The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sports

  • NYG: Okpebholo rewards Team Edo with N10m

    NYG: Okpebholo rewards Team Edo with N10m

    Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has rewarded Team Edo with the sum of N10 million for their impressive outing at the 9th National Youth Games held in Asaba, Delta State.

    Team Edo secured third place with a total of 79 medals, comprising 33 gold, 18 silver, and 28 bronze.

    Announcing the reward while receiving the athletes at the Government House in Benin City, Governor Okpebholo commended their resilience, commitment, and dedication, noting that their performance brought pride and honour to the state.

    He encouraged the athletes to stay focused and remain determined to achieve even greater success in future competitions.

    READ ALSO: Nigeria @ 65: Wike hails Tinubu’s progress, urges Nigerians to embrace peace, unity

     “I congratulate our team for putting in their best and securing third position with 33 gold, 18 silver, and 28 bronze medals. This is an impressive achievement, but I challenge you to do more and put in your best to claim first position in the next edition. Edo deserves first place, and with commitment and discipline, we will get there.

    “The state government will continue to support you, but I want to see stronger dedication and more commitment in the coming years. For your efforts, I am pleased to reward you with the sum of ₦10 million. I believe with harder training, greater victories await Edo.”

    Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Mr. Amadin Desmond Enabulele, thanked Governor Okpebholo for his support of sports development and stressed that the administration’s prioritization of athletes’ welfare was a decisive factor in the team’s improved performance.

    He presented the second runner-up trophy to the Governor and assured that continued government support would enable the athletes to surpass their current achievement and position.

    According to him, “We thank His Excellency for providing the enabling environment for sports to thrive. For the first time, Team Edo returned with 33 gold, 18 silver, and 28 bronze medals, an unprecedented feat in the history of our participation in the National Youth Games. The motivation came from the Governor’s commitment to the well-being of our athletes.”

  • Osimhen’s solitary winner stops Liverpool in Istanbul

    Osimhen’s solitary winner stops Liverpool in Istanbul

    Victor Osimhen last night scored the winner as  Liverpool slumped to a shock 1-0 Champions League defeat to Galatasaray as the Nigeria  International’s  16th-minute penalty handed the Turkish giants victory.

    The English champions were punished for the latest in a series of poor performances in Istanbul as they suffered back-to-back defeats for only the second time under Arne Slot.

    Liverpool were beaten for the first time this season at Crystal Palace on Saturday, but a series of late winners have masked an unconvincing start since a summer transformation of the squad that strolled to the Premier League title last season.

    Slot responded by leaving Mohamed Salah and £125 million ($168 million) signing Alexander Isak on the bench among four changes.

    Read Also: UCL: Lookman returns with start as Atalanta beat Brugge 2-1

    The Dutchman was scathing in his assessment of Liverpool’s first-half performance at Palace as only Alisson Becker prevented an embarrassing half-time score.

    However, Slot got little in the way of a response in another disjointed display from his array of star names.

    Galatasaray had been thrashed 5-1 at Eintracht Frankfurt to start their Champions League campaign.

    The Turkish champions are a far more formidable force on home soil, though, and made the most of Liverpool’s defensive deficiencies.

    Slot’s decision to play midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back backfired.

    Baris Alper Yilmaz gave the visitors a warning of the threat down Galatasaray’s left when he failed to beat Alisson when one-on-one with the Brazilian.

    Liverpool should have led just seconds before they fell behind.

    Hugo Ekitike was denied by Ugurcan Cakir as he tried to round the goalkeeper and Ismail Jakobs cleared Cody Gakpo’s follow-up effort off the line.

    Galatasaray swiftly broke upfield and Yilmaz was awarded a soft penalty for a stray Szoboszlai arm into the Turkish international’s face.

    Osimhen had previously seen a Champions League penalty saved by Alisson, but this time converted the resulting spot-kick.

    Florian Wirtz has struggled badly to deliver on his £100 million price tag and is still waiting for his first Liverpool goal after his effort was turned behind by Cakir, while Ibrahima Konate headed just off target from a corner before half-time.

    Konate’s poor form has been a major factor in the Reds’ defensive issues at the start of the season and the Frenchman nearly cost his side a second goal early in the second half.

    Alisson saved his teammate’s blushes with another save from Osimhen but at a cost as the Liverpool number one suffered an injury sprinting off his line and had to be replaced by Giorgi Mamardashvili.

    Slot introduced Salah and Isak on the hour mark, but Liverpool were still an impotent attacking force.

    Isak fired tamely into the arms of Cakir with his first touch.

    The closest the visitors came to a response was when French referee Clement Turpin initially pointed to the spot by a foul on Konate, but overturned his decision after a VAR review.

