Moses Simon has become only the fifth footballer to make 100 senior appearances for Nigeria after featuring in the Super Eagles' 2-1 victory over Madagascar in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. The Paris FC winger reached the landmark in Uyo on Friday, September 25, more than 11 years after making his senior international debut against Uganda on March 25, 2015. Simon entered the match in the 58th minute as Nigeria fought back from a goal down at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium. His appearance placed him alongside

Ahmed Musa, Vincent Enyeama, Joseph Yobo and Alex Iwobi in Nigeria's 100-cap club. The Nigeria Football Federation had confirmed before the match that Simon entered the fixture with 99 senior appearances and 12 goals. Of those 99 matches, 64 were competitive fixtures and 35 were friendlies. The winger had also accumulated 23 appearances at Africa Cup of Nations finals and 22 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches before reaching his century. The milestone came on a successful evening for Nigeria. Madagascar took the lead in the 16th minute through Clement Couturier

before George Ilenikhena equalised in first-half stoppage time on his Super Eagles debut. Another debutant, Moses Usor, completed the comeback in the 64th minute with the goal that secured all three points for Nigeria. Simon was introduced six minutes earlier and completed his 100th international appearance as Eric Chelle's side opened the qualifying campaign with victory. After the game, the winger was presented with a framed jersey bearing his name to mark the milestone. National Sports Commission Chairman Shehu Dikko, NFF Acting General Secretary Emmanuel Ikpeme and presidential aide Anthony

Adeyinka Adeboye took part in the presentation. For Simon, the number represents more than a decade of international football across different coaches, squads and tournaments. He described reaching 100 appearances as a dream come true and thanked the coaches who had trusted him, as well as his family, friends, journalists and Nigerian supporters. When the NFF announced plans to honour him before the Madagascar match, Ikpeme described Simon as a player who had shown commitment and dedication to the national team over several years. One of the early notable moments

of Simon's international career came during qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. After Nigeria drew 0-0 away to Swaziland, Simon scored directly from a free-kick in the return leg in Port Harcourt to help put the Super Eagles on the way to a 2-0 victory. He subsequently became a regular member of Nigeria's squads for continental and World Cup qualifying campaigns. Reaching 100 caps is particularly notable in international football because national teams play far fewer matches than clubs, meaning players generally need several years of consistent selection to

reach the figure. Simon has now done so after beginning his senior Nigeria career in 2015. He also remains an active member of the squad, meaning his final international appearance total could rise beyond 100. His immediate focus will be Nigeria's qualifying campaign. The victory over Madagascar put the Super Eagles level at the top of their group with Guinea-Bissau, who defeated Tanzania 2-0. Nigeria's next qualifier is against Guinea-Bissau. But whatever comes next in the campaign, Friday's match has already secured a place in Simon's personal history. From his

first appearance against Uganda in 2015 to his 100th against Madagascar in 2026, the winger has joined a group that only four Nigerian internationals had entered before him.

Two inmates have died following a cholera outbreak at the Kurmawa Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kano State, the Nigerian Correctional Service has confirmed. The outbreak was laboratory-confirmed on September 23 by the facility's medical team working with Kano State public health authorities, after the first suspected case was identified six days earlier. The Nigerian Correctional Service said one of the inmates died at the custodial centre, while the second death occurred at the Kano State Infectious Diseases Hospital. According to the Service Public Relations Officer, Jane Osuji, the first

sign of the outbreak emerged on September 17 when an inmate developed vomiting and diarrhoea. The inmate was admitted to the medical facility within the custodial centre for treatment. By the following morning, medical personnel had activated emergency response measures and intensified monitoring and treatment as concerns grew over the possibility of further infections. Laboratory investigations later confirmed cholera. The Service said its medical team worked with Kano public health authorities during the response and that measures introduced after the outbreak helped bring the situation under control. No additional deaths

have been recorded since the diagnosis, according to the NCoS. Controller-General of Corrections Sylvester Nwakuche was briefed on the outbreak and directed that medical intervention and preventive measures should continue at the facility. A team of senior medical personnel from the Service's national headquarters was also directed to travel to Kano for further monitoring. The deaths highlight the particular challenge infectious diseases can pose in custodial environments, where a large number of people may live in close proximity and authorities are responsible for access to healthcare, sanitation and disease surveillance.

The Correctional Service said it was working with the Kano State Government on additional measures aimed at preventing further spread. It also maintained that qualified medical personnel provide healthcare services across correctional facilities and said disease surveillance, early detection and response systems were being strengthened. The NCoS did not state in the announcement how many inmates were infected during the outbreak or how many people required hospital treatment. It also did not provide details about the suspected source of the infection. Those figures will be important in assessing the full

scale of the outbreak beyond the two confirmed deaths. For now, authorities say the outbreak has been contained, but medical monitoring is continuing at Kurmawa. The Service has urged the public to rely on verified official information as it continues to monitor the facility. The confirmed timeline shows that the first symptomatic inmate was detected on September 17, laboratory confirmation came on September 23 and two deaths were recorded during the outbreak. With senior medical personnel now assigned to continued monitoring, attention will turn to whether additional infections are identified

and what preventive steps are taken inside the facility after the immediate outbreak.

