SPORT
EMENALO’S BRACE FIRES GAUFC TO FIRST IBOM PRESEASON WIN
Godswill Akpabio United bounced back from an opening-day defeat to Abia Comets with a 2-1 victory over Maverick City FC in the Ibom Preseason Tournament, Benneth Emenalo scoring twice with first-half headers to secure Gaufc’s first win of the competition.
Maverick City pulled one back in the second half, but Gaufc held on to claim maximum points after their earlier one-nil loss to Abia Comets.
Elsewhere, Akwa United defeated KMK Academy one-nil for their second successive win, while Rovers of Calabar recorded their first victory with a 3-1 triumph over Abia Comets.
Attention now turns to Wednesday’s clash between Gaufc and city rivals Akwa United at the Uyo Township Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 4 p.m., as both NNL sides continue their preparations ahead of the new season.
SPORT
Azerbaijan 2026: Bassey invites 23 players to Future Eagles’ camp
Head Coach Patrick Bassey has called 23 players to the camp of Nigeria’s Under 15 boys, also known as Future Eagles, ahead of this month’s FIFA Under 15 Youth World Cup and Festival taking place in Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan.
The tournament is taking place from 22nd to 31st October.
The players have been instructed to report to the NFF/FIFA Goal Project Hostel inside the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja today with their proper football boots for artificial turf that will be used for training in Abuja and Baku, and for matches during the World Cup and Festival.
All State FAs, Clubs, academies, schools and parents/guardians whose players or children are invited have been advised to personally bring them to the camp in Abuja.
Renowned youth-developer Bassey, who is currently with Bichi First FC, will be assisted by Husaini Lawan Umar and Augustine Iyamu.
SPORT
Azerbaijan 2026: Bassey invites 23 players to Future Eagles’ camp
Head Coach Patrick Bassey has called 23 players to the camp of Nigeria’s Under 15 boys, also known as Future Eagles, ahead of this month’s FIFA Under 15 Youth World Cup and Festival taking place in Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan.
The tournament is taking place from 22nd to 31st October.
The players have been instructed to report to the NFF/FIFA Goal Project Hostel inside the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja today with their proper football boots for artificial turf that will be used for training in Abuja and Baku, and for matches during the World Cup and Festival.
All State FAs, Clubs, academies, schools and parents/guardians whose players or children are invited have been advised to personally bring them to the camp in Abuja.
Renowned youth-developer Bassey, who is currently with Bichi First FC, will be assisted by Husaini Lawan Umar and Augustine Iyamu.
SPORT
LA 2028 Olympics Qualifiers: Super Falcons Beat Comoros 5–0 in Second Leg
The Super Falcons produced a clinical second-leg display on Tuesday, defeating Comoros 5-0 in Ikenne to secure a 7-0 aggregate victory in the second round of the 2028 Olympics Women’s Football Tournaments qualifiers.
Following a 2-0 win in the reverse fixture, interim coach Augustine Eguavoen’s side controlled proceedings early.
The breakthrough arrived in the 41st minute. Uchenna Kanu, who scored the second in Friday’s 2-0 win, capitalized on a defensive error by the Comoros goalkeeper, intercepting the ball and squaring it to Toni Payne, who slotted home from close range.
Eguavoen made a tactical change at the interval, replacing Gift Monday with Blessing Okpe. The substitution yielded immediate dividends as Nigeria intensified their onslaughts in the second half. In the 58th minute, Ijamilusi delivered an accurate cross into the penalty area for Kanu to double the night's scoreline with a firm header.
The hosts added a third in the 63rd minute. Okpe beat two Comoros defenders on a driving run down the flank before cutting the ball back to Payne, who netted her second of the evening. Three minutes later, Ijamilusi notched another assist, whipping in a delivery for Kanu to head home her second of the match and third of the fixture in the 66th minute.
Nigeria earned a penalty in the 71st minute when Okpe was brought down inside the box. Christy Ucheibe stepped up to convert the spot-kick, placing the Super Falcons five goals ahead.
With a 7-0 aggregate victory across on both legs, the Super Falcons advance to the next round of the qualifying campaign, where they will face Morocco’s Atlas Lionesses.
