Of the 28 players selected by head coach Eric Chelle for the ongoing tournament in Morocco, nine, including Ndidi, were part of the matchday squad that suffered a painful 1–0 defeat to the Eagles of Carthage in the Round of 16 at the 2019 AFCON.
Also involved in that encounter were Zaidu Sanusi, Samuel Chukwueze, Moses Simon, Francis Uzoho, Semi Ajayi, Chidozie Awaziem, Frank Onyeka and Alex Iwobi, all of whom are again included in the current squad.
Asked whether the defeat to Tunisia in 2019 had been discussed within the group and whether it added extra motivation going into Saturday’s match, Ndidi acknowledged the hurt of that loss but stressed that the situation is different now.
“It was a painful loss in 2019. But it gives us more confidence. When we talked about it, the guys were really, really prepared,” Ndidi said at the pre-match press conference.
“We don’t want to think about what happened; we just want to face this one because it is definitely a new team, with good players and a good group.
“So yes, we have spoken about it, and we actually talked about it earlier. Hopefully, it is not going to happen twice.”
Mohamed Salah’s penalty gave Egypt victory over South Africa as the seven-time champions survived playing the second half with 10 men to book a place in the knockout stage of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with a game to spare.
Having gone ahead through Salah’s contentiously-awarded spot kick in the 45th minute, the Pharaohs swiftly found themselves at a numerical disadvantage when right-back Mohamed Hany received a second booking during added time at the end of the first half.
Bafana Bafana made an attacking change at the break, replacing Thalente Mbatha with Sipho Mbule, but spent much of the second period struggling to find a way past goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy, whose side managed to retain a counter-attacking threat.
With his defence resolute in front of him, El Shenawy made a vital late save to hold Aubrey Modiba’s uclose-range shot set up by Burnley forward Lyle Foster’s clever backheel, and also dealt with Siyabonga Ngezana’s weak header deep into injury time.South Africa were denied a potential penalty for handball after the clock had ticked past 90 minutes, with Burundian referee Pacifique Ndabihawenimana going to look at the incident on the pitchside monitor.
Angola’s draw with Zimbabwe earlier on Thursday means that Egypt are guaranteed a place in the last 16, while Hugo Broos’ team are two points above the two Group B underdogs.
Angola and Zimbabwe have played out a 1–1 draw in their Group B encounter at the Stade de Marrakech this Friday, leaving both sides still searching for their first victory in the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025. In a competitive clash where both defences were tested, it was Angola who struck first, only for Zimbabwe to respond late in the first half to ensure the points were shared.
The breakthrough came in the 24th minute, when Angola opened the scoring through a well-worked move. Gelson Dala finished with composure, firing a right-footed shot into the bottom left corner after a precise through ball from Tó Carneiro split the Zimbabwe defence. The goal was a reward for Angola’s early pressure and attacking intent, sparking celebrations among their supporters.
Zimbabwe gradually grew into the game and were rewarded in first-half stoppage time. In the 45+6th minute, Knowledge Musona capitalised on a fast break, firing a composed right-footed finish from the right side of the box into the bottom left corner to level the scores, with Bill Antonio providing the decisive assist.
From the restart, Angola dominated possession and territory, creating multiple opportunities and keeping Zimbabwe under constant pressure. Despite their dominance, they were unable to find a winner, while Zimbabwe remained dangerous on the counter and created chances that could have seen them snatch a late victory. Even after four minutes of additional time, the score remained unchanged, and the match ended in a stalemate.
With the draw, both Angola and Zimbabwe remain without a win in AFCON 2025. Their hopes of progressing to the knockout stages now hinge on strong performances in their remaining group matches, as they look to build on this performance and secure vital points in the race for qualification.
2025 was quite exciting yet challenging for Nigerian sports. It was a blend of bitter losses and memorable victories, especially, in football, the most followed sport in the country. There were also unforgettable individual brilliances and disappointments. TAIWO ALIMI reports.
SWEET WINNERS
It is best to start with the parts that brought joy and smiles to our faces, and as it has been typical of Nigerian women in sports, they, again, light up Nigerian sports in 2025. Victories came from the Nigerian female football and basketball teams as they conquered Africa in an exhilarating manner.
