Author: Enitan Obadina
The Super Eagles’ absence from the 2026 FIFA World Cup has allowed rival nations to catch up, with several historic Nigeria World Cup records now being matched or surpassed across recent tournaments. From Morocco rising to the top as Africa’s all-time highest-scoring World Cup team to Spain’s Lamine Yamal matching Jay-Jay Okocha’s legendary dribbling benchmarks, World Cup records are being rewritten while Nigeria watches from home. Sportsintel.ng details six iconic World Cup milestones that are being reshaped in Nigeria’s absence at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 1. Nigeria World Cup Records: Curaçao Matches Nigeria’s Early Debut Goal Curaçao made an…
For Miracle Ezechukwu, the 2026 Nigeria Commonwealth Games trials represent her coming-of-age performance as she lets everyone know she is the next big thing in women’s 100m, with two medals at the Yabatech Sports Center in Lagos. It’s not like we haven’t noticed her before, after making the roster for the World Athletics Relay Championships in Botswana, but many didn’t understand why Nigeria is betting on a schoolgirl to fill the absence of top professional women sprinters. A day after her runner-up finish in the 100m, where she ran 11.15s (PB), Miracle Ezechukwu ran a personal best of 22.77s (0.7) to…
With a PB of 9.93s (+0.5), Favour Ashe claims 100m title, dragging two other sprinters into personal best territory at the Nigerian Commonwealth Games Trials in Yabatech, Lagos. The race produced a series of outstanding performances, with four athletes recording personal bests in the final. Fakorede Nicholas Adekalu of Mississippi State University also dipped under his previous best, clocking 9.98s for the first time in his career to finish second. Chidera Ezeakor of Team Customs continued his remarkable rise in the sprint ranks, placing third in another personal best time of 10.03 seconds. Teenage sensation Tejiri Godwin, representing Bayelsa State,…
One year ago, Zadock was with the Ikon Allah Academy, playing football on dusty pitches and concrete, until a scouting event altered his career, and a year later he found himself with Brighton in the Premier League from AIK Stockholm in Sweden. Like Zadock, many players make the move to other countries in search of experience and life-changing opportunities as part of the Nigerian football player export boom. In the latest CIES Observatory player exports for 2026, Nigeria is once again ranked 6th, maintaining its powerhouse status as the top player-exporting country in Africa and top-10 in the world. A…
“He’s gone, baby – he’s gone”, AIK Stockholm scout Herish Sadi tells about discovering Yohanna Zadock in Nigeria before signing him for AIK for a reported $750,000, and less than a year later, the youngster is heading to the Premier League with Brighton and Hove Albion. Since hugging the headlines in the first game of his first professional season in Europe, Yohanna Zadock has stayed top of mind in the football world for the right reasons. His talent is on display, from assists to goals for an 18-year-old in his debut season. The ultimate is the recent national team invite…
Alabama University’s Samuel Ogazi sets a new 400m record, running 43.95s to win the SEC men’s 400m title, becoming the first Nigerian man under 44 seconds. He beat a really strong Jordan Pierre (Arkansas), who ran a big PB of 44.12s, and Jonathan Simms (Georgia) in 44.16s. Ogazi Sets New 400m Record Sam Ogazi had a slow start out of the blocks, and by the second turn, he closed the gap. By the end of the bend, Jonathan Simms was in the lead before Ogazi chased him down to set a new Nigerian record and a world 400m lead. Hitting…
Women’s 100m world lead, Blessing Ogundiran, and five new kids on the block made the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN World Relays roster scheduled for May 2 and 3 in Gaborone, Botswana. At the weekend, Blessing Ogundiran delivered a historic performance at the South Florida Invitational, blazing to a 10.98s finish in the women’s 100m, obliterating her own NAIA record of 11.21s. The time makes her one of only two women worldwide to dip under the 11-second barrier this year, alongside Jamaica’s Shanoya Mikalia Douglas. AFN World Relays Roster The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) released a list of 24 athletes…
Can a Uar Benard, who discovered American football on YouTube, really learn how to beat a double-team from an NFL offensive line? Is he a future star or just a workout warrior? The biggest question coming out of the 2026 NFL draft after the Philadelphia Eagles selected the 21-year-old Nigerian in the 7th round. With the 251st pick of the 2026 NFL draft, the Philadelphia Eagles select Uar Bernard from Nigeria. The 306-pound defensive tackle ran a 4.63 40-yard dash at the HBCU combine and is the first African American International Pathway Program player to be drafted. Uar Benard: HBCU…
Running in lane three, small but mighty Ella executed a perfect race, attacking the 200m-300m curve in style to slide through the rest of the pack and set the fastest time so far in 2026 in women’s 400m. Nigeria’s Ella Onojuvwevwo ran a blistering 49.59s, the first Nigerian woman in 27 years to go sub 50s in the women’s 400m at the Battle on the Bayou in Louisiana. 49.59 is the fastest time run by a Nigerian woman since Falilat Ogunkoya in 1998, when she ran 49.52s. Before her new personal best, no Nigerian woman had broken 50 seconds in…
If you watch Nigeria play, you won’t see Victoria Macaulay, but if you focus on her, you will see Nigeria play; the work being done in the shadows by D’Tigress’ Victoria Macaulay has finally come to light at the FIBA World Cup qualifiers in France. Nigeria had an up-and-down tournament at the qualifiers, but one of the most consistent elements was the performances of their experienced frontcourt ace. Macaulay used her know-how and strength in the paint and finished as a leader for the African champions in efficiency and scoring, including making an entry in the center’s All-star top five.…