The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sports

  • Joshua to fight YouTube star Paul  on  Dec. 19 in Miami

    Joshua to fight YouTube star Paul  on  Dec. 19 in Miami

    YouTube star Jake Paul will face former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in Miami next month,  according to Matchroom Boxing.

    The fight between the YouTuber-turned-boxer and Joshua, the 36-year-old former two-time unified world champion, will take place at the Kaseya Center in Florida on December 19.

    The fight, which will be streamed live on Netflix, will consist of eight three-minute rounds, with the boxers using 10-ounce gloves.

    America’s Paul, 28, who has a 12-1 record, beat heavyweight great Mike Tyson in Texas in November 2024.

    He claimed a unanimous-decision win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in June and had been set to take on Gervonta Davis this month before the fight was cancelled after a civil lawsuit was filed against the WBA lightweight champion.

    Read Also: CAF Awards: Ajibade, Nnadozie lead Nigeria’s charge for women honours

     “This isn’t an AI simulation, this is judgment day,” said Paul. “A professional heavyweight fight against an elite world champion in his prime. When I beat Anthony Joshua, every doubt disappears and no one can deny me the opportunity to fight for a world title.

     “To all my haters, this is what you wanted. To the people of the United Kingdom, I am sorry. On Friday, December 19, under the lights in Miami… the torch gets passed and Britain’s Goliath gets put to sleep.”

    Joshua, who has not fought since being stopped by British compatriot Daniel Dubois at Wembley in September last year in their IBF title bout, said it was a “big opportunity”.

    “Whether you like it or not, I’m here to do massive numbers, have big fights and break every record whilst keeping cool, calm and collected,” he said.

     “Mark my words, you’ll see a lot more fighters take these opportunities in the future. I’m about to break the internet over Jake Paul’s face.”

  • Lagos APC Chairman counsels youths as Ojelabi Cup begins

    Lagos APC Chairman counsels youths as Ojelabi Cup begins

    Lagos State Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, has urged players to demonstrate exceptional skills, sportsmanship and teamwork during  this year’s  Ojelabi Football Competition.

    Ojelabi, who is the patron of the tournament, gave the advice  at the weekend  during  the opening of a football competition in Badagry Division at  the Lagos State University of Education(LASUED) football pitch at Oto-Ijanikin ,  Lagos.

    He said: ‘’Today, we gather to celebrate this beautiful game, promote healthy competition and showcase talented young athletes.

    “May this competition be a platform for you to shine, learn and make unforgettable memories,”  he said. “The purpose of this competition is to create an opportunity for teams and players to excel, showcase their talents to attract sponsorship that will support the development of sports in our community, Badagry Division and Lagos State as a whole.

    Read Also: CAF Awards: Osimhen makes final three for  Men’s POTY

    “As we come together to celebrate the kick-off of this beautiful game, we are also promoting sportsmanship, team spirit and peaceful coexistence among ourselves in Badagry Division.

    “This is a test case for us and I am confident our efforts will propel more benefits that will come to Badagry Division now and in future.

    “I urge you to take advantage of the opportunity this game will offer and protect it for your personal growth and development.”

    Ojelabi hailed members of the Main Organising Committee (MOC) and Local Organising Committee (LOC) for their commitment and dedication.

    He said the event would not be possible without the dedication of MOC and LOC, sub-committees, sponsors and volunteers.

    Speaking before the opening match, the Chairman, LOC, Ayodeji Williams, said the competition was intended to identify and reward hidden talents in Badagry Division of Lagos State.

    He lauded Ojelabi for the confidence reposed in them, promising not to disappoint him.

    Williams also thanked Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Tolani Sule, chairmen of the 10 councils in Badagry Division and Vice Chancellors of Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo and LASUED for their support.

    In the  opening match of the tournament, Ilogbo-Elegba beats Asejere FC 2 – 1.

  • CAF names Angélique Kidjo, Oualass as presenters  for  2025 CAF Awards

    CAF names Angélique Kidjo, Oualass as presenters  for  2025 CAF Awards

    The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has  revealed the identities of  the presenters for the prestigious CAF Awards 2025, which will take place tomorrow, 19th  November, at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Rabat.

    The ceremony will begin at 19h00 local time -7:00pm Nigerian team.

    For this edition, CAF has brought together a duo that perfectly reflects the artistic diversity and cultural reach of the continent: Angélique Kidjo and Oualass.

