Nigerian Football
SPORTS VETERANS SALUTE FORMER GREEN EAGLES’ MANAGER, PETER OSUGO AT 90
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
The Association of Sports Veterans, Nigeria (ASVN) has congratulated Peter Osugo, a former manager of Nigeria’s football team, the then Green Eagles as he clocks 90 on Easter Sunday.
In a statement issued by the association’s president, Chief Jonathan Ogufere, a former NFA chieftain who was also a president of the West African Football Union (WAFU), he thanked God for the life of Osugo, whom he said has had a fulfilled life.
He revealed that the family of Osugo would have a thanksgiving mass at St. Dominic Catholic Chuech in Yaba, Lagos at 11.00 while reception followed immediately after at the YCC Hall of the church.
Osugo, fondly called, Pecos, is an accomplished journalist and sports administrator. He was the team manager to the national team at the Mexico 1968 Olympic Games.
It is also worthy to note that he was the person who changed the name of the Nigerian national football team from the “Red Devils” nickname given it by Harriet Allen in 1958 to the Green Eagles in 1961.
Harriet Allen, the wife of the then NFA secretary, Reginald Banham Allen who later became the chairman, was one of the founders of the now Nigeria Football Supporters’ Association in 1958.
She
was fondly called the ‘Lady in Scarlet’ and was the chair leader of the
Nigerian football team, which often dressed in red.
Peter Osugo rechristened the team “Green Eagles”. While reporting on the Nigeria preparation for an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match with Ghana, Osugo wrote in the Daily Times edition of April 15, 1961: “I propose to christen the team, the ‘Green Eagles’ The name stuck until March 1988 when Vice President Augustus Aikhomu renamed the team as “Super Eagles”.
Osugo was also one of the early officials of Stationery Stores in the 1960s. He was appointed as the team manager in 1961. At the time Osugo drew up a six-year programme to produce what he called a “model club for Nigeria”.
It came to pass. At the height of Stores dominance of football in Nigeria under Osugo’s guidance, the club produced nine of the starting 11 of the Nigerian national team to the 1968 Olympics.
Osugo’s prowess was not limited to sports management. He was a sports writer who rose to become an editor of Sunday Times in 1965.
As a sports writer, he was noted for his descriptive style and power of expression. For instance, reporting a Lagos versus Northern Region football match at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna, in 1965, Osugo began his account as follows:
“Drama of blunders, of indecision and utter violation of rules of the game on the officials’ side, nearly marred last night’s match, the second in the flood-lit soccer festival between North and Lagos”.
Eventually, Osugo got round to mentioning the score line, 1-1, which obviously was not particularly important to him as nearly everyone who read him, knew the result, which the electronic media had flashed.
What was more important to his readers was his point of view on how the result came about.
Another story in 1965, a Western Region’s 2-0 win over Eastern Region, is flowery and liberal with words and images. It could still capture readers’ imagination:
“Thunder” Balogun’s bunch of the “unknowns” who formed the bulk of Western Rovers’ team carried with them an element of surprise in the opening match of the flood – lit soccer festival, at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium last night when they slammed the Eastern team 2-0.
“The stadium gave them resounding cheers – a true acknowledgment of the ravishing, top-speed soccer which thrilled them to the utmost throughout the duration of play.
“Even the Northern Premier, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, who was the guest of honour, was so enthused that he sat in throughout in spite of the windy conditions and biting drizzle, which persisted for more than three quarters of play.
“Ayoola, Ajibade, Salami, Falayi and Omowon in the Western attack were moving like quick silver, and from the rear, Oshilowo, Peter Ali, Boade and Ali (Snr) were supplying the necessary line which set such a devastating mobility to a point of driving the Eastern players into a frizzed wreck…”
For almost a decade, Osugo maintained a sports column in the Sunday Times.
The Nigeria Football Federation on Thursday inaugurated its Electoral Committee and Electoral Appeals Committee ahead of elections into its Executive Committee for the 2026–2030 term.
NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau performed the inauguration at the federation’s secretariat in Abuja, charging members to carry out their responsibilities with integrity, neutrality and professionalism.
Gusau urged the committees to discharge their duties without bias, stressing the importance of credibility in a process that will shape the future leadership of Nigerian football.
Speaking on behalf of the committees, Matthew Burka’a assured stakeholders that the exercise would meet the highest standards of transparency and fairness.
“We will approach this task with the seriousness it deserves. On behalf of all the members, I assure the NFF, football-loving Nigerians and the world at large that we are going to conduct a free, fair, credible and acceptable election,” Burka’a said.
He added that the committees were mindful of the global attention on the process, including from FIFA and the Confederation of African Football, and pledged to deliver what could become a benchmark for future elections within and beyond football administration.
