Nigeria Super Eagles winger Moses Simon was on the score sheet to continue his fine form, but he was able to stop his side, Nantes, from losing to Le Havre in Ligue 1 on Sunday, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.

Simon netted early in the second half to make it 2-2, bringing his season tally to seven goals and eight assists in 25 games, but Nantes lost 3-2 at the Stade Oceane.

A. Toure opened the score for the hosts in the 13th minute from the spot before S. Sow equalised for Nantes 10 minutes later.

Toure restored the lead 27 minutes from the spot once again as the first half ended in favour of Le Harve.

Simon brought the visitors to level terms three minutes into the second half, but T. Pembele struck two minutes to regulation time to end the encounter in defeat for Moses Simon and Nantes.

Nantes sit 13th with 27 points, three above the relegation play-off zone.

Uche Dozie

https://twitter.com/NGSuperEagles/status/1900058629811614091?t=TKBB1q6C5MpRMk2x57bH5Q&s=19

His replacement is 27 years old centre back, Joshua Torunarigha of KAA Gent in Belgium.

The Super Eagles will now have 7 defenders in camp ahead of games against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

Nigeria play Rwanda in 8 days time in Kigali and return to play Zimbabwe in Uyo 4 days later as they seek to get back their World Cup qualifying campaign back on track.

Uche Dozie

Nigeria Super Eagles duo of Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey were unable to help their club Fulham with their great performances as they lost to Brighton & Hove Albion in the English Premier League, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.

Alex Iwobi provided an assist, Calvin Bassey made his presence felt in defence, but Fulham fell to a late defeat away at Brighton.

The white and blue army had to come from behind to get their sixth consecutive wins in the league after Raul Ramirez put the Cottages in front on 35 minutes following an Iwobi's pass.

Joao Pedro brought back the hosts on level terms before the end of the first half.

The encounter remained delicately poised until the 95th when the hosts got a penalty which was scored by Joao Pedro to seal the win for  Brighton at Sussex.

Uche Dozie

Lazio manager, Marco Baroni expects Fisayo Dele-Bashiru to be back in action before the upcoming international break, Nigeriasoccernet.com has gathered.

The midfielder has missed the Biancolesti last two games due to a ankle problem after sustaining the injury in Lazio’s 0-0 home draw against Venezia last month.

The Nigerian trained partially with his teammates on Wednesday and his return to the field of play is may just be before th end of March according to the Lazio gaffer.

“Castellanos and Dele could return before the break, Hysaj not because the path should be different and return immediately after the break,” Baroni said ahead of his side’s UEFA Europa League clash with Viktoria Plzen.

Dele-Bashiru who has registered five goals and two assists in 23 appearances across all competitions for Lazio this season will be a huge gor Eric Chelle’s Super Eagles ahead of the World Cup qualifiers.

Uche Dozie

Calvin Bassey scores his first FA Cup goal in his first-ever FA Cup game for Fulham FC's defeat holders, Manchester United, on penalties to progress to the quarter-finals.

Bassey had put Fulham a goal up shortly before half-time. Andreas Pereira’s corner was nodded on by Rodrigo Muniz, with Bassey the quickest to react, to head past Andre Onana.

Bruno Fernandes equalised for United in the second half. The skipper struck Diogo Dalot’s cross home first time with his left foot, guiding it past Leno in the Fulham goal.

Bernd Leno denied Victor Lindelof and Joshua Zirkzee after the teams drew 1-1 over 120 minutes to give Fulham the win.

Uche Dozie

Chukwueze scored for the Rosonerri as they fell 1-2 to Lazio at the San Siro on Sunday.

Samuel Chukwueze scores with a fine header on 85th minutes to bring the hosts on level terms after coming in in the 70th minutes.

Mattai Zaccagni had put the visitors ahead 28 minutes before Chukwueze's goal

However, AC Milan was reduced to 10 men in the 67th minute before Pedro Rodriguez got the winner for Lazio from the spot after 90 minutes.

Uche Dozie 

Nigeria Super Eagles forward, Ademola Lookman recorded his name on the score sheet twice as Atalanta BC eased past Empoli ok Sunday, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.

Lookman got on the score sheet twice in Atalanta BC's 5-0 thrashing of Empoli at Carlo Castellani Stadium.

The visitors broke the deadlock with Davide Zappacosta's chip shot in the 27th minute of action.

