By Amaechi Agbo

Super Eagles Coach, Eric Sekou Chelle has barred visitors and Journalists from the Super Eagles Camp in Uyo.

The Malian tacticaian handed the ban shortly after the team returned to Uyo from Kigali on Saturday as they prepare for their Matchday 6 2026 World Cup qbualifier against Zimbabwe.

Confirming the development on Sunday Morning, Super Eagles Media Officer, Promise Efoghe said Coach Chelle is demanding maximum concentration from the players and have imposed restrictions in and around the team’s camp.

“The Eagles are back home and have started preparing for Tuesday’s fixture. Coach Eric Chelle is not carried away by the win over Rwanda and is demanding maximum concentration from the players prior to the next game.

“To this end, he has imposed restrictions in and around the team’s camp, no visitors, no journalists,” he said.

The team is expected to train twice today out of media coverage.

“Sunday’s training is closed. Mbonday’s session will be opened for the mandatory 15 minutes and this will be shortly after the official press conference.

“Provisions will be made for mixed zone interaction with the players on match day,” the Media Officer concluded.

Super Eagles beat Rwanda 2-0 in Kigali on Friday to rekindle their 2026 World Cup Qualification Hope.

The team currently placed 4th on the log with 6 points from 5 matches, is hoping to beat Zimbabwe on Tuesday when both nations clash at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.

The match will kick-off at 5pm local time.

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By Amaechi Agbo

Nigeria, for the very first time, squashed Ghana in an African Nations Championship qualifying fixture, and with so much style, to earn the ticket to the eighth instalment of the competition scheduled for Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda in February 2025 after a 3-1 whiplash of the visitors at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Saturday.

Three well-taken goals in six minutes wrote a new chapter in the history of contests between both nations at this level, and it was seriously not at a turn that Ghana would have wanted it.

Coach Mas-Ud Didi Dramani expressed confidence ahead of the game, saying his boys would play an attacking game, but it was Nigeria that was on the front foot throughout the first period and could have finished the half with more than their three brilliant goals.

First, telepathy was at play as Captain Junior Nduka flung the ball from the defence to Remo Stars’ team-mate Ismaila Sodiq, who sprang Ghana’s offside trap and buried the ball past goalkeeper Benjamin Asare in the 18th minute. Two minutes later, it would have been two for the Super Eagles B but Adamu Abubakar’s close-range shot found the back of defender Abban Ebenezer and went shy of the goal.

From the resultant corner kick, Captain Nduka made hay, sweeping the ball past Asare as the visiting rearguard ball-watched against a Nigerian side playing with so much gusto.

Three minutes later, from a defensive mix-up between goalkeeper Asare and defender Nurudeen Abdulai, Saviour Isaac snatched the ball at pace and slotted past Asare to make it 3-0.

Dominated and flustered, the Black Galaxies were pleading for mercy, but it would still have been four if veteran forward Sikiru Alimi had not been tardy with a good chance as Isaac sent him through on the counter in the 44th minute.

In the second half, with the Director General of the National Sports Commission, Chief Bukola Olopade and President of NFF, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau among the watching dignitaries, the Super Eagles refused to take their feet off the pedal, as Isaac, and later Alimi with a brilliant header off Sodiq’s free-kick, could have added to the visitors’ misery.

Ghana hit one back with 18 minutes left to play, when the precocious Stephen Amankona fired to the blind side of goalkeeper Henry Ozoemena after an exchange of passes with Albert Amoah.

Still, it was too little too late. Ghana’s miserable year was complete, with the Black Stars’ horrendous group-stage exit at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, failure of the Black Stars to qualify for next year’s AFCON, and the failure of the Black Starlets to qualify for the Africa U17 Cup of Nations.

Deservedly, Nigeria celebrated wildly at a return to the CHAN, at which they won the silver medals in Morocco six years ago, and at the expense of bogey team Ghana for that matter.

President of NFF, Alhaji Gusau said: “We are very happy to end the year on a high. Returning to the African Nations Championship has been part of our agenda and we are happy to have achieved that. Now, the real work begins, which is to ensure that the team is adequately prepared to go for the trophy in East Africa early next year.”

Galaxies’ Coach Mas-Ud Didi Dramani attributed his team’s failure to the fact that Daniel Ogunmodede’s charges were hungrier for glory. “They were full of running and played their hearts out. Congratulations to Nigeria because they deserved their victory. They were the better team.”

Ogunmodede said it was not yet time for celebrations. “We are happy to have given Nigerians a good gift for this yuletide period, but we will not over-celebrate this achievement and forget the crux of the matter. We will work hard so that we can contend very well for the trophy at the finals in February.”

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Fisayo Dele-Bashiru’s 86th minute strike off a cross from Moses Simon gave Coach Augustine Eguavoen his 15th victory in charge of Nigeria (over 25 matches) and handed the Super Eagles all the three points against Libya in a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match in Uyo on Friday.

Simon had been a threat all game, frisking the pockets of the Mediterranean Knights who defended strongly in numbers and came close to earning a point at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.

In the absence of Victor Osimhen, his namesake Boniface started in front, but the Germany-based striker failed to find his first goal in competitive match for Nigeria, as the impressive goalkeeper Murad Abu Bakr Alwuheeshi excelled as much in blocking balls with all parts of his body as with running down the clock.

Alex Iwobi could have put Nigeria ahead after 11minutes but his shot from the edge of the box after a raid by Ademola Lookman was charged down by Suhib Shafshuf. Boniface was thwarted in the 16th minute after being guilty of too many touches, and captain William Ekong heaved over the sticks from four yards in the 28th minute as the visitors continued to live dangerously.

The Super Eagles kept their feet on the pedal and Simon darted past three defenders in the 37th minute only to see his shot blocked, as Iwobi’s effort was cleverly foiled two minutes later.

In the second half, Iwobi missed with a header from another Simon cross in the 56th minute, and put too much purchase on his volley three minutes later.

In the 71st minute, substitute Samuel Chukwueze was foiled by the brilliant Abu Bakr Alwuheeshi, but the goalkeeper had no answer when Italy-based Dele-Bashiru lashed to his blind side from a good cross by Simon.

The Eagles stay top of the pool, one point ahead of Benin Republic’s Cheetahs who routed Rwanda’s Amavubi 3-0 in another Matchday 3 encounter.

Victory for the Eagles in Benin on Tuesday night will virtually seal a ticket to the 35th Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco, with the Cheetahs also to join if they overcome the Amavubi in their own return in Kigali.

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A former Senator, Shehu Sani has advised Nigerians not to watch the Super Eagles versus Benin Republic match today if they are hypertensive.

Three-time Africa champions, Nigeria will take on the Cheetahs of Benin Republic today in the first Group D match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON qualification race.

Ahead of the cracker which will hold at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Senator Sani has cautioned Nigerians not to watch the match live if they have Blood Pressure Or Heart Issues.

“Super Eagles Vs Benin Republic tomorrow in Uyo.

“Please if you have any Blood pressure or Heart issues avoid watching it live.
Thank you,” he posted on his X handle on Friday.

The match will start at 5pm local time.

Senator Sani’s warning is coming following poor performances of the Super Eagles in their recent matches including a 2-1 defeat they suffered against same Benin Republic in their last Works Cup qualifiers in June

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