Author: Nurudeen Obalola
By Kayode John Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman is over the moon regarding his nominations for both the 2024 African Player of the Year award and the Ballon d’Or. Lookman has been included in a 10-man shortlist for the biggest individual prize in African football and is in the running for the Ballon d’Or prize for best player in the world. The Nigeria international scored a brace and registered two assists on Saturday night in Atalanta’s 6-1 thrashing of Hellas Verona in the Serie A. Speaking with DAZN after the match, the 27-year-old expressed pride and delight in being recognised…
By Kayode John The Libya Football Federation (LFF) has rejected the decision of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to award three points to Nigeria over the boycotted 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier. The Super Eagles had pulled out of the October 15 return leg of the AFCON qualifying double-header against the Mediterranean Knights, following inhumane treatment by the Libyan authorities. Nigeria’a plane was diverted mid-air and the players and officials were held up at an abandoned airport for up to 18 hours without food, water or access to the internet. The North Africans deemed the treatment as…
The Flamingos of Nigeria have been eliminated from the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic after a 2-0 defeat to the United States of America on Saturday night. USA struck once in each half to secure the quarter-final victory and end the winning streak of the Flamingos, who had won all of their three group matches. Kennedy Fuller and Kimmi Ascanio scored the goals at the Santiago de los Caballeros Stadium to end the journey for Bankole Olowookere’s side. USA took the lead two minutes to half-time from the penalty spot after Fuller was brought down…
Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski scored a quick-fire second-half double to set the leaders on course for a 4-0 thrashing of Real Madrid that handed the hosts their first defeat in 42 LaLiga games in a sensational El Clasico encounter on Saturday night. The Polish striker pounced with two goals in three minutes early in the second half before Lamine Yamal at 17 years and 106 days old became the youngest El Clasico scorer and captain Raphinha wrapped up a comfortable win late on at a stunned Bernabeu. Barcelona stretched their lead at the top with 30 points, six above Real who…
By Kayode John After four matches without a goal, Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman scored a brace and made two assists in Atalanta’s 6-1 thrashing of Hellas Verona in Serie A on Saturday night. The Nigeria international set up captain Marten de Roon for the first goal after six minutes at the Gewiss Stadium. The 2024 Ballon d’Or nominee completed his brace of assists eight minutes later for Charles de Ketelaere. Lookman then scored the first of his two goals in the 29th minute and five minutes later, de Ketelaere repaid the earlier favour by assisting the 27-year-old for his…
By Kayode John Super Eagles stiker Victor Boniface was on target for Bayer Leverkusen in their 2-2 draw at Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga on Saturday. Alex Iwobi was also on the scoresheet for Fulham in the 1-1 draw against his former club Everton in their English Premier League clash. It was Boniface’s first game since surviving a car accident last Saturday. The 23-year-old had missed Leverkusen’s 1-1 draw with Brest in the UEFA Champions League Tuesday. But he started in the game and gave his side the lead at Weserstadion in the 30th minute for his sixth goal in…
I am writing this on Saturday morning, 26 October, 2024 immediately after my early Muslim prayers. I have just checked the timing for the El Clasico later in the day and it is reading 8.00pm Nigeria time. I was in the Santiago Bernabue when Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-0 in the same fixture in March 2020. It was a spectacle. But it’s not the El Clasico on my mind as I write this. It’s my involvement with the investigative panel set up by the most recent Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, that is on my mind.…
Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has hailed the decision of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to award three points and three goals to Nigeria, following the treatment of the team in Libya. The Libyans were also fined $50,000 in the decision announced on Saturday, although Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali appeared to think it was not enough punishment. The Super Eagles were scheduled to face Libya on October 15 in Benghazi, but the Nigerian contingent had their plane diverted mid-air to the abandoned, ill-equipped Al-Abraq airport and were held there for 18 hours without food, water or access to…
By Nurudeen Obalola The Super Falcons of Nigeria defeated Algeria 2-0 in a friendly match at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne on Saturday. Captain Rasheedat Ajibade scored both goals in a dominant first half for the nine-time African champions. It is the first match for the Super Falcons since head coach Randy Waldrum left the post after the Paris 2024 Olympics, with Justine Madugu replacing the American. Madugu called up a largely home-based squad for the two friendly matches against Algeria, with Spain-based Ajibade and France-based Chiamaka Nnadozie among the six overseas-based stars in the roster of 25. Ajibade…
The Disciplinary Board of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has awarded Nigeria three points and three goals from the botched matchday 4 encounter of the 2025 AFCON qualification series scheduled to be played by Libya and the Super Eagles in Benina on October 15. The Super Eagles contingent to the match had their plane diverted mid-air to the abandoned, ill-equipped Al-Abraq airport and were held there for 18 hours without food, water or access to the internet. After the inhumane treatment, the Nigerian team decided to pull out of the match as the Nigeria Football Federation filed an official…