Sports
Iniesta Captains Kobe
Andres Iniesta has been named Vissel Kobe’s new captain as the J1 League club look to get back on track following a poor start to the season.
The former Barcelona midfielder replaces ex-Arsenal forward Lukas Podolski in the role, with the German having stepped down last week amid reports of turmoil behind the scenes.
Kobe are 11th in the table after eight fixtures and have lost their past three games in a row, winning just one of their previous five.
Iniesta, 34, joined the club last year having previously spent his entire career with Barca.
He was captain of the Blaugrana in his final three seasons with the club and wore the armband in the 2015 Champions League final when Barca beat Juventus 3-1 in Berlin to complete a treble.
Sports
Super Eagles To Switch To Adidas Kits
Nigeria’s Super Eagles are set to begin a new kit era in 2027 after the Nigeria Football Federation agreed to a record-breaking partnership with German sportswear company Adidas.
Under the reported deal, Adidas will pay the NFF $4.5 million annually in cash, while also supplying equipment worth another $4 million each year for Nigeria’s national teams.
The cash component is estimated at about ?6.1 billion, while the equipment package is valued at approximately ?5.4 billion annually.
The agreement will also give the NFF 20 per cent of sales generated through Adidas stores, potentially providing the federation with an additional source of revenue.
The reported figures make the partnership the biggest kit-supply agreement involving an African football federation in terms of revenue. Nigeria’s annual cash payment is also said to be more than double Morocco’s reported figure.
The deal could provide some financial relief for the NFF, which has faced challenges surrounding the funding and administration of Nigeria’s national teams.
Beyond the Super Eagles, the equipment package is expected to benefit other national teams, including the Super Falcons and the country’s youth sides. The arrangement could reduce the federation’s cost of providing kits and other equipment for training camps, qualifiers and international tournaments.
The NFF could also benefit significantly from the 20 per cent merchandise-sales clause if Adidas succeeds in generating strong demand for Nigeria’s football shirts.
Nigeria has previously demonstrated the commercial appeal of its national-team kits, particularly during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, when the Super Eagles’ Nike shirt attracted widespread global attention.
A similar level of demand for Adidas merchandise could translate into substantial additional revenue for the federation throughout the partnership.
Sports
S’Eagles Trio Score In Clubs Victories
Super Eagles trio, Victor Osimhen, Kelechi Iheanacho and Ademola Lookman, were all on the scoresheet in wins for their respective clubs on Saturday, continuing their strong starts to the new season.
Osimhen continued his impressive form as Galatasaray edged Göztepe 3-2 in the Turkish Super Lig.
Göztepe stunned the champions by taking the lead in the 16th minute through Miroshi, before Davinson Sánchez restored parity for the hosts. Osimhen then set up Sara to hand Galatasaray a 2-1 lead, before calmly converting a penalty in the 63rd minute to make it 3-1 and take his season tally to five goals. Göztepe pulled one back late on, but Galatasaray held firm to move to the top of the league table after three matches.
In Spain, Lookman scored his first goal of the season for Atlético Madrid in a 3-1 win over Sevilla, getting on the scoresheet in the 33rd minute after Álex Baena had opened the scoring for the hosts.
In Turkey’s second division, Iheanacho scored and provided an assist for Bursaspor in their win over Kayserispor, taking his involvement to six goals in four games for the club this season.
The Nigerian forward has now scored in every match he has featured in this term, having also been on target against Karagümrük and Igdir FK, and provided an assist in the win over Bodrum FK.
Sports
Ex-internationals, coaches headline FutbolConect summit
Former internationals, coaches, club owners, scouts and other key stakeholders in Nigerian football are expected to headline the FutbolConect Talent and Club Growth Development Summit 2026, scheduled for Monday, August 31, at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The summit, organised under the theme, “From Grassroots to Stardom,” will focus on talent discovery, club development and ways of creating sustainable opportunities within the football industry.
FutbolConect, which is building a network linking players, clubs, academies and football professionals across borders, is using the event to deepen conversations around access, visibility and growth for African football talent.
According to the organisers, the summit will bring together club owners, scouts, agents, coaches, players, academy representatives, investors and sponsors, among others, to examine practical ways of strengthening the football ecosystem.
Discussions at the event will be anchored on the themes of Connect, Register, Earn and Grow, which the organisers said reflect FutbolConect’s broader objective of creating a more connected and commercially viable pathway for players, clubs and other stakeholders.
Also expected at the summit are FIFA-licensed intermediaries, club representatives and officials from the Nigeria Football Federation, Nigeria National League and Nationwide League One.
The gathering is expected to feature networking and strategic discussions on the future of football development in Nigeria, with particular attention to grassroots talent identification, club growth and opportunities for young players to gain exposure beyond the domestic scene.
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