Sports
Sports Minister To Probe Favour Ofili’s Exclusion From Paris Olympics

Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, has said he will probe the exclusion of Nigerian athlete, Favour Ofili, from the 100m Women’s event at the ongoing Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
On Tuesday, the sprinter announced that she will not be competing in the 100-metre race at the ongoing Olympics in Paris due to administrative failures by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria and the Nigerian Olympic Committee.
“It is with great regret that I have just been told I will not be competing in the 100 meters at this Olympic Games. I qualified, but those with the AFN and NOC failed to enter me. I have worked for 4 years to earn this opportunity. For what?” Ofili wrote on Instagram.
Reacting in a statement on Wednesday, the minister said the “Athletic Federation of Nigeria and the Nigeria Olympic Committee must ensure that Ofili is not deprived of the opportunity to compete in the races for which she is qualified and registered to represent the country at the Paris Olympics. She is committed to proving her mettle.”
He vowed appropriate “sanctions after investigations into where and from whom this gross negligence originated.”“All parties must take their duties very seriously. The current way of operating the Federal Ministry of Sports Development does not allow for incompetence at any level,” Enoh said.
See the full statement by the minister below:
Favour Ofili, AFN, and the NOC.On July 28, 2024, as Minister of Sports Development, I visited and addressed Team Nigeria athletes at the Games Village in Paris.
It was a no holds barred session. Thereafter, I had my usual personal interaction with the athletes to allow them to express their concerns directly to me, which has been my tradition as Minister of Sports.
In addition, i have continued to encourage athletes to reach me directly on any concerns.
In hindsight, when Ofili had issues at the African Championships in Douala, I reached out to get her side of the story, and this time, it hasn’t been different. Favour Ofili reached me directly, expressing her concern for her races.
Immediately I called Professor Ken Anugweje, the lead of the Ministerial Podium Performance Committee, to ensure that Ofili’s issues are thoroughly addressed. He got back to me shortly after to say he was in touch with the 1st Vice President of NOC, Chief Solomon Ogba, and that the matter was being handled.
Upon hearing Ofili’s distress this morning, I reached out to the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN).
The Technical Director, Samuel Onikeku, stated categorically that Favour Ofili was registered for the 100m, 200m, and the 4x100m relay.
The Secretary General of AFN has also insisted that the final list forwarded by her to NOC (the only body the International Olympic Committee receives the final list of athletes from), had Ofili listed for the 100m as well.
I am in touch with the President of the NOC on this and await his explanation.Ofili has been in the top eight at the World Championships.
She is a Commonwealth Games silver medalist, an African Games champion, a former World U20 champion, and an African Senior Athletics Championships champion in the 200m.
As Minister of Sports, I will not tolerate this utter recklessness.
It is highly inexcusable, and there will be thorough sanctions after investigations into where and from whom this gross negligence originated.
All parties must take their duties very seriously. The current way of operating the Federal Ministry of Sports Development does not allow for incompetence at any level.
As an immediate measure, the Athletic Federation of Nigeria and the Nigeria Olympic Committee must ensure that Favour Ofili is not deprived of the opportunity to compete in the races for which she is qualified and registered to represent the country at the Paris Olympics.
She is committed to proving her mettle. Senator John Owan EnohHonourable Minister of Sports Development.31/7/24
Sports
JUST IN: Haaland ranked 26th, van Dijk 28th in Ballon d’Or 2025 list

The build-up to the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony is officially underway as the organisers began unveiling the rankings on their official X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday afternoon.
Kicking off the list at 30th place is Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise, followed by Florian Wirtz of Bayer Leverkusen at 29th, and Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk in 28th. Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice sits at 27th, while Manchester City’s Erling Haaland narrowly misses the top 25, landing in 26th place.
The partial list, also shared by football journalist Fabrizio Romano, has already ignited fan debates online, especially surrounding Olise’s placement. The French winger delivered an outstanding 2024–25 season for Bayern, registering 12 goals and 15 assists, making his relatively low ranking a point of contention.
The full top 30 list is expected to be released in stages throughout the day.
The Ballon d’Or 2025 ceremony is set to take place later today in Paris, where the world’s top footballer will be officially crowned.
Sports
Super Falcons Onome Ebi retires from football
Though I hang up my boots, my purpose in the game continues, to give back, to guide, and to be a voice for players.

Legendary Super Falcons defender, Onome Ebi, on Wednesday officially announced her retirement from professional football.
Her career spanned over two decades with Nigeria’s women’s national team.
Ebi announced her decision in a post on her X account: “Today, I officially retire from professional football. The journey has been filled with challenges, victories, and lessons that shaped me into who I am today.
“Though I hang up my boots, my purpose in the game continues, to give back, to guide, and to be a voice for players.”
Widely regarded as one of Africa’s greatest female footballers, the 42-year-old centre-back boasts an illustrious record at both continental and global levels.
Sports
U20 World Cup: Flying Eagles Final Squad Unveiled Amid Notable Absentees

Preparations for Nigeria’s Flying Eagles ahead of the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup have been affected by the withdrawal of several key players.
Top European clubs, including France’s Stade Reims and Germany’s Hoffenheim, have refused to release their Nigerian players for the tournament in Chile, which is not scheduled on FIFA’s official calendar — giving clubs the right to withhold players from international duty.
As a result, Hoffenheim duo Emmanuel Chukwu and Precious Benjamin, along with Stade Reims striker Ibrahim Hafiz, will miss the tournament. All three were considered key prospects for the national team.
In response, head coach Aliyu Zubairu has named a revised 21-man squad that excludes several overseas-based players. Domestic talents like Enyimba winger Clinton Jephta, Bidemi Amole, and Divine Oliseh — who featured in the U-20 WAFU B qualifiers in Togo — were also left out of the final list.
Team captain Daniel Bameyi leads the squad, which includes more than 10 players who participated in recent training camps and friendlies. New additions include Israel Ayuma, Ebenezer Harcourt, Charles Agada, Auwal Ibrahim, Kparobo Arierhi, Tahir Maigana, and Odinaka Okoro.
Meanwhile, dependable fullback Adamu Maigari has been ruled out due to a knee injury.
The team departed Abuja for Chile on Sunday night. Norway-based midfielder Daniel Daga is expected to join the squad later, ahead of their opening match.
Nigeria, runners-up in 1989 and 2005, will be aiming to win their first-ever FIFA U-20 World Cup title. The tournament kicks off on September 27 and runs through October 20. The Flying Eagles were eliminated in the quarter-finals by South Korea at the last edition in Argentina.
-
Business2 days ago
PENGASSAN Ends Strike as Dangote Recalls Workers
-
News2 days ago
Nigeria’s 65th Independence: Tinubu’s full speech
-
Business1 day ago
FG Spends $2.86bn on External Debts Servicing – CBN
-
Entertainment14 hours ago
National Theater: The Bankers’ Committee “made me eat my words – Soyinka
-
Business1 day ago
ECOWAS Bank okays $308.63m for Nigeria, Guinea
-
International13 hours ago
Legendary conservationist, Jane Goodall, dies at 91
-
International2 days ago
Deported Nigerian Claims Ghanaian Officials Abandoned Him in Togo
-
News13 hours ago
Kogi Enforcing Ban on Trailer Parks from October 29 – Fanwo