Nigerian Football
Redemption time for Rivers Angels in potentially thrilling tie with Mamelodi Sundowns
Nigeria’s Rivers Angels have an opportunity to make amends for their opening defeat when they face South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, this Tuesday evening.
Nigeria and South Africa are rivals in women’s football. In this encounter, it is advantage Mamelodi Sundowns, the women’s team of CAF President, Patrice Motsepe. Their opening match win put them in vantage position to aim for a place in the semifinals.
The Group B Matchday 2 of the CAF Women’s Champions League will be a thriller to watch, knowing both sides quality and hopes.
An unexpected 3-0 defeat to Morocco’s ASFAR in their opening fixture meant Rivers Angels, who came to Cairo with great hopes, are in a tough situation where they need nothing but a win in their second group game.
Rivers Angels arrived barely 24 hours before their opening game and are expected to be in a better shape when they take on COSAFA Champions Sundowns on Tuesday.
Rivers Angels’ coach, Edwin Okon makes travel-weary as excuse for humiliating defeat
While Mamelodi Sundowns are looking for a second victory in the ongoing CAF Women’s league, the Nigerian coach is still reeling tales of travel fatigue as escuse of Rivers Angels’ defeat on Saturday.
“The team is tired from all the traveling issues and that’s the normal result. My job is to pick up their spirit,” Edwin Okon told CAF website.
For the South African champions, one more win will do it to the final four. Massandawana scored early through Melinda Kgadete and held on to take maximum points against Vihiga Queens.
Sundowns missed numerous scoring chances in their opening game, an aspect coach Agnes Nkosi will try to deal with before their second match.
His assistance, Agnes Nkosi spoke in similar vein. “It’s good for us to have the three points to get the confidence the players need for future matches. We could’ve changed the result if we’d converted our chances into goals, but this is what we’ll work on.”
On the match at hand, Okon knows there is no room for further excuses.
“I think the team has rested now, and we will give it our best”
“It doesn’t matter if we watched Mamelodi Sundowns play or not, games change and we just only have to do our maximum efforts”.
His player, Maryann Ezenagu also knows there will be no excuse for another loss. “We don’t want to recall last match; every player can make mistakes. Every team is good, therefore they are all here with us”.
In spite of Nigerian excuses, South Africa’s coach remains focus. “The loss did not affect us, because we know our capabilities and what we can do. And we can win this game”.
Speaking further, Tshabalala remarked: “The game is probably the biggest game; we know Rivers Angels are strong, but we see an open way for three points”.
“They will use space on the wings, they are a strong team, but we will fight to win the game”.
“We are happy they finally arrived; we cannot be deceived by their first match. They can play a very better football”.
“ASFAR played a very good game against Rivers Angels, their forward Sanaa Massoudy was very good. But our toughest game now is tomorrow, that’s what we need to focus on”.
Mamelodi Sundowns Midfielder, Nonhlanhla Mthandi looks optimistically towards the clash with Rivers Angels.
“It was very important for us to win our first game. The coach told us to put all of our hearts in the games. We wanted to achieve a higher score, but it was a difficult game”.
“We keep our ball down as we know they are very strong, so we’ll play our own football to beat them”.
Rivers United head coach and technical manager, Finidi George, has praised young defender Ochiobi Elias following his outstanding performance in the club’s hard-fought 1-0 victory over Niger Tornadoes in a rescheduled Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) fixture on Wednesday at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt.
The left-back, who played the full 90 minutes, was instrumental in helping Rivers United maintain a clean sheet, marking one of his most confident outings since his promotion to the senior squad.
Finidi, visibly impressed after the match, revealed that his decision to give Elias a full game was driven by trust in the player’s potential, despite his limited minutes earlier in the season.
“I think he did well. Normally, we should have been bringing him in gradually — maybe 15 minutes before giving him a 90-minute match,” Finidi said. “But I trust him, and I’ve spoken to him. He should be relaxed, calm down, and play his football.”
The coach also highlighted a near-miss moment when Elias came close to scoring late in the game, a chance Finidi felt could have crowned his stellar performance.
“I think today he would have scored a goal at the last moment, but he still wanted to square the ball, look for somebody,” Finidi added. “I’m quite happy with his performance, and we will keep encouraging him to do better. I am very, very pleased.”
Elias, a product of the Rivers United youth team that won the NPFL Youth League in 2024, has been gradually integrated into the first team under Finidi’s guidance. His performance on Wednesday is seen as a major step forward in his development and a sign of his growing confidence.
