Nigeria’s Rivers United face an uphill task as they have been drawn against defending champions, USM Alger in the quarter-finals of the CAF Confederation Cup. USM Alger will be going into the encounter with intimidating profile as they are not just the defending champions, they also hold the CAF Super Cup after they defeated Al Ahly of Egypt, the winners of the Champions League.

The draw was done on Tuesday in Cairo. But the most intriguing pairing is the Egyptian derby of Zamalek and Future FC. Nigeria’s Dolphins which later merged with Sharks to form Rivers United were finalists in 2005 when they lost to Morocco’s Forces Armées Royales.

In the draw conducted on Tuesday, all four competition champions (USM Alger, RS Berkane, Stade Malien, RS Berkane) avoided each other in the quarter-finals.

One of the quarter-finals pitches Libya’s Abu Salem against two-time champions, RS Berkane of Morocco who are in search of a third continental title since their 2020 and 2022 triumphs.

Champions in the 2009 edition, Stade Malien are back in the knockout stages of the competition and are aiming for a second title when they face Ghana’s Dreams FC who will be looking at causing an upset against their more fancied opponent.

CAF Confederation Cup Quarter-Final Draw Outcome: 

29 – 31 March 2024:
QF 1 | Modern Future (EGY) vs Zamalek (EGY)
QF 2 | Abu Salem (LBY) vs RS Berkane (MAR)
QF 3 | Rivers United (NGR) vs USM Alger (ALG)
QF 4 | Stade Malien (MLI) vs Dreams FC (GHA)

05 – 07 April 2024:
QF 1 | Zamalek (EGY) vs Modern Future (EGY)
QF 2 | RS Berkane (MAR) vs Abu Salem (LBY)
QF 3 | USM Alger (ALG) vs Rivers United (NGR)
QF 4 | Dreams FC (GHA) vs Stade Malien (MLI)

Semi-Final Draw Outcome:

QF 3 Winner vs QF 2 Winner
QF 1 Winner vs QF 4 Winner
Semi-Finals Dates to be communicated in due course.

Wilfred Ndidi, Taiwo Awoniyi, Victor Boniface, and Umar Sadiq all missed the continental championships due to injury

Former Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro has expressed regret that Bayer Leverkusen forward Victor Boniface missed the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.

Several of Nigeria’s elite players were absent at the 34th edition of the continental championships, including Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi and Taiwo Awoniyi.

Interestingly, Victor Boniface and Umar Sadiq were almost certain to feature at the AFCON before injuries struck in the eleventh hour, forcing coach Peseiro to call up late replacements.

The Super Eagles still excelled despite the absentees, with goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali impressive in goal, William Troost-Ekong solid in defence, Frank Onyeka relentless in midfield, Ademola Lookman decisive in attack, while Victor Osimhen fought like a beast as Nigeria reached the final of the tournament. 

However, the Super Eagles failed to soar in the title decider, succumbing to the superior firepower of host country, Cote d’Ivoire. 

Looking back at the AFCON, Peseiro is convinced that the Super Eagles would have lifted the title if Boniface had not suffered the injury that ruled him of the continent’s biggest football festival.

Boniface scored ten goals and added seven assists in only 16 Bundesliga games ahead of the AFCON. 

Highlighting how Boniface was oozing with quality and confidence in the weeks before the AFCON, Peseiro insists the Bayer Leverkusen would have been the difference-maker for the Super Eagles.

The Partenopeans were looking to shock the Catalan giants, but they were outclassed

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen failed to score as Napoli fell to a 3-1 defeat at Barcelona in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 fixture.

After playing out a 1-1 draw with Barcelona in Naples two weeks ago, Napoli traveled to Spain to play the second leg in a winner-takes-all encounter.

The Catalonians dominated the first leg, but they had to settle for a draw. And in the second leg, they were slight favourites.

Coach Francesco Calzona included Osimhen in his starting lineup to lead his attack.

Senegal Head Coach, Mbayang Thiam claimed her side deserved better than the 4-0 thumping at the hands of Nigeria.

Thiam’s side were overpowered by the highly rated Nigerian girls in the Group B encounter played at the Cape Coast Stadium.

The Senegalese conceded once in the first half but couldn’t hold their own after break with Nigeria scoring three more goals.

“We didn’t see this heavy defeat coming. The results don’t reflect the game,” Thiam was quoted by CAFonline.

Despite the setback, she remains focused on improving her team’s performance.

The West Africans will face Morocco in their final group game on Friday

Nigeria women produced a commanding performance at the 13th edition of the African Games  in Cape Coast on Monday as they secured a convincing 4-0 win over Senegal.

As unfolds, anticipation mounts for a pivotal matchup in Group B of the women’s football competition at the Cape Coast Stadium.

