Ideye has announced his retirement from professional football. The former West Bromwich Albion forward made the annoucement on his X handle on Wednesday. Ideye wrote; “After much thought and consideration with mixed emotions, I’ve decided to retire from professional football. I will first like to thank God for the talent and the long career I’ve enjoyed. “I thank my family and friends for their unwavering love, support and understanding till this day. This game made me and gave me everything -incredible joy, sad days, the opportunity to travel and see the world, lifelong friendships and so many unforgettable memories. “To all the Agents who worked tirelessly and negatiated with clubs for my dreams to come true -thank you. To all the sports journalists who spent long hours days and night covering and highlighting my career, I owe you a depth of gratitude. “To every club I’ve had the honour of wearing their jersey and representing, every coach and teamate who pushed and rooted for me to be better, and every fan who supported me through highs and lows -thank you. “Thank you, Nigeria, for the opportunity you gave me to wear the national colour and be among the Super Eagles. Though my time as a pro-player has come to an end, football will always be a part of my life as I enter my next chapter. “Thank you all for being a part of this journey and I look forward to still seeing you on these football streets.” Some of the notable club Ideye starred are; Bayelsa United, Ocean Boys, Sochaux, Dynamo Kyiv, West Bromwich Albion, Olympiacos, Tianjin Teda, Malaga, Goztepe and Enyimba. Ideye won 28 national team caps and scored six goals.

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Nigeria Crashes Out of CHAN 2024

Nigeria crashed out of the 8th African Nations Championship on Tuesday after an abject performance by a team that failed to put any foot right against Sudan in 90 minutes of football in Zanzibar. The defeat on the Indian Ocean Island, following from the one-goal defeat by Cup-holders Senegal a week earlier, meant the Eagles B will pack their bags and exit the competition, no matter the result of their final Group D encounter against Congo in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday next week. The humiliation was a joint-record defeat for Nigeria in the 26-year-old competition – a similar scoreline to their defeat by hosts Morocco in the Final of the 2018 championship. Defender Leonard Ngenge, culpable for his infamous walking pace while Senegal sped forward to score their only goal in Nigeria’s first match on Tuesday last week, scored an own goal against his team in the 23rd minute, setting the stage for a rout that left ball fans aghast across the land. Sudan raced to 2-0 up just before half-time when the same Ngenge, who plays for Ikorodu City in the Nigeria Premier Football League, clumsily touched the ball with his hand in an aerial contest, and Daiyeen made no mistake from the spot against the hapless Lawal Mustapha. Only 10 minutes into the second period, it was 3-0 as Yagoub Omer finished with a flourish after the Sudanese turned the Nigeria defence inside out, and there was no meaningful effort by all of five defenders to checkmate the marauding Falcons of Jediane. It got worse seven minutes later, when Sudan poured forward again, and Omer showed audacious technique to blast the ball onto the underside of the crossbar and watch it drop into the net behind a beleaguered Mustapha.

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8th African Nations Championship: Eagles B Seek Win against Zanzibar in Second Friendly Match

Nigeria’s home-based senior men’s team will seek victory over hosts Zanzibar on Thursday in the second of a two-match programme arranged to put the Super Eagles B in competition mood ahead of the 8th African Nations Championship kicking off on Saturday. The 2018 silver medallists were held to a scoreless draw in the two teams’ first game played at the Mau Stadium – located in the centre of Zanzibar – on Monday. Nigeria, also bronze medal winners in 2014, dominated Monday’s game all-round, with superior ball possession and attempts on goal. They created a plethora of chances but the Zanzibar rearguard worked overtime to keep the scoreline barren. Adedayo Olamilekan, Hadi Haruna, Sikiru Alimi and Harrison Tochukwu were impressive in a game in which goalkeeper Ozoemena Ani, captain Nduka Junior, Leonard Ngenge, Abdulrafiu Taiwo, Sodiq Ismaila, Ijoma Anthony, Harrison Ozondu, Akanni Qudus, Taofeek Otaniyi, Godwin Obaje, Jabbar Malik and Shola Adelani also featured. Thursday’s encounter, also scheduled for the Mau Stadium, comes five days before Nigeria’s first match of the competition – a clash with Cup holders Senegal – at Zanzibar’s 15,000 -capacity Amaan Stadium. The Eagles will then confront Sudan in their second match of the group phase (also at the Amaan Stadium) on Tuesday, 12th August before concluding their group D campaign against Congo at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, 19th August. The four-week, 19-nation finals have encamped five teams in groups A, B and C, with only Nigeria’s group D having only four teams. Other venues for the competition are the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani and the Nyayo National Stadium (both in Nairobi, Kenya), and the Mandela National Stadium in Kampala, Uganda.

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