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“Cerezo” Returns to the Falcons: Eguavoen Handed Olympic Qualifying Mission

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Former Super Eagles head coach Augustine Eguavoen has been handed the responsibility of guiding the Super Falcons on an interim basis as Nigeria begins its journey towards qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Eguavoen, popularly known as ‘Cerezo’, will take charge of the 10-time African champions for their crucial second-round Olympic qualifying tie against Comoros in October, as the Nigeria Football Federation continues its search for a substantive head coach.

Read Also: Breaking: Smart City FC Unveil Eddy Lord Dombraye as Technical Adviser in Fresh NPFL Push

The appointment brings a wealth of international experience to the Falcons setup, with Eguavoen having previously managed the Super Eagles at major competitions, including leading Nigeria to a bronze medal at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

He will be supported by Christopher Danjuma, head coach of Nigeria Women’s Football League side Nasarawa Amazons, who brings extensive experience from Nigeria’s women’s national teams.

Danjuma previously guided the Falconets at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica, adding valuable knowledge of the women’s international game to Eguavoen’s technical team.

Former Super Eagles goalkeeper trainer Olatunji Baruwa will take responsibility for the goalkeepers, having worked with several of Nigeria’s national teams, including the Super Eagles, CHAN Eagles, Flying Eagles and Golden Eaglets.

Completing the technical team is former Super Falcons defender Ayisat Yusuf, who will serve as an assistant coach.

Yusuf brings considerable experience from her playing days, having earned 68 international caps for Nigeria and represented the country at four Women’s Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, three FIFA Women’s World Cups and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

The immediate assignment for the new-look technical crew is Comoros.

Nigeria received a bye into the second round as one of the three highest-ranked teams in the African Olympic qualifying competition, while Comoros booked their place after an emphatic 30-0 aggregate victory over Sudan.

Both legs of the second-round tie will be played at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo, with the first encounter scheduled for October 9 and the return leg four days later on October 13, 2026.

For the Super Falcons, however, Comoros represents only the first hurdle in what promises to be a demanding road to Los Angeles.

Nigeria must successfully navigate four two-legged knockout rounds to claim one of Africa’s two available tickets to the 2028 Olympic Games.

Should the Falcons eliminate Comoros, they will advance to the third round in February 2027, where they could face either Democratic Republic of Congo or Morocco.

A successful passage through that stage would set up another decisive battle in October 2027 against one of Tunisia, Senegal, Benin Republic or Mali.

The final qualification round is scheduled for November–December 2027, with potential opponents including Guinea, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Central African Republic, Algeria and Burkina Faso.

With the search for a permanent head coach still ongoing, Eguavoen’s interim appointment gives the Falcons an experienced hand for the opening stage of their Olympic campaign.

The challenge is clear: restore stability, overcome Comoros and keep Nigeria’s Olympic dream firmly alive.

For “Cerezo”, it is another national-team assignment. For the Super Falcons, it is the beginning of another fight for Olympic glory.

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UEL: Chukwueze Set to Miss Bournemouth Clash as Hip Problem Hits AC Milan

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Super Eagles winger Samuel Chukwueze is expected to miss AC Milan’s UEFA Europa League encounter against Bournemouth after suffering a left hip problem ahead of Thursday’s fixture.

READ ALSO: Chukwueze Continues to Impress as AC Milan Fight Back to Earn Point at Lazio | Sports247 Nigeria

The Nigerian international was absent from Milan’s final training session at the club’s Milanello training ground on Wednesday, October 21, raising concerns about his availability for the trip to England.

Sport247 reports that Chukwueze developed the problem following AC Milan’s 3-2 Serie A victory over Atalanta on Sunday, October 18. The winger is scheduled to undergo a specialist medical examination to determine the severity of the injury and establish his potential recovery period.

The setback comes at an important stage of Milan’s European campaign, with the Italian side preparing for their third league-phase fixture of the Europa League season.

Chukwueze has featured regularly for Milan this season, earning opportunities under head coach Ruben Amorim. His possible absence would reduce the team’s attacking options on the right flank as they prepare to face a Bournemouth side playing on home soil.

Milan are already dealing with other fitness concerns. Belgian winger Alexis Saelemaekers is sidelined following ankle surgery, while defender Matteo Gabbia also missed the final training session ahead of the Bournemouth encounter.

The extent of Chukwueze’s injury remains unclear, and the outcome of his medical assessment is expected to provide a better indication of how long he could be unavailable.

For Nigeria, the development will also attract attention as the Super Eagles continue to monitor the fitness of key players based abroad. However, no definite return date has been established for the winger.

AC Milan are scheduled to face Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Thursday, October 22, in a fixture that will test the Italian club’s squad depth amid their growing injury concerns.

Chukwueze’s immediate focus will be on determining the extent of the hip problem and beginning the appropriate recovery process before returning to competitive action.

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Andela, Flutterwave Co-Founder Iyin Aboyeji to Headline Insurance Meets Tech 5.0

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Insurance Meets Tech (IMT) has confirmed Mr. Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, OON, Co-founder of Andela and Flutterwave, and Founding Partner of Future Africa, as Headline Speaker for its fifth edition. IMT 5.0, themed “Building Insurance That Connects”, will hold on Friday, November 20, 2026, at the Balmoral Event Centre, Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

Mr. Aboyeji will deliver a presentation titled “Capital, Code and the Race to Nigeria’s First Insurance Unicorn.” He will examine how a better-capitalised industry, paired with scalable technology, can place insurance on the platforms Nigerians already use, and what it will take for a homegrown insurer to reach that milestone.

Organisers selected him for his vantage point as both founder and investor, having helped create two of the continent’s first technology unicorns, and through Future Africa he continues to back founders solving hard problems across Africa.

Speaking on the choice of Headline Speaker and topic, Odion Aleobua, Convener of Insurance Meets Tech, said: “Nigeria has already built billion-dollar companies in payments and in talent, while insurance is still waiting for its breakout moment. This is the kind of trailblazing conversation we seek to have at Insurance Meets Tech. Iyin has built two of those companies and now backs the next generation of founders, so he sees this question from both sides of the table. He is the right person to set the tone for this conversation at IMT 5.0.”

The conversation also lands at a pivotal moment, as recently concluded recapitalisation has left insurers with stronger balance sheets and the implementation of the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIIRA) is reshaping sector governance. Shareholders who committed fresh capital expect growth that justifies it, while Nigerians expect insurance to be as simple and accessible as the digital services they use daily.

Commenting on his participation, Mr. Aboyeji said: “Insurers now have the capital, and the technology to reach customers at scale is already here. What remains is building products that live inside platforms people trust. That is how the first insurance unicorn gets built. I look forward to making that case at IMT 5.0 to executives, founders, regulators, investors and policymakers from the insurance and technology sectors.”

This year’s theme reflects the organisers’ conviction that the future belongs to institutions that build ecosystems connecting people with capital, creating trust and unlocking opportunity on a scale.

About Insurance Meets Tech

Insurance Meets Tech (IMT) is West Africa’s leading insurance and tech conference. Across four editions, it has become the region’s foremost platform for executive dialogue where insurance and technology meet.

The post Andela, Flutterwave Co-Founder Iyin Aboyeji to Headline Insurance Meets Tech 5.0 appeared first on Business Today NG.

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