Austin Eguavoen has said Super Eagles players have a big role to play by themselves turning their own fortunes around.
The Eagles will begin the qualifying campaign for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with a home game against Cheetahs of Benin Republic on Saturday, September 7 in Uyo.
Then on matchday 2, the team will be guest to Rwanda in Kigali which will come up on Tuesday, September 10.
The Eagles have been in poor form in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers after failing to win any of their four fixtures so far (three draws, one draw).
Speaking ahead of the double header, Eguavoen stated that the Eagles have the players to make things happen.
“Nigeria is a nation that in terms of football a lot of countries respect and there’s no difference in this one,” Eguavoen said on NFF TV. “I am very confident that we will scale through in this two games and beyond.
“We have the players, the personnels, we have the support, we have everything, they (players) were almost African champions months ago so it’s them.
“We will do everything that we have to do as technical crew and of course the federation and for Nigerians to rally round them but they are the ones to turn the table around.”
The 1994 AFCON winner added:”I have spoken to them and we will still have series of meetings before the game proper and I’m confident they would do the nation proud but we will treat Benin with respect, we will play them with big respect but this is our our home.“
Eguavoen was drafted in as Eagles coach after Bruno Labbadia turned down the offer of handling the team.
He will be assisted by Remo Stars coach Daniel Ogunmodede and Fidelis Ilechukwu of Rangers.
Meanwhile, the number of Super Eagles players have increased to 20 following the arrival of Bruno Onyemaechi and Raphael Onyedika.
Victor Osimhen, Maduka Okoye and Kelechi Iheanacho are the players yet to report arrive.
Crawley Town new signing, Benjamin Tanimu has been called up to replace Bright Osayi-Samuel who is injured.
The Super Eagles’ camp in Uyo is buzzing with activity following the arrival of team captain William Troost-Ekong and twenty three other players ahead of the 2025 AFCON double-header against Benin Republic and Rwanda.
Ekong, who was notably absent when the Cheetahs of Benin defeated the Super Eagles 2-1 in a June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier, was among the first to arrive in Uyo. He was joined by Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi and Lazio midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.
Others who have made their way to Uyo include Atalanta Europa Cup hero, Ademola Lookman, who was recently linked to a move to French giants, PSG as well as West Bromwich Albion’s defender Oluwasemilogo Ajayi ; Olaoluwa Aina of Nottingham Forest and Olisa Ndah of Orlando Pirates, South Africa.
The early septet in Uyo were followed by home-based goalkeeper Amas Obasogie who plies his trade with Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) side, Bendel Insurance and Leicester City’s midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi who recently agreed a new three-year deal with the Foxes. Bayer Leverkusen striker, Victor Boniface and Chippa United goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali , swelled the Super Eagles camp to 11 before nightfall yesterday.
Meanwhile, Super Eagles’ interim manager, Austin Eguavoen is already in camp ahead of the team’s first training session Tuesday
.Joining the camp yesterday was Rangers’ Head Coach, Fidelis Ilechukwu, who has been appointed as one of the coaching assistants to Augustine Eguavoen, along with Daniel Ogunmodede of Remo Stars.
In related news, Super Eagles star striker Victor Osimhen, who has been caught up in transfer speculation throughout the summer, is expected to arrive in camp tomorrow.
The Napoli forward is anticipated to finalize his move to Turkish giants Galatasaray before joining the team in Uyo for their 2025 AFCON Matchday One clash against Benin Republic on Saturday.
The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has made a decisive move by excluding Beyond Limits Football Academy from participating in the upcoming 2024/2025 season.
The decision the NPFL said was based on concerns about conflicting interests due to shared ownership with Remo Stars, another NPFL club. This situation violates Rule B11.4 of the NPFL Framework and Rules, which prohibits dual ownership within the league.
As a consequence of this ruling, Beyond Limits Football Academy’s slot has been withdrawn and reassigned to Heartland FC. The NPFL board’s decision to grant Heartland FC the vacant position aligns with Rule A5.2, which outlines the eligibility criteria for club participation. Heartland FC, having met the necessary requirements and being the only relegated club to express interest in filling the vacancy, was deemed suitable to take the spot.
