All sports stories from Naija – Latest from the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Nigerian Super Eagles and Super Falcons preparations for the FIFA World Cups, and the Nigeria athletes compete at the Commonwealth Games, Olympics and the IAAF World Championships.
24 April 2011 Tunisian outfit Esperance led a show of force by clubs from northern countries in African Champions League last-16 ties this weekend. The 'Blood and Gold' were ahead within two minutes against Senegalese visitors Diaraf and romped to a 5-0 victory that virtually assures them of a mini-league place after the early May return fixture. Wydad Casablanca of…
25 April 2011 Super Eagles of Nigeria coach, Samson Siasia, would pick the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon as opponents for a friendly to mark next months inauguration of the countrys president, Goodluck Jonathan, who was recently re-elected. MTNFootball.com has scooped that Siasia would like to meet Cameroon because they would provide his team with a good test as well as…
23 April 2011 Sir Alex Ferguson urged caution as Manchester United kept their Premier League title charge firmly on course. A hard-fought 1-0 win over Everton on Saturday, United's 13th successive home league success this season, left Ferguson's leaders just two wins away from a record 19th domestic title. Javier Hernandez's goal piled the pressure on second placed Chelsea, who…
24 April 2011 Two goals in the second half from Stanley Okoro and Ramon Azeez saw Nigeria U20 beat Gambia U20 2-0 in their final Group B game of the African Youth Championship at BidVest Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The win sees the Flying Eagles into the semifinals of the competition while Gambia exit the tournament and will head home.…
23 April 2011 The Nigeria Football Federation have doubled the win bonus of the national U-20 team, Flying Eagles, ahead of their must-win Group B match against Gambia on Sunday at the African Youth Championship in South Africa. At an afternoon meeting with other top NFF officials in Johannesburg on Friday, NFF president Aminu Maigari approved that the players should…
22 April 2011 Nigeria coach Samson Siasia will include Arsenal starlet Chuks Aneke when he names the squad to battle Argentina in Abuja on June 1. Last week, Siasia convinced the young midfielder, who has represented England at Under 18 level, to switch his international allegiance to Nigeria, and has now said he will bring him in as early as…
21 April 2011 Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny insists his side are mentally strong enough to win the Premier League title race. Arsene Wenger's side squandered another chance to close the gap on leaders Manchester United as they blew a 3-1 lead in Wednesday's 3-3 draw against Tottenham at White Hart Lane. Szczesny, 22, was partially responsible for Arsenal's latest meltdown…
22 April 2011 Carlo Ancelotti has admitted misfiring striker Fernando Torres could return in place of in-form Didier Drogba for Chelsea's vital London derby against West Ham on Saturday. Ancelotti's side have been revitalised since the Italian dropped Torres and recalled Drogba, with successive wins over West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham lifting Chelsea back into the title race. Torres has…
21 April 2011 Tens of thousands of euphoric Real Madrid fans welcomed their team home to the Spanish capital in the early hours of Thursday after they clinched their first Spanish Cup win since 1993. Supporters, many wrapped in the club's flag, cheered as the squad arrived Madrid's central Cibeles Square, the traditional home for raucous Real Madrid victory celebrations,…
21 April 2011 Cameroon have taken a giant step towards the semifinals of the 2011 African Youth Championships with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Nigeria on Thursday. The only goal of the game was scored in first-half injury-time by Franck Ohandza and the result leaves Cameroon on top of the pool with six points and with one foot in the…
15 April 2011 Manchester City will attempt to halt Manchester United's march towards an unprecedented second treble on Saturday when the bitter local rivals collide at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-finals. A mouth-watering encounter between the undisputed aristocrats of the Premier League and their nouveau riche neighbours will see City fighting to keep alive their last realistic chance of…
15 April 2011 Barcelona and Real Madrid have had a bitter rivalry dating way back to 1902 and they are braced to face each other four times in an 18-day period that will define their respective seasons. Football fans around the globe will be treated to four instalments of 'El Clasico', arguably the biggest game in football, with the two…
14 April 2011 FC Porto led an Iberian lock-out of the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday, Jose Mourinho's former charges brushing aside Spartak Moscow. Under Mourinho, Porto captured the 2003 UEFA Cup and the Champions League the following year, and they edged closer to claiming Europe's second tier club competition again with a 5-2 drubbing of Spartak Moscow for a…
15 April 2011 Ghana giants Asante Kotoko have been handed a tough draw to face Heart of Lions in the quarter final of the MTN Cup. League leaders Berekum Chelsea were handed a favourable draw with a clash against third tier side Bolga All Stars. Wa All Stars will play fellow premier league campaigners Medeama in another match of the…
15 April 2011 The progress of Ghanas senior national team the Black Stars over the past five years present the perfect picture perception of the country. Quarter-finalists at the 2010 World Cup and finalists at the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola in the same year are the highlights with the recent away 1-1 draw with England showing progress in…