Mateo Retegui doubled the lead in the 33rd minute of the game before Ademola scored his first of the night in the 44th minute to make it 0-3 at halftime.

The reigning African footballer of the year made it 0-4 with his second before Zappacosta put the icing on the cake to end the score at 0-5.

Lookman who played till the 74th minute was awarded the man of the match of the encounter.

Atalanta BC are third with 54 points, 2 points adrift of second place Napoli and 3 points adrift of top Inter Milan.

Uche Dozie

Super Eagles defender, Kenneth Omeruo is not ready to make light talks of the Palancas Negras of Angola ahead of their quarter-final clash at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.

Nigeria will on Friday take on Pedro Goncalves’ side at the at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan for a place in the final four.

While Nigeria defeat Cameroon 2-0 in the Round of 16, Angola thrashed Namibia 3-0.

Omeruo, one of the longest serving members in the team claimed the Sueprs Eagles are in the competition for a serious business.

“We do not need to go into back-and-forth chatter with any team. The Super Eagles are in Cote d’Ivoire for serious business.

“We have not played Angola for a long time but I remember we played them in 2012 in a friendly and it ended in a draw. I have also read of how previous encounters between the two countries have been quite close,” Omeruo said after one of the team’s training sessions.

“There is no possibility of Friday’s match ending in a draw; a winner must emerge. So much talk has been going on.

“Our collective resolve is to do the talking on the pitch. The Nigerian Spirit trumps all.”

By Olujimi Dare Ogun

Nigeria Super Falcons forward, Vivian Ikechukwu proved vital for Besiktas in their victory over Antalyaspor Kadin Futbol Kulubu in the Turkish Women's Super Lig, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.

Ikechukwu assisted the second goal as Besiktas won 1-2 away at the Mustafa Çetinkaya Stadium on Saturday.

Despite the dominance by the visitors in the first half, the half ended goalless setting the tone for an enthralling second 45.

The half came and it was Besiktas that opened score after Besiktas Defender Ines Maia gave the Di Kartallar the deserved lead in the 71st minute.

5 minutes later, Vivian with her beautiful skill tried to go pass the defenders of Antalyaspor, but was brought down for a penalty which was converted by Albanian international Donjeta Hallilaj in the 78th minute.

Antalyaspor Kadin Futbol Kulubu reduced the deficit minutes later, but it was too late to change the result.

Besiktas are now placed 6th on the log of the Turkish Women Super Lig, with 26 points from 14 games while Antalyaspor Kadin are 14th  with 10 points after 14 matches.

[caption id="attachment_738879" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Ikechukwu, Ogbonna, Duru, Maryann and Alice pose after the match[/caption]

Meanwhile, Ikechukwu's compatriot and teammate, Glory Ogbonna was in action while Antalyaspor's Duru Joy, Maryann Ogochukwu and Alice Ogebe were also in action.

Uche Dozie

Odigie was speaking in the aftermath of their 1-1 draw against Remo Stars in the Nigeria Premier Football League match day 14 fixture at the Remo Stars Stadium on Sunday.

The Benin Arsenals maintained their record of not losing a game thus far this season, but the Coach of the Edo side would rather focus on putting the work to achieve the goals of the team.

“I am not a coach who works by expectations, I just try to do my job the best way I can,” Odigie said after the game, as reported by ACL Sports.

“Yes, Bendel Insurance just came in from the lower division, so, if the team doesn’t fight, we might not be able to sustain being in the NPFL. What we will just do is try to fight for every game we get to play, and go back to correct our mistakes and that’s just the game of football."

Odigie played down any notion of invincibility in the team, stating that the story may not be the case if teams had taken their chances against them.

"I don’t even know what is going on around whether something called unbeaten because that's not the issue. We have faced very good sides and if they had taken all their chances, results won’t be the same and that’s just it."

By Uche Dozie

He spoke in the aftermath of the one nil loss suffered by his side at the Nest of Champions against Dakkada FC.

Akinade states that his boys approached the game well tactically, but missed chances caused them losing all points of the game.

“We sat deep in the first half and absorbed all the pressure so tried to hit them on a counter but it couldn’t work. But as you saw, the boys came all out in the second half. I believe it’s something we will go back home and work on. It wasn’t a bad game entirely. My players gave it their but it wasn’t just our day. Dakkada played well too”.

