The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sports

  • Football carries message of peace not war, says Infantino

    Football carries message of peace not war, says Infantino

    FIFA President Gianni Infantino has said that football could not solve conflicts, but it must carry a message of peace and unity as Israel’s military operation in Gaza and other global tensions fuel calls for the sport to take a stand.

    “At FIFA, we are committed to using the power of football to bring people together in a divided world,” Infantino told a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich. “Our thoughts are with those who are suffering in the many conflicts that exist around the world today, and the most important message that football can convey right now is one of peace and unity.”

    Infantino said world football’s governing body could not solve geopolitical crises, but “it can and must promote football around the world by harnessing its unifying, educational, cultural and humanitarian values.”

    FIFA has faced repeated calls to act over the war in Gaza, with Palestinian officials pressing for Israel to be suspended from international football.

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    The issue has been under review by FIFA for months, but no decision has been taken. Infantino has consistently said such matters require consensus with the confederations and must be handled with caution.

    The comments came a day after FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani noted that any decision over Israel’s participation in European competitions, including World Cup qualifiers, was a matter for UEFA to decide, effectively putting the onus on the European body.

     “First and foremost, it (Israel) is a member of UEFA, no different than I have to deal with a member of my region for whatever reason… They have to deal with that,” Montagliani told reporters at the Leaders sports business conference on Wednesday.

    Israel are third in Europe’s Group I of the qualifying stage for next year’s World Cup in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Amnesty International on Wednesday sent a letter to FIFA and UEFA calling on them to suspend the Israel Football Association.

  • Abia Warriors, Kwara United win rescheduled NPFL  games

    Abia Warriors, Kwara United win rescheduled NPFL  games

    Abia Warriors and Kwara United secured crucial home wins in their rescheduled games played yesterday to move up the ladder of the Nigeria Premier Football League.

    Both were involved in CAF Confederation Cup games and were eliminated by Djoliba Athletic Club of Mali and Asante Kotoko of Ghana in the first preliminary round.

    Abia Warriors beat Remo Stars 2-0 through the goals of Emeka Obioma and Sunday Megwo in the 28th and 60th minutes. The second goal came from the penalty spot. With the victory, Abia Warriors have moved to the fourth spot with nine points from five games while the Sky Blue Stars slid to the 14th spot with seven points from five games.

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    The Umuchineke Boys will travel to Ilorin as guests of Kwara United who triumphed over Plateau United 2-1 in another rescheduled game dubbed the North Central derby played yesterday in Ilorin.

    Junior Aimufua put the Harmony Boys in the lead in the dying minute of the first half. The Peace Boys equalised in the 58th  minute through Vincent Temitope but Kwara United had the last laugh when Aule Johnmark struck in the 79th  minute off a goal mouth scramble.

    Kwara United have moved to the seventh spot with eight points.

  • Itauma excited  with Bet9ja partnership for grassroots boxing

    Itauma excited  with Bet9ja partnership for grassroots boxing

    Nigerian-born boxing sensation Moses Itauma has hinted of plans to revive grassroots boxing, as part of efforts to contribute his own quota to the development of the sport in the country.

    He spoke at a press conference, saying  the forthcoming  Bet9ja’s flagship boxing event in Lagos, would see the  fans getting  a closer glimpse of charisma and vision of youthful pugilists.

    Itauma, a Goodwill Ambassador to Bet9ja, whose visit coincided with the Nigeria 65th  Independence Day celebration, arrived to a hero’s welcome in company of his managers and Bet9ja officials.

    The visit which signposts a strong partnership with Bet9ja is expected to breathe new life into grassroots boxing in Nigeria, including the renovation and reopening of some Boxing Facilities backed by the Bet9ja Foundation in line with vision and objectives of the foundation.

    The project promises aspiring Nigerian boxers access to modern facilities, mentorship, and pathways to the global stage.

    An elated Itauma, who said it was a pleasant homecoming for him since his last visit in 2010, shared exciting moments touching base in his fatherland.

