21 OLYMPIC EAGLES FOR U23 AFCON TITLE DEFENCE IN EGYPT

Imama Amapakabo has named his final 21-man generals  that will defend the U23 Africa Cup of Nations title in Egypt next month.


Nigeria, champions of the second edition of the competition in Senegal four years ago, will seek to retain their title when the third edition of the championship flags off in Cairo on 8th November.


The Olympic Eagles are in Group B and will battle Cote d’Ivoire, Zambia and South Africa in that order at the Al Salam Stadium.


Hosts Egypt head Group A that also has Ghana, Cameroon and Mali with matches to hold at the Cairo International Stadium.


Nigeria’s first match in Egypt is against Cote d’Ivoire on Sunday, 9th November.


The top three teams at the eight –nation finals will qualify to represent Africa in the Men’s Football Tournament of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.




Goalkeepers: Adamu Abubakar (Wikki Tourists); Mohammed Galadima (Nasarawa United); Kingdom Osayi (Giant Brillers)

Defenders: Olisah Ndah (Remo Stars); Samuel Atavti (Esperance FC, Tunisia); Valentine Ozornwafor (UD Almeria, Spain); Sincere Seth (Boluspor FC, Turkey); Josiah Chukwudi (Spartak Tranava, Slovakia); Anthony Izuchukwu (Nest Sotra, Norway); Bitok Stephen (FC Isloch, Belarus)


Midfielders: Sunusi Ibrahim (Nasarawa United); Aliyu Yau Adam (Spartak Jurmala, Latvia); Muyiwa Olabiran (Tambov FC, Russia); Kelechi Nwakali (FC Huesca, Spain); Ndifreke Effiong (Akwa United); Sunday Faleye (Wacker FC, Austria); Tom Dele-Bashiru (Watford FC, England); Azubuike Okechukwu (Basaksehir FC, Turkey)


Forwards: Orji Okwonkwo (Bologna FC, Italy); Taiwo Awoniyi (FSV Mainz 05, Germany); Bright Enobakhare (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England)

Brazil 2019: Eaglets stun Ecuador 3-2 to reach Round of 16

Nigeria became the first team to reach the Round of 16 of the 2019 FIFA U17 World Cup finals in Brazil on Tuesday night on the back of a superlative hat –trick by forward Ibrahim Sa’id. Two goals in five second half minutes turned the table against a well –organized and cohesive Ecuador in Goiania.



Sa’id put Nigeria in front after only five minutes as goalkeeper Lopez made a hash of an attempted pass to his defender. An alert Sa’id intercepted and slotted past Lopez from outside the box.



The lively and tactically –disciplined South Americans were level five minutes later, as Mejia turned Ferdinand Ikenna from just outside the box and pulled the trigger. The ball grazed the upright and then went into the net off the back of goalkeeper Daniel Jinadu.



The Eaglets had endeavour, enthusiasm and pace, but were easily checkmated by the strong and highly coordinated Ecuadorians. Two minutes to the end of the first period, substitute Akinkunmi Amoo found Sa’id in the box, but the latter could not get the decisive touch needed to pull Nigeria level before the break.



Nine minutes into the second half, Ecuador were awarded a penalty by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) as Charles Etim had a slight contact with an advancing Ecuadorian attacker in a melee. Johan Mina sent Jinadu the wrong way to put the South Americans in the lead.



The Eaglets, five –time world champions, pushed, searched and frisked with determination, just as they did against Hungary in their first match before scoring three goals in six minutes in the second half to beat the Europeans 4-2 and bag the three points at stake.



Short and stray passes in the opposition’s critical zone, anxiety and wayward shooting did not help the Eaglets’ search for goals as time wore on.



However, substitutes Ibraheem Jabaar and Amoo had come close and captain Samson Tijani had fired over the bar before Sa’id drew Nigerian level in the 84th minute with a sweet, angled drive after receiving a pass from Jabaar.



Five minutes later, it was Sa’id again, blasting past Lopez from inside the box from a determined team move. Lopez got his hand to the ball but it was too hot to halt its flight into the net.