The manner the wins came temporally overshadowed the moments of losses, making it a bittersweet year for the sports industry.
SUPER FALCONS
The women’s national team, the Super Falcons, arguably gave Nigerian sports fans the greatest joy in 2025, winning a record-extending 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title in Morocco.
They went to Morocco with one thing in mind: Mission X, a campaign to win Nigeria’s 10th WAFCON title. It was a mission accomplished in grand style, bringing joy to millions of Nigerian sports fans.
The sweet victory came in an extraordinarily manner with the Falcons staging an extraordinary second-half comeback to defeat hosts Morocco 3-2 and lift their 10th WAFCON crown in Rabat.
Trailing 2-0 at half-time in front of a partisan Moroccan crowd, the Super Falcons showed their pedigree and resilience, clawing their way back into the match with a display of clinical finishing and sheer determination to cement their statues as queens of African football.
Goals from Esther Okoronkwo, Folashade Ijamilusi, and a late winner by Joe Echegini overturned Morocco’s strong first-half lead, stunning the hosts, who were hoping to win their first-ever continental title on home soil.
The final had the ingredients of a classic: a host nation looking to crown a golden generation with history, and Africa’s most successful women’s side eager to reaffirm their dominance.
Happy Nigerians lap up the victory and went to town celebrating, something they had not done for a while.
D’TIGRESS
Just as Nigerians were relishing the Super Falcons’ historic feat, the women’s national basketball team, D’Tigress, had an astonishing run at the Women’s AfroBasket 2025, winning an unprecedented fifth consecutive title in Cote d’Ivoire and seventh in total.
The D’Tigress seemed inspired by the historic feat of the Super Falcons and went ahead to make their own history, making Nigerians even happier.
They also achieved a significant milestone in the latest FIBA Women’s World Rankings, climbing back into the world’s top 10 and landing in 8th place.
This historic jump, up three spots from their previous position, comes on the heels of their dominant performance at the FIBA Women’s Afrobasketball 2025, where they were crowned champions for the fifth consecutive time.
More than just continental glory, D’Tigress continued to break barriers for African basketball. They remain the only African team ever to feature in the global top 10, a testament to their consistency, talent, and growing influence on the world stage.
The D’Tigress started their campaign with a commanding 92–45 victory over Rwanda, followed by a 60–55 win against Mozambique. Nigeria then dispatched Cameroon 83–47 in a dominant quarter-final performance.
The D’Tigress fought hard to beat Senegal 75–68 to earn a final berth against Mali. Nigeria edged out Mali 78–64 in a tense showdown, displaying resilience and composure to claim their seventh AfroBasket title.
BITTER MEMORY
FIFA WORLD CUP
But if Nigerian sports fans had thought it was going to be an all-blissful year, they were mistaken. They were hit by the heavy blow of missing out on the biggest sporting event in the world — the FIFA World Cup — for the second consecutive time, having also missed out in 2022.
The most heartbreaking event in Nigerian sports in 2025 was the disastrous World Cup qualifying campaign by the Super Eagles, which ended in a 2–1 play-off defeat to DR Congo in November.
Nigeria had lost the sole automatic ticket in Group C to South Africa but managed to reach the African play-off after beating Benin 4–0 in the final group game in Uyo.
The Super Eagles beat Gabon 4–1 in the semi-final of the play-off to book a spot in the final against DR Congo. The game ended 1–1 after normal and extra time, but during penalties, the Leopards of DR Congo overpowered the Super Eagles 4–3 to claim Africa’s sole ticket to the intercontinental play-offs billed for March next year.
To make things worse for the Super Eagles, the Play-off was only achieved after FIFA canceled some games with Nigeria stealing into the play-off.
Even, after suffering defeat in the hands of DR Congo, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) began to toy with the idea disqualifying DR Congo for fielding ineligible players.
MORE HEARTACHE
Yet, more heartache followed with the failures of the national male and female football U-20 and U-17 teams in the competitions they participated in, as well as the failure of the men’s senior basketball team in the AfroBasket 2025, and the poor performance of Nigerian athletes at the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships.
