Tag: Super Eagles

The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) continues to play a pivotal role in Nigerian football, as evidenced by the inclusion of two top NPFL coaches in the Super Eagles’ coaching staff for the upcoming AFCON qualifiers.

Fidelis Ilechukwu, the 2024 NPFL champion with Rangers International, and Daniel Ogunmodede, the manager of Remo Stars, have been appointed assistant coaches to interim Super Eagles coach Augustine Eguavoen for the matches against Benin Republic and Rwanda.

The duo’s selection highlights the growing recognition of the NPFL and its coaches.

Their success in the league, combined with StarTimes’ recent acquisition of the NPFL broadcasting rights, has increased visibility for the league and its talents.

The return of NPFL matches to TV screens last season marked a monumental milestone, courtesy of a landmark five-year broadcast rights deal worth N5.9 Billion with StarTimes.

This ground-breaking partnership has revolutionized the way fans experience the league, bringing the thrill of live matches directly into their living rooms and captivating a broader audience nationwide.

“Getting NPFL back on TV and partnering with a professional company like StarTimes has done our league a lot of good,” said NPFL enthusiast Reuben Kolawole. “Our coaches are now getting the recognition they deserve, and our players are no longer playing in the dark.”

Read Also: Super Eagles stars to impress new coach live on StarTimes

Both Ilechukwu and Ogunmodede bring significant experience to the Super Eagles.

Ogunmodede “Ija-ball” as he is fondly called has led Remo Stars to three consecutive continental preliminaries, while Ilechukwu the self-acclaimed “Working One” has managed over 71 league games and won the NPFL title with Enugu Rangers.

The Super Eagles squad for the qualifiers will also feature at least three players who have previously played in the NPFL: goalkeepers Stanley Nwabali and Amas Obasogie, and defender Olisa Ndah who last played for Akwa United before moving to Orlando Pirates in South Africa.

The trio are all in the mix to ensure Nigeria gets it right in their quest to make it to Morocco 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

As the Super Eagles prepare for these crucial matches, the inclusion of NPFL coaches and players demonstrates the league’s growing influence on Nigerian football.

Football fans are in for a treat this week as StarTimes is airing a plethora of matches featuring Nigerian players across various leagues. 

From the glamorous Spanish La Liga to the thrilling Bundesliga, Saudi Pro League and the competitive Carabao Cup in England, the excitement is set to soar. 

After the exciting games played on Tuesday, the Carabao Cup takes centre stage again today, with several Nigerian talents vying for glory. 

Nottingham Forest’s dynamic duo, Taiwo Awoniyi and Ola Aina, face a stern test against Newcastle United. 

Awoniyi’s cameo against Southampton last weekend hints at a potential starting role against the Magpies, while Aina’s full-time appearance might see him rested.

Other Nigerian-laden teams in the Carabao Cup include Brentford, featuring Frank Onyeka, and a potential all-Nigerian clash between Cardiff City’s Jamilu Collins and Southampton’s Joe Aribo.

With Brentford and Southampton both losing their last league matches, they will be keen for redemption in Wednesday’s League Cup matches.

In Spain’s La Liga, Sadiq Umar will be targeting more playing time as Real Sociedad hosts Alaves at the Reale Arena. 

Read Also: 10 things to know about new Eagles coach Bruno Labbadia

Umar who featured for 23 minutes in the away win over Rayo Vallecano will hope to get more chance to fight for his opening goal in the La Liga this season.

Beyond Europe, StarTimes brings you the Saudi Pro League, where Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has joined forces with football icon Cristiano Ronaldo. 

Ekong’s Al Kholood will be aiming for victory against Al Riyadh on Thursday at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium.

As a newly promoted team, Al Kholood will be relying on Ekong’s experience to solidify their defence.

With StarTimes, football fans can enjoy all the action live on the StarTimes Sports Premium, Sports Life, Beta Sports and World Football channels. Also, fans can catch the games live on StarTimes-ON app for just N600 weekly.

New coach resumes after  September qualifiers

Barring any last minute manoeuvring, the list of the Super Eagles’ players to prosecute the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON)  double-header  against Benin  and Libya  in September  will be released  tomorrow, August 28.

