Sports
UPDATED: Super Eagles Arrive In Nigeria After Libyan Airport Nightmare
The Super Eagles have arrived in Nigeria after their ordeal in Libyan for a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier.
Players and officials were stranded for about 13 hours at a Libyan airport ahead of the game which was supposed to take place on Tuesday.
Photos of the team sleeping on benches went viral early Monday, prompting condemnation.
But hours later, the team landed in Kano after Libyan authorities cleared their flight to take off.
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“BACK HOME SAFE & SOUND.
Proud of this team, NAIJA SPIRIT can’t be broken.
Throw at us what you want, it’s in our blood to overcome,” the team’s captain William Troost-Ekong said on his X handle.
“I’ve seen a lot in my 10 years with this group, but nothing like this, an experience that has brought us even closer TOGETHER.”
Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface said the Super Eagles have returned home.
“Back to Nigeria,” Boniface wrote.
The Nigerian players and officials had landed in the North African country ahead of the match. But after their flight was rerouted from Benghazi where the game was meant to hold.
They were denied access to food and other supplies with some members of the team taking to social media to lament about the incident.
That prompted condemnation across the globe with Nigerian authorities describing the incident as “unfortunate”.
The Minister of Sports Development John Enoh likened it to “almost hostage” and said the Super Eagles were no longer taking part in the game.
“To say the least, they face an almost ‘hostage’ situation. These are sportsmen set to compete in an AFCON qualifying match come Tuesday!” he said.
“For now, our primary concern is the safety of the members of our national team. With the events of the past hours, their safety is not guaranteed and the team insists they’re unable to go ahead with the match not just because of the trauma and consequent psychological torture but also because of fear for their safety.”
‘Inconsistent With Our Values’
The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) denied accusations of wrong-doings and claim its team faced a similar situation when they played the Super Eagles in the first leg of the encounter last week.
“There are no grounds to accuse the Libyan security teams or the Libyan Football Federation of deliberately orchestrating this incident.
Such actions are inconsistent with our values and principles,” the LFF said and linked the delay to logistical issues and other challenges.
‘Action Will Be Taken’
But the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) had said it was going to probe the “disturbing conditions” after reaching out to the Nigerian and Libyan authorities.
“The matter has been referred to the CAF Disciplinary Board for investigation and appropriate action will be taken against those who violated the CAF Statutes and Regulations,” CAF said.
Sports
Manchester City lose ground in EPL title race
Defeat is Manchester City’s third consecutive since their seven-match winning run ended at Aston Villa.
Manchester City suffered a shock 3-1 defeat at Nottinghaam Forest in the English Premier League on Saturday night.
Liam Delap’s brace and Jair Cunha’s opener ensured Forest claimed maximum points against the fumbling former EPL champions riddled with defensive lapses.
Forest took the lead on eight minutes through defender Cunha who dispossessed Josko Gvardiol close to the penalty area, before slotting a low shot beyond the goalkeeper from just inside the box.
Delap doubled the lead with a rasping drive on 18 minutes after he stole the ball from City’s hesitant players.
The visitors reduced the deficit on 52 minutes from Ryan Cherki’s half-voley that nestled into the top of the net, but a defiant Forest regained the two-goal lead on 72 minutes through Delap.
The former Chelsea striker completed his brace with a piledriver into the top corner from Morgan Gibbs-White’s pass off a counter attack.
Defeat is Manchester City’s third consecutive since their seven-match winning run ended at Aston Villa.
City also lose three on the bounce for the first time since 2024, and are six points off the pace behind EPL leaders Arsenal.Nottingham Forest however climb out of the relegation waters with a first win in six matches.
Sports
Nigeria Wins First U-17 Women’s World Cup By 2:1 Against Japan
The Japanese side pushed for an equaliser, but Nigeria held on to secure the 2-1 victory.
Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, have defeated Japan 2-1 to win the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
The Flamingos secured the historic victory on Saturday at the Mohammed VI Football Complex, Pitch 3, in Rabat, to claim their first title in the competition.
Awawu Bashiru opened the scoring for Nigeria in the 39th minute with a long-range effort that slipped through the hands of the Japanese goalkeeper.
Nigeria doubled their advantage shortly after the restart, with Oluebube Umejiaku finding the net in the 47th minute to put the Flamingos in control.
Japan fought back and reduced the deficit through Fuki Ito in the 80th minute.

The Japanese side pushed for an equaliser, but Nigeria held on to secure the 2-1 victory. The Flamingos also came close to extending their lead late in the game, striking the crossbar from a corner kick.
Sports
JUST IN: Ronaldo Ends 23-year Portugal Career, Hangs National Team Boots
Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement from international football at the age of 41, bringing an end to a record-breaking 23-year career with Portugal.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner confirmed the decision in an emotional Instagram video on Thursday, saying he was ready to “hand back the number seven shirt” of the national team.
Ronaldo leaves the stage as the all-time leading scorer and most-capped player in men’s international football, with 146 goals in 234 appearances. He captained Portugal to their first major trophy at Euro 2016 and later helped the side win the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025.
His final appearance for the Seleção came on 24 September 2026 in a 1-0 Nations League victory over Wales. The announcement follows a public falling-out with head coach Jorge Jesus during the September international break, after which Ronaldo left the team camp and received a 30-day suspension and fine.
In his farewell message, Ronaldo said: “To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the number seven shirt of our national team. I never felt it belonged to me alone, but for 23 years I had the privilege and the responsibility of wearing it… Today the time has come to pass it on to the future. It was not an easy decision, because some decisions are not made with the mind alone — they are also made with the heart.”
Ronaldo will continue playing at club level with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
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