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SWAN Wants FG To Immortalise Ex-Super Eagles’ Goalkeeper Peter Rufai

Fola Badmus3 months ago3 months ago03 mins

The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has expressed grief over the demise of Super Eagles legendary goalkeeper Peter ‘Dodo Mayana’ Rufai. SWAN President, Mr. Isaiah Benjamin, in a statement on Friday in Abuja, through the Association’s Secretary-General, Amb. Ikenna Okonkwo, described Rufai as a patriot who made Nigeria proud as his legacies linger. The number one Sports Writer in Nigeria while remembering the footprints of hardwork, dedication and abundant results credited to Rufai over the years, called on the Federal Government to make plans to immortalise the late Sage in any memorable way possible. “It’s our desire and I believe that of entire Nigerians that immortalising Peter Rufai will among other things serve as a source of inspiration for younger generation,” he said. President Benjamin then commiserated with his immediate family members, football and entire sports fraternity for the loss of a rare soccer figure. He said, “On behalf of the entire Sporting Media in Nigeria, I wish to commiserate with the family, and indeed concerned Football and Sports Stakeholders over the death of our legend. “Yes, Peter Rufai served Nigeria meritorious, mostly during his playing days, but I fill his advice and experience were still needed for a more prosperous sports development, but the reason for his departure from this side of life at this time is only known or determined by God Almighty. “May his soul continuously find rest in eternity.” Rufai’s life time, especially in his active playing days as a footballer is one filled with numerous success stories. From the clubs he featured for, to the Senior Men National team, he made an indelible impacts which will hardly be forgotten.

Maduka Okoye Bags Enugu State Sports Ambassadorial Role

Fola Badmus3 months ago3 months ago02 mins

Super Eagles and Udinese of Italy goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye has been appointed as Enugu State Sports Ambassador. The State Governor, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah made the announcement via his official Twitter now X handle on Wednesday. According to him, “Today, I had the pleasure of receiving the Super Eagles and Udinese star goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye, at the Lion Building. “A true son of Enugu, Maduka is not just making us proud on the national and global stage, he is also poised to give back. He shared his vision to launch a charitable foundation and establish a football academy right here in Enugu, to inspire young talents, nurture future stars, and touch lives. “In recognition of his achievements and commitment, I’m proud to appoint him as an Ambassador of Enugu State. He will serve as a role model to our children, especially those in our Smart Green Schools, and inspire a new generation of dreamers and achievers. “To support his football academy, I have committed to providing land for the project. I also invited him to participate in the next edition of Enugu International Marathon, which will feature elite runners from around the world. “At the heart of our vision is the youth – their talent, passion, and future. And with proud sons like Maduka Okoye, Enugu is truly rising.”

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)

We Achieved Our Objectives With the Unity Cup Tournament, Russia Games – Gusau

Fola Badmus3 months ago3 months ago04 mins

President of the Nigeria, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau (MON) has asserverated that the Federation is delighted to have achieved its objectives for making the Super Eagles prosecute the Four-Nation Unity Cup Tournament in London and the friendly match with the Russia senior national team in Moscow, all within the past 12 days. “I can tell you categorically that we achieved our sporting objectives, which were the most important in this case. The principal goal was to provide windows for the Coach and his crew to take a look at new players that might be positive additions to the team going forward. “I had some conversations with Coach Eric Chelle and I could see that he was pleased with the opportunities that the tournament in London (Unity Cup) that we won, and the friendly match with Russia that we drew, provided for him and his assistants.” Gusau reflected on the Super Eagles’ triumph in the Unity Cup Tournament (in which the Super Eagles defeated Ghana and Jamaica) and the gutsy draw with Russia, and expressed satisfaction with the output of most of the playing personnel. “Apart from the regulars that we already know what they are capable of, the tournament in London afforded us the opportunity to see players like Benjamin Frederick, Felix Agu, Christantus Uche and Igoh Ogbu. We saw more of Cyriel Dessers. The home-based professionals (Papa Daniel Mustapha, Ifeanyi Onyebuchi, Collins Ogwueze) did not fare badly either. “In Russia, we saw more of Uche and we saw Tolu Arokodare score a poacher’s goal. Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye was also excellent on his return and captain Ekong held the defence unit well. Now, we have options in defence, midfield and the attack, and I am quite satisfied with the team’s output in the three matches.” The Super Eagles defeated the Black Stars 2-1 in an entertaining Unity Cup semi-final at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium on May 28, and then outlasted Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz 5-4 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in the final three days later. Tolu Arokodare scored in the second half to stalemate the clash with Russia’s Sbornaya at the iconic Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on Friday, following Semi Ajayi’s inadvertent own goal in the first period. “Now, we have good options in all areas as we look ahead to the FIFA World Cup qualifying matches, and I am certain that the technical crew is happy with that,” Gusau added.