Committee Composition
The Electoral Committee comprises Matthew Burka’a (SAN), Alhaji Babagoni Grema, Bature Musa, Ayibaye Peter Great Temedie and Akogun Olugbenga Omole, with Arinze Azubuike Anughele and Abayomi Akin Omoyimi serving as alternate members.
The Electoral Appeals Committee is made up of Hon. Justice C. J. Aneke, Benjamin Sati and Professor Abdulmalik Awwal, with FIFA Emmanuel Dada Obafemi and Ayi Ekpo Ukpayam listed as alternates.
In line with NFF statutes, the General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, will serve as secretary to both committees.
Election Date Fixed
The NFF also confirmed that elections into its Executive Committee will take place on September 26, 2026, in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by key stakeholders, including Philip Shaibu, NFF First Vice President Felix Anyansi-Agwu, Executive Committee members Silas Agara and George Aluo, alongside senior management and staff of the federation.
With preparations now formally underway, attention will turn to the electoral process as stakeholders await what has been promised as a transparent and credible exercise to usher in a new leadership era for Nigerian football.
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Nigeria’s senior national team, the Super Eagles, will rekindle rivalries with Poland and Portugal in high-profile international friendlies scheduled for June, marking only the second time the Nigerian team will meet the two nations at the senior level.
The fixtures come on the back of Nigeria’s recent international outings in Antalya, Turkey, where they defeated Iran and held World Cup-bound Jordan to a 2-2 draw, signalling renewed optimism within the squad despite missing out on qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
According to the Nigeria Football Federation, the Super Eagles will first take on Poland on June 3 at the PGE Narodowy Stadium in Warsaw, before travelling to Portugal for a second clash on June 10 at a venue yet to be confirmed.
Renewing Rivalries
Nigeria’s previous encounter with Poland remains a positive memory. On March 23, 2018, the Super Eagles secured a 1-0 victory in Wroclaw, courtesy of a 61st-minute penalty converted by Victor Moses after he was fouled in the box. The match served as preparation for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
However, their only senior meeting with Portugal tells a different story. On November 17, 2022, Nigeria suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to the European side in Lisbon, with Bruno Fernandes scoring twice, while Gonçalo Ramos and João Mário added further goals in a dominant display.
That result remains one of Nigeria’s most crushing defeats the Super Eagles have ever suffered since the 1998 5-1 loss to the Netherlands.
Portugal’s World Cup Tune-Up
The upcoming clash will also serve as a crucial preparatory fixture for the Portugal national football team, who will head into the game as part of their final build-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
For Nigeria, however, the matches represent an opportunity to test themselves against elite opposition and rebuild confidence after missing out on the global showpiece.
Beyond the June friendlies, the Super Eagles are also scheduled to participate in the Unity Cup Tournament in London from May 26 to 30, where they will defend their title. The traditional teams of the tournament include Ghana and Jamaica.
The combination of competitive fixtures and high-level friendlies is expected to provide the head coach and technical crew with a broader platform to assess players and refine tactics ahead of future international engagements.
With mixed results in recent outings but flashes of promise, the upcoming matches against Poland and Portugal could prove pivotal in shaping Nigeria’s next phase on the international stage.
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The Lagos Legends Club has called on the Federal Government, state governments and key stakeholders in the sports sector to support the burial of former Nigerian international Henry Nwosu, describing him as a national icon deserving of a dignified farewell.
Nwosu, a Member of the Order of the Niger (MON), is scheduled to be laid to rest in Owerri on May 16, 2026.
In a press release, the Lagos Legends Club—a fraternity of former Nigerian footballers—said it had taken initial steps to ensure a befitting burial for its departed member, but stressed that the responsibility should not be left to ex-players alone.
The group described Nwosu as more than just a footballer, noting his historic contribution to Nigerian football, including scoring the country’s only goal at the 1980 Olympic Games in a 1-1 draw against Czechoslovakia.
“For decades, he served as an inspiration to millions and a mentor to countless players who followed,” the statement read. “Yet, like too many of our sports heroes, his final years were marked by struggle rather than comfort.”
The club urged government authorities, particularly the governors of Edo, Lagos, Abia, Anambra and Enugu states, to recognise that Nwosu’s legacy transcends regional boundaries and belongs to the entire nation.
It also called on the National Sports Commission, the Nigeria Football Federation and corporate organisations to rise to the occasion and support the burial arrangements.
“We have witnessed remarkable gestures from individuals who understand that a nation is judged by how it treats its heroes,” the statement added. “We now urge all stakeholders to emulate this and ensure that Henry Nwosu is honoured in death as he was in life.”
The Lagos Legends Club emphasised that the approaching burial date presents an opportunity for Nigerian football and the nation at large to demonstrate unity and gratitude.
“The clock ticks toward May 16, 2026. Let this not be a testament to neglect, but a statement of national appreciation,” the group said.
Nwosu, widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s finest midfielders of his generation, remains a celebrated figure in the country’s football history, with his legacy continuing to inspire both players and fans.
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