     “At the airport yesterday (Tuesday), a security guard asked if my belts were really mine. When I told her yes, and that my father is Nigerian, she said she was proud of me — even without knowing half of my full story. That moment reminded me of how powerful it is to be here, to feel this connection.”

    The 20-year-old boxing sensation added:  “Alongside Bet9ja Foundation, we will unveil a series of programs in the coming days.  One of the immediate steps is to connect with grassroots talents at the boxing facilities which we plan to renovate and reopen.

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     “This is more than just infrastructure — it’s about creating opportunities and inspiring the next generation.”

    Interestingly, Bet9ja hopes to maximise Itauma’s visit optimally according to Omene Osuya, Senior Marketing Manager of Bet9ja, who holds the view and very strongly too that “Moses represents the future of boxing. His dominance in the ring, matched with his charisma outside of it, makes him a generational athlete. His presence here is not just about Independence celebrations; it signals the dawn of a new era for Nigerian boxing.”

    Born in 2005 to a Nigerian father and Slovakian mother, Moses Itauma has risen with meteoric speed through the heavyweight ranks.

    The Akwa Ibom-born athlete, who has had 11 Kos in 13 fights and currently holds the WBO Intercontinental title, the WBA International and Commonwealth titles, believes the world is yet to get the best of him.

  • Akindoju: Shocks over death  of Tennis Federation President

    Akindoju: Shocks over death  of Tennis Federation President

    The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, has expressed grief and deep sorrow over the passing of the President of the Nigeria Tennis Federation, Engr. Ifedayo Akindoju.

    The  respected tennis administrator reportedly passed away on Tuesday, 2nd October, in Abuja.

    Olopade described Engr. Akindoju’s demise as a monumental loss to the Nigerian sports family, noting that the void created by his death will be felt for many years to come. He praised the late tennis president as a perfect gentleman whose selfless leadership brought steady growth and development to Nigerian tennis.

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     “I am still pinching myself not to believe that Engr. Akindoju is no more because of how full of life he was the last time he came to my office. This is a big loss to the tennis family and the country in general.”

     “When you see Engr. Akindoju, you see his selfless passion for Nigerian tennis and how he constantly thinks of how Nigeria can produce the next generation of tennis top players.”

    The DG further assured that the Commission will stand firmly with the bereaved family in their time of grief.

    “At this critical time of grief, our hearts are with his family, and as a Commission we will be in constant touch with them for every form of support.”

  • U-17 AFCON : Garba Manu carpets CAF on slots for WAFU B

    U-17 AFCON : Garba Manu carpets CAF on slots for WAFU B

    Golden Eaglets head coach, Garba Manu, has called on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to increase the qualification slots allocated to the WAFU B region, following Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.

    The Eaglets were beaten 2-0 by Ghana in Tuesday’s semi-final of the WAFU B tournament in Ivory Coast, a result that ended their hopes of reaching the U-17 AFCON and, by extension, the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup—now an annual event. This is Nigeria’s second straight miss at this level after also failing to qualify for the 2025 edition.

    Garba, who led Nigeria to the FIFA U-17 World Cup title in 2013, argued that limiting WAFU B to only two qualifying spots undermines the region’s pedigree in youth football.

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     “When the WAFU B competition started in Niger Republic, we had seven countries, and only one qualified. I raised the observation then that WAFU B is the strongest zone in Africa, and that’s why it was increased to two slots. But it is still not enough,” he said.

    He faulted CAF’s decision to award an extra slot to WAFU A in a previous edition while overlooking WAFU B, which he insists consistently produces the continent’s strongest youth teams.

     “It’s unfair. Nigeria is still rated number one at U-17 level globally, yet CAF restricts us to two slots. WAFU B deserves at least three. It will not only benefit Nigeria but also improve African football as a whole.”

    Nigeria, five-time U-17 world champions (1985, 1993, 2007, 2013, 2015), have not featured at the tournament since 2019, when they exited in the round of 16 after losing to the Netherlands.

