Sports

JUST IN: Super Eagles Goalkeeper Nwabali Set To Start Against Angola

Published

2 years ago

February 2, 2024

Super Eagles goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali is reportedly set to start against Angola on Friday after being passed fit for the AFCON quarter-finals clash.

The Chippa United goalkeeper on Thursday joined and completed training session with his other teammates with concerns still roving around his fitness for the tie.

However, on Friday, hours before the match, reports coming from the Nigerian camp claim that Nwabali will start for the Super Eagles against Angola.

Also, speaking earlier on Channels TV, Super Eagles Media Officer Babafemi Raji said the goalkeeper was good to go.

“He trained yesterday. He trained a day before yesterday. But yesterday was much more intense,” he said on Friday’s edition of Channels Television’s Morning Brief.

“So, it simply means he is available for selection today. For him to have trained yesterday with the rest of the team means that he is very much available for selection. In terms of who gets to start, it is the coach’s decision to make. But he is very much available for selection for today’s match.”

Nwabali has conceded just once in four appearances for the Super Eagles at the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.

The Chippa United goalie has won Nigerians’ hearts with his performances at the ongoing AFCON in Ivory Coast.

The Super Eagles will take on the Black Antelopes in a quarter-final tie at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan.

Nigeria vs Angola
After a commanding performance against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, the Super Eagles of Nigeria will be back in action on Friday against the Black Antelopes of Angola for a place in the semi-final of the AFCON.

Though Nigeria’s performance in the group stage left a lot more to be desired, the Super Eagles stepped up against Cameroon in what was a convincing performance that ignited hopes that the team could go ahead and claim their fourth AFCON crown in Cote D’Ivoire.

Angola, on the other hand, have been stellar in the ongoing competition, finishing first in their group and making light work of Namibia in the Round of 16.

The match promises to be an interesting one given how determined both teams are to win the AFCON title, and especially given their peculiar head-to-head records.

Sports

CRASH: Anthony Joshua Opens Up On Friends’ Death

Published

2 days ago

January 8, 2026

Editor

Former world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, has said the death of his two friends posed a tough time for him.

Recall that a car conveying the boxer earlier this month, rammed into a stationary truck along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The accident claimed that lives of his personal trainer, Kevin Latif Ayodele, and his strength and conditioning coach, Sina Ghami.

In a post on his verified Facebook page on Thursday, the former heavyweight champion said it was tough for him.

Joshua acknowledged that the incident was “even tougher” for the parents of the deceased.

He wrote, “Thank you for all the love and care you have shown my brothers. I didn’t even realise how special they are.

“I’ll just be walking with them and cracking jokes with them, not even knowing God kept me in the presence of great men.

“100% it’s tough for me, but I know it’s even tougher for their parents. I have a strong mind, and I believe God knows their hearts. May God have mercy on my brothers.”

Sports

NPFL: Kano Pillars Sack Two Players

Published

2 days ago

January 8, 2026

Editor

Kano Pillars have announced the departure of the duo of Umar Sani Yakasai Samuel Tiza.

Yakasai and Tiza’s contracts were terminated by the Kano-based club.

The Sai Masu Gida confirmed the development in a statement on Wednesday.

“Kano Pillars FC wishes to announce that, following a mutual understanding, the club have amicably parted ways with striker Samuel Tiza and midfielder Umar Sani Yakasai,” Kano Pillars wrote in a statement confirming the players departure.

“Both players will now continue their careers elsewhere ahead of the second stanza of the 2025/2026 Nigeria Premier Football League season.”

Kano Pillars is expected to make up for their departure with the signing of new players.

Sports

AFCON: It’s Not Possible – NSC On Super Eagles Players Requesting Cash Payment

Published

2 days ago

January 8, 2026

Editor

Chairman of the National Sports Commission, NSC, Shehu Dikko, has insisted that it is not possible to pay the Super Eagles of Nigeria their match bonus in cash.

Dikko stated this while clarifying the situation about Super Eagles match bonuses following reports of players threatening to boycott training and refusing to travel to Marrakech for Nigeria’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, quarter-final clash against Algeria on Saturday.

He spoke on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.

“Clearly, the players requested whether they could get some of these in cash, and they were told it’s not possible,” Dikko said.

“These bonuses are not paid in cash; they have to be paid through the bank, which is the normal procedure.

“The only ones they agreed to pay in cash are the daily allowances.”

The Super Eagles progressed to the last-8 after humiliating Mozambique 4-0 in the AFCON Round of 16.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Finance, Doris Nkiruka-Anite, had earlier disclosed that the Super Eagles players will start receiving their bonus money alerts today or tomorrow before the Algeria clash.