Sports
Tornadoes Set For NPFL exit over Stadium Ban
Niger Tornadoes have threatened to withdraw from the Nigeria Premier Football League after the league body banned the Bako Kantagora Stadium in Minna from hosting top-flight matches, Tidesports source reports.
The chairman of the Niger State Sports Commission, Danjuma Masu, described the decision as unfair and unjust, accusing the authorities of targeting the club through what he alleged were politically motivated actions.
Speaking in Minna while addressing members of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, Masu said the directive forcing the club to relocate its home fixtures outside the state was driven by personal and selfish interests.
“Not that the stadium is bad,” Masu said.
The issue raised is about camera angles, and that can be fixed within one week. Playing politics with sports is unacceptable and should be discouraged.”
Masu insisted that the Niger State Stadium compares favourably with many approved venues across the country, arguing that it is better than at least ten other stadiums currently hosting league matches.
He called on the league to immediately reverse the decision, warning that the club could be forced to pull out of the competition if the ban remains in place.
“Rescheduling of Tornadoes’ matches to other states is politically motivated, personal and driven by selfish interests,” he said as relayed by Tidesports source. .
The state may withdraw the club from the ongoing Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), if the situation does not improve.”
The Nigeria Premier Football League had earlier announced the ban on the Bako Kantagora Stadium, declaring the venue unfit under new broadcast and television rights agreements that require higher technical and infrastructural standards.
In a letter dated January 30, 2026, and signed by the league’s chief operating officer, Davidson Owumi, Niger Tornadoes were informed that the stadium no longer meets the requirements to stage league fixtures under the new broadcast framework.
As a result, the club was directed to relocate its remaining home matches for the season and choose an alternative venue between the Rasheed Yekini Main Bowl in Ilorin and the Jos Zaria Road Stadium. The league warned that failure to communicate a choice within the stipulated timeframe would lead to a venue being allocated on the club’s behalf.
Despite the directive, Niger Tornadoes were permitted to host their matchday 24 fixture, a 2–2 draw against Bendel Insurance, at the Kantagora venue due to the short notice of the decision. The relocation order is expected to take effect from the subsequent home games.
The club is now expected to move to the newly renovated Lafia City Stadium in Nasarawa for future home fixtures until the Kantagora Stadium meets the conditions set by the league board.
After their away match against Ikorodu City in Lagos on Sunday (today), Niger Tornadoes are scheduled to host Rivers United, Warri Wolves and Kano Pillars away from Minna.
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.
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