The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sports

  • ‘Incredible India’ edge Nigeria to Centenary Commonwealth Games

    ‘Incredible India’ edge Nigeria to Centenary Commonwealth Games

    Nigeria’s hopes of bringing the Commonwealth Games to Africa for the first time have once again been dashed after  Indian  city of  Ahmedabad   was selected ahead of Abuja to host the 2030 Centenary Games.

    The evaluation commission of Commonwealth Sport chose Ahmedabad, in western India, over Nigeria’s capital, ending months of anticipation and marking the second time Abuja has lost a hosting bid — the first being for the 2014 Games, which went to Glasgow.

    Ahmedabad, home to the world’s largest sports arena, the 132,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium, will now welcome athletes from 74 nations and territories when the Games open in 2030. The decision is expected to be ratified at the Commonwealth Sport General Assembly in Glasgow on November 26.

    Read Also: W’CUP26: Four- star Super  Eagles maul Benin to pick Play-Off ticket

    Dr. P. T. Usha, president of the Commonwealth Games Association of India, hailed the selection as “a powerful opportunity to inspire our youth and strengthen international partnerships across the Commonwealth.”

    The setback means Africa’s long wait to host the Games continues, despite Nigeria’s strong technical presentation and commitment to using the event to promote youth development and continental unity.

    Commonwealth Sport, however, noted it would work with Nigeria to “accelerate its hosting ambitions” and consider Abuja for the 2034 Games — offering a glimmer of hope that Africa’s turn may finally come.

    The 2030 edition will celebrate 100 years since the inaugural Commonwealth Games were held in Hamilton, Canada, in 1930.

  • 36 schools confirmed for  2025 Unified Sports Event

    36 schools confirmed for  2025 Unified Sports Event

    ‎A total of 160 students from 36 schools from across Lagos State will participate in the second edition of the Ellen Olusola Caulcrick Foundation (EOCF) 2025 Unified Sports Event, set to hold on Tuesday, November 4, at the Igbobi College Sports Facility, Lagos.

    Organisers disclosed  as much at a press conference in Lagos, unveiling the Foundation’s continued commitment to fostering inclusion through sports and education.

    ‎The EOCF Unified Sports Initiative is a flagship program that brings together students with and without disabilities to compete side-by-side in fun and friendly sporting activities such as walking and running races, basketball, hoops game, football, egg race, filling the bucket, tug of war, and dancing competition.

    Read Also: Troost-Ekong confident Super Eagles will qualify for 2026 World Cup

    ‎Beyond the excitement, the event serves a deeper purpose, promoting understanding, empathy, and social cohesion among young people, while driving a positive shift in public perception of persons with disabilities.

    ‎Speaking at the event, the Executive Director, EOCF, Segun Caulcrick, said the Foundation aims to use the event to inspire lasting change in social perception and policy support for individuals with disabilities in Nigeria.

    ‎“This initiative reflects our founder’s lifelong commitment to inclusion, leveraging the unifying power of sports to demonstrate that teamwork, empathy, and shared purpose transcend physical ability. We aim to promote a culture where inclusion is not an act of charity but a collective value, and where every participant is recognized and celebrated for their contribution to society,” Caulcrick said.

    ‎Also, all participants at the event will receive medals, team t-shirts, gifts and refreshments, with transport stipends provided for participating schools.

    ‎The Ellen Olusola Caulcrick Foundation (EOCF) was established on June 20, 2013 to honour the legacy of Mrs. Ellen Olusola Caulcrick, a dedicated special educator, social worker, administrator, and passionate advocate for individuals with disabilities.

    ‎The Foundation provides financial assistance, educational materials, teacher and parent training, and platforms such as the Unified Sports event, all aimed at enhancing the quality of life of children and individuals living with disabilities.

  • W’Cup 2026: Toro hails NFF, stakeholders for Super Eagles’   playoff spot

    W’Cup 2026: Toro hails NFF, stakeholders for Super Eagles’   playoff spot

    Former Secretary-General of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), Alhaji Sanni Toro, has congratulated the football house, the Super Eagles, and all football stakeholders for Nigeria’s qualification for the playoff stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

    The Super Eagles sealed their spot in the CAF playoff zone after a commanding 4–0 victory over Benin Republic at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo and will now face Gabon on November 13, 2025, in Morocco for a place in the final playoff round.

