News

Why AC Milan’s Zachary Athekame Can Never Play for Nigeria Again!

Published

5 days ago

October 3, 2026

WhatsApp Image 2026 10 03 at 08.03.09 1.jpeg

The Nigeria Football Federation has suffered another international recruitment setback, as AC Milan right-back Zachary Athekame currently thriving on loan at Ligue 1 club Lyon has officially been cap-tied by Switzerland.

The Geneva-born defender was eligible to represent Nigeria through his father. However, Swiss head coach Murat Yakin handed the 21-year-old his competitive senior debut in a 3–0 UEFA Nations League victory against North Macedonia. Athekame made an immediate impact, providing two assists for Zeki Amdouni.

Read Also: Nigeria Vs Russia: Vince Chijioke Osuji Earns Super Eagles Call-Up as Akpe Victory Replacement | Sports247 Nigeria

Under FIFA eligibility regulations, featuring in an official competitive senior fixture permanently ties him to the Swiss national team.

Athekame’s senior call-up came on the back of an impressive start to his campaign with Lyon, where he logged two goals and two assists across five Ligue 1 appearances.

He previously represented Switzerland 17 times at the U21 level and was an unused substitute in a World Cup qualifier in October 2025.

His commitment to Switzerland adds to a growing list of dual-nationality talents the NFF has missed out on, including Manuel Akanji, Noah Okafor, Simon Sohm, Isaac Schmidt, and Eseosa Aigbogun.

Conversely, defender Onyinyechi Zogg opted for Nigeria’s Super Falcons, though the Bern-born player retains dual eligibility.

Related Topics:Athekame Milans Nigeria play Zachary

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Business

NPF Pensions Rolls Out Support Programmes for Retired Police Officers

Published

22 minutes ago

October 8, 2026

PlateauReports

NKECHI NAECHE-ESEZOBOR—Retirement should not mark the start of fresh hardship for police officers who devoted their working lives to safeguarding the public, yet questions about pension adequacy, gratuity payments and the general welfare of retirees continue to feature in conversations on police welfare.

With Police Pension Week underway, the Nigeria Police Force Pensions Board says it is working to strengthen its services and tackle some of the difficulties confronting both serving and retired officers.

The agency says that, in addition to routine pension payments, it runs a Retirement and Resettlement Support Programme designed to help retirees cope while their retirement benefits are being processed.

It also holds pre-retirement seminars that prepare officers for life after service, offering training in areas such as poultry farming and other small-scale ventures.

According to the agency, these efforts are intended to give retired personnel better financial footing and ease their transition from active duty to civilian life.

The post NPF Pensions Rolls Out Support Programmes for Retired Police Officers appeared first on Business Today NG.

News

Robot data startup Mecka AI nabs $60M from Sequoia

Published

27 minutes ago

October 8, 2026

PlateauReports

Mecka AI, a startup that collects and analyzes human motion data to train humanoid robots and other kinds of robots, announced it has raised a $60 million Series B round led by Sequoia, with participation from Nvidia, Microsoft’s venture fund M12, and others. TechCrunch had previously reported that the startup was nearing a new funding round at a $500 million valuation.

Founded in 2024, the startup intends to do for robotics what Scale AI, Mercor, Surge, and other data-labeling companies have done for LLMs. Those companies supply the human-generated data these systems learn from. Mecka pays people to record themselves doing everyday tasks, like making coffee or fixing cars, while wearing body sensors and using smartphones.

Other startups that collect real-world data for robot training include XDOF, which was in talks to raise a Series B round at a $1.2 billion valuation according to TechCrunch’s previous reporting. Human-data platforms that began with LLMs are also expanding into robotics, such as Scale AI and Micro1.