Head coach of the Taifa Stars of Tanzania Miguel Gamondi says beating the Super Eagles of Nigeria in tomorrow’s AFCON opener will make them feel like they have won the tournament, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s game , the coach whose team will be looking for their first win over Nigeria at this level was plain on the strength of the Nigerian team particularly in attack, which is led by Victor Osimhen.

“We have for sure tactical plan to try to neutralize Victor Osimhen, but it’s not only him you have a player like (Samuel) Chukwueze, like (Ademola) Lookman like if one is the neutralize the other is attacking”, the coach said.

He went further to explain that a win over the Nigerians will amount to winning the tournament for his team due to how loaded the Nigerian team is in terms of quality players.

“We need to be realistic, when you see the qualities in the Nigeria team you need to put in more than 100 percent effort to try to neutralize them. Our mentality is to try to play and attack as well, we need to be tactically discipline.

” A win for us against Nigeria will feel like we’ve won the AFCON”, he concluded.

Barring a late minute change of mind the head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle will line up his team in a 4-4-2 formation for tomorrow’s game against Tanzania in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Super Eagles have been working on the idea since arriving at their base in Morocco, where they will open their campaign against Tanzania, as they bid to go one step better than last time out where they were finished as runners up behind eventual winners Cote d’Ivoire.

Chelle who has been in charge of the team, but hasn’t have as much time like he has now to work with the players has decided to keep faith in the 4-4-2 diamond formation for the game against Tanzania.

We noticed from yesterday’s training that the Malian played with four players in attack , with two players playing as the focal point of the attack which could be the duo of Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen.

Lookman will likely play behind Osimhen with the duo of Moses Simon and Samuel Chukwueze favourite to provide the width just in front of a midfield two.

The two in midfield will likely be the duo of Alex Iwobi and captain Wilfred Ndidi. There is still no clear cut idea on who will be in the back four although Stanley Nwabali is favourite to start in goal.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Maduka Okoye will not be available for Udinese in their next three games after getting sent off in their 5-1 defeat to Fiorentina in the Italian Serie A yesterday.

He was sent off in the 9th minute for stopping a clear goal scoring opportunity. He is now set to miss the next three games for the club starting with the game against Lazio on the 27th of December.

Okoye will likely return to action on the 10th of January against Pisa, that is after missing games against Como and Torino respectively. Around which the Super Eagles would be neck deep in their campaign at the AFCON.

The goalkeeper turned down the chance to represent Nigeria at the tournament, after not getting any assurance from head coach Eric Chelle on if he will be the first choice of the team at the tournament in Morocco.

Udinese reached an agreement with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and head coach Eric Chelle for him to be left out of the team, so that he can be available for them as he is their first choice.

However they will now be without him for largely the period of the tournament due to the suspension. A situation they didn’t envisaged when it was agreed that he will stay behind and help their quest in the league.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

English Premier League side Crystal Palace have informed LaLiga side Getafe that they won’t be signing Nigeria international midfielder Uche Chrisantus on a permanent deal, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Uche joined the team on a season long loan deal with an obligation to be signed permanently if certain parameters are met, including if he starts ten games in the English Premier League.

A fee of €18m was agreed as what we will be paid for him as transfer fee, but that arrangement has now been trashed although his loan deal won’t be terminated in January under any circumstances.

Left out of the Nigerian team for the AFCON, he has used the opportunity to push his case at the club with a stunning strike against Kups in the Europa Conference League, the height of his new found form at the club.

Getafe hopes that his performance will attract another club as his likely return will compound their financial woes, or possibly a huge impression which could make Palace make a u-turn on the decision not to sign him permanently.

Daniel Martins

Lazio midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru says he isn’t feeling any pressure going into the Africa Cup of Nations, where he will wear the number 10 jersey for the Super Eagles of Nigeria, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

The number ten jersey of the Super Eagles has always been seen as very significant in the history of the team made famous by legendary playmaker Austine Okocha. John Obi Mikel also excelled wearing the number.

At the last AFCON, Joe Aribo failed to maintain the tradition associated with the number, and this time around all eyes will be on Dele-Bashiru who has cemented his spot in the team as a regular the past two years.

