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2026 World Cup: Super Eagles pocket $1,000 each for beating Rwanda

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Super Eagles player received $1,000 as appearance fee for Friday’s 2-0 win in Rwanda, which revived Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup qualification hopes.

Officials also informed SCORENigeria that each player will receive a camp allowance of $200-a-day during the international break.

In addition, it has now been clarified that they be paid another $1,000 as appearance fee for Tuesday’s match against Zimbabwe.

Nigeria will firmy get their World Cup qualifying campaign firmly back on course with a home victory over Zimbabwe after a rather difficult start.

Nigeria have now climbed to fourth in Group C with six points from five matches.

They are four points adrift of group leaders South Africa.

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Osimhen
Sports

Osimhen Leads Early Super Eagles Arrival in Rwanda for Qualifier

by Nelson Ugwuagbo
written by Nelson Ugwuagbo

Nigeria’s Super Eagles have begun their preparations for the 2026 World Cup qualifier against Rwanda, with key players arriving in Kigali ahead of Friday’s crucial match.

Victor Osimhen, Bruno Onyemaechi, Papa Daniel Mustapha, and Kayode Bankole were the first to land in Rwanda as the team kicks off its buildup for the qualifier.

A video shared on the team’s official X handle on Monday, March 17, captured the players’ arrival at Kigali International Airport, where they were received by head coach Eric Chelle and team staff.

The Super Eagles captioned the video: “Early arrival of Super Eagles officials and four players – Victor Osimhen, Bruno Onyemaechi, Papa Daniel Mustapha, and Kayode Bankole.”

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Ahmed Musa
Sports

Ahmed Musa Returns as Super Eagles Announce Squad for World Cup Qualifiers

by Nelson Ugwuagbo
written by Nelson Ugwuagbo

Ahmed Musa has made a return to the Super Eagles for the World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

Musa, who is Nigeria’s highest goalscorer in the World Cup, has not featured for the team for a while.

There were also new names for the encounters billed for two this month.

More Details to follow

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CAF
Sports

CAF Snubs Super Eaglets in Final U-17 AFCON Slot

by Nelson Ugwuagbo
written by Nelson Ugwuagbo

Nigeria’s hopes of featuring at the 2025 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco have been dashed after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) finalized its qualification slots, omitting the Golden Eaglets.

The tournament, scheduled for March 30 to April 19, 2025, will serve as a qualifier for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar later that year, a competition Nigeria has won five times.

Despite finishing third at the 2023 WAFU B U-17 Championship in Ghana, the Golden Eaglets failed to secure qualification, with Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast claiming the two automatic spots from the region.

CAF has now allotted four additional slots to The Gambia (third place in WAFU Zone A), Tunisia, and two teams from the CECAFA and COSAFA regions. The final two places for the expanded 16-team tournament will be determined by the top two teams from the UNIFFAC regional qualifiers, set to be held in Cameroon from February 16 to 28. Competing for those spots are Cameroon, Gabon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Congo.

With no place in the expanded tournament, the Golden Eaglets will miss back-to-back FIFA U-17 World Cups, having also failed to qualify for the 2023 edition in Indonesia after finishing outside the top four at the U-17 AFCON in Algeria.

Last week, CAF confirmed the expansion of the U-17 AFCON following FIFA’s decision to increase Africa’s U-17 World Cup slots to 10 teams for the 2025 tournament in Qatar. However, despite the global competition’s expansion to 48 teams, CAF’s qualification adjustments did not include Nigeria, dealing a significant blow to the country’s age-grade football.

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Sports

I can’t sing new Nigerian Anthem – Iwobi

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Fulham and Super Eagles midfielder, Alex Iwobi has admitted that he is yet to learn the reintroduced Nigerian national anthem “Nigeria, We Hail Thee.”

The Nigeria international disclosed this in a recent episode of the ‘Is This Seat Taken?’ podcast hosted by Nollywood actress, Chinasa Anukam.

He revealed that he closes his eyes and place his hand on his chest during recitation of the new national anthem before kickoff of international matches.

The host asked, “Have you learnt the new national anthem?”

Iwobi replied, “No. When it comes on, I literally stand there and close my eyes.”

The newly re-adopted anthem “Nigeria, We Hail Thee” was written by Lillian Jean Williams in 1959 and composed by Frances Berda.

It was replaced by “Arise, O Compatriots” as the national anthem of Nigeria on 1 October 1978 but was reintroduced in May 2024 after President Bola Tinubu’s endorsement.

The reintroduction of the old national anthem sparked debate, with prominent figures like activist Aisha Yesufu vowing not to revert to ‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee’ despite the presidential endorsement.

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Mbappe
EntertainmentSports

Kylian Mbappe to Miss Real Madrid Cup Tie After Injury Setback

by Nelson Ugwuagbo
written by Nelson Ugwuagbo

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Kylian Mbappe will be unavailable for the club’s Copa del Rey quarter-final clash against Leganes due to a bruised calf.

Mbappe sustained the injury during Real Madrid’s 1-0 La Liga defeat to Espanyol on Saturday after a challenge from Carlos Romero. The Espanyol defender avoided a red card and later scored the winning goal against the league leaders.

On Monday, Real Madrid lodged a complaint with the Spanish football federation, describing refereeing in Spain as “rigged” and “completely discredited.”