    UCL: Yesterday’s Results

    Atalanta 2-1 Brugge

    Kairat 0-5 Madrid

    Atletico 5 –1 Frankfurt

    Bodø / Glimt 2-2 Tottenham

    Chelsea 1 -0 Benfica

    Galatasaray 1-0 Liverpool

    Inter 3-0 Slavia Prague

    Marseille 4 -0 Ajax

    Pafos 1-5 Bayern

  • Atalanta 2-1 Brugge: Lookman makes impressive first start in Champions League win

    Atalanta 2-1 Brugge: Lookman makes impressive first start in Champions League win

    In only his first start for Atalanta  in the on-going campaign, Ademola Lookman had an impressive performance as La Dea beat Club Brugge , 2-1.

    Atalanta had to come from behind through Lazar Samardzic and Mario Pasalic to claim their first Champions League victory of the season over the Belgian side  at the New Balance Arena last night.

    There was no Isak Hien, Giorgio Scalvini or Sead Kolasinac in defence for La Dea, nor Charles De Ketelaere, Gianluca Scamacca or Nicola Zalewski further up the pitch.

    That, however, meant that Ademola Lookman was called into the starting line-up for the first time this season, following his attempts to leave the club over the course of the summer transfer window. There was also a first start of the campaign for Brazilian midfielder, Ederson.

    Atalanta threatened early on through Lorenzo Bernasconi, who thundered a fierce volley just wide of the target from 25 yards out after less than four minutes.

    Ederson, Lookman and Mario Pasalic all tried their best to get Atalanta ahead, but it was the visitors who would claim the first-half lead.

    Read Also: UCL: Osimhen scores as Galatasaray shock Liverpool 1-0

    Atalanta had to wait until the final 20 minutes to find the equaliser. Nordin Jackers did brilliantly to stop Musah while charging into the area, but the Brugge goalkeeper overcommitted and brought down Mario Pasalic on the follow-up.

    Samardzic stepped up to convert the penalty just inside the right post to level for Atalanta with what was his first competitive goal this calendar year.

    Then, with three minutes of regular time remaining, Pasalic stole the lead with a well-placed header from Samardzic’s corner delivery, sending the New Balance Arena into a frenzy.

    Atalanta, who had been eliminated by Club Brugge in the Champions League play-off round last season, are now off the mark with their first victory in Europe this season.

    Incidentally before the game, Atalanta coach Ivan Juric said he called on Lookman  and Emerson in the starting line-up for the  match because they are  ‘excellent athletes’.

     “They’re quality players. They’ve been training with us for a while, I think that today is a good opportunity for them to start playing in matches,” Juric told Sky Sport Italia about the return of Lookman and Ederson to the starting line-up. “They’re two excellent athletes, we’ll see how they get on during the game.”

  • Hat trick hero Gift Monday named USWL Player of the Week

    Hat trick hero Gift Monday named USWL Player of the Week

    Super Falcons’ forward Gift Monday has been crowned as  the Player of Matchday 22 of the United States Women’s League (USWL) following her sensational hat-trick for Washington Spirit.

    The 23-year-old received the highest number of votes in a poll conducted on X (formerly Twitter) , securing 50 percent of the 881 votes cast. She comfortably outpolled Gotham FC’s Rose Lavelle (35 percent), Utah Royals’ Mia Justus (8 percent), and Kansas City’s Bia Zaneratto (7 percent).

    It has been a week to remember for the Nigerian international. In addition to the Player of the Week accolade, she was also named in the USWL Team of Matchday 22, further underlining her growing influence in the league.

    Read Also: UCL: Lookman returns with start as Atalanta beat Brugge 2-1

    Monday’s treble not only powered Washington Spirit to victory but also boosted her tally for the season to eight goals and two assists in 19 matches. The former FC Robo Queens and Tenerife striker is now firmly in the race for the Golden Boot, sitting fourth on the charts.

    She trails Kansas City’s Temwa Chawinga, who leads with 14 goals, Gotham FC’s Esther Gonzalez (13 goals), and Chicago Stars’ Ludmila da Silva (10 goals).

    Having only joined Washington Spirit at the start of the campaign, Monday has quickly established herself as one of the USWL’s most dangerous forwards. Her form will also be a huge boost for Nigeria as they prepare for upcoming international assignments.

  • World Cup 26: Lawal dares Eagles to win remaining games amid S/Africa sanction

    World Cup 26: Lawal dares Eagles to win remaining games amid S/Africa sanction

    • By Victor Oguntade

     Former Nigerian international, Dimeji Lawal, has cautioned the Super Eagles not to get carried away by FIFA’s sanction against South Africa, stressing that the real challenge lies in their capability  to win  their remaining qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin.