    In his congratulatory message, Toro praised the collective efforts that contributed to the Super Eagles’ progress while urging continued unity and commitment ahead of the decisive stages.

     “I wish to congratulate the Super Eagles of Nigeria, the Nigeria Football Federation, sports-loving Nigerians, and corporate bodies for the team’s qualification for the CAF playoffs in the World Cup qualifying series,” Toro said.

    Read Also: W’CUP26: Four- star Super  Eagles maul Benin to pick Play-Off ticket

     “It is a nice thing that they were able to scale through this initial hurdle. The NFF needs to put extra effort for the Super Eagles to succeed in both the CAF and FIFA inter-confederation playoff tournaments in March 2026 so that Nigeria can secure one of the remaining World Cup slots.”

    Toro, who served as NFA Secretary-General during Nigeria’s golden football era, also appealed to Nigerians to keep faith with the team as they prepare for the crucial encounters.

     “Nigerians should continue to support and pray for the success of the team,” he added.

    Nigeria will need to overcome Gabon before meeting the winner of Cameroon and DR Congo to advance to the final intercontinental playoff round, where they could face sides from Asia, South America, CONCACAF or Oceania for a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

  • 2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup: Flamingos edge Paraguay in five-goal thriller

    2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup: Flamingos edge Paraguay in five-goal thriller

    Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, rounded off their pre-World Cup preparations in style with a hard-fought 3–2 victory over Paraguay in Casablanca on Tuesday evening. It was a match filled with pace, precision, and plenty of lessons as Coach Bankole Olowookere’s girls sealed their 12th warm-up game, extending their scoring tally to an impressive 50 goals while conceding just six.

    The Flamingos wasted no time announcing their intent, taking the lead inside the opening two minutes. Goalkeeper Elizabeth Boniface launched a pinpoint long ball that found captain Shakirat Moshood, who cleverly laid it off for Mariam Yahaya. The forward made no mistake, chipping the onrushing Paraguayan goalkeeper to give Nigeria an early advantage.

    Eight minutes later, Shakirat had a chance to double the lead, but her effort flew just over the bar. Paraguay found a lifeline in the 15th minute after a defensive error from Christiana Sunday gifted them an equaliser against the run of play. The South Americans grew in confidence, forcing Boniface into two fine saves as the Flamingos briefly lost their rhythm.

    Read Also: Troost-Ekong confident Super Eagles will qualify for 2026 World Cup

    However, the Nigerians quickly regained control, and just before halftime, they were back in front. A defensive mix-up at the back allowed Yahaya to pounce for her brace in the 44th minute before completing a sensational first-half hat-trick a minute later, thanks to a delightful pass from Kaosarat Olanrewaju.

    The second half saw the Flamingos maintain their attacking momentum, with Ayomide Abubakar and Shakirat Moshood both coming close to adding to the tally. Substitute goalkeeper Sylvia Echefu made a crucial save in the 69th minute to preserve Nigeria’s two-goal cushion as Paraguay searched for a route back into the game. In the final moments, another defensive lapse allowed Paraguay to pull one back, but it was too late to deny Nigeria a deserved 3–2 win.

    With their Morocco training camp now concluded, the Flamingos will head to Rabat on Wednesday morning to settle into their FIFA accommodation ahead of the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, which kicks off on October 17. Drawn in Group D, Nigeria will open their campaign against Canada on Sunday 19th October, then face France three days later, before wrapping up the group stage against Samoa on October 25.

  • Gambian referee  to decide Super Falcons, Beninese Ladies  WAFCON Qualifier

    Gambian referee  to decide Super Falcons, Beninese Ladies  WAFCON Qualifier

    Barely ten days after the Super Eagles of Nigeria thrashed the Cheetahs of Benin Republic 4–0 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, the rivalry between both West African nations is set to resume — this time on the women’s front.

    The Super Falcons are gearing up to face the Benin Republic women’s national team in the first leg of their 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifier.

    According to Prompt News, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed Gambian referee Fatou Ngum as the centre referee for the match, which will take place on Friday, October 24, at the Stade de Kégué in Lomé, Togo. Other match officials are expected to be drawn from Gambia and other parts of Africa.

    Read Also: W’CUP26: Four- star Super  Eagles maul Benin to pick Play-Off ticket

    The reigning African champions, Nigeria’s Super Falcons — fresh from clinching their 10th  WAFCON title last July in Morocco — are expected to arrive in Lomé on Tuesday, October 22, to fine-tune preparations ahead of the tie. The return leg will hold four days later on Tuesday, October 28, at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta, Ogun State, which the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has submitted as the home venue.

