Sports
Four Private Clubs Gain Promotion To NPFL
Sporting Lagos narrate tales of intimidation en route promotion
In what looks like a bold new chapter in Nigerian football history, all four clubs promoted from the second tier Nigeria National League (NNL) to the elite Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) are privately owned.
Kaduna erupted in celebration on Wednesday evening, as Ranchers Bees booked the last ticket to the NPFL, completing a historic quartet of promoted sides.
Ranchers Bees, owned by Sadiq Umar, joined Doma United, Sporting Lagos, and Inter Lagos as the four NNL teams promoted to the NPFL after a tense end to the regular season.
Ranchers Bees did it the hard way, as it fell 0-2 away to hosts, Gombe United, in a tense encounter. But fate smiled at them in Kebbi, where Kebbi United’s 3-0 win over Jigawa Golden Stars handed Ranchers Bees the sole Conference D slot at the expense of a hard-fighting Jigawa side.
The four new NPFL sides will now shift focus to the NNL Super 4 Tournament, which will crown the overall NNL champion and serve as the perfect warm-up for the Big Stage.
The NNL Super 4 will run from May 1 to May 8, 2026. The official draws will be held today at the Marriott Hotel, Ikeja GRA, Lagos.
Meanwhile, the chairman of Sporting Lagos FC, Godwin Enakhena, has narrated a tale of intimidation, alleged match manipulation, and administrative breakdown in his club’s decisive promotion clash against Osun United.
In a detailed statement shared on social media, Enakhena described a harrowing sequence of events in Ileogbo, Osun State, where Sporting Lagos secured promotion to the NPFL despite what he portrayed as a hostile and unsafe environment.
Heading into the fixture, Sporting Lagos’ path appeared straightforward. With victories already secured against First Bank and Rovers of Calabar, Enakhena believed promotion was within reach, especially against an Osun United side already relegated to the Nationwide League.
But warnings from insiders hinted at trouble. Upon arrival in Ileogbo, those fears quickly materialised, he said.
Enakhena alleged that threats were issued to his side even before kickoff, including restrictions on media coverage and warnings that recording equipment would be destroyed.
At the match venue, he said that the club encountered what he described as “area boys” openly smoking cannabis and intimidating officials and visitors.
He also alleged that supporters of Sporting Lagos were barred from entering the stadium and threatened with violence. “Some were later smuggled in through a back entrance, only to face further attempts to eject them,” he added.
Enakhena painted an even darker picture on the pitch. According to him, match officials “were on a mission” to prevent Sporting Lagos from gaining promotion, turning the encounter into what he called “a horror movie.”
He also recounted direct threats allegedly issued in person: “You have come here to qualify? We will kill you here today… We know who we’re giving the ticket to.”
Enakhena said that his efforts to reach Osun United chairman Gbenga Ololade yielded little reassurance.
He called on the managers of the NNL to review the statements allegedly made by Osun United’s officials at the pre-match meeting and that of the match commissioner if football is to retain its sanity in Nigeria.
Enakhena contrasted his experience in Osun with an earlier fixture in Abeokuta, where he commended the Director General of the National Sports Commission, Bukola Olopade, for demonstrating integrity by not influencing a crucial game involving Stormers FC, a club he owns.
That contrast, he implied, reflects a deeper divide within Nigerian football governance, between fair competition and systemic interference.
He also acknowledged the roles of Osun State FA chairman, Sola Fanawopo and his Lagos State counterpart, Gafar Liameed, whom he contacted in advance seeking protection and fair play assurances, though events on match day suggested those assurances were insufficient.
The Sporting Lagos ordeal is not an isolated incident but part of a troubling pattern that has long plagued Nigerian domestic football.
From intimidation of referees and visiting teams to crowd violence and administrative interference, such practices have eroded the credibility of competitions like the Nigerian football leagues.
Analysts argue that clubs emerging from such environments are often ill-prepared for the professionalism and tactical demands of continental competitions.
Only Denmark, ranked 21st globally, sits higher among nations that failed to qualify for the tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
England and Chelsea legend John Terry was among those to voice his disappointment, describing Nigeria as a significant loss to a tournament that features 48 nations for the first time.
