Nigerian Football
African Games hero, Sanni Mohammed in tears as Super Stores honour 1973 Green Eagles
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
“The labour of our heroes past shall not be in vain” is a line in the Nigerian national anthem. However, the seven living members and dependants of the other 13 footballers of the 20-man Green Eagles that won the gold medal of the 2nd All Africa Games in 1973 may not agree.
Fifty years down the line, they were never recognised since their historic feat. The gold medal of the 1973 All Africa Games was the first continental honours that Nigeria got in football.
What the players got was just a photo-shoot opportunity and breakfast with the Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon. Sadly, since their feat 50 years ago, no Nigerian team has been able to win the All Africa Games gold medal.
After 50 years, Stationery Stores FC that had three players in the squad decided to honour their trio of Haruna Ilerika, Yakubu Mambo and Sanni Mohammed – Stationery Stores’ players at the time – along with the rest of the team.
Sadly among the trio, only Sanni Mohammed, now domiciled in Ghana, is alive and was in attendance at the modest recognition that the Super Stores Supporters Trust organised on Nigeria’s in Independence Day at Freedom Park in Lagos.
Sanni Mohammed, the midfielder in the 1973 squad burst into tears as he was called upon to receive a certificate of honour and a plaque.
He was overwhelmed with emotion as he battled to hold back tears. He explained to Sports Village Square that he remembered all his colleagues at the time and the bond that held them.
He counted himself luck to be among the seven that are alive and wondered how the environment would had been, if all of them were to have assembled.
His award was presented to him by Head of Service, Lagos State Secretariat, Bode Agoro, who incidentally was also a former Stationery Stores player, but of a different generation.
Bode Agoro, Lagos State Head of Service, also a former Stores’ player presents plaque to Sanni Mohammed
There have been no governmental recognition for the pioneers, although subsequent generations of national team players have been rewarded.
Sanni Mohammed travelled by road from Accra purposely to attend the event. Born of a Ghanaian mother and Nigerian father, he said he opted to play for Nigeria and Ghanaians were surprised about how he firmly held the midfield in the opening match of the All Africa Games on 8 January 1973.
He said he was and still committed to Nigeria and Stationery Stores, hoping to see the club regain its esteem. He told the audience that he had set up a Stores supporters club in Ghana and hoped that similar wings should emerge from Nigerian cities as it was in the 1970s and 1980s.
The late Nigerian midfield maestro, Haruna Ilerika was represented by two of his daughters, Sheri and Zeinab Ilerika.
President of the Stationery Stores Supporters Trust, Adebayo Olowo-Ake said that the Independent Day event was the fourth that his outfit had organised since setting up the trust in 2015. He promised that more recognitions will be organised in due course.
Nigerian Football
Naze Community to Honour Late Super Eagles Legend Henry Nwosu with ‘Clash of Titans’ Novelty Match
By Joseph Odoekwu
The Naze community in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State will on Sunday, April 5, stage a novelty football match in honour of their late son and former Super Eagles midfielder, Henry Nwosu.
The event, tagged “The Clash of Titans,” will see Naze All Stars square off against Imo Football Legends at the Naze Secondary School field, with kickoff scheduled for 4 p.m. on Easter Sunday.
Details of the tribute match emerged following a training session held on Thursday morning at the venue, where former players and participants in the long-running Henry Nwosu Cup resolved to take the lead in celebrating the legacy of the late football icon.
Naze All Stars will be made up of indigenes of the community who have featured in the Henry Nwosu Cup since its inception in 1985, while the Imo Football Legends side will parade notable ex-footballers from across the state.
The Ikuku Oma Foundation is organising the match in collaboration with the Naze Football Federation as part of activities to immortalise Nwosu, whose grassroots initiative transformed local football in the community.
Since its establishment over four decades ago, the Henry Nwosu Cup—played annually during the Christmas period—has grown into a major unifying and entertainment platform for Naze and neighbouring communities such as Ulakwo, Agbala and Egbu. Beyond football, the competition has also fostered social bonds, with several marriages reportedly stemming from relationships formed on matchdays.
There are also strong indications that Heartland FC manager and former Super Eagles winger, Emmanuel Amuneke, could lead the Imo Football Legends side in Sunday’s encounter, adding further glamour to the occasion.
Members of the Naze All Stars who have confirmed participation include Ikuku Oma, Prof. Joe-Ken Nzerem, Ejike Urewuji, Nda Gboko, Oga Ekete, Oga Sarge, Oga Cho Cho, Man of God, Baba Urch, Oga Eshi ke Naze, Chief Agba I, Mmiri the Crown Prince (goalkeeper), Mr. Obiọma, Alkaline, among others.
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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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