    Kidjo, a towering figure on the global stage, has embodied African artistic excellence for more than three decades. With five Grammy Awards to her name, the Beninese icon is celebrated for blending world music with African rhythms and for her unmatched presence in international culture.

    Read Also: CAF Awards: Ajibade, Nnadozie lead Nigeria’s charge for women honours

    Her influence extends well beyond the stage. Named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential women, she serves as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and is a prominent advocate for women’s rights, education and the preservation of African cultural heritage.

    Joining her is Oualas, the comedian, actor and showman whose rising popularity in Morocco and across Africa has made him one of the continent’s most recognisable entertainment personalities.

    Known for his humour, improvisation and ability to connect with audiences of all ages, Oualass will add warmth, energy and flair to an evening dedicated to honouring the finest in African football.

    Together, this complementary duo underscores CAF’s ambition to stage an Awards ceremony that celebrates not only sporting achievement but also the rich cultural talent of Africa.

  • NPFL, Heartland mourn Rangers’  Media Director

    NPFL, Heartland mourn Rangers’  Media Director

    The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has described the recent death of Mr. Norbert Okolie as unfortunate and a loss to the sports industry as a whole.

    The late Okolie served as the Media Director of NPFL side, Rangers International until his death over the weekend.

    He was also a former Chairman of the Enugu State Chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and a member of the national council.

    In a statement, Harry Iwuala, the NPFL Media Director described the late Okolie as one of the most resourceful club Media Directors.

    “I have worked and is still working with the NPFL Clubs Media Directors and Norbert was one of the few that stood in the way he engaged on behalf of the club with the public, especially the sporting media”, Iwuala said.

    Read Also: CAF Awards: Osimhen makes final three for  Men’s POTY

    “As a Photo Journalist, he deployed his skills to accentuate his role as a media content provider to the NPFL, the media and the general public”, he added.

    Iwuala extended condolences to his immediate family, the club, Sports Writers and NPFL Media Directors Association.

    Meanwhile, Heartland FC has  equally expressed rude shock  over the death of Okonkwo who died last weekend from an illness.

    In a press statement from the club media department, the Owerri side said: “Heartland Football Club received with deep shock and sadness the news of the passing of Mr. Norbert Okonkwo, the esteemed Media Director of Rangers International FC, who died on Sunday after a protracted illness.”

    “Mr. Okonkwo was a consummate professional whose dedication, integrity, and commitment to the growth of football media in Nigeria earned him the respect of colleagues and stakeholders across the league. His contributions to the Rangers family and to Nigerian football communication will remain indelible.

    “At this painful moment, the entire Heartland FC family commiserates with Rangers International FC, the Okonkwo family, friends, and everyone affected by this great loss. We pray that God grants his soul eternal rest and gives those he left behind the strength to bear this irreparable loss.

    “May his legacy continue to inspire.”

  • Enugu set for Southeast Zonal Badminton Championship

    Enugu set for Southeast Zonal Badminton Championship

    Enugu will host the fourth edition of the Southeast Zonal Badminton Championship from November 20th to 22nd at the Indoor Gymnasium Sports Hall of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium.

    The prestigious event is organised by the Southeast Badminton Outreach in collaboration with the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) and the Enugu State Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, with strong support from the Bet9ja Foundation.

    Top players, coaches, and officials from Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States are expected to compete across the male, female, and veteran categories. The three-day championship promises thrilling action as participants display exceptional skill and vie for honours.

    Read Also: CAF Awards: Ajibade, Nnadozie lead Nigeria’s charge for women honours

    This year’s edition also serves as a vital preparatory platform ahead of the forthcoming National Sports Festival, which Enugu State will host. Athletes will be assessed for their mental and competitive readiness as they gear up for the national stage.

    Speaking ahead of the event, 1996 Olympian and Southeast Zonal Representative on the BFN Board, Mrs. Oby Edoga Solaja, emphasized the tournament’s core mission—discovering and nurturing the next generation of badminton stars within the zone.

    She urged corporate organisations and well-meaning individuals to continue supporting badminton through financial and moral backing. Mrs. Solaja also revealed ongoing efforts to provide essential equipment, coaching education, and umpire training across the region as part of a broader push to elevate the standard and development of badminton in the Southeast.

