Sports
Confed Cup: Club Africain’s Walk Over, Our Story – Dolphins
Following Nigeria’s
Dolphins FC’s inability to be at the stadium in Tunis by Kick Off time for their CAF Confederation Cup first leg, first round match with Club AFricain of Tunisia at the weekend, and their subsequent walk-over by the hosts, Dolphins FC’s media officer, China Acheru has given account of what really transpired that led to their situation.
According to him in an official statement by the club, “Dolphins FC arrived in Tunisia at 1pm on Saturday, March 14, 2015 and were scheduled to play a CAF Confederation Cup game against Club Africain at 3pm, same day.
‘Before we departed from Lagos on Thursday, we had informed the Nigeria Football Federation through Bola Oyeyode, the head of international department and Musa Amadu, the General Secretary, in writing of our challenges and wanted the game moved by one day from Saturday to Sunday.
‘We arrived in Tunis, via Emirates Airline on Saturday, 14 March 2015 at exactly 1pm. And even though our request to have the game postponed was not granted, we were ready to play as we arrived in good time, though fatigued and travel weary.
‘On our arrival at 1pm it took the chancery up to two hours before our visas were processed and passports issued to the delegation (note that Tunisian visa to Nigerians from Nigeria are issued at point of entry).
‘And this was already the kick off time. On conclusion of immigration formalities with the assistance of two Nigerian embassy officials led by M. K. Yusuf we exited the airport building at 3pm. There was no bus to convey the delegation to the stadium. It was at this point a certain Mr. Mahmoud Ouaddeni of the Tunisian Federation showed up.
‘Our Federation had already written to CAF, who through Khalid Nassar, Deputy Director CAF competitions Division had written to the Tunisian Federation, notifying them of our arrival time, but after more than 20 minutes of waiting, the bus finally came and we departed for the stadium at about 3.20 pm.
‘On our way to the stadium we sensed that the movement was being stage managed when a Nigerian, Mr. Nnamdi Osuji who lives in Tunis asked the driver why was the bus going round and round the streets of Tunis rather than taking a straight route to the stadium? The Federation official, Mr. Mahmoud Ouaddeni told us that the supporters would stone us if we went straight to the stadium. We arrived the stadium at exactly 4pm and were told we had been walked over by the home team.
‘The Nigerian ambassador, Dr. Joseph Apeh Omede who was also aware of our arrival was at the stadium ahead of us trying to hold grounds for us.
‘After this purported walk over, we noticed that there was no hotel reservations made for us as it is the duty of the host club to make those provisions. Instead the host team directed that we should be taken back to the airport from the stadium.
‘It took the intervention of our ambassador in Tunis, who pressed for them to obey the rules which allows us reasonable time in the country.
‘From these, it is obvious that the walk over was not only calculated to undermine the efforts of Dolphins FC and Nigeria by extension but done in bad faith by the match officials in collusion with both the host club and the Tunisian Federation.
‘It is not true that Dolphins did not travel for the game as is being speculated in some sections of the media.
‘It is also not true that Dolphins were stranded in Dubai and thus didn’t make it to Tunisia.
‘The team arrived late in Tunisia but in good time to play the game if not for the antics and shenanigans of the home team and Federation.”
It will be recalled that Dolphins were initially scheduled to travel to Tunisia via Dubai last Thursday but failed to leave their base.
The players were protesting the payment of $500 extacode instead of the expected $1000. They eventually travelled a day after.
Also, the issue of funds/estacode almost hampered their trip to Equatorial Guinea in the preliminary round against Leones Vegetarianos They arrived Malabo on match day.
Team Nigeria finished sixth on the overall medals table at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, falling short of the National Sports Commission’s ambitious target after ending the competition with 23 medals, comprising 10 gold, seven silver and six bronze
The tally represents a shortfall against the lofty expectations set before the Games.
Director General of the Commission, Bukola Olopade, had projected that Nigeria could surpass the 18-gold target set by the Elite Athletes Podium Finish initiative to win as many as 22 gold medals, citing structural reforms under NSC chairman Shehu Dikko and backing from President Bola Tinubu.
Nigeria’s confidence had been rooted in its performance at the 2022 Birmingham Games, where the country recorded its most successful outing with 35medals, comprising 12 gold, nine silver and 14 bronze, to finish seventh overall.
While the final gold count of 10 fell well short of the 22 projected and even the eighteen baseline target, and the overall medal haul of 23 was down on the 35 won in Birmingham, Team Nigeria’s campaign in Glasgow nonetheless produced several standout moments across a broader spread of disciplines than in previous editions, with medals arriving from athletics, judo, weightlifting, para athletics, para powerlifting and swimming.
