Sports
NFF, NPFL, Imo Govt Mourn Heartland Coach
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and its affiliate body, the Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL) have described as “shocking and very sad,” the death on Friday of former Nigeria international goalkeeper, Christian Obi, in a ghastly automobile accident involving players and officials of his club, Heartland FC of Owerri in Okigwe, Imo State.
NFF President, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, said: “We are still stunned and saddened by the report. Our hearts go out to the immediate family of Coach Christian Obi, his friends and relations, the Imo State Football Association and the Imo State Government, owners of Heartland Football Club.
“While we await further reports on the accident, we commiserate with the Imo State Government on this unfortunate situation, and pray that Almighty God will grant the late Christian Obi eternal rest, and also pray that the injured regain good health speedily.”
In his reaction, the NPFL Chairman, Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye, described the death of the coach as devastating and cruel.
“We were hosting the NPFL Coaches, Captains and Team Managers to a workshop in Abuja, updating them on the new rules rolled out by IFAB when we read snippets from social media posts but could not immediately confirm the veracity of Coach Christian Obi’s death.
“It turned out to be true and it is devastating, it is cruel but at the end, we accept that this is life and death is inevitable”, laments Elegbeleye.
He extended condolence on behalf of the NPFL Board and the Clubs to the immediate family and friends of the deceased, and the Management of Heartland FC and the Imo State Government.
“Our thoughts are with his immediate and extended family, his friends, Heartland FC players and officials as well as to the Imo State Government”, stated the NPFL Chairman.
Also, in the condolence message issued yesterday, Governor of Imo State, Sen. Hope Uzodimma decried the sudden passing of Christian Obi, as a lost star.
The Governor therefore sends his deepest condolences to the deceased’s immediate family, even as he prays for the speedy recovery of other members of the team travelling with Obi who also sustained injuries as a result of the accident.
motor accident.
“The former Super Eagles player was on his way to Abakaliki with the Heartland team for a pre season tournament when the accident occurred.
“The Government sends its deepest condolences to the immediate family of the late Christian Obi and prays for the quick recovery of those injured in the accident.”
Christian Obi was a member of the Nigeria U20 team that won the bronze medals at the 1985 FIFA World Youth Championship (now FIFA U20 World Cup) in the Soviet Union, defeating the host nation in a penalty shootout in the third-place match after scoreless regulation and extra time in Moscow.
Though Obi was the second-choice goalkeeper, he was thrown into action in the third-place match following injury to first-choice Aloysius Agu in the 0-2 defeat to Brazil in the semi-finals in Leningrad, and Obi’s heroics in saving three of the Soviet Union team’s penalty kicks handed Nigeria a 3-1 win in the shootout and first-ever podium finish in FIFA’s second most important tournament.
Christian Obi was also part of Nigeria’s squad for the Men’s Football Tournament of the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.
The Los Angeles Lakers shrugged off their injury worries to make a winning start to the NBA play-offs.
The 18-time champions were without key players Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Maxi Kleber but 41-year-old LeBron James produced another fine display in a 107-98 win over the Houston Rockets.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks were the other winners on day one of the play-offs, while the Phoenix Suns and Orlando Magic won the play-in tournament to book their places.
James controlled the floor while racking up 19 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds against a Houston side who lost key man Kevin Durant to injury just before play started.
“It’s just our play-off mentality,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said.
“You can’t worry about who’s in or out of the line-up. It’s our gameplan. It’s our standards. It’s how we play, and we’ve built towards that.
“I thought our guys just responded well and met the moment. That’s the biggest thing. You’ve got to meet the moment in every game, and we were able to do that.”
Luke Kennard continued to step up as a starter with a career play-off high 27 points as the Lakers took the opening game in the best-of-seven series.
Durant, 37, has a bruised knee and could return for game two on Tuesday night.
Defending champions Oklahoma City Thunder began their campaign last night against the Suns.
Brentford missed the chance to go sixth in the Premier League with a goalless draw against visitors Fulham, their fifth consecutive stalemate in the top flight.
