Governing Bodies
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE HISTORY-MAKING GOLDEN EAGLETS? -FIFA
Nigeria won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2013 and 2015. FIFA takes a look at what some triumphant Golden Eaglets have gone on to achieve.. One has become the most expensive African footballer in history They were the back-to-back tournaments that catapulted Nigeria above Brazil and into the throne as the record five-time FIFA U-17 World Cup™ winners.
At UAE 2013, the Golden Eaglets averaged a staggering 3.7 goals per game en route to their fourth crown, before 3.3 per game propelled them to its defence at Chile 2015.
On the fifth anniversary of the latter’s final in Vina del Mar, we look at what five members of those prodigious classes have gone on to achieve.
Kelechi Iheanacho
The Taye Academy starlet struck four goals in Nigeria’s curtain-raising 6-1 win over Mexico, and was on target against the same opponents in a 3-0 victory in the UAE 2013 final. He finished Chile 2013 with six goals, seven assists, the adidas Silver Boot and adidas Golden Ball.
Iheanacho’s performances by the Arabian Peninsula left a who’s who of European giants vying for his signature. Manchester City seized it, but the striker found playing time tough to come by due to the presence of Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus – both of whom have starred at FIFA youth tournaments – so he joined Leicester City in 2017. Iheanacho has netted three goals and two assists in two starts in the UEFA Europa League this season.
The 24-year-old started Nigeria’s last two games at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and has scored nine goals in 27 internationals overall.
Francis Uzoho
Despite only playing in goal for the first time when he was 12, at 14 he served as deputy to Dele Alampasu at UAE 2013.
Uzoho became, at 18 years and 352 days, the youngest-ever foreign goalkeeper to play in La Liga. After a few loan spells, he is now at APOEL in Cyprus.
The 6ft 5ins Nwangele native kept goal for Nigeria in all three of their matches at Russia 2018, keeping a clean sheet against Iceland and impressing against Lionel Messi and Argentina.
Kelechi Nwakali
The multifunctional midfielder, who hails from the same city as Nwankwo Kanu, Owerri, won the adidas Golden Ball at Chile 2015.
Nwakali joined Arsenal in 2016, but relocated to Huesca last year and helped them win promotion to La Liga. He represented Nigeria in a friendly against Atletico Madrid in May 2018, but despite scoring a spectacular goal did not make their squad for the following month’s World Cup.
Victor Osimhen
Osimhen hit ten goals at Chile 2015, breaking the nine-goal record for a FIFA U-17 World Cup shared by Florent Sinama Pongolle and Souleymane Coulibaly. The Ultimate Strikers Academy player also become the first champion to have scored in all his team’s matches.
Things didn’t work out for Osimhen at Wolfsburg, but in the colours of Lille he finished as the joint-fourth leading scorer in Ligue 1 last season, alongside Neymar and behind Moussa Dembele, Kylian Mbappe and leading marksman Wissam Ben Yedder.
The 21-year-old recently made a move to Napoli and scored his first goal for the club with a fine strike against Atalanta.
DId you know?
The €70m Napoli paid Lille for Osimhen made him the most expensive African footballer in history, breaking the fee Manchester City paid Leicester City for Riyad Mahrez.
Samuel Chukwueze
The dazzling winger registered three goals, three assists and won the adidas Bronze Ball at Chile 2015.
Rapid and tricky, Chukwueze is known as ‘The Nigerian Robben’. He made a brilliant impact in his first two seasons at Villarreal, and scored in the Super Eagles’ 2-1 win over South Africa that sent them into last year’s CAF Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals.
Did you know?
When Chukwueze was a kid, his family urged him to stop neglecting his studies to play football, but he didn’t listen. Their reaction? “They burned my boots!” he said. “All my training gear, they burnt them too so I couldn’t play.”
-FIFA
World football governing body, FIFA, today clocks its 122nd anniversary, celebrating more than a century of overseeing and expanding the global game.
Founded on May 21, 1904, in Paris, France, FIFA began with just seven member associations — France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
From that modest beginning, the organisation has grown into the most influential sports governing body in the world, with 211 member associations spread across all continents.
Over the decades, FIFA has transformed football into a truly global phenomenon through competitions such as the FIFA World Cup, Women’s World Cup, Club World Cup, youth tournaments, and developmental programmes aimed at growing the game worldwide.
The organisation has also witnessed remarkable milestones, including the expansion of the men’s World Cup from 13 teams in 1930 to 48 teams beginning from the 2026 edition to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
FIFA’s journey has equally reflected football’s growing influence beyond sport, with the game becoming a major tool for diplomacy, social inclusion, youth empowerment, and economic development across the world.
As FIFA celebrates 122 years of existence, attention is now focused on the future of the game, technological innovations, expanded competitions, women’s football growth, and the continued globalisation of football.
Visit the Sports Village Square Channel:
UEFA has issued a lifetime ban to Petr Vlachovsky, a Czech women’s soccer coach who secretly filmed his players, the governing body announced on Tuesday.