Nigeria’s men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, only managed to secure fifth place at the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket, held in Angola from August 12 to 24.
In spite of the disappointments, some Nigerian athletes shown like million stars and they will do down in history as the lights in the darkness.
VICTOR OSIMHEN
Victor Osimhen made history as the first African to win GQ Türkiye’s Sportsman of the Year.
The Nigerian striker capped the year brilliantly with this award after delivering for club-Galatasaray of Turkey and for country.
The win is historic, making him the first African ever to take home a GQ Türkiye honour in any category.
The prestigious event, which celebrates cultural influencers and outstanding achievers across entertainment, fashion, arts and sport, highlighted the transformative impact Osimhen has had since joining Galatasaray — first on loan, and later permanently.
Osimhen performances in Turkey have been nothing short of sensational.
Last season, he recorded an extraordinary 37 goals and eight assists, powering Galatasaray to both the Super Lig title and the Turkish Cup. The feat places him in rare company; only two other footballers in the past decade — Wesley Sneijder and Mauro Icardi — have earned the same GQ Türkiye honour, both Galatasaray legends in their own right.
His brilliance has carried into the current season. With 11 goals in 14 matches, Osimhen remains central to Galatasaray push to retain their top-of-the-table status. His fierce work-rate, clinical finishing and commanding presence have cemented his reputation as one of the most influential foreign players in the history of Turkish football.
Osimhen also guided Nigeria to the FIFA World Cup Qualifier Africa Playoff scoring an impressive seven goals but were knocked out by DR Congo in the final.
All eyes were on Tobi Amusan to light up the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships, and she did not disappoint. It was one of Nigeria’s two medals at the global event.
Amusan won silver in the women’s 100m hurdles with a time of 12.29s in the final, winning her first global medal since the 2023 Diamond League final. She was narrowly beaten by Ditaji Kambundji (Switzerland), who set a national record of 12.24s for the gold.
EZEKIEL NATHANIEL
Nathaniel is another winner finishing with a bronze medal in 400m hurdles. The year 2025 was his breakthrough season, twice breaking the African indoor record in 400m hurdles.
In Tokyo, Nathaniel broke the Nigerian record in the men’s 400m hurdles final again, running 47.11s to win bronze. (his fourth place finish was upgraded to third), and made history as the first Nigerian male athlete in 38 years to reach the 400m hurdles final at the World Championships. In August of 2025, he had won bronze at the Diamond League Final.
KONYINSOLA AJAYI & ISREAL OKON
Ajayi and Okon reignited the Nigeria sparkle in 100m in 2025. Thanks to Ajayi (21), Nigeria returned to the men’s 100m final in Tokyo, although he finished sixth clocking 10.00s in a tense final. Ajayi became the first Nigerian to make the men’s 100m final in 18 years since Olusoji Fasuba in 2007. He finished sixth in the final, clocking 10.00s.
National champion, Okon didn’t make the final of the men’s 100m final in Tokyo, he, however, had an impressive season. The 18-year-old, who is Nigeria’s youngest competitor at the championships, impressed in his debut outing by advancing to the men’s 100m semi-final after running 10.04s to win his heat ahead of Britain’s Zharnel Hughes and Olympic champion Lamont Jacobs. These are the beacon light on Nigerian athletics in years to come.
TABLE TENNIS STEALS THE SHOW
While the focus is on football and athletics, table tennis, for its teeming followers, quietly stole the show in Nigeria sports in 2025. For five weeks the city of Lagos-that has become the hub of table tennis in Nigeria and West Africa, hosted five international table tennis tournaments consecutively.
By this feat, Nigeria made a bold statement to the rest of the world that the sport has found a true home in Africa’s most populous nation.
The growing influx of global talent into Lagos, and the deliberate nurturing of the next generation of champions in Nigeria made 2025 the year of table tennis for Nigerian sports. It started with the West African Championships, then the WTT Contender Lagos, The African Junior Championships, The African Cup and The Hopes Programme for U-12 athletes.
