Lookman, who plays for Atalanta, earned the accolade after leading his club to Europa League triumph in May, scoring a historic hat-trick in the final. Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman and Zambia’s Barbra Banda were crowned Men's and Women's African Players of the Year at the CAF Awards ceremony held in Morocco on Monday night.
The match saw Nigeria's team heavily rotated, with Coach Augustine Eguavoen making seven changes to the lineup that drew 1-1 against Benin last Thursday in Côte d'Ivoire. Rwanda’s victory was crucial as they finished third in Group D, tied on points with Benin but lagging on goal difference. The Super Eagles suffered their first defeat in the 2025 Nations Cup qualifier, losing 2-1 to the Wasps of Rwanda on matchday 6.
The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has encountered a significant hurdle following the termination of its five-year broadcast deal with StarTimes, valued at over N1 billion.
This was confirmed in a statement issued by Ousmane Kane, Chairperson of the CAF Disciplinary Board, outlining the decision to penalize Libya for their role in the botched match. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has granted Nigeria's Super Eagles three points and fined the Libya Football Federation $50,000 in connection with the abandoned Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Nigeria and Libya.
The decision came after a distressing 12-hour delay at Libya’s Al-Abraq International Airport, where the team was redirected despite being cleared to land in Benghazi. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced the withdrawal of the Super Eagles from the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Libya, which was originally set for Tuesday.
The former German international’s appointment, announced on Tuesday via social media, is effective immediately, though the details of his contract remain undisclosed. The Nigeria Football Federation has appointed Germany’s Bruno Labbadia as the new coach of the Nigerian men’s football team, marking the third coaching appointment in a tumultuous year for the nation's football.
The disappointing outcome led to criticism from former and current Olympians, urging a reformation of the country's sports federations. Sports Minister John Owan Enoh issued a public apology, acknowledging the nation's failure and promising to reflect on the shortcomings. Despite boasting top athletes like 100m hurdles record holder Tobi Amusan, Nigeria left the Paris Olympics without a single medal, marking the first time the "Giant of Africa" returned empty-handed since the 2012 London Games.
Notable athletes like Favour Ofili in athletics and Blessing Oborududu in wrestling delivered strong performances but fell short of medal expectations.
Despite entering the Olympics with strong performances in qualifying events, Team Nigeria has returned home without a medal, marking a disappointing outcome similar to the London Games in 2012.
In a thrilling rematch of the Paris Olympics final, the star-studded US team, led by LeBron James, showcased their dominance against France, which featured NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama. The USA basketball team clinched the gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, showcasing a dominant performance in the finals. With exceptional teamwork and skill, the team secured their victory, reaffirming their status as a powerhouse in international basketball.
Brume, who previously secured a bronze medal at Tokyo 2021, was unable to replicate her 2022 performance, which earned her a silver medal at the World Championships in Oregon, USA. Alongside Brume, two other Nigerian jumpers, Ruth Usoro and Prestina Ochonogor, who reached the final, finished 10th and 12th with jumps of 6.58m and 6.24m, respectively. Ese Brume's pursuit of a consecutive Olympic medal came up short on Thursday night at the Paris 2024 Games, where she placed fifth with a best jump of 6.70m.
Despite a strong effort in the final quarter, Coach Rena Wakama’s squad couldn't overcome the early deficit, having lost the first three quarters.
This disqualification has impacted the medal matches, forcing adjustments by the organizers. Phogat, who initially defeated Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez in the semifinals, saw Guzman Lopez advance to the gold medal match. Indian women's wrestler Vinesh Phogat has been disqualified from the 50-kilogram wrestling final at the Paris Olympics due to failing to make weight on Wednesday.
The gold medal was claimed by American sprinter Gabby Thomas, who finished with a time of 21.83 seconds.
Ofili's achievement marks a historic milestone as she becomes the first Nigerian since Mary Onyali to qualify for the 200m final at the Olympics. Onyali, who remains the only Nigerian to have reached the podium in this event, set a high standard for future generations, and Ofili's performance continues that legacy. Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili has secured her place in the final of the women's 200m event at the ongoing Paris Olympic Games. She finished second in the semi-final with a season's best time of 22.05 seconds, just behind Julien Alfred, who clocked in at 21.98 seconds.
Nigeria's D'Tigress have made history at the Paris 2024 Olympics by becoming the first African basketball team, male or female, to reach the quarterfinals of any Olympic Games. The back-to-back Afrobasket champions secured this historic achievement with a stunning 79-70 victory over Canada in Lille, France.
The Rena Wakama-led team pulled off a spirited performance to beat the Australians 75-62 at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium on Monday.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Olaore lost 0-5 to Kazakhstan’s Oralbay Aibek, who dominated the round of 16 bout at the North Paris Arena, winning all three rounds on all five judges' cards. Team Nigeria’s run of losses at the ongoing 2024 Olympic Games in Paris continued yesterday with boxer Olaitan Olaore crashing out of the men’s 92kg heavyweight event.
The Super Falcons made strategic changes to their lineup, with Asisat Oshoala and Esther Okoronkwo starting in place of Onyi Echegini and Chinwendu Ihezuo. Despite the modifications, the reigning World Champions, Spain, dominated the first half, limiting Nigeria's opportunities to counterattack. Nigeria’s Super Falcons faced a 1-0 defeat against Spain in their second match at the Paris Olympics, marking consecutive losses following their opening match defeat to Brazil.
The future of Nigeria’s striker Victor Osimhen at Napoli remains uncertain as Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) appears to be distancing itself from securing the player. Osimhen’s hefty salary of €12 million net per season and a total cost of €31 million gross until June 2026 significantly influences Napoli’s transfer activities. Resolving his status is crucial for the club’s plans, including the potential acquisition of Romelu Lukaku, as indicated by coach Antonio Conte.
President Bola Tinubu has strongly supported Amaju Pinnick's bid for re-election to the FIFA Council. Pinnick, a two-term President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), was first elected to the Council in March 2021, Pinnick, two-term President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), was elected into the Council in March 2021 – the third Nigerian after the late Oyo Orok Oyo and Dr. Amos Adamu.
Noticeably absent are veteran players Onome Ebi and Francesca Ordega. While initial reports suggested they were being pushed for inclusion against the coach’s wishes, both players denied involvement in such tactics. After weeks of speculation, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has unveiled the final roster for the Super Falcons’ Olympic squad in Paris.
The former Ajax winger, Finidi George, had managed nine-time NPFL champions, Enyimba, for three years before moving up to coach the Super Eagles national team. Rivers United have appointed Finidi George as their new head coach.
Switzerland dumped reigning champions Italy out of Euro 2024 with a stunning 2-0 victory to reach the quarterfinals for the second time in their history. Switzerland dumped reigning champions Italy out of Euro 2024 with a stunning 2-0 victory to reach the quarterfinals for the second time in their history.