The Super Eagles will play host to The Cheetahs of Benin Republic in Uyo on September 7 on Matchday One before travelling to Kigali to square against  the Amavubi of Rwanda in a Matchday 2  fixture to be played on September 10.

Checks within the ranks of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) revealed that the ‘long suffering’ Technical Director  coach Austin Eguavoen is expected to prosecute the Super Eagles’ opening  two 2025 AFCON  matches with words rife that the selected  new coach, former coach of Sweden, Swede Jan Olof ‘Janne’ Andersson, is still tied up with a media company  till mid-September.

Incidentally,  decent sources at the NFF  have also confirmed  that  erstwhile  coach Samson Siasia who  only last  week  finished  serving a FIFA five-year ban is not part of the arrangement  being put in place  for these two matches despite speculations.

Read Also: Give Super Eagles top-class coach, Enoh charges NFF

 “I think the list is ready and coach Eguavoen, to the best of my knowledge, will prosecute the two matches against Benin and Rwanda,” a source privy to the arrangement told NationSports on anonymity. “The new coach still has a running contract and he would most likely be available sometime in mid-September.”

Already, Amavubi’s coach, German  Thorsten Spittler, has released a list of 36-man squad for the double header away to Libya on September 4 and at home against Nigeria on September 10.

Spittler’s compatriot who is in-charge in neighbouring Benin, Gernot Rohr, told NationSports over the weekend that his list for The Cheetahs for the September  duel will be released ‘very soon’.  

Incidentally, both Rwanda  and Benin are also in the same 2026 World Cup qualifying group with Nigeria.  

Impressed  with  his  heroics in the CAF Confederation Cup against El-Kanemi , Cheetahs of Benin Republic coach, Gernot Rohr, has hinted about the inclusion of Dadje FC goalkeeper  Karim Rahman in  his list of players to prosecute next month’s  2025 Africa Cup of Nations duel against Nigeria  and Libya. 

On Saturday, Rohr was in the stands as the Beninese side  with Rahman between the sticks, beat  El-Kanemi  2-1 in Cotonou to progress to  the next round of the  competition on a  3-2 aggregate.

Rohr described Dadje’s win over the Nigerian side as a morale booster, adding  Rahman who impressed  in the  match will be listed  for the upcoming international matches for the Cheetahs .

“ I think both teams, Dadje and El-Kanemi  are of the same level,” Rohr told NationSports. “Dadje went in front with a converted penalty  and then El Kanemi  came back;  and towards the end, Dadje got another goal at the right time  and I think playing at home was important for Dadje.” 

Be that as it may, Rohr  admitted  the  result  of the match between Dadje and El-Kanemi, would have  little or no bearing  on  the upcoming match between Nigeria and  Benin in Uyo on September 7.

Read Also: NFF chief  urges Falconets to  win U-20 World Cup

Rohr continued: “ I don’t think  we should dwell on this match  and I don’t think  this would mean that Nigeria is going to lose in Uyo; not at all because  these are not the national  team players.

“ But  from what I saw today, the Dadje goalkeeper  (Karim Rahman) will be in my list (for the AFCON qualifiers); he is in a good team .”

Focusing on the  AFCON qualifier  in September  against Nigeria, Rohr  said the Cheetahs still remains the underdogs even as he  revealed that they would be ready prepared  for the Super Eagles.

“ Of course,  we know it would be more difficult to go to Uyo to beat the Super Eagles  than  we did in June  (in Abidjan) but we are going to prepare for a good match,”  Rohr who last  managed the Super Eagles before switching to Benin , further told NationSports. “ I’m sure in September, we are going to have a good match in Uyo.” 

Benin Republic head coach Gernot Rohr has set his sights on a second consecutive victory over Nigeria as his team gears up for the start of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Cheetahs will face the Super Eagles on September 7 at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, in what will be their second encounter in just three months.

In their previous meeting during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in June, Benin secured a 2-1 comeback victory, with Jodel Dossou and Steve Mounie overturning Raphael Onyedika’s early strike for Nigeria.

