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NFF Awaits CAF’s Decision On Attendance At Eagles Clash

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With barely 72 hours to the 2022 World Cup second round qualifying match with the Central African Republic (CAR), the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), is awaiting CAF’s decision on the stipulated number of fans to be allowed in the stands to cheer the Super Eagles.
Group C leaders, Nigeria, will be aiming for a third consecutive win with the Match-day three game at the Teslim Balogun Stadium. Most football fans in the former capital city have been eager to be part of Eagles matches but that decision rests with CAF which is the final arbiter.
“Due to the existing Covid-19 protocol, capacity of a stadium no longer decides the level of attendance. Only CAF can decide the number of fans to allow into any home game.
“We are however waiting for CAF’s decision even though it is almost certain now that match tickets may not be available to the public,” a top NFF secretariat official confided.
Super Eagles have played two home matches since the Covid-19 era. One against Lesotho in the AFCON qualifying round and Nigeria’s defeat of Lone Star of Liberia in the opening match of the World Cup qualifying series.
Tidesports source reports that on both occasions, fans allowed into the ground were 10,000 and 5,000 respectively.
Lagos State Sports Commission distributed tickets to fans for the last match and the same scenario may likely play out tomorrow at the same venue.
Meanwhile, most of the players invited for the crucial encounter with the CAR by Coach Gernot Rohr are expected to have arrived camp yesterday.
According to the travel logistics of the players, those based in the United Kingdom were likely to form the early birds in camp on Monday with the rest expected to come in yesterday night (Tuesday) for full training session this morning.
“Most of the players in the United Kingdom are expected in camp on Monday morning because the arrangement was that after their club engagements Sunday afternoon, they will move straight to airport and head for Lagos,” the NFF source hinted.

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Fury, Joshua Fight Sealed

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Fury, (left) and Joshua

The proposed blockbuster fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua has been signed and will go ahead, according to Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn.

Fury had suggested on Friday that the long-awaited all-British showdown was unlikely to happen, but Hearn insisted the fight is contractually agreed.

“We’ve signed the contract, we’re waiting for a date,” Hearn told Tidesports source yesterday.

Hearn said neither fighter could simply withdraw from the agreement.

“The fight’s signed. No-one can pull out of the fight. You can’t just pull out of a contract,” he said.

The main issue still to be resolved is where the fight will take place.

The bout had been expected to happen in the United Kingdom in November, but Saudi organisers Sela are pushing for it to be staged in the United States.

Joshua and Fury have separate contracts with Sela, with New York’s Madison Square Garden reportedly among the preferred venues.

The fight is also expected to be broadcast on Netflix.

Hearn said the Joshua camp would prefer the fight to remain in Britain but could consider a move to the United States under the right terms.

“We know everybody and his dog involved in the fight wants to do the fight in America. We don’t,” Hearn said.

The promoter added that discussions with Sela were continuing, but stressed that there was no indication the fight itself was in danger of falling apart.

“We’ve told Sela and the team, ‘If you want to do it in America, these are the terms that we can move forward with. But we’d rather not please,’” he said.

Fury and Joshua have been expected to meet in one of the biggest fights in British boxing history, with the venue and date now the major outstanding details.

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Arsenal Want Osimhen To Take Pay Cut

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Arsenal want Galatasaray striker, Victor Osimhen, to accept a reduction in his wage demands as a condition for completing a move to the Emirates before the summer transfer window closes.

The Gunners remain hopeful of landing the Nigeria international, with manager Mikel Arteta keen to strengthen his attacking options after failing to convince Atletico Madrid to sell Julian Alvarez, who is said to prefer a move to Barcelona over a return to the Premier League.

According to sources, Arsenal have held direct talks over a deal for Osimhen but are unwilling to make an excessive contract offer, leaving any potential agreement dependent on the striker’s willingness to compromise on his salary.

The 27-year-old currently earns in excess of €20 million (£17.1m) annually at Galatasaray, a figure Arsenal are said to be unwilling to match. Negotiating a fee could prove another obstacle, with Galatasaray president, Dursun Ozbek, insisting the striker is not for sale, a stance underlined by the club’s rejection of a €130 million (£111m) offer from Saudi Pro League side, Al-Hilal, earlier this month.

Having missed out on Osimhen, Al-Hilal reportedly turned their attention to Aston Villa striker, Ollie Watkins, only for their latest £45 million approach to also be rejected, further highlighting the difficulty clubs are facing in prising top forwards away from their current sides this summer.

Despite the ongoing speculation over his future, Osimhen has enjoyed a strong start to the season in Turkey.

He scored twice and provided an assist in Galatasaray’s 4-0 away win over Erzurumspor on Friday, having also netted twice in a 2-2 draw with Corum FK. The forward is expected to continue leading the line for the Turkish champions as Arsenal await his decision on a possible switch to the Premier League.

Arsenal began their Premier League title defence with a convincing victory against newly promoted Coventry City at Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta ended the club’s 22-year wait for a league title last season – and with a faultless display against Frank Lampard’s Sky Blues in their opener, his team reminded the rest of the league why they are favourites to retain the crown.

First-half goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka put the reigning champions firmly in control, and captain Martin Odegaard added a third soon after the restart to seal a comfortable win on the opening day of the campaign.

Arsenal began their Premier League title defence with a convincing victory against newly promoted Coventry City at Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta ended the club’s 22-year wait for a league title last season – and with a faultless display against Frank Lampard’s Sky Blues in their opener, his team reminded the rest of the league why they are favourites to retain the crown.

First-half goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka put the reigning champions firmly in control, and captain Martin Odegaard added a third soon after the restart to seal a comfortable win on the opening day of the campaign.

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PH TO HOST NPBL PLAYOFFS

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Port Harcourt has been confirmed as the host city for the 2026 Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) Playoffs for a fourth straight year, following a slight schedule adjustment by the League Management Committee of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF).

Originally slated for Aug. 22–29, the Playoffs (Phase 3) will now run from 29 August to 6 September at the Basketball Stadium, 59 Niger Street, Port Harcourt Township, Rivers State.

In a communiqué issued on 21 August 2026 by NBBF Vice-President and League Chairman Babatunde Ogunade alongside Secretary-General Amina Amanchi, the federation commended the qualifying teams for their professionalism and performance thus far.

Per the updated schedule, participating teams are expected to arrive on 29 August for pre-tournament technical meetings, with competitive action running from 30 August through 5 September, while team departures take place a day later.

The eight-team, round-robin tournament features four qualifiers from the Atlantic Conference—Rivers Hoopers, Maktown Flyers, Hoops & Read, and Lagos Raptors—alongside Savannah Conference representatives Aso Sky Hawks, 313 Warriors, Gboko City Chiefs, and Kano Pillars.

The selection of Port Harcourt re-establishes Rivers State as a central venue for elite domestic basketball in Nigeria and once again brings the action closer to the teeming fans, following a successful staging of the playoffs and Final Four at the same venue last year.

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