The reigning champions, fresh off a resounding victory over Morocco, gears up to face Senegal, with both teams aiming to secure their spot in the semi-finals.

With their resounding victory over Morocco in their first group match, Nigeria enter this encounter with momentum and determination to secure their spot in the semi-finals.

The narrative of the match is characterized by Nigeria’s dominance on the field, resulting in a commanding 4-0 win.

The opening goal came from Loveth Njideka Edeh, setting the stage for Nigeria’s attacking prowess.

Following suit, Motunrayo Ezekiel added to Nigeria’s lead with a spectacular volley, showcasing the team’s skill and determination.

As the game progressed, an own goal by Senegal’s Aisha Kales further extended Nigeria’s lead, highlighting their dominance in the match.

The final blow came from Chioma Olise in the 82nd minute, capping off a remarkable performance with a well-executed goal.

Coach Chris Danjuma expressed his satisfaction with the team’s emphatic win, emphasizing their relentless pursuit of excellence.

He stated, “Our mentality coming into this game was to improve on the Morocco game by three times. We needed to keep going till it was beyond their reach.”

Danjuma’s ambition shines through as he sets his sights on the ultimate prize, expressing his desire to face Ghana in the final.

However, Senegal’s coach, Mbayang Thiam, acknowledges the challenges ahead following their heavy defeat against Nigeria.

Despite the setback, Thiam remains focused on refining her young team’s performance.

She noted, “We didn’t see this heavy defeat coming. The results don’t reflect the game.” Thiam emphasizes the need for improvements in defense and attack, highlighting the team’s youth and the mental impact of the referee’s decisions.

As the African Games’ women’s football competition unfolds, all eyes will be on Nigeria as they have demonstrated their desire to retain the title.

Liverpool and Manchester City shared a pulsating 1-1 draw in their title showdown to leave Arsenal on top of the Premier League.

City took the lead through John Stones’ first-half strike, but Alexis Mac Allister equalised with a penalty soon after the interval at Anfield.

The result was exactly what Arsenal wanted as the Gunners retained first place, a position they earned when Kai Havertz’s late header clinched a dramatic 2-1 win against Brentford on Saturday.

Arsenal are above second-placed Liverpool on goal difference, with a +7 advantage, while champions City are one point adrift of the top two, with all three teams having 10 games left.

In a title race for the ages, Arsenal will travel to City for a potentially decisive clash in both sides’ next league game on March 31.

City had drawn first blood at Anfield with a clever set-piece routine in the 23rd minute.

Kevin De Bruyne hit a low corner that Stones met at the near post with a close-range finish.

Liverpool levelled in the 50th minute when City defender Nathan Ake played a suicidal back-pass that was intercepted by Darwin Nunez.

City keeper Ederson rushed off his line in a desperate bid to avert the danger but only succeeded in catching Nunez with a reckless lunge.

Mac Allister calmly stroked the spot-kick past Ederson and in a frantic finale, City’s Jeremy Doku hit the post and then escaped another penalty appeal for his high challenge on Liverpool’s goalscorer.

An already seismic showdown was given extra significance by Jurgen Klopp’s last top-flight meeting with City boss Pep Guardiola after his bombshell announcement that he will quit Liverpool at the end of this season.

After jousting for supremacy throughout their reigns, it was fitting that Klopp held Guardiola in a warm embrace at the final whistle of a clash that leaves the destiny of the title still in the balance.

Nigerian midfielder, Alex Iwobi, set a new Premier League record on Saturday after scoring a late consolatory goal for Fulham in their 2-1 loss away at the Molineux Stadium,

Iwobi halved Wolved deficit deep into stoppage time with a clever improvised finish but there was barely time for the game to restart as Wolves held on after Rayan Ait-Nouri scored early in the second half, converting from Toti Gomes’ pull back after Fulham failed to deal adequately with a free-kick from deep.

Nelson Semedo’s deflected shot off Tom Cairney made it 2-0 for Wolves before Iwobi struck late on for the latest goal scored in the EPL according to Opta.

The strike took Iwobi’s tally to five, marking his highest season total in his career thus far.

His previous best in the EPL was during the 2018/19 season, where he scored three goals in 35 league appearances.

That season also stands as his most prolific, netting a total of six goals and providing nine assists across 51 appearances in all competitions. Remarkably, he has already equaled his goal-scoring record this season, bagging six goals in just 25 games across all competitions.

Following his return from the Africa Cup of Nations in February, the Nigeria international has been in fine form, finding the back of the net twice in his last four games, including a crucial winner against Manchester United in late February.

Anthony Joshua was well rewarded for his second-round knockout win over Cameroonian boxer Francis Ngannou in the main event of the “Knockout Chaos” card in Saudi Arabia in the early hours of Saturday morning (Nigerian time).

Joshua won his fourth straight fight with the KO victory over Ngannou in Riyadh.

