Golden Eaglets head coach Eboboritse Uwejamomere has apologised to Nigerians following the team’s disappointing early exit from the 2026 WAFU B U-17 Championship in Burkina Faso.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Golden Eaglets head coach Eboboritse Uwejamomere has apologised to Nigerians following the team’s disappointing early exit from the 2026 WAFU B U-17 Championship in Burkina Faso.

Nigeria’s hopes of securing a place at the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco were dashed on Saturday after the Golden Eaglets played out a 1-1 draw against Côte d’Ivoire.

The result came after Nigeria suffered a 2-1 defeat to Niger Republic in their opening match of the tournament.

The Golden Eaglets needed a victory against the Ivorians to stand a chance of reaching the semi-finals. However, the draw confirmed their elimination at the group stage.

Their failure to qualify for the continental tournament also means Nigeria will miss the 2027 FIFA U-17 World Cup. The country last participated in the competition in 2019.

Reacting to the disappointing outcome, Uwejamomere admitted that both the players and the coaching crew were unhappy with the result and its consequences for Nigerian football.

He expressed disappointment over the team’s inability to progress, noting that missing next year’s U-17 AFCON was a major setback.

“Obviously, the first impressions are unhappiness and disappointment. Now we are out of the tournament, and the bigger picture is that we won’t go to the U-17 AFCON next year; we are unhappy and very disappointed overall,” he said.

Despite the setback, the coach urged the young players to learn from the experience and use it as an opportunity to improve their performances as they advance in their football careers.

According to him, most members of the squad are between 15 and 16 years old and still have sufficient time to develop their talents and fulfil their potential.

“For my players, obviously young boys, 15- and 16-year-olds, they still have years ahead of them. This is like the first chapter of their career going into elite football. So it’s just to learn from this and just use this as an experience going forward in their career,” he added.

Uwejamomere also acknowledged the disappointment among Nigerian football fans, who had hoped the team would progress further in the competition.

While recognising the supporters’ right to express their frustrations over the early elimination, the coach appealed for their forgiveness, stressing that the players and technical crew were equally hurt by the outcome.

“The only thing I can say to them is to forgive us because of the disappointment they feel I’m also feeling; my players are also feeling the same disappointment,” he said.

Tighten the match-result explanationReduce repeated disappointment references

Former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, has accused President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi and other prominent politicians of prioritising the acquisition of political power over the welfare of Nigerians.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Lamido argued that many political leaders lack strong ideological convictions, adding that their actions have contributed to the instability affecting the country.

reports that the former governor made the remarks while speaking to journalists in Dutse, Jigawa State, after presiding over the inauguration of the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) 2027 Governorship Campaign Council.

The former Minister of Foreign Affairs also criticised the controversy surrounding the removal of the petroleum subsidy, describing the disagreement between the Presidency and Atiku’s supporters as a dispute among members of the same political establishment.

According to him, the country’s challenges, including insecurity, poverty and the management of fuel subsidy revenues, cannot be adequately addressed without effective law enforcement.

He said, “Let me start by saying that during the Jonathan era, there was a semblance of law and order and, therefore, the subsidy, whether they removed it or not, the money was coming to us directly.

“The issue now has become very controversial and contentious. To me, the issue of energy or fuel subsidy, security and poverty in the country are not properly handled by all sides because it is all about law and order.

“If there is law and order, the money being generated from the fuel subsidy could go down to the people because nobody would be allowed to steal the money.

“But because there is no law and order, the money is being cornered by a few people. Therefore, I can tell you that it is a kind of mafia thing.”

Lamido maintained that weak law enforcement had created an environment in which corruption, banditry, terrorism and other criminal activities could flourish. He accused successive administrations of failing to tackle the fundamental causes of these problems.

The former governor argued that Tinubu, Atiku and Obi were addressing only the symptoms of Nigeria’s challenges rather than confronting their underlying causes.

“In Nigeria today, people don’t obey common traffic lights, so how do you build a nation like that? Therefore, to me, Tinubu, Atiku and Peter Obi are merely scratching the issue on the surface, talking about the symptoms without addressing the causes.

“The root cause is indiscipline, lack of law and order and the courage to enforce them. If I am running for president, I would not say anything about subsidy or insecurity. I would say to Nigerians, give me your votes and I will guarantee you the enforcement of law and order.

“When you do that, the issue of those stealing your money would not be there anymore,” he said.

Lamido further alleged that some of the politicians criticising the country’s problems would be unwilling to enforce the law because their associates allegedly benefit from the existing system.

“So, I don’t think those shouting about it would have the courage to enforce law and order because their people are the main beneficiaries of the current rot.

“In a nutshell, APC, ADC and NDC are all parts of our problems because all the monies are being siphoned by their people,” he alleged.

He described Nigeria’s widespread poverty and economic hardship as avoidable, insisting that the country possesses sufficient natural and human resources to improve the living conditions of its citizens if public funds are properly managed.

Lamido also questioned the political alliances involving Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo and Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, noting that they are associated with parties other than the APC.

“You see, in a country where there is no moral radar, where anything goes, what do you expect? I mean, we have lost our self-worth, we have lost our essence as humans. We are just like people at war, and we can do anything anyhow.

“If not, how can somebody in APGA, PDP and Accord go and support APC? But then, this is Nigeria for you. What that tells you is that we are in big trouble in this country,” he said.

Commenting on the cross-party political alliance described as a rainbow coalition, Lamido said the arrangement was neither new nor surprising.

He recalled that similar political realignments preceded the PDP’s defeat in the 2015 presidential election, which brought former President Muhammadu Buhari to power under the APC.

Lamido cited Atiku, former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and former Senate President Bukola Saraki among prominent politicians who broke ranks with the PDP and supported the APC ahead of the election.

“If Atiku, Kwankwaso, Saraki and others voted for APC against the PDP in 2015, is that not a rainbow coalition? It is the same rainbow coalition when people in one political party vote for another party.

“But I have been consistent. I have been myself because I am grounded in my ideological conviction, whereby we believe that politics is all about human development, human empathy, human dignity and decency. It is not a personal enterprise, looking for positions,” he declared.

Lamido maintained that politics should be driven by ideological principles, human development and concern for citizens rather than personal ambition and the pursuit of political appointments.