Super Eagles Archives | Page 7 of 13

Morocco 2025: Galatasaray congratulates Osimhen

Our Reporters5 months ago5 months ago02 mins

Turkish giants, Galatasaray has congratulated Victor Osimhen for securing Nigeria’s passage to the finals of the Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025. The reigning African Player of the Year, who plies his trade with Galatasaray, ensured Nigeria’s qualification for the Biennial tournament with an header in the 81st minute of the tie. The Turkish side took to social media to congratulate their star player for his impressive display against the Cheetahs of Benin. “Congratulations to Victor Osimhen who scored the only goal for Nigeria in the 1-1 draw with Benin in the Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers, securing their qualification from the group stage,” Galatasaray wrote on X handle. Osimhen’s goal has also put him at par with the legendary Olusegun Odegbami in goals’ tally for Nigeria. Both are now joint second to the top man, Rashidi Yekini (of blessed memory) who scored 37 goals in 58 matches. Osimhen’s goal, in which he profited from a pinpoint cross from Moses Simon, and restored parity on the night after Mohamed Tijani’s goal for the Cheetahs in the 16th minute, was his 23rd for the senior team. Odegbami, the former captain of the team who took the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations finals by the scruff, scored his 23 goals in 46 matches.

Super Eagles goalkeeper loses father

Our Reporters5 months ago5 months ago01 mins

Super Eagles goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, has lost his father. Nwabali took to Instagram story on Friday to share a post announcing the passing of the father with a tearful emoji. The Chippa United of South Africa goalkeeper did not disclose the cause of the father’s death, but wrote “Rest in peace dad.” Nwabali was in goal on Thursday when Benin Republic held Nigeria to a draw in a qualification game for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The Eagles had already qualified for the competition heading into Thursday’s match which was played in Ivory Coast, the 1-1 draw means they will finish the group as leaders.

Super Eagles land in AFCON 2025

Our Reporters5 months ago5 months ago01 mins

Nigeria’s Super Eagles has qualified for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) without kicking a ball on Thursday. Libya’s 1-0 win in Rwanda guarantees Nigeria a top-two finish in Group D, and means Benin will join the Super Eagles at the tournament if they win their all-West African meeting this evening. Nigeria currently tops the Group with 10 points, Benin Republic placed second with 6 points while Rwanda and Libya are at the rock-bottom of the log with five and four points respectively.

AFCONQ: Osimhen, Lookman lead Eagles assaults against Benin Rep

Our Reporters5 months ago5 months ago02 mins

Reigning African Footballer of the Year, Victor Osimhen and Ballon d’Or nominee Ademola Lookman will lead Super Eagles attack in a potentially-explosive Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against neighbours Benin Republic later this evening. Both players are expected to replicate their top form in Europe this season when they file out against the Beninoise at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Cote d’Ivoire. Stanley Nwabali kept his place in goal and will be provided cover by Calvin Bassey, newly invitee Gabriel Osho, William Troost-Ekong and OlaOluwa Aina. Wilfred Ndidi will be joined in the midfield by Bruno Onyemaechi, Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho. The substitutes are; Maduka Okoye, Amas Obasogie, Victor Boniface, Moses Simon, Fisayo Dele-Bashirun, Raphael Onyedika, Victor Collins, Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi, Umar Sadiq, Samuel Chukwueze, Bright Osayi-Samuel and Frank Onyeka. Nigeria will qualify for the 35th Africa Cup of Nations final tournament if they overcome the Cheetahs of Benin Republic. Victory will render Monday’s concluding qualifier against Rwanda, at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, an academic session. The tie is slated to kick off by 8pm Nigeria time.