A win would have helped the Bees overtake Chelsea and boost their chances of qualifying for a debut European campaign but they failed to capitalise in a game of few real chances at Gtech Community Stadium.
Fulham had the majority of possession but it was Brentford who had the best of chances in a lacklustre early kick-off.
Igor Thiago, only one behind 22-goal Erling Haaland in the Golden Boot race, headed wide from close range early on while Keane Lewis-Potter fired just over Bernd Leno’s goal from eight yards in the dying seconds of the first half.
Dango Ouattara, who attempted the only shot on target before the interval, failed to trouble Leno again with an effort from distance in the 58th minute.
An unmarked Mikkel Damsgaard then failed to hit the target with a first-time effort from the edge of the box after Kevin Schade played him through as frustration continued to build for Keith Andrews’ side.
Harry Wilson produced a well-timed run to get on the end of a cross in the 78th minute but dragged his shot wide in a rare opening for Fulham.
The teenager delivered a standout performance in what is regarded as one of Africa’s more competitive road cycling events, further strengthening her growing reputation as one of the sport’s most promising young riders.
The Tour du Faso, organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation, which also runs the Tour de France, has been part of the UCI Africa Tour since 2005 and is classified as a 2.2 event.
First held in 1987, it was reserved for amateurs until 1998. It is widely regarded as Africa’s biggest cycling race, a demanding ten-stage challenge that brings together European amateur riders and African local competitors in a contest often described as a blend of sporting ambition and opportunity.
Osaretin’s latest success in stage five adds to a remarkable journey that has seen her rise from humble beginnings as a wheelbarrow pusher to becoming both a Nigerian and African junior champion.
Her breakthrough on the national stage came at the 2024 National Sports Festival in May 2025, where she shocked everyone by defeating Nigeria’s first cycling Olympian Ese Ukpeseraye to win gold in the women’s 200m sprint final.
She went on to win another gold medal in the women’s road race at the inaugural African School Games in Algeria.
Her stage five victory in Burkina Faso now signals continued upward momentum as she establishes herself on the international cycling circuit and looks to build on her early success.
Kola Daniel, special assistant on media to the director general of the National Sports Commission, confirmed the development in a statement released on April 18, 2026.
4th
Falconets intensify preparations for Malawi clash
Nigeria’s U-20 women’s national team, the Falconets, have stepped up their build-up ahead of their FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup final qualifying first-leg encounter against Malawi, scheduled for May 2, Tidesports source reports.
The team have been in intensive training in Abuja as they fine-tune tactics and sharpen their preparations for the decisive fixture, with coaches focusing on team organisation and match strategy ahead of the encounter.
Head coach Moses Aduku expressed confidence in his squad’s readiness, stressing that preparations had reached an advanced stage and that focus had shifted fully to tactical execution.
Aduku said the team are fully concentrated on the task ahead and believes they are well positioned to secure a positive result in the first leg.
“We have a full squad on ground and everyone is focused on the task at hand. From now, we will concentrate on team planning and tactical work. We are taking this very seriously, and I believe by the end of the match we will come out victorious,” he told NFF media.
The Falconets have maintained a positive atmosphere in camp, with high morale among the players and no reported injury concerns.
The coaching staff have also been working on integrating players from different clubs, with emphasis on building cohesion and balance within a short preparation window.
Aduku also appealed for continued support from fans, drawing parallels with previous qualifying rounds against Rwanda and Senegal, while expressing confidence that the team would secure qualification over the two legs.
“To our supporters, we plead that you pray for us as you did when we played Rwanda and Senegal in the earlier rounds. I believe Nigeria will smile with a ticket to the World Cup after the two legs against Malawi,” he added.
Nigeria reached this stage after overcoming Senegal 3-1 on aggregate in the previous round, following a 1-0 home win and a 2-1 away victory.
They had earlier defeated Rwanda 5-0 on aggregate to advance.
Their opponents, Malawi, arrive in strong form after a commanding 6-2 aggregate win over Guinea Bissau, including a 5-1 victory in Lilongwe following a 1-1 draw in the first leg away from home.
The return leg of the qualifier will be held in Lilongwe on May 9, with both sides competing for a place at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland in 2026.