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Ancelotti provided an update on Mbappe’s condition.

“Mbappe started training today. We gave him an extra day of recovery yesterday,” Ancelotti said. “He has a bruised calf, he trained normally, but he will not be available for the game tomorrow.”

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Softball
Sports

Nigeria to Host Landmark International Wheelchair Softball Tournament

by Nelson Ugwuagbo
written by Nelson Ugwuagbo

Nigeria has been granted hosting rights for a six-nation wheelchair softball tournament by the International Wheelchair Softball Federation, marking the first time such an event will be held in Africa.

President of the Wheelchair Softball Federation of Nigeria (WSFN), Sunday Odion, confirmed the development, noting that interest from the United States, the Netherlands, and Japan could expand the tournament to nine participating nations.

“The international body has given us the hosting right for a six-nation tournament. However, the US, the Netherlands, and Japan have also expressed interest, which could bring the total to nine,” Odion stated.

He highlighted the significance of hosting the event, particularly in terms of technical assistance for Nigeria and other African nations. He emphasized the opportunity to train coaches and officials locally at a reduced cost compared to overseas training programs.

“This will come with technical support from the International Federation to train our coaches. Instead of sending two coaches to the US at a high cost, we can train 20 to 40 coaches here,” he explained.

Odion also noted that other African countries could benefit by sending their coaches and officials for training, enhancing the overall development of wheelchair softball on the continent.

Appealing for support, he called on Nigerians to invest in sports development, not just for wheelchair softball but for other disciplines as well.

“We are counting on Nigerians who have the means to support sports—not just softball but other sports as well,” he urged.

The tournament is expected to leave a lasting legacy for wheelchair softball in Africa, positioning Nigeria as a key player in adaptive sports development and fostering international collaboration in the field.

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Sports

FG budgets N31bn to renovate Abuja Stadium, others

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

In a bid to improve the fortunes of Nigerian football and sports at all levels, the federal government has earmarked over N31.4 billion for the renovation and upgrade of critical sports facilities across the country.

This initiative, under the National Sports Infrastructure Development Plan, is part of a broader strategy to rejuvenate the country’s sports sector, elevate athletic performance and restore Nigeria’s capacity to host international sporting events.

At the heart of this ambitious project lies the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, alongside other iconic sports facilities, such as the National Stadium in Surulere in Lagos, Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna, Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu and Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt. These historic sports arenas are slated for substantial upgrades that promise to restore their statuses as world-class facilities.

According to the leadership of the reinstated National Sports Commission (NSC), the initiative reflects government’s commitment to addressing longstanding issues that have plagued Nigerian sports infrastructure for decades, including aging facilities, insufficient maintenance and outdated systems.

Renovations will elevate these stadiums up to international standard, positioning Nigeria to host global competitions while fostering the growth of local talents.

As part of President Bola Tinubu’s N47.90 trillion “Budget of Restoration,” the NSC has allocated over N28 billion to upgrade stadiums nationwide. Specifically, N12.7 billion has been designated for the rehabilitation of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium’s main bowl (Phase I), while an additional N4 billion is earmarked for completing a high-performance centre for athletes at the same venue. A further N4.5 billion will fund the construction of a sports secretariat within the stadium.

The construction/completion of mini sports centres across the six geopolitical zones is expected to gulp N4.4 billion while N12 million was allocated for the provision of internet band with connectivity via optic fiber and LAN/WAN at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja and other critical national sporting infrastructure for the commission.

The budget also includes N5.8 billion for general upgrade and maintenance of other sports infrastructure across the country. This is where some of the iconic facilities like the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu and Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano, which have been handed over to the respective state government, will benefit as they would also enjoy some intervention.

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Rashford
Sports

Barcelona Eye Marcus Rashford in January Transfer Deal

by Nelson Ugwuagbo
written by Nelson Ugwuagbo

England and Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has emerged as a transfer target for Barcelona, with the Catalan giants reportedly making moves to secure his services on a loan deal during the January transfer window.

Football journalist Fabrizio Romano revealed the development in a post on X on Friday, noting that the 27-year-old forward has fallen out of favor at Manchester United under manager Ruben Amorim. Rashford recently hinted at his desire for a fresh challenge, further fueling speculation about his potential departure.

Reports indicate that Barcelona has initiated contact with Rashford’s representatives to express their interest in the forward.

Rashford, who has also been linked to other top European clubs, including AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Arsenal, and West Ham, faces a significant stumbling block in his hefty wages. The England international reportedly earns over €350,000 per week at Manchester United, posing a financial challenge for potential suitors.

Despite the wage hurdle, Barcelona president Joan Laporta is reportedly keen on strengthening Hansi Flick’s squad this winter. Laporta views Rashford as a valuable addition who could enhance the team’s attacking options.

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Sports

BREAKING: Nwabali loses mother, months after father’s death

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Super Eagles goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali is bereaved, yet again.

Nwabali had in November 2024 announced the passing of his father, and barely two months later, he has announced that his mother is also no more.

A devastated Nwabali took to social media to announce the sad development writing, “A very very crazy world indeed, Rip mom, worst year of my life already”

The 28-year-old shot stopper was excused from the Super Eagles camp for the game against Rwanda last year when his father passed, to allow him mourn.

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