Jabaar went to the ground when he should have scored and Olakunle Olusegun shot narrowly wide in added time, but the Eaglets picked their three points for a maximum six in two matches and will await their opponents in the Round of 16, even as they travel to Brasilia for their last Group B game against Australia on Friday night.

Eaglets show class in world cup opener

Nigeria Golden Eaglets comes back from a goal to defeat Hungary in Their First game of the 2019 FIFA U17 World Cup in Brazil.

Hungary drew the first blood through Gyorgy Komaromi in the minutes before the 3rd Tijani Scored from the spot to leveled up for the Golden Eaglets FEW minutes later.

Hungary Took the lead again through Major Samuel in the 28 minutes the Golden Eaglets despite having more of the possessions with a scoreline of 2-1 before the break.


Manu Garba made two exchanges in the second half as Amoo comes in for Opeyemi while Jabaar aussi comes in for Ubani As They search for goals.

Purpose It Did not long before Took The Most successful team in this tournament bounce back with two goals from Ibrahim Usman and Adeniyi in the 79 and 81 minutes to put the Golden Eaglets in forehead as Tijani Scored his second and the Eaglets fourth goal from a free kick to seal the victory for the Golden Eaglets.

Osun SWAN congratulates Olayemi over appointment as Sports commissioner

Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Osun State Chapter has congratulated a former Deputy Governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the last governorship election, Mr. Lawal Azeez Olayemi over his appointment as the new Commissioner for Youths and Sports in the state.

The sports journalists in Osun commended Governor Gboyega Oyetola for considering Olayemi saying that the young politician merits the call for service.

Osun SWAN in a statement signed by its Chairman, Adeyemi Aboderin and Secretary, Timothy Agbor in Osogbo on Thursday, expressed optimism that the appointment of Mr. Olayemi will take sports to a higher level.

The association however urged him to foster a better working relationship between his office and sports writers in the state with a view to promoting and developing sports in the state.

"We congratulate Mr. Lawal Azeez Olayemi on his appointment as the Commissioner for Youths and Sports in Osun state. We believe his headship of this ministry will usher great development to our teeming youths and sports.

“We advise the new commissioner to work with media practitioners in the state who have cognate experiences in sports. Doing this would propell sports to greater heights," the statement reads.

Osun SWAN then prayed God to grant Olayemi the wherewithal to excel in his new assignment.

Eagles slump in latest FIFA ranking

Despite putting up a five star performance against Brazil in Singapore on October 13, the Super Eagles have again dropped in the latest FIFA ranking released this morning.


The Eagles who in September were rated 34 in the world are now 35, even as Belgium retained her position at the top.


Belgium (1st, unchanged) still lead the way ahead of France (2nd, unchanged) and Brazil (3rd, unchanged), although top-ten rivals Uruguay (5th, up 1), Croatia (7th, up 1) and Argentina (9th, up 1) have at least edged closer to the summit.


The most significant rises are to be found further down the ranking, where the in-form quartet of Ukraine (22nd, up 3), Japan (28th, up 3), Turkey (32nd, up 4) and Russia (37th, up 5) are among the more notable climbers.


Jumps of ten or more places have also been made by a clutch of teams outside the top 50, namely Nicaragua (137th, up 11), Barbados (160th, up 10), South Sudan (162nd, up 11) and São Tomé and Príncipe (180th, up 10).


There is also more cause for celebration for Kosovo (114th, up 5), who can once again reflect with pride on their best ranking position to date.
The next FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking will be published on 28 November 2019.


Leader Belgium (unchanged)
Moves into top 10 None
Moves out of top 10 None
Matches played in total 184
Most matches played Algeria, Morocco, Guinea, Libya, Bangladesh (4 matches each)
Biggest move by points São Tomé and Príncipe (up 29 points)
Biggest move by ranks Nicaragua, South Sudan (up 11 ranks).


Biggest drop by points Mauritius (down 29 points)
Biggest drop by ranks Mauritius (down 12 ranks)
Newly ranked teams None
Teams that are no longer ranked None
Inactive teams, not ranked Cook Islands