Nigeria’s Flamingos kicked off their 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup campaign on a disappointing note after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Poland in their opening Group B fixture in Rabat, Morocco, on Saturday, October 17.Poland opened the scoring in the 33rd minute when Wiktoria Skrzypczak converted a penalty awarded after Ohunene Sunday fouled Zofia Cendrowska inside the penalty area.
The European side extended their lead in the 66th minute through Natalia Skrok, putting Nigeria under pressure as the match approached its closing stages.
However, forward Oluebube Umejiaku gave the Flamingos renewed hope in the 79th minute by pulling one goal back. Despite mounting a late attacking effort, Akeem Busari’s team were unable to find an equaliser before the final whistle.
The loss leaves Nigeria without a point at the bottom of Group B, alongside Puerto Rico, who were thrashed 6-0 by four-time champions Korea DPR in their opening match.
Poland and Korea DPR currently occupy the top two positions in the group, with three points each following their victories.
The Flamingos entered the competition on the back of an impressive run, having won the WAFU-B title in Ivory Coast last month and defeated Benin in the final round of qualification.
Captain Harmony Chidi, who scored eight goals during the qualifying campaign and regional tournament, is among the key players expected to inspire Nigeria’s response in their remaining group matches.
Nigeria will return to action on Tuesday, October 20, when they take on Puerto Rico in a crucial fixture as they seek their first victory and attempt to keep their hopes of progressing to the knockout stage alive.
The team will conclude their group-stage campaign against Korea DPR on Friday, October 23.
Under the tournament’s qualification rules, the top two teams in each group, alongside the four best third-placed sides, will advance to the Round of 16.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have resumed formal negotiations with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), more than 18 months after withdrawing from the regional organisation.According to reports, both sides agreed on Saturday to work towards establishing a “framework agreement” that would serve as a guide for future cooperation.
The three Sahel nations, currently governed by military juntas that took power through coups between 2020 and 2023, officially withdrew from ECOWAS in January 2025 after establishing their own regional alliance, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
Although representatives of ECOWAS and the AES have held discussions since January 2025, Saturday’s meeting marked their first formal ministerial-level engagement.
Burkina Faso’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore, led the AES delegation, while Senegal’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Cheikh Niang, headed the ECOWAS team.
In a joint statement released on Saturday evening, the two sides praised the “spirit of fraternity, mutual respect and openness” that guided their discussions.
They also stressed the importance of maintaining friendly relations as neighbouring countries while respecting one another’s sovereignty.
Furthermore, both organisations agreed to establish joint thematic working groups tasked with developing a framework agreement to strengthen future cooperation.
Since taking power, the military-led governments in the three Sahel countries have distanced themselves from France, their former colonial ruler. They have also experienced strained relations with some countries in the sub-region, including Côte d’Ivoire and Benin, which they accuse of maintaining close ties with Paris.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The Chairman of the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC), Mamman Nda-Eri, has assured voters and political parties that the commission will safeguard valid votes and ensure they are duly counted in Saturday’s local government election.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The Chairman of the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC), Mamman Nda-Eri, has assured voters and political parties that the commission will safeguard valid votes and ensure they are duly counted in Saturday’s local government election.
Nda-Eri gave the assurance while monitoring the electoral exercise, reaffirming the commission’s commitment to conducting a fair election and maintaining political neutrality.
He acknowledged that some political parties had raised complaints about the process but dismissed certain allegations circulating on social media, describing some of the claims as inaccurate. He also maintained that some parties had failed to satisfy the requirements for participating in the election.
The KOSIEC chairman admitted that electoral commissions often face accusations of bias but said his commission would make every effort to demonstrate its impartiality.
“Electoral commissions often face allegations of bias, but we will do our best to show that we are impartial. We will also ensure that no polling unit closes at 3 pm if voters are still waiting in queues,” Nda-Eri said.
He further assured voters that everyone eligible to vote who was still waiting in line would be given the opportunity to exercise their franchise.
Nda-Eri attributed voter turnout to increased voter education and the efforts of political parties to mobilise and sensitise their supporters during their campaigns.
He explained that preparations for the election had begun approximately 360 days earlier and that the exercise was being conducted in line with the commission’s approved timetable.
The KOSIEC chairman urged eligible voters who had not yet cast their ballots to participate in the election, emphasising that voting remained essential to strengthening democratic accountability and ensuring that elected representatives reflected the will of the people.

Tighten the election reportLead with the polling-unit assurance