Sports
Bendel Insurance Mgt Motivates Bendel Insurance Players Ahead Of Sunshine Clash In Ijebu-Ode

The management of Bendel Insurance Football Club led by the Executive Chairman, Edo State Sports Commission, Olympian Yussuf Alli, has urged the players and official of the Benin Arsenals to put the thoughts of the home defeat behind them and concentrate on their next match at Ijebu-Ode on Sunday.
The Edo State Sports Commission boss said that the Match Day 10 against Sunshine Stars on Sunday in Ijebu-Ode is more important than the 1-0 defeat to Abia Warriors on Saturday in Benin.
Yussuf Alli Oly was speaking when he paid the team a surprise visit during their evening training session on Wednesday with a pleasant motivation package of undisclosed amount of money
He told the team that though the management is not happy with their below par performance so far this season, but will however continue to encourage them to strive for success which is near if the right attitude and energy is put up.
READ ALSO: Bendel Insurance, Rangers FC Clash: Obaseki Offers Free Bus Rides For Fans, Supporters
“I am here this afternoon to encourage you to put the thoughts of the home defeat behind you and have hundred percent concentration for the next match. Go to Ijebu-Ode and win to fully recover from the last weekend setback.
“I must tell you the truth that we are not happy with the results we are getting. There is a growing concern by stakeholders about our performance and current situation in the league.We have done all that is required for you to succeed and it is not showing.
“However, we want to believe that soon, we will rise above the challenges and find our rhythm and winning mentality. Don’t feel despair but continue to work hard and avoid distractions. You guys are good,it is just little mistakes we are making that is affecting us and we can correct them.” Alli said.
READ ALSO: NPFL: Bendel Insurance Begin Season With 2-0 Victory Over Shooting Stars
He challenged the players and coaches to seize the opportunity of the Ijebu-Ode neutral ground for the match against Sunshine Stars to cover their lost grounds.
Responding, the Head Coach and Technical Director of Bendel Insurance FC, Monday Odigie expressed the team’s appreciation for the kind words and encouragement from the Sports Commission chairman against the expectation that the chairman was going to be hard on them.
“Mr Chairman we sincerely appreciate you sir. We will continue to work hard and do our best to turn things around. We apologize for the outcome of the Abia Warriors game,” he said.
Sunday Megwo’s 40th minute goal gave Abia Warriors a 1-0 victory over Bendel Insurance Football Club in the Match Day 9 of the Nigeria Premier Football League in Benin last weekend.
READ ALSO: NPFL: Bendel Insurance Begin Season With 2-0 Victory Over Shooting Stars
Bendel Insurance will be on the road to Ijebu-Ode on Sunday to face Sunshine Stars in the March Day 10 fixture. Kick off time is 4pm.
Meanwhile, Bendel Insurance duo of Michael Enaruna (Forward )and captain Meyiwa Oritseweyinmi(Midfield) have been invited to the camp of Nigeria’s home based Super Eagles for the CHAN 2025 Tournament.
The duo are already in the camp of the National team in Abuja as they were not seen on the training ground of the Benin Arsenals yesterday.
Sports
Flying Eagles Arrive Chile’s Talca For FIFA U20 World Cup Campaign

The Flying Eagles arrived in the Chilean city of Talca on Thursday afternoon ahead of their participation in the 2025 FIFA U20 World Cup.
Nigeria is placed in Group F alongside Norway, Saudi Arabia, and Colombia, with all group matches scheduled to be played in Talca.
Upon arrival, the two-time U20 World Cup finalists were warmly received by officials from FIFA, the Local Organising Committee, and hotel staff.
The team later held its first training session in the evening to begin final preparations for the tournament.
READ ALSO:JSS 3 Student Hacks Man To Death In Cross River
According to The PUNCH, the Head coach of Nigeria’s U-20 national team, Ali Zubair, said the Flying Eagles have corrected the mistakes that cost them at the Africa U-20 Cup of Nations and are now better prepared for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile.
The Flying Eagles are lodged at Hotel Diego de Almagro in Talca. The team wrapped up a 12-day training camp in Santiago, where they played host nation Chile and Australia as part of the build-up to the FIFA U20 World Cup.
Nigeria opens its campaign for honours in this year’s edition with a game against Norway on Monday, 29th September at Estadio Fiscal de Talca, before other games against Saudi Arabia and Colombia.
READ ALSO:Christian Chukwu’s 1980 Green Eagles Teammate, Charles Bassey, Is Dead
Nigeria’s national under-20 men’s football team is one of the most successful youth teams in Africa. The team has a rich history in the FIFA U20 World Cup, having participated in multiple editions since its debut in 1983.
Notably, the Flying Eagles have been runners-up twice — in 1989 (losing to Portugal) and 2005 (losing to Argentina, led by Lionel Messi).
They have also reached the semifinals on several occasions and are known for producing future Super Eagles stars such as Mikel Obi, Taye Taiwo, Kelechi Iheanacho, and Victor Osimhen.
Sports
FULL LIST: Nigerian Boxer Efe Ajagba Breaks Into World’s Top 10 Heavyweights