Christian Ebere Osinachi wrote himself into immortality in November when he delivered to Club Nacional de Football their much coveted 50th coveted Uruguayan League title. The 27-year-old scored the back-breaking solitary winner for his side deep into the added time of the play-off tie against rival club, Atlético Peñarol in a thrilling final before a delirious capacity crowd that saw his 114th minute match-winning strike at the Gran Parque Central Stadium in Montevideo. But the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup winner with the Golden Eaglets in a recent conversation with MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN believes the Super Eagles can break all odds at the on-going Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco to give the country another major silverware…
FIFA U-17 World Cup winner, Christian Ebere Osinachi, has thrown his weight behind the Super Eagles’ quest to win their long-awaited fourth Africa Cup of Nations title at the on-going continental showpiece in Morocco.
Nigeria have been crowned champions thrice in 1980, 1994 and 2013 and the Super Eagles are seeking to end a 12-year title drought after finishing as runners-up in the last edition in Cote d’Ivoire. But Osinachi who stars for Uruguayan side, Club Nacional de Football, said Super Eagles will need to overcome their recent setback in the CAF Play-Offs for the 2026 FIFA World Cup where they lost the only available ticket to the Inter-Continental Play-Offs to the Congo Democratic Republic last November.
“Yeah , it’s true that the Nigeria recently lost to the Congo DR in the FIFA World Cup qualification play-off but I think the Super Eagles have another opportunity to make Nigerians happy and proud again by winning the AFCON,” Osinachi who has excelled across clubs in South America, told Nation’s Sports. “I think Nigeria can make it because we have the players.
“Nigeria have the players to compete and make it to the finals; and also to win it because last time, the Super Eagles got to the final and unfortunately lost to Cote d’Ivoire .
“But now, I think Nigeria can do it, Yes, I think Nigeria can do it,” he affirmed.
Tomorrow, the Super Eagles will play their decisive second match at the on-going Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON, Morocco 2025, against Tunisia’s Eagles of Carthage in Fez with some of Osinachi’s former teammates at the U-17 level including the striking duo of Victor Osimhen and Samuel Chukwueze expected to be in the thick of action. Osinachi said not being part of the team is not an indication that players like him who feature for clubs in South America are not good enough to wear the national team colours at the senior level.
“ I’m really very happy that I have now some of my ex-teammates from the U-17 level and I’m talking about Osimhen and Chukwueze ,” he continued. “ But I’m not disappointed that I have not been able to play for the Super Eagles.
“I last represented Nigeria at the U-17 and since then, they have not called me for the Super Eagles. I also have the hunger to play for the Super Eagles.
“Often, my teammates always ask ‘why is it that they don’t call you for the Super Eagles?’ They feel that I need to be in the Super Eagles because they usually watch Nigeria matches even as recent as when we lost to Congo DR in the Play-offs.
“ So, I’m equally waiting for the opportunity and if I get the chance today, I will be ready to give my best.”
Having featured across clubs in Argentina, Brazil and now in Uruguay, Osinachi would be the first to admit that playing in the South American leagues is not a child’s play, adding it’s about time that national team’s handlers bore that searchlight on that side of the globe too.
“ Playing in South America is not an easy task,” Osinachi who has been listed for as many as 10 South American clubs across Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, revealed. “ South American league is not a league that you’ll be given so much space to just do anything you want ; it’s hard and tough. No room for excessive dribbles rather you have to very think fast on the ball.
“Here it’s more intensive and I think they )Super Eagles’ technical crew), need to watch some players some of those players in South America because they are as good as players in Europe.
“ I think the national team’s handlers don’t look at players in the south American leagues but not knowing that players from the South American leagues play more intensive football than most other people playing in Europe.”
“ In fact, I can tell you for free that players in South America play more intensive football than players in Europe because our football here is hard. It’s not an easy football.
“So, they need to watch more of South American football too. I know it is very far is very far from Nigeria and maybe that’s why they don’t watch or see players from here in South America whereas Europe is close to Nigeria.
“I want to believe they don’t watch the South American league s as well as the Libertadores, the Champions League of South America. They don’t watch all those competitions.
“ My teammates at Nacional know how good and strong; that I’m a fighter on the ball; I have the speed and I think I can also make the difference with the Super Eagles.