“Nigeria will be a big miss. This is a World Cup for participants who haven’t had the opportunity to play in the tournament. I would have loved to see a top team like Nigeria there because they’ve got some great individuals. They’re a great nation,” Terry said during a virtual roundtable session organised by SuperSport.
“I think they are a big miss because Nigeria probably would have gone further in the competition, but unfortunately, one side’s loss is another’s gain,” the former England captain added.
Eric Chelle’s side finished second in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers behind South Africa, who secured automatic qualification. Nigeria kept their hopes alive with a playoff semi-final victory over Gabon before falling to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the decisive playoff final — their second successive absence from the World Cup after also missing the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The Nigeria Football Federation later challenged DR Congo’s qualification, alleging the use of ineligible players during the campaign, but the appeal was dismissed.
Despite missing the World Cup, the Super Eagles remain Africa’s 3rd highest-ranked team behind Morocco, who sit seventh in the world, and Senegal. Algeria and Egypt complete the continent’s top five.
Defending champions Argentina enter the tournament as the world’s top-ranked side, ahead of Spain, France, England and Portugal. Brazil are sixth, followed by Morocco, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
The next FIFA World Ranking will be released on July 20, a day after the World Cup final.
Chima Akachukwu and Miracle Akhigbe are among the 16 notable stars picked by the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) for the forthcoming Namibia Tour, where the YellowGreens will compete in a T20 and 50-Over Tri-Series, featuring hosts Namibia and Hong Kong China.
Both players make their way back into the YellowGreens fold after periods away from the side and will be eager to contribute their experience and quality as Nigeria pursues success in Namibia.
The NCF said yesterday that the squad, which departs Nigeria today, forms part of the national team’s continued preparations for future international assignments as the YellowGreens seek to build on recent performances and strengthen their standing on the global stage.
Leading the squad is Captain Sulaimon Runsewe, who will spearhead Nigeria’s campaign against two formidable opponents in what promises to be a highly competitive series.
The selected squad combines experienced internationals with emerging talents, providing the technical crew an opportunity to assess player development and team combinations in both the T20 and 50-over formats.
The team will be led on tour by Coaches Leke Oyede and Tamuno John, who will oversee preparations and match operations during the opening phase of the series.
Joining the squad later in Namibia will be the newly appointed Head Coach and High Performance Manager, Stephen Magongo, whose arrival marks another significant step in the Federation’s commitment to strengthening the national team structure and enhancing player development pathways.
Supporting the coaching staff are Team Analyst Jamal Okechukwu, Strength and Conditioning Coach Seye Olympio, and Team Physiotherapist Timothy Adesomowo, forming a well-rounded technical crew focused on maximising player performance and welfare throughout the tour.
The NCF views the Namibia Tri-Series as an important platform for the continued growth of the national team, offering valuable international exposure and competitive match experience against quality opposition. The series will provide the players and technical crew with another opportunity to evaluate progress, fine-tune strategies, and build momentum ahead of future international competitions.
The YellowGreens will face Namibia and Hong Kong China in both T20 and 50-over contests, with the matches expected to test the team’s adaptability, discipline, and resilience in challenging conditions.
Blessing Otu on Monday overcame hard-fighting Kelvin Bebe- Emmanuella in two sets of 6-1, 6-3 to qualify for the second round of the women’s singles of the ongoing 47th Central Bank of Nigeria Senior Tennis Championship, held at the Tennis Courts of the package “B” of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Speaking after the round of 32 game, Otu, who will be 19 years old in September, said she capitalised on her opponent’s weaknesses to gain victory, having studied her game very well.
“Bebe is a very good and tough player. But I studied her game and did the job well.
“Although she tried to come back in the second set, I punctured all her tricks to win the match and move on. I wish I could continue like this in the rest of my games,” she said.
Another member of the Otu family, John Out, was also victorious as he defeated Mohammed Abdusalam 2-1 (6-2, 6-7, 6-1) in the men’s singles category to advance into the round of 32.
But the third Otu in the game, Thomas, was not that lucky as he lost by 6-0, 7-5 in two straight sets to Danjuma Isaac.
In other matches, Michael Emmanuel defeated Ibrahim Aminu to advance, while Drimiya Mevi outclassed Seyi Ogunsakin by beating him 2-1 (6-7, 6-3, 6-1). Action continues tomorrow when other top players, including the men’s singles top seed, Abua Cannice, join the chase for honours.