Free State Stadium cleared by FIFA and CAF to host Bafana vs Super Eagles. Nigeria to face South Africa in a crucial qualifier on September 9. Eagles sit fourth in group; need back-to-back wins to revive qualification hopes. South Africa’s Bafana Bafana has been relieved of concerns after the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein has … Read more
World Cup 2026 Qualifiers: Nigeria, Others Face Elimination Nigeria’s hopes hang in balance, must win crucial upcoming matches. Several African giants risk elimination with four rounds left. As the race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup intensifies, African giants Egypt and Morocco are edging closer to securing their places at the tournament in the United … Read more
Real Madrid and Brazil winger Vinicius Jr. has been crowned the FIFA Men’s Player of the Year at the 2024 FIFA Best Awards, marking his first win of the prestigious accolade. EkoHotBlog reliably gathered that the 24-year-old claimed the award during a ceremony in Doha, Qatar, after a stellar season in which he played a … Read more
French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans to appoint a new prime minister “in the coming days” following Michel Barnier’s resignation after a no-confidence vote in parliament. In a televised 10-minute address on Thursday, Macron dismissed opposition calls for his resignation, pledging to remain in office “fully, until the end of the mandate” in 2027. He … Read more
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is set to usher in a new era in global club football, with an expanded format and an exciting lineup of teams. EKO HOT BLOG reports that the draw, which took place in Miami, Florida, on Thursday, revealed the 32 teams that will compete in what promises to be the … Read more
Nigeria’s campaign in this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup concluded on Saturday night as the United States secured a 2-0 win, scoring once in each half to eliminate last year’s bronze medalists in the Dominican Republic. Coach Bankole Olowookere faced major setbacks as three of his key players sustained injuries within the first half. … Read more
The Super Eagles of Nigeria have moved up by three spots to place world 36th in the October FIFA ranking. In the ranking table on the website of the world football governing body on Thursday, Nigeria’s senior football team garnered 1503.29 points within the period under review. EDITOR’S PICKS BREAKING: Tinubu Arrives Abuja After Two-Week … Read more
A late strike from Shakirat Moshood secured a 1-0 victory for Nigeria’s Flamingos over hosts Dominican Republic in their final Group A match at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup on Wednesday. This win marked the Flamingos’ third triumph in Group A, following their earlier victories—4-1 against New Zealand and a 4-0 rout of Ecuador. … Read more
Nigeria’s Flamingos are focused on clinching another victory against Ecuador at the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. The West African team will face the debutants in their second match of the tournament at CFC Stadium, Santiago de los Caballeros, today (Saturday). EDITOR’S PICKS BBNaija: It Was All Part of the Game – Kassia Apologies … Read more
Como defender Marco Curto has been handed a 10-match ban by FIFA, with five matches suspended, for racially abusing Wolves forward Hwang Hee-chan during a pre-season friendly in Marbella in July. The incident occurred in the second half of the match, after which Hwang’s teammate, Daniel Podence, was sent off for retaliating with a punch. … Read more
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Ibrahim Gusau has voiced confidence that the Super Eagles will still qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite their slow start in the campaign. So far, the Eagles have managed just three points from four matches, with three draws and one loss. EDITOR’S PICKS BBNaija: It Was All Part … Read more
World football governing body FIFA refrained from making a final decision on Palestine’s request to suspend Israel on Thursday, opting instead to launch committee investigations before reaching a conclusion. In May, during FIFA’s congress in Bangkok, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) requested that Israel’s football teams be banned from FIFA events and called for the … Read more
Samuel Eto’o, president of the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fecafoot), has been handed a six-month ban from attending any international matches involving Cameroon by a FIFA disciplinary panel. The former Barcelona and Chelsea striker was penalized for breaching two articles of FIFA’s disciplinary code. The suspension relates to his conduct during Cameroon’s Under-20 Women’s World Cup … Read more
FIFA has announced the 12 stadiums set to host the restructured Club World Cup in the United States in 2025. This marks the inaugural edition of the expanded 32-team tournament, scheduled to run from June 15 to July 13, 2025. The matches will be held across various cities in the U.S., with the final showdown … Read more
Nigerian artists Rema and Shallipopi’s hit track “Benin Boys” has been featured on the official soundtrack for EA FC 25, a global football video game previously known as FIFA. The game is set for release on September 27. The inclusion of the Afro-fusion track underscores the rising global influence of Nigerian musicians. EDITOR’S PICKS School … Read more
Amaju Melvin Pinnick is seeking government backing to maintain his FIFA Council seat. He highlights the position’s prestige and importance, appealing to both the Sports and Foreign Affairs Ministers. Pinnick’s plea precedes the May 2024 FIFA Congress elections in Bangkok. Eko Hot Blog reports that Amaju Melvin Pinnick, the ex-President of the Nigeria Football Federation, … Read more
Samson Siasia accused NFF of colluding with FIFA to impose his ban for alleged match-fixing in August 2019. He said NFF refused to support him, follows FIFA’s directive to withhold information about the investigation. After nearly two years, his appeal at CAS led to a reduction of the suspension to five years. Eko Hot Blog … Read more
Argentine football legend Lionel Messi opens up about his retirement plans Messi emphasizes self-awareness and critical evaluation of his performances Fitness levels and enjoyment of the game, not age, will determine his retirement timing Eko Hot Blog reports that in a candid interview on the Big Time Podcast, Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi offered insights … Read more
Eko Hot Blog reports that Dani Carvajal, the Real Madrid defender, has come out in defense of Spain’s reputation, asserting that the country is not racist, ahead of a highly anticipated friendly against Brazil. The match, scheduled for Tuesday at the Santiago Bernabeu, carries the theme “One Skin” and aims to support the fight against … Read more
Eko Hot Blog reports that former Super Eagles of Nigeria assistant coach, Emmanuel Amuneke has explained that Victor Osimhen struggled at the 2023 AFCON because he was made to be too involved in defensive duties. Victor Osimhen, who scored ten goals during the 2023 AFCON qualifiers, managed to record just one goal throughout the tournament, … Read more