Sports

W’Cup Playoffs: Super Eagles Camp in Morocco Boosted with 10 Early Arrivals

Published

2 months ago

November 10, 2025

Eric

The Super Eagles’ camp officially opened on Sunday in Rabat, Morocco, with the arrival of 10 players, as Nigeria begin final preparations for their crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup CAF playoffs.

The first batch of players and team officials arrived at the Rive Hotel, Rabat, on Sunday afternoon, signalling the start of what could be a decisive week in Nigeria’s campaign to return to the world’s biggest football stage.

The team’s media officer, Promise Efoghe, told the News Agency of Nigeria that early arrivals included the trio of Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze, as well as Tolu Arokodare and Olakunle Olusegun.

“Later on Sunday, three more players – Wilfred Ndidi, Moses Simon, and William Troost-Ekong—joined up with the squad, bringing the number of players in camp to eight.

“By nightfall, Benjamin Fredericks and Chidozie Awaziem also checked in, raising the total number of players in camp to 10 as preparations gathered pace,” he said.

NAN also reports that coach Eric Chelle on Saturday finalised his 24-man squad for the playoffs as he named a strong roster of Europe-based stars and local standouts for the decisive fixtures in Rabat.

The Super Eagles face Gabon in the first playoff match on Thursday. A win would send them into the African playoff final against either Cameroon or the Democratic Republic of Congo on November 16, also in the Moroccan capital.

The playoff round provides African teams with an additional route to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

However, the winner of this series must still overcome opponents from other continents in a final intercontinental playoff scheduled for March 2026 in Mexico.

Chelle’s squad features several changes from last month’s qualifiers, where Nigeria recorded victories over Lesotho and Benin to climb to second place behind South Africa in their qualifying group.

The crucial victories earned the Super Eagles a playoff slot as one of the four best runners-up across the nine African groups.

Among the returnees is Maduka Okoye of Udinese, back to provide competition in goal, while Awaziem also returns in defence.

Midfielder Raphael Onyedika and forward Chidera have been recalled to add depth and creativity.

Players omitted from last month’s roster include Felix Agu, Terem Moffi, and Christantus Uche.

Nigeria, the highest-ranked of the four teams in this playoff round, are widely seen as the favourite to progress — but coach Chelle has cautioned against complacency, stressing the need for discipline and tactical precision.

Sports

Super Eagles Beat Tanzania 2-1 in AFCON Opener

Published

3 days ago

December 24, 2025

Eric

A dominant but wasteful Super Eagles, on Tuesday, beat Tanzania 2-1 to begin their campaign at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Semi Ajayi and Ademola Lookman scored one goal apiece to give the Super Eagles all three points at stake.

The West Brom defender rose highest to power home an Alex Iwobi cross in the 37th minute to put the Super Eagles’ noses ahead in the Group C encounter.

Lookman netted the second for Nigeria 52 minutes into the clash to ensure all three points for the Super Eagles.

Nigeria, off the back of a heartbreaking 2026 World Cup qualification failure, expectedly dominated play in the early exchanges in Fes, Morocco.

With about 10 minutes on the clock, Sevilla’s Akor Adam struck the woodwork in what could have been Nigeria’s opener at the 2025 AFCON.

Minutes later, Victor Osimhen almost doubled the lead for the Super Eagles, but his effort was cleared off the line. With 45 minutes played, Nigeria entered the tunnel with a 1-0 advantage over the Taifa Stars.

Two minutes into the second half, the former Napoli forward thought he had scored after finding the net. But his 52nd-minute effort was ruled out for offside.

Shortly afterwards, the East Africans took advantage of Nigeria’s defence sloppiness to level things via a finish by William M’Mombwa.

But it took two minutes for the three-time champions to retake the lead. This time, Lookman, who features for Atalanta in the Italian Serie A, found himself at the edge of the Tanzanian post from where he fired past goalkeeper Zuberi Masudi as the ball nestled home!

Eric Chelle introduced veteran Moses Simon for Adams in the vain hope of building a wider lead ahead of what is likely to be their toughest Group C match, against Tunisia in Fes on Saturday.

Tanzania squandered a chance to equalise with three minutes of regular time remaining as a Mohamed Hussein cross evaded Stanley Nwabali, but substitute Kelvin John failed to connect with the ball.

With three points, the Super Eagles now turn their attention to Saturday’s game against the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia. Victory in that match will guarantee them a place in the round of 16!

AFP

Sports

Jake Paul Lands in Hospital with Broken Jaw after Anthony Joshua Trashing

Published

5 days ago

December 22, 2025

Eric

Jake Paul has been admitted to hospital after reportedly suffering a suspected fractured jaw during his six-round defeat to former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in Miami.

The 28-year-old YouTuber-turned-professional boxer put up a determined performance throughout the contest but was ultimately overwhelmed by Joshua’s superior size, experience and power.

After the fight, Paul revealed concerns that his jaw might be broken. His promoter, Nakisa Bidarian, later confirmed that Paul was undergoing medical checks, noting that his recovery period could last between four and six weeks.

Despite the injury, Paul remained positive in his post-fight reaction.

“I feel good. It was fun, and I truly love this sport,” he said, while also sharing graphic photos and videos on social media that showed the physical impact of the bout.

The former cruiserweight contender stated that he intends to take a short break before returning to the ring, stressing that his ambition to challenge for a cruiserweight world title remains intact.

“We’ll heal the jaw, come back stronger and fight opponents in my weight class. Anthony Joshua is a great champion. I lost, but that’s boxing. I’ll be back and keep moving forward,” Paul said.

Reflecting further on the fight, Paul acknowledged that fatigue played a key role in his loss.

Sports

Anthony Joshua Defeats Jake Paul in Sixth-round Knockout

Published

7 days ago

December 20, 2025

Eric

Former heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, delivered a dominant performance on Saturday morning, stopping YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul with a sixth-round knockout in their heavyweight bout in Miami.

Although Paul exceeded expectations by lasting beyond the early rounds, Joshua’s superior power and experience proved decisive, according to The Athletic.

The British boxer dropped Paul twice during a chaotic fifth round, setting the stage for the finish.

Joshua sealed the victory in the sixth round, unleashing a sustained combination of heavy punches that left Paul unable to continue, prompting the referee to halt the contest.

Speaking after the fight, Joshua turned his attention to longtime rival Tyson Fury, challenging him to step into the ring.

“Put down (your) Twitter fingers and put on some gloves and come and fight me,” he said.

Paul, who later revealed he suffered a broken jaw in the bout, declined to name a future opponent.

Instead, the boxer said he would take a break from boxing following the loss, which marked the second defeat of his professional career.

Paul, who is ranked as the No. 14 cruiserweight with the WBA, has defeated back-to-back former boxing world champions.

He comfortably beat a 58-year-old Mike Tyson in November 2024 on Netflix’s boxing debut and most recently outpointed a 39-year-old Julio Cesar Chávez Jr. this past June.