Category sport-news

At the Africa Cup of Nations on Monday, Nigeria cruised into the quarter-finals with a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Mozambique with Victor Osimhen’s double.

Read more about Super Eagles’ victory over Tunisia in the 2016 AFCON round.

After 20 minutes in Fes, Ademola Lookman, a former African Footballer of the Year award, opened the scoring before helping to score the other three goals.

Before scoring Nigeria’s second goal in 25 minutes, Osimhen had started the game without his signature mask.

Before Akor Adams’ signature victory, he then scored again just before half-time.

Since Egypt hammered Algeria 4-0 in the semi-finals of the 2010 tournament in Angola, it is the biggest winning margin in an AFCON knockout tie.

The Super Eagles will go to a last-eight tie against Algeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday in Marrakech, determined to make up for their lack of World Cup eligibility.

A victory over the Leopards in a World Cup qualifying play-off on Tuesday would give Nigeria a chance to reclaim their defeat on penalties against the Leopards in a game that they will face in the last 16.

After advancing as one of the best third-placed teams in the group stage, Mozambique made its debut in the knockout phase of an AFCON.

They could not compete with a Nigerian team that had drastically changed since their final group game when coach Eric Chelle gave them a chance to play a few unproven players in a 3-1 victory over Uganda.

Lookman, one of the Atalanta forwards who scored in the second group game to defeat Tunisia, was brought back into the starting lineup. As the halfway point of the first half approached, Africa’s best player in 2024 gave his side the lead.

Adams was released on the left side of the box by Alex Iwobi’s through ball, and Lookman first converted his cutback.

The 28-year-old then turned provider, scoring from close range from close range with Adams’ assist in the 25th minute.

The Galatasaray striker quickly recovered from a challenge with Witi, which resulted in Osimhen being kneed in the stomach.

Osimhen’s low ball, which Lookman had earlier sent across the left-facing goal, was blocked in the 47th minute, putting an end to any hope of a Mozambique comeback.

Before scoring against Tunisia in the group stage, the 2023 African player of the year had lost seven of his AFCON matches without scoring. He now has three at the Moroccan championship.

With a quarter of an hour left, Lookman was not finished for the night, as he had already stuffed Adams inside the box and fired a high shot into the net.

After 14 months in charge, Ruben Amorim was fired as Manchester United manager, causing rumors about his replacement at Old Trafford.

Under-18s coach Darren Fletcher has been appointed interim manager, according to reports that the club is interested in appointing a caretaker manager for the duration of the season.

READ MORE:  Sack Manager at Manchester United Ruben Amorim

As United searches for their seventh permanent manager since Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013, here are some potential appointments.

Oliver Glasner

By winning the FA Cup last year, Oliver Glasner helped Crystal Palace win their first major trophy.

The 51-year-old Austrian has been linked with a number of clubs since his Palace contract expires at the end of the current season.

Similar to Amorim, Glasner has frequently deployed wingbacks in a three-man defense at Palace, but he previously told Sky Sports that 4-4-2 is his preferred formation.

Enzo Maresca

Enzo Maresca and Chelsea parted ways last week after a disagreement with the organization’s leadership.

In his first season at Stamford Bridge, the 45-year-old Italian won the UEFA Conference League and the Club World Cup. Should Pep Guardiola leave, he has been linked with a job at Manchester City.

Gareth Southgate

Gareth Southgate, 55, has previously been linked with the United job and is reportedly admired by the Old Trafford hierarchy.

However, it’s not clear whether the former Middlesbrough manager, who resigned from England duty after Euro 2024, would favor a return to the club.

Unai Emery

Since taking over at Aston Villa three years ago, Unai Emery has transformed the company’s fortunes.

The 54-year-old Spaniard led a successful Champions League campaign last year, and his team are now fiercely defending their title from Manchester City and Arsenal.

Darren Fletcher

Could Darren Fletcher, 41, apply for the full-time position at United if he hits the ground running in his interim capacity?

The former Red Devils midfielder has a sizable chance of impressing despite never leading a senior team.

He might hope to emulate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, his former teammate, who was successful as a caretaker boss after impressing.

Thomas Tuchel

To win the World Cup with England in the latter part of the year is Thomas Tuchel’s current task at the moment.

