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NFF Says Ex-Eagles Coach, Chukwu is in Stable Condition

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Nigeria legend Christian Chukwu is in good health and of sound spirit, says Chairman of the Enugu State FA and Member of the NFF Executive Committee, Chidi Okenwa.

Following outcry at the weekend over the true state of health of Nigeria’s 1980 AFCON-winning team captain, President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick, mandated Okenwa to pay a visit to Chukwu and avail him of the correct state of things.

Speaking to thenff.com on Monday evening following his visit to the former defender, Okenwa said Chukwu was in a very stable condition and adequately taken care of in a medical facility in Enugu State.

He said, “In all sincerity, I never knew this kind of hospital existed anywhere east of the Niger. It is a world-class facility with highly qualified medical doctors and nurses. I met ‘Chairman’ in a very stable condition. I met a Christian Chukwu that talks and eats normally and is of sound mind and spirit.

“I want to express appreciation to the management of Enugu Rangers and the Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, for the prompt attention given to Chukwu’s medical issue. I also want to thank the NFF president for his quick reaction after reading about the health issue.”

Okenwa, who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria National League, added, “I want to assure Nigerians from all walks of life that their former captain, their legend, Christian Chukwu, is in good condition and in good hands. I am assured by the doctors that there is no cause for alarm, and that if there is any need to fly him abroad for further checks, they would promptly so counsel.”

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Arteta Furious over Sunderland Penalty in Arsenal Win, Says It’s ‘Unacceptable’

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Arsenal left the Stadium of Light with another three points, but Mikel Arteta was far from satisfied with one of the major refereeing decisions in the champions’ 2-0 win over Sunderland.

The turning point came early in the second half when Sunderland were awarded a penalty following a physical battle between Arsenal’s Ezri Konsa and Dan Ballard.

Although VAR reviewed the incident, the original decision stood. Arteta strongly disagreed, insisting that the footage showed no offence worthy of a penalty and warning that such calls could have serious consequences in a Premier League title race.

Sunderland had a chance to capitalise, but Raya came to Arsenal’s rescue. The goalkeeper guessed correctly to keep out Le Fée’s penalty and turned the ball onto the post.

Arsenal needed only a short time to make the save count.

Guimarães, introduced at half-time, collected the ball outside the area and unleashed a curling strike that flew into the top corner. It was his first goal since joining Arsenal and gave the visitors the breakthrough they needed.

Sunderland refused to collapse and continued to test the visitors, but Arsenal’s defence survived the pressure. Saka then put the result beyond doubt from the spot in stoppage time after Reinildo was sent off for a second yellow card.

The victory means Arsenal have won all four of their Premier League matches this season, maintaining their flawless start and moving to 12 points.

For Arteta, however, the result did not erase his concerns about the penalty decision.

He argued that football’s extensive use of VAR should ensure such controversial calls are corrected, saying the incident was not acceptable at the highest level.

Arsenal ultimately had Raya’s heroics, Guimarães’ brilliance and a resilient defensive performance to thank for turning a potentially difficult night into another important victory.

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Amusan Wins Silver at Inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship

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Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan won the silver medal in the women’s 100m hurdles at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary, on Friday.

Amusan clocked 12.34 seconds to finish second behind United States Olympic champion Masai Russell, who won the title in 12.22 seconds.

Netherlands’ Nadine Visser completed the podium after finishing third in 12.39 seconds.

The result meant Amusan, a former world record holder in the event, was unable to reclaim the top spot from Russell, who broke the Nigerian’s world record with a time of 12.09 seconds at the Zurich Diamond League in August.

Russell entered the Budapest final as the favourite following her record-breaking performance in Zurich and maintained her impressive form to claim another victory.

The American also extended her unbeaten run in 2026, adding the Ultimate Championship title to the Diamond League Final crown she won in Brussels last week.

Reflecting on her performance after the race, Amusan said she went into the championship determined to give her best after a challenging period during the season.

“First, God is good,” Amusan said.

“What started off as an amazing season, you know, in between I had some nipping here and there. You know, I’m not a robot. You know, the body did shut down at a point.”

The 29-year-old hurdler said she gradually regained her momentum by taking each race as it came before arriving in Budapest with a determined mindset.

“Coming into this championship, my mindset going to the line was, ‘We die here.’ I just kept telling myself I have to give it my all,” she said.

Amusan said she was determined to put everything into the race regardless of the eventual outcome.

“All I knew was, look, I did it. That’s all I knew. And the second I saw the second-place finish, I was like, look, I can’t complain. God is good,” she said.

The silver medal came after a difficult period for Amusan, who finished third at the Commonwealth Games before Russell broke her 100m hurdles world record. She later finished fourth at the Diamond League Final.

Amusan admitted that the setbacks had been emotionally difficult but credited her family, mentor, coach and boyfriend with helping her regain her confidence.

“I’m not going to lie. It was very rough,” Amusan said.

“I mean, to my family, to my mentor, to my coach, to my boyfriend. That’s brought life back into me.”

She said the encouragement she received from those close to her helped her put the setbacks behind her and focus on the Budapest race.

“This morning it was all about put the past behind you and just go for it. And those few sentences that I got here and there got me to this finish line today,” she said.

Amusan said her second-place finish, alongside her Commonwealth medal, represented a positive response to the setbacks she had experienced.

“With the Commonwealth medal, it is a statement,” she said.

On the increasing competitiveness in the women’s 100m hurdles, Amusan described the event as becoming more difficult, warning that the battle among the leading hurdlers would intensify.

“Honestly, in that event, I think I would be the sleeping lion,” she said.

“I think the women’s hurdles is just getting scarier every damn year. Next year, I do not know what’s going to happen. But it’s going to be bloody.”

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Finally, NFF President, Ibrahim Gusau, Resigns

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The President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Gusau, has announced his resignation from office.

He made the announcement during a press conference at the NFF Glass House in Abuja on Thursday.

Addressing journalists, Gusau said he decided to step aside to give other Nigerians the opportunity to contribute to the development of football in the country.

He maintained that despite the failure of the federation’s men’s and women’s teams to qualify for the World Cups, he is leaving the NFF in a better position than he found it.

Gusau also disclosed that he had advised members of his board to resign, but said he is not aware of any board member who had so far stepped down.

“I just want to tell you that I decided to resign my position as the NFF President. I informed my board members and advised them that anybody who wants to follow me to also resign, but as I am talking to you I cannot tell you who and who or how many board members that have resigned,” he said.

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