Sports
Ahead of FIFA World Cup: First lady Remi Tinubu to host Super Falcons

The First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, alongside top government functionaries, will attend the send-forth dinner of the Super Falcons ahead of the team’s departure for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup is scheduled to take place over a period of one month, starting from July 20 to August 20.
In a statement on Thursday, Head of Communications of the NFF, Ademola Olajire, noted that the dinner, organised by the country’s football body, will be held on Saturday at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
“We are expecting the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Ismaila Abubakar, as well as other top sports officials.
“A good number of the team as well as technical and administrative officials are expected alongside the rank and file of the NFF led by the President, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, and the General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi.
“The event at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel will also attract corporate chieftains, members of the diplomatic corps, and a range of football stakeholders.
“On Sunday, the nine-time African champions will depart the shores of Nigeria for a 15-day camping programme in Australia, before they enter into camp for the tournament beginning from July 20 to Aug. 20,” Olajire noted.
Nigeria’s first match of the finals is against Canada, at Melbourne’s Rectangular Stadium, on July 21 before clashing with Australia and the Republic of Ireland on July 27 and July 31, respectively, at Lang Park in Brisbane.
NAN reports that Australia and New Zealand 2023 will be the biggest-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in history, as it welcomes 32 teams—the same number as featured in the men’s finals in Qatar last year.
It is also the first to be hosted by two countries as well as the first-ever FIFA senior competition to be hosted by two nations in two different confederations: Australia in the Asian confederation and New Zealand in Oceania.
Nigeria’s captain, Onome Ebi, will be one of the oldest players at the tournament, at 40, alongside Brazil’s Marta and Canada’s Christine Sinclair.
The three women will be featured in their sixth FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament.
According to the NFF, 24 hours before the Send-Forth at the Transcorp Hilton, the Australian High Commission will host the Falcons to a dinner, courtesy of the Ag. High Commissioner, Her Excellency Leanne Johnston.
NAN reports that the Super Falcons are in Group ‘B’ alongside Australia, Canada, and the Republic of Ireland.
Nigeria has previously played the Canadian and Australian women’s national teams at the FIFA World Cup.
The Canadians have been unable to defeat Nigeria at the World Cup, drawing 3-3 in 1995 and losing 1-0 in 2011.
Nigeria’s meeting with Australia at the FIFA World Cup in 2015 ended in a 2-0 victory in favour of the Australians.
(NAN)
Sports
President Federation Cup: NFF unveils venues, dates for quater-finals

The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has announced venues and dates for the quater-final of the President Federation Cup.
Plateau United and Rangers will clash at the Area 3 Stadium in Abuja.
The encounter between Akwa United and Kwara United will be played at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu.
Abakaliki FC abd Nasarawa United will lock horns at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, while Wikki Tourists and Ikorodu City clash is billed for the Bwari Stadium in Abuja.
All the matches will kick-off at 4pm on Saturday, May 3rd, 2025.
The winner of the competition will represent Nigeria in the CAF Confederation Cup next year.
Sports
U-20 AFCON: Flying Eagles Coach Unveils 24- Man Squad
The team is scheduled to play a series of warm-up matches in Egypt before their group opener against Tunisia on May 1.

Head coach of the U-20 national team, Flying Eagles, Aliy Zubairu, has unveiled a 24-man squad for the upcoming U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the 2025 U-20 AFCON will take place from April 27 to May 18.
Zubairu named first-choice goalkeeper, Ifeanyi Harcourt, defender and captain, Daniel Bameyi, midfielder Sulaiman Alabi, and forward Kparobo Arierhi in the squad.
The squad is a blend of home-based and foreign players who have intensified training in Abuja ahead of the tournament.
Some of the top foreign-based players invited include: Emmanuel Chukwu, Precious Benjamin, all of German outfit TSG Hoffenheim and Kparobo Arierhi (Lillestrom SK, Norway).
The Flying Eagles, who are seven-time African champions and two-time FIFA Under-20 World Cup runners-up, will depart Nigeria on Sunday for Cairo in a bid to clinch an eighth continental title.
The team is scheduled to play a series of warm-up matches in Egypt before their group opener against Tunisia on May 1.
They will then face Morocco on May 4, followed by a clash against Kenya on May 7 to wrap up the group games.
Sports
Ex-Man Utd star Bastian Schweinsteiger ‘splits from wife’
It was reported that the two are frequently separated by thousands of kilometers, with Ivanovic staying in Serbia with her kids while Schweinsteiger travels the world, and while this situation persists, their relationship kept straining from all angles.

Ex-Manchester United and Bayern Munchen star, Bastien Schweinsteiger and wife Ana Ivanovic are now separated from their union.
German outlet, Blunte, reports that the couples, having married for nine years, have now being separated since two months ago.
The couple has three kids between them.
It was reported that the two are frequently separated by thousands of kilometers, with Ivanovic staying in Serbia with her kids while Schweinsteiger travels the world, and while this situation persists, their relationship kept straining from all angles.
In addition, the reports says that while the couple’s last Instagram post together was in December 2024, they haven’t been spotted together for months despite getting married in Venice nine years ago.
It now remains to be seen whether both couples can eventually reconcile and work things out as the former midfielder is currently in Jakarta, Indonesia, leaving Ivanovic, a tennis ace who won the 2008 French Open, to rely on the support of her parents and brother who also live in Serbia.
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