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Odegbami, Lawal harp on discipline, self-belief as Eagles prepare for Lions

Nigeria football legends Olusegun Odegbami and Garba Lawal have advised the Super Eagles to be extremely cautious, stay focused, be disciplined and have self-belief when they step onto the field against the Indomitable Lions in their Africa Cup of Nations’ Round of 16 encounter in Abidjan on Sunday.

Both giants of the African game have made a rendez-vous at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, following the Lions’ late surge that ensured a 3-2 win over The Gambia in Bouake on Tuesday, and Nigeria’s earlier second-place finish in group A behind Equatorial Guinea.

Odegbami, a member of Nigeria’s 1980 AFCON-winning squad and former captain of the team, who also played three times against Cameroon in 1975 (a friendly game that Nigeria won 1-0), 1978 (All-Africa Games in Algiers that ended 0-0) and 1980 (a friendly game that ended 0-0), said the present crop of Super Eagles can achieve victory the way they did against the Lions at the same stage in Egypt four years ago, but must be extremely diligent and be very clinical with the opportunities that come their way.

“We may say that Cameroon have not pulled up any trees at this tournament, but the way they turned the game around against The Gambia sends a message. They are not to be taken for granted. I watched their game against Guinea and it was a fight-to-finish. We have been creating a lot of opportunities in our games but this time, we have to be clinical.

“Cameroon could prove to be a different proposition from the teams we have played against at this competition. Apart from the rivalry between our two countries, the present generation of Indomitable Lions have a point to prove. They want to be seen in the garbs of the likes of Rigobert Song Bahanang (who is their coach), Samuel Eto’o Fils, Patrick Mboma and Geremi Njitap, and going further back, the likes of Roger Milla, Theophile Abega, Gregoire Mbida and Francois Omam Biyick.”

Lawal, nicknamed Chindo, played four times against the Lions in 1997 (LG Cup), 2000 (AFCON final), 2003 (LG Cup) and 2004 (AFCON quarter-final). He says that self-belief will go a long way in steering the Eagles past the Lions on Saturday.

“They must go in there believing in themselves to do the job. Self-confidence is a good feeling when approaching a game like this. I see the Super Eagles getting past the Cameroonians if they believe in themselves and keep it tight at the back.”

Nigeria and Cameroon have clashed at the Africa Cup of Nations seven times, with each team winning thrice and one game drawn. Cameroon won the Final matches of the 1984, 1988 and 2000 AFCON tournaments, while the Eagles won the bronze-medal match 2-1 in 1992, defeated then Cup holders Cameroon 2-1 in the 2004 quarter-finals and won 3-2 in the Round of 16 in Egypt four years ago. Both teams drew 1-1 in the group phase in 1988, Samuel Okwaraji scoring a scorcher after only two minutes in Rabat and Roger Milla equalizing with a header when the Andrew Uwe-led Nigerian defence thought they had kept him off-side.

As the Eagles returned to training on Wednesday, after resting on Tuesday, the match venue is also getting ready to welcome the two teams. It was on the same turf where both teams battled out the 1984 AFCON final.

On 18th March 1984, Président Félix Houphouët-Boigny had declared a public holiday to encourage football fans to troop to the stadium for the final, as public interest in the competition had waned following the group stage elimination of the Elephants. Nigeria got in front after 10 minutes when Muda Lawal toe-poked a deflected pull-out past Joseph Antoine-Bell.

The Lions equalized just before half-time, Stephen Keshi unwittingly diverting the ball into his own net from a free-kick, and they seized the game by the throat in the second half, deploying the experience and exposure from playing three matches unbeaten at the 1982 FIFA World Cup finals in Spain. They won 3-1.

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NRFF Participates in the Sports Africa Investment Summit held in Lagos

The Nigeria Rugby Football Federation (NRFF) participated in the inaugural SAIS With the theme “Unleashing Africa’s Potential: Investing in Sports Infrastructure for a Sustainable Future,” SAIS 2025 brought together policymakers, investors, and industry leaders to explore transformative strategies that unlock significant opportunities across Africa’s sports ecosystem..

Led by NRFF COO; Tunde Delu , General Manager; Azeez Ladipo and Wold Rugby Educator (Coaching); Wuraola Hussain, the NRFF delegation joined other invited participants from across Africa at this significant event.

The event, held on February 17 and 18, 2025, was the first-ever investment summit in Africa dedicated to sports and saw the signing of a landmark agreement between Sport Nigeria Ltd and the Abia State government.