” I really don’t feel the pressure wearing the number. It’s my first AFCON and I just want to enjoy the moment with my team and hopefully we will get to our aim of winning the tournament”, he said.

Meanwhile he faces stiff competition in midfield to start with the trio of captain Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi and Frank Onyeka presently ahead of him in the pecking order, and new boy Tochukwu Nnadi has also caught the eyes in training.

” It’s really good to have players who are playing at the same level in a team. It tends to make the team better and everyone will work hard when given the chance. I will allow the coach to ponder over it but any of us who get picked won’t disappoint”, he stated.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Lanky striker Paul Onuachu who is back in the Super Eagles fold after a close to two years absence has won over head coach Eric Chelle with his performance in training, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Ahead of the Super Eagles first game in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations tournament, Onuachu has caught the eyes of the Malian in training with the way he has been scoring.

Since the team touched down in Morocco for the final lap of their preparation, Onuachu has not failed to score in any of the training session proving that his form for Trabzonspor in Turkey is no fluke.

Already head coach Eric Chelle sees him as the perfect backup to top striker Victor Osimhen, and possibly his strike partner in attack after playing them together in yesterday’s training session which was more tactical and geared towards tomorrow’s game.

The top scorer in Turkey before joining the Super Eagles, he is also vastly experienced and will help Chelle in managing the work load on Osimhen particularly in games where they are comfortably in the lead.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

As many as three players could find themselves in the Super Eagles starting lineup for tomorrow’s game against Tanzania, which will be their first at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Nigeria will begin their quest to go one step better than they did last time out, when they finished second behind the host Cote d’Ivoire with head coach Eric Chelle expected to lead the chase.

Ahead of the game, the team has for the first time had a full week of training and Chelle’s idea is now properly on board, with many of the players also saying his ability to speak english has also gotten better, hence making communication a lot better.

On the pitch, the trio of Ryan Alebiosu, Tochukwu Nnadi and Paul Onuachu have impressed the head coach , who is now pondering having them in his starting lineup for tomorrow’s game.

In particular, the duo of Nnadi and Alebiosu have warmed their way into the heart of the coach, who has shown in the past that he isn’t scared of blooding in young players with the way he handled Benjamin Fredrick.

For Onuachu , the fact that he hasn’t stopped scoring in training has pleased Chelle so much that he paired him with top striker Victor Osimhen in training yesterday.

All three players are for now the most likely to gatecrash the lineup for tomorrow’s game.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Captain of the U20 team of Nigeria Daniel Daga has been charged with sexual assault without consent in Norway, a crime which could attract a jail term if he is found guilty of the act, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Daga who plays for Norwegian side Molde has been handed an indefinite suspension from training, and any match related activity by the club due to the legal proceedings.

He is expected to face a court hearing at Nordmore and Romsdal District Court in March 2026 upon his return from Nigeria, where he is currently on holiday.

“This is a serious matter, and we take the charges very seriously. These types of cases are extremely demanding for everyone involved”, Molde chairman Odd Ivar Moen said.

Molde confirmed that they have been in touch with the lady who lodged the complainant and her legal representatives to acknowledge the emotional and personal burden associated with the case.

Legal aid lawyer Anette Western Torgersen, representing the complainant, declined to discuss details, stating only that the matter represents “a great burden for the victim.”

The legal team of the 18 year old Nigerian however strongly denied wrongdoing. His lawyer, Astrid Bolstad, said the midfielder acknowledges a sexual encounter occurred but insists it was consensual.

“My client does not plead guilty and believes he has done nothing illegal,” Bolstad said.

“There is no suspicion of violence or threats. He looks forward to having the case heard in court so he can clear his name.”

The full text of the letter written by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to FIFA on the ineligibility of players from Dr Congo who defeated Nigeria in the world cup qualifiers playoff has been made known to OwnGoalNigeria.com.

Nigeria are protesting that several players in the team of Dr Congo flouted the constitutional requirements to be bonafide citizens of the country, as they hold dual nationality which is against the laws of the country.

