Nigeria’s Falconets have arrived in Poland for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, with goalkeeper coach Lateef Yusuf expressing confidence in the team’s three goalkeeping options ahead of their global campaign.

Sports247 reports that Yusuf insists there is little to separate the goalkeepers, stressing that all three are in excellent form and capable of taking responsibility when called upon.

“The three goalkeepers are starters. I have no doubt about them,” Yusuf said.

“The three goalkeepers are good to go. Anyone can mount the post; they are in great form. I have no doubt about the three.”

The coach’s confidence comes as the Falconets complete their preparations for the tournament, where Nigeria will once again carry Africa’s hopes on the world stage.

Nigeria secured qualification for the World Cup after successfully navigating a demanding African qualifying campaign. The Falconets defeated Rwanda 5-0 on aggregate, overcame Senegal 3-1 on aggregate, before edging Malawi 3-2 on aggregate to book their place in Poland.

The West Africans have been drawn into a group that will present a series of different challenges, beginning with a heavyweight encounter against Spain on September 7.

They will then face China PR on September 10, before completing their group-stage campaign against New Caledonia on September 13.

With the competition approaching, Yusuf’s comments provide reassurance that the Falconets have strong depth in one of the most important positions on the pitch.

The goalkeeping coach’s decision to describe all three players as starters also highlights the level of competition within the squad, with each goalkeeper having the opportunity to earn the technical team’s trust.

Nigeria will enter the tournament with a remarkable record. The Falconets are the only African nation to have appeared at every edition of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, underlining the country’s longstanding presence in the competition.

The team has also come close to lifting the trophy, finishing runners-up in 2010 and 2014.

As the Falconets begin another World Cup journey, the ambition will be to finally go one step further and claim Nigeria’s first U-20 Women’s World Cup title.

With the squad prepared, three confident goalkeepers available and a challenging group ahead, Nigeria’s latest generation of Falconets are ready to write another chapter in the country’s remarkable World Cup history.

The post ‘All Three Are Starters’ — Falconets GK Coach Yusuf Backs Goalkeeping Trio Ahead of World Cup appeared first on Sports247 Nigeria.

New website launches Wednesday, August 26, as the professional flag football brand takes another major step in its mission to lead the sport across Nigeria and Africa, connecting fans, athletes, teams, sponsors and the wider sporting community through one powerful digital platform.

Showtime Flag Football is preparing to make another major statement of intent on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, when it officially launches its new website, adding another significant piece to an organisation that has consistently positioned itself at the forefront of professional flag football in Africa.

This is not simply a story about a sports league launching a website. It is the latest chapter in Showtime’s broader ambition to build the infrastructure, competition, athletes, entertainment and fan culture required to take flag football to an entirely new level in Nigeria and across the continent.

Showtime has already established a major first by building what it describes as Africa’s first professional flag football stadium — Showtime Arena at Meadow Hall, Elegushi, Lekki, Lagos. The venue has become the physical home of the league and a landmark for a sport that is rapidly moving from the fringes of Nigerian sports into a professional and commercially attractive competition.

Now, Showtime is taking that pioneering spirit into the digital space.

The new website is designed to become the central online home of the Showtime ecosystem, bringing together the competition, athletes, teams, statistics, news, live matches, fixtures, results, standings, tickets, merchandise and fan engagement in one place.

For supporters, it means there will be a single destination to follow the Showtime story throughout the season. Fans will be able to check upcoming fixtures, follow completed games, monitor league standings, explore player and team profiles, examine statistics and ratings, read the latest news and stay connected with the conversations surrounding the competition.

When Showtime games are being streamed, the platform will also provide a direct route to the live action, giving supporters who cannot make it to Showtime Arena the opportunity to follow matches online.

That connection between the physical arena and the digital audience is central to Showtime’s long-term vision.

Showtime Arena provides the stage where the athletes compete and champions are crowned. The new website provides the platform where fans can continue experiencing the competition long after they leave the stadium.

A spectacular touchdown does not have to disappear when the final whistle sounds. A standout player can become a story. A championship performance can become part of the league’s history. A rivalry can develop season after season. Statistics can become talking points, and supporters can follow their favourite athletes throughout their careers.

The new platform therefore gives Showtime’s players something increasingly important in modern professional sport: a digital identity.

Player profiles and performance statistics can allow fans to discover athletes, understand their contributions and follow their development. For the athletes themselves, it creates a permanent record of their achievements within a professional league that is increasingly focused on building recognisable sporting personalities.

For teams, the website offers another opportunity to build identity and strengthen relationships with supporters. Fans can follow rosters, results and performances while becoming more connected to the clubs and players they support.

The commercial opportunity is equally significant.

Showtime is building a sports property that extends beyond the playing field, and the new website creates another platform through which sponsors and commercial partners can connect with an expanding audience. From live streaming and digital content to ticketing, merchandise, athlete storytelling and fan engagement, brands can potentially become part of the entire Showtime experience rather than simply appearing around a match.

That matters as flag football enters one of the most important periods in its history.

With the sport preparing for its historic Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028, interest in flag football is expected to grow significantly around the world. Showtime’s ambition is to ensure Nigeria and Africa are not simply spectators in that growth, but active participants in shaping the future of the sport.

The league’s development reflects that ambition.

From professional competition and dedicated infrastructure to athlete development, live entertainment, media production and now a comprehensive digital platform, Showtime continues to build the foundations of a modern sporting ecosystem.

The new website is another part of that strategy.

It gives the media a central source for league information and stories. It gives fans a place to follow the action. It gives athletes a platform through which their performances can be recognised. It gives teams another way to connect with their communities. And it gives potential sponsors and investors a clearer view of the scale of the sporting property Showtime is building.

For President of Showtime, Azeez Amida, the organisation’s ambition has consistently extended beyond simply organising games. Showtime’s growth has been built around professionalism, athlete opportunities, entertainment and creating a sustainable future for flag football in Nigeria.

The new website reinforces that philosophy by ensuring the Showtime experience continues even when there is no game being played.

The league is not simply creating fixtures.

It is creating stories.

It is not simply producing athletes.

It is creating sporting personalities.

It is not simply filling a stadium.

It is building a community.

And it is not simply looking for today’s fans.

It is building an audience for the future of African flag football.

That is why Wednesday, August 26, 2026, represents more than a website launch.

It is another landmark in Showtime’s journey from pioneering professional flag football in Nigeria to establishing itself as a leading force in the sport across Africa.

The ambition is increasingly clear: to make Showtime the place where athletes want to play, where fans want to watch, where brands want to invest and where the next generation of Nigerian flag football stars want to be discovered.

From the groundbreaking Showtime Arena — Africa’s first professional flag football stadium — to the new digital platform, Showtime is continuing to build an ecosystem designed to give the sport the professional structure and visibility it deserves.

For anyone who wants to understand where Nigerian flag football is heading, Wednesday’s launch will be an important moment.

The stadium has already changed where the game is played.

Now the website is set to change how the game is followed.

SHOWTIME is not waiting for the future of flag football in Africa. It is building it.

And on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, another piece of that vision goes live.

The post SHOWTIME Sets Another First As Africa’s Flag Football Pioneer Unveils New Digital Home appeared first on Sports247 Nigeria.

Nigeria champions Edo Queens made a sensational start to their WAFU-B Women’s Champions League qualifying campaign after thrashing AS Garde Nationale of Niger 7-0 in their opening Group B encounter in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Edo Queens wasted no time making their intentions clear as Chioma Moses opened the scoring in the fifth minute, giving the Nigerian champions an early advantage and putting their opponents under immediate pressure.

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Moses doubled the lead in first-half stoppage time after converting from the penalty spot, sending Edo Queens into the break with a commanding 2-0 advantage.

The Nigerian champions returned from the interval with even greater intensity, with Atume Doosuur scoring just two minutes into the second half to make it 3-0.

Doosuur completed her brace in the 56th minute before Aminat Folorunsho added a fifth goal six minutes later as Edo Queens continued to tear apart the AS Garde Nationale defence.

Moses completed her hat-trick in the 76th minute, producing the standout individual performance of the match, before Oluwakemi Adegbuyi put the finishing touch on the emphatic victory with the seventh goal in the third minute of stoppage time.

The victory was built around a sensational display from Chioma Moses, who emerged as the Woman of the Match after scoring three goals and playing a central role in Edo Queens’ dominant performance.

Moses’ hat-trick not only underlined her clinical finishing but also gave the Nigerian champions a major attacking weapon as they began their campaign in emphatic fashion.

The 7-0 demolition gives Edo Queens an early boost in their bid to secure another appearance at the CAF Women’s Champions League after their impressive run in the competition in 2024.

Edo Queens won the WAFU-B competition on their debut in 2024 before going on to finish fourth at the CAF Women’s Champions League later that year. (“aclsports.com” (https://www.aclsports.com/caf-womens-champions-league-edo-queens-in-burkina-faso-for-qualifiers/?utm_source=chatgpt.com))

Ahead of this year’s competition, Edo Queens assistant coach Gabriel Benson had expressed confidence in the squad and challenged the players to represent Nigeria and Edo State with pride.

“Edo Queens have all it takes to make the country proud,” Benson said before the tournament. (“punchng.com” (https://punchng.com/edo-queens-begin-wafu-b-campaign-against-as-gnn/?utm_source=chatgpt.com))

“The girls are ready and good to go.”

They backed up that confidence with a ruthless performance, with Moses’ hat-trick and Doosuur’s brace highlighting the attacking firepower available to the Nigerian champions.

Edo Queens will now turn their attention to their remaining Group B fixtures against ASEC Mimosas of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghanaian champions Ampem Darkoa, knowing that stronger tests await them in their pursuit of a place in the CAF Women’s Champions League.

But after putting seven goals past AS Garde Nationale in their opening match, Edo Queens have already delivered a powerful warning to their WAFU-B rivals — and with Woman of the Match Chioma Moses leading the charge, the Nigerian champions look ready for another big continental run.

The post WAFU-B Women’s Champions League Qualifiers: Ruthless Edo Queens Crush AS Garde Nationale 7-0, Moses Bags Hat-Trick appeared first on Sports247 Nigeria.