  • Flamingos thrash Lestar to round off World Cup build up

    Flamingos thrash Lestar to round off World Cup build up

    Nigeria’s Under 17 Girls, the Flamingos have rounded off their preparation for FIFA Under 17 Women’s World Cup with a 14-0 victory over Lestar FA yesterday at the FIFA Goal Project, Abuja.

    Queen Joseph scored four goals while Shakirat Moshood and Praise Agba weighed in three goals each while Tabitha Terlumu notched two goals as the Flamingos went goals crazy.

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    The team will leave for Morocco on Wednesday to conclude their build up to the World Cup where they will slug it out with Canada, France and Samoa in Group D.

    Nigeria is still seeking the first final appearance in the cadet competition and the current crop of the Golden Eaglets under the tutelage of Bankole Olowookere has played nine friendly games winning all.

  • WAFU-B U17: Narteh reveals  secrets behind Black Starlets’ victory over Golden Eaglets  

    WAFU-B U17: Narteh reveals  secrets behind Black Starlets’ victory over Golden Eaglets  

    By Victor Oguntade

    The head coach of Ghana’s Black Starlets, Prosper Narteh Ogum, has credited mental preparation, tactical discipline and psychological focus as the key factors behind their 2–0 semifinal victory over Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets at the WAFU-B U17 Championship in Abidjan.

    Nigeria, five-time FIFA U-17 World Cup champions, crashed out of the tournament following the defeat on Tuesday night, ending yet another qualification campaign for the Africa U-17 Cup of Nations — the only route to the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

     The loss marks the second consecutive time the Golden Eaglets will miss the global stage, a stark contrast to their once-dominant reputation.

    Reflecting on the performance, Narteh explained that Ghana’s coaching staff had worked on correcting early mistakes that had plagued the team in previous matches.

     “We prepare them mentally, psychologically, that they need to be very focused throughout the 90 minutes,” he said. “We try as much as possible to make sure that they don’t commit early mistakes like in our previous games, where we had a red card and conceded early goals. Once they are able to do that and travel into the game, they get their confidence and then play.”

    The Black Starlets’ coach added that neutralizing Nigeria’s captain was a decisive tactical move.

     “Tactically, we just play their captain out and that was it,” he stated.

    The victory means Ghana will now face Cote d’Ivoire  in the WAFU-B final as they push for continental glory after they have both secured  tickets to the next  Africa U-17 Cup of Nations.

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    Narteh further stressed that Ghana’s approach the final completely different from  the group stage, where they were  previously beaten by the Baby Elephants

    He said:  “It will be a different Ghana — our structure, our mentality, our character, everything will be different,” he said. “We know what to do, go back and prepare ourselves in terms of our mentality, our character, how we need to stay focused on the ball. Tactically, we also have to re-strategize to make sure that we meet them boot for boot.”

    Narteh, who manages Ghana Premier League giants Asante Kotoko and serves as assistant coach of Ghana’s CHAN team and is widely respected as a sports psychologist and educationist-attributes that have shaped his coaching philosophy and success at youth level.

  • Sodje, Akwuegbu write off Super Eagles’ 2026 World Cup chances

    Sodje, Akwuegbu write off Super Eagles’ 2026 World Cup chances

    By Daniel Oyekan

    Former Super Eagles stars, Samuel Sodje and Benedict Akwuegbu, have criticised Nigeria’s World Cup qualification campaign, insisting that the team does not merit a place on the global stage given the country’s poor football management and preparation.

    Speaking in separate interviews, both expressed frustration over Nigeria’s repeated struggles to qualify for the Mundial, blaming systemic issues rather than just players’ performances.

    Akwuegbu, a 2002 FIFA World Cup participant, was blunt in his assessment.

     “For me, I think the truth is to say whether we qualify or not, we don’t deserve to be at the World Cup,” he said in an interview on Brila Fm. “The football federation  is not properly run and unless things change, it will only get worse.”