“We came here hoping to pick at least a point from the game but it wasn’t going to be. The boys created some very good chances in the second half and even in the first half but as we couldn’t convert them, it cost us the game. This is something we are going to work on and I believe it will definitely improve in our next game”.

Doma United continues their engagement this week with an Gombe State FA Cup final against Gombe United on Wednesday.

And on Sunday, next week the Savannah Tigers will host Wikki Tourist as they eye three points at the Pantami Stadium on Wednesday.

Uche Dozie

Uyo based side, Dakkada FC have recorded their win after four matches following their win over Doma United in the Nigeria Premier Football League match day 13 encounter on Saturday, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.

Dakkada FC returned to winning ways with their first clean sheet this season after piping the Gombe based club by a goal to nil courtesy of Mmekutmfon Udosen's strike at the Nest of Champions.

After playing without a win since mid February the Uyo side came into the tie with a lot of intent to end the poor run.

They were the better side for a large part of the encounter, but the momentum they had could not produce a goal.

However, their performance paid off early in the second half as Mmekutmfon Udosen tapped into the net after a blocked shot by goalkeeper Kingdom in the 59th minutes.

Dakkada FC did enough to keep the score the same till the end of the tie to get a vital victory as their battle out of the relegation zone continues.

Dakkada FC will play Rivers United on Sunday in their next match while Doma United will play Wikki Tourist on the same day.

Uche Dozie

The Sky Blue Stars won by two goals one away from home in a game after goals by Andy Okpe and Captain Junior Nduka in the second half.

The first half had ended goalless after the Host looked more threatening towards goal, but goalkeeper Kayode Bankole came through.

The second half presented more action as the Visitors stepped it up a bit in search of a goal.

Andy Okpe finally broke the deadlock in the 55th minute with a fine, composed finish to put the Ikenne based side ahead.

Remo Stars capitalised on the momentum they have to score another in the 80th minute through Nduka's free kick.

The next few minutes saw the Warriors piling pressure to score, but Bankole made two great saves to keep the score the same.

However, they pulled one back in the 90th minute, leaving the extra minutes an intense one, but the visitors held on for an important win.

The Remo Stars go second with 20th points with the win, five points adrift of group A leaders, Bendel Insurance.

Uche Dozie

The Edo State FA Cup final will be played between Insurance FC and Insurance Feeders FC after the semi final matches played on Monday in Edo, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.

Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL side, Insurance FC of Benin piped Eagles Wings by a goal to nil while Insurance Feeders were able to win Rolly FC via penalties (4-2) after playing goalless at regulation time.

It was the man of the moment, Imade Osarenkhoe who came from the bench to give the NPFL group A leaders some respite after he scored in the 77th minute.

Osarenkhoe scored from the penalty spot for the Benin Arsenal following Buchi Wehere been tripped in the box by Eagle Wings defender.

The all Insurance FA cup final match is scheduled to hold on Wednesday,  March 15, 2023 at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, Benin city.

By Uche Dozie

The Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL Interim Management Committee, IMC has told El Kanemi Warriors to play their home games under close doors henceforth pending investigation, Nigeriasoccernet.com understands.

The IMC gave the ruling after it observed the poor state of the Maiduguri Stadium playing turf and security issues during their match day 5 tie with Bendel Insurance.

The IMC reminded the club of an earlier correspondence on an ongoing review of the provisional approval granted it for the El-Kanemi Stadium and advice therein to restrict the use of the stadium to only football activities, the IMC urged the club to prepare to relocate to an alternate ground as recent assessment of the playing pitch shows that the present condition is still far from ideal

“You are therefore expected to take more expedient steps to improve the quality of the playing pitch.

“You are further advised to notify the league secretariat of your preferred alternate ground in the interim, to act as a safeguard, in the event that you are unable to carryout adequate improvement to the playing pitch of the El-Kanemi Stadium within stipulated time”, the IMC wrote in the memo to the club.

On the alleged security breach, the IMC informed El-Kanemi that it has commenced investigation into reports of “your most recent home game, and pending the outcome of the investigation, you are hereby ordered to play your future home games strictly under closed doors”.

By Uche Dozie

Doma United Coach, Akinade Onigbinde has disclosed that the win against Dakkada FC on Sunday was a very important one.

The newly promoted side from Gombe were one nil winners against the Orange Boys from Uyo courtesy of signing Emmanuel Luke Ogwuche early in the second half in the match day 3 fixture.

