Author: Abdulgafar Oladimeji

Abdulgafar Oladimeji: The Unknown Sports Tourist in Belgium Had been fortunate since 2003 to have been globe trotting from one country to another, no thanks to my job as a sports journalist. In my sojourn as a sports reporter had traverse through Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Congo Brazville, Guinea, Mali, Niger republic, Burkina Faso, South Sudan, Egypt , USA, Senegal. There was no need to be in a hurry to mention The Gambia, my adopted second home, where the rare privilege to work as freelance sport editor of the then Daily Express gave birth to my rosy career days and…

Nigeria inaugurates anti doping board The Nigeria Football Federation has commended the Federal Government on Thursday’s inauguration of the Technical Board of the Nigeria Anti-Doping Centre, following the enactment of the National Anti-Doping Act 2025, which established the Centre as a statutory body empowered to implement Nigeria’s anti-doping obligations in line with the World Anti-Doping Code. NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, said the action further underscores the iron commitment of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration to taking Nigeria sports to a better place, and its determination to guarantee the integrity and credibility of all the sport codes in…

Round of 16: Where the 2026 FIFA World Cup Will Separate Contenders from Pretenders An Analyst’s Notebook By Kdo Kasaoba57@ gmail.com July 4, 2026 The group stage rewarded consistency. The Round of 16 rewards precision. From this point onward, every tactical adjustment, substitution, defensive lapse, and psychological decision carries greater weight than individual brilliance. Teams no longer have the luxury of recovering from mistakes over three group matches. One poor decision can end four years of preparation. The opening knockout fixtures have already reinforced that reality. Morocco has once again demonstrated why it remains Africa’s benchmark. Their progress has not…

From Morocco Still Standing Tall to Senegal, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Cape Verde and Ghana: A World Cup of Hope, the 86th-Minute Jinx, and Dashed Dreams By Kdo- Atlanta, Georgia Kasoba57@ gmail. com July 3, 2026 If this World Cup has taught Africa anything, it is that football can be gloriously generous one moment and heartbreakingly cruel the next. As the knockout rounds unfold, one African flag still flies proudly. Morocco stands tall, focused, and determined, carrying not only the hopes of its own people but increasingly those of an entire continent. Their discipline, resilience, and composure have once again demonstrated…

June 14th, 2026 Cape Verde as a True Pointer to African Football’s New Birth and Arrival. Pharaohs and Elephants of Cote d;Ivoire Showcase African Pride By KDO Few people gave Cape Verde any chance of surviving Spain’s expected onslaught in today’s World Cup encounter at Atlanta Stadium. On paper, it appeared to be another classic case of David versus Goliath. Yet football is played on grass, not on paper, and once again the game reminded the world that preparation, organization, and belief can narrow even the widest gaps. At the heart of Cape Verde’s spirited performance was the work of…

Cote d’Ivoire records 1-0 historic win against Ecuador Amad Diallo scored a 90th-minute winner as Côte d’Ivoire edged Ecuador in a breathless contest in which the woodwork was struck four times. The match, somehow, seemed to be heading for a goalless draw before substitute Amad expertly caressed a shot into the bottom corner to spark scenes of joyous celebration. The first half of the match was wildly entertaining. Ecuador’s John Yeboah was the first to be denied by the frame of the goal, with his venomous strike from outside the area crashing against the crossbar. Soon after, Alan Minda had…

Pharaohs of Egypt misses first world cup party, Red Devils  Lukaku is the spoiler Seattle flung open the FIFA World Cup 2026™ gates for the first time and for a long spell of this Pacific Northwest clash, Egypt were on the verge of creating history. Prior to this Group G opener, the Pharaohs had only ever led a World Cup match for 29 minutes, never tasted victory and only kept a lone clean sheet. They failed to crack the second and third marks but topped the first after a fine opener from Emam Ashour. On the day of his 34th…

Africa’s World Cup debutants Cape Verde Shock European Champions Spain in Atlanta FIFA World Cup debutants Cabo Verde produced an extraordinary performance to secure a 0-0 draw with global heavyweights Spain. A nation of just over 500,000 people, they held out against Luis de la Fuente’s star-studded team, recording a result which will reverberate around planet football. Cabo Verde were superbly organised from back to front. While Spain predictably enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, they were frustrated for large periods by their spirited and fiercely-determined opponents. La Roja’s clearest first-half opening came when Ferran Torres struck the crossbar after…

FIFA World Cup 26: Pharaohs of Egypt and Red Devils of Belgium set to clash tonight By Abdulgafar Oladimeji The Pharaohs of Egypt will today , June 15 file out to trade tackles against the Red Devils of Belgium in their Group G , FIFA world cup 2026 opening match in Seattles USA Egypt and Belgium have never played each other in a World Cup or major tournament prior to their Group G matchup in Seattle. Historically, the two nations have met in four friendly matches, with Egypt holding a 3-1 advantage. A closer look at the historical head-to-head breakdown…

World Cup Disaster : Tunisian coach, Sabri Lamouchi sacked, following 5-1 opening game loss to Sweden The Carthage Eagles of Tunisia’s gaffer, Sabri Lamouchi is widely reported to have been fired. The sack is reported following the 5-1 defeat his side suffered to Sweden in their FIFA world cup opener against Sweden in the USA. The Tunisian football authorities are yet to confirm the sack. The north Africans area up against Japan and Netherlands in their next t wo outstanding world cup group stage matches