The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sports

  • Heavily-fined Ibom Angels  to play  three home matches behind closed doors

    Heavily-fined Ibom Angels  to play  three home matches behind closed doors

    The Nigeria Women’s Football League (NWFL) has come down hard on Ibom Angels FC, imposing a ₦2.5 million fine and ordering the club to play their next three home matches behind closed doors following violent crowd disturbances in Uyo.

    The sanctions stem from the NWFL Premiership Matchday 5 fixture against Bayelsa Queens, played on Wednesday, 7 January 2026, at the Uyo Township Stadium. 

    According to match officials’ reports and video evidence reviewed by the league, supporters of Ibom Angels invaded the pitch and assaulted players and officials of Bayelsa Queens.

    In a disciplinary ruling issued on Thursday, 8 January, the NWFL described the incident as a grave breach of its regulations and a direct threat to the safety of participants. The league cited multiple violations, including assault, intimidation and conduct capable of bringing the women’s league into disrepute.

    Read Also: Osimhen-Lookman Row: NFF  dismisses ruckus in Super  Eagles’ camp

    Ibom Angels were fined ₦1.5 million for contravening Article 26.1 of the NWFL regulations, which covers assault and offensive conduct, while an additional ₦1 million was imposed for failing to provide adequate security and for actions that damaged the image of the league.

    Beyond the financial penalty, the Akwa Ibom-based side has been ordered to play their next three home fixtures behind closed doors under Article 16.4 of the regulations. The affected matches are against Ekiti Queens, Edo Queens and Naija Ratels, scheduled between January and February.

    Reacting to the decision, NWFL Chief Operating Officer, Modupe Shabi, reaffirmed the league’s zero-tolerance stance on violence. She stressed that the safety of players, officials and match personnel remains non-negotiable, warning that repeat offences could lead to harsher punishments, including extended venue bans or further disciplinary action.

  • Algeria apologise after player mocks Congolese super fan

    Algeria apologise after player mocks Congolese super fan

    Algeria‘s football federation has apologised to a Congolese super fan who has become one of the stars of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) being held in Morocco.

    Michel Nkuka Mboladinga has supported the Democratic Republic of Congo by dressing up as the country’s revered first leader Patrice Lumumba and remaining stock-still throughout every match.

    He stood on a pedestal with his right arm raised – just like Lumumba’s famous statue in DR Congo’s capital, Kinshasa – as fans around him cheered.

    But after Algeria beat the Leopards on Tuesday, Algerian player Mohamed Amine Amoura faced a backlash for mimicking Mboladinga and falling to the ground as though the statue had been knocked over.

    This prompted the 25-year-old forward to post an apology on Instagram, saying his gesture was not intended to disrespect DR Congo.

    The Desert Foxes had looked like they were heading to penalties before Adil Boulbina scored in the 119th minute, securing a place in the quarter-finals where they face Nigeria on Saturday.

    “At that moment, I wasn’t aware of what the person or symbol in the stands represented. I simply wanted to joke around, in a good-natured way, without any ill intent or desire to provoke anyone,” said Amoura, who also plays for German team Wolfsburg.

    Lumumba is not only seen as a hero in DR Congo, where he was assassinated in 1961 in a plot backed by Belgium, the UK and the US, but is also regarded as one of the most prominent voices in Africa’s anti-colonial movement.

    Read Also: AFCON 2025: CBN handling direct payment of Super Eagles’ allowances-NFF

    Michel Nkuka Mboladinga dressed as Patrice Lumumba in a blue suit jacket and red trousers with his hand raised in the middle of Congolese fans in a stadium in Rabat.

    After the final whistle on Tuesday at Rabat’s Moulay Hassan Stadium, which saw the Leopards knocked out of the tournament, Mboladinga – who with his hairstyle and glasses looks remarkably like Lumumba – was visibly distraught.

    He removed his glasses to wipe away some tears, slowly got down from his makeshift plinth and leant against it with his head in his hands.

    The Algerian Football Association (FAF) reached out to Mboladinga following Amoura’s contrite statement and invited him to the hotel where the North African team are staying in Rabat to meet the players.

    The super fan was not able to get to Morocco’s capital so FAF’s media officer Saïd Fellak travelled to Casablanca’s Novotel Hotel to see him and other Congolese supporters on Wednesday evening.

