Sports
Rivers United, Enyimba, Others Secure Naija Super 8 Finals Tickets
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The current winner of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), Enyimba International of Aba, has joined others to clinch the tickets for the Naija Super 8 Finals.
Enyimba edged Heartland 1-0 in a cagy Oriental Derby on Sunday after opening the scoring in the 25th minute through Murphy Ndukwe.
The People’s Elephant had a chance to double their lead in the 39th minute but fluffed their lines from close range. Heartland pushed for the equaliser and drew another fine save from Enyimba goalkeeper, Olorunkeke Ojo in the 43rd minute.
Earlier in the day, Yobe Stars dominated the opening stanza of the Northeast derby with their crisp passing. The Desert Stars drew a brilliant save from Gombe United goalkeeper with a long-range freekick in the 21st minute and hit the bar nine minutes later.
Gombe United were uncoordinated, especially in the final third and were duly punished on 40 minutes by Tony Elaigwu, whose close- control allowed him to elude his marker before poking the ball into the net. The Desert Stars kept the momentum and were rewarded with another goal by Shuaibu Adamu in the 45th minute.
Gombe United began the second half on the front foot and were rewarded for their effort when Ogunjimi Samuel converted a free header from close range in the 54th minute. The NPFL side pushed desperately for the equaliser, but their task became more difficult after Sadiq Shuaibu was sent off in the 82nd minute. The ten men almost snatched a late equaliser but were denied by a goal-line clearance.
In another game, the Nigeria National League (NNL) side, Katsina United, and an NPFL side, Rivers United have clinched the last two slots in the Naija Super 8 finals after securing victories in their zonal play-off matches on Sunday.
Katsina United defeated Kano Pillars 1-0 in the battle for the North-West ticket, while Rivers United beat Bendel Insurance 3-2 to nick the ticket for the South-South geo-political zone at the Eket Township Stadium on Sunday.
United and Pillars fought a long-drawn battle until Samson Souley beat a poorly set offside trap and kept his composure to find the net. In the goalless first half, Pillars fashioned the first chance in the ninth minute, United’s Kolimba Alladoom stood up to Pillars’ Kokoette Udoh.
United responded shortly after when at 17 minutes, Yahaya Nazifi produced a decent half-volley that drew a brilliant save from Joshua Enaholo in Pillars’ goal. A veteran midfielder, Rabiu Ali, hit a long-range freekick in the 27th minute, which Enaholo well handled.
Ten minutes later, Ali drew another save from the goalkeeper with a rocket shot from 35 metres. United continued to look the more dangerous side at the break as well as in the second half, which saw them fashion the first big chance of the match in the 63rd minute, but Souley somehow missed an open goal from six yards.
Four minutes later, Emmanuel Junior hit the upright with a long-range shot as United mounted the pressure, which eventually yielded a dividend in the 84th minute to break Pillars.
In the following five-goal thriller, the 2022 NPFL champions took the lead against the 2023 FA Cup winners in the 10th minute through Albert Korvah. Monghara Dede drew Insurance level from the penalty spot in the 45th minute.
Korvah restored Rivers United’s lead early in the second half, tapping home from close range in the 50th minute after a smooth passing move cut the Bendel Insurance defence open. Rivers United had good opportunities to extend their lead in the 56th and 61st minutes but failed to make them count.
Ten minutes later, substitute, Okon Ini-Obong restored parity with a sumptuous volley from the edge of the box. Just as the match looked set for penalties, Rivers United were gifted a late penalty in the 90th minute after a clumsy challenge in the box by Daniel Ogungbe. Morice Chukwu converted the penalty to seal the victory.
The six zonal champions, Katsina United, Lobi Stars, Enyimba, Remo Stars, Yobe Desert Stars and Rivers United, will be joined by two wildcard teams to be picked by the tournament organisers.
Draws for the Naija Super 8 finals will be held on June 29, live on SuperSport, while the tournament will be held at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos from July 7-16.
Flykite Productions organise Naija Super 8 in partnership with MultiChoice Nigeria and sponsors, MTN, Hero Lager, DStv, GOtv, SuperSport, Moniepoint, Pepsi and Custodian Assurance.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The deal between Arsenal Football Club and Emirates has been renewed, making it one of the longest-running and most recognisable partnerships in world sport.
Both parties first came together as partners in 2006 and have since built one of football’s defining partnerships. Spanning the entire Emirates Stadium era, the relationship has evolved alongside the club – supporting Arsenal’s ambitions, strengthening both organisations’ global reach and creating new ways for supporters around the world to connect with Arsenal.
The latest deal will see Emirates continue as the Champions’ front-of-shirt, training kit and stadium naming rights partner through to 2033.
The renewal comes at a pivotal moment in the club’s history following its recent Premier League title. The new agreement will build on many of the flagship initiatives that have defined the partnership, including the Emirates Cup, which brings world-class football to Emirates Stadium each summer, and Global Gooners, which gives supporters from around the world the opportunity to experience Arsenal in North London for the first time.
The next chapter of the partnership will begin this weekend as Arsenal welcome Borussia Dortmund to North London for the Emirates Cup, with a programme of anniversary activity celebrating more than two decades of shared history while looking ahead to the next chapter still to be written. Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, will attend alongside Arsenal senior leadership as part of the celebrations.
Launching alongside the partnership renewal is a new cinematic film featuring Arsenal legend Per Mertesacker. Set inside an antique shop filled with objects from across the Emirates era, the film celebrates two decades of shared memories between Arsenal, Emirates and our supporters, reflecting on the history we’ve made together and the moments still to come.