The 52-year-old German has made hints that he is willing to extend his stay, but the former Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich boss may find the Old Trafford hotseat attractive.

Mauricio Pochettino

Mauricio Pochettino’s departure from Tottenham, PSG, and Chelsea has previously been linked with Manchester United.

The 53-year-old Argentine is currently in charge of the US national team, which means he might be able to step in after the World Cup.

Andoni Iraola

Andoni Iraola, 43, has impressed since taking over Bournemouth in 2023, posting club-record Premier League points totals in his first two seasons.

His three victories at Old Trafford as Bournemouth manager included a dramatic 4-4 draw last month and two 3-0 victories.

Welcome and a warm welcome! Thank you for joining us as Mozambique and Nigeria battle it out for a spot in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations second round.

The winner of this contest will advance to the last eight places in the lot.

The Mamba of Mozambique placed third in Group F, while the Super Eagles placed first.

Victor Osimhen, a superstar at Galatasaray, and the Super Eagles are determined to win the AFCON trophy as a consolation for their insufficient participation in the 2026 World Cup.

[Nigeria 2-0 Mozambique] in the half-time period

45′: Referee Abdou Mefire whistled the whistle to end the first half.

However, Nigeria had a two-goal lead at the end of the first 45 minutes.

Onyeka made a reservation

After downing an opponent, Frank Onyeka receives a yellow card.

GOAL ! Osimhen Makes It Two For The Super Eagles

25′: Nigeria 1-0 Mozambique

After receiving a cross from Victor Osimhen, the Mozambican goalkeeper scuttles it in the direction of goal.

GOAL ! Lookman Gives Nigeria the Lead,&nbsp

20′: Nigeria 1-0 Mozambique

In the 20th minute, Ademola Lookman’s excellent assist put Nigeria ahead.

Kickoff

Mozambique 0-0 with Nigeria

Mozambique kicks off the match at 8 p.m.

The warm-up is over, and kickoff is soon. #Naija4TheWin #NGAMOZ #AFCON2025 pic. twitter.com/QdhUzTPEHp

After three decades of inactivity, the National Institute of Sports (NIS), the organization’s director general, Phillip Shaibu, has announced that the organization is beginning to revive its core training programs. He cited the move as a crucial step toward fixing Nigeria’s sports ecosystem.

Shaibu disclosed this on Monday during a speech on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, in which he revealed that the NIS had just started its 30-year coaching program in three months.

According to him, the program was held in Abuja, and participants graduated last year on December 18th.

After 30 years in Abuja, we had our first three-month coaching program, and on December 18, Shaibu graduated those students.

He explained that a public-private partnership partnership helped to resurrect the institution after he assumed office, which he claimed became necessary due to the state in which he had met the Institute.

Shaibu argued that the government should provide the facilities while the private sector manages operations, but circumstances forced a change.

The state I met with NIS reflected how the country’s sports industry was being treated, he said, adding that the Institute’s demise is a reflection of how the country’s sporting scene is faring.

Shaibu emphasized that the NIS is responsible for the development of all sports, producing athletes, coaches, referees, and technical officials who support the entire sports value chain.

The Institute’s continued dysfunction, in his opinion, has had a significant impact on the nation’s sports ecosystem’s ability to train athletes.

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is in its business phase. In a Round of 16 tie, Nigeria and Mozambique will face off against them in a tie for the title. &nbsp,

One of only two teams that included Algeria in the 2026 World Cup, the Super Eagles, who had suffered the heartache of missing out on the tournament, finished the tournament on a high note by winning all three of their group stage encounters. &nbsp,

In Group C, Nigeria, under the direction of Coach Eric Chelle, blew past Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uganda to set up a confrontation with Mozambique’s Mambas. &nbsp,

However, their performance at the AFCON in 2025 was less impressive than that of their rivals. One of their four best third-placed teams made it to the knockouts, the Southern Africans. In order to advance to the Round of 16, they lost two Group F matches but won one against Gabon. &nbsp,

Mozambique’s match with Nigeria is their first-ever AFCON knockout match, unlike the three-time champions.