Eagles set to punch 2025 AFCON ticket

Our Reporters5 months ago5 months ago04 mins

Reigning African vice-champions Nigeria know they will qualify for the 35th Africa Cup of Nations final tournament if they overcome the Cheetahs of Benin Republic in a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign Matchday 5 encounter in Abidjan on Thursday. This knowledge will inform a feisty approach from the first blast of Senegalese referee Issa Sy’s whistle. After three wins out of their earlier four games (the only draw being the Matchday 2 session with Rwanda in Kigali), the Super Eagles are riding high with 10 points, four more than second-placed Benin Republic, who suffered a glitch in Kigali in the last round of games. A win virtually guarantees Nigeria’s leadership of the group going into the final-day tussles. On the other hand, the Cheetahs, with six points, know they cannot afford any more slip-ups following the tumble in Kigali, as they could still be tossed if they lose their last two games and Rwanda, on five, earn a minimum of two points in their own final two. Even Libya, with only one point, can still leap over Benin Republic if they beat Rwanda in Kigali, the Cheetahs are bumped by the Eagles, and the Knights rout the Cheetahs in North Africa on Monday. The foregoing dynamics will make for a vicious 90 minutes at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in the heart of the Ivorian capital on Thursday evening. With England-based centre-back Semi Ajayi absent as a result of injury, Coach Augustine Eguavoen is most likely to start with the rearguard that squared up to the Mediterranean Knights of Libya in Uyo last month, meaning Captain William Ekong and Calvin Bassey at centre back, with wing-backs Olaoluwa Aina and Bruno Onyemaechi. Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi and the couple of defensive midfielders Frank Onyeka and Raphael Onyedika are available for the spaces in the middle, while Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Moses Simon, Victor Boniface, Samuel Chukwueze, Sadiq Umar and Kelechi Iheanacho are in the selection pool for the fore. Victory will render Monday’s concluding qualifier against Rwanda, at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, an academic session, with only the visitors keen to try and get something out of the clash while the Eagles play for sheer pride.

Morocco 2025: Osimhen, Ekong, Ndidi, others to battle Benin Republic, Rwanda

Morocco 2025: Ekong, Lookman, Simon, 19 others train in Abidjan Tuesday night

Our Reporters5 months ago5 months ago05 mins

Only Spain-based forward Sadiq Umar was being expected as Nigeria’s juggernaut rolled sturdily into the much-familiar environment of Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny on Tuesday, with 22 players set for the team’s first training session ahead of a potentially-explosive Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against neighbours Benin Republic on Thursday. “We have 22 players, with only one person to join the team in the early hours of Wednesday. It has been a particularly great atmosphere here in Abidjan, and we are all very positive going into the first training session ahead of the match,” Coach Augustine Eguavoen told thenff.com on Tuesday. Eleven players, viz Captain and AFCON Man of the Competition William Ekong, reigning Africa Player of the Year Victor Osimhen, his likely successor Ademola Lookman, defenders Bright Osayi-Samuel, Olaoluwa Aina, Victor Collins and Calvin Bassey, midfielders Alex Iwobi and Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi, and Germany-based forward Victor Boniface all arrived at once on Tuesday morning, before being joined by South Africa-based goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali. Earlier, goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, midfielder Wilfred Ndidi and forward Kelechi Iheanacho had arrived, to join the eight that were in camp on Monday: goalkeeper Amas Obasogie, defenders Gabriel Osho and Bruno Onyemaechi, midfielders Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Frank Onyeka and Raphael Onyedika, and forwards Moses Simon and Samuel Chukwueze. With 10 points from four matches, seven goals for and none against, and top of their Group D, the Eagles will walk with an extra bounce into the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny, the facility where they upended the aspirations of Guinea Bissau, Cameroon and Angola at the 34th Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cote d’Ivoire earlier in the year. It was also the venue where in the summer, they were slated by two goals to one by the Cheetahs (who have been forced by lack of a CAF-approved facility in their country to adopt Abidjan as home) in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying game in which they scored first. “The stadium is a familiar one for us and we have good memories from the AFCON. We will rather focus on the positive results we have taken away from here and work hard for another good day in the office on Thursday. “It is not going to be easy because the Beninoise are also chasing a ticket to the final tournament. However, our objective is clear: three points on the night,” Captain Ekong said on Tuesday. Senegalese official Issa Sy, who was in charge when the Super Eagles pipped Angola 1-0 at the same venue, in a quarter-final match of the Africa Cup of Nations finals, has been selected by CAF as referee for Thursday’s encounter, which will commence at 7pm CIV time (8pm Nigeria time). He will be supported by compatriots Djibril Camara (assistant 1), Nouha Bangoura (assistant 2) and El Hadji Amadou Sy (fourth official). Ivorian Rene Williams Sere will be the commissioner while Angolan Inacio Manuel Candido will be the referee assessor. The Super Eagles need only one point from Thursday’s clash to be sure of a ticket to the 35th AFCON, scheduled for Morocco 21st December 2025 – 18th January 2026.