    The former striker lamented Nigeria’s lack of planning and continuity in coaching, noting that managerial instability has derailed the team’s progress.

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     “We crossed the wrong line years ago and changing managers has only made things worse. Preparation has been poor, and it affects everyone,” he added.

    Sodje, who represented Nigeria as a defender, echoed similar concerns, stressing that administration and governance failures have put the Eagles at risk of missing another World Cup.

     “I don’t think we deserve to be there, very clear,” Sodje remarked. “From day one, things have not been done properly. If you don’t put things right at the top, the players will always suffer.”

    Both men emphasized that football is about long-term planning, investment, and giving opportunities to young coaches, warning that Nigeria’s footballing future would remain bleak if urgent reforms are not carried out.

  • NBPL: Rivers Hoopers edge Lagos Legends to keep to round up Atlantic Conference 

    NBPL: Rivers Hoopers edge Lagos Legends to keep to round up Atlantic Conference 

    Reigning Nigeria Basketball Premier League (NBPL) champions Rivers Hoopers put up a performance underlined by resilience and character, as they overturned a 4-point deficit at halftime to beat Lagos Legends 89-70 in the final game of the Atlantic Conference Phase Two. 

    In what was essentially a battle for pride and supremacy, it was Lagos Legends who scored the game’s first points as they opened up an early lead that stretched to nine points at 26-17 by the end of the first quarter, which was characterised by near misses for the KingsMen. 

    The KingsMen improved in their shot accuracy during the second quarter, as vice-captain Buchi Nwaiwu and Victor Sunday combined for fourteen points to cut the deficit to four points with the halftime score at 47-43. 

    The halftime break offered Rivers Hoopers Head Coach Ogoh Odaudu the opportunity to make tactical tweaks, reinforcing how the team contained their opponents. 

    “The first thing that I spoke about in the huddle today was transition defense, the need to get back on time quickly. We didn’t do that well. When we corrected it later on, the game changed [in our favour], but in the first half they killed us on the transition offense. “It’s something that we’re definitely going to work on going forward,” he revealed. 

    The KingsMen responded positively to Odaudu’s halftime instructions and, buoyed by the vociferous crowd, came out with much verve in the third. 

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    Samuel Sani showed outstanding industry, scoring big points along with vital rebounds. But it was John Idoga who got the crowd rocking with a game-tying shot from deep to level the score at 61-61, before Abdul Malik sent the arena into a frenzy with the last sequence of the third quarter, sinking one free throw followed by a brilliant layup to hand the hosts the lead for the first time with the score at 64-61. 

    From that moment on, it was one-way traffic as Malik’s energy inspired the team to an outstanding performance in the fourth quarter, during which they restricted their opponents to just nine (9) points while scoring twenty-five (25) to close out the game at 89-70. 

    Speaking after the game, Odaudu could not hide his admiration for his standout performers. 

    “I am very proud of both of them, Malik and especially Favour [Komene]. They changed the tempo and the dynamic of the game. They are my two MVPs for today’s game. These are people who hadn’t seen major minutes in all the games, but they stepped up when it mattered most and helped us out. 

    He further said such mentality shown by Malik and Favour is what makes Rivers Hoopers formidable. 

    “That’s how it’s supposed to be. There’s no specific day, and there’s no particular person who is a hero on this team. Anybody can wake up any day and bail us out, and that’s what Milk did today,” he pointed out. 

    Buchi Nwaiwu alongside John Idoga, top-scored for the KingsMen with fifteen points, while Sani (14) and Victor Sunday (12) also hit double figures. 

    The result meant Rivers Hoopers completed Phase Two of the Atlantic Conference with a perfect record, much to the delight of the team’s gaffer, who also pointed out some areas for improvement. 

    “I’m happy that it was a clean sweep, but I’m also not happy with the way we played. It wasn’t entirely convincing. I don’t think the scoreline reflected the true situation of the game. We started off really badly with too many mistakes; we missed too many open baskets, so it’s something that we have to go back to the drawing board and work on. In all, I’m happy that we won, and we’ll move on from there.”

