Japan captain, Honoka Yotsumoto, and head coach Sadayoshi Shirai have expressed confidence in their team’s chances of defeating Nigeria’s Flamingos in Saturday’s final of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The highly anticipated encounter will take place at Pitch 3 of the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat, Morocco, as Japan pursue their first-ever title in the tournament.

Japan have enjoyed an impressive run to the final, winning all six of their matches. Their campaign has been highlighted by convincing victories over Ghana and North Korea, and they will be determined to preserve their unbeaten record by claiming the trophy.

Saturday’s clash will also be the first time Japan and Nigeria meet in the history of the U-17 Women’s World Cup, with both countries seeking to win the competition for the first time.

Speaking ahead of the final, Yotsumoto said her teammates had overcome several challenges throughout the tournament, a development she believes has strengthened their confidence and determination.

She told FIFA: “We’ve managed to overcome barriers that had held us back for so long, one step at a time – that has given us a lot of confidence. Now we have just one more match to win, and we’re determined to make history.”

Japan’s head coach, Shirai, also insisted that his players were not satisfied with simply reaching the final, stressing that their ultimate ambition was to become world champions.

“We don’t want to stop here. We’ll continue moving forward, prepare as well as we can for the final, and give everything we have to become world champions,” he told FIFA.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Okoi Obono-Obla, has described Calabar as one of the safest cities in Nigeria, dismissing recent allegations of insecurity by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as claims based on gossip rather than facts.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Obono-Obla made the remarks during an interview with a national television station.

He praised Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu for what he described as effective security measures, insisting that the administration had significantly improved the safety of residents.

According to the APC chieftain, “Calabar is one of the safest cities anybody would want to live in Nigeria.”

He recalled that before Otu assumed office, kidnappings involving university lecturers and medical doctors were frequent occurrences in the state.

However, he said the governor took steps to address the situation shortly after assuming office, including appointing a retired Major General as his security adviser.

Obono-Obla also highlighted the governor’s provision of security support and resources to government security personnel and other relevant agencies.

He subsequently criticised Atiku for his comments on the security situation in Calabar, describing them as petty and suggesting that the former Vice President had relied on unverified information.

In his words, “It is very petty for somebody who was a former Vice President of this country to descend to that level and begin talking about security in Calabar.”

The APC chieftain also commented on the incident involving the campaign convoy of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), which was reportedly attacked with stones.

He argued that incidents of stone-throwing during political campaigns were not peculiar to Nigeria, claiming that similar occurrences had been recorded in established democracies such as the United States.

Describing the incident as isolated, Obono-Obla also questioned whether internal disagreements within Obi’s party could have contributed to the development.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has recovered the Cockpit Voice Recorder from its ATR-42 aircraft that crashed in Igbokoda, Ondo State.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The service disclosed that technical teams from the NAF and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) had confirmed that the recovered recorder was intact.

The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, announced the development in a statement issued on Friday.

According to Ejodame, part of the aircraft’s Flight Data Recorder, commonly referred to as the black box, has also been recovered, while search operations are continuing to locate the remaining section.

He further revealed that additional wreckage, engine components and human remains had been retrieved from the crash site.

Ejodame explained that recovery efforts were ongoing despite the difficult swampy terrain, as teams worked to locate other aircraft components needed for technical examination.

He added that the operation also involved the careful handling of human remains, with the Directorate of Identification and Classification responsible for carrying out the necessary identification procedures.

The NAF spokesman said the service had remained in contact with the families of the victims and was also working with relevant authorities to address environmental concerns raised by the host community.

He appealed to members of the public to exercise patience, stressing that the recovery and investigation processes required time and proper coordination.

According to him, the objective goes beyond determining the circumstances surrounding the crash, as the findings would also help improve flight safety, strengthen ongoing air operations and protect the lives of military personnel and civilians.

“The ultimate objective is not only to establish the circumstances surrounding the accident but also to draw the necessary lessons to strengthen flight safety, enhance ongoing airpower operations and further safeguard the lives of personnel and citizens,” he said.

Ejodame assured the public that the NAF would continue to provide updates as verified information becomes available.