A major highlight of the summit was the breakout session titled “National Sports Federations as “Business Drivers” of their Sport- Alignment of interes to facilitate collaborations and partnerships between the private sector and Federations”.

This session brought together key industry experts to discuss strategies for leveraging sports to drive social and economic growth within communities.

The panel featured:
– Ms Vanessa Obi (B&I) Moderator

– Olanrewaju Ogunjobi, Technical Assistant to the National Sports Commission Chairman

– Adeyinka Samuel – President, Nigeria Fencing Federation

– Azeez Ladipo – General Manager, Nigeria Rugby Football Federation President,

The event had the distinguished presence of His Royal Highness, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha, who served as the Royal Father of the Day, further elevating the significance of the summit.

The Presidency’s National Sports Commission partnered with Sport Nigeria Ltd. to host the groundbreaking event, underscoring the government’s commitment to using sports as a tool for economic transformation.

Through their participation in this conference, the NRFF and other Stakeholders are committed to strengthening their capabilities, forming effective partnerships, and contributing to the overall growth and success of sports across the continent.

The agreement signed with the Abia State government is expected to usher in a new era of sports equipment manufacturing development, youth empowerment, and economic opportunities in the state.

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NBBF President Kida Hails D’Tigers On Victories Over Libya and Uganda

 

The excitement and joy in the Nigerian basketball community is infectious. And it is not for nothing, as Nigeria’s senior male national basketball team, D’Tigers roaring loudly and tearing their opponents to shreds.

Against all odds, the team led by Coach Abdulrahman Mohammed started their campaign for the Afrobasket championship ticket in the ongoing 3rd Window qualifiers by beating host nation Libya 75-70 in the first game. And on Saturday, D’Tigers showed more determination in the second game with a win over Uganda, that saw the Nigerian boys record an astounding fourth quarter comeback to claim an impressive 87-67 victory.

Ahead of Sunday’s all-important clash against Cape Verde, the President of Nigeria Basketball Federation, Engr. Ahmadu Musa Kida, has sent a congratulatory message to the team.

On behalf of the Board, Kida thanked the entire team of players and officials for their determination and resilience in the two matches so far. He also believes that at their best, the Nigerian team can hold their grounds against the very best in the world.

Kida went ahead to urge the team to go into the last match with confidence and determination to make Nigeria proud and qualify for the Afrobasket. He added that basketball stakeholders and lovers of the game, are all behind them and rooting for them to complete the job by winning the last match.

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Dunamis Icon appoints Aisha Falode as NDSF Special Advisor on Communications

 

 

 

Aisha Falode has been announced the Special Advisor on Communications to Dunamis Icon, project consultants to the Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF).

 

Lead Consultant and Co-Chairman of the Main Organising Committee of the festival, Itiako Ikpokpo announced the appointment and said his company is looking forward to adding value to the festival from her rich and extensive knowledge in working with the media departments of the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) and Federation of International Football (FIFA).

 

A dynamic leader and accomplished journalist with over 25 years of industry expertise, Falode has a proven success in sports media marketing, business ownership, and strategic leadership.

 

According to Ikpokpo, “the Niger Delta Sports Festival is not just about sports, it’s about our culture, our people and the Youths essentially. Bringing Falode on board will boost our strategic communication of these values because beyond her professional attainment, she is also from one of the Niger Delta states”.

 

Ace Sports Journalist, Mitchel Obi is one of the earliest sports personalities to endorse the appointment and congratulate Falode.

 

“It is the right fit. She ticks all the boxes for the role, firstly in her professional capacity and in her extensive media reach and secondly, she understands the Niger Delta story”, Obi told the NDSF Media.

 

Pamodzi Sports Marketing boss, Mike Itemuagbor lent his support to the appointment and commended Ikpokpo for the foresight in selecting her.

 

“I must commend my good friend, Ikpokpo for this step. I have worked with Aisha from her days at Africa Independent Television (AIT) in my role as the CEO of Pamodzi, the official marketing partner of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). She is a thorough bred and has come a long way from her work in Television to working with the NFF, CAF and FIFA in different media capacities at tournaments”, itemuagbor noted.

 

Falode is also the CEO of MSports which specialises in delivering exceptional sports content and impactful marketing campaigns.

 

She was elected into the Executive Committee of the NFF in 2022 and served as the Director of Competition for the Aisha Buhari six nation Cup.

 

From 2017 to 2022, Falode served as the Chairperson of the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL).

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