    Attention now shifts to Phase Three of the NBPL 2025 season which will see the top four teams from both Conferences gather for the Playoffs at a yet to be named venue. 

  • Mixed fortunes for British clubs as Villa win in Europa League

    Mixed fortunes for British clubs as Villa win in Europa League

    Aston Villa won 2-0 at Feyenoord in the Europa League on Thursday but Nottingham Forest lost at home to Danish side Midtjylland as Rangers and Celtic also suffered defeats.

    Emi Buendia curled in from 20 yards and John McGinn swept in a second goal in Rotterdam as Villa made a winning return to the scene of their 1982 European Cup triumph.

    Villa failed to win any of their first six games of the season but Unai Emery’s side have since reeled off three successive victories and are among seven teams on a maximum six points in the Europa League.

    Marco Bizot produced some key saves in the Villa goal after being thrust into the line-up as a late replacement for Emiliano Martinez, who reportedly injured his calf.

     “It has been difficult in the beginning of the season but we never lost the faith and hope,” Bizot told TNT Sports. “We still have the spirit, even when it was not that great at the beginning. Now, hopefully, we can keep this up.”

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    Forest paid the price for sloppy defending at set-pieces as Midtjylland won 3-2 at the City Ground to leave new manager Ange Postecoglou still searching for his first win.

    Defenders Ousmane Diao and Mads Bech scored either side of Dan Ndoye’s goal as Midtjylland punished Forest for failing to deal with a free-kick and a corner.

    Valdemar Andreasen netted the decisive goal two minutes from time as Chris Wood pulled one back for Forest from the spot in stoppage time.

     “Really disappointing. Just really, really poor goals we conceded in the first half,” said Postecoglou.

     “Story of our last few games – key moments let us down.”

    Forest are playing in Europe for the first time in 30 years and have just one point so far after a 2-2 draw away to Real Betis in their opening fixture.

    Rangers’ miserable start to the season under beleaguered manager Russell Martin continued as they lost 2-1 away to Austrian side Sturm Graz.

    Tomi Horvat gave the hosts an early lead and Otar Kiteishvili doubled it as Rangers completely switched off and conceded from a free-kick.

    Djeidi Gassama halved the deficit but it was another dismal night for Rangers, who remain without a point in Europe.

     “You can’t start that poorly,” said Martin. “The mentality is the problem.”

    Their humiliating 9-1 aggregate thrashing in Champions League qualifying by Club Brugge was followed by a tame 1-0 home loss to Genk in their Europa League opener.

    Rangers are also struggling badly in Scotland where they are eighth in the 12-team table.

     “It’s an interesting time (to be Rangers manager), it’s a frustrating time,” added Martin.

    Celtic slumped to a 2-0 loss at home to Braga and are just a point better off than their Glasgow rivals in the Europa League.

    The Scottish champions fell behind at Parkhead to a dipping long-range strike from Ricardo Horta that beat goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel far too easily.

    Kelechi Iheanacho had an equaliser controversially ruled out early in the second half after a VAR review for a supposed handball.

    But Celtic’s hopes of salvaging a result were dashed when substitute Gabri Martinez scored a scrappy late second goal for the Portuguese visitors.

    Celtic have failed to score in five of their 12 games in all competitions this season, which included a pair of goalless draws against Kairat Almaty in the Champions League play-offs.

    The Kazakh side won that tie on penalties to condemn Celtic to a place in the Europa League.

     “Whatever it is, I need to find the solution to it,” said Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers.

     “There’s been too many games now where we haven’t scored for a team that, last season, scored the most goals in the last 54 years in the club’s history.

     “It’s my responsibility to find the solutions to that.”

    Porto, Lyon and Lille all won to maintain their perfect starts, while Basel, Real Betis and Fenerbahce bounced back from opening losses.