Int’l Friendly: Super Eagles Seek to Sustain Winning Mentality Against Russia’s ‘Boys’

Fola Badmus4 months ago4 months ago06 mins

Fresh from winning the four-nation Unity Cup tournament in London, Nigeria’s Super Eagles will seek to maintain their unbeaten run in all competitions since the beginning of this year, when they take on the Sbornaya (The Boys) of Russia at the 78,000-capacity Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on Friday night. It is the first official meeting for both countries at senior level, and though Russia have not played competitively since February 2022, they have been busy playing friendly games, the last one being a 5-0 routing of Zambia’s Chipolopolo at the VTB Arena in Moscow on 25th March. The win took their winning streak to eight games. Nigeria defeated Rwanda 2-0 in Kigali in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match on 21st March, were held to a 1-1 draw at home four days later by Zimbabwe in the same series, and then defeated Ghana 2-1 on 28th May before overpowering Jamaica on penalties after a 2-2 draw on 31st May to win the Unity Cup tournament in London. While still in the form of that single and mammoth USSR, the Soviet Union hosted the FIFA World Youth Championship (now FIFA U20 World Cup) in 1985. The host nation defeated Nigeria 2-1 in a group phase match in Minsk, but when both teams clashed in the tournament’s third-place match, Nigeria triumphed 3-1 after a penalty shootout following 0-0 in regulation and extra time in Moscow. On Friday, Franco-Malian Eric Chelle will be put out a squad that will be determined to earn a critical win for Nigeria, in order to sustain the winning mentality built from the Unity Cup tournament, and also set their eyes confidently on an even more critical couple of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches coming up in September. The Super Eagles, lying fourth in their group, will host Rwanda’s Amavubi in the first week of September, and fly out to Johannesburg four days later to tackle group leaders Bafana Bafana of South Africa in what could be a flaming war. Injuries and withdrawals have combined to tweak Chelle’s ensemble for this encounter, but the spine of the squad is largely intact, with only the fore missing telling performers, such as reigning African Player of the Year Ademola Lookman, the peerless Victor Osimhen and AC Milan of Italy’s Samuel Chukwueze – who was in imperious form in London. Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has another opportunity to reign between the sticks, with Igoh Ogbu and Benjamin Fredericks (from the Unity Cup in London) tugging for the rearguard shirts with captain William Ekong, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Bruno Onyemaechi and Semi Ajayi. A rich midfield cast includes Frank Onyeka, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Raphael Onyedika, Christantus Uche, Papa Daniel and Saviour Isaac. Much will be expected of Simon Moses and Tolu Arokodare in the attack, as Krasnodar FC’s former junior international Olakunle Olusegun hopes fervently for his first senior cap. The iconic Luzhniki Stadium hosted the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final, in which France defeated Croatia 4-2. During the competition, Russia defeated Saudi Arabia 5-0 in the group phase, and also eliminated Spain 4-3 after penalty shootout in the Round of 16, at the same Luzhniki Stadium. Friday’s encounter will kick off at 8pm Russia time (6pm Nigeria). SUPER EAGLES FOR RUSSIA FRIENDLY: Goalkeepers: Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy); Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania) Defenders: William Ekong (Al-Kholood FC, Saudi Arabia); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce SK, Turkey); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiacos FC, Greece); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Igoh Ogbu (SK Slavia Prague, Czech Republic); Sodiq Ismaila (Remo Stars); Benjamin Fredericks (Brentford FC, England) Midfielders: Frank Onyeka (Augsburg FC, Germany); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Lazio FC, Italy); Christantus Uche (Getafe CF, Spain); Papa Daniel Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes); Saviour Isaac (Enugu Rangers) Forwards: Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Simon Moses (FC Nantes, France); Tolu Arokodare (KRC Genk, Belgium); Olakunle Olusegun (Krasnodar FC, Russia); Sikiru Alimi (Remo Stars)