Czech media reported that the coach was convicted in May 2025 and initially received a suspended one-year prison sentence and a five-year domestic coaching ban for filming FC Slovacko’s players in changing rooms, the youngest of whom was 17.
In a statement, UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) said it had decided to ban Vlachovsky “from exercising any football-related activity for life” following the appointment of an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to investigate allegations of potential misconduct.
“The CEDB further decided to request FIFA to extend the abovementioned ban on a worldwide level and to order the Football Association of the Czech Republic to revoke Mr Petr Vlachovsky’s coaching licence,” the statement added.
FC Slovacko did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Football players’ union FIFPRO welcomed the ban as well as UEFA’s request for world soccer governing body FIFA to impose an international ban on Vlachovsky.
“This outcome sends a strong and necessary message that abusive and inappropriate behaviour has no place in football and that safeguarding the well-being of players must remain a priority at every level of the game,” FIFPRO added in a statement.
Vlachovsky had also previously served as coach of the Czech women’s Under-19s team.
RELATED STORY: https://sportsvillagesquare.com/2026/04/08/outrage-as-male-coach-who-secretly-filmed-women-players-still-free-to-work-in-football/
-Reuters
Visit the Sports Village Square Channel:
https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Southampton have been kicked out of the Championship playoff final after being found guilty of spying on semi-final opponents Middlesbrough, the English Football League said on Tuesday.
Middlesbrough, who lost 2-1 to Southampton on aggregate in the semi, have been reinstated and will face Hull City on Saturday in what is dubbed the world’s richest soccer match.
Promotion to the Premier League, even with an immediate relegation, is estimated to be worth in the region of 200 million pounds ($268.10 million) over three seasons.
Southampton, who admitted the charges, were also found guilty of filming training sessions involving Oxford United in December and Ipswich Town in April during the regular season.
They have also been deducted four points from the start of next season in England’s second tier.
“An Independent Disciplinary Commission has today expelled Southampton from the Championship play-offs after the club admitted multiple breaches of EFL regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other clubs’ training,” the EFL said.
“Southampton admitted breaches of Regulations requiring Clubs to act with the utmost good faith and prohibiting the observation of another Club’s training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match.
“The effect of today’s order is that Middlesbrough are reinstated into the 2026 play-offs and will proceed to the play-off final against Hull City. The final remains scheduled for Saturday 23 May, with the kick-off time to be confirmed.”
The EFL confirmed that Southampton could appeal against the decision and that “parties are working to try and resolve any appeal on Wednesday 20 May.
“Subject to the outcome, it could result in a further change to Saturday’s fixture,” the statement said.
‘BORO CALLED FOR SOUTHAMPTON EXPULSION
Middlesbrough had called for Southampton’s expulsion after having a training session at their Rockliffe Park site filmed 48 hours ahead of the first leg of their playoff semi-final with Southampton which ended 0-0.
The north-east club said they welcomed the decision.
“We believe this sends out a clear message for the future of our game regarding sporting integrity and conduct,” the north Middlesbrough said in a statement.
“As a club, we are now focused on our game against Hull City at Wembley on Saturday.”
Southampton were relegated from the Premier League last season and were struggling in the early part of this campaign until a storming finish in which they went unbeaten in 19 league games to finish fourth and enter the playoffs.
The south-coast club are the first to fall foul of the Football League’s regulation 127 — brought in after Leeds United were found guilty of spying on Derby County seven years ago, an offence for which they were fined 200,000 pounds.
-Reuters
Morocco’s Saibari Joins World Cup Fast-Goal Elite with Scotland Winner
Koeman Gets Revenge as Netherlands Thrash Sweden 5-1 at World Cup
BET9ja FACT FILE
Breaking! Uzoho suspended from Super Eagles’ next match with Sierra Leone
No longer Super League as CAF changes name of its new clubs competition
NIGERIAN FOOTBALL CHIEF EXECUTIVE, SANUSI CHARGES NIGERIAN COACHES TO BE UPRIGHT, DILIGENT
- World Cup2 days ago
‘Most Oppressed Team’: Iran Set for FIFA Showdown Over Travel Rules
- World Cup5 days ago
Back in Canada After 39 Years: A Return to Where the Journey Began
- World Cup1 week ago
Atlas Lions Roar Again: Morocco Hold Five-Time Champions, Brazil In Another World Cup Statement
- World Cup6 days ago
Doku Faces World Cup-or-Fatherhood Dilemma as Belgium Star Awaits First Child
- World Cup6 days ago
Tunisia Become Second African Casualty as Sweden Hit Five in World Cup Rout
- World Cup6 days ago
Salah Eyes Birthday Gift as Egypt Seek Historic World Cup Breakthrough Against Belgium
- World Cup1 week ago
Ghana Protests Canada’s Visa Denial to Thomas Partey Ahead of World Cup Clash
- World Cup6 days ago
Advocaat Set to Make World Cup History as Curaçao Face Germany