Sports
2023WWC: Nigeria Begin Campaign Against Olympic Champions Canada

The Super Falcons of Nigeria will start their 2023 World Cup quest when they file out against Canada in a Group B encounter.
Nigeria, having participated in all editions of the Women’s World Cup, will battle the Olympic champions at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Australia.
Despite making all editions of the global showpiece, Nigeria have only managed to reach the quarter-final once. That was in 1999 when they lost dramatically 4-3 to Brazil.
In the last edition of the competition, the West Africans bowed out in the round of 16 after crashing to France.
With just four wins in 26 World Cup matches, the Super Falcons are eager to rewrite history in Australia and New Zealand.
Asides from The Maple Leafs and Nigeria, other teams in Group B include co-hosts Australia and the Republic of Ireland.
When Nigeria start their 2023 World Cup campaign against the CONCACAF, they will be taking on familiar foes. Both sides have met four times, twice in the competition – group stage in 1995 and 2011.
The North Americans have won once, two of the matches ended in draws while Nigeria emerged victorious on one occasion.
But Canada’s coach Priestman believes Nigeria are no pushovers.
“With Nigeria, you could argue that their consistency hasn’t been great, but when they’re good, they’re really good. I just think we just need a calmness and a belief in what we do well. We’ll be going to try and top the group,” the coach told FIFA.com.
Coach Randy Waldrum’s girls have won three and lost two of their last five games. But their opponents have managed one win in the same number of matches, losing four of them.
He is already anticipating a tough tie with Canada.
“Canada are the Olympics Gold medalists and we know they are going to be very good. We played them twice the last year and have a lot of respect for them,” he said, according to FIFA. “They are a very good side, very well coached, but I think we can have the ability to be successful if we perform and stick to our gameplan.”
Team News, Players to Watch (Nigeria)

While Nigeria may have had some off-field skirmishes in the lead-up to the tournament, that seems to have fizzled away and the team is raring to go.
So far, there are no reports of injury worries for them heading into the clash against Bev Priestman’s charges. But Rasheedat Ajibade and Halimat Ayinde won’t play in the game after being sent off in Nigeria’s semi-final loss to Morocco at the 2022 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON).
Against Canada, Nigeria will be backing on in-form Barcelona Femeni star Asisat Oshoala to lead the line. The African Player of the Year is the first from the continent to get a female Ballon d’Or nomination.
She is also fresh off a second consecutive Women’s Champions League crown with the Catalonian side.
Sports
African junior champs: Nigeria Wins Gold Medals across Sprints
Her compatriots Chigozie Nwankwo and Perezide Sigah finished second and third, respectively, recording 24.01s and 24.26s, to complete an emphatic Nigerian 1-2-3.

• Ezechukwu -middle ( first) Nwankwo (second) Sigah (third)
At the packed MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta on Sunday, Miracle Ezechukwu stormed to victory in the CAA African U-18/U-20m girls’ final having won three gold medals of the championship with a personal best of 23.87s.
Her compatriots Chigozie Nwankwo and Perezide Sigah finished second and third, respectively, recording 24.01s and 24.26s, to complete an emphatic Nigerian 1-2-3.
Ezechukwu, who also clinched gold in the 100m earlier in the event, described the championships as a dream come true and expressed her gratitude to her coach and the organisers.
Moments after the U-18 triumph, Nigeria repeated the feat in the U-20 women’s 200m final as Success Oyibu led another clean sweep for the host nation when she blazed to a new personal best of 23.56s.
She was closely followed by U-20 100m champion Chioma Cynthia Nweke (23.95s) and Lucy Nwankwo (24.24s) to ensure Nigeria captured all six medals available across both female sprint categories.
Oyibu credited her performance to divine guidance and her camp’s preparation.
Earlier in the day, Nigeria won a protest regarding its U-20 men’s 4x100m relay team.
After initial claims of an exchange outside the zone, the Confederation of African Athletics ruled in Nigeria’s favour, awarding the quartet of Saliu Toyeeb, Joachim Uyovwiyoma, John Caleb and Malik Oluwatobi the gold medal, which earned Nigeria’s third consecutive title in the event.
Sports
Athletes from 31 countries arrive Nigeria for African Karate Championship
The championship will feature competitions in multiple categories, including Cadet (14–15 years), Junior (18 years), Senior, Para-karate, and Wheelchair divisions.

Athletes from 31 African countries, on Sunday, arrived in Nigeria for the 2025 African Karate Championship, scheduled to be held from July 21 to 28.
The championship will feature competitions in multiple categories, including Cadet (14–15 years), Junior (18 years), Senior, Para-karate, and Wheelchair divisions.
The President of the Karate Federation of Nigeria (KFN), Hon. Silas Agara, disclosed this in Abuja during a press briefing. He commended the Nigeria Immigration Service for facilitating a smooth visa process for the international delegations.
He noted that the participating countries have completed their registration, which closed on Wednesday night.
Agara said: “We have most of the countries on ground now. As of the closing date, 31 countries had confirmed participation.”
Sports
NPFL Holds Draw for 2025/26 Season Fixtures at AGM, July 28
President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau is expected to declare the meeting open with a number of ex-international players in attendance to add colour to the draw event.

Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season 2025/26 activities will be flagged off with an Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Abuja.
In a letter of invitation to the clubs, the NPFL Chief Operating Officer, Davidson Owumi stated that the AGM will hold on Monday, July 28 at the Abuja Continental Hotel, (the Old Abuja Sheraton Hotels) while the arrival date for all participants is Sunday, July 27.
Part of the agenda of the AGM will be the draw ceremony for the fixtures of the new season slated to start on August 22nd.
“In addition to the various reports that will be presented at the AGM, we are also going to conduct the framework for the fixtures of the new season”, Owumi told NPFL Media.
Chairman of the Board, Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye will lead the meeting with the board members and the 20 clubs that played in the last season. The four promoted clubs will be formally admitted to the NPFL just as the four relegated clubs will be attending their last meeting as part of the elite league.
President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau is expected to declare the meeting open with a number of ex-international players in attendance to add colour to the draw event.
-
News2 days ago
BREAKING: Group of retired police officers protest against poor welfare
-
Politics3 days ago
Senate dares Natasha to resume on Tuesday
-
Sports3 days ago
African junior champs: Nigeria Wins Gold Medals across Sprints
-
Sports3 days ago
Ex-Super Eagles Coach, Sunday Oliseh, Loses Brother
-
Sports3 days ago
NPFL Holds Draw for 2025/26 Season Fixtures at AGM, July 28
-
Sports3 days ago
Athletes from 31 countries arrive Nigeria for African Karate Championship
-
Business3 days ago
Zenith named Nigeria’s best bank at Euromoney awards for excellence 2025
-
News1 day ago
BREAKING: Natasha arrives at the National Assembly to resume duty