Read Also:  ‘Seven Star’ Ejike reveals  success secrets at Paralympics

“We will be happy to play (Nigeria) in Uyo, which is a fantastic stadium; one of the most beautiful stadia in Africa,” Rohr said.

“I’m happy for Nigeria that they can play again there (in Uyo) because we could not play there for several reasons during my last two years with the Super Eagles.

“So, I will be happy to see them there and we will have a fantastic game there although some of our players are without clubs since they are out of contract and waiting for new contracts.

“Which is not the same scenario with Nigeria, but we will be ready to present a good team that should be able to make a good match in Uyo.”      

The NFF will announce a new coach for the Super Eagles shortly and it will not be one of the four initially shortlisted for the top post, SCORENigeria can exclusively reveal.

The NFF technical committee met in Abuja Thursday and they screened and endorsed the mystery man who will soon be named coach of the Super Eagles in time for the 2025 AFCON qualifiers against Benin and Rwanda early next month.

A top source told SCORENigeria:” The Super Eagles will soon have a new coach.

Read Also: Chelsea eye permanent move for Osimhen

“It is not any of the shortlisted coaches (Herve Renard, Eric Chelle, Tom Saintfiet, Steve McClaren).

“The NFF leadership has on its own been talking with another coach and that is the one who will be appointed.”

“Renard, who won the AFCON with Cote d’Ivoire and Zambia, was the first-choice shortlisted coach. However, his financial terms were too high and so there could be no agreement. On the other hand, the government was not comfortable choosing Chelle and Saintfiet, so they lost out.”

The appointment of the new Super Eagles coach may have been put on hold, according to a top official of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).  SCORENigeria’s source said that; “The process (appointment of new coach) has been stopped for the time being.”

However, he would not elaborate on the reasons behind this decision following the intervention of the office of the President and how long this would be for.

Suggestions are that government is not comfortable with a lot of things around the selection process and would prefer to conduct their own independent investigations.

Read Also: NBBF boss celebrates gallant D’Tigress

The NFF technical committee shortlisted four coaches for the Super Eagles top post, namely Herve Renard, Eric Chelle, Tom Saintfiet and Steve McClaren.

These foreign coaches were then to be considered for appointment by the NFF executive committee.

It is not known whether this was done before the NFF were set to announce a coach earlier this week.

Zimbabwe Football Association Normalisation Committee has named Michael Nees as the new coach of the Super Eagles opponent, Warriors.

The 57-year-old German is the first substantive Warriors coach since firebrand Croat Zdravko Logarusic.

 “The Zimbabwe Football Association is delighted to announce the appointment of Michael Nees as the new head coach of the Zimbabwe Men’s National Team,” said ZIFA in a statement.

Read Also: Oshaniwa urges NFF to  quickly  find Finidi’s replacement 

”The 57-year-old German will lead the Warriors in their quest for success in the AFCON 2025 and FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

“ZIFA is confident that Michael Nees’s appointment will usher in a new era of success for the Warriors. His vast experience, combined with his innovative coaching style, makes him the ideal candidate to lead our national team to new heights,” said Mutasa.

Zimbabwe and Super Eagles settled for a draw in the first leg of the World Cup qualifier played in Rwanda.

Super Eagles and Udinese of Italy goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has revealed that it has always been his dream to play for Nigeria despite being raised in Germany.

Okoye who got his wish under former Eagles handler, Gernot Rohr against Brazil on October 13^th , 2019 in an international friendly game,  expressed his gratitude to the Franco-German for making his dream to become a reality.

The 24-year-old told  Tribalfootball:”Yes, it has always been Nigerian for me , a childhood dream playing for Super Eagles, yes, my German youth coach ( Lutz Pfannenstiel) played a big part in that.

Read Also: NFF chief  urges Falconets to  win U-20 World Cup

“He was in good contact with my Nigeria former coach, Gernot Rohr, he opened that door for me.

“With Rohr I had a fantastic coach in my early years as a Super Eagles.

“I will forever be grateful for the opportunities he gave that time.”

Okoye already has 16 caps for the Nigeria’s national team.