The NPFL has emphasised that this decision was made with the league’s integrity and fairness in mind, clarifying that there was no transaction involving the purchase of the slot. Such practices are strictly prohibited under NPFL regulations. The board exercised its discretion, as permitted by the league’s governing documents, to ensure that the competition remains competitive and free from conflicts of interest.
Despite the NPFL’s official stance, some reports have suggested that Heartland FC may have paid for the slot, raising questions about the transparency of the process. However, the NPFL has firmly denied these claims, reiterating its commitment to maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and fairness within the league.
As the 2024/2025 season approaches, the NPFL’s actions demonstrate its dedication to upholding the integrity of the competition, ensuring that all participating clubs meet the established rules and criteria.
Unsettled Napoli striker Victor Osimhen is on the verge of joining Galatasaray after the former Italian champions and the player agreed on a loan move to the Turkish giants on Monday.
After his failed move to Chelsea, the 25-year-old still has a lifeline of moving out of Napoli as the Turkish transfer window closes on September 13.
Italian publication Corriere dello Sport reported the story on Monday, and some Nigerian sources close to the player, including Wazobia FM OAP, Buchi Laba, and Sulaiman Adebayo, also known as Pooja, shared updates as the deal moved rapidly.
Sky Sport Italia and RMC Sport also claimed that Napoli gave the all-clear to a dry loan—without an option to buy—as long as Galatasaray covered his full salary of nearly €11m per season.
The alternative would’ve been for the Turkish club to pay a fee for the loan but have the wages shared between them.
Napoli director of sport Giovanni Manna also told Sports Digitale in Turkey, “It is correct to say we are in talks with Galatasaray and we are close to an agreement.”
According to Pooja Media, both clubs also agreed that the player’s €130m release clause might be triggered by potential suitors from January 2025.
Osimhen was also said to be enthusiastic about the idea of joining Galatasaray after being faced with the prospect of having to sit in the stands until the transfer window opens in January.
Before the end of the summer transfer deadline last Friday, the EPL was Osimhen’s preferred destination, but the 25-year-old couldn’t compromise his wage demands, as Chelsea offered him just €4m per year plus €4m, which is attached to performance, compared to his €12m annual income at Napoli.
Napoli were also said to have agreed a €70m plus €10m in bonuses with Al-Ahli, with the player receiving €40m per-season wages and crucially also an affordable release clause for a return to Europe in the near future, but the Partenopei asked for an extra €5m, which irritated the Saudis.
After both deals failed, Napoli were adamant he would not be welcomed back into the squad, also because they insist it was the Nigeria international who declared months ago he no longer wanted to play for them.
He will be reunited with former Partenopei teammate Dries Mertens in Istanbul.
Although Osimhen had wanted a Champions League team, he will still be able to compete in the Europa League with Galatasaray, who are facing Tottenham Hotspur and Ajax in the tournament.
Nigerian football sensation Victor Osimhen has officially joined Turkish football giants Galatasaray SK, marking a new chapter in his illustrious career. The 25-year-old forward completed a loan transfer from Napoli, with Galatasaray covering his full wages, though the deal notably does not include an obligation to purchase.
Osimhen’s Arrival Sparks Excitement in Turkish Super League
Osimhen’s move to Galatasaray has electrified the Turkish football community. Fans of the Yellow and Reds have eagerly welcomed the 2023 CAF Player of the Year, whose arrival has been met with much fanfare. The Nigerian striker wasted no time in endearing himself to his new supporters, performing Galatasaray’s iconic ‘triplet’ celebration shortly after his arrival.
The ‘Triplet’ Celebration: A Symbol of Galatasaray’s Winning Spirit
In a video capturing the moment, Osimhen can be seen participating in the ‘triplet’ or ‘trio’ celebration, a time-honored tradition at Galatasaray. This gesture, often performed by both players and fans, symbolizes unity and victory, typically celebrated after goals, wins, or major titles. Osimhen’s seamless adoption of this tradition has already endeared him to Galatasaray supporters, who are optimistic about his impact on the team.
