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Coach Kuforiji Olusola Warns Flamingos Against Defensive Lapses Ahead of Benin Return Leg
Head Coach of Samba Tornadoes Football Club, Coach Kuforiji Olusola, has expressed concerns over the defensive performance of Nigeria’s Flamingos despite their 3-2 victory over the Benin Republic in the first leg of the final qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
READ ALSO: Flamingos Coach Akeem Busari Warns Nigeria Against Complacency After 5-0 Win Over Guinea
Speaking with Sports247 after the thrilling encounter at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, the experienced tactician described the result as a risky one, urging Coach Akeem Busari to address the team’s defensive weaknesses before the decisive second leg.
“It’s quite a big risk for the Flamingos with the first-leg result,” Kuforiji said. “Coach Akeem Busari needs to work more on the defensive line ahead of the second leg because conceding two goals at home could become costly.”
Nigeria had to come from behind to secure a narrow advantage after Benin’s Young Amazons took an early lead through Yenido Romaine Gandonou in the 14th minute.
The Flamingos responded positively, with Queen Joseph restoring parity in the 24th minute before Oluwakemi Adegbuyi put the hosts ahead in the 62nd minute.
However, Benin once again showed resilience as Nazifatou Dangui levelled matters ten minutes later, raising concerns over Nigeria’s defensive organisation.
Kindness Ifeanyi eventually scored the winning goal in the 75th minute to hand the Flamingos a slim 3-2 victory and a narrow advantage heading into the return fixture.
Despite praising the team’s fighting spirit and attacking quality, Kuforiji believes the two goals conceded have left the tie finely balanced.
“The Flamingos showed character to keep coming back and find the winning goal, but they must be more disciplined defensively. At this level, small mistakes can make a huge difference.”
Nigeria will now travel to Lomé, Togo, for the second leg scheduled for July 11 at the Stade de Kégué, Benin Republic’s adopted home ground.
The winner on aggregate will secure one of Africa’s coveted tickets to the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, set to take place from October 17 to November 7.
With qualification now within touching distance, all eyes will be on Coach Busari and his young side to see whether they can tighten up defensively and finish the job away from home.
Kenya has confirmed a third case of Ebola after a 65-year-old woman tested positive while in quarantine.
The woman is a close relative of Kenya’s first confirmed patient, a 40-year-old who died from Ebola on 5 October, two days after arriving in Kenya from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The Associated Press (AP) reported that the woman had been in quarantine since 6 October and developed symptoms before testing positive. She has since been transferred to an infectious disease unit for treatment.
The second patient, a 39-year-old man from the same family, remains stable, according to Kenya’s Ministry of Health.
The ministry said there was no evidence of community transmission, as all three cases were linked to the first patient and the individuals had been in quarantine.
Nigeria’s preparedness
The development comes as Nigeria continues to monitor the regional outbreak and strengthen preparedness against possible importation of the virus.
PREMIUM TIMES reported on 7 October that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) was reviewing the country’s preparedness after Kenya confirmed its first imported case of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.
In a statement issued on 6 October, the NCDC said the case highlighted the risk of international importation through travel and population movement, including the possibility of the virus entering Nigeria.
The agency said it was working with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Port Health Services, state governments and other partners to strengthen surveillance, early detection, laboratory diagnosis, isolation, contact tracing and infection prevention.
It also said Nigeria conducted a national Ebola preparedness simulation exercise to assess its readiness to respond to a possible case.
As of 6 October, the NCDC said Nigeria had no confirmed Ebola case.
Contact tracing continues
Kenya’s first case involved a 40-year-old man who had been living in the DRC and travelled through Uganda before arriving in Nairobi. He tested positive for Ebola and died on 5 October.
The confirmation of a second case on 14 October raised concerns about further infections among people exposed to the initial patient.
PREMIUM TIMES reported on 14 October that the second patient, a 39-year-old close relative of the first case, developed symptoms while in quarantine.
At the time, Kenyan authorities had identified 128 contacts linked to the first patient, with 113 located and efforts ongoing to trace the remaining 15.
In its report on Friday, AP said three contacts of the initial patient remained unaccounted for, while authorities continued efforts to trace people who might have been exposed.
The latest case brings the number of confirmed Ebola infections in Kenya to three.
Regional outbreak
The cases in Kenya are linked to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the DRC, where the Bundibugyo virus has caused thousands of infections and deaths.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said the DRC had recorded 7,890 confirmed cases and 3,799 deaths as of 23 September.
The outbreak has raised concerns about cross-border transmission, particularly as people travel between affected areas and neighbouring countries.
The Bundibugyo virus is a distinct species of Ebola virus. No vaccine or treatment has been specifically approved for this strain.
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Former Kaduna Central Senator Shehu Sani has accused supporters of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, of smearing Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso following their political separation.
Sani was reacting to a recent statement by the ADC accusing Kwankwaso of supporting Obi out of personal ambition and working for President Bola Tinubu.
In a post on his X handle, Sani said the criticism of the two politicians, including allegations that they were working for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) or Tinubu, stemmed from bitterness over their political split.
“The ADC guys are still bitter about the Peter and Kwankwaso divorce, hence the smear that they are working for the ruling party or the President,” he wrote.
He argued that both politicians had established independent political records and were entitled to make their own political choices.
“No consideration to the fact that they are all accomplished politicians with their own independent track records, and have the right to associate and disassociate,” Sani added.
According to him, the criticism was a consequence of the politicians’ refusal to be used for the political interests of others.
“This is the price they will continue to pay for refusing to be supplementary, and disposable cargoes in someone’s container.
“They wanted to use them and sacrifice them for ritual in their perennial political expeditions. Political parties shouldn’t be cultish groups where one can’t pull out in peace,” he said.
ADC supporters bitter over Obi, Kwankwaso’s ‘divorce’ — Shehu Sani
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