Team News, Important Players, and Nigeria vs. Mozambique

Mozambique has lost a clean sheet in each of its 18 AFCON games. The Super Eagles scored the group’s highest goal total, which they need to improve against a Nigerian side with plenty of attacking options. &nbsp,

The group phase’s top coaches, Samuel Chukwueze, Victor Osimhen, and Ademola Lookman, will provide the frontline support, according to Chelle, who was named the best coach in the group phase. &nbsp,

The Franco-Malian coach is anticipated to have regular players like Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, Stanley Nwabali, Frank Onyeka, and Akor Adams, with no injury concerns for key players. &nbsp,

Raphael Onyedika’s strong start puts him in a strong position, thanks to his brace against Uganda. &nbsp,

The Mambas can count on Geny Catamo, who has so far scored two of their four goals, even though Chiquinho Conde and his team do not parade stars of Nigerian caliber. Ryan Alebiosu and Cyriel Dessers are both sidelined and Ryan is out of the tournament with a broken ankle. &nbsp,

A Head-to-Head Comparaison between Nigeria and Mozambique

The two countries will play in the AFCON on Monday for the second time, the first of which took place in Angola in 2010. With the help of Peter Odemwingie and the pacy Obafemi Martins, the Super Eagles defeated Mozambique 3-0. &nbsp,

Nigeria and Mozambique have played five games overall, with the West Africans winning four and drawing one. In a friendly match that took place in Portugal in 2023, the Super Eagles defeated their rivals by 3-2.

The 2025 AFCON Match Kickoff Time, Other Game Details, and Nigeria vs. Mozambique

Round of 16: Nigeria vs. Mozambique

CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2025 &nbsp, competition

Kickoff time: Monday at 8 p.m. (WAT)/Nigeria time.

Fez Stadium in Fez, Morocco

Can the Mambas aggravate a conflict between Nigeria and Mozambique?

Despite record budgetary allocations to the sector in recent years, Phillip Shaibu, the director-general of the National Institute of Sports (NIS), has accused the Federal Government of consistently excluding the institute from national sports funding.

Shaibu made the claim on the National Institute of Sports’ claim on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily program on Monday, saying that despite the highest level of funding for sports under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the allocation did not include the National Institute of Sports.

One of the highest allocations for sports funding has been made by this administration. The sports sector’s most recent budget had the highest ever budget, but NIS was not included in that funding, which he claimed has done for decades.

He claimed that the institute’s decline was caused by deliberate exclusion and that previous sports ministers and the budgetary framework.

He argued that the National Assembly should hold former sports ministers accountable for their roles in the NIS’s destruction.

“I requested that all former sports ministers be called in to apologize for their contribution to the destruction of NIS. The budgeting process encourages consumption but does not promote maintenance or infrastructural development, according to Shaibu.

The current sports administration in Nigeria, according to the NIS Director-General, is flawed, and the government should concentrate more on infrastructure than on running the sport.

Government has no business in business, according to simple economics, but it does so by creating enabling environments. The government has a business in developing and building infrastructure, but it has no business in running a sport. The private sector will profit from that infrastructure, he said.

Shaibu revealed that he first met an institute that had been around for 51 years without a detailed development plan when he took office about five months ago.

Without a plan, the NIS, who is 51 years old, requested that we create a roadmap. We needed to involve the private sector because funding is a significant issue, he said.

He added that private sector interest in restoring the institute has been stifled by the country’s high level of resentment toward the country’s sports performance.

Many private sector players are interested in making NIS work, according to Shaibu, because everyone is tired of praying and fasting for our sports to win tournaments.

The institute has been able to launch important programmes through public-private partnerships, he claims, despite having a limited budget.

I had more reason to think creatively when I met my lean budget. We were able to launch our programs with that tight budget, he said.

READ MORE: Ruben Amorim’s departure from Manchester United

Shaibu disclosed that the institute’s Abuja office, which had been shut down for decades, has been reopened without receiving a direct budget.

Without any resources, we restored the Abuja office. After 30 years in Abuja, we had our first three-month coaching program, and on December 18, we graduated those participants. Without having a budget, the office is back and has been adequately renovated, he said.

Without the NIS’s adequate funding and operation, Nigeria’s sports fortunes would continue to suffer.