Author: Abdulgafar Oladimeji

2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup: Football ambassador Mercy Akide-Udoh visit’s Flamingos Nigeria legend, FIFA Women’s World Cup star and FIFA’s Ambassador for the women’s game, Mercy Akide-Udoh o Friday had a session with players of Nigeria’s U17 girls, Flamingos in Morocco, two days before the Flamingos’ 2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup opener against Canada. Mercy Akide-Udoh is in Morocco as a member of the FIFA Players’ Voice Panel. The 16-strong Players’ Voice Panel brings together former male and female players from diverse ethnic backgrounds and all six confederations. The panel advises and supports FIFA and its 211 Member Associations in the global stand against…

How Super Eagles reached 2026 FIFA World Cup CAF Play-off Tourney- NFF The Super Eagles achieved a universal spread of 10 different scorers in their 15-goal haul in Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying series, with only ace forward Victor Osimhen scoring more than once. The lanky marksman netted six times – in the process taking his Nigerian tally to 29 in 44 matches, only eight shy of legendary Rashidi Yekini’s record. Defender Semi Ajayi, who will now miss the penultimate game of the CAF Play-off in Morocco next month after bagging two yellow cards in the…

FIFA World Cup 26: Burkina Faso cries foul over Nigeria’s  playoff qualification By Abdulgafar Oladimeji The president of Burkina Faso Ibrahim Traoré has decried over how the Super Eagles of Nigeria bagged the FIFA world cup 26 ticket at the expense of his country. Traore has asked FIFA and the Confederation of African football , CAF to provide answers to how Nigeria could have qualified for the play off at the expense of the Stallions of Burkina Faso. The aggrieved Burkinabe football boss has faulted CAF’s decision to reduce points from the lowly ranked team in each group, in the…

2025 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup: Nigeria’s Flamingos to face Canada in opener It is the Football Academy Mohammed VI (Pitch 2) in Moroccan city of Salé that Nigeria’s U17 women national team, the Flamingos, will on Sunday begin their campaign for this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup against Canada. This will be the second meeting between these two sides at this level – with the first ending in a 1-1 draw. Now, thirteen years later, the stakes are higher, the teams are more evolved, and the Flamingos are ready to show how far they’ve come under Coach Bankole Olowookere. The…

2026 Women’s AFCON Qualifying Race: coach Madugu invites Ajibade, Nnadozie, 19 others for Bénin Days after the senior men’s national team of Nigeria, Super Eagles, dashed Bénin Republic’s dream of a first-ever FIFA World Cup appearance, the senior women’s team, Super Falcons. are all set to stop their counterparts from the same country from reaching the Women Africa Cup of Nations. Both West African neighbours clash in a final qualifying fixture for the 2026 Women Africa Cup of Nations championship to be hosted by Morocco, and which serves as Africa’s qualifying tournament for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals,…

FIFA World Cup 26 ticket : Super Eagles express confidence Captain William Troost-Ekong said on Wednesday morning that the Super Eagles will give the CAF Play-Off Tournament for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Morocco next month their very best shot, as the group continues to quietly delight in the 4-0 win over Bénin Republic in Uyo on Tuesday that sent Nigeria to the play-off tournament, which precedes the intercontinental play-offs scheduled for Mexico in March next year. “We are quite happy to have that opportunity. It is a long route but it is a route afterall. We would…

FIFA World Cup 26 draws to take place 5 December in Washington DC By Abdulgafar Oladmeji The FIFA World Cup 26 draw will take place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC on 5 December, 2025. The draws to be held in the capital will feature 48 teams, in the largest world cup in history. On Friday, 5 December 2025, the world will discover the group-stage matches to be contested at the FIFA World Cup 26 with all eyes set to converge on the Kennedy Center in Washington DC for the final draw. The centre will…

Brazil, Ghana, South Africa, Japan others qualify’. As Cape Verde, Uzbekistan debuts for the 2026 World Cup By Abdulgafar Oladimeji The pomp and pageantry has began as nations have booked their spot in the forth coming largest world cup ever in history. The largest world cup would be hosted by United states with Canada and Mexico as co host nations. The world cup draws would hold on December 5 at the JF Kenndey cultural centre in Washington DC. 48 national teams from across the continents would do battle for t host coveted football prize. Argentina are the defending champions. Our…

2025/26 Nigeria Premier Football League Season, That’s a wrap for Matchday 7 of the NPFL2025/26 season! 📊 Compiled by Usman Bature Enyimba and Rivers United remain unbeaten, while Nasarawa United sit comfortably top of the table with 16 points. 📅 Saturday, October 4 🔸 Bendel Insurance 0–1 Nasarawa United Nasarawa United extended their lead at the top with a hard-fought away win in Benin. Substitute Garba Mohammed scored in stoppage time his second goal of the season to hand the Solid Miners their second consecutive away victory. 🔸 El-Kanemi Warriors 2–1 Kano Pillars At the Maiduguri Sports Complex, Daddy Abdulrahman…

Policy Brief on Nigeria’s U17 Football Crisis- Engr Dr Suleiman Musa FNSE Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets, once the most dominant U17 national team in world football, have now failed to qualify for back-to-back U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournaments (2023 and 2025). Consequently, Nigeria has missed two consecutive FIFA U17 World Cups. This represents a severe crisis in youth football development, weakening Nigeria’s talent pipeline for the Super Eagles and eroding the country’s global football reputation. Background • Historical dominance: Nigeria has won 5 FIFA U17 World Cups (1985, 1993, 2007, 2013, 2015). • Recent failures: • …