“ They shouldn’t look down on players in the South American leagues because players in that region has a lot on intensity than even players in Europe,” added Osinachi as he speaks on other sundry issues. Excerpts…
On winning the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup
Yes, you are right, it’s 10 years this year since won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile and it’s always a great memory to recall. I was so happy to be part of the team and happy to have won the World Cup at the first opportunity at that level. The memory of representing my country was great and playing alongside some of my teammates especially Victor Osimhen, Samuel Chukwueze , Kelechi Nwakali, Kingsley Michael , Orji Okoronkwo, Ndidi Anumudu and the rest, it was just simply great . Of course, it was equally great playing under Coach Emmanuel Amuneke as well as the other members of the coaching crew and backroom staff. Although so many things happened along the way but i really thank God how everything went ….because we won the World Cup. I was very, very happy.
On not going to Europe after World Cup conquest in Chile
After the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile, I actually had a club to sign for in Belgium but what happened was that my ex-manager had an issue with the team’s director, something like that. So they had an issue and I was really angry because that was a good opportunity for me to start. Because some of my teammates were also going to Europe and that was a good opportunity for me to start in Europe too. But because of the issue that they had, I lost that opportunity. My ex-manager told me that I should go to Nigeria and stay and that he was going to get a new club for me. But ‘I said no’ because I needed to play football and I don’t want to stay back in Nigeria and start waiting for some contracts. That was how I moved to go to South America, being Rosario Central in Argentina. I started my career there, playing in the youth team. So from there I went to Brazil and here I’m today in Uruguay.
On being called different names in Argentina
When i arrived in Argentina, some called me Lukaku while some also called me Mbappé because I have the force and i have the speed ; so it is because of these two abilities that my teammates call me so many names. I have no problem with that if they are calling me the names because of my playing abilities and not because they wanted to make jokes out of me. So, it feels good because they are calling me those names because I’m strong, I’m fast with the ball.
On playing across clubs in South America
I have had outstanding experiences playing across clubs in South America. In Brazil, they play more with tactics and techniques while in both Argentina and Uruguay, they play with both techniques and force (power). But I must confess that I’m really enjoying playing in Nacional just as I enjoyed playing at Clube Plaza Colonia in Argentina. Frankly, I have enjoyed playing in virtually all the clubs in these three countries because I’m that guy that always make my fellow teammates happy. I’m always happy with my teammates. I always cheer them up and all that, yeah.
On the ‘One-derful’ cup-winning goal for Nacional
I scored the goal that gave the Nacional the league title and I felt so happy. I feel great because the league title meant a lot for us, not only me but my teammates. Because the name on the League Cup is dedicated to one of our former teammates who lost his life while playing for Nacional. Interestingly , he had also previously played for our opponents in that final (Atlético Peñarol) but we wanted to win the cup for him. So , we did it for him. But personally, I feel great scoring the winning goal that gave Nacional the victory. I feel so happy, excited because that was a wonderful goal which makes me feel great representing the club. Nacional is a good club and they are one of the big clubs in South America. The fans they love me and I also love them too because they always cheer me up and all that. So it was great for me. It was something great, something that I will not forget. And even the club also will not forget.
On close affinity with his mother.
Yes, it’s true that I’m very close to my mum because I’m the last born and I was also with my mum while I was growing up with my siblings. Even while others will go out, I was always staying with my mum and that was how I was able to know how to do many house chores. She’s my prayer warrior ; she had done a lot to support my football career though initially she didn’t want me to play football. She wanted me to study and never wanted me to play football because of the experience of my dad . My dad actually played football but never made it professionally. So, my mum was scared that I might also waste my time going on that route with football. But along the line, I asked one of my uncles to speak with my mum that after football I’ll still study and that I’ll make her proud. That was how my mum accepted and started supporting me…by giving me money to buy boots and she was always there checking on me especially when I travel outside the state for tournaments . She played a very great role in my career and what I’ve become today.
On marriage
Of course, I will get married but not yet because I have not seen the ‘special one’. But some day, I will get married and I think very soon, I will be there (laughter).
