Mr VAR

_NTF hails NSC leadership of Dikko, Olopade for support ahead of Morocco clash_ Team Nigeria has settled down in Rabat, Morocco and has already hit the ground running ahead of the highly anticipated Davis Cup World Group II tie against the host nation. The Nigeria Tennis Federation contingent, which departed Lagos in the early hours of Monday, has arrived and settled comfortably in the Moroccan capital ahead of the two-day clash scheduled for September 19-20 at the Union Sportive des Cheminots de Tennis du Maroc. The team, led by the Secretary General of the Nigeria Tennis Federation, Shammah Aliyu Makpa, wasted no time in kicking off its preparation routine. The early arrival is a deliberate strategy to allow the players to acclimatize to the weather, adjust to the court surface and get into the right frame of mind for the showdown. The players in camp include Daniel Adeleye, Canice Abua, Michael Emmanuel and Yusuf Abubakar, under the guidance of Head Coach Benson Ishichel...

By: Sunday Agunbiade (Mr VAR) The Vice Chairman of the Oyo State Football Association, Comrade Isaac Olawale Ifadare Ayangbile, has motivated Shooting Stars players ahead of their CAF Confederation Cup clash against Tunisia’s CS Faxien. Ayangbile pledged ₦10,000 for every goal scored by Shooting Stars in the crucial encounter scheduled for Saturday, September 5, 2026, at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta, Ogun State, with kick-off at 4:00 p.m. He said that his little gesture is aimed at inspiring the players to give their best and secure a convincing result for the Oluyole Warriors. According to the soft spoken football administrator: “Every favourable goal counts. One goal in favour of Shooting Stars attracts ₦10,000,” Ayangbile declared. The players will now look to reward the gesture with goals and victory as they file out against against the Tunisian side in the CAF Confederation Cup fixture.

The Chief Executive Officer of F&A Sporting Management, H.E. Prince Fred Akhigbe, has commended Euromatch Ltd for fulfilling its promise by investing in the Nigeria Premier Football League after years without a title sponsor. Following extensive engagements with Euromatch executives, F&A Sporting Management facilitated a $7.5 million, three-year deal that secured a title sponsor for the NPFL. Under the agreement, Euromatch Group has entered into a three-year partnership with Nigeria’s top-flight league. From the 2026/27 season, the competition will be branded as the "Euromatch NPFL". The Euromatch brand will also feature on club jerseys, in stadiums, and across match broadcast graphics. Days before the kickoff of the 2026/2027 NPFL season, Euromatch and the NPFL formalized the deal and unveiled Euromatch as the official title sponsor at an elaborate ceremony held at the Abuja Continental Hotel. The event was attended by top stakeholders in Nigerian footbal...

Nigeria U23 Head Coach Eric Chelle has unveiled Deniran Ortega as one of his two new assistant coaches for the Olympic Eagles, as the team begins preparations for the upcoming U23 AFCON qualifiers and a push to return Nigeria to the Olympic Games. The appointment, made directly by Chelle who doubles as Head Coach of the Super Eagles and the U23 side, is part of a deliberate effort to blend international best practices with deep local knowledge in the technical setup of the national U23 team. Deniran Ortega hails from Lagos State and has steadily built a reputation as one of Nigeria’s brightest young coaching minds. Based in the United Kingdom, he brings a global outlook shaped by formal training and practical experience across different footballing environments. He is a UEFA Licensed Coach and also holds several professional coaching qualifications from football bodies in Africa and Nigeria. That combination of European certification and African football understanding is ex...

By: Sunday Agunbiade (Mr VAR) Ambassador Kemi Ogunfuwa has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, and the Director General, Honourable Bukola Olopade, for their efforts towards repositioning Nigerian sports, while calling for comprehensive reforms that will transform the nation’s sports statutes and institutions rather than merely changing personalities. Ogunfuwa, a strong advocate for the development and proper organisation of sports supporters in Nigeria, said the present administration has an opportunity to leave behind a lasting legacy by undertaking fundamental reforms capable of strengthening the country's sports governance architecture. According to her, Nigeria needs reforms that will change the structure, systems and statutory framework governing sports, rather than reforms that simply replace one set of individuals with another. The Lagos based business tycoon stressed that the success o...

By : Sunday Agunbiade (Mr VAR) Nigeria’s football family may have found a credible and professionally equipped hand to help steer the game through a period of reforms and institutional renewal, with the return of Barrister Amobi Ezeaku to the country after successfully completing advanced studies in football and club management. Ezeaku recently returned home after earning prestigious UEFA and FIFA Masters certificates in Club Management, further strengthening his credentials as a football administrator with international exposure and a contemporary understanding of how the global football industry operates. His academic and professional development could not have come at a more important time for Nigerian football, where there is growing demand for competence, transparency, accountability, professionalism and genuine stakeholders’ participation in the administration of the game. Why Amobi Ezeaku? For a proposed Normalisation Committee, the priority should not merely be pers...