Nigeria Premier League

Switzerland 0-0 Norway: Scandinavians face early exit

Norway’s World Cup hopes are hanging in the balance after they were held to a goalless draw by Switzerland in Group A.

Norway, who were stunned by tournament co-hosts New Zealand in the opening game of the tournament, were dealt another blow moments before kick-off when star forward Ada Hegerberg had to be replaced by Sophie Haug due to injury.

Swiss goalkeeper Gaelle Thalmann made a number of great saves throughout the game to keep the scores level and ensure her side remain top of the group with one match left to play.

Switzerland started strongly but Norway gradually grew into the game, with their best opportunity coming after 22 minutes when Haug’s header was pushed away by Thalmann. The Roma forward had another headed chance go wide from Emilie Haavi’s cross.

A good bit of work saw Switzerland gain possession through Coumba Sow, who threaded the ball to Ana Maria Crnogorcevic, but her effort flew wide before Nadine Riesen’s cross was tipped over the bar by Aurora Mikalsen.

Norway took control of the opening stages of the second half, with Maren Mjelde having a headed effort saved five minutes after the restart.

Another attack saw a rebound fall to Haug, who smashed the ball first time, forcing Thalmann to make a fantastic stop to her left. The goalkeeper made another solid save to push away a dangerous low cross from Caroline Graham Hansen.

Although Norway were creating chances, Switzerland had a couple of opportunities of their own when Ramona Bachmann hit an effort wide after making a great run down the centre of the pitch before an audacious shot by Riesen was held by Mikalsen.

Thalmann made two excellent saves back-to-back, first denying Graham Hansen with a low dive before blocking Frida Maanum’s rebound at the near post.

Switzerland pushed in stoppage time as Crnogorcevic’s menacing cross was defended and Graham-Hansen’s long free-kick was then easily saved in the final seconds.

The Swiss will progress to the last 16 with a point from their final group match against New Zealand, while Norway will need to beat the Philippines and hope results elsewhere go there way in order to avoid an early exit.

Nigeria Premier League

Ogunmodede reflects on Emo Stars’ win over Abia Warriors

Emo Stars technical adviser Daniel Ogunmodede admitted his side was fortunate to secure a 3-2 victory over Abia Warriors in Ikenne on Wednesday.

Abia Warriors took a 2-0 lead in the first half, with goals from Ayodele Eziekel and Anthony Ijoma. However, Emo Stars responded with three goals from Olamilekan Adebayo, Jabbar Malik, and Franck Mawuena to clinch the win.

Ogunmodede acknowledged that his team had underestimated their opponents but managed to turn things around. “The game was tense and shocking in the first half on our home ground. Not every time you will be lucky against a great team we played against,” he said in the post-match interview.

“We underestimated the qualities of our opponent, and we were punished for it. But luckily, we identified the problem and readjusted to get the victory.”

Emo Stars will now aim to build on this win as they continue their campaign

Nigeria Premier League

Kano Pillars eye maximum points in midweek showdown with Ikorodu City

Kano Pillars are determined to secure all three points in their upcoming fixture against Ikorodu City in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

The Sai Masu Gida will face Ikorodu City at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos on Wednesday.

Usman Abdallah’s side is upbeat and focused ahead of the match, with the players in high spirits.

“Done and dusted with the shake-ups ahead of our NPFL25 Matchday 21 clash against Ikorodu City this Wednesday at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Lagos,” Kano Pillars wrote on X.

“The boys are in high spirits and determined to secure maximum points as we aim to continue our impressive run this season.”

Kano Pillars currently sit in eighth place on the league table with 28 points.

Nigeria Premier League

Brown Ideye criticizes NPFL standards, calls for major improvements

Enyimba striker Brown Ideye has expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), stating that significant improvements are needed to elevate its standard.

Ideye, who rejoined the league in December 2024 after signing for Enyimba, has made appearances in both NPFL and CAF Confederation Cup matches, scoring two goals so far.

Sharing his thoughts following Enyimba’s 2-0 defeat to Kwara United in a rescheduled matchday 16 fixture in Ilorin, Ideye voiced concerns about the league’s challenges.

“The system is getting worse; the league is not improving. I feel like we have a long way to go,” Ideye remarked during an interview.

Despite enjoying his time at Enyimba, the former West Brom striker emphasized that much remains to be addressed in the league.

“My time at Enyimba has been wonderful, but there are a lot of things in the league that need improvement and haven’t changed yet,” he added.

On the poor performances of Nigerian clubs in CAF competitions, Ideye highlighted critical areas requiring attention.

“In terms of traveling, feeding, hotel accommodations, and player relaxation — it’s all bad. Nigerians are not ready for continental competitions. We need to put our house in order before going there, instead of embarrassing ourselves.”