    The two-legged tie will determine which team books a ticket to the 2026 WAFCON in Morocco, slated for March 17 to April 3, which also serves as the African qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

    Nigeria, Africa’s most successful women’s football nation, has qualified for every FIFA Women’s World Cup since the inaugural edition in 1991, reaching their best-ever stage — the quarter-finals — in 1999 under the late Coach Ismaila Mabo.

  • Maresca banned, fined for misconduct in  Chelsea’s win over Liverpool

    Maresca banned, fined for misconduct in  Chelsea’s win over Liverpool

    Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has been handed a one-match touchline ban and a fine of 8,000 pounds ($10,689) after he admitted a charge of misconduct during their 2-1 victory over Liverpool, England’s Football Association  has said.

    Chelsea’s winner in the fifth minute of stoppage time sent Maresca into a frenzy and he raced along the touchline at Stamford Bridge to celebrate wildly with his players, earning a second yellow card and a dismissal from referee Anthony Taylor.

    Read Also: Troost-Ekong confident Super Eagles will qualify for 2026 World Cup

    “It was alleged that the manager acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour during the fixture, which led to his dismissal around the 96th minute,” the FA said in a statement.

    “Enzo Maresca subsequently admitted the charge and accepted the standard penalty.”

    Maresca will miss Chelsea’s next Premier League game away at Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Chelsea are seventh in the standings with 11 points, five points behind leaders Arsenal.

  • Boston mayor dismisses Trump threat of removing World Cup games

    Boston mayor dismisses Trump threat of removing World Cup games

    Boston mayor Michelle Wu implied the city is ready for a faceoff with President Donald Trump over his claim he could order FIFA to remove World Cup games scheduled to be played at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough next summer.

    Wu appeared on “Java with Jimmy” on Wednesday to respond to Tuesday’s criticism from the White House, which labelled the Democrat as “radical left” and said he would make a call to FIFA president Gianni Infantino if Boston doesn’t “clean up its act.”

    “Much of it is locked down by contract so that no single person, even if they live in the White House currently, can undo it,” Wu said. “We’re in a world where for drama, for control, for pushing the boundaries … ongoing threats … are issued to individuals and communities who refuse to back down and comply or be obedient to a hateful agenda.”

    Read Also: W’CUP26: Four- star Super  Eagles maul Benin to pick Play-Off ticket

    “We are going to continue to be who we are and that means, unfortunately, we are going to be in a conversation in a way that is targeting Boston’s values. Ten toes down for Boston.”

    Infantino was a guest of Trump at a press conference announcing the accord between Israel and Gaza earlier this week.

    On Tuesday, Trump was asked about violence in South Boston that included a police vehicle being set ablaze and said, “If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there’s unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni — the head of FIFA, who’s phenomenal — and I would say, ‘Let’s move into another location’ and they would do that. He wouldn’t love to do it. But he would do it very easily.”

    The United States, Mexico and Canada are joint North American hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Trump made previous comments suggesting he would take up the same conversation with Infantino about moving games from Seattle and San Francisco, which are among the 16 total host cities for the event scheduled to be played from June 11 to July 19 next summer.

  • Troost-Ekong confident Super Eagles will qualify for 2026 World Cup

    Troost-Ekong confident Super Eagles will qualify for 2026 World Cup

    Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong, has expressed optimism that Nigeria will ultimately secure a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

    Nigeria kept their qualification hopes alive on Tuesday with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Benin Republic in their final Group C fixture. Star striker Victor Osimhen bagged a hat-trick, while Frank Onyeka added the fourth goal to complete the rout.

    Despite the dominant win, the result was not enough to earn Nigeria the automatic qualification spot, but it did confirm their place in the African playoffs.

    South Africa’s Bafana Bafana sealed top position in Group C after a commanding 3-0 victory over Rwanda in their final group game, also played on Tuesday.

    Speaking in the post-match presser, Troost-Ekong said: “Getting here wasn’t easy. We’ll take it one game at a time, and I believe we’re going to make it.

    “I’m proud to be part of this team, part of this family. The boys are playing just like they do for their clubs. We need to keep supporting them.”

    Read Also: TROOST-EKONG: Charity bigger than football

    Troost-Ekong acknowledged the struggles the team had faced in recent months, calling the playoffs qualification a hard-earned result.

