Author: Prince Ade ADe

Nigeria under-17 women’s national football team, the Flamingos on Friday in Abuja whitewashed their Central African Republic counterparts 6 nil, in the second-leg of the 2024 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup Qualifier. The match played at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja, saw Flamingos Harmony Chidi, scoring in the second minute of the game. Chidi doubled the scores in the 14th minute, while Tessy Ojiyovwi scored in the 36th minute to increase the tally to three.The visitors fought back with renewed vigour but were unable to utilise their scoring chances. On the resumption of the second half, the Nigerian girls continued…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be in attendance when the Super Eagles of Nigeria take on hosts, Cote d’Ivoire in the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. President of the Confederation of African Football, CAF, Patrice Motsepe revealed this during his interaction with the media on Friday. Asked during a press conference at the Palace de la culture, Trechville, Abidjan by a Nigerian journalist when Africa can host the World Cup again, the South African said Nigeria must put in a bid and that he would have a conversation with president Tinubu about it when he comes to…

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou, among other Premier League managers, voiced strong objections on Friday to a controversial proposal suggesting the introduction of blue cards and sin bins in football. Reports indicate that blue cards could be shown to players, resulting in a 10-minute stint in a ‘sin-bin’ as part of a trial aimed at enhancing on-field behavior. Currently, players shown a red card or two yellow cards are expelled for the remainder of the game. Although sin bins have been utilized at grassroots levels in England for dissent, the proposed trial’s details, including potential application…

Confederation of African Football President Patrice Motsepe refrained from confirming the dates for the next Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), slated for 2025, during a press conference in Abidjan. Motsepe emphasized the current focus on Ivory Coast, where the ongoing AFCON concludes this weekend. Traditionally held every two years, the current edition was delayed by six months due to concerns about the rainy season in West Africa. The prospect of hosting the next AFCON in Morocco next year presents challenges. Scheduling it in January and February poses difficulties in organizing a qualifying competition, as FIFA-sanctioned dates in June are dedicated…

The Airline Operators of Nigeria have raised serious concerns over the surging operational costs, particularly with aviation fuel prices surpassing 1300 naira, as revealed in a statement by Obiora Okonkwo, the Spokesman of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, on Friday. Okonkwo emphasized the urgent necessity for government intervention to avert the potential collapse of numerous airlines. The aviation sector faces disruptions due to fluctuating forex rates and the unprecedented rise in aviation fuel costs to 1300 naira per litre. Chairing United Nigeria Airlines, Okonkwo highlighted the unexpected spike in aviation fuel prices from 700 naira per litre and the escalation…

President Bola Tinubu has officially approved the Electricity Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024, as confirmed by Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, in a statement released on Friday. The bill, sponsored by Honourable Babajimi Benson representing Ikorodu federal constituency of Lagos State, addresses the developmental and environmental concerns of host communities. It mandates power generating companies (GENCOs) to allocate five percent of their actual annual operating expenditures from the previous year for the development of their respective host communities. Additionally, the bill stipulates that these funds will be managed by a reputable Trustee/Manager jointly appointed…

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) have jointly issued a 14-day nationwide strike notice to the Federal Government. This move stems from the government’s failure to implement the 16-point agreement reached with organized labor on October 2, 2023. Expressing dismay, NLC and TUC leaders highlight the government’s apparent indifference to the widespread suffering and hardship in the country, despite organized labor’s efforts to maintain industrial peace. The October 2 agreement aimed to address the adverse socioeconomic impact of the IMF/World Bank-induced hike in the price of PMS and the devaluation of the naira.…

England has been drawn into League B for the 2024-25 Nations League, alongside the Republic of Ireland, Finland, and Greece. Scotland, in League A, is set to face Croatia, Poland, and Portugal, while Wales, also in League B, will compete with Iceland, Montenegro, and Turkey. Northern Ireland finds themselves in League C, slated to play against Belarus, Bulgaria, and Luxembourg. Each league comprises four groups of four teams, except for League D, which has two groups of three.England, relegated to League B after finishing bottom in the previous edition, last encountered the Republic of Ireland in a competitive match in…

The law making body of football, the International Football Association Board, IFAB will announce the trial of blue cards on Friday. A player who receives a blue card from the referee would spend 10 minutes in a place known as the sin-bin in the technical area. Sin-bins have been used at grassroots level for dissent but their use could be extended to cynical fouls as part of a trial. It is however not yet clear when the trial will start and which competitions it will involve. The English Premier League has already ruled out being part of the initial roll-out…

Super Eagles defender, Zaidu Sanusi trained separately from his teammates at the Police College Cocody, Abidjan on Thursday night as Nigeria prepared for the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations against hosts, Côte D’Ivoire on Sunday. Sanusi missed the semi-final victory over Bafana Bafana of South Africa on Wednesday because of injury. The FC Porto Left Back has just two days to prove his fitness before the final. Meanwhile, all the players who started the game against South Africa were exempted from the recovery training session on Thursday. Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Moses Simon, William Troost-Ekong and the…