Sports
Nigerians Optimistic Of Eagles Winning Remaining Group Matches
Nigerians yesterday expressed optimism that the Eagles will win the remaining matches in Group D.
Tidesports source reports that the Super Eagles lost 2-0 to Croatia in their maiden match in the group.
Other countries in the Argentina and Iceland.
Tidesports source gathered that Nigeria will face Iceland on June 22 and play their last group D game against Argentina on June 26.
Mr Layi Adesiyan, the Director of Sports, Youths and Special Needs in Osun State, says Super Eagles can win the remaining matches in their group.
Adesiyan told newsmen in Abuja yesterday that Super Eagles needed to focus on other matches.
Super Eagles lost 2-0 to Croatia in their maiden match in the group D.
He said that the technical crew should immediately start to prepare for the remaining games.
“We should not start to blame players and coach for the loss by now, rather we should be thinking about what to do to encourage the team.
“The technical crew needs to work more in all the departments of the team; the goalkeepers, the midfielders, the attackers and the defenders.
“Each player should be given the appropriate responsibility and by now the coach should know what department each player belongs.
“The coach needs to be apt in ensuring necessary substitution where he notices a gap. We can’t just come home without wining any team in our group stage,’’ Adesiyan said.
Also speaking, Godfrey Gaiya, former Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Sports yesterday advised Super Eagles’ Head Coach, Gernot Rohr, to go back to the players used for the World Cup qualification.
Gaiya told newsmen in Abuja that the performance of the Super Eagles was expected.
Reacting to the 2-0 defeat of the Eagles, Gaiya said the team was a work in progress, saying that, in the match played in Kaliningrad, the Eagles lost through an own goal by Oghenekaro Etebo
and a Luka Modric penalty kick.
He advised the head coach to go back to players used to gain the World Cup qualification.
“For now, there is nothing we can do to remedy the situation, let us make this change to avoid further embarrassment.
According to him, the outcome is what most of us saw coming.
“ I am an active supporter of the national team but I did not go to Russia with the team because in spite of their preparations, the team doesn’t have quality that can compete at that level.
“Basically, we have an assembly of average young players that are struggling in their various clubs and I don’t think that the World Cup is an avenue for such players to be thrown into in the mix of teams like Argentina, Iceland and Croatia.
“ I thought we could have depended more on players that we can trust not introducing very young players at the dying minute of the preparations.
“You can see that there are about four or five players that came in long after we have qualified for the tournament.
“And these players are coming in from clubs that were never using them, who will have said that Francis Uzoho will be the one keeping when he has never tested such competition.
“We were not expecting this team for the World Cup, the team is a team for the future and not for this World Cup.
“The team is a work in progress, a team that if we allowed them to stay together in the next two to four years, they can do well,” he said.
But the Enugu chapter of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), said lack of cohesion among individual players brought painful loss to the Super Eagles in the ongoing World Cup.
Nigeria’s Chukwuebuka Enekwechi began his 2026 season with victory at the Orlen Cup in ?ód?, producing a dominant 20.82m throw to win the men’s shot put at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Silver meeting in Poland, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The Africa record holder finished ahead of Romania’s Andrei Toader, who placed second with 20.55m, while Serbia’s Armin Sinan?evi? took third on 19.93m.
Poland’s Szymon Mazur, the best-placed home athlete, finished fourth with 19.69m, with Italy’s Nick Ponzio completing the top five on 19.58m.
The rest of the field was headed by Piotr Go?dziewicz (18.02m), Jakub Korejba (17.55m), Wojciech Marok (17.48m), Damian Rodziak (17.23m) and Ukraine’s Maksym Lebediuk (15.75m).
Enekwechi’s winning mark gave him a clear margin over the field and underlined his status as one of world’s leading throwers, as he laid down an early marker for the new campaign in his traditional season-opening competition.