    “It’s easy to celebrate now, but it’s been a tough journey. Many said it was impossible, but we kept believing.

    “We need to love the players for who they are and their efforts. We know when to work and when to relax.

    “We have an exceptional group and a big job ahead in Morocco.”

  • W’CUP26: Four- star Super  Eagles maul Benin to pick Play-Off ticket

    W’CUP26: Four- star Super  Eagles maul Benin to pick Play-Off ticket

    Talismanic Osimhen grabs hat trick

    Bafana Bafana pick WC ticket in Group C

    Determined  to earn a place in next year’s FIFA World Cup  in the North America,  the Super Eagles  yesterday produced a four-star performance  with a comprehensive  4-0 thrashing  of  Benin Republic  while axe striker   Victor Osimhen  netted  a hat trick  at the  Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.  

    The Galatasaray forward opened  the floodgate  for the  Super  Eagles  as early as the third  minute, finishing off a brilliant assist from Samuel Chukwueze after a swift attacking move.He doubled Nigeria’s advantage in the 37th   minute again after being teed up by  Chukwueze.

    The Super Eagles continued their dominance after the break and Osimhen completed his hat-trick in the 51st  minute , heading home a chipped pass from Moses Simon.

    Substitute Frank Onyeka put the icing on the cake in the 90th  minute with probably 

    the best goal  of the day with a fine volley , sealing an emphatic 4–0 victory for the Super Eagles.

    Meanwhile, South Africa beat Rwanda 3-0 in Nelspruit to finish first in Group C as Benin, who had a two-point lead going into the final round of fixtures, tumbled from top place to third in the standings after being thumped 4-0 in Uyo.

    South Africa finished on 18 points, with Nigeria runners-up ahead of Benin on goal difference as both ended with 17 points.

    Ironically, South Africa had three points deducted last month after being found guilty of fielding a suspended player in an earlier qualifier in March, a mistake they admitted.

    Read Also: NFF D-License coaching course takes off in Abuja

    But that will be largely forgotten now as South Africa qualified for the first time since they hosted the finals in 2010.

    Thalente Mbatha scored after five minutes, and Oswin Appollis netted the second in the 21st  minute to put South Africa on their way. Striker Evidence Makgopa made it 3-0 in the 72nd  minute with a header from a corner.

    In  related development, Gabon and Cameroon are the two countries ahead of Nigeria presently in the new table for second-placed teams across the nine groups, going CAF’s new method of calculating the second-placed teams following the withdrawal of Eritrea from the race. Nigeria bagged 15 points with a goals’ difference of plus seven, as against Burkina Faso’s 15 points and goals’ difference of plus six.

    Either Burkina Faso or the Democratic Republic of Congo (playing at home to Sudan on Tuesday night) will join the trio for the battles of Morocco next month.

    The winner in Morocco will proceed to the Six-Team Intercontinental Playoff, scheduled for the Mexican cities of Guadalajara and Monterrey in March next year, where two teams will emerge and qualify for the finals in USA, Canada and Mexico.

    The winner from the African playoff will be joined by Bolivia, New Caledonia and two teams from Central America, and one from Asia.

  • Chelle salutes Super Eagles’ faultless thrashing of Benin

    Chelle salutes Super Eagles’ faultless thrashing of Benin

    Coach Eric Sekou Chelle has expressed   satisfaction  over the  performance of  the Super Eagles following their 4-0 win over Benin Republic in the  decisive MatchDay 10 World Cup qualifier  at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo yesterday.

    Nigeria clinched a World Cup playoffs spot after finishing with 17 points in Group C with just one point behind Group winners, South Africa, much to the delight of the  Franco-Malian trainer.

    “I’m so proud of my players, they deserve the win in this game because it was not easy with a new coach, a new philosophy. This is just the beginning, things are not finished and it will be very difficult as we have to go to Morocco.

    Read Also: Peterside  calls for credible administrators in NFF

    He added: “ I’m just really happy for my players because  they played a great game, just as they did against Lesotho few days ago.”

    Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen netted a hat trick before Frank Onyeka scored the fourth goal late in the game. Eric Chelle called Victor Osimhen ‘best striker in the world’ following his heroics on Tuesday.

    “All my players played well against Benin Republic especially Victor Osimhen, who is the best striker in the world,” Chelle chuckled. “We lose together as a team and we win together as a team.”