Author: SportsIntel

Sporting Lagos emerged winners of the 2025/26 Nigeria National League Super 4 tournament after edging Inter Lagos on goal difference following a dramatic final day in Ikenne, Ogun State. Although Inter Lagos defeated Sporting Lagos 1-0 in Friday’s decisive fixture, Sporting Lagos secured the title after both clubs finished level on points. The Super 4 finale highlighted the competitiveness of an NNL season shaped significantly by betPawa’s Locker Room Bonus initiative, which introduced direct performance-based rewards for players. Heading into the final round, Sporting Lagos, Inter Lagos, and Doma United remained in contention for the title, while Ranchers Bees were…

16-year-old India Kate Brown, a UK-based swimmer, will represent Nigeria at the 17th Africa Aquatics championships, bringing to life the Nigeria Sports Commission’s plan to create a pathway for Nigerian athletes born abroad. Brown, who trains at Mount Kelly Swim Academy, holds a personal best of 2:22.01 in the 200m butterfly and recently recorded 2:22.60, placing her among the emerging prospects to watch at the competition. Her inclusion reflects the growing impact of the National Sports Commission’s Invited Diaspora Athletes (IDA) Initiative, championed by NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko and Director General Bukola Olopade. The invited Diaspora Athletes (IDA) Initiative aims…

Michael Kayode revealed long-throw origins that made him a fan favourite at Brentford and in the Premier League, not just for his defensive prowess but for a “secret weapon” he discovered by accident at a Serie D club. At Gozzano, where he was on loan from Juventus, Kayode discovered a devastatingly long throw-in ability. “It was a joke. Everyone was in the gym throwing a ball, and when I did it, everyone found out my throw was so long.” “So with the coach and the players, we started to do it during the game. It’s funny because even now, I…

With his family watching from the stands, Babatunde Smith claimed victory in the Youth boys’ High Jump with a new Personal Best of 1.93m on his Nigerian debut at the MTN CHAMPS Ibadan. Babatunde Smith claimed victory in the Youth boys’ High Jump with a new MTN CHAMPS age category record and a Personal Best. Smith finished ahead of Ehuwa Obanla (1.80m) and Rex Awode (1.70m) at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan. Babatunde Smith Background: From Ukraine To Nigeria According to the Making of Champions, Smith turned down scholarships in the US and UK, making the decision with his…

Players in the Nigeria National League (NNL) have earned over ₦258,832,000 through betPawa’s Locker Room Bonus (LRB) initiative, a development steadily reshaping the league’s competitive landscape and redefining player motivation. The scheme, which pays ₦56,000 to each player in the matchday squad, along with three technical staff members, after every win, has introduced a performance-based reward system rarely seen in Nigerian football. More significantly, the payments are made almost instantly — often before players leave the dressing room — eliminating the delays that have historically characterised bonus structures in the domestic game. Direct-To-Player Model Payment This direct-to-player model is part…

Nigerian Elizabeth Osoba entered the ring to the tune of ” Pon Pon Pon” by Dagrin, and by the 3rd round, she was pounding Chelsey Arnell in London. Fighting on the Dubois-Harper undercard at Olympia, Kensington, UK, Oshoba scored a knockout Victory against Chelsey Arnell in round 3 last night. Meanwhile, Osoba, a former IBF international super featherweight champion and former WBC silver featherweight champion, debuted under Most Valuable Promotions in the fight. With her last competitive fight in March 2025, defeating Lenka Volejníčková, Oshoba’s record going into the fight reads a 9-0 record and five stoppages. Her opponent, Arnell,…

Out of 50 players from six states in the south-west zone, including students, Bukunmi Afolayan made it an Easter to remember as she clinched the 2026 South -West Closed Scrabble Tournament title to become the first woman to do so in Ile Ife, Osun State, on Sunday.The Ogun state-born player concluded the 15-round competition with a result of 12 wins and 3 losses with +655 cumulative points, outscoring Jamiu Kareem 2-1 by the way of King Of the Hill (KOTH); a joust over the last three rounds. Bukunmi Afolayan: First Woman To Win South-West Closed Scrabble Afolayan endured a gritty…

Three-time African champions Nigeria wrapped up their March international window with a pulsating 2-2 draw against Jordan despite Iwobi seeing red in the last minutes at the Mardan Sports Complex. Currently ranked 64th in the world and boasting a formidable recent record, Jordan showed its quality early. In the 17th minute, a well-rehearsed free-kick routine caught the Nigerian defense off-guard, allowing star man Mousa Tamari to fire Jordan into the lead. Nigeria thought they had restored parity just six minutes later when Raphael Onyedika hammered home a clever cut-back from Moses Simon, but the officials controversially ruled the strike out. Moses Simon: Captain…

Paris FC’s Moses Simon scored on his 96th senior cap for Nigeria, and Jerome Akor Adams added another to earn Nigeria a 2-1 win over Iran in an international friendly played in Antalya, Turkey, on Friday. The three-time AFCON champions wasted no time stamping their authority on the game. Simon Scores On 96th Cap Samuel Chukwueze unlocked the Iranian backline with a precise through ball that sent Moses Simon racing clear. The Paris FC winger made no mistake, guiding his finish calmly into the bottom corner to hand Nigeria the lead after only six minutes. At the Corendon Airlines Park…

The four-nation tourney in Antalya, Turkey, will serve up the third installment of the Nigeria Vs Iran football story as the two countries carry the burden of a World Cup miss and the other, the burden of an unwanted war. The two countries have met only twice previously at a senior level, with Nigeria winning one and the other drawn. Nigeria Vs Iran: The H2H Ahmed Garba scored a second-half goal to separate the two teams at the Carlsberg Cup in Hong Kong in January 1998, while the two teams’ Group F clash in Curitiba at the 2014 FIFA World…