    The world soccer ruling body, FIFA,  on Monday docked South Africa three points and overturned their  previous 2-0 victory over Lesotho after fielding ineligible midfielder Teboho Mokoena in a preliminary qualifier on March 21, 2025. The disciplinary ruling awarded Lesotho a 3-0 win, while South Africa was fined CHF 10,000. Mokoena also received a formal warning from football’s governing body.

    Read Also: UCL: Osimhen scores as Galatasaray shock Liverpool 1-0

    Speaking on the development, Lawal acknowledged the significance of the ruling but insisted that Nigeria’s qualification hopes depend on the Super Eagles’ performances in their last two fixtures.

    “I don’t get excited about the sanction of South Africa  because one thing is to get three points taken away from South Africa. Another thing is for us to be able to win our remaining games,” Lawal posited. “The bottom line is: can we win the last two games?

    “That’s the question and this is the crucial part of it. I’m not so excited about removing South Africa’s points. What I am looking forward to is how we can prepare ourselves in a manner that we can  win the next two games.”

    Lawal, who represented Nigeria at both youth and senior levels before moving abroad to play in Spain, Belgium, and South Africa, emphasized that FIFA’s decision was expected given their long-standing stance on player eligibility.

    “They won’t bend their rules at that level. They will not like to undermine their own regulations. So for sure when South Africa made that mistake, I knew they were going to forfeit the three points and three goals,” he added.

  • Jimoh, Afolayan  win big at Lekki Scrabble Classics

    Jimoh, Afolayan  win big at Lekki Scrabble Classics

    A new winner of the Lekki Scrabble Classics has emerged as Abdulmumin Jimoh strode through the field to clinch the one million naira cash prize and a trophy in the Premier Division while Bukunmi Afolayan picked the Championship title at the end of the two-day championship over the weekend.

    Both winners engraved their names on their respective trophies in Round 17 with a game to spare.

    Jimoh sustained his push for the title and averted the ‘Day One Champion’ curse where a leader fails to continue his run as he maintained his focus and confidence on Table One where he played mostly.

    He ramped up the title with 14 wins, 4 defeats and +1569 ahead of John Ayedun (12-6, +820), David Ojih (12-6, +475), Larry Etuwa ( (12-6, +421) and Khaleel Adedeji ( (12-6, +217) in the top five

    His devastating form in recent times has propelled him to top podium finish at the Bubble International Scrabble Tournament and the National Sports Festival where he represented Ogun State.

    He said: “I’m quite excited with this victory at Lekki Scrabble Classics 2025. It was a tough tournament but hard work and continuous training played a key role.I want to appreciate Cyril Umebiye who is my best captain ever and the Ogun State Scrabble family.

    Read Also: UCL: Lookman returns with start as Atalanta beat Brugge 2-1

    “This tournament is one of the toughest having to compete with players from different countries. I commend Lekki Scrabble Club for giving us one of the best tournaments in Africa.”

    Rave of the moment and Best World Best Youth Female Player Sophia Ekeruche rattled the Championship Division with her dexterity on the board but the more experienced Bukunmi Afolayan halted her run as she finished second with 13½ points and a +1239 cumulative points.

    The Ogun State based Amazon claimed the coveted title with 16 wins and +1357.

    One of the highlights of the tournament was the strong proposition presented by the youth players who created some buzz and unsettled the older players.

    Lekki Scrabble Club President Samuel Anikoh in his closing remarks commended every participants as well as all sponsors on the successful conclusion of the tournament.

    He stated that the Club’s direction is focused on developing the sport at the school level just like the way it supported some youth who have been successful at world level.

    Various deserving players were presented with cash prizes and plaques at the colourful closing ceremony.

    Players from Ghana, Uganda and United Kingdom participated at the annual scrabble showpiece.

  • Ikoyi Club 1938 rolls out carpet for  87th anniversary

    Ikoyi Club 1938 rolls out carpet for  87th anniversary

    Nigeria’s foremost socio-cultural sports club, Ikoyi Club 1938 has rolled out the drums in celebration of its 87th anniversary.

    Disclosing this at a pre anniversary Press briefing in Lagos on Monday, Vice Chairman of the Club, who also doubles as Chairman, Organising Committee of the 87th  anniversary celebration, Bolaji Martins,  said that the anniversary celebration which commenced with an official press briefing will run through Monday September 29th to Sunday October 5th, 2025.

    According to him, part of the celebrations will include Staff Engagement and Anniversary Symposium/Business evening on Tuesday, September 30th . This will be followed by junior member’s party on Wednesday before a glamorous evening of fashion, music, dance and more for Ladies in the evening.

    Read Also: UCL: Osimhen scores as Galatasaray shock Liverpool 1-0

    Thursday, September 2nd  has been dedicated to the elders while Digital Night, an exploration of the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the world will hold Thursday evening. 

