Fulham midfielder, Alex Iwobi says it is important for the Super Eagles to keep fighting as they look to secure a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Super Eagles held Zimbabwe to a 1-1 draw in their matchday two encounter at the Huye Stadium, Butare, on Sunday.

Jose Peseiro’s charges are now without a win from two games, leaving them in danger of missing out on another World Cup after their failure to qualify for Qatar 2022.

Iwobi reckoned that they must not dwell too much on the result instead focus more on the upcoming games.

“We’re disappointed with the players we have, Nigeria is a country with a lot of quality players, we should have been able to get more points and goals,” the 27-year-old said during the post-match press conference.

“We won’t dwell on this, we’ll keep fighting till the very end to make sure we qualify.”

The Super Eagles will host the Bafana Bafana of South Africa in their next game in June 2023.

Super Eagles captain, Ahmed Musa has insisted that some Nigeria supporters are interested in betting not the team.

According to Musa, most Nigeria fans don’t support the Super Eagles because they are bettors.

The former Leicester City star spoke in Lagos on Friday during a ceremony to unveil the team’s ‘Let’s Do It Again’ mantra in their bid to win a fourth AFCON title in Ivory Coast next year.

“I love this country and I know whenever we lose, I have a family back home, I know the pressure they face when we lose. When we are on the pitch, they say ‘na him mother be this, go insult am (this is his mother, insult her). So, I know I must put in everything I have so that people don’t insult my family,” Musa said.

“Nowadays, with the players we have in the team, none of them stay in Nigeria. They don’t know the anger that most of us, who have families in Nigeria, face when the team loses.

“He [Amaju Pinnick] did his best so that we qualified for the World Cup. We lost a lot of money and that is why most of our players right now are facing challenges because we failed to qualify for the [2022] World Cup. So, we as players lost so much money.”

The 31-year-old added, “No matter where you are playing you always go down into your corner to think when you lose money. Nowadays I understand what football is and the anger of the fans.

Most of us don’t support Super Eagles because we like them, they will say, ‘hey dem don cut my ticket, give me my money’ (hey they’ve spoiled my ticket, refund my money). You will see on most of our DMs ‘you cut my ticket, you no sabi play’ (you spoiled my ticket, you don’t know how to play), its because they are bettors. Before, you will see the love and passion for the team but nowadays, betting has spoiled everything.”

Remo Stars, Shooting Stars and Plateau United players dominated the Nigeria Premier Football League matchday eight Team of the Week.

The three clubs have two players each in the selection.

Remo Stars duo of Ismaila Sodiq, Sikiru Alimi Shooting Stars captain Malomo Taofeek, goalkeeper Anozie Chinedu and Plateau United Daniel Itodo and Chris Nwaeze made the Team of the Week.

Chinedu Sunday (Lobi Stars), Mohammed Alao(Kwara United), Godwin Obaje(Ranger), Ezekiel Tamara(Bendel Insurance) and Robert Mizo(Bayelsa United) also made the list.

Remo Stars coach Daniel Ogunmodede was named Coach of the Week.Matchday nine fixtures will take place on Saturday and Sunday.

League leaders Lobi Stars battle with reigning NPFL champions Enyimba will be the star match of the week.

The encounter is billed for the Enyimba Stadium, Aba.

Arsenal defender, Gabriel Magalhaes, has named Chelsea star Thiago Silva and former Liverpool attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho, among his favourite Brazil players.

Gabriel is currently on international duty with the Brazil national team as they prepare for their World Cup qualifiers this month.

Asked by Arsenal’s official website for his favourite Brazilian players from years gone by, Gabriel said, “After Ronaldo came to Corinthians, of course I watched him a lot and he is a top player.

“I like Neymar so I am happy to be there with him. Now he is injured but he is a good guy.

“I love to be there because I watched Neymar when I was younger.

“A lot of players, Marquinhos as well, Thiago Silva… I am so happy to be there. Coutinho is a top player and I have played with him as well for the national team.”

Ex- Zimbabwe goalkeeper George Chigova, 32, collapsed and died at his home in South Africa on Wednesday.

His demise came a few months after he first suffered a heart attack in training.

His former club, Pretoria club SuperSport United, in a tribute on Wednesday expressed sadness over his demise, adding that a minute of silence would be observed in his honour in their next game.

“The PSL is shocked and saddened by the untimely passing of former SuperSport United and Polokwane City goalkeeper, George Chigova.

The league sends heartfelt condolences to the Chigova family and the football community at large. A moment of silence will be observed in his honour ahead of this weekend’s DStv Diski Challenge fixtures,” the statement reads.

Mr Chigova started out his professional club career with Harare Gunners in 2010. He played for the most popular Zimbabwean team, Dynamos, before joining SuperSport.

For his country, he had 32 appearances between 2011 and 2019, helping Zimbabwe reach African Nations Championship semi-finals in 2014.

Nigerian music video director, ThankGod Omori Jesam, popularly known as TG Omori, has made a case for Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie to be “loaned” to the Super Eagles till the goalkeeping crisis rocking the Nigerian national men’s team is over.

He said if it is possible for the Paris FC shot-stopper to be converted to the Nigerian men’s team, she should be brought in pending when there is a “worthy” male goalkeeper in the Super Eagles.

Omori made the plea while reacting to a viral post on X (formerly Twitter) congratulating Chiamaka Nnadozie on her recent nomination for the CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award.

He wrote, “Can Dey loan her to super eagles”

TG Omori’s request is against FIFA rules, which state that only men are eligible to play in men’s competitions, and the same for women.