A New Beginning for Osimhen
Victor Osimhen’s journey to Galatasaray comes after a challenging period at Napoli, where a failed summer exit left his future in limbo. However, this move to the Turkish Super League offers the prolific striker a fresh start. With over 85 goal involvements during his four-year tenure at Napoli, according to FotMob, Osimhen is poised to bring his goal-scoring prowess to Galatasaray’s frontline, joining forces with fellow stars Mauro Icardi and Dries Mertens.
Anticipation Builds for Osimhen’s Debut
Galatasaray fans are eagerly awaiting Osimhen’s debut, expected to be in the upcoming home fixture against Rizespor. The club has already begun to tease his arrival on social media, sharing a striking image of Osimhen’s signature mask along with a powerful message to both fans and rivals. The Nigerian forward is set to spend the entire 2024/25 season with Galatasaray, barring any unforeseen transfer developments in the winter of 2025.
Victor Osimhen’s transfer to Galatasaray has not only strengthened the club’s attacking options but also brought a wave of excitement and hope among the fans. As he settles into life in Istanbul, the football world will be watching closely to see how this talented striker influences Galatasaray’s quest for success in the Turkish Super League and beyond.
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has directed its members to resume work on Monday, following a seven-day nationwide warning strike embarked upon by its members over the abduction of their colleague, Dr Ganiyat Popoola.
The NARD President, Dr Dele Abdullahi said, “We are suspending the strike now. We will be meeting to review the progress the government has made in the next three weeks. “We are resuming on Monday, September 2, 2024, at 8 am. The engagement of the government has been a little bit better. But, we are hopeful that they will sustain this current line of action.”
NARD began a seven-day warning strike last Monday to press for the rescue of Popoola, a registrar in the Department of Ophthalmology at the National Eye Centre, Kaduna. Popoola was kidnapped eight months ago. She was abducted on December 27, 2023, along with her husband and nephew. While her husband was released in March, Popoola and her nephew remain in captivity.
The National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has advocated exclusive breastfeeding for newborns to increase health status and lower the risk of ovarian cancers for mothers. This is contained in a statement by the agency’s resident media consultant, Mr. Olusayo Akintola, on Sunday in Abuja.
Akintola said that NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, gave the charge during the celebration of the 2024 World Breastfeeding week in Lagos. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Closing the Gap: Breastfeeding Support for All.” Adeyeye was represented by Mrs. Eva Edwards, Director, Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. She said that the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended early initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of a baby’s birth until the first six months. According to her, after the six months of exclusive breastfeeding, it should be complemented with safe and appropriate foods, while breastfeeding continues for up to two years or beyond.
The director-general said breastfed babies had stronger immunity, face lower risk of suffering many childhood illnesses and infections. The NAFDAC boss added that the situation was also associated with longer-term health benefits, including higher Intelligence Quotient (IQ) for infants that were exclusively breastfed. She said that the World Breastfeeding week was celebrated annually to create awareness and generate support for improved breastfeeding practices for infants and young children. Adeyeye said that the theme of this year’s celebration highlighted the need to improve breastfeeding support to reduce health inequities with a special focus on breast feeding in times of emergencies and crises.
She said that the theme also highlighted the need to protect the right of mothers and babies to survive and thrive. She said that it was the collective responsibility of all to ensure that every mother received the support she needed to make breastfeeding a successful and fulfilling experience. The director-general decried lack of support for women to optimally breastfeed their babies.
She cited limited access to trained personnel, empathetic and respectful health advice, and counseling throughout the woman’s breastfeeding journey as part of the challenge. She revealed that the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey of 2018, showed that 97 per cent of children were breastfed in Nigeria at one point or the other. According to her, “Only 42 per cent of the children were breastfed within one hour of birth.” She further disclosed that the proportion of children 0-6 months who were exclusively breastfed is 29 per cent.