Alive and Kicking Nigeria Limited has expressed plans to establish a football manufacturing factory and a talent academy in Osun State, with the state government saying the company's application for space at the Osun Free Trade Zone has already been processed. The proposed investment was discussed during a meeting between representatives of the company and Governor Ademola Adeleke at his London residence on Sunday. The delegation was led by Alive and Kicking Nigeria Country Director, Dr Bob Olukoya, and Joanne Macrae, a director at Amos Sports Business School in London

who also serves as Business Development Director at Alive and Kicking. According to a statement issued by the Osun State Government, the investors said they want to establish a factory capable of producing footballs for markets in Nigeria, other African countries and beyond. The government said the Ministry of Commerce and Industry had treated the company's application for land within the Free Trade Zone and that preparations were underway for work on the allocated site. The statement did not disclose the size of the proposed investment, the exact land area,

the expected number of jobs or a date for construction and commercial production. Those details remain important because the project is still being presented as a planned investment rather than an operating factory. Alive and Kicking describes itself as a not-for-profit ball manufacturer whose model combines sports equipment production with employment, access to sport and health education. The company's proposed Osun operation could therefore add a manufacturing component to a sports industry that is often discussed mainly in terms of clubs, competitions and athlete development. The investors also told the

governor that plans had been developed for a football talent academy aimed at training young players from Osun for opportunities in local and international leagues. A detailed proposal on the talent development programme is still expected to be submitted, according to the government statement. That makes the academy plan less advanced, at least publicly, than a fully operational training institution with announced facilities, coaches, admission criteria or a commencement date. Governor Adeleke, who attended the meeting with Commissioner for Commerce and Industry Bunmi Jenyo, directed the ministry to give attention

to the company's submission. The administration presented the talks as part of its broader effort to attract private investment and increase industrial activity in the state. For Osun, the most significant part of the proposal is the manufacturing element. A functioning sports-ball factory would involve more than the publicity surrounding a new academy. It would require production equipment, workers, raw materials, logistics and access to markets. But several questions will need answers as the proposal progresses. The state government has not yet announced an investment value, production capacity, construction timetable

or employment target for the project. There is also no public confirmation in the statement of when the proposed factory would begin producing footballs. Those details will determine the scale of the investment and its eventual economic impact. For now, the confirmed development is that Alive and Kicking has presented plans for the factory, its land application has been processed according to the Osun government, and preparations for the allocated site are said to be underway. The talent academy remains part of the broader proposal, with more details expected after

the company submits its full plan. Until construction and production milestones are independently confirmed, the project is best described as a planned investment rather than an established football factory.

More than 200 residents of Moro community in Osun State have received free medical treatment, screenings, medication and surgical care through an outreach organised by medical students of Obafemi Awolowo University. The intervention was carried out by the IFUMSA Health Awareness Club, an arm of the Obafemi Awolowo University Medical Students’ Association, as part of its annual effort to take basic healthcare services to communities where cost can make treatment difficult to access. About 90 medical, dental and pharmacy students participated in the exercise, supported by two surgeons and three

perioperative nurses from the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex. Residents were offered blood pressure and blood sugar checks, hepatitis B and HIV screening, urinalysis, body mass index assessment, dental consultations and medications. The outreach went beyond routine screening. A surgical team also carried out free day-case procedures, including hernia repairs, lipoma excisions, hydrocelectomies and breast lump excisions. The Chairperson of the IFUMSA Health Awareness Club, Oladipupo Ayomipo, said the programme was designed partly in response to the financial pressure many Nigerians face when trying to obtain healthcare. She said

the students had continued the outreach because of the number of people who still depend heavily on out-of-pocket spending for even basic treatment. For families managing tight household budgets, the difference between detecting an illness early and allowing it to worsen can sometimes come down to whether a consultation, test or procedure is affordable. That gap is what the students said they were trying to narrow. The Local Organising Committee Chairperson, Aboderin Oluwatobiloba, said access to basic healthcare should not depend entirely on a person's economic circumstances. The Moro programme

brought together students from different health disciplines alongside qualified professionals, allowing residents to receive several services in one place rather than simply undergoing a single screening exercise. That combination is particularly important in medical outreach programmes because identifying a health problem is only one part of the process. Patients may also need consultation, medication, referral or, in some cases, a procedure. In Moro, some beneficiaries were able to receive those surgical procedures without paying the usual cost associated with them. The exercise continues a pattern of community-based health programmes organised