The youngster is now expected to retain his place in the squad as Rivers United travel to Aba this Sunday for a crucial NPFL clash against Enyimba.
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Strategic partners of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on the President Federation Cup, GTI Group, have congratulated the football governing body on the successful hosting of its Annual General Meeting (AGM) held last weekend in Ibadan, Oyo State.
In a press statement issued on Friday in Lagos, GTI’s Head of Media and Publicity, Andrew Ekejiuba, lauded the NFF Board under the leadership of Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau for the smooth conduct of the AGM and the significant progress made in Nigerian football development.
According to Ekejiuba, the Ibadan meeting reflected Gusau’s commitment to engaging stakeholders and strengthening unity across the football ecosystem.
“GTI Group congratulates the Nigeria Football Federation on the successful outcome of its Annual General Meeting held in Ibadan, which the President of NFF, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, used the occasion to demonstrate his commitment to engaging positively with football stakeholders, including state football associations, clubs and fans,” he said.
“His interactions with the various groups at the AGM showcased his impactful leadership and dedication to promoting Nigerian football and fostering a collaborative environment.”
Ekejiuba also highlighted the Super Falcons’ recent achievements and the growth of domestic competitions, particularly the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), as key milestones recorded under Gusau’s leadership. GTI serves as a strategic partner of the NPFL, supporting its structural and commercial transformation.
The statement further expressed appreciation to Governor Seyi Makinde and the people of Oyo State for their hospitality and support during the AGM. Ekejiuba noted the governor’s commendation of the improved standard of refereeing in the NPFL under the administration of Otunba Gbenga Elegbeleye.
However, GTI also used the opportunity to express disappointment over the early exit of Kwara United and Abia Warriors from the CAF Confederation Cup, urging Nigerian clubs to raise their competitive standards on the continental stage.
“It is unfortunate that both Kwara United and Abia Warriors crashed out at the preliminary phase of the CAF Confederation Cup last weekend. This clearly shows that Nigerian clubs must raise their game in order to compete favourably,” the statement read.
“The future remains bright, but that is why GTI has been calling on Corporate Nigeria to invest more in our football, just as is done in thriving leagues across the world.”
Ekejiuba also extended words of encouragement to Remo Stars and Rivers United, who are still flying Nigeria’s flag in the CAF Champions League.
“We encourage them to dig deep and remain focused to ensure successful campaigns. They should give Nigerian football fans something to cheer this season because we understand how demanding continental competitions can be,” he concluded.
GTI Group reaffirmed its continued commitment to working closely with the NFF to advance football development, promote professionalism, and attract sustainable investment into the Nigerian game.
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The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has queried Warri Wolves following reports of the suspension of their head coach, Aluma Napoleon, faulting the club’s failure to comply with established procedures for contracting and registering technical officials.
In a letter titled “Notarization and Registration of Contracts” and signed by the NPFL Chief Operating Officer, Davidson Owumi, the league body directed the Delta-based club to regularize all contractual documentation with its technical and management staff in line with NPFL regulations.
The NPFL’s letter stated:
“Information reaching us from the media space suggests that the Delta State Sports Commission has suspended your head coach, Mr. Aluma Napoleon, with immediate effect.”
Citing Sections B, Articles 6 and 11 of the NPFL 2025/26 Framework and Rules, the league reminded Warri Wolves that all clubs are required to submit notarized contracts of their officials for registration and record purposes.
“You are, however, in breach of these sections as Warri Wolves FC have not submitted the contracts of its officials to the League Board. You are hereby requested, within twenty-four hours of receiving this letter, to submit all relevant contracts of your technical team, including that of the assumed suspended head coach, Mr. Napoleon Aluma, to the NPFL Secretariat,” the letter warned.
The NPFL further cautioned that failure to comply could lead to sanctions, including restricting Warri Wolves’ technical crew from accessing the bench in subsequent league matches.
“Note that failure to comply with this instruction will lead to the restriction of your technical team from accessing the technical area in future NPFL matches,” the league stated.
In a related statement to NPFL Media, COO Davidson Owumi stressed that the Warri Wolves case was not isolated, adding that all clubs yet to register the contracts of their technical officials must do so without delay.
“I must admonish all coaches to get hold of their contracts and lodge a report with the NPFL when there is a violation of the terms. It is the responsibility of the aggrieved to petition the league at all times,” Owumi emphasized.
The NPFL has been tightening administrative controls in recent seasons to ensure transparency, professionalism, and adherence to contractual obligations across all participating clubs.
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