    There Fellak presented Mboladinga with his own Desert Foxes jersey with the name “Lumumba” printed on the back.

    Videos and photos of the entente cordiale, also attended by Congolese Sports Minister Didier Budimbu, were captured by Congolese fans, showing Mboladinga next to Fellak with his new football shirt.

  • AFCON 2025: Mali’s mental approach key to upsetting Senegal

    AFCON 2025: Mali’s mental approach key to upsetting Senegal

    Mali overcame heavy odds and had to dig deep to reach the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals and will need the same mental strength against heavily fancied Senegal today.

    Mali were down to 10 men after defender Woyo Coulibaly was sent off in the 26th  minute of last Saturday’s round-of-16 tie against Tunisia in Casablanca but held out to force a 1-1 draw after extra time and advance on penalties.

     “Against Tunisia we needed to show strong mentality as it was 10 against 11,” said Serie A-based midfielder Lassana Coulibaly at the pre-match press conference. “We will need the same mentality against Senegal. We want to progress and we feel we have nothing to lose. We are not the favourites but with our mental, physical strength we feel we can win.”

    Senegal are the second-ranked team in Africa and, with 10 goals scored in the tournament, they look strong candidates to advance into next week’s semi-finals.

    Read Also: AFCON 2025: CBN handling direct payment of Super Eagles’ allowances-NFF

    “The eight teams who have qualified for the quarters are all the big footballing countries in Africa but I think we are playing the best,” added Mali coach Tom Saintfiet.

    “The only team they’ve lost to over the last years was Brazil, they even beat England. It’s a stable team but also very strong who score easily, who don’t give up much and are very dangerous.

    “But we are also a good team. We haven’t lost at this tournament, and we played well against Morocco and Tunisia, two countries who qualified for the World Cup,” the Belgian-born coach said.

    Mali are, however, also through to the last eight without winning a game. They drew their three group games and then needed penalties against Tunisia in the first knockout round.

    “We haven’t created a lot of goal-scoring opportunities, but we’ve played with discipline and we won’t be changing much around our approach. We’ve got players with good ability and a very good mentality,” Saintfiet said.

    Mali are the only country in the last eight without previous Cup of Nations success. They were runners-up in 1972 and have been semi-finalists five times since.

  • EPL: Arsenal go six points clear after goalless draw with Liverpool

    EPL: Arsenal go six points clear after goalless draw with Liverpool

    Arsenal missed a chance to move eight points clear at the top of the Premier League as they were held to a frustrating goalless draw by Liverpool.

    The Gunners, who had won their five previous Premier League matches, came into the match with a golden opportunity after title rivals Manchester City and Aston Villa both drew on Wednesday.

    Last season’s champions Liverpool, who came into the game on a nine-match unbeaten run in all competitions, were without Hugo Ekitike which meant Arne Slot was forced to name a starting line-up without a recognised striker.

    The Gunners dominated the opening 45 minutes, but it was Liverpool who had the best chance when Conor Bradley seized on a mix-up between David Raya and William Saliba and sent a chipped effort against the crossbar.

    Arsenal fired a number of crosses into the box but there was nobody on hand to apply a finishing touch.

    Liverpool were then the better team in the second half and looked more of a threat going forward, but neither side could find a way to take the three points.

    Home substitute Gabriel Martinelli angered Liverpool in stoppage time, sparking a melee when he crudely attempted to push Bradley off the pitch after the defender went down close to the touchline with a painful knee injury.

    Martinelli was booked after the incident and Bradley was taken away on a stretcher with hands over his face.

    The result means Arsenal stay top, now six points ahead of their closest rivals, while Liverpool remain fourth.

    BBC SPORTS

  • Real Madrid beat Atletico to reach Spanish Super Cup final

    Real Madrid beat Atletico to reach Spanish Super Cup final

    Federico Valverde scored a stunning early free-kick as Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid to set up a Clasico meeting with Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final.

    Rodrygo doubled Real’s lead in the 55th minute before Alexander Sorloth pulled a goal back for Atletico, but it was the 13-time Super Cup winners who prevailed to reach Sunday’s final (19:00 GMT).

    Thursday’s semi-final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was only 77 seconds old when Los Blancos captain Valverde sent a 30-yard free-kick fizzing past Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak into the top corner.