The 2023 CAF Awards Gala will be held in Marrakech, Morocco on Monday, November 11, 2023.

Rabat, Morocco hosted the award ceremony last year.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced nominees for the different categories last week.

Napoli Forward, Victor Osimhen is nominated for Africa’s Men’s Footballer of the Year award.

KAA Gent of Belgium star, Gift Orban is in the running for the Young Player of the Year award.

Senegal’s Sadio Mane won the Men’s Footballer of the Year award last year while Super Falcons superstar, Asisat Oshoala won the Women’s award.

Osimhen is the favourite to win the Men’s award this year, while Oshoala is expected to retain her award.

Crystal Palace have entered the race to sign Kelechi Iheanacho next summer.

Iheanacho will become a free agent next summer having failed to sign a contract extension at Sky Bet Championship club, Leicester City.

Negotiations over a new contract with Leicester City is currently showing no progress.

A number of Premier League clubs including Brentford and West Ham United have been linked with a move for the Nigeria international.

The 27-year-old can negotiate with a foreign club in January.

The forward linked up with the Foxes from Manchester City in 2017 and has made over 200 appearances for the club.

Former Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi, has revealed that former Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich, wanted to help save his father from kidnappers in 2018.

According to Mikel Obi, Abramovich offered to send people to Nigeria, to help free his dad.

“My dad got kidnapped while I was playing at the World Cup 2018 in Russia, Chelsea were very supportive.

“I remember Roman Abramovich saying, do you want me to send people over? Because I know if I send people over, I can get your dad out.

“I was like, how are you going to do this? He said don’t worry about that. Just let me, if you want that option, I can do it.

“I can relate to Luis Diaz and what he’s going through,” Mikel Obi said on talkSPORT.

The ex-Nigerian midfielder played for Chelsea from 2006 to 2017.

South Africa’s Banyana Banyana are through to the knockout stage of a FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time in the country’s history following a 3-2 comeback win against Italy at the ongoing tournament in Australia and New Zealand.

The historic and first World Cup win for South Africa began on the back foot barely 10 minutes into the game when Arianna Caruso put Italy upfront from the spot.

However, in the 32nd minute, the South Africans were back in the game thanks to Benedetta Orsi’s own goal.

South Africa grabbed the lead in the 67th minute through Hildah Magaia, thanks to an assist from Thembi Kgatlana, but the Italians equalised seven minutes later through Caruso to record her brace of the tie.

Racing Louisville forward Kgatlana, who said after the match that she had lost three family members in three weeks, sealed the historic moment for South Africa with her goal in added time to help the reigning African champions reach the World Cup round of 16.

South Africa finished second in Group G behind Sweden, who won all their three matches of the group stage, with the Banyana Banyana joining Nigeria’s Super Falcons as the second African country to qualify for the knockout round.

“I am very happy for this historic moment, and I just want to be here for the girls,” 27-year-old Kgatlana said after the match. “Over the last three weeks, I have lost three family members, but I chose to stay with my girls (teammates).”

She added, “I came back from a very brutal injury, for me to be here to play for my country, to represent and make history with South Africa, is the best and everyone deserves that. We messed up two games but this one is the game I think we had to do well and as you can see, the girls are happy.”

Argentine superstar Lionel Messi has surpassed Al Nassr striker Cristiano Ronaldo as the footballer with the most Guinness World Records.

Guinness World Records disclosed this in a chart titled ‘ Most Guinness World Records Titles Achieved By Footballers‘ shared on its verified Twitter handle on Tuesday morning.

GWR tweeted,

“For now, Messi is clear of Ronaldo. Lionel Messi has 41 #GWR titles whereas Cristiano Ronaldo has 40.”

Guinness World Records listed the top five footballers in terms of the number of titles achieved in the chart.

Messi has 41 records, Ronaldo has 40, Robert Lewandowski has nine, Kylian Mbappe has five, and Neymar has four.

Over 1.5 million tickets have been sold at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the world football governing body FIFA announced on Monday.

Ticket number 1,500,000 was purchased by Maria Strong, who organised a family outing to the Group G fixture between Italy and Argentina at Auckland’s Eden Park.

The outing was organised to celebrate her son, who was celebrating his 12th birthday, FIFA said in a statement.

Strong, her husband and her three children were invited to meet FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who offered them the opportunity to attend the remaining matches in the tournament at the Auckland venue.

“It was great to meet the family that has bought the 1,500,000th ticket; they are a family from Auckland with three children, and they have a passion for the game,’’ said Infantino.

On her part, Strong said, “We purchased the tickets last night, and it’s been such a great night; we’re from Botany in Auckland.

“We caught the train in, and even though it’s a school night, it’s been amazing and so easy.”

Amanda Ilestedt’s 90th-minute goal gave Sweden a 2-1 win over South Africa in their Women’s World Cup Group G match on Sunday.

Fridolina Rolfo had cancelled out Hildah Magaia’s opener.

From Sweden’s 11th corner of a game played out in pouring rain in the New Zealand capital, the lanky Ilestedt jumped highest and squeezed the ball home to save her team’s blushes.

Earlier, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd’s cross skewed off defender Lebohang Ramalepe and bounced into the net off Rolfo to hand the Swedes a lifeline in the 66th minute after South Africa’s Magaia had broken the deadlock two minutes after the break.

The result left the third-ranked Swedes top of Group G before Italy and Argentina play their opener in Auckland on Monday.