Nigerian Football
NPFL PLAYOFF: OUR FITNESS OVERWHELMED FC IFEANYIUBAH, SAYS LOBI’S OGENYI
BY FISAYO DAIRO
For the thousands of
spectators that watched the last fixture on Day 1 of the 2019 NPFL Championship
Playoffs between last season winners, Lobi Stars and 2018/19 season’s surprise
package FC Ifeanyiubah, the Benue side stood out for the incredible
fitness level of their players
Lobi Stars recorded the highest score margin of the opening match day at the
Agege Stadium in Lagos on Tuesday, winning 3-1 over the dazed Anambra Warriors
in a game played under floodlights.
Right from the very beginning when Samad Kadiri raced clear to finish Kelly
Kester’s pass with just about ninety seconds on the clock, Lobi’s players did
not stop running even until the final minute.
Right back John Lazarus was at his overlapping best, midfielders Kester and
Alex Aghahowa harassed their opponents with incredible sprints throughout the
contest while Kadiri and his strike partner Sikiru Alimi ran across the front
with gusto and verve.
FC Ifeanyiubah’s young side responded at some point but in the end could not
match the physicality and high tempo pressing of the 2018/19 CAF Champions
League campaigners.
Head coach Evans Ogenyi believes that his team’s display should not be
unexpected considering the level they came from at the CAF Champions League.
“You know we just came back from the continent even though it’s
unfortunate that we couldn’t go beyond the group stage but then we’ve been able
to restore Nigeria’s second slot in the CAF competitions and the experience was
valuable,” said Ogenyi to www.npfl.ng
“If you’re not fit, you cannot play at that level. So we’ve been servicing
all areas of fitness because we know that at the end of the day, it will
actually take us far.”
In “servicing” their fitness, Lobi Stars had camped in Ijebu-Ode,
near Lagos for the past twelve days and the closed camping system has helped
them to condition their players in the right frame of mind for the
season-ending competition.
Ogenyi, who served as the first assistant coach under the late Solomon Ogbeide
and is now in his third stint as head coach of his state club, also praised his
players for the victory over FC Ifeanyiubah, insisting that the 2016 Federation
Cup winners were not easy to deal with.
He continued: “It’s not an easy win. Any team that has qualified for this
stage is not a pushover.
“For you to qualify for this playoff, you should be congratulated and I
told my players at half time that we needed to up our game because at the end
of the competition, goals permutations can come to play.
“I saw 2-2 (between Pillars and Akwa United) and I saw 1-0 (Enyimba vs
Rangers) so if you have the opportunity to win, you need to win convincingly so
I give kudos to my boys for raising the bar in the second and we scored two
more goals to record the biggest win today (Tuesday).”
Lobi’s second game in the round-robin tournament will come up against Rangers,
a fellow continental campaigner on Thursday. The Flying Antelopes from Enugu
have found Lobi Stars a tough nut to crack in recent matches and Ogenyi is
hoping his side builds on Tuesday’s win.
“You must take each match as it comes, we have played ourselves before and
at this stage the result could go either way but then we hope to build on what
we have started on Tuesday,” said the former Bayelsa United and Jigawa
Golden Stars head coach.
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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The Lagos Legends Club has called on the Federal Government, state governments and key stakeholders in the sports sector to support the burial of former Nigerian international Henry Nwosu, describing him as a national icon deserving of a dignified farewell.
Nwosu, a Member of the Order of the Niger (MON), is scheduled to be laid to rest in Owerri on May 16, 2026.
In a press release, the Lagos Legends Club—a fraternity of former Nigerian footballers—said it had taken initial steps to ensure a befitting burial for its departed member, but stressed that the responsibility should not be left to ex-players alone.
The group described Nwosu as more than just a footballer, noting his historic contribution to Nigerian football, including scoring the country’s only goal at the 1980 Olympic Games in a 1-1 draw against Czechoslovakia.
“For decades, he served as an inspiration to millions and a mentor to countless players who followed,” the statement read. “Yet, like too many of our sports heroes, his final years were marked by struggle rather than comfort.”
The club urged government authorities, particularly the governors of Edo, Lagos, Abia, Anambra and Enugu states, to recognise that Nwosu’s legacy transcends regional boundaries and belongs to the entire nation.
It also called on the National Sports Commission, the Nigeria Football Federation and corporate organisations to rise to the occasion and support the burial arrangements.
“We have witnessed remarkable gestures from individuals who understand that a nation is judged by how it treats its heroes,” the statement added. “We now urge all stakeholders to emulate this and ensure that Henry Nwosu is honoured in death as he was in life.”
The Lagos Legends Club emphasised that the approaching burial date presents an opportunity for Nigerian football and the nation at large to demonstrate unity and gratitude.
“The clock ticks toward May 16, 2026. Let this not be a testament to neglect, but a statement of national appreciation,” the group said.
Nwosu, widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s finest midfielders of his generation, remains a celebrated figure in the country’s football history, with his legacy continuing to inspire both players and fans.
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