Nigeria Premier League

W/Cup 2026 qualifying: Brazil denied by Venezuela overhead kick

Eduard Bello scored an overhead kick as Venezuela earned a 1-1 draw in Brazil in their 2026 World Cup qualifier.

Defender Gabriel Magalhaes headed Brazil ahead from Neymar’s corner shortly after half-time, before Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr had a goal disallowed for offside.

Bello made them pay when he netted spectacularly with five minutes to go.

Brazil fall to second in South American qualifying after three games, behind Argentina who have a 100% record.

Argentina earned their third win from three games in Conmebol qualifying with a 1-0 victory over Paraguay thanks to a brilliant goal from former Manchester City defender Nicolas Otamendi.

The 35-year-old scored his fifth goal in 106 international appearances just three minutes into the match in Buenos Aires, via an acrobatic back-post volley from a corner.

Lionel Messi, who has been struggling with a muscle problem in recent weeks, came on as a 53rd-minute substitute for the 2022 World Cup winners and struck the post with a free-kick late on.

Uruguay, who host Brazil in Montevideo in their next fixture on 17 October, earned a 2-2 draw away to Colombia thanks to a late Darwin Nunez penalty.

The Uruguayans, now managed by former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa, trailed to James Rodriguez’s 35th-minute strike but equalised through Mathias Olivera shortly after the interval.

Mateus Uribe restored the Colombian lead, but in the 87th minute their goalkeeper Camilo Vargas was sent off for fouling Maxi Araujo in the box, with Liverpool striker Nunez netting the penalty to earn a point.

Elsewhere, Chile beat Peru 2-0 while Ecuador won 2-1 in Bolivia.

All 10 teams in the Conmebol confederation play each other twice in qualifying, with the top six sides in the table reaching the 2026 World Cup in Canada, USA and Mexico. The seventh-place finisher goes into an inter-confederation play-off.

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.”