Nigerian heavyweight boxer Efe Ajagba has been ranked among the top 10 fighters in the world by The Ring magazine.
In its latest rankings updated on Thursday, Ajagba secured the No. 10 spot in the prestigious list, widely regarded as the sport’s most respected independent ratings.
The 30-year-old, who holds a professional record of 20 wins, one loss, and one draw with 14 knockouts, joins an elite lineup.
READ ALSO:Two Japanese Boxers Die From Brain Injuries At Same Event
The heavyweight division is currently led by Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk, who holds the champion’s position, with Britain’s Tyson Fury ranked first among contenders.
New Zealand’s Joseph Parker and Germany’s Agit Kabayel occupy the top three positions.
Ajagba’s inclusion comes after a string of impressive performances that have reignited his world title ambitions.
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His most recent victory solidified his status as one of the leading contenders from Africa in the heavyweight division.
The Ring magazine, founded in 1922, updates its ratings monthly based on results, performance, and track record, with input from boxing journalists and historians worldwide.
The development makes Ajagba the only Nigerian currently ranked in the heavyweight top 10.
Below is the full updated heavyweight ranking by The Ring:
Sports
SWAN Orders Nationwide Boycott Of NFF Activities

The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, has announced a nationwide boycott of all activities related to the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, including the Federation’s upcoming Annual General Assembly, AGA, scheduled to hold in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The directive, issued on Wednesday by the leadership of the association, follows what SWAN described as the NFF’s “deliberate and persistent exclusion” of the Association from the Congress, the Federation’s highest decision-making body.
In a statement jointly signed by the SWAN President, Mr. Isaiah Benjamin, and the Secretary-General, Ambassador Ikenna Okonkwo, the Association condemned the NFF’s actions as “unacceptable, retrogressive, and an affront to the sporting media’s role in national football development.”
“The media is a critical tripod in the growth of sports globally. SWAN, as the professional body coordinating sports journalism in Nigeria, has consistently engaged with the NFF on the need to restore our rightful place in its Congress. Yet, while the Federation claims to be expanding its Congress, it continues to sideline us—a move that is both short-sighted and detrimental to Nigerian football,” the statement read.
READ ALSO:Edo SWAN Felicitates Deputy Governor On Birth Anniversary
SWAN accused the NFF leadership of adopting a divisive approach to football administration, warning that the continued decline in the nation’s football fortunes is a reflection of ongoing maladministration.
“Despite enormous financial and institutional support from the Federal Government, state governments, and private sponsors, Nigeria’s football continues to nosedive.
“It is time to put a decisive end to this dangerous trend. Nigeria cannot afford to watch its most cherished sport deteriorate under avoidable circumstances,” the statement read.
Effective immediately, all SWAN members across the country are instructed to cease coverage and promotion of any NFF-related activity.
READ ALSO:WAFCON: Ihezuo Strikes Late As Nigeria Edge Botswana To Reach Quarter-finals
“A task force will be set up to ensure strict enforcement of this directive. Simultaneously, the Association will begin a thorough investigation and public exposure of the maladministration and backward practices now synonymous with the Federation’s operations practices that have contributed to Nigeria’s repeated World Cup qualification failures,” the statement added.
SWAN reaffirmed its position as a critical stakeholder in Nigerian football and vowed to resist any attempt to marginalize the sporting media.
“The exclusion of SWAN from the NFF Congress is no longer acceptable and will not be tolerated. We stand resolute in defending the integrity and rightful role of the sporting media in the Nigerian football ecosystem,” the statement concluded.
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