The result also marked an improvement shift in his Orlen Cup history. This was his third consecutive appearance at the meeting and his third straight season opener with the event, having previously finished second in 2024 with 21.14m and again in 2025 with 20.88m.
On this occasion, he converted consistency into victory, finally standing on the top step of the podium in ?ód?.
Enekwechi is the reigning two-time African champion in the shot put, a silver medallist at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and a two-time African Games champion, having won titles in 2019 and 2023.
His performance in Poland continues a career trajectory that has established him as Nigeria’s leading figure in the event and one of the continent’s most reliable performers on the global circuit.
The women’s competition at the meeting was won by Poland’s Zuzanna Ma?lana.
With the 2026 season now under way, Enekwechi’s opening victory at the Orlen Cup sets an early tone for the year ahead, as he builds momentum towards major continental and international championships.
The next edition of the Orlen Cup is scheduled to take place in ?ód? in February 2027.
Tanzanian giants Simba have opened discussions over a potential move for Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali as they look to reinforce their squad following an injury to first-choice shot-stopper Moussa Camara, Tidesports source reports.
The 29-year-old, who plays for South Africa Premiership side Chippa United, is in the final six months of his contract and is eligible to enter pre-contract negotiations with foreign clubs.
Foot Africa reported that Simba are exploring the possibility of bringing Nwabali to Dar es Salaam either during the current window or on a free transfer at the end of the season, although no agreement has been reached.
“Sources have indicated that Simba are in active talks with the player’s camp in a bid to lure him to Dar es Salaam in the ongoing window or on a free transfer – but no agreement reached,” Foot Africa reported.
Simba’s interest has been accelerated by Camara’s knee injury, which prompted the club to move quickly to sign Mahamadou Tanja Kassila from Niger’s AS FAN.
The club are reportedly considering deregistering Camara to accommodate the new foreign signing, a situation that has frustrated the Guinea international, who has asked for the remaining six months of his contract to be terminated.
In their search for a longer-term solution, Simba identified Nwabali as a prime target, although formal negotiations with his club have yet to begin.
“Simba identified Nwabali as the ideal successor to Camara, but the club is yet to submit a formal bid to Chippa United, who are open to offers,” Foot Africa added.
Nwabali’s profile has continued to rise following his performances for Nigeria, most notably at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where he kept four clean sheets in seven matches as the Super Eagles secured a bronze medal.
Oyo State is set to return to the continental football spotlight as it prepares to host Nigeria’s Falconets in a crucial 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifying match against Senegal’s Lioness of Teranga.
The highly anticipated encounter is scheduled for Saturday, February 7, 2026, at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan. The Oyo State Government said the state was selected for the fixture following its successful hosting of a previous Falconets’ qualifier, further underlining its growing profile as a destination for international sporting events.
In a statement on Monday Oyo State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Wasilat Adegoke, confirmed that preparations were in top gear to ensure a hitch-free match. She said the choice of Oyo State as host was a reflection of confidence in the state’s sporting infrastructure, organisational competence and security architecture.
She recalled the emphatic victory recorded by the Falconets against Rwanda at the same venue last year, describing the match as a testament to the state’s readiness to stage major sporting events.
“The successful hosting of the Falconets against Rwanda showcased Oyo State’s world-class facilities and our capacity to organise international fixtures that meet global standards,” Adegoke said. “The Lekan Salami Stadium has continued to serve as a fortress for our national teams, and we are confident the Falconets will once again make the nation proud.”
Adegoke also disclosed that the Falconets are expected to arrive in Ibadan today ahead of the qualifier, to allow ample time for acclimatisation and final preparations. She added that the team would enjoy full logistical support from the state throughout their stay.
The Falconets, who reached the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup in Japan 14 years ago, will go into the last round of the qualifying series if they win this encounter, to confront the winner of the Guinea-Bissau/Malawi fixture, for one of Africa’s four tickets at the final tournament.
The 12th edition of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup finals will be staged in Poland, from September 5 to 27, 2026.