Morocco 2025: Ekong, Lookman, Osimhen, Simon, 19 others gear up for Benin, Rwanda

Our Reporters5 months ago5 months ago04 mins

Captain William Ekong, Atalanta of Italy’s Ademola Lookman, effervescent winger Moses Simon, reigning Africa Player of the Year Victor Osimhen and 19 other players will seek for six points against Benin Republic and Rwanda in the closing rounds of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign this month. Coach Augustine Eguavoen has also called goalkeepers Stanley Nwabali and Maduka Okoye, defenders Calvin Bassey and Bright Osayi-Samuel, as well as midfielders Frank Onyeka, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi, and forwards Kelechi Iheanacho, Victor Boniface and Samuel Chukwueze. Home-based defender Victor Collins will join up with the group for the first time, and there is a return for gangling forward Sadiq Umar, who plays for Real Sociedad in Spain. Defenders Olaoluwa Aina and Bruno Onyemaechi are also listed, while France-based defender Gabriel Osho will hope to play his first competitive game for fatherland, after his inability to honour a first call-up in the summer due to injury. The Super Eagles will fly directly to Abidjan on 11 November, for the confrontation with the Cheetahs of Benin Republic at the Stade Felix-Houphouet-Boigny on Thursday, 14th November, before traveling down to Uyo for the final qualifying game against the Amavubi of Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium on Monday, 18thNovember. Currently top of their Group D, the Super Eagles will be certain of a place in the final tournament if they get a point against the Cheetahs, which will take then to 11 points, and with only final-day opponents Rwanda capable of catching up with them on points. However, with a current tally of seven goals for and none against (following the CAF Disciplinary Board’s award of three points and three goals for the botched Matchday 4 encounter against Libya), the Super Eagles stand head and shoulders above the Amavubi, who have one-goal deficit and five points in their favour going into the final two matchdays. Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy); Amas Obasogie (Fasil Kenema SC, Ethiopia) Defenders: William Ekong (Al-Kholood FC, Saudi Arabia); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce SK, Turkey); Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista FC, Portugal); Gabriel Osho (AJ Auxerre, France); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Victor Collins (Nasarawa United) Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England Revolution, USA); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Lazio FC. Italy); Frank Onyeka (Augsburg FC, Germany); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England) Forwards: Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Sevilla FC, Spain); Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Sadiq Umar (Real Sociedad, Spain)

Morocco 2025: Super Eagles to conclude qualifying campaign on November 18

Our Reporters5 months ago5 months ago02 mins

The Confederation of African Football has picked Monday, November 18 for Nigeria’s final 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Rwanda, scheduled for the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo. The Matchday 6 encounter will draw the curtain on the race from Group D for slots at the 35thAfrica Cup of Nations finals to be held in Morocco December 2025/January 2026. CAF has also appointed Moroccan match officials for the game, with Samir Guezzaz in the role of referee at the encounter that will commence at 5pm Nigeria time. His compatriots Zakaria Brinsi, Abdessamad Abertoune and Kech Chaf Mustapha will serve as assistant referee 1, assistant referee 2 and fourth official respectively. Prosper Harrison Addo from Ghana will be the commissioner while Somalian Ali Mohamed Ahmed will be in the role of referee assessor. For the Matchday 5 clash with Benin Republic at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny on Thursday, 14th November, that will commence at 7pm CIV time (8pm Nigeria time), CAF has appointed officials from Senegal to superintend, with Issa Sy to be referee. His compatriots Djibril Camara, Nouha Bangoura and El Hadji Amadou Sy will serve as assistant referee 1, assistant referee 2 and fourth official respectively. Ivorian Rene Williams Sere will be commissioner while Angolan Inacio Manuel Candido will be referee assessor.