by the students. In 2025, the club held a similar outreach in Ede, Osun State, providing residents with medical consultations, medication, dental and eye care as well as health education. This year's programme moved the intervention to Moro. The town sits within an area closely connected to the OAU community, but access to specialist healthcare can still be difficult for residents who cannot easily afford hospital bills or travel regularly for treatment. The students said their wider aim was to use medical training not only within teaching hospitals and classrooms,

but also in communities where preventable or treatable conditions may otherwise go unattended. For the more than 200 people reached in Moro, the programme meant access to services ranging from a simple blood pressure check to surgery. For the students involved, it also provided an opportunity to work alongside experienced health professionals while serving residents outside the hospital environment. The organisers have not announced a final beneficiary count beyond saying that more than 200 residents received care. What is clear from the exercise is that the outreach was not limited

to health talks or screenings. It combined preventive care, diagnosis, medication and surgical intervention in a single community programme.

Veteran defender Osinachi Ohale has announced her retirement from international football, bringing an end to a 16-year Super Falcons career that produced 86 appearances, four FIFA Women’s World Cup outings and five Women’s Africa Cup of Nations titles. Ohale announced her decision on Friday, September 25, describing the move as one of the most difficult decisions of her career after spending more than a decade representing Nigeria. Her retirement closes a chapter that began in 2010 and saw her become one of the longest-serving members of the Super Falcons across

several generations of the national team. The defender leaves international football as a five-time African champion, having been part of Nigeria’s title-winning squads in 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018 and the 2024 edition of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. She also represented Nigeria at four FIFA Women’s World Cups in 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023. Before establishing herself with the senior team, Ohale was part of Nigeria’s Falconets squad that reached the final of the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Germany. Nigeria finished runners-up after losing 2-0 to

hosts Germany in the final. That same year, Ohale moved into the senior national team and began a run that would eventually span 16 years. Her international career took her through seven editions of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, with five of those campaigns ending with Nigeria lifting the continental trophy. CAF lists Ohale among a small group of Nigerian players who have won the Women’s AFCON five times, alongside names including Perpetua Nkwocha and Francisca Ordega. Beyond the medals, Ohale also produced memorable moments on the biggest stage.

At the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, she scored Nigeria’s second goal in the Super Falcons’ 3-2 group-stage victory over co-hosts Australia in Brisbane. Her 65th-minute goal put Nigeria ahead before Asisat Oshoala added a third as the Super Falcons secured one of their most memorable World Cup victories. Ohale was named Player of the Match by FIFA following that performance. Her career with the national team also placed her among the senior figures in a Super Falcons side that went through changes in coaching,

personnel and generations of players while remaining one of Africa’s leading women’s football teams. In her farewell message, Ohale reflected on the sacrifices, friendships, victories and disappointments that came with representing Nigeria. She thanked her teammates, coaches, technical staff, family, the Nigeria Football Federation and supporters who followed the team through different stages of her career. Ohale said she was leaving international football with gratitude rather than regret. “The jersey will leave my shoulders, but it will never leave my heart,” she wrote. Her retirement applies to international football and

brings her time with the Super Falcons to an end. The decision leaves Nigeria without one of its most experienced defenders as the national team begins another transition ahead of future continental and international competitions. Across 86 appearances, Ohale experienced several of the defining moments of modern Super Falcons history, from repeated continental success to appearances at football’s biggest international tournament. Her record tells only part of that story. Sixteen years after first stepping into the senior national team, Ohale leaves having represented Nigeria at four World Cups, competed at

seven Women’s AFCON tournaments and collected five continental titles. For a player who spent much of her career doing the less glamorous work at the heart of Nigeria’s defence, it is a considerable legacy. The Super Falcons will move on to another generation of defenders, but Ohale’s name remains attached to an era in which Nigeria repeatedly stood at the top of African women’s football. After 86 caps and 16 years in green and white, that chapter is now closed.

Pelumi Olajengbesi, the Accord Party candidate for Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency in Osun State, has said the political reconciliation that followed the 2026 governorship election could create a pathway for supporters of President Bola Tinubu to mobilise more than one million votes for him in the state in the 2027 presidential election. Olajengbesi made the statement on Saturday after meeting Seyi Tinubu, the president's son, describing the one-million-vote figure as a political mobilisation target rather than an election result or projection. The lawyer, who also served as spokesperson for the Imole

Campaign Council that worked for Governor Ademola Adeleke's re-election, linked the target to what he described as reconciliation among political interests in Osun and Adeleke's continued support for Tinubu's second-term bid. "With the reconciliation achieved in Osun State and the commitment expressed by Governor Ademola Adeleke towards President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, our political objective is clear: to mobilise over one million votes for President Tinubu in Osun State in the next presidential election," Olajengbesi said. His comