Governing Bodies
Former Nigeria football team manager, Osugo is no more
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
Peter Chukwuma Osugo, popularly known as “Pecos” who was the manager of the Nigerian football team to the Mexico ‘68 Olympic Games is dead.
According to a press release by the family, Pecos died on 24 January 2022, aged 92.
He made marks in sports management as he was the Team Manager of the famous Stationery Stores of Lagos at its zenith.
The team presented nine of the 11 starting line-up of the Nigeria national team during the Mexico 1968 Olympics.
Possibly, it was the overwhelming number of the Stores players in the team that informed Pecos appointment as the Nigerian team manager to the Olympics.
He was a journalist of high standing and nicknamed the Nigerian football team as Green Eagles before the name change on 29 March 1988.
He rechristened the Nigerian football team from “Red Devils” to Green Eagles while reporting on the Nigerian preparation for an Africa Cup of Nations fixtures with Ghana.
In the Daily Times edition of 15 April 1961, he wrote: “I propose to christen the team, the ‘Green Eagles.’ the name stuck and it was under it that Nigeria won the gold medal of the football event of the second African Games in Lagos on 18 January 1973 and the first victory of the Africa Cup of Nations on 22 March 1980.
The name Green Eagles was used for the Nigerian team for 26 years, 11 months and 15 days.
As a journalist, he joined the Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe-owned West African Pilot as a reporter before switching to Daily Times as sports editor.
He was noted 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, Pecos 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, Pecos got round to mentioning the scoreline, 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 West’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 fes
tival, 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…”
The influence of the early generation sports jour Pecos found his true calling as a journalist when he joined the West African Pilot as a reporter, rising to become Lead Writer and making his mark with exceptional columns which focused on nationalism and opposition to the colonial government.
He joined the Daily Times and became Sports Editor and then Editor of the Sunday Times which became the largest selling newspaper in Nigeria by 1975.
His incisive writings on Nigerian and Global sports coupled with his previous background as an elite athlete came to the attention of a new breed of Nigerian entrepreneurs
According to a release by the family of Osugo, details of the burial obsequies will be announced later in the obituary notices in the national newspapers.
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.
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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
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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
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