Nigeria and Tunisia go head-to-head in a high-stakes Group C encounter tomorrow, December 27th, at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, with both sides eyeing early control of the group. Fresh from opening-day victories, the clash in Fez promises intensity, quality and renewed rivalry as two African heavyweights battle for supremacy writes TUNDE LIADI
One of the headline fixtures of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations group stage takes centre stage tomorrow as continental heavyweights Nigeria and Tunisia lock horns in a crucial Group C encounter at the Complexe Sportif de Fès, Morocco.
With both sides winning their opening matches, the tie could go a long way in determining who finishes top of the group and secures a more favourable route into the knockout phase.
The Super Eagles head into the game on the back of a hard-fought 2–1 victory over Tanzania on December 23, a result that underlined their status as one of the tournament favourites. Goals from Semi Ajayi and Ademola Lookman sealed the win, and Eric Chelle’s side currently sit second in Group C on goal difference.
Tunisia, meanwhile, occupy top spot after an impressive 3–1 win against Uganda on the same day. The Eagles of Carthage looked sharp and clinical in attack, extending a run of strong recent results and sending an early message to their group rivals.
Nigeria and Tunisia share a rich Africa Cup of Nations history, having met several times on the continental stage. Overall, the two nations have faced each other 17 times, with Nigeria holding the edge with eight wins, Tunisia claiming five victories, and four matches ending in draws.
At AFCON specifically, their rivalry has produced memorable moments. Nigeria defeated Tunisia at the 2000 AFCON tournament, while the Super Eagles also edged Tunisia on penalties at the 2006 quarter final tie in Egypt . It was a 1–0 victory in favour of the Super Eagles at the third-place match at AFCON 2019 in Egypt also.
Tunisia’s most recent success came in January 2022, when they stunned Nigeria 1–0 in the Round of 16, a result that remains fresh in the memory and adds extra edge to tomorrow’s clash.
With both teams already on three points, victory would put either side in a commanding position to qualify for the knockout stages as group winners. Nigeria will be keen to avenge their 2022 AFCON exit, while Tunisia aim to maintain momentum and assert their credentials as genuine contenders.
All signs point to a tightly contested, high-quality encounter between two of Africa’s most respected football nations.
Polo enthusiasts in Jos and its environs will be treated to eight days of top-notch experience as the 2025 Jos Winter Polo tournament gallops off at the popular General Hassan Polo Ground with over twenty teams vying for honours across major titles.
The glamorous festival which stared on Boxing Day (December 26), will conclude on January 2nd.
Three glittering major cups categories, Governor Cup, NASCO Cup and President Cup would have participating teams locked down in a week-long battle royal to decide the proud champions of the winter polo festival.
Jos Polo Club President and Secretary of the Nigerian Polo Federation (NPF), Murtala Laushi, has assured that the club will host the best winter polo fiesta that will surpass previous editions in every respect in years.
Laushi noted that with the full backing of the Plateau State Government and other stakeholders, the organizers will deliver. “
“Jos 2025 polo festival will be a festival thriving on ‘strategy, organization, excitement, competition and friendship that would perpetuate the new found peace in the state,” he stated. “We made a promise, that we will give it our all and at the end of the day everyone would talk of the 2025 tourney, ‘This is our annual tournament in which we are well pleased’ Laushi who is the Patron of the high-flying Jos Malcomines team declared.
For many years now, Jos polo and its HANGER partners have been hosting charity events for the less privileged on Christmas day December 25, as one of the major events that annually herald the polo tournament proper.
Initiated by Laushi, the charity event usually concluded with a party for the Grooms and other workers of the club alongside widows of past workers of the club who would also smile home with various gift items from the organizers.
A spokesperson of the HANGER Project, Alison Allanso who expressed delight at the usually huge turn- out particularly the children, the physically handicapped persons, the widows and the internally displaced persons (IDPS), has become one of the major highlights of the year-ending polo fiesta.
Allanso expressed appreciation to all the donors and sponsors who donated to the successful organization and hosting of the event last December, and pleaded that with the continued support from the society, the organizers can host the event twice in a year.
During the event last year, the over 400 participants smiled home with gift items, food packages and other essential items that were handed out during the party.
Apart from various food items that were given out, the less privileged particularly the women and orphans received clothing materials, stationary and other educational materials to help them in pursuit of a better future.