“Winning the Premier League is an incredibly proud moment in our club’s history and one that belongs to everyone connected with Arsenal. Emirates has been an integral part of this success – standing alongside us throughout this journey and sharing in the defining moments, challenges and successes that have shaped our club over the past two decades,” the chief executive of Arsenal, Mr Richard Garlick, stated.
On his part, the President of Emirates Airline, Sir Tim Clark, said, “Over the last two decades, Emirates and Arsenal have built something that goes far beyond a traditional partnership, and one we are immensely proud of. We have grown alongside the club through changes of era and ambition, united by a shared goal of bringing people closer to what they love.
“In practice, that has meant reaching the millions who follow Arsenal across the Emirates network and beyond and creating experiences for them that neither of us could have done alone.”
Nigeria’s Super Falcons will look to secure their place in the quarter-finals when they face Egypt in their final Group C match on Wednesday at 9:00 pm at the ongoing WAFCON 2026 in Morocco.
The defending champions bounced back from their disappointing 3-2 defeat to Malawi with a crucial 1-0 victory over Zambia and will now be aiming to finish the group stage strongly. All the matches of the tournament air live on SuperSport via DStv and GOtv.
The final matchday of Group A saw hosts Morocco play out a goalless draw with Senegal, a result that was enough to send Morocco through to the quarter-finals in first position in their group. Algeria also secured their place in the knockout stages after a 2-0 victory over Kenya, bringing their group-stage campaign to a strong close.
Tuesday, Group B will conclude with Burkina Faso facing South Africa before Tanzania takes on Ivory Coast. South Africa and Ivory Coast played out a 2-2 draw in their previous match, while Burkina Faso bounced back from their opening defeat with a 2-1 victory over Tanzania. With the group still to be decided, the final results will determine which teams join the quarter-final line-up.
All eyes will then turn to Group C on Wednesday, where Egypt will face Nigeria, and Malawi will take on Zambia, with both matches kicking off at 9:00 pm. The Super Falcons will be hoping to build on their victory over Zambia and secure the result they need to advance to the knockout stages, while Egypt will be looking to end their campaign on a positive note after suffering a 3-1 defeat to Malawi in their previous game.
Nigeria’s final group match comes after a difficult start to their title defence. The Super Falcons were stunned 3-2 by Malawi in their opening game but responded with a 1-0 victory over Zambia to revive their campaign. The ten-time champions will now need to complete the job against Egypt as they look to keep their hopes of retaining the continental crown alive.
The final group-stage fixtures on Thursday will see Ghana take on Mali, and Cape Verde face Cameroon on Thursday, with both matches also scheduled for 9:00 pm. Ghana suffered a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in their previous outing, while Mali secured a 3-2 victory over Cape Verde. The final results will determine which teams progress to the knockout stages from Group D.
Matchday 3 Fixtures
Tuesday, August 4
Burkina Faso vs South Africa – 9:00 pm
Tanzania vs Ivory Coast – 9:00 pm
Wednesday, August 5
Egypt vs Nigeria – 9:00 pm
Malawi vs Zambia – 9:00 pm
Thursday, August 6
Cape Verde vs Cameroon – 9:00 pm
Mali vs Ghana – 9:00 pm
SuperSport Brings All the Live Action
Catch every match of WAFCON Morocco 2026 live on SS Football (Ch. 202, GOtv Ch. 61) and SS Football Plus (DStv Ch. 202) on DStv and GOtv. Fans can also stream every match live on DStv Stream from ₦6,000, with no decoder or dish required.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
At least for the next four seasons, DStv and GOtv subscribers are guaranteed access to all UEFA men’s club matches on SuperSport.
This is because CANAL+, the parent company of MultiChoice, which owns DStv and GOtv, has secured the exclusive broadcast rights to all UEFA men’s club competitions across Sub-Saharan Africa through 2031, ensuring SuperSport will continue to broadcast the UEFA Champions, Europa and Conference Leagues live to DStv and GOtv subscribers.
The four-season agreement, which begins with the 2027/28 campaign, covers more than 40 countries across the region and includes exclusive rights to the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League.
In English- and Portuguese-speaking Africa, SuperSport will continue as the exclusive broadcaster of UEFA club competitions, bringing the continent’s biggest European club matches to DStv and GOtv subscribers. The agreement also restores full UEFA Champions League coverage on CANAL+ Sport channels in French-speaking Africa, alongside the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League.
The rights deal further strengthens CANAL+’s sports portfolio, which already includes major football competitions such as the Premier League, LALIGA EA SPORTS, Ligue 1, the Betway Premiership and the ongoing TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026.
The agreement ensures football fans across Sub-Saharan Africa will continue to enjoy live coverage of Europe’s premier club competitions on SuperSport when the new rights cycle begins in 2027.
“We are very proud of this new partnership, which gives us exclusive rights to all UEFA Men’s Club competitions across more than 40 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“For four seasons, until 2031, our subscribers will enjoy the thrill of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League’s biggest matches. Today, CANAL+ offers the most attractive sports line-up across Sub-Saharan Africa, and the acquisition of these rights is a perfect illustration of that.
“We would like to extend our sincere thanks to UC3 and to the teams at Relevent for once again placing their trust in CANAL+, following our recent agreements in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Poland and Austria,” the chief executive of CANAL+, Mr Maxime Saada, stated.
