Sports Groove

...Top three positions remain unchanged in Group B    By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye        The race for Super Six qualification in the NWFL Premiership took another dramatic turn after Matchday 11, with crucial results across both groups reshaping the standings and intensifying the battle for playoff spots. In Group A, Rivers Angels seized the moment to climb to the summit after a convincing 2–0 away victory over Naija Ratels. With Bayelsa Queens on a bye, the Port Harcourt side made full use of the opportunity to overtake their rivals and take control at the top. Edo Queens remain firmly in the hunt, keeping pace with the leaders following a hard-fought win against Heartland Queens. The result ensures that the race for the top three spots in the group remains tightly contested heading into the next round of fixtures. Over in Group B, the top three positions remain unchanged despite a series of closely fought encounters.  FC Robo Que...

By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye      Matchday 11 of the Nigeria Women Football League Premiership delivered fireworks across centres, with late goals, dominant displays, and crucial points shaping the race for supremacy. In Aba, Ahudiyannem Queens ran riot with a commanding 3-0 victory over Osun Babes, inspired by a brace from Grace Aaron, who struck early and late to seal an emphatic win. Over in Makwada, Adamawa Queens left it late but held firm to edge Ekiti Queens 2-1. Ifeoma Damien broke the deadlock before Favour Godwin doubled the lead, with Ekiti’s late response proving only a consolation. Rivers Angels showed their class in Abuja, dispatching Naija Ratels 2-0 inside the opening 20 minutes. Goals from Abasiofon Uwah and Grace Saliu ensured the visitors cruised to a comfortable victory. There was little to separate Sunshine Queens and Delta Queens in Akure, as both sides settled for a goalless draw in a tightly contested affair. In Iyamho, Confluen...

By Maxwell Kumoye          Head Coach Eric Chelle has named a strong 23-man Super Eagles squad for this month’s international friendlies against Iran and Jordan, with captain Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi and Ademola Lookman headlining the list. The two matches, initially billed for Amman, have been moved to Antalya due to the ongoing tensions in the Middle East. Nigeria will face Iran on March 27 before taking on Jordan four days later at the same venue. Chelle has blended experience with fresh talent, recalling key names such as Maduka Okoye, Frank Onyeka and Samuel Chukwueze, while also handing opportunities to new faces. Defender Emmanuel Oluwasegun Fernandez earns his first senior call-up alongside Germany-based forward Philip Otele and Collins Yira Sor, a former youth international looking to make his mark at senior level.  Goalkeeper Adeleye Adebayo also returns to the squad. The defensive unit features regulars like Calvin Bassey and Za...

By Maxwell Kumoye       A storm of controversy has engulfed the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) following sensational claims that Morocco were retrospectively awarded a 3-0 victory over Senegal in the final, despite the West Africans initially celebrating triumph on the pitch. The debate was ignited by former England international Jamie Carragher, who launched a scathing attack on the competition’s credibility. Reacting to the development, the ex-Liverpool defender described the situation as “madness,” questioning how a team could lift the trophy only to have it taken away afterward. Carragher argued that such a scenario would be unthinkable in major European competitions, insisting that finals must be decided on the pitch, not by administrative decisions taken after the fact.  His comments have since fueled widespread reactions across the football world, with many fans and analysts debating the integrity of tournament governance in Africa. Amid the ba...

By Maxwell Kumoye    The Senegalese Football Federation has launched a fierce rebuke of a controversial ruling, branding it “unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable” in a strongly worded statement that has sent shockwaves across African football. In a defiant stance, the federation warned that the decision not only undermines Senegalese football but also “brings disrepute” to the wider game on the continent, raising fresh concerns about governance and fairness. Determined to fight back, the FSF confirmed it will take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, signaling the start of a high-stakes legal battle. The move underscores Senegal’s refusal to back down, with the federation insisting it is acting to protect both its rights and the integrity of the sport. Reaffirming its commitment to “integrity and sporting justice,” the FSF vowed to pursue the case to its conclusion while keeping the public updated on developments. With tensions rising, th...

By Maxwell Kumoye      In a stunning administrative twist, the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) Appeal Board has awarded the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title to Morocco national football team after ruling that the Senegal national football team forfeited the final. The decision, announced on Tuesday, sees the highly contested TotalEnergies AFCON Morocco 2025 final officially recorded as a 3–0 victory in favour of Morocco, following a successful appeal by the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football. CAF’s Appeal Board overturned an earlier ruling by its Disciplinary Board, determining that Senegal’s conduct during the final breached Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations.  As a result, the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football was found culpable, leading to the forfeiture verdict that ultimately handed Morocco the continental crown. The ruling brings a dramatic end to one of the most controversial finals in recent AFCON history, shifting the nar...

By Mishael Emmanuel and Maxwell Kumoye    Nigeria’s dream of returning to the global football stage has suffered a devastating collapse after its protest over the eligibility of players used by the DR Congo national football team in the African play-off was thrown out by FIFA on procedural grounds. The decision effectively ends the Super Eagles’ hopes of appearing at the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Nigeria’s elimination traces back to the tense African play-off clash against Congo on November 16, 2025, at the Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco.  The encounter finished 1–1 after regulation and extra time before the Congolese side triumphed in a sudden-death penalty shootout to edge the Super Eagles out of the qualification race. In the aftermath, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) lodged a protest, alleging that several Congolese players who featured in the decisive matc...

...Targets comeback at World Indoors   By Maxwell Kumoye      Former Olympic silver medallist Luvo Manyonga is set to make his long-awaited return to international competition after being named in South Africa’s team for the upcoming World Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland later this month. The 35-year-old long jumper has been absent from the global stage for seven years but now has a chance to relaunch his career following the completion of a four-year anti-doping suspension in December 2024. Luvo Manyonga, who famously won silver at the 2016 Summer Olympics, remains one of South Africa’s most naturally gifted track and field athletes despite a career repeatedly interrupted by disciplinary issues. The former world champion served multiple sanctions during his career, including a recent four-year ban after failing to provide sufficient whereabouts information to anti-doping officials.  Earlier in his career, he also received an 18-month suspensio...

By Maxwell Kumoye        Tunisian giants Espérance de Tunis claimed a narrow 1–0 victory over Egypt’s Al Ahly SC in the first leg of their quarter-final clash in the CAF Champions League at the Stade Olympique de Radès on Sunday. Defender Mohamed Amine Tougai proved the difference, calmly converting a 73rd-minute penalty to hand the Tunisian side a slender advantage ahead of the return leg in Cairo on Friday. Al Ahly started the contest brightly and dominated possession in the opening stages but struggled to break down a disciplined Esperance defence.  The visitors created the first meaningful opportunity in the 20th minute when Mahmoud Trezeguet unleashed a powerful strike from outside the box, only for the Esperance goalkeeper to parry the effort away. The Egyptian side continued to probe and nearly went ahead just before halftime when Emam Ashour fired over the crossbar from inside the area.  Esperance responded moments later on the counter-a...