She expressed delight that both figures showed improvement in national exclusive breastfeeding figures from the previous 17 per cent. She, however, said that the figure still fell short of the WHO’s target of increasing exclusive breastfeeding rate to at least 50 per cent by the year 2025. “Mothers need support like food supplementation, from the health system, family members, community members, and from the work place. This support is critical to the success of breastfeeding,” she said.
She said that breastfeeding played significant role in the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals 2 and 3, which address ending hunger, improving nutrition and promoting health and wellbeing. She further disclosed that breastfeeding was one of the critical pathways to reducing under-five mortality, and is the baby’s first food system.
Some health practitioners say Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) require adequate funds, equipment and manpower resources to improve and expand their scope of service delivery. According to a Medical Imaging Scientist, Dr Livinus Abonyi, , it has become imperative to improve and expand the services rendered by PHCs in order to relieve the secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities. He further described the level and quality of healthcare currently being rendered by PHCs as ‘suboptimal.’ Abonyi, also the Head, Department of Radiography, University of Lagos, said that the PHCs ought to be rendering a wide range of healthcare services, but that were being limited due to shortage of manpower resources. He decried that the health sector lacked the needed trained community health workers to man the PHCs. To address the issue of shortage of manpower, Abonyi said that the government need to prioritise the health sector. To address this issue of lack of manpower, Abonyi said the government had to prioritise health and health issues. Abonyi, also decried the large population of patients that seek healthcare at secondary and tertiary health facilities, said that the situation has resulted to persistent lack of bed spaces in the health institutions. According to him, if the PHCs are functioning optimally, greater percentage of health cases would be handled at that level such that only about 30 per cent of the health cases would be referred to the secondary/tertiary health facilities. Dr Stephen Oluwaniyi, Head, Clinical Services, Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital Yaba, also spoke to newsmen and he called for adequate funding of the PHCs to enhance its performance and by extension improve the nation’s health system. Oluwaniyi, also a consultant psychiatrist, urged the State Governments to intensify efforts to be providing the primary healthcare commission with its quota of the stipulated budget allocation. He explained that the Federal Government had been trying to pay significant part of its share of the budget allocation, saying that the state governments were yet to make their contributions. He described PHCs as a vital instrument in health system because they drive disease prevention, which is the most important aspect of healthcare.
A woman has died and more than 120,000 were left without power after high winds and heavy rain hit southern Australia, authorities said on Monday.
There was widespread damage in the states of Victoria and Tasmania, while a 63-year-old woman was killed after a tree fell on a cabin at a holiday park on the border between Victoria and New South Wales, emergency services said.
“It’s a sad and tragic set of circumstances for the woman’s family and my thoughts and sympathy go out to her and the emergency services who responded to that incident,” Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan told a news conference.
At least 121,000 remained without power on Monday, Allan said, down from as many as 180,000 in the early hours of the morning.
Weather warnings remain in place for much of the state’s southeast coast, as winds of almost 150 km per hour (93 mph) lashed the state overnight.
A Victoria state government advisory on Monday told people to avoid coastal areas because of dangerous waves, unstable land in cliff areas, and flooding in low-lying areas.
The southern island state of Tasmania has also been hit by wild weather, with thousands left without power on Sunday.
“We’ve seen another wild night of weather across the state with extensive destruction,” Mick Lowe, executive director of Tasmania’s State Emergency Services, told a news conference on Monday.
Extreme weather events are common for many Australians.
The storms across the south of the country follow days of unseasonably high winter temperatures of almost 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) in New South Wales’ capital Sydney.
Bruno Labbadia reversed his decision and will no longer assume the role of head coach for the Super Eagles.
The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, announced that the German will take charge of the Super Eagles as a replacement for Finidi George.
According to reports from Germany, the 58-year-old turned down the opportunity to manage the three-time African champions over inconclusive negotiations.
NFF reportedly failed to reach a contractual agreement with the former Germany international striker before making the announcement. NFF says tax issues were unresolved.
Labbadia was initially expected to take charge of the Super Eagles for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixtures against Benin Republic and Rwanda next month.
