Connect with us


BIG STORY

Partey Ruins Eagles Party As Ghana Beat S’Eagles To W’Cup Ticket

Published

on

A poor display by the Super Eagles at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja Tuesday ensured Ghana’s Black Stars qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on the away goal rule after both sides played out a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their final play-off faceoff.

The Black Stars held the Eagles 0-0 in Kumasi on Friday, but they booked the ticket to Qatar after Thomas Partey’s opener was canceled out by a William Troost-Ekong penalty, but the Nigeria captain’s effort did not eventually count, as the visitors danced their way to the Middle East.

Eagles coach Austin Eguavoen made four changes to the team that earned a goalless draw at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi Friday, with Ademola Lookman on for Moses Simon, while Dennis Simon replaced the injured Samuel Chukwueze, Frank Onyeka taking the place of Kelechi Iheanacho and Calvin Bassey made his full debut ahead of Zaidu Sanusi.

Despite the Eagle’s bright start in front of a fully packed 60,000 capacity Abuja stadium, the Black Stars took the lead through captain Thomas Party in the 11th minute, the Arsenal midfielder unleashing a fierce low drive, which squeezed through the diving Francis Uzoho’s hands.

Nigeria began to mount pressure on its opponents immediately after going behind and began to carve out chances in search of the equalizer.

The three-time African champions had a penalty disallowed in Kumasi by VAR after the referee had initially blown for a penalty, but in the second leg on Tuesday, they were rewarded, after Ademola Lookman was brought down inside the box.

Captain William Troost-Ekong converted the resultant penalty kick, coolly sending goalkeeper Joseph Wollacott the wrong way to draw level in the 22nd minute and send home fans at the packed stadium into a frenzy.

Striker Victor Osimhen thought he had given the Eagles the lead in the 36th minute after the Napoli man met a long-range pass from Leon Balogun near the halfway line and bullied his way past his markers and Wollacott, but VAR ruled the goal for offside.

The Eagles were dominant, boasting 65 percent of the ball possession to Ghana’s 35, but they failed to convert their chances with Osimhen virtually isolated upfront.

Ghana made three substitutions just before the start of the second half, with Daniel-Kofi Kyereh, Andy Yiadom, and Elisha Owusu coming on for Abdul Issahaku, Idrissu Baba, and Jordan Ayew respectively. Eguavoen also brought on Abdullahi Shehu for Frank Onyeka, who copped an injury.

Emmanuel Dennis almost gave the hosts the lead in the 54th minute after he rose highest to head a looping corner from Lookman but missed narrowly.

With 30 minutes to play, Moses Simon came on for Lookman as Nigeria continued their search for the lead and tension heightened at the Abuja stadium, as the clock ticked, with the Eagles trying in vain to break down the resilient Ghana defense.

Osman Bukari, who had only spent less than five minutes on the pitch, almost put the visitors in front for the second time in the game but fired his effort marginally wide.

With just 13 minutes left, Eguavoen brought on experienced duo Ahmed Musa and Odion Ighalo but it was too little too late as the Black Stars held on to grab Africa’s first ticket to the World Cup in Qatar.

BIG STORY

FULL LIST: Tinubu Appoints IBB’s Son, Muhammad Babangida Chairman Bank Of Agriculture, Others As Heads Of Govt Agencies

Published

on

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Muhammad Babangida, the son of the former military President, as chairman of the revamped Bank of Agriculture.

President Tinubu approved the appointment today, along with seven others. Some of them will serve as chairmen or directors-general of Federal agencies.

Muhammad Babangida, 53, is an alumnus of the European University in Montreux, Switzerland, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Master’s degree in Public Relations and Business Communication. He later attended Harvard Business School’s Executive Program on Corporate Governance in 2002.

Others appointed by the President are:

Lydia Kalat Musa (Kaduna State) Chairman, Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority (OGFZA).

Jamilu Wada Aliyu (Kano State) Chairman, National Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC).

The Hon. Yahuza Ado Inuwa (Kano State) is the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) chairman.

Sanusi Musa (SAN, Kano State) is the Chairman of the Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution(IPCR).

Prof. Al-Mustapha Alhaji Aliyu (Sokoto State) is the Director-General of the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa (DTCA).

Sanusi Garba Rikiji (Zamfara State) is the Director-General of the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations (NOTN).

Mrs Tomi Somefun (Oyo State) is the Managing Director of the National Hydro-Electric Power Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC).

Dr Abdulmumini Mohammed Aminu-Zaria (Kaduna State) has been appointed Executive Director of the Nigerian Integrated Water Resources Management Commission (NIWRMC).

 

Bayo Onanuga

Special Adviser to the President

(Information & Strategy)

July 18, 2025

Continue Reading

BIG STORY

Buhari Never Wanted To Congratulate Saraki, Dogara After Emerging Senate President, Speaker — Femi Adesina

Published

on

Femi Adesina, who served as Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, revealed that Buhari was initially unwilling to congratulate Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara after they controversially became Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2015.

Adesina shared this in a tribute to Buhari, reflecting on his early experience as the president’s media aide and the difficulty of balancing loyalty with professional duty.

He explained that the incident happened just nine days after he took up the role of presidential spokesman.

According to Adesina, Saraki and Dogara emerged as leaders of the National Assembly against the preference of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Although their emergence was viewed as defiant, it still adhered to constitutional norms.

“I told the President we needed to congratulate them. He balked. But I stood my ground. He said no, I also said no. I said it would portray him as undemocratic,” Adesina wrote.

He noted that Buhari later agreed to issue the statement, making only a small addition to the final version.

“At the end of the day, he reasoned with me and the statement was written, with him just adding one word,” he stated.

“Keeping to his word is part of the famed integrity. Argue with me. If you have a better point, I’ll agree with you.”

Continue Reading

BIG STORY

Road To 2027: Everyone Afraid Of Atiku — Dele Momodu Claims As He Joins ADC

Published

on

Dele Momodu, the publisher of Ovation International, has said that “everyone is afraid” of former vice-president Atiku Abubakar.

He made this remark while giving reasons for leaving the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to join the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

Momodu also confirmed that he would be backing Atiku in the 2027 presidential election.

During an appearance on Channels TV on Thursday, Momodu stated that his endorsement of Atiku stems from a strategic understanding of Nigeria’s political dynamics.

He said: “Everybody is afraid of Atiku, and that is exactly why I, Dele Momodu, support him.

“The fear the ruling party has for him shows he remains the most formidable opposition figure today.

“When everyone is trying to discredit or silence a man, it means he’s the one they truly fear.”

Momodu previously ran for president in 2011 and took part in the PDP presidential primaries in 2022.

Continue Reading



 

Join Us On Facebook

Most Popular