DR Congo does not allow dual nationality, and the NFF in their letter of protest to FIFA asked for the game to be awared to Nigeria, which will see them pick the ticket to represent Africa at the intercontinental playoff in Mexico next year.

At the playoff in March there will be two available tickets for the finalists. Below is what was sent to FIFA by the NFF.

To:

FIFA Disciplinary Committee

Legal & Compliance Division

Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)

From:

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)

Abuja,Nigeria.

Date: 10th Dec., 2025

*Subject*: Formal Complaint Against Fédération Congolaise de Football Association (FECOFA) for Fielding Ineligible Players – 2026 FIFA World Cup African Qualifying Playoff

Dear Members of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee,

The Nigeria Football Federation (“NFF”) hereby submits this formal complaint against the Fédération Congolaise de Football Association (“FECOFA”) arising from the alleged use of ineligible players by the Democratic Republic of Congo (“DR Congo”) national team in the CAF 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifying Playoff match held on 16 November 2025, in Rabat, Morocco, where DR Congo defeated Nigeria on penalties.

1. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

On 16 November 2025, Nigeria’s senior men’s team (“Super Eagles”) faced DR Congo in the final African playoff to determine qualification for the intercontinental playoff stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

DR Congo fielded multiple players (reported between six and nine) whose eligibility to represent the Democratic Republic of Congo is challenged by the NFF due to alleged non-compliance with both domestic nationality requirements and relevant FIFA regulations.

2. BASIS OF COMPLAINT

A. Allegations of Misleading Documentation

The NFF contends that DR Congo submitted documentation to FIFA purporting to establish the eligibility of the contested players. However, evidence before the NFF suggests that several of these players held foreign passports and may not have complied with Congolese nationality laws, which prohibit dual citizenship—a factor foundational to their eligibility under both national and international law.

B. Conflict Between Domestic Law and FIFA Clearances

The NFF acknowledges that FIFA’s Regulations Governing the Application of the FIFA Statutes ordinarily deem a player eligible to represent a national team when holding the nationality of that country and satisfying related criteria. However, in this instance, the NFF asserts that FIFA’s clearance was granted on the basis of incomplete or misleading information supplied by FECOFA, and therefore FIFA may have been misled in the player-eligibility confirmation process.

C. Integrity of Competition

Fielding players with questionable eligibility undermines the integrity and fairness of the competition as envisaged in Articles 4 and 6 of the FIFA Statutes, which mandate equal opportunity and regulatory compliance by all member associations.

3. LEGAL GROUNDS

The complaint is predicated on alleged violations of:

a. FIFA Statutes & Regulations Governing the Application of the FIFA Statutes

Particularly those provisions requiring that all documentation provided for player eligibility be complete, accurate, and compliant with both FIFA and pertinent national legal requirements.

b. FIFA Disciplinary Code

For misrepresentation and breaches of sporting integrity, where misleading FIFA authorities on eligibility matters constitutes a punishable offense.

4. EVIDENCE PROVIDED

The NFF attaches the following as supporting evidence:

*Certified copies of passports and nationality documentation of the contested players.

*Documentation of Congolese nationality law showing prohibition of dual citizenship.

*Official correspondence and clearance notices issued by FIFA for the contested players.

*Match sheets reflecting the fielding of the contested players during the playoff.

5. RELIEF SOUGHT

The NFF respectfully requests that FIFA:

Conduct a detailed investigation into the alleged eligibility breaches.

Determine whether the alleged violations warrant sanctions under the FIFA Statutes and Disciplinary Code.

If violations are substantiated:

Award the match to Nigeria or otherwise adjust the result in accordance with FIFA Rules;

Disqualify DR Congo from further participation in the 2026 World Cup qualifying competition;

Impose additional disciplinary sanctions on FECOFA or the players involved, as appropriate.

6. CONCLUSION

This complaint is submitted in good faith with a view to upholding the integrity and fairness of FIFA competitions. The NFF awaits acknowledgment of receipt and further procedural guidance from FIFA.

Yours faithfully,

General Secretary / Legal Officer

Nigeria Football Federation