Sports

Super Falcons Trash Equatorial Guinea 9-0 to Win Antalya Tourney

Published

5 years ago

February 23, 2021

Eric

Barcelona forward, Asisat Oshoala, scored four goals as the Super Falcons thrashed Equatorial Guinea 9-0 to emerge champions of the Festival Women’s Cup 2021 Antalya on Tuesday.

The competition had the Falcons, Equatorial Guinea, Uzbekistan and CSKA Moscow Ladies in attendance.

Falcons finished as champions with maximum nine points from three matches, scoring 11 goals and conceding none.
Glory Ogbonna opened the scoring for the nine-time African champions in the ninth minute, before captain Oshoala scored two goals from the spot in the 12th and 13th minutes, and then added a third in the 26th minute.

Uchenna Kalu made it 5-0 in the 36th minute, while Eibar forward Charity Adule scored the sixth goal with a fine header three minutes later.
The hardworking Toni Payne’s 43rd minute thunderous strike, after shielding off two of her opponents, ensured that the Falcons took a seven-goal advantage into the half time break.
Falcons coach Randy Waldrum brought on Gift Monday, Ramat Abdulkareem, Esther Sunday and Maryam Ibrahim for Chiwendu Ihezuo, Chidinma Okeke, Payne and Kalu respectively, ensuring all the 23 players for the tournament had a taste of action.

The Nigerians, however, took their foot off the pedal in the second half, but still scored two goals to confine Equatorial Guinea, two-time African champions to a humiliating defeat.

Substitute Gift, who plays for Robo FC in the domestic league, scored the eight goal in the 69th minute, before Oshoala grabbed her fourth of the game in the 85th minute to cap an emphatic win for the African champions.
Two minutes later Equatoguinean defender Gina was given the marching orders after a harsh tackle on the rampaging Ramat Abdulkareem on the left flank.

With the result, the Falcons became the first African team to win the tournament, following three straight wins.
Waldrum’s side defeated CSKA Moscow Ladies 1-0 in their opening game of the tournament before beating Uzbekistan by the same margin in their second encounter.

Oshoala attributed the performance to the hard work of the players.
“As a team I’m really happy and also with the attitude the girls put up in the tournament because we came all out to make sure we had fun.

“Also, we worked very hard. We just want to make sure that we give our best and keep getting good results and goals as much as we can,” Oshoala told NFF Media.

Uzbekistan and CSKA Moscow will play the final game of the group later today to determine who finishes runners-up to the Falcons.

Uzbekistan and CSKA both have three points but the Uzbeks are have a superior goal difference of +4.
Equatorial finished the competition without a point, after losing all three matches.

Sports

FIFA Strikes Out Nigeria’s Petition, Okays DR Congo for 2026 World Cup Play-Off

Published

2 days ago

March 4, 2026

Eric

Nigeria’s hopes of securing a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup have effectively ended after FIFA confirmed the Democratic Republic of the Congo as Africa’s representative in the upcoming inter-confederation play-off tournament.

In an official accreditation notice circulated to media covering the event, FIFA outlined the competition format and confirmed the six nations set to compete for the final two spots at the expanded global tournament.

The announcement excludes Nigeria, whose football authorities had lodged a formal protest following their defeat by DR Congo in the CAF play-offs in November 2025.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) challenged the result, alleging that DR Congo fielded ineligible players during the decisive tie, which ended 1-1 before the Leopards prevailed on penalties.

The NFF sought to overturn the outcome and secure reinstatement into the inter-confederation play-offs.

However, FIFA’s latest communication makes no reference to any amendment to the qualified teams, strongly indicating that the original result stands.

In its statement, FIFA said: “The FIFA World Cup 2026™ Play-Off Tournament will see six teams fight it out for the final two places at the FIFA World Cup 2026™, to be staged in Canada, Mexico and the United States across 16 host cities.”

The governing body confirmed the participating nations as Bolivia, DR Congo, Iraq, Jamaica, New Caledonia, and Suriname.

Tournament format and fixtures

The play-off tournament will take place from March 26 to March 31, 2026, in Guadalajara and Monterrey, Mexico.

According to FIFA, the four lowest-ranked teams in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking — Bolivia, Jamaica, New Caledonia and Suriname — will contest bracket semi-finals.

The two highest-ranked sides — DR Congo and Iraq — will advance directly to the final stage.

This format places DR Congo one match away from qualification, with the African side set to face the winner of Jamaica versus New Caledonia for a place at the 2026 finals.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will be the first edition expanded to 48 teams.

For Nigeria, FIFA’s confirmation brings months of uncertainty to a close. Although no separate public ruling was issued specifically addressing the NFF’s petition, the unchanged list of qualified teams suggests the appeal was unsuccessful.

Sports

Barcelona Moves: Galatasaray Place €80m Price Tag on Osimhen

Published

3 weeks ago

February 12, 2026

Eric

Turkish Super Lig club, Galatasaray, have slapped an €80 million release clause on Victor Osimhen amid interest from Spanish giants Barcelona, Soccernet.ng reports.

Osimhen has been one of the most prolific strikers in the world over the last four years. In fact, he only recently scored his 200th career goal.

Since his permanent move to Galatasaray, he has been the club’s poster boy due to his impressive performances. This season, he has contributed 15 goals and one assist in 21 appearances across all competitions for the Cimbom.

The Nigerian international has been particularly vital in the UEFA Champions League, where he has already netted six goals.

His performances have not gone unnoticed, however, as several top clubs continue to keep tabs on him.

The 27-year-old only joined Galatasaray last summer for a Turkish transfer record fee of €75 million, but many clubs in Europe’s top five leagues would fancy having him as their leading man.

Now, according to a report by Turkish outlet Haberlisin, Spanish giants Barcelona are plotting a move for Osimhen.

Why Barcelona want Osimhen

Barcelona’s current top striker is Robert Lewandowski, and the club is looking to move on from the veteran, who will turn 38 in August.

With second-choice striker Ferran Torres not considered a reliable long-term option, the Catalans are searching for a proper talisman to lead their line.

According to Haberlisin, Barcelona have made Osimhen a major target and are willing to go all out for him in the summer.

However, Galatasaray won’t let him leave for cheap. Having paid €75 million for his services just seven months ago, they will want to maximize their return on the transfer. Consequently, they have slapped a hefty €80 million price tag on the Super Eagles star.

Although they are one of the biggest clubs in the world, Barcelona might struggle to meet this valuation due to their ongoing financial troubles. However, over the last three years, they have managed to pull off several big-money deals.

For Osimhen, even though he loves life at Galatasaray and earns a Turkish-record salary, he likely still has eyes on playing in one of Europe’s top five leagues.

It remains to be seen how hard the Spanish giants will push to get this transfer over the line and whether Osimhen will be willing to go.