  • Omewa targets  breakthrough with Fortuna Hjørring

    Omewa targets  breakthrough with Fortuna Hjørring

    Super Falcons striker Joy Omewa is set to take her blistering goal-scoring form into the UEFA Women’s Europa Cup as Fortuna Hjørring prepare for a crucial clash against Icelandic side Breiðablik on November 19.

    The Nigerian forward has been one of Europe’s standout performers this season, adding yet another goal at the weekend to continue her remarkable run. Omewa came off the bench to score her 12th  league goal of the campaign, sealing Fortuna Hjørring’s commanding 5–0 away victory over Odense in the Danish Women’s League.

    After a cagey first hour, Nikoline Nielsen broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute, before Samantha Kuhne doubled the advantage five minutes later. Sydney Masur followed with a quick-fire brace to put Fortuna firmly in control.

    Read Also: CAF Awards: Osimhen makes final three for  Men’s POTY

    Rested initially after her midweek Europa Cup exertions, Omewa was introduced in the 57th minute for Josefine Valvik — and she made her presence felt. Deep into stoppage time (90+5), she struck with precision to complete the rout.

    Her latest goal lifts her tally to 12 in the league and an impressive 19 goals in 20 matches across all competitions — a return that cements her reputation as one of the most lethal Nigerian attackers currently lighting up Europe.

    Fortuna Hjørring sit second on the Danish top-flight table with 26 points from 13 matches, trailing leaders HB Køge by six. With Omewa in red-hot form, the Danish giants will march into their November 19 Europa Cup showdown in Breiðablik with confidence.

  • Gift Monday’s Washington Spirit to face Gotham in NWSL Final Showdown

    Gift Monday’s Washington Spirit to face Gotham in NWSL Final Showdown

    Super Falcons striker Gift Monday has powered her club, Washington Spirit, into the final of the 2025 NWSL Championship, where they will battle Gotham FC on November 22nd  in San Jose.

    Monday continued her blistering goalscoring form in the United States, striking the opener in the 23rd minute to set the Spirit on course for a commanding 2–0 victory over Portland Thorns in the playoff semi-final. The Nigerian forward reacted sharply to tap into an empty net after a brilliant break and square pass from Rosemonde Kouassi.

    Croix Bethune added a second to seal Washington Spirit’s passage to a second consecutive championship final.

    Read Also: CAF Awards: Ajibade, Nnadozie lead Nigeria’s charge for women honours

    With her latest effort, Monday now boasts 13 goals this season—12 in the NWSL and one in the CONCACAF Women’s Cup—alongside two assists. She has also now scored in both the quarter-final and semi-final of the playoffs, underlining her status as one of the league’s most decisive attackers.

    Despite her consistency and sharp form abroad, Monday continues to be overlooked by Super Falcons head coach Justin Madugu, a talking point among followers of Nigerian women’s football.

    The forward featured for the entire 90 minutes, while compatriot Deborah Abiodun came on in the 73rd minute for Leicy Santos.

    Washington Spirit will now meet Gotham FC, who edged defending champions Orlando Pride 1–0 in the second semi-final, setting up a blockbuster championship clash at PayPal Park in San Jose, California. Monday will be aiming to clinch her first NWSL title, having played a vital role in getting her club this far.

    The Orlando Pride were the defending champions of both the NWSL Championship and the NWSL Shield.

  • Barca return to  Camp Nou  Nov. 22

    Barca return to  Camp Nou  Nov. 22

    Barcelona will finally return to their reconstructed Camp Nou stadium against Athletic Bilbao on November 22 in La Liga, the club said Monday, after more than two years in exile.

    Since the stadium closed at the end of the 2022⁄23 season, the Catalan giants have been forced to play elsewhere, mainly at the Olympic Stadium on the city’s Montjuic hill.

    A series of delays means Camp Nou is reopening a year after it was originally slated to, following a 1.5 billion euro ($1.75 billion) transformation beset by construction chaos.

    Barcelona will open the stadium with a temporary capacity of 45,401 spectators, with space for 105,000 when the top tier is completed.

    Read Also: CAF Awards: Osimhen makes final three for  Men’s POTY

    They opened the stadium up for 23,000 fans to watch a training session earlier in November as a test event in the reopening process.

    Barcelona are also hoping to receive the green light from UEFA to host Eintracht Frankfurt at the Camp Nou in the Champions League on December 9.

    The Spanish champions were forced to play two matches at their 6,000-capacity Johan Cruyff training ground stadium in the first weeks of the season after failing to get the permit they needed for Camp Nou, because of safety reasons.