@MaziGomez_ I actually enjoy at least 3 days to 4 days of water weekly courtesy of Governor Mbah, I don't know where you get your informations from but if na for agenda e no fit work for where Mbah dey, just go and sleep...
Peter Mbah, Chinyeaka Oha and Uche Nnaji will definitely split the votes in Enugu North but you see Enugu West, they'll vote Peter Mbah.
Isi Uzo is already secured through Edeoga, in fact Enugu East will also be divided.
I see Peter Mbah retaining his seat till 2031.
BREAKING!:
Gov Peter Mbah speaks on the recent incidents and attacks on NDC supporters in Enugu.
He has made it clear, no room for violence against anybody or group in Enugu. I hope the Police fish out the culprits involved.
Sports
DJOKOVIC CLAIMS 102ND CAREER TITLE IN BEIJING
Novak Djokovic has won his 102nd career singles title, after Alex de Minaur retired injured from their China Open final in Beijing.
The 39-year-old Serb was leading 7-6, 1-0 when De Minaur was forced to retire with an apparent left thigh injury.
Both players took medical timeouts after a 68-minute opening set, but the Australian managed just one game before ending the contest.
The victory extends Djokovic’s remarkable record of winning at least one singles title for 21 consecutive years. Only Jimmy Connors, with 109 titles, and Roger Federer, with 103, have won more.
Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, is now unbeaten in his last 34 matches at the China Open and has won the Beijing title seven times.
He had reached only his second final of the year, after losing the Australian Open final to Carlos Alcaraz in January.
Sports
Black Sharks Arrive Nigeria Thursday for Beach Soccer Qualifier
Ghana’s Black Sharks will arrive in Nigeria on Thursday, October 8, ahead of their crucial 2026 Beach Soccer AFCON final-round first-leg qualifier against the Sand Eagles on Saturday, October 10 in Kaduna.
The Ghanaian delegation will move straight to Kaduna, where the match will be played at the Murtala Muhammed Square Beach Pitch, with kick-off scheduled for 4 p.m.
The Confederation of African Football, CAF, has appointed Moroccan official Dris Lamghaidar as the centre referee for the encounter.
His compatriots, Azz-Eddine Essalhi and Nabil Elmaliki, will serve as referees two and three, while Gambia’s Omar Kebbeh is the reserve assistant referee.
Lesotho’s Khiba Herbert Mohoanyane has been appointed match commissioner for the crucial qualifier.
SPORT
MERTENS STUNS GAUFF TO REACH CHINA OPEN QUARTER-FINALS
Elise Mertens defeated Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-3 on Wednesday to reach the China Open quarter-finals, where she will face Iga Swiatek.
Gauff, the highest-ranked player remaining in the women’s draw, struggled to recover from a series of misjudged shots and committed eight double faults.
It was an uncharacteristically poor performance from the American world number four, who won the Beijing title in 2024 and reached the semi-finals last year.
Mertens will face Swiatek in the next round after the Pole defeated American teenager Iva Jovic 6-1, 6-3 in one hour and 35 minutes.
SPORT
IKPEME PRAISES ‘RESILIENT’ SUPER EAGLES AFTER RUSSIA FIGHTBACK
The Acting General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation, Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, has praised the Super Eagles following their remarkable comeback to draw 3-3 with Russia in an international friendly in Nizhny Novgorod on Tuesday.
Ikpeme described the performance as a display of the character and resilience expected from the national team, saying the result and the manner of the comeback had made the NFF, the wider Nigerian football family and supporters at home and abroad proud.
He added that the result was particularly encouraging given the number of young players in the squad, many of whom were making their first appearances for the Super Eagles.
Ikpeme, who was in Russia with the three-time African champions, said the team must carry the same spirit of doggedness and determination into next month’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Tanzania’s Taifa Stars.
Nigeria will host Tanzania at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Friday, 13 November, before travelling to Dar es Salaam for the return fixture at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Tuesday, 17 November.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s U23 side will face the Democratic Republic of Congo in home-and-away encounters for a place at next year’s U23 Africa Cup of Nations, with the fixtures scheduled to take place during the same international window as the AFCON qualifiers.