Sports
BREAKING: Ikpeme takes over NFF as acting General Secretary, resumes today
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has appointed its Deputy General Secretary, Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme, as acting General Secretary following the resignation of Dr Mohammed Sanusi.
Ikpeme is expected to officially assume office on Friday, August 28, 2026, after Sanusi resigned amid a major leadership shake-up at the football governing body.
The appointment was made to ensure continuity in its day-to-day operations pending the next phase of the federation’s administrative process.
The development comes as FIFA has invited Nigeria to Zurich, according to sources, who did not disclose further details about the purpose of the invitation.
Ikpeme will oversee the NFF Secretariat and coordinate its daily activities while the federation awaits further developments regarding the proposed Normalisation Committee to be named by the National Sports Commission (NSC).
His appointment comes as the NFF faces a major leadership crisis following the resignation of President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, Sanusi and, reportedly, all members of the federation’s Executive Committee.
Gusau and Sanusi resigned on Thursday against the backdrop of growing public dissatisfaction with the performances of Nigeria’s national teams.
Gusau, who was elected NFF president at the Annual General Assembly of Nigerian Football in Benin City, Edo State, on September 30, 2022, stepped down 34 days before the end of his four-year tenure.
At a press conference at the NFF Secretariat in Abuja, Gusau said he had consulted his family, friends and stakeholders in the football community before deciding to resign.
He said his decision was taken in the overriding interest of Nigerian football.
“My resignation is intended to give way to a comprehensive and orderly reform process aimed at addressing the longstanding institutional, governance and developmental challenges confronting Nigerian football,” Gusau said.
Gusau, who also served as President of the West African Football Union (WAFU) Zone B, said he was leaving office satisfied with some of the achievements recorded under his administration.
He highlighted the increased focus on coaching education, noting that coaching courses had been organised across virtually all licence categories, while the long-awaited CAF A-License course was scheduled to begin on September 13.
He also cited improvements in the domestic league calendar and refereeing, as well as the construction of a 68-room players’ hostel and new training pitches at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
The outgoing NFF president further pointed to Nigeria’s silver and bronze medals at the last two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and the Super Falcons’ victory at the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
However, his administration came under increasing pressure following a series of disappointing results involving Nigeria’s national teams.
The Super Falcons recently failed to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, ending Nigeria’s participation in every edition of the tournament since it began in China in 1991.
The setback followed the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which was held in the United States, Canada and Mexico
Nigeria’s U-20 men’s team also failed to qualify for the next Africa U-20 Cup of Nations.
The string of disappointing results intensified calls for changes within the NFF and prompted the federation to consider broader reforms to its administration.
The development also comes as the federation awaits further decisions from the National Sports Commission on the proposed Normalisation Committee.
With Gusau, Sanusi and other NFF officials exiting, Ikpeme is now expected to provide administrative continuity at the federation while the next phase of Nigerian football’s leadership transition unfolds.
Former Super Eagles captain and Al-Ahli star, William Troost-Ekong, has converted to Islam.
Troost-Ekong was said to have recited the Shahadah in Doha, Qatar, where he plays for Qatar Stars League club Al-Ahli, as reported by a Qatari press, “Al-Arab” on Wednesday.
A respected Islamic cleric, Dr Muhammad Salah, also shared a video on his verified Facebook account wherein the defender recited the testimonies.
The 33-year-old defender first moved to the Arab region in the summer of 2024, when he signed for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Khaleej.
He joined Qatari side, Al-Ahli in January 2026 on a one-and-a-half-year contract and has since played 14 matches across all competitions, including a single appearance in the current season.
On the international stage, Ekong won 83 caps for Nigeria between 2015 and 2025, scoring 8 goals.
He reached the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire and was named best player of that edition.
Troost-Ekong also represented Nigeria at the FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games, establishing himself as one of the country’s most experienced defenders of the past decade.
He enjoyed a distinguished international career with Super Eagles, making more than 70 appearances for the Super Eagles.
Senegalese football star, Sadio Mane, has launched a CFA11.7 billion ($20.4 million) agro-industrial project in his hometown of Bambali, southern Senegal, aimed at expanding mango processing and creating jobs.
The project, known as SM10 Agro, was launched on September 19 in Bambali, Sedhiou Region.
The complex will include a processing plant with an annual capacity of 8,500 tonnes of mangoes, producing mango pulp, dried fruit and mango butter.
It will also include a 500-hectare plantation of Kent mangoes.
The project is located in Casamance, Senegal’s leading mango-producing region, where limited processing facilities have contributed to significant post-harvest losses.
Senegal loses an estimated 30 to 45 percent of harvested fruit annually, with poor farming practices, harvesting and transportation challenges, and limited processing outlets among the factors contributing to the losses, Ecofin Agency reported.
Speaking at the launch, Mane said he wanted his legacy to extend beyond football.
“I don’t want to be remembered only for the goals I scored. Before the stadiums, the lights and the victories, there was, of course, Bambali. This is where my dreams began… We want to help create jobs and develop agriculture,” Mane was quoted as saying.
The facility is expected to allow more mangoes to be processed locally, including fruit that may not qualify for export to European Union markets because of phytosanitary requirements.
A 2023 study by the Initiative Prospective Agricole et Rurale, cited by Ecofin Agency, found that existing mango processing facilities in Casamance were concentrated mainly in the Ziguinchor region, while Sedhiou and Kolda remained poorly equipped despite producing local mango varieties.
The study also identified limited access to packaging and labelling services in Casamance as a challenge for processors, forcing some businesses to depend on Dakar for the services.
Mane’s investment comes as Senegal’s mango export industry recovers from recent difficulties linked to fruit-fly infestations and other phytosanitary problems.
Senegal exported about 27,000 tonnes of mangoes in 2021, but export volumes subsequently declined following problems that affected access to the European market.
Exports to Europe reportedly rose to more than 19,000 tonnes in 2026, up from about 14,000 tonnes the previous season, following improved phytosanitary measures, particularly efforts to control fruit flies.
Former Liverpool forward, Mohamed Salah, has been banned from driving for six months after failing to identify the person driving his Rolls-Royce when it was caught speeding in Cheshire, United Kingdom.
Court documents reported by the BBC showed that the vehicle was recorded travelling at 36mph in a 30mph zone in Wilmslow on March 27.
Salah, 34, failed to respond to a notice issued by Cheshire Constabulary requiring information about the driver and did not enter a plea.
He was prosecuted at Warrington Combined Court under the Single Justice Procedure, which allows magistrates to deal with certain cases without a public hearing.
A court spokeswoman said Salah was convicted of failing to provide information relating to the identification of the driver of the vehicle.
He was disqualified from driving for six months and ordered to pay £1,044.
The incident occurred three days after Salah announced his departure from Liverpool at the end of the 2025/26 season, bringing his nine-year spell at the club to an end.
Liverpool had described Salah as oneof the greatest players in the club’s history when it announced his departure on March 24.
Salah scored 257 goals in 442 appearances for Liverpool before leaving the club for Turkish side Trabzonspor after the 2025/26 season.
He currently plays for Trabzonspor in Turkey.
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