Sports Groove

By Maxwell Kumoye      Musa Francis James produced a determined run to claim victory at the 2026 Abeokuta 10KM Road Race, crossing the finish line in 30:25.33 to take the men’s title and the top prize of $1,000. James established himself among the leading runners during the race and maintained his advantage through the closing stages, resisting the challenge from the chasing pack to secure the biggest prize on offer. Ilya Raymond pushed James closest but had to settle for second after recording 30:38.06. His performance earned him $750, while Davwi Gyang Sunday completed the top three in 30:47.00 and collected $500. The result produced a tightly packed finish among the leading athletes, with less than half a minute separating the first three runners. The Abeokuta triumph for James, represents a significant result on a course that tested the athletes’ speed, stamina and ability to maintain their pace over the 10-kilometre distance. The event also provided a com...

  …First Bank awaits them in Zenith Bank League final showdown By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye           MFM Women's Basketball Club have secured their place in the Final of the Zenith Bank Women's Basketball League, at the National Stadium, Lagos, South West, Nigeria. The Yaba side maintained their unbeaten run in the League, defeating Nigeria Customs in a keenly contested match. The Captain of MFM, Okoh Ukamaka, was delighted by her side's outing today, emphasizing that the game was triple A standard. Ukamaka and Co. we're on a rampage from the very first quarter as Nigeria Customs struggled to get their acts together, bringing the scores to 22-11. The 2-time national champions, lost steam in the second quarter, as the Nigeria Customs mounted more pressure, reducing the gap to 35-34. MFM refused to back down turning on the heat in the third and fourth quarters to book their spot in the final, 64-61. Ukamaka and her squad will n...

By Maxwell Kumoye    The stage is set for the fifth edition of the Abeokuta 10km Race, with organisers Nilayo Sports Management Limited (NSML) assuring athletes and spectators of a safe, seamless and memorable event. The 2026 edition is scheduled for Saturday, October 3, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, and is expected to attract more than 3,000 runners, including professional athletes, fitness enthusiasts and members of the public. Speaking at the pre-race press conference at the MKO Abiola Stadium on Friday, NSML Managing Director, Yetunde Olopade, expressed appreciation to the Ogun State Government, sponsors and partners for their continued support of the road race. Olopade specifically acknowledged the contributions of the Ogun State Government, Phlo, Bet9ja Foundation, Aquafina and 7UP, saying their support has been instrumental to the growth of the event. The race will feature an attractive dollar-denominated prize purse, with the overall winner taking home $1,000. T...

…Draws comparison with Morocco-Senegal AFCON controversy By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has challenged the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) decision to annul Edo Queens’ victory over Ghana’s Ampem Darkoa Ladies in the WAFU-B final, questioning why the Nigerian champions should bear the consequences of an error they did not cause. The NFF filed its appeal on September 29 after CAF overturned Edo Queens’ 4-1 penalty-shootout victory and ordered the final to resume from extra time. The September 5 final in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, ended 2-2 after regulation time before the match officials directed both teams into a penalty shoot-out, which Edo Queens won 4-1. The Nigerian side was subsequently declared WAFU-B champion and awarded the zone’s qualification ticket for the CAF Women’s Champions League. However, following a protest from Ampem Darkoa, CAF ruled that the penalty shoot-out should not have taken place b...

...Teamwork is our biggest strength — Captain Okoh Ukamaka By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye , at the National Stadium, Surulere          MFM Basketball Club reaffirmed their status as one of the dominant forces in Nigerian women’s basketball after putting an end to Aso Sky Queens’ unbeaten run on Match Day 3 of the Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball League Final 8 Playoffs in Lagos. The result extended MFM’s remarkable unbeaten streak in the league to 17 games, while sending a clear warning ahead of the semifinals, where the two-time national champions will face Nigeria Customs. From the opening tip, MFM looked determined to impose their authority, edging the opening quarter 16-13 before stretching their advantage to 32-27 at the break. Aso Sky Queens refused to back down, staging a spirited fight in the third quarter and reducing the deficit to just three points as the Abuja side threatened to turn the game on its head. But MFM had the stronge...

