At the end of a scheduled facilities tour of venues for the 2nd Niger Delta Games, Hon Desmond Enabulele, the Executive Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission applauded the organisers, Dunamis-Icon Limited and the sponsor, Niger Delta Development Commission for the renewal of sporting facilities across Benin City.

Enabulele led some members of the commission’s management team on the tour that saw them visiting the tennis courts, swimming pool and indoor sports hall at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, and the basketball and volleyball courts at Wire Road Sports Centre.

The chairman expressed satisfaction with the level of renovation work already completed by the organisers of the Niger Delta Games, Dunamis Icon Ltd.

“The facility upgrade is 90 percent ready and we are very happy with what is on ground. The upgrade counts as one of numerous benefits of the Games being hosted by our state. The tennis court at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium and the indoor halls are fully ready. Work on the swimming pool is ongoing and at an advanced stage. We are ready,” Enabulele declared.

The Edo State Sports Commission boss also paid a visit to the state contingent for the Games and urged them to return an improved performance to their outing in Uyo. He counselled them to be disciplined and to focus on their training in order to achieve the target set for themselves.

“We are ready for the 2026 Niger Delta Games.  Congratulations to you all here. Remember we have a lot of intelligent and brilliant people in our state. So for you to be selected for the task,you are already a winner. From now on you should know you are now state Ambassadors because you are representing Edo state.

“As we are in this camp, discipline must be our watchword. We have set target for ourselves and to achieve the goals,you must be disciplined. Without discipline and commitment it is difficult to achieve much as sports men and women.

“In this particular edition of the Niger Delta Games,we are not just participating or adding to the number of teams, but we are working towards hosting to win. We can do it if we are disciplined as host state.” Enabulele said.

Falcons Line up before a match.

Ajibade returned to first-team action three weeks ago after being sidelined with injury since November.

Since joining the club in the summer, the Super Falcons star has made nine league appearances, providing one assist, but she is yet to open her goal-scoring account.

However, her influence on the pitch is undeniable. She recently led other Super Falcons players in the International Federation of Football History and Statistics Women’s Africa XI.

On Sunday, Super Falcons goalkeeper Nnadozie made four saves from seven shots faced, but it was not enough to prevent Brighton from losing 3-2 to West Ham United in the Women’s Super League.

It marked a second consecutive league defeat for Brighton Women, leaving them with just one win in their last five games. The goalkeeper has kept four clean sheets in 13 games since arriving in England in the summer.

Like Ajibade, Nnadozie was also named in the IFFHS CAF Women’s XI, reflecting her reputation as one of Africa’s leading goalkeepers through her performances for Nigeria, former club Paris FC, and current side Brighton & Hove Albion, where she has combined consistent shot-stopping with leadership responsibilities in 2025.

Defenders Michelle Alozie and Ashleigh Plumptre were also named in the IFFHS Africa XI defence.

Alozie, who recently switched from Houston Dash to Chicago Stars FC, is still warming up for the new season in the United States, as is the star of the 2024 WAFCON, Esther Okoronkwo, who is based in Canada.

Falcons’ build-up tournament

Meanwhile, the Super Falcons will begin their build-up to the 2026 tournament by competing in a four-nation West African tournament scheduled to take place in Abidjan later this month.

The team has confirmed participation in the invitational competition, organised by the West African Football Union (WAFU) B, which will run from February 27 to March 7, 2026, in Ivory Coast.

The tournament will feature four teams that have all qualified for WAFCON 2026, with hosts Ivory Coast joined by Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal.

The mini-tournament is expected to serve as a final competitive test for the teams, ending just 10 days before the start of the WAFCON finals in Morocco.

Although there are still some uncertainties surrounding the tournament — following the hosts’ reported request for postponement — the 2026 WAFCON is scheduled to run from March 17 to April 3, 2026.

Defending champions Nigeria have been drawn in Group C alongside Zambia, Egypt and debutants Malawi.

 

Super Eagles in training session.

There is growing confidence within the Nigeria Football Federation that the Super Eagles could receive another lifeline in their bid to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, as the country awaits FIFA’s verdict on a protest against DR Congo, Tidesports source reports.

After losing the final of the African play-offs to DR Congo on penalties in Morocco last November, Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico were rekindled following a protest by the NFF, alleging that DR Congo fielded ineligible players during the series.

The intercontinental play-offs are scheduled to take place from March 26 to 31 in Mexico, where DR Congo have been drawn to face the winner of the tie between New Caledonia and Jamaica for a chance to claim one of the two available World Cup slots.

As the play-offs draw closer, a verdict from FIFA is expected soon, and the NFF remains confident in the process.

We are still waiting for them to reach out to us,” NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, told Tidesports source reports.

“We believe that we have a chance; that is why we petitioned. If we knew we didn’t have a chance, we wouldn’t have petitioned. That is our submission — it is now left to FIFA to decide,” he added.

Nigeria’s protest is hinged on the alleged illegal switch of nationality by some DR Congo players.

According to FIFA statutes, a player may request to change the association they are eligible to represent only once. The process requires a written and substantiated application, carried out in line with domestic regulations and approved by FIFA’s Players’ Status Committee.

While FIFA requires a player to hold a passport of the new nation they wish to represent — even if they also possess another passport — this is not the case under Congolese law, which forbids its citizens from holding dual nationality.