Nigerian Football
RUSSIA 2018 TURNED SOME NIGERIAN WOMEN TO SEX SLAVES
Blessing Obuson, according to NAN reports, had thought the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup would be an opportunity to find a job and flew into Moscow from Nigeria last June on a “Fan ID’’.
Instead, she had found herself forced to work as a prostitute.
Fan ID was a card introduced by world football governing body FIFA in collaboration with the World Cup hosts to ease visa procurement worries for intending travelling spectators.
It allowed visa-free entry to the FIFA World Cup supporters with match tickets, but did not confer the right to work.
In spite of that, the 19-year-old Obuson said she had hoped to work as a shop assistant to provide for her two-year-old daughter and younger siblings back in Nigeria’s Edo.
Instead, she said she was locked up in a flat on the outskirts of Moscow and forced into sex work along with 11 other Nigerian women.
They were supervised by a “madam’’, also from Nigeria.
“I cried really hard. But what choice did I have?” Obuson told Reuters after being freed by anti-slavery activists.
She said her “madam’’ had confiscated her passport and told her she would only get it back once she had worked off a fictional debt of 50,000 dollars (38,053 pounds).
Obuson told her story to a rare English-speaking client who got anti-slavery activists involved.
Two Nigerians were later arrested and charged with human trafficking after striking a deal to sell Obuson for two million roubles (around 30,000 dollars) to a police officer posing as a client.
This fact was according to her lawyer, statements from prosecutors, and evidence presented at court hearings in the case attended by Reuters journalists.
The case is still under investigation.
Obuson’s case is however not isolated.
Reuters met eight Nigerian women aged between 16 and 22 brought into Russia on Fan IDs and forced into sex work.
All of them said they had endured violence.
“They don’t give you food for days, they slap you, they beat you, they spit in your face… It’s like a cage,” said one 21-year old woman, who declined to be named.
In September, a Nigerian woman was killed by a man who refused to pay for sex, police said.
The Nigerian embassy later identified her as 22-year old Alifat Momoh who had come to Russia from Nigeria with a Fan ID.
Russian police say 1,863 Nigerians who entered the country with Fan IDs had not left by Jan. 1, the date when the IDs expired.
Kenny Kehindo, who works with several Moscow-based non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to help sex trafficking victims, estimates that more than 2,000 Nigerian women were brought in on Fan IDs.
Neither Russian police nor the Nigerian embassy in Moscow replied to requests for a comment.
A Nigerian Foreign Ministry spokesman also did not respond to text messages and phone calls requesting a comment.
“Many are still in slavery,” said Kehindo, who disclosed that he had helped around 40 women return to Nigeria.
“Fan ID is a very good thing, but in the hands of the human traffickers it’s just an instrument,” he said, calling for more cooperation between the authorities and anti-trafficking NGOs during major sports events, including the 2022 Qatar World Cup where a Fan ID system is also being considered.
Anti-slavery group “Alternativa’’ said its helpline had fielded calls from Nigerian women held in St Petersburg and other World Cup host cities.
While a prosecution has been launched in Obuson’s case, police have been unable to act against suspected traffickers in other cases due to a lack of evidence.
“A lot of girls are still out there,” said Obuson.
Fan IDs were issued by the spectator’s home Football Association or federation upon purchase of at least a FIFA World Cup match ticket, and was even procured online after a ticket purchase.
However, it was widely abused by some football federations, with their officials freely inflating ticket prices or selling the Fan ID directly. In most cases, this was done in collusion with human traffickers or sex slave patrons, while in some cases genuine football spectators were duped.(Reuters/NAN)
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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