By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye There is no shortcut behind MFM Basketball Club’s sustained success in Nigerian women’s basketball, according to head coach Ochuko Owolabi, who says relentless preparation and a deep understanding among the players have become the foundation of the team’s winning culture. That philosophy was evident on Day 2 of the Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball League Final 8 Playoffs in Lagos, where MFM dismantled Titans Basketball Club 79-50 to register one of the most emphatic victories of the day. The 29-point triumph for coach Owolabi, it is merely a reflection of the work that takes place long before the players step onto the court. Speaking exclusively to FIRST ZEALMEDIACAST BLOG’s Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye at the National Stadium, Surulere, the coach stressed that MFM does not wait for competitions before preparing. “Training, training, training. We train practically every day. We don’t wait for a tournament before we train,” Owolabi sai...

...Oborevwori, Okpebholo are special guests By Trust Ittai The 8th edition of the Government College Ughelli (GCU) Relays will take centre stage at the 12th National Annual Dinner and Fund-Raising Event of the Government College Ughelli Old Boys Association (GCUOBA) in Benin City. The annual dinner, scheduled to hold at the Cathelea Convention Centre, will use the GCU Relays as a major highlight of the evening as the association intensifies efforts to raise funds for its programmes and projects. The GCU Relays is scheduled to hold on the 14th of November 2026, and will also feature prominently in the fundraising drive, with support already receiving a boost from traditional partner Gamaliel and Susan Onosode Foundation (GAMSU), alongside contributions from notable young and old GCU alumni. Beyond athletics, the relay event is built around a broader objective of promoting interaction among secondary schools and students from different parts of Nigeria, using sport as a plat...

...Manhandle Bayelsa Blue Whales as First Bank return to winning ways By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye and Trust Ittai at National Sports Stadium Former champions MFM Basketball Club made a commanding start to their Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball Premier League Final 8 Playoffs campaign, brushing aside Bayelsa Blue Whales 69-35 at the National Sports Stadium in Lagos. The Yaba-based side wasted little time asserting their authority, taking control from the opening quarter and maintaining their grip on the contest throughout. MFM, who are yet to taste defeat this season, produced another dominant display as they overwhelmed the Bayelsa side by 34 points, underlining their status as one of the teams to beat in the championship decider. First Bank Basketball Club also returned to winning ways, defeating Victoria Queens 68-57 in a game repeatedly disrupted by power outages. The Queens struggled to establish any early rhythm, allowing the Elephant Girls to build the advantag...

By Maxwell Kumoye   Athletic Heat has unveiled a major highlight of its 10th Anniversary Meet, with Nigeria’s national 100m record holder Ajayi Kayinsola set to have the blue-riband sprint event named in his honour. The men’s 100m will be contested as the Ajayi Kanyinsola 100m Showdown when athletes gather at the Yabatech Sports Complex in Lagos on November 7, 2026. For Ajayi, the recognition goes beyond his achievements on the international stage. Yabatech holds an important place in his development as a sprinter, having served as one of the venues where he took his early steps in athletics and produced some of his fastest performances as a young athlete. The Nigerian sprint star returned to the venue for a special unveiling ahead of the anniversary meet and used the occasion to announce a personal contribution towards the growth of athletics. Ajayi will provide cash prizes for the top eight finishers in the men’s 100m, adding an extra incentive for athletes competing ...

By Maxwell Kumoye    Abeokuta is set for another major athletics gathering as more than 3,000 runners have already signed up for the fifth edition of the Abeokuta 10KM Race, scheduled to hold on Saturday, October 3. With some days remaining before the event, the sizeable registration has added to the excitement surrounding the race, which is being organised by Nilayo Sports Management Limited. Participants will assemble at Macjob Grammar School, Onikolobo, where the race is scheduled to start at 7am before heading through several parts of the Ogun State capital and finishing at the MKO Abiola Sports Arena in Kuto. This year's edition will have a distinctly Nigerian character, with organisers opting for an all-domestic field. Only Nigerian athletes will be allowed to compete, placing the spotlight on the country's distance-running talent. While the battle for honours and prize money will remain the central attraction, the event is also expected to generate significa...