Jos Polo Captain, Yusuf Dauda also confirmed visiting teams from Abuja, Kaduna, Yola, Zaria, Minna, Maiduguri, Katsina, Kano, Bauchi, Abuja and Keffi are expected for a thrilling eight days festival. Major trophies contested for during the fiesta include the Governor’s Cup that remains the event’s biggest prize.
Other glittering prizes are the NASCO Cup, President Cup, and a handful of subsidiary cups to be carted by the winners and Runners-up teams during the Prize presentation Ceremony that traditionally draw the curtain on the fiesta.
Last year, the Jos’ 2024 /2025 polo extravaganza galloped off with over thirty teams drawn from all the major polo clubs across the country, and climaxed with Malcomines polo team, Crown Club & Resort team, Minna Profile and Katsina Aldusar emerging winners.
For the fifth year running, Laushi and his miners were the biggest attraction of the annual festival that remains the biggest sports cum tourism event, attracting tourists and equestrian enthusiasts in their droves to the chilly Plateau State capital city every year.
The Nigerian Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C), has welcomed Guts & Gloves Promotions as an official promotional licence as the outfit marks its formal entry into Nigeria’s boxing ecosystem, reinforcing its commitment to driving a new era of structure, professionalism and athlete-first development within the sport.
The partnership provides immediate credibility for the organisation and positions Guts & Gloves as a transparent and trustworthy platform for boxers, promoters, gyms, and sponsors seeking stability and growth in a fragmented promotions landscape. The company enters the sector with a clear mandate to discover, nurture and spotlight Nigerian boxing talent through structured pathways and community-driven engagement.
Founded by Onabajo Ayodeji & Temitope Deyeye, the co-founders reaffirmed the brand’s mission to uplift the sport as they stated that: “Guts & Gloves remains committed to raising the game for athletes and coaches in Africa. To every boxer doing the work in the shadows, keep fighting. Put on those gloves and never stop believing in your guts. We will find you, and the world will see you.”
Rooted in the energy of Nigerian grassroots boxing community, home to a rich network of trainers and amateur fighters, Guts & Gloves Promotions intends to serve as a reliable springboard for emerging talent.
Its athlete-first model focuses on long-term career development, improved access to professional exposure, health and mental care for fighters, brand building for fighters, and the creation of competitive opportunities across local, national and international circuits.
The organisation’s strategic approach integrates credibility-building, community nurturing, and talent broadcast initiatives, alongside future flagship events designed to strengthen Nigeria’s boxing culture. With an emphasis on partnership-driven growth, Guts & Gloves is opening its doors to sponsors, corporate brands, and industry stakeholders seeking to invest in the next generation of Nigerian boxers who’ll bear the Nigerian flag at a global stage.
As the boxing sector positions itself for renewed momentum, Guts & Gloves Promotions enters the ring with a clear intent: to become the preferred destination for talent development, professional matchmaking, and sustainable boxing promotions in Nigeria.
Pamodzi Sports Marketing, a leading force in sports marketing, sponsorship, hospitality, and rights acquisition in Nigeria, has strongly condemned a recent media article that questioned the Nigeria Basketball Federation’s (NBBF) engagement with a major national institution.
The company described the report as ‘myopic, self-serving, and blind to the bigger picture of basketball development.’
The article in question had suggested that ‘the partnership initiative was political theatre designed to elongate the current board’s tenure’. But Pamodzi rejected this claim, stressing that the timing of such deals is irrelevant compared to their long-term impact on the sport.
“The writer’s obsession with timing shows how myopic his thinking is. There is no best time to pursue a partnership that will benefit basketball. What matters is the deal itself, and the biggest beneficiary is the sport, not individuals or boards,” Pamodzi said in a statement.
“Instead of reporting the sport, the writer is busy acting as an agent for those hell-bent on killing the sport. Why is he not seeing beyond politics? Why is he blind to the fact that basketball needs institutional support to grow? His narrative is not journalism, it is a hatchet job,” the statement continued.
Highlighting the structured nature of the partnership, Pamodzi noted that the institution involved will only revert in the first quarter of next year, underscoring that this is not a unilateral promise but a carefully planned process.