It was the Savannah Tigers first win of the campaign and a delighted Onigbende says it will be a propellant as the move on in the league.

“I am very happy, we are very happy with the result, it is a good result. We worked hard for it and the boys worked for it”

On what the first win means for the team, Akinade said “It is a very good win and it will be a morale booster to prepare well ahead of our trip to Wikki Tourist next weekend”.

Doma United travel to Bauchi for their matchday four tie against Wikki Tourist on Sunday 29th January, 2023 at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium.

Uche Dozie

It was match day two in the 2022 Nigeria National League Super four and the first match of the day was between, El-Kanemi Warriors of Bauchi and Doma United of Gombe.

And at the end of hostilities of the Northern derby at the Samson Siasia Stadium, Yenegoa, it was El Kanemi 2 Doma 0.

Like a house on fire, the Warriors hit Doma in the first half with two goals which were enough to earn them their three points in their first game.

A beautiful run of play from the Warriors' end led to a cross from the right flank for Obata Paul to head home for his side in the 14th minute.

Four minutes later Abdulraman Daddy made no mistake to put the ball into the back of the net following a great run by Al-amin whose pace paved the way for him to make it two.

The Warriors from Bauchi kept their lead till the end of the first half.

It was a rather drab second half with no sense of urgency from the two sides especially the losing side Doma who could not hold their own on the day.

El-Kanemu held on for the win which set them in good stead as they lead the round rubin tournament.

They play Bendel Insurance of Benin on Friday in their second match of the 2022 NNL Super 4.

By Uche Dozie 

The home grounds submitted for assessment by seven Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) clubs have been adjudged not suitable to host matches of the 2022/23 season except they improve conditions of stated areas where defects were observed by stadium facility inspectors.

According to the SunNewsonline , Plateau United and Gombe United are yet to submit to the facility inspections and have not communicated any reasons for their failure to do so.

However, Lobi Stars, Abia Warriors, Enugu Rangers, Wikki Tourists, Niger Tornadoes, Sunshine Stars and El-kanemi Warriors are the seven clubs that have been notified that their facilities fell short of the Club Licensing requirements.

Worst hit however, are Lobi Stars, Abia Warriors and Niger Tornadoes which the inspectors noted in separate reports require serious and extensive makeover works to meet required minimal standards for approval.

Recall that the Ministry of Sports inaugurated Interim Management Committee (IMC) who will be in charge of orgainsation of the League for this season pending when new League Management is constituted by the Nigeria Football Federation. This after the League Management Company (LMC) who was licenced to run the league was declared illegal and by the Ministry of Sports.

The 2022/23 Nigeria Professional Football League do not have a kick-off date yet.

Super Eagles forward, Emmanuel Dennis opened his goal scoring account for his English Premier League Side, Nottingham Forest in their one all draw against Aston Villa.

The former Watford player scored in his first start as Nottingham Forest climbed off the foot of the table on Monday night.

He got on the score chart in the 15th minute after he nodded in from Morgan Gibbs-White's free-kick.

Villa got back on level teems just seven minutes later when Ashley Young struck a superb half-volley from 25 yards beyond Dean Henderson.

Both sides pushed for a winner in the second half, but neither managed to find a breakthrough.

Villa extend their unbeaten run to four matches and are 16th on nine points.

A first point in six matches means Forest move above Leicester City into 19th, with five points.

Dennis played till the 71st minute begore he was substituted . Awoniyi is countryman was an unused substitute.

Mailantarki Care football club got promoted to Nigeria’s second-tier football league the ‘ Nigeria National League’ NNL in its first-ever Nationwide League One NLO outing.

The Abuja base club defeated Flight FC  2-0 to get the important ticket.

Auwal Abba to score an opener two minutes after the hour mark.

Gabriel Emezie dispossessed Adah Anthony in his half before making his inside box curling his right-footed effort beyond the stretched hand of the Flight goalie to the far post to increase the lead.

Mailantarki boys held on to their two goals lead to the end of the game and secured a place in the 2023 NNL season as well as the NLO super 8 scheduled to hold in Lagos next month, winners of the Super 8 will be crowned the overall champions of the 2022 NLO.

The Coach Manu Garba OON led technical crew also guided the team to another debut feat for playing in the final of Abuja AITEO Cup and represented the FCT at National level.