By Maxwell Kumoye    Nigeria’s participation at the just-concluded 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, has produced another notable chapter with two members of the national team, Sandra Osarugue Omoruyi and Odey Goodness Ekunke, recognised with major FIDE titles. Omoruyi is now a Woman Candidate Master (WCM), while teenage sensation Ekunke has attained the Candidate Master (CM) title, adding further recognition to two young Nigerian players making their mark on the international chess scene. Their achievements were highlighted as Nigeria concluded its campaign at the 11-round Olympiad, which featured 208 teams in the Open section and 192 teams in the Women’s event.  The titles are particularly significant in the context of the progress both players have made. Ekunke, born in 2011, had already established himself as one of Nigeria’s brightest young players before arriving in Samarkand.  In August, he became the inaugural FIDE World Amateur R...

...Warns against rushing into an election that could be a subject of litigations   By Maxwell Kumoye        Former D’Tigers coach and President of Comets Basketball Club of Lagos, Ayodele Bakare, has raised fresh questions over the legality and constitutional basis of the Nigeria Basketball Federation’s (NBBF) Extraordinary Congress held in Yola, Adamawa State, on September 25. Bakare, who attended the congress as a delegate, made the observations in the second extract of his personal account titled “The Memoirs of a Delegate to the 2026 NBBF Extraordinary Congress.” His comments come after the NBBF Congress approved October 15, 2026 as the date for the elective congress in Abuja, while also constituting seven-member Electoral Committee and three-member Elections Appeals Committees. The federation said 39 of its 44 delegates attended the Yola meeting.  It's noteworthy to mention that 50 is the number of Congress delegates based on the NBBF const...

By Maxwell Kumoye       Cameroon are stepping up efforts to secure the next generation of talent, with a group of promising youngsters from European academies joining the country’s U17 setup for a training camp in Noisy-le-Grand, France. The move reflects the vision of Cameroon Football Federation president Samuel Eto'o to identify and attract talented players eligible to represent the Indomitable Lions at youth level. The latest camp features 25 players drawn from clubs and academies across France, Germany, England, Italy and Spain, giving Cameroon an opportunity to assess a wider pool of talent with potential to contribute to the national teams in the years ahead. Among the goalkeepers are Festus Chelsea of SC Charleroi and Poirier Elangue of Brookehouse, while the defensive group includes players from clubs such as USL Dunkerque, FC Lorient, FC Nantes, Union Berlin, US Orléans and Stockport County. The midfield also boasts notable academy representation, w...

...North Macedonia awaits Nigeria's men in Round 10, women meets Guatemala  By Maxwell Kumoye      Team Nigeria’s men produced another impressive performance at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, defeating Tunisia 3½–½ in Round 9 on Friday, while the women shared the points with Zambia in a 2–2 draw. The results moved both Nigerian teams to 10 match points after nine rounds of the 11-round competition, setting up another important day of action when Round 10 takes place on Saturday, September 26.  Nigeria’s Open team continued its recovery with a convincing victory over Tunisia. On Board 1, FM Bomo Lovet Kigigha held Tunisia's Mohamed Khalil Abdallah to a draw, while FM Abdulrahman Akintoye Abdulraheem defeated Yacine Barbaria on Board 2. IM Odion Aikhoje added another full point by beating Zoubaier Amdouni, before Odey Goodness Ekunke completed the 3½–½ victory with a win over Hamed Ben Ghanem.  The result was Nigeria's seco...

...Cameroon secured silver as Algeria claimed bronze  By Maxwell Kumoye  Tunisia have been crowned champions of the 2026 CAVB Men’s African Nations Volleyball Championship after defeating Cameroon in the final in Tunis on Friday. The hosts produced a commanding performance to overcome the Indomitable Lions 3-0, with the sets ending 25-22, 25-18, 25-19. The victory sees Tunisia lift the African title on home soil and, crucially, secure Africa’s continental ticket to the men’s volleyball tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.  The championship served as the African qualifier for both the Olympics and the 2027 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Cup.  Cameroon, who had reached the final after defeating Algeria 3-1 in the semifinals, finish the tournament with the silver medal.  Both finalists had already secured qualification for the 2027 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Cup in Poland by reaching the final.  Earlier in the third place matches, Algeri...

