Super Eagles winger Ademola Lookman will miss Nigeria’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Tanzania on Tuesday, November 16, following a knee ligament injury.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) confirmed the development on Saturday after medical scans revealed the extent of the injury sustained by the Atletico Madrid forward during Friday’s 3-1 victory over Tanzania in Uyo.

The Super Eagles media team also announced the diagnosis in an official statement, confirming that Lookman would not be available for the return fixture in Zanzibar.

“Scan has revealed Ademola Lookman suffered a sprain in his knee ligament during yesterday’s match. This rules him out of Nigeria’s next AFCON qualifier versus Tanzania in Zanzibar on Tuesday,” the team stated.

Lookman featured in the starting lineup for the Group L encounter and provided the assist for Alhassan Yusuf’s second-minute opener.

However, the 28-year-old was forced off in the 44th minute after experiencing discomfort in his knee. He was subsequently replaced by Moses Simon.

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle had expressed concerns about the forward’s condition after the match, revealing that Lookman initially felt pain while attempting to take a shot before sustaining another knock to the same knee.

Meanwhile, Chelle confirmed that defenders Calvin Bassey and Benjamin Fredrick were in good physical condition after recovering from cramps suffered during the encounter.

The Nigerian tactician also commended substitute Tolu Arokodare for his impressive contribution, after the striker scored twice in the second half to secure all three points for the Super Eagles.

Chelle attributed Arokodare’s impact to his physical strength and ability to attack crosses, particularly after Nigeria adopted a more direct attacking approach in the second half.

“When you put the ball inside the box, maybe actually he is the best striker,” Chelle said.

Nigeria will travel to face Tanzania at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar on Tuesday, with kick-off scheduled for 2pm Nigerian time.

The Super Eagles currently have six points from three matches in Group L, one point behind group leaders Guinea-Bissau, as they continue their push to qualify for the 2027 AFCON tournament.

Edo State Commissioner for Information, Kassim Afegbua, has cautioned the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, against making what he described as flippant, ridiculous and reckless comments.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed reports alleging that its Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, is planning to resign from office.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The commission described the claim as false, urging Nigerians to ignore the report, which circulated on social media alongside an image, saying it was fabricated to mislead the public.

INEC clarified its position on Saturday in a statement published on its official X account.

“The claim is FALSE, FABRICATED AND MISLEADING,” the commission stated.

It also urged Nigerians to verify information through its official communication channels before sharing unconfirmed reports.

The denial comes amid mounting criticism of Amupitan over controversies surrounding the preliminary voters’ register ahead of the 2027 general elections.

On November 9, the INEC chairman disclosed that the commission had removed 1,608,660 invalid registrations from the preliminary voters’ register following a review of entries recorded during the 2025 and 2026 Continuous Voter Registration exercises.

Amupitan further revealed that 54 individuals from 10 states had been identified over alleged registration irregularities and could face disciplinary measures, including prosecution.

The commission had received complaints involving suspected multiple registrations, questionable photographs and other irregularities in the voters’ register.

The controversy also followed the INEC chairman to the United Kingdom, where protesters confronted his vehicle outside Chatham House in London on Thursday.

The demonstrators, who demanded his resignation over alleged problems with the voters’ register, surrounded his vehicle as he departed a discussion on Nigeria’s preparations for the 2027 general elections.

Some protesters also called on him to step out of the vehicle and address their concerns.

During the Chatham House engagement, Amupitan acknowledged that controversies surrounding the 2023 general elections had significantly affected public confidence in INEC.

He, however, appealed to Nigerians to trust his leadership, assuring them that the commission was working to address previous challenges and improve the conduct of future elections.

The INEC chairman also announced plans to conduct a nationwide mock accreditation and voting exercise on November 28.

According to him, the exercise would test improvements to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the electronic transmission of election results ahead of the 2027 polls.

Amupitan further disclosed that INEC had introduced technical measures to prevent incorrect polling unit results and figures indicating over-voting from being uploaded to its Result Viewing Portal.

Meanwhile, INEC has fixed January 16, 2027, for the presidential and National Assembly elections, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027.