    Rodrygo doubled Real’s lead 10 minutes into the second half with a cute finish past Oblak, though his excellent first touch to control a Valverde pass before accelerating away from defender Robin Le Normand was the highlight.

    Sorloth rose above Raul Asencio at the back post to head home and halve the deficit with more than half an hour still to play, but that was the only one of Atletico’s 22 attempts to be converted.

    The Norwegian striker somehow headed wide late in the first half when Conor Gallagher found him with an inch-perfect delivery, before Julian Alvarez – goalless in his last eight La Liga outings – snatched a shot wide deep into second-half injury-time.

    Xabi Alonso’s side – without the injured Kylian Mbappe – had to sweat for the win.

    Rodrygo and Vincius Junior – the latter without a goal in 16 games – had opportunities to score in both halves, but Los Blancos were holding on by the end.

    Their reward for doing so is the chance to win the second Clasico of the season, after they defeated Barcelona 2-1 at the Bernabeu in October.

    Hansi Flick’s side reached the final by thrashing Athletic Club 5-0 in the first semi-final on Wednesday.

    The Spanish Super Cup is taking place in Jeddah after Saudi Arabia and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) extended a deal to play the tournament in the country until 2029.

    BBC SPORTS

  • Why Super Eagles’ bonus was delayed at AFCON 2025 – NSC chairman

    Why Super Eagles’ bonus was delayed at AFCON 2025 – NSC chairman

    The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, has attributed the delay in the payment of bonuses to the Super Eagles at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations to bureaucratic bottlenecks.

    Dikko spoke on Thursday after reports emerged that players of the Nigeria threatened to boycott their AFCON quarter-final clash against Algeria over unpaid bonuses.

    According to the NSC chairman, the funds have already been approved and released, but are still undergoing due process.

    “The money has been released and is being processed,” Dikko said during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.

    Read Also: Akinsanmiro misses Super Eagles training ahead Algeria clash

    He added: “The NFF, the Sports Commission, the Presidency, the Minister of Finance, and the CBN are all involved. Fundamentally, the money for this AFCON is approved and being processed through the right channels. It’s a matter of timing.”

    He stressed that approval of funds does not automatically translate into immediate disbursement, explaining that multiple government institutions are involved in the process.

    “Let me give you the timelines of how these issues work. First and foremost, I must tell you that Mr President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, duly approved the special budget for the AFCON as far back as November 14, 2025,” Dikko said.

    “But approving the money is different from getting the money out. It takes time for the funds to be processed through the Ministry of Finance, the Office of the Accountant-General, and the Central Bank of Nigeria.”

  • Akinsanmiro misses Super Eagles training ahead Algeria clash

    Akinsanmiro misses Super Eagles training ahead Algeria clash

    Ebenezer Akinsanmiro was absent as the Super Eagles began preparations for their Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final showdown against Algeria.

    The midfielder, on loan at Pisa from Inter Milan, is reportedly slightly under the weather and did not take part in the team’s recovery session.

    However, the situation is understood to be minor, with the former Beyond Limits player expected to recover in time for Nigeria’s next fixture.

    Read Also: Another  bonus row threatens Super Eagles’ AFCON campaign

    The 21-year-old is yet to make his debut for the Nigeria at the tournament in Morocco.

    Nigeria will face the Desert Foxes of Algeria at the Marrakech Stadium on Saturday, with the highly anticipated quarter-final scheduled to kick off at 5pm Nigeria time.

  • Another  bonus row threatens Super Eagles’ AFCON campaign

    Another  bonus row threatens Super Eagles’ AFCON campaign

    • Players boycott training sessions
    • May not travel to Marrakech today

    The Super Eagles of Nigeria are reportedly yet to receive their match win bonuses for four games played at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), raising concerns behind the scenes ahead of their Saturday’s quarter final tie with the Fennecs of Algeria.

    The development comes at a crucial stage of the tournament, where focus and unity are vital as Nigeria pushes deeper into the competition after they smashed the Mambas of Mozambique 4-0 on Monday in Fez.

     A correspondent  with the British Broadcasting Corporation(BBC), Oluwashina Okeleji , claimed the unpaid bonuses affect both the players and members of the coaching crew.

    While the exact financial figures were not disclosed, the delay is understood to involve standard match incentives agreed upon before the commencement of the tournament, covering four victories so far at AFCON 2025.