After securing consecutive victories in 2023 with wins over Jermaine Franklin in April and Robert Helenius with a seventh-round knockout in August, Joshua cruised to a fifth-round technical knockout win over Otto Wallin in December, who had been expected to be a formidable opponent, especially with his southpaw stance.

Joshua has now secured knockout wins over two fighters who took Tyson Fury the distance in Wallin and Ngannou.

The British-Nigerian was already on hand to get $40m (N63.7bn) for the fight but due to his win by a KO, Joshua received an extra $10m (N15.9bn) making a total of $50m (N79bn) while Ngannou pocketed $20m (N31.8bn).

Popular musician, Drake who is accustomed to placing large wagers on high-profile sports games and losing most of those bets was on the losing side again after Joshua defeated former UFC champion Ngannou as the Grammy winner lost a $615,000 (N950m).

If the wager had been successful, the Canadian-born rapper would have won just less than $2m (N3.1bn).

Drake has been known as a curse to athletes as whenever he bets on them, most end up on the losing side. Therefore, athletes prefer he doesn’t bet on them and celebrate loudly when they are able to win despite him betting on them like Israel Adesanya did when he beat Pereira in 2023.

WBC heavyweight champion Fury has hailed Joshua following his victory over Ngannou with Joshua also expressing readiness to face the Brit after the undisputed fight against Oleksandr Usyk.

Fury, who watched the game, said he has a ‘bigger fish to fry’ against Usky and stated that he is available to face Joshua after his rematch in October.

“Me and Usyk have got an undisputed world heavyweight championship coming up. He (Joshua) just had a show fight in Saudi Arabia, which is fantastic for the show, but for the actual real boxing, it is me and Usyk who fight for the number one and number two positions for the undisputed championship of the world,” Fury said.

“So that (the fight with AJ) is on the back burner for now. Great performance from AJ, fantastic, but unfortunately I have got bigger fish to fry in Usyk on May 18, and then we have a rematch in October. So, after that, if he is still available and I’m still available, let’s get it on.”

Fury is scheduled to face Oleksandr Usyk on May 18 in a historic, undisputed showdown, with the winner potentially facing Joshua in the future.

In the post-match conference, Joshua expressed readiness to face the winner of Fury vs Usyk for a chance back at the world heavyweight titles.

“I just want to fight… and that next fight I want is the winner of Fury vs Usyk,” he said.

The last time Sunshine Stars scored three goals at home was last season against Lobi Stars.

Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) matchday 24 saw a mix of results across four venues in the country.
Nine goals were scored across four matches, with one home win, two draws, and one away victory.

Sunshine Stars shine brightly

At Akure Stadium, Kennedy Boboye’s Sunshine Stars secured a convincing 3-1 victory against Plateau United.
This marks the first time Sunshine Stars have scored three goals at home since last season’s clash with Lobi Stars.
Sodiq Ibrahim led the charge for Sunshine Stars with a brace, while Ibrahim Yusuf opened the scoring in the first half.
Albert Hilary managed a consolation goal for Plateau United in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the home side’s dominance.
The win elevates Sunshine Stars to 12th position in the league table with 30 points, while Plateau United remains in second place with 41 points.

Surprise in other matches

In Port Harcourt, Rivers United fought back from a goal down to secure a 1-1 draw against Kano Pillars.
This marks Abdul Makaiba’s team’s first away point since their February draw with Heartland in Owerri.
The game in Port Harcourt is one of the fixtures beamed live on Startimes this weekend as the NPFL continues to gain increased traction with the return of matches to the screens.

Elsewhere, Heartland and Katsina United also played out a 1-1 draw, while Niger Tornadoes pulled off a surprise lone-goal away victory against Bayelsa United in Yenagoa.
Ikechukwu Nwani scored the all-important goal for the visitors.

It is already given and merely awaiting to be stamped. Nigeria will win the two top positions of the men’s singles event of the 13^th African Games’ badminton.

Thanks to the great efforts of Anuoluwapo Opeyori who defied the stiff opposition by Egypt’s Ahdam Abdelhalim to win a tough semi-final match by 2-1.

It is not the first time that Opeyori will overcome the Egyptian in the same fashion of coming from a game behind.

He did it in 2020 at the third place match of the African Championship at the Cairo Stadium Hall 2.

By his current performance, Opeyori has set up a final match with his compatriot and usual doubles partner, Godwin Olofua in the final match later in the day.

What a dramatic event! The match-up is a repeat of the All African championship held in Port Harcourt in 2019 when the duo played the final match.

For Olofua who is Qatar based, this is an opportunity for him to revenge his loss to Opeyori.  Both players are well known to one another.

No matter the result, Nigeria will be the winner.

Olofua is in the title match after overcoming compatriot, Victor Ikechukwu in an all-Nigeria semi-final contest.