Pamodzi has a proven track record of negotiating landmark deals that have transformed Nigerian sports, including sponsorship agreements for the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) that have outlived successive boards.
The company emphasized that basketball has long struggled to attract the kind of sponsorship needed to elevate players, coaches, and officials and that dragging politics into every initiative only holds the game back.
Beyond basketball, Pamodzi’s diverse activities and aggressive initiatives have made it a central player in the sports industry. The company operates across media sports events, athlete and player marketing, relationship marketing with sports associations, sports management and promotion, multimedia campaigns, and strategic licensing.
Pamodzi is also the organizer of the prestigious Okpekpe International 10km Road Race, the first road race in West Africa to have its course measured by a World Athletics-accredited course measurer. It was also the first in the region to be granted a World Athletics label, designating it among the leading road races worldwide.
For Pamodzi, the message is clear: partnerships that strengthen Nigerian sports should be celebrated, not politicized.
“This is about basketball, pure and simple. Those who insist on dragging politics into every initiative are the ones holding the game back,” the company concluded.
One of Africa’s most storied and remarkable football rivalries makes another stop tomorrow, this time in the Moroccan city of Fès, as Nigeria and Tunisia clash in a top-of-the-table encounter of the 35th Africa Cup of Nations, at the 35,000-capacity Complexe Sportif de Fès.
With three points taken by each team from their opening games, the stage is set for fiery exchanges as Coaches Eric Chelle and Sami Trabelsi, themselves former players, will be determined to push their teams to achieve victory and book an early spot in the tournament’s Round of 16.
There have been a total of 21 matches between both teams, dating back 64 years, with each having won six times, and the remaining nine matches drawn (though some eventually went into penalty shootouts). Of the three that stretched to penalty shootouts, Nigeria won two, including a memorable 1982 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixture and an Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final duel that flowed back and forth in the Egyptian city of Port Said 19 years ago.
Tunisia won the lottery in the 2004 AFCON that they hosted, edging the Eagles to set up a Final clash with Morocco’s Atlas Lions.
Both teams have staged walkouts against each other, with Nigeria leaving the pitch in an AFCON qualifying match in Tunis in December 1961, after a controversial goal, and Tunisia opting to do the same when Nigeria scored an equalizing goal through Baba Otu Mohammed in an AFCON bronze-medal match in Kumasi in March 1978.
When the Carthage Eagles pipped the Super Eagles 1-0 in the Round of 16 at the AFCON in Cameroon four years ago, it was their first victory over Nigeria in a competitive match since 1985, when they won a 1986 World Cup qualifying match 2-0 in Tunis.
There have been high drama, muscle-flexing, and boardroom blowouts, and Saturday’s encounter will be another game of intensity and power-play as Nigeria seek to establish themselves as one of the favourites for the trophy and Tunisia, who will be going to next year’s FIFA World Cup finals, determined to fight for a second continental title.
Trabelsi, who was in the squad that Khaled Badra led to win Tunisia’s only AFCON title, at home in 2004, has the likes of Captain Ferjani Sassi, Ali Maãloul, Hannibal Mejbri, Dylan Bronn, Ben Ali, Ali Ben Romdhane and Yan Valery who can turn a game on its head within a split second. They showed their deadliness in sweeping aside Uganda in Rabat on Tuesday evening.
For Eric Chelle, the triumvirate of Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Samuel Chukwueze at the fore, and the duo of Calvin Bassey and Semi Ajayi at the rear provide some assurance. With Osimhen still looking for his first goal of the tournament, the Carthage Eagles could be under tremendous pressure from Nigeria’s ace forward who boasts 31 goals in 47 matches.
Midfield lubricator Alexander Iwobi, likely to win his 93rd cap, will be expected to play a key role in Nigeria’s challenge for the three points. Captain Wilfred Ndidi will surely be called upon several times to break up the play of the fast-paced Tunisians.
HEAD-TO-HEAD: Super Eagles, Carthage Eagles in history
25 Nov 1961: Nigeria 2-1 Tunisia (AFCONq: Lagos)
10 Dec 1961: Tunisia 2-2 Nigeria (AFCONq: Tunis)*
* Match inconclusive as Nigeria walked off the pitch