Int’l Friendly: Injuries, Withdrawals Alter Chelle’s Army to Face Russia

Fola Badmus4 months ago4 months ago04 mins

A number of withdrawals and injuries to some players have combined to alter the list of players who will appear for Nigeria in Friday’s international friendly match in Moscow, from the original list drawn up by Super Eagles’ Head Coach Eric Chelle. The goalkeeping sector is unaffected as first choice Stanley Nwabali was not listed for the trip in the first place, as a result of the upcoming burial rites for his late parents. Italy-based Maduka Okoye and Tanzania-based Amas Obasogie will still fight for the goal-tender’s starting shirt. In the rearguard, captain William Ekong is in Moscow alongside Bright Osayi-Samuel, joining the Unity Cup trio of Bruno Onyemaechi, Semi Ajayi and Igoh Ogbu. However, Nottingham Forest’s Ola Aina excused himself from the friendly, and Coach Chelle has had to draft in the Unity Cup duo of Sodiq Ismaila and Benjamin Fredericks. Former junior international Fredericks impressed on his debut against Jamaica on Saturday. In the midfield, injury to Wilfred Ndidi has handed Enugu Rangers’ ace Saviour Isaac the opportunity to shine. Isaac is a key member of the Eagles B, which will participate in the African Nations Championship finals in August. He will join Frank Onyeka, Raphael Onyedika, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Christantus Uche and Papa Daniel Mustapha to fight for shirts in the middle of the pack. At the fore, Unity Cup ace Samuel Chukwueze, and Kelechi Iheanacho, have excused themselves to attend to family matters, while Spain-based Sadiq Umar has suffered an injury. Nathan Tella’s United Kingdom passport is undergoing a renewal process, so he is unable to travel. This situation has left Chelle with only Victor Boniface, Simon Moses and Tolu Arokodare in the attack, and he has had to call up Russia-based former junior international Olakunle Olusegun, who plays for Krasnodar FC. The team, which arrived in Moscow on Monday, will begin training sessions on Tuesday. The match will take place at the 78,000-capacity Luzhniki Stadium, which is the largest football stadium in Russia and the ninth-largest in the whole of Europe. SUPER EAGLES FOR RUSSIA FRIENDLY: Goalkeepers: Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy); Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania) Defenders: William Ekong (Al-Kholood FC, Saudi Arabia); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce SK, Turkey); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiacos FC, Greece); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Igoh Ogbu (SK Slavia Prague, Czech Republic); Sodiq Ismaila (Remo Stars); Benjamin Fredericks (Brentford FC, England) Midfielders: Frank Onyeka (Augsburg FC, Germany); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Lazio FC, Italy); Chrisantus Uche (Getafe CF, Spain); Papa Daniel Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes); Saviour Isaac (Enugu Rangers) Forwards: Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Simon Moses (FC Nantes, France); Tolu Arokodare (KRC Genk, Belgium); Olakunle Olusegun (Krasnodar FC, Russia)

Super Eagles Lift Unity Cup in London

Fola Badmus4 months ago4 months ago63 mins

Christantus Uche converted the winning penalty as Nigeria beat Jamaica 5-4 in a shootout to win the Unity Cup, defending the title they won 19 years ago. The friendly tournament was hosted at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium and staged for the first time since 2004, when the Super Eagles first got their hands on the trophy. They did so again here, as after a 2-2 draw in normal time the shootout began with six perfect penalties. Jamaica’s Dwayne Atkinson then stepped up and smashed his effort off the top of the bar and over. Amari’i Bell made no mistake with his spot-kick to keep Jamaica in it, but Uche had the decisive moment as he calmly slotted home to start the Nigerian celebrations. It had been an entertaining 90 minutes in west London, with the six yellow cards and several flashpoints suggesting both teams were viewing this as much more than just a post-season friendly. Moses Simon put Nigeria in front inside ten minutes, finishing from close range after Cyriel Dessers had put a dangerous ball into the middle, but Jamaica were level almost immediately. Renaldo Cephas was a constant threat throughout the match and he created the equaliser, charging down the left wing and producing a superb cross for Kaheim Dixon to provide the finishing touch. It remained level heading into the break, before Nigeria again made a quick start to a half. Samuel Chukwueze initially appeared to be crowded out when the ball came to him on the edge of the box, but the AC Milan star worked it onto his left foot and drilled a finish into the bottom corner. Jamaica equalised for a second time just after the hour mark and in familiar fashion. Cephas broke free out wide and his delivery was once again perfect, with Jonathan Russell the man to this time fire beyond Stanley Nwabali. Nigeria looked the more likely to find a later winner as they won a succession of late corners, before Wilfred Ndidi then sent an effort whistling past the post in stoppage-time.

Super Eagles’ Goalie Nwabali Announces Parents Burial Date

Fola Badmus4 months ago4 months ago31 mins

Super Eagles and Chippas United of South Africa goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali has announced burial arrangements for his parents. The shot stopper lost parents, Late Chief Godpower Onyekamu, aged 72 and Late Mrs Grace Nnyebuchibeya Nwabali aged 63 passed away early this year. According to the burial arrangements as posted by the Goalkeeper, funeral rites is slated between 6th and 7th of June in Okwuzi Egbema, Rivers State. “About time to put my dad and mum to rest. “Something I never imagined doing so soon at this point of my life. Difficult to believe I will never see you again. “Different kind of pain I never wish for my enemy,” Nwabali wrote on his official twitter handle now X.