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Victorious Flamingos: In Africa we always win

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Oluebube Umejiaku begun the U17 Women’s World Cup on the bench. She ended it in the headlines as the final’s decisive scorer and the tournament’s standout player.

Her ascent, in many ways, mirrored Nigeria’s. She scored as a substitute in their opener with Poland, but that strike was scant consolation in a 2-1 defeat. Further goals against DPR Korea, Mexico and in the decider with Japan, though, helped her nation to wins, and to become the first team to lose their opener before lifting the title.

“Every time I went to training and every time I slept, I told God that I’m praying for all the people that are starting. But when I wanted to start, I just told God that it is my time,” an ecstatic Umejiaku said to FIFA at full-time.

Oluebube Umejiaku – U17 World Cup MVP

“When we lost the first game against Poland, everybody said we needed to wake up because we didn’t come here to look at anybody’s face and we have to take every game as a final. We don’t downgrade anything; we play and we put all our best into every game.”

Awawu Bashiru was another player who didn’t immediately fit into coach Akeem Busari’s plans, playing just 77 minutes between their opener and the quarter-final with Venezuela. But she was brought in for her first start versus Brazil and netted twice, before scoring the opening goal in the final.

“I’m so happy, I’m so excited and I’m so grateful,” she said. “The teamwork, instructions and listening to our coaches is why we got the goals and why we won the final. We are history-makers. We made Nigeria, and the millions of people there, proud.”

Busari’s tweaks to the line-up eventually paid dividends, though he doesn’t see those changes as a coaching masterstroke, but rewarding players who continued to show up and earned their chance to shine.

“No matter how good you are, I’m a coach that plays on character,” Busari said of making those key changes. “It’s all about mindset, attitude and merit; if they’re there, you get your playing time. If they’re not there, you’re waiting to come in. As a coach, we want everyone to wire up and play together.”

Flamingos – World champions

Nigeria have become the first African nation to lift this title, the first country from the continent to triumph at a women’s FIFA event, and have ensured a Nigerian side, male or female, have won the U-17 global finals in each of the previous five decades. The Flamingos, though, don’t want to stop here.

“I’m very happy because now we have broken the chain,” Umejiaku added. “In Africa we always win – that’s a promise. We’ve won, and now we’ll be winning and winning, that’s just it. We thank God for everything.”

“We can expect more from Nigeria,” Bashiru added. “We are winning and we’ll bring the same energy, the same zing, at the next U-17 Women’s [World Cup].”

“This is a turnaround for Africa,” Busari concluded. “In terms of youth-age football, it’s improving and here we could really come and compete. Being a champion is going to go a long way to really motivate us, and we are sending a signal, a message to the world that Africa is really coming.”

Adapted from fifa.com

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Feature

SCORENigeria Top 5: Arokodare, Iheanacho keep on firing

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November 9, 2026

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Goals with Ajax have got Tolu Arokodare back in the Super Eagles nest for a 2027 AFCON double-header against Tanzania, but both Kelechi Iheanacho and Cyriel Dessers are not that lucky even with their goals in Turkey and Greece, respectively.

5.Dapo Afolayan

The 29-year-old striker scored what eventually proved to be the match winner for Blackburn Rovers at home against troubled West Ham in the English Championship. He has now fired six goals for Rovers, who are now up to 13th in the standings with 21 points from 15 matches, just four points outside the promotion playoffs bracket. Can Afolayan still dream Super Eagles?

Dessers scores again

4. Cyriel Dessers

The much-traveled striker grabbed his 10th goal of the season for Panathinaikos as they won 2-1 at Iraklis. He has most certainly put behind the injury worries he suffered at the start of a new life in Greece and now he is banging in the goals regularly. However, he has again been overlooked by Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle for the forthcoming AFCON qualifiers against Tanzania. His club Pana though are now four points clear at the top of the table in Greece, ahead of bitter rivals Olympiacos.

3.Tochukwu Nnadi

The former Flying Eagles midfielder has finally found his mojo in the French Ligue 1 with Olympique Marseille. Visitors Marseille won 2-1 at RC Lens with Nnadi playing the entire game. Sofascore awarded him an impressive 7.1 points on the night. His return to top form has prompted his recall by the Super Eagles. Marseille are now fourth in the standings with 18 points from 10 matches, five points behind leaders PSG.

2.Kelechi Iheanacho

The 30-year-old striker scored his 17th goal in the league for Bursaspor to draw at Antalyaspor in the Turkish second division. he has said he wishes to become a legend at this proud Turkish club and he is doing so with his goals week after week. Bursaspor remain top of the table with 32 points from 14 games, two points ahead of their closest challengers. Target of course is a return to the Super Lig at the end of the season and with ‘Senior Man’ maintaining his form in front of goal, that would be guaranteed. But it appears that Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle is not impressed and so has left him out of the squad against Tanzania even though Victor Osimhen is ruled out due to injury.