    Aviation Day is slated for Friday before Millennial Vibes in the evening. Saturday, October 4th  will witness another bumper day with Health Walk in the morning, followed by International/Global Cultural Day and more. Saturday would be rounded off with Black Tie event in the evening.

    Sunday, October 5th is the anniversary grand finale and Gala night. Themed Heritage and Legacy; the anniversary emphasizes the club’s long history and enduring legacy as a symbol of prestige and excellence.

    Ikoyi Club was originally set up as European Club in 1938. Akinwumi Akintola is Ikoyi Club 1938 Chairman.

  • WAFU B U-17: Black Starlets  bundle  Golden Eaglets  out of World Cup

    WAFU B U-17: Black Starlets  bundle  Golden Eaglets  out of World Cup

    Five time FIFA U-17 World Cup record winners, the Golden Eaglets of Nigeria, have yet again missed the chance to qualify from the next  continental cadet showpiece (CAF U-17 AFCON) after they were upended 2-0 by Ghana’s Black Starlets in the decisive semi-final match at the ongoing WAFU B U-17 Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.

    The Black Starlets cored twice in the opening half of the game at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium to advance to the final stage of the tournament at the expense of their Golden Eaglets counterparts.

    Michael Awuli opened the scoring for Prosper Ogum’s side after just 21 minutes played, finishing off a nice move from the Starlets.

    Ten minutes later, Robinho Yao Gavi doubled the lead for the team with a brilliant strike from the 18-yard box to put Ghana in a comfortable situation.

    Read Also: UCL: Lookman returns with start as Atalanta beat Brugge 2-1

    The Black Starlets goalkeeper Solomon Kwame Kesse rescued his team on ew occasions that the  Nigerians threatened.

    With victory over Nigeria, the Black Starlets will now face Cote d’Ivoire in the final scheduled for Friday, October 3.

    Incidentally, both teams  had previously met in the group stage, with Ghana losing 0-3-0 to the Baby Elephants.

    Ghana’s appearance in the final also means they seal a slot at the next edition of the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations, returning to the continental tournament for the first time since 2017.

    The Golden Eaglets missed the 2025 U-17  AFCON  which serves as the qualifying tournament for the FIFA U17 World Cup and Tuesday’s loss to Ghana means Nigeria will miss out of the next African Championship as such no Mundial appearance .

  • Golden Eaglets’ quartet named in WAFU B U17 XI

    Golden Eaglets’ quartet named in WAFU B U17 XI

    Four players of the Golden Eaglets have been selected in the Group Stage’s   Best X1 at  the ongoing WAFU B U17 tournament by the competition’s Technical Study Group.

    Captain David Edeh leads the quartet along  with wing dynamite, Boluwatife Thompson, George Agha, the hat- trick hero against Benin Republic and defence marshal, Godwin Menyaga.

    Agha won the MVP award in the game against Benin Republic, Thompson repeated same feat in the game against Burkina- Faso.

    Read Also: UCL: Osimhen scores as Galatasaray shock Liverpool 1-0

    Yesterday night Nigeria filed out against the Black Starlets of Ghana with a place in the final and qualification for 2026 AFCON U17 tournament to be hosted by Morocco as a reward.

    Meanwhile, Cote d’Ivoire booked the first ticket to the grand finale following a 2-1 win over the defending champions, the Young Etalons   of Burkina- Faso in the first semi-final of the competition.

    The Golden Eaglets lost  2-0 to   Ghana’s Black  Starlets in the  second semi-final.

  • 2025 Veterans’ Tourney: Ogun backs All Stars Football Association

    2025 Veterans’ Tourney: Ogun backs All Stars Football Association

    Ogun state government has urged the All Stars Football Association Abeokuta to be true Ambassadors of the state and the southwest zone as they compete for honours at the 2025 National Veterans Football Tournament -Lagos 2025- which kick off on Independence Day.

    Speaking through the state’s Commissioner For Sports Development Honourable Wasiu Isiaka , the Muda Lawal Stadium Asero-based All Stars were assured of the government’s support as they strive to bring home the coveted trophy as national champions.

    Read Also: UCL: Lookman returns with start as Atalanta beat Brugge 2-1

    Similarly, NFF executive member and chairman of the Ogun state Football Association, Alhaji Ganiyu Majekodunmi, said the state FA is confident of the abilities and capabilities of the veterans to make the state proud in their maiden national appearance.

    The 2025 National Veterans Tournament holding in Lagos between October 1st and 5th will see eight qualifiers from six zones across the country competing for the coveted trophy.

    All Stars Football Association Abeokuta, the southwest zonal champions, are being joined by Ondo State and the hosts, Lagos, as the representatives of the south west.