Sports Groove

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...

...We will improve on what we have done so far  …Vows to preserve Coe’s governance legacy, drive innovation and unlock new commercial opportunities By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye      World Athletics Vice President Adille Sumariwalla has pledged to build on the achievements of outgoing President Sebastian Coe while introducing fresh ideas, greater innovation and new commercial opportunities if elected president of the global athletics governing body in 2027. Sumariwalla, who is seeking to succeed Coe at next year’s presidential election, said his administration would preserve what he described as some of the major gains of the Coe era, particularly in governance, transparency and ethical standards, while pursuing new strategies to keep athletics relevant in a rapidly changing sporting landscape. Reflecting on the crisis that engulfed the sport in 2015, Sumariwalla said his long involvement in World Athletics governance had given him first-hand exper...

...Women eye response against Suriname as Libya test awaits the men By Maxwell Kumoye     Team Nigeria’s men and women are set to resume their campaigns at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, today, Wednesday, September 23, with both sides seeking a positive response after difficult results in Round 6. The Round 7 matches are scheduled for 3:00 p.m. local time in Samarkand, with Nigeria’s men facing Libya in the Open section, while the women take on Suriname.  Nigeria’s men enter the encounter with six match points from six rounds, having recorded three victories and three defeats. Their campaign suffered a major setback in Round 6 when they were beaten 4-0 by Vietnam. Before that defeat, the Nigerian side had bounced back from a 3-1 loss to Cuba by defeating Malawi 3½-½ in Round 5.  Against Libya, Nigeria will be looking to players such as Bomo Lovet Kigigha, Abdulrahman Akintoye Abdulraheem, Odion Aikhoje and Odey Goodness Ekunke to p...

French driver Isack Hadjar will make his racing return alongside Max Verstappen for Red Bull at this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix ‌having recovered from the wrist injury that sidelined him from the last three races, the team said on Tuesday. New Zealander Liam Lawson, who had stepped in for Hadjar, will return to Racing Bulls. Japanese racer Yuki ⁠Tsunoda, who filled Lawson's seat alongside British rookie Arvid Lindblad, is set to step back into his reserve role. "Having made a successful recovery from his wrist injury, Isack will return to action at the Baku City Circuit on Thursday," Red Bull said in a statement. "The team would like to sincerely thank Liam for his professionalism, dedication and hard ‌work ⁠over the past three races. "Stepping in under challenging circumstances, he delivered some impressive performances and made a valuable contribution to the team." Lawson, who started ⁠last year as Verstappen's Red Bull team mate ...

France captain Kylian Mbappe missed training on Tuesday after developing flu-like symptoms, casting doubt ‌over his availability for the team's upcoming Nations League fixtures, the French Football Federation (FFF) said. The Real Madrid forward remained at France's ⁠training base while the rest of Zidane's squad took part in the session. The session was the second overseen by new France coach Zinedine Zidane, who is preparing for his first match in charge when France ‌face ⁠Turkey in Kocaeli on Friday. France are also scheduled to play Belgium home and away and host Italy during ⁠the international window. Mbappe's condition adds an early selection concern for Zidane as he ⁠begins his tenure with the national team, after replacing his former ⁠France teammate Didier Deschamps following the World Cup.

Premier League champions Arsenal have agreed an improved contract with manager Mikel Arteta, the BBC reported on ‌Tuesday. Arteta's deal was due to expire at the end of the season and negotiations over an extension had been ongoing for several months. Arsenal co-chair Josh ⁠Kroenke said in May that securing Arteta's future was the club's priority after the Spaniard guided the North London side to their first league title in 22 years last season. Arteta reiterated his commitment to the club ‌this ⁠year amid speculation over his future. The 44-year-old Spaniard has transformed Arsenal since taking charge in 2019, ending the club's long wait for ⁠a Premier League crown last season after three runners-up finishes in a row. Arsenal have made a ⁠strong start to their title defence, winning their opening four league matches before ⁠suffering a 3-0 defeat by Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.

Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde has been diagnosed with a grade-three sprain in his left ‌ankle, the Spanish club said on Tuesday. The Uruguay international sustained the injury during Saturday's 2-1 defeat by Atletico Madrid after a heavy challenge ⁠from winger Lee Kang-in, an incident that did not result in a booking. Valverde completed the match but was later found to have suffered significant trauma to the ankle. A grade-three sprain is the most serious type of ligament injury ⁠and involves a complete tear of the affected ligament. Spanish media reports said Valverde ⁠is expected to be sidelined for between two and three weeks, ⁠ruling him out of Uruguay's upcoming international fixtures.