Category: Sports

The Super Eagles have touched down in Fes, Morocco, for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, DAILY POST reports.

Head coach Éric Chelle and his players arrived in the Moroccan city on Thursday night.

They spent five days in a preparatory camp in Cairo, Egypt.

The Super Eagles lost 2-1 to the Pharaohs of Egypt in their only pre-AFCON friendly at the Cairo International Stadium on Tuesday.

The three-time African champions will intensify preparations for the competition on Friday.

Nigeria’s opening fixture is against the Taifa Stars of Tanzania next Tuesday.

Super Eagles land in Fes for AFCON 2025

Bayelsa Queens head coach, Whyte Ogbonda has expressed satisfaction with his team’s win over Pacesetter Queens in a Nigeria Women Football League, NWFL, matchday four encounter.

The Prosperity Girls edged out Pacesetter Queens 2-0 at the Samson Siasia Stadium in Yenagoa on Wednesday.

Ogbonda admitted that the Ibadan-based club gave them a good run in the game.

“It’s a good thing that we won, we actually needed more goals which we couldn’t get, but what is of utmost importance is the 3 points and we got it”, Ogbonda told Bayelsa Queens media.

“The team we played derailed our plan in the second half and that really destabilized us, also my girls were too much in a hurry that was why they missed lots of scoring chances.”

Bayelsa Queens will battle with Ibom Angels in their next league fixture.

NWFL: Ogbonda happy with Bayelsa Queens win over Pacesetters Queens

Barau FC will trade tackles with Rivers United in a Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, matchday five rescheduled fixture on Friday.

The encounter is billed for the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano.

The game was moved from the initial date due to Rivers United’s participation in the CAF Champions League.

Both teams will be meeting for the first time in the NPFL.

Barau FC have managed two wins from their last seven NPFL matches, while Rivers United are yet to taste defeat in four games.

The Maliya Boys are 19th on the league table, while Rivers United top the NPFL table with 33 points.

NPFL: Barau FC to face Rivers United in rescheduled fixture Friday

El Chiringuito pundit, Jota Jordi has hit out at Argentina captain Lionel Messi over his choice of voting during the 2025 FIFA Best Awards.

Recall that Messi had voted Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele as his first choice to win the FIFA Best award for men’s category.

The Inter Miami forward then voted Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe as his second choice and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal as his third choice.

However, Jordi was not pleased with Messi as he highlighted how the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner chose Mbappe, a Real Madrid player, over Yamal.

“This is a stab in the back to Lamine Yamal, a betrayal,” Jordi said as quoted by Sportskeeda while speaking on Messi voting Mbappe ahead of Yamal.

“One plays for Real Madrid and the other wears the 10 at Barça. I’m saying this very seriously; this is very significant.”

Meanwhile, Yamal also finished second in the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings behind Dembele after helping Barcelona to win a domestic double last season.

FIFA Best Awards: You’ve betrayed Yamal – Jordi slams Messi over voting choice

Egypt forward, Omar Marmoush believes the Pharaohs have enough quality to win the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Pharaohs are the most successful team in the history of the competition, with seven titles.

Hossam Hassan’s side failed to progress beyond the group stage in the last edition of the competition.

Marmoush is confident they can conquer the continent again.

“We are going to win the Africa Cup of Nations, of course, and then the World Cup,” Marmoush said, as per Foot Africa.

Egypt is drawn in Group B with South Africa, Zimbabwe and Angola.

AFCON 2025: Egypt gunning for eighth title – Marmoush 

Former Super Eagles striker, Odion Ighalo has backed Victor Osimhen to become captain of the team ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Recall that William Troost-Ekong, who was Super Eagles captain, recently announced his retirement from international football.

However, midfielder Wilfred Ndidi has been widely tipped to take up the captaincy role vacated by Troost-Ekong.

But Ighalo believes Osimhen is the right player to become captain of the Super Eagles because Eric Chelle’s men will listen to him.

“There are several players ahead of Osimhen (as senior players), but now Osimhen is doing well and he has the balls to demand what the team wants,” Ighalo said in an speaking to former Super Eagles media officer Colin Udoh.

“Ndidi is not the talking type, he is a very calm guy, but Osimhen is outspoken, he is going to speak on behalf of the team, he is going to ginger the boys, he’s going to fight for the boys, he will speak to any body he needs to speak to to make sure they are okay.

“The captain job is not easy because your neck in on the line, because whatever the boys demand it’s you that will put it forward to the NFF.

“And if NFF want to come for anybody, they are coming for you because you are the captain.

“With Osimhen, he will speak and nothing can happen because he’s the biggest player in the team, so they won’t want to look down on him, they will listen to him because he’s doing well.”

AFCON 2025: Ighalo names player that should become new Super Eagles captain

Liverpool legend Graeme Souness has claimed that Arsenal faces a disadvantage in this season’s Premier League title race against Manchester City.

Arsenal currently leads the English top-flight league table after 16 games, with Mikel Arteta’s side ahead of the Cityzens in second place and Aston Villa in third place.

“Manchester City are just coming good at the right time, which is scary for the rest of them,” Souness told Sky Bet.

“Aston Villa are a good team, but when you’ve won the Premier League title a few times, you’ve unbelievable belief in yourself.

“Arsenal and Villa have not got that [belief]. City have got that. So,  City will be full of confidence.

“They’ll be thinking, ‘We’ll win this title. Someone will bottle it. We’ll beat Arsenal when we play them.’”

EPL: Souness pinpoints disadvantage Arsenal have in title race with Man City

Arsenal are showing their determination to sign Kenan Yıldız from Juventus ahead of the January transfer window.

As reported by TouchlineX on Wednesday, the Arsenal board has told manager Mikel Arteta he needs to sell one of his attackers to make Yıldız’s signing happen.

The Gunners chiefs are keen to bolster Arteta’s squad in the second half of the season when the January transfer window opens.

The Premier League North London club are keen to win the English top-flight league this season, having finished in second position in the last three seasons.

This season, Arsenal is currently on top of the Premier League table with two points ahead of second-placed Manchester City.

Arteta’s side will face Everton in their next Premier League fixture this weekend.

Arsenal to sign Kenan Yıldız for Arteta

The Nationwide League One, NLO, has announced players registration guidelines ahead of the upcoming season.

The league body has urged clubs to remit a registration fee of ₦600,000 (six hundred thousand Naira) to its account in other to gain access to the NLO’s database.

The modalities is for clubs in the NLO Division One and the U-19 Youth League.

For the youth league clubs, submission of players’ primary school certificates is required.

The deadline for Division One club registration is set for Friday, 27 February, 2026.

The NLO board in collaboration with its Secretariat stated this on Tuesday.

According to the statement, the proactive move highlights the league body’s commitment to ensuring that preparations for the 2026 league are moving forward seamlessly.

The new season is set to kick-start on Friday, 10 April.

NLO sets guidelines for new season registration

Robo Queens have called for fans support ahead of their Nigeria Women Football League, NWFL, matchday four derby clash against Dannaz Ladies.

The Queens will lock horns with Dannaz Ladies at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, Lagos on Wednesday (today).

Robo Queens said the fans support will go a long way towards achieving victory in the game.

“Let the stadium feel our energy. Let our queens hear our voices. Let every beat of the drum echo “We are ROBO!,” Robo Queens stated ahead of the Lagos Derby match.

Robo Queens currently occupy top spot in the Group B table with nine points from three games.

Dannaz Ladies are sixth in the league table with four points.

NWFL: Robo Queens rally supporters ahead derby with Dannaz Ladies