Sports

Taribo charges Flamingos to bring home World Cup trophy

Published

3 months ago

October 9, 2025

Former Super Eagles defender Taribo West has charged Nigeria’s U-17 girls, the Flamingos, to stay united, disciplined, and determined as they prepare to compete at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

The team arrived safely in Casablanca on Wednesday ahead of the global tournament, which kicks off on October 17 after a four-hour, twenty-minute flight to Casablanca.

At the airport in Abuja, the Flamingos met Taribo West, who used the opportunity to share words of encouragement and offer a heartfelt prayer for the team’s success.

The former Inter Milan defender, known for his passionate faith, urged the girls to emulate and surpass the success of the Super Falcons who won the WAFCON title in July.

“Be very disciplined. I will be watching you wherever I am, and I will be praying for you. I believe that you will carry the cup back to Nigeria. Just as your elder sisters did a few months ago, you will also carry that cup,” he said.

He reminded the players of the importance of respecting instructions and maintaining self-control both on and off the pitch, noting that professionalism begins with discipline.

“Be very attentive to the instructions of your coaches,” he advised.

“I played professional football for 30 years. Where I am today, one of my ex-managers invited me to France because of the relationship, the discipline, and the mindset I had.”

Encouraging the players to remain focused, Taribo warned them not to be distracted by external pressure during matches.

“Whatever the coach says, play it. Do not listen to the crowd. If you listen to the crowd, the crowd will take you out. But if you listen to the coach, even the coach will like you and want you to play,” he added.

He concluded his address, urging the girls to rely on teamwork and discipline if they hope to lift the World Cup trophy.

“God will give you grace. What you desire, you will achieve.If the coach does not play you, bless the one who plays. Pray for the one who plays.

“As you are doing that, there will be a certain kind of strength, togetherness, force, and incredible performance that will come upon the team.”

The Flamingos are currently lodged at Ibis Hotel in Casablanca and held a light training session on Wednesday evening. During their stay, they will play two friendly matches against New Zealand and Paraguay before heading to Marrakesh, where they will begin their World Cup campaign.

Nigeria are drawn in Group D alongside Canada, France, and Samoa. The team will head into the tournament full of confidence after winning all ten of their preparatory matches, scoring 44 goals without conceding any.

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Sports

Finance ministry confirms release of Super Eagles’ bonuses for AFCON

Published

2 days ago

January 9, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The Federal Government has said all group-stage bonuses due to Super Eagles players at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations have been released and are expected to reflect in the players’ domiciliary accounts within hours.

The Minister of State for Finance, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, disclosed this on Thursday while responding to reports that the national team was considering boycotting training sessions and could decline to travel to Marrakesh for their quarter-final clash against Algeria.

In a post on her official X handle, Uzoka-Anite said the concerns over unpaid bonuses had been resolved through coordinated action by the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“The Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria have successfully streamlined to ensure faster, more predictable disbursements aligned with international best practice,” she said.

She explained that all bonuses earned by the players during the group stage of the tournament had been fully processed and cleared through the required regulatory procedures.

“All group-stage bonuses were fully released and have now cleared the necessary regulatory stages,” the minister stated.

Uzoka-Anite added that a fast-track process was introduced to meet the players’ preferences for payment in foreign currency. “We have implemented a fast-track conversion process to move funds into foreign currency, honouring the players’ preferences,” she said.

According to her, the final stage of the payment process is already underway, with transfers to the players’ domiciliary accounts currently in progress. “The final transfers to domiciliary accounts are currently in flight. Players can expect these funds to reflect starting today (Thursday) or tomorrow (Friday),” she added.

The minister stressed that the government remains focused on the welfare and morale of the team as they advance into the knockout phase of the competition. “Our focus remains entirely on supporting the team’s welfare so they can maintain their incredible momentum in the knockout rounds,” she said.

Uzoka-Anite also assured that the administration was committed to ensuring that off-field issues do not distract the players from their performance at the tournament. “We move forward with one goal: Bringing the trophy home!” she said.

The update is expected to ease concerns around the team’s preparations ahead of their quarter-final fixture as the Super Eagles continue their campaign at AFCON 2025.

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Sports

Morocco to host draw for 2026 CAF Futsal AFCON Qualifiers

Published

3 days ago

January 7, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed that the draw for the 2026 CAF Futsal Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers will take place today in Rabat, Morocco.

The qualification process will be played over two home-and-away knockout rounds, with seven teams set to qualify for the 2026 CAF Futsal AFCON final tournament, where they will join host nation Morocco.

A total of 17 countries will compete for places at the continental tournament. They are Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Libya, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The final tournament will also serve as Africa’s qualifying competition for the 2026 FIFA Futsal World Cup.

Morocco have hosted and won the last two editions of the men’s Futsal AFCON. They lifted the trophy in Laayoune in 2020 with a dominant 5–0 victory over Egypt in the final, before successfully defending the title in Rabat in 2024 after a 5–1 win against Angola.

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Sports

AFCON 2025: Super Eagles must maintain winning formula against Algeria — Adepoju

Published

3 days ago

January 7, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

Former Nigerian international, Mutiu Adepoju has urged the Super Eagles to maintain their winning formula as they prepare to face Algeria in Saturday’s quarter-final clash at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Nigeria, three-time AFCON champions, secured a convincing 4–0 victory over Mozambique in the round of 16, while Algeria needed extra time to edge past DR Congo to book their place in the quarter-finals.

Speaking with Footy Africa, the 1994 AFCON winner praised the Super Eagles’ dominant display against Mozambique but warned that Algeria would present a much tougher challenge.

“It was a very good win and I would say it was a statement victory,” Adepoju said. “They played very well and got the goals, which is what has been expected throughout this tournament.

“We have been improving game by game, and I hope that improvement continues in the quarter-finals. The performance was tremendous, the play was good, and it was total dominance over the Mozambicans. It was a very good win.

“Hopefully, we can replicate the same performance against Algeria, who will be another difficult side.”

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