George Russell set a dominant pace to end the opening day of practice for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix ‌fastest ahead of runaway championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who completed a one-two at the top of the timesheets for Mercedes. The Briton, who was also quickest in the first session of practice, lapped the 6-km Baku street circuit in one minute, 43.347 seconds during the second hour of running. Italian Antonelli, sidelined by a hydraulics issue in the first session, was a sizeable 0.552 seconds off his teammate’s pace. But the 20-year-old, who leads Russell by 81 points in the ⁠standings after 14 rounds, was heavily compromised on track time, only coming out with less than half an hour of the second session remaining. Four-times champion Max Verstappen, second in the first session, fell back to third at the end of the day, with the Dutchman a whopping 0.827 seconds off Russell’s pace. Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were fourth and fifth but over a second of...

Winger Anthony Gordon believes England should abandon attempts to copy Spain's possession-based style of football and instead embrace their natural game by leaning more into physical strengths. Following England's World ‌Cup semi-final loss to Argentina in July, England manager Thomas Tuchel attracted a backlash after saying ball possession was "not in their DNA" like Spain, where a passing-heavy approach is taught at all levels. Gordon, who moved to Spanish club Barcelona from Newcastle United in ⁠May, agreed with Tuchel and said on Wednesday that he was not sure English players could be taught in a similar way. After hosting Spain at Wembley, England visit the Czech ⁠Republic ​and Croatia before playing the Czechs ​again at home. The remaining two fixtures of the Nations League group will be completed ​in November.

Dutch footballing philosophy has had a marked impact on the all-conquering success of Spain recently, but now that the ‌Netherlands are looking to bolster their own fortunes they have turned to a Spanish World Cup winner for inspiration. Former Barcelona midfielder and coach Xavi Hernandez has become the first foreigner in charge of the Dutch national team since the 1978 World Cup. Xavi, who as a player won the World Cup in 2010 and two European Championships, debuts as coach on Thursday when the Dutch host Germany in Amsterdam and will have three more Nations League matches in the three-week international window. The ⁠Netherlands have turned to him for a change in perspective after spells under Ronald Koeman and Louis van Gaal sparked much disquiet over the team’s tactics and playing philosophy. Both coaches were accused of abandoning traditional Dutch values around ball possession and attacking football and employing counter-attacks as their primary weapon. Although Van G...

Germany coach Juergen Klopp refused to make any promises of silverware on Wednesday but said signs of progress should be visible when his side face the Netherlands in his first match in charge in the ‌Nations League on Thursday. The former Liverpool manager succeeded Julian Nagelsmann in July after Germany's shock 2026 World Cup exit. Nagelsmann had said following Germany's Euro 2024 quarter-final defeat that he was sad he would have to wait two years to lift the World Cup, a prediction that came back to haunt him when his side were ⁠eliminated by outsiders Paraguay this summer. Klopp was asked about his remark at the start of his Liverpool tenure that he would probably have won a title if he was still in the job four years later. He went on to win a string of trophies, including the Premier League and Champions League titles. He was far more circumspect on Wednesday. "I don't want to promise anything," Klopp told a press conference. "What I can s...

By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye The organisers of the Government College Ughelli (GCU) Relays have opened entries for interested secondary schools as preparations intensify for the eighth edition of the prestigious inter-school athletics competition. The 2026 GCU Relays is scheduled for November 14, 2026, at Government College Ughelli, Delta State, with organisers also launching a fresh sponsorship drive to secure wider support for the competition. Traditionally run as an invitational meet, the GCU Relays has over the years provided a competitive platform for young athletes from secondary schools across Nigeria to test their abilities, gain exposure and compete against some of the country's emerging talents. However, organisers have again created room for schools outside the invitation list to express interest, with institutions demonstrating genuine commitment to participation eligible for consideration. Novena University Staff School, Kwale, and Yewa College, Ila...