    The previous iteration of Camp Nou was built in 1957 and had a capacity of 99,000.

    Barcelona plan to add a roof to the stadium which will be installed in the summer of 2027, a year later than the project was anticipated to be completed.

  • England deserves credit after flawless  W’Cup qualifying campaign, says Kane

    England deserves credit after flawless  W’Cup qualifying campaign, says Kane

    Harry Kane believes England’s blistering qualification campaign has shown what Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup contenders are capable of.

    The Euro 2024 runners-up are among the favourites for glory in North America next summer and a nation others will want to avoid in the December 5 draw.

    England secured their spot at the finals with two games to spare and on Sunday completed a perfect qualification campaign, with Kane’s brace in a 2-0 triumph in Albania making it eight wins and eight clean sheets.

    It is the first time a European team has achieved that feat when playing at least six World Cup qualifiers and underlined the potential of Tuchel’s side.

    “Whenever you’re creating history, it shows that you’re on the right path,” England captain Kane said.

    Read Also: CAF Awards: Ajibade, Nnadozie lead Nigeria’s charge for women honours

    “I think we’ve had a lot of great qualifying campaigns in recent history and we’ve topped that with this one, so we can be really proud of the hard work that we put in.

    “I know sometimes we maybe don’t get the credit for these type of wins and campaigns, but we’ve done our job, we’ve done what we need to do and we’ve done it in style as well.

    “We can be really proud of that and look forward to the new year now.”

    England now only have two March friendlies before Tuchel names his World Cup squad as the back-to-back Euros runners-up seek to build on their near misses under Gareth Southgate.

    Asked if they have sent a message to the rest of the world with their flawless campaign, Kane said: “Whether it’s a message or not (I am not sure), I think it just shows what we’re capable of.

    “Not conceding a goal in all that time is obviously a great achievement in itself and the bottom line is clean sheets win you tournaments.

    “Clean sheets got us to two finals and semi-finals, and when you get to the biggest games you need to be solid, you need to be compact, you need to be able to defend your box and we’ve shown we can do that.

    “Then you add the players that we have in attack and in midfield, we’re a tough team to beat.

    “But there’s a long way to go, we’re not going to get carried away. I think that’s the special nature of this group.

    “We’re just looking forward to the next camp, obviously a little while now, but we go away, we rest up, and then we come back together in March and try to continue this momentum.”

    England will be praying Kane can maintain his own form, having taken his goal tally to 28 for club and country this season.

    “It’s hard to take it in,” the Bayern Munich striker added. “When you’re on a roll like this, you just want the next game to be around the corner.

    “I spoke before in the (pre-match) press conference that it’s probably the best form I’ve been in and just the best overall play that I feel I’m playing at the highest level.

    “We’ll see how many we can get. A long way to go in the season, so if I can continue this type of form and this type of run, it should be quite a big number come the end.”

  • Focus on 2026 AFCON after World Cup heartbreak, Tinubu advises Eagles

    Focus on 2026 AFCON after World Cup heartbreak, Tinubu advises Eagles

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has charged the Super Eagles to shift attention to the 2026 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, urging the team to recover quickly from Sunday’s World Cup playoff defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    In a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President said the team must now “focus all efforts on the Cup of Nations” after narrowly missing out on a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the second consecutive cycle.

    Nigeria’s qualification hopes were extinguished in Rabat after a tense match ended 1-1 in extra time, with DR Congo edging the Eagles 4-3 on penalties to move into the Inter-Confederation play-off.

    Read Also: Tinubu targets inter-faith, inter-ethnic truce in Plateau

    Despite the disappointment, Tinubu commended the players for their determination throughout the qualifiers, noting that they had shown resilience, particularly after winning the first leg of the playoff.

    “Notwithstanding the unfortunate loss, we must commend the players for their efforts and continue to support them,” he said.

    The President also called for a comprehensive review of the country’s football operations, urging administrators, coaches, players and stakeholders to return to the drawing board and “plug all the loopholes” that undermined the qualification campaign.

    While acknowledging the pain felt by fans nationwide, he stressed that the upcoming AFCON—scheduled for January to February 2026—provides an immediate opportunity for redemption.

    “Our Super Eagles must recover the lost glory,” President Tinubu said, rallying the team to prepare adequately and aim for a strong continental outing