Samuel Ogazi delivered Nigeria’s first-ever Commonwealth Games gold in the men’s 400m, powering to victory in 44.25 seconds, while Ezekiel Nathaniel added another gold in the men’s 400m hurdles in 48.47 seconds. Chukwuebuka Enekwechi became the first Nigerian to win the men’s shot put title at the Games with a throw of 21.07m, and further medals came from Ella Onojuvwevwo, who claimed bronze in the women’s 400m to end a wait dating back to 1994, Ruth Usoro, who won silver in the long jump, Udodi Onwuzurike, who took silver in the men’s 200m, and Kayinsola Ajayi, whose bronze in the men’s 100m ended a twenty-year wait for Nigeria in the event. The men’s 4x100m relay team and the mixed 4x400m relay quartet both closed out the athletics programme with bronze medals, while the women’s 4x100m team finished sixth.
Beyond the track, Enku Ekuta ended a 24-year wait for a Nigerian judo medal at the Commonwealth Games with bronze in the women’s -63kg category, a result hailed as one of the most symbolic achievements of the campaign given the sport’s long struggle to convert domestic talent into podium finishes.
The Commission had sought to keep morale high throughout the Games with an enhanced welfare package.
NSC chairman Shehu Dikko had announced an upward review of bonuses partway through the competition, raising the reward for gold medallists to 10,000 dollars, comprising 5,000 dollars in instant cash and 5,000 dollars paid directly into their accounts, up from an initial structure of 8,000 dollars. Silver medallists received 5,000 dollars, made up of 2,000 dollars in instant cash and 3,000 dollars paid into their accounts, while bronze medallists received 3,000 dollars, comprising 1,000 dollars in instant cash and 2,000 dollars paid into their accounts.
Coaches whose athletes won gold were also entitled to a 5,000-dollar incentive, on top of daily allowances of 200 dollars for athletes and 250 dollars for coaches.
Despite the increased incentives and the individual milestones recorded across several disciplines, Team Nigeria’s sixth-place finish and gold medal count leave the Commission short of the record-breaking outing it had targeted before the Games, setting up questions for officials over preparation and investment as the country looks ahead to future global multi-sport events.
Nigerian professional wrestler, Oba Femi, defeated former UFC and WWE champion, Brock Lesnar, in a brutal Hell in a Cell match at WWE SummerSlam on Saturday night, earning one of the biggest victories of his career.
The contest, held at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, saw the Lagos-born wrestler overcome Lesnar in his first-ever Hell in a Cell appearance.
Femi took the fight to Lesnar from the opening bell, surviving multiple German suplexes, a Tombstone onto exposed wooden boards beneath the ring and several attacks with steel steps before countering with two chokeslams.
The match reached its climax after Lesnar attempted to use a steel chair, but Femi knocked it from his grip with a stiff right hand before delivering his signature Fall From Grace to secure the victory.
Following the bout, Lesnar embraced Femi, took a microphone and publicly endorsed the Nigerian star.
Declaring himself the past and Femi the future of WWE, Lesnar praised his opponent in front of the SummerSlam crowd.
Reacting to the moment, Femi admitted he did not expect the show of respect from his longtime rival.
“The hug and public endorsement was definitely a shock, and I didn’t see that coming.
“I know that deep down, Brock has always respected me, and he knows that deep down, I respect him as well,” Femi said.
The victory continues an impressive breakthrough year for the Nigerian wrestler, who defeated Lesnar at WrestleMania 42 in April before winning the 2026 King of the Ring tournament in June.
Their SummerSlam clash was the culmination of a months-long rivalry that saw Lesnar return from an apparent retirement to attack Femi before defeating him in a rematch at Clash in Italy.
South Africa national team head coach Hugo Broos has left his position after five years in charge, with South African Football Association (SAFA) president Danny Jordaan confirming the Belgian’s departure at the weekend.
Broos’ contract officially expired last Friday, bringing an end to his tenure, which began in May 2021 after Bafana Bafana failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations.
The 74-year-old coach leaves behind a period that included several notable achievements for South Africa.
Under Broos, Bafana Bafana finished third at the 2023 AFCON, which was eventually staged in early 2024 in Ivory Coast after being postponed.
He also guided the team to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, marking South Africa’s first appearance beyond the group stage at the tournament.
The qualification itself ended a 24-year wait for Bafana Bafana, who had last featured at the World Cup in 2010 as hosts. Their 2026 appearance was their first since that tournament.
Broos had previously indicated that his departure from the national team was settled.
Speaking to the media after the World Cup, Broos said his decision to leave the Bafana Bafana job was irreversible, citing his desire to spend more time with his family. However, he also
expressed a willingness to take up another position within SAFA.
His comments sparked uncertainty, with SAFA initially releasing a statement denying that Broos had already stepped down.
Further speculation followed when reports emerged that the coach had been offered a one-year contract extension. SAFA subsequently issued another statement insisting that no extension had been finalised.