A list of 23 players has already been unveiled to prosecute the fixtures before the latest development.
The technical director of the NFF, Austin Eguavoen, could now take charge of the team for both games.
Labbadia has predecessors. Here they are:
Jesse Carver, England (1960)
Jesse Carver, England
He was initially announced to handle the Nigerian team in 1960. But at a council meeting of the NFA on Sunday 24 July 1960, it was decided that the earlier terms that the coach had given were no longer acceptable and hence, the offer was withdrawn. When Carver was interviewed in London he agreed to come on a 12-month contract. He later wrote the NFA that he would not be available for more than two months.
He also demanded for return tickets for two people. Carver no doubt had impressive credentials having coached top Italian clubs like SS Lazio, Roma, Torino and Juventus apart from his handling of English side, West Bromwich Albion for eight months in 1952.
Following Jesse Carver’s failure to accept Nigeria’s offer, Hungarian George Varda became an alternative. Carver died on 29 November 2003.
Othman Calder, Germany, 1974
Othman Calder
Othman Calder handled German sides, FC Cologne and FC Kaiserslautern II, among others before coming to Nigeria on 20 December 1974. But the German coach left mysteriously barely eight days after screening 37 players he met in camp. Among the players was Segun Odegbami who had his first call-up.
But according to the German, more than a third of the players he met in camp had past their peak and must be systematically replaced.
But that was not the reason for his sudden disappearance. The National Sports Commission (NSC) which employed him, rejected the ‘take-it-or-leave-it’ terms proposed by the coach.
The terms include a free of charge posh car which should be either a new Citreon DS or Mercedes 200 and specifically, a certain Mr. Ephraim Nwaoha as the driver.
Other terms were: tax free monthly salary of 6,000 Dutch Mark part of which must be paid upfront; free freighting of all personal household effects to Nigeria and return of such to Germany at the end of his tour of duty.
A rent free furnished flat or house at Ikoyi or Victoria Island and the accommodation must be acceptable to all members of his family.
In addition, in the interim period of securing the accommodation, his family should be housed free in a senior suite at the Federal Palace Hotel.
Carlos Alberto Torres, Brazilian (1995)
Carlos Alberto Torres
He was the former captain of the 1970 Brazil World Cup winning squad is the Brazilian coach Nigeria never had.
He was engaged in May 1995 just as the Super Eagles were heading to the US for the Gold Cup. He asked to just be allowed to observe the team and then take over after the US Gold Cup.
So, Amodu Shaibu continued as he had been employed barely a year earlier. Torres was with the team throughout the US Gold Cup competition but failed to return to Nigeria to sign his contract. He died on 25 October 2016.
Philippe Troussier, France (2005)
Philippe Troussier
Popularly called the “White Witchdoctor”, Troussier became the first Frenchman to ever handle the Nigerian national team as well as the first coach to have handled a team against Nigeria in World Cup qualification and came in the next edition to guide the Super Eagles.
Troussier handled Cote d’Ivoire in their failed attempt to upstage Nigeria in the 1994 World Cup qualifying series.
But midway into the 1998 edition he was engaged to take over from Amodu Shaibu. His contract with Nigeria was however not renewed after securing the France ’98 World Cup ticket.
He was to be engaged again in 2005. The the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) announced his engagement. But in apparent retaliation on how he was sacked in 1997, he turned down the offer just days to the signing of contract.
Paul Le Guen, Frenchman (2016)
Paul Le Guen
The Frenchman was gleefully announced as theSuper Eagles’ Technical Adviser on 18 July 2016. He was to be assisted by Salisu Yusuf. Le Guen had steered the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon to the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals.
He played for Brest, Nantes and Paris Saint Germain and won 17 caps for France, before coaching Rennes, Lyon, PSG (in France) and Glasgow Rangers (in Scotland). He also coached Oman.
He never showed up and German, Gernot Rohr was employed instead on 5 August 2016. Le Guen was quoted as saying that the security concerns in the Nigeria was the reason he turned down the job as he was not prepared to live in Nigeria.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