    Read Also: EPL: Wilson stuns Chelsea as Fulham claim 2-1 win under Rosenior

    Despite the unresolved financial issue, the Super Eagles squad has remained professional and committed to their national duty. Sources close to the team indicated that the players have continued to show discipline and togetherness, prioritising Nigeria’s quest for continental glory over off-field distractions.

    But according to Okeleji,  the situation could take a more serious turn if the issue is not resolved promptly as the team will not train or travel to Marrakech today.

    Okeleji  stated on X (formerly Twitter):“Players and coaching staff of #Nigeria are waiting on #AFCON2025 bonus payments. Win bonuses from four matches – vs. Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda & Mozambique – have yet to be received. Squad remain focus but will NOT train or travel to Marrakech on Thursday if this isn’t resolved”

    This is the second strike in three months. In the last international break in November 2025, the players also went on strike before their crucial World Cup playoffs against Gabon but the matter was settled within 24 hours.

    Ironically, the authorities recently  unveiled  an improved  bonus package to motivate the team toward continental glory.

    Each player  is expected  to earn $30,000 for qualifying from the group stage with maximum points and an additional $12,500 following the emphatic 4-0 win over Mozambique in the Round of 16.

    Further bonuses await, including $15,000 for a quarterfinal victory over Algeria, $17,500 for winning the semifinal, and $20,000 for lifting the trophy.

  • Chelle, Lookman exalt ‘energetic’ Adams on AFCON  feat

    Chelle, Lookman exalt ‘energetic’ Adams on AFCON  feat

    Coach Eric Sekou Chelle and striker Ademola Lookman have both praised the impactful performances of new Super Eagles forward Akor Jerome Adams at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco. The 25-year-old Sevilla striker, making his AFCON debut, scored his first goal in the tournament during Nigeria’s emphatic 4-0 win over Mozambique in the Round of 16.

    This marked Akor’s fourth appearance in the competition, and both Chelle and Lookman highlighted his significant contribution to Nigeria’s journey to the quarter-finals.

    Read Also: EPL: Man Utd draw 2-2 with Burnley as Sesko shines with double

    Lookman told ESPN:  “Akor’s a very, very strong player. He brings different qualities to the other attackers. Obviously, his game understanding is there, he understands that sometimes he drops and sometimes he plays. He’s not just a number nine, but he pins defenders back, holds the ball up, there are different elements to his game. As long as he continues to perform like that, he will continue growing and growing, and will get better and better.”

    Coach Chelle emphasized Akor’s tactical versatility and teamwork:  “[Akor’s] a player who brings a lot of movement on the pitch, he brings a lot. He’s a player with many qualities, to play with others, to make them shine, and he has amazing physical capacity, it’s very impressive. I’m very happy with him, and with all of the players in the group. We’re crafting a group here, and it’s the group that makes the difference. The goals we score come from collective moments. It’s not one player who beats 10 players with a dribble and scores, these collective moves are what makes the team shine. I’m very happy with him, but it’s just one match, and we must focus on the next one.”

    Akor first impressed with Nigeria’s U-20 team at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup. However, injuries delayed his senior call-up until October 2025 when Chelle handed him his debut during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin, scoring as a substitute against Lesotho.

    Chelle, who previously coached the Mali national team, has been following Akor’s development since his days at Montpellier, where he played alongside some Malian players.

    With such praise and confidence from both coach and teammates, the energetic forward looks set to be a key asset as the Super Eagles pursue their fourth AFCON title in Morocco 2025.

  • Bayern pass over interest on  Osimhen

    Bayern pass over interest on  Osimhen

    Bayern Munich have reportedly cooled their interest in Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, insisting there is no urgency to strengthen their centre-forward position.

    According to Bild, Bayern sporting director Max Eberl clarified that Osimhen would only become a serious option if Harry Kane were to consider leaving the club at the end of the season.

    Read Also: EPL: Wilson stuns Chelsea as Fulham claim 2-1 win under Rosenior

    Such a scenario appears unlikely, with Kane reportedly opting not to activate his €65 million release clause. While Bayern continue to monitor the market for long-term planning, their immediate focus remains on securing reliable backup options rather than pursuing Osimhen.

    The Nigerian forward, currently representing his country at AFCON in Morocco, is under contract with Galatasaray until 2029 and valued at approximately €75 million.