President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved Nigeria’s bid to host the 2026 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards and the 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly.

The approval was announced in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

According to the federation, President Tinubu approved the ongoing Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, following a high-level meeting with CAF President Patrice Motsepe.

Those present at the meeting included Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ibrahim Gusau; former NFF President and Special Adviser to the CAF President, Amaju Pinnick; and CAF Acting General Secretary, Samson Adamu.

The NFF disclosed that the 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly is scheduled to hold in October 2026 and will attract leading football administrators and stakeholders from across the African continent.

The CAF Ordinary General Assembly is one of the most significant football governance meetings in Africa, bringing together presidents of CAF’s 54 member associations, representatives of the six zonal football unions and key football decision-makers across the continent.

The CAF Awards ceremony, regarded as African football’s biggest annual awards event, celebrates outstanding players, coaches, teams and football administrators who have distinguished themselves over the year.

Nigeria’s successful bid to host the prestigious events is expected to further strengthen the country’s profile as a major destination for continental football administration and international sporting events.

Chairman of the Local Organising Committee for the 2026 WTT Contender Lagos, Adesoji Tayo, has promised players and fans an unforgettable experience when the tournament serves off from May 19 to 24 at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos.

Top table tennis nations including Japan, South Korea, Germany and France will headline the elite field expected at the tournament, which is one of the 10 WTT Contender Series events scheduled for 2026.

Players from Denmark, the USA, India, Portugal, Romania, Cameroon, Benin Republic, Belgium, Canada, Togo, the Netherlands, Ghana, Wales, Egypt, Italy, Chile, Slovenia and hosts Nigeria are also expected to compete for the $100,000 prize purse.

Tayo reaffirmed Lagos’ readiness to host one of the biggest events on the World Table Tennis calendar, insisting that the city would once again deliver a vibrant atmosphere for athletes and spectators.

According to Tayo, the tournament has continued to establish itself as a major showcase for elite table tennis on the continent while boosting Nigeria’s image on the global sporting stage.

“We are excited to host this prestigious event, one that not only highlights elite table tennis in Africa and beyond but also underscores Nigeria’s growing influence on the global sporting stage. Coming on the heels of the centenary anniversary of table tennis in London, Lagos is proud to welcome athletes eager to compete with passion and precision,” he added.

• Flick

FC Barcelona have reached a full agreement with manager Hansi Flick over a new contract extension that will keep the German coach at the club until 2028 following their dramatic La Liga title triumph.

The agreement comes less than 24 hours after Barcelona sealed their 29th Spanish league title with a commanding 2-0 victory over arch-rivals Real Madrid at Spotify Camp Nou.

Goals from Marcus Rashford and Ferran Torres secured the crucial El Clasico win, handing Barcelona an unassailable 14-point lead with three games remaining.

The victory completed another remarkable domestic campaign under Flick, who has quickly transformed Barcelona into one of Europe’s most exciting attacking sides since taking charge.