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Articles by Oluwashina Okeleji

12 Apr 2019
Later Friday night, Nigeria will learn its preliminary round foes at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. It has been a long, gruelling road to return to the top table of African football for the three-time African champions, one filled with numerous lessons. Following an unexpected triumph in the 2013 edition, the Super Eagles then…
Paul Onuachu
29 Mar 2019
The Super Eagles ended their qualification campaign for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations with two wins in very contrasting circumstances, and may have launched a new star in the process.
15 Mar 2019
Nigeria has always had a history when it comes to combat sports. The towering legend of Dick Tiger was impossible to escape, Hogan ‘Kid’ Bassey held a featherweight title as far back as 1957, and in the last three decades the likes of David Izonritei, Ike Ibeabuchi and Samuel Peter have shaken up the heavyweight division.
1 Mar 2019
In the latest memory of the Africa Cup of Nations, one of the greatest revelations was Sunday Mba. During the 2013 edition in South Africa, the previously little-known Rangers midfielder burst onto the scene to almost miraculous effect. Tearing through the middle of the park, trailing opponents in his wake, he seemed as unstoppable as fate, as immutable as destiny. It seemed like a new star had been born.
1 Feb 2019
From the edge of uncertainty, the NPFL finally resumed on the 13th of January 2019. The league season grinded to a highly unsatisfactory conclusion last year, as erstwhile leaders, Lobi Stars advanced as the country's representative in the continental Champions League. The league itself was discontinued, but even that resolution seemed to spark further confusion…
18 Jan 2019
It is clear that 2019 will be a huge year for football, especially in Nigeria. In June, both senior national sides – the men's and women's will compete in the Africa Cup of Nations and FIFA Women's World Cup respectively. There will also be continental and possibly global competitions for both the Under-17 and Under-20…
21 Dec 2018
If there was one thing the just concluded Africa Women's Cup of Nations proved, it is that Nigeria's claim to the throne is no longer as uncontested as it once was.
30 Nov 2018
The latest news that the Nigeria Nationwide League (NNL), the nation's second tier, intends to promote a whopping eight teams to the top flight has been hard to digest. Once again, we are setting ourselves up to be the butt of a thousand jokes.
16 Nov 2018
The 2018 Africa Women's Cup of Nations (AWCON) kicks off in Ghana this weekend. Nigeria's Super Falcons will be defending the AWCON title won two years ago in Cameroon, seeking to add another triumph to their past accolades. The continent's most successful national team almost by rote, they go into the tournament once again as…
2 Nov 2018
El Clasico is the biggest game in world football. This is not a subjective statement either — there is simply nothing compared to it in terms of impact and feeling, significance and consequence. Millions the world over watch Barcelona and Real Madrid battle for, not just footballing superiority, but the very soul of a nation.…
19 Oct 2018
The Nigerian amputee football team has entered the national consciousness, but perhaps not in the manner they would have preferred. They would have liked to be recognised for their spirit and their strength of will, which has seen them transcend their physical disadvantages. Or even for the fact that, in just over a week, they…
28 Sep 2018
On Tuesday, for the first time ever, Nigeria’s female basketball team, D’Tigress, secured qualification beyond the Group Stage of the ongoing FIBA Women’s World Cup.