1.Tolu Arokodare

This past week certainly belonged to the big striker. He shone in the UEFA Conference League with a brace and an assist, before he followed that up with another goal in a 2-2 draw at FC Twente in the Dutch top league. Arokodare has now scored in the last five matches, tallying 13 goals and four assists in 17 appearances thus far. Ajax can make his loan deal permanent by forking out 20 million euros and it is understood that they are working on this already. In the meantime, Arokodare has been handed another chance to fly with the Super Eagles against Tanzania during the international break. Will he make the most of it as he has turned around his career with the Dutch giants?

The post SCORENigeria Top 5: Arokodare, Iheanacho keep on firing first appeared on Score Nigeria.

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SCORENigeria Top 5: Osimhen, Onuachu score but at a price

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2 months ago

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September 7, 2026

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Nigerian stars, from Emmanuel Ayaosi to Paul Onuachu and Victor Osimhen, again showed top class across the world this past weekend.

5. Emmanuel Ayaosi

The exciting forward came off the bench to be named Man of the Match in Slavia Praha 4-0 home win over Brno. He scored a goal and made an assist. Sofascore awarded him the highest individual score of 8.3 points. He has now netted three goals in six appearances for his new Czech club. Slavia consolidated top place in the standings as they now have 17 points from seven matches, a point ahead of second-placed Slovan Liberec.

4.Kelechi Iheanacho

The Super Eagles striker is certainly enjoying his new lease of life in Turkey as he scored another brace for Bursaspor to thrash Istanbulspor 4-0 in Turkish second division. ‘Senior Man’ has now scored five goals in as many games as well as provided two assists. Not bad start to justify his lucrative contract with this ambitious team, who are now second in the standings.

Osimhen injured

3.Victor Osimhen

The Super Eagles star striker fired his sixth goal of the season against Basaksehir. He now has six goals and two assists in four matches. However, downside was that he was forced out of the match by a groin injury that will sideline him for up to three weeks, which means he will miss the 2027 AFCON qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea Bissau as well as Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League opening game at Sporting Lisbon.

2.Paul Onuachu

After going nine games without a goal, the giant striker responded to his growing critics by netting twice for Trabzonspor in a 5-0 spanking of Genclerbirligi. However, he had to hobble off the pitch with injury just before halftime. The severity of the injury is yet to be ascertained making him now another major doubt for the Super Eagles AFCON qualifiers later this month.

1.George Ilenikhena

The 19-year-old striker scored the two goals that sunk defending champions and the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League. He simply shone more than Ronaldo. It has been a complete turnaround for the former Monaco striker, who came close to moving back to Europe this past summer as he has struggled for form since his arrival in the oil-rich kingdom earlier this year. Will he now be called up by Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle for the AFCON qualifiers particularly in the absence of Osimhen?

Ilenikhena flying high in Saudi Arabia

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Feature

10 Points from Portugal 2 Super Eagles 1

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5 months ago

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June 11, 2026

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SCORENigeria unpacks the highlights of the Super Eagles 2-1 loss to Portugal in a friendly played in Leira Wednesday night.

10. Maduka Okoye is the Super Eagles No 1 goalkeeper now on the evidence of his performances against both Poland and Portugal. He pulled off several big saves to make the loss respectable. Stanley Nwabali would have to fight to reclaim the No 1 spot. His Sofascore rating 7.5 points, the highest for a Nigerian player.

9. The Super Eagles understandably did not create as many chances against the fifth best team in the world, who dominated and should have won by a bigger margin but wastefulness of Cristiano Ronaldo and some saves by Okoye. The gulf in class between the two teams was obvious.

8. The Eagles were not much of a threat going forward and would certainly have done with the presence of both Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman. At such a level of the game, your best players would stand you in good stead.

7. The time has come for Nigeria to go past wingers Samuel Chukwueze and Moses Simon. Femi Azeez, for one, proved this at the recent Unity Cup, while Zadok Yohanna has the potential to also make his way into this squad.

6.Genk youngster Christian Akpan was thrust into the deepend on his debut. He was not out of place, but was not as convincing as the other young rightback, Abdullahi Bewene, who again caught the eye in his second game for the country.

5.The high intensity and pressing game coach Eric Chelle wants his team to play is coming through, but it was also concerning that the team suffered high turnovers particularly around their goal area.

Ndidi – Still a class act

4.Captain Wilfred Ndidi still has the legs and injury permitting, he will be around to lead this exciting new team to success after success after the recent disasters. He posted a 90% pass accuracy, made four recoveries, won an interception and eight duels.

3.Calvin Bassey remains the pillar of the back four. He was not intimidated by the quality of the opposition he faced and so came away with another solid performance for the country.

2. There is a fresh impetus for the Super Eagles going forward after the disaster of missing out on two successive World Cups.

  1. Hopefully, the Super Eagles have moved on from the disappointment of not qualifying for the 2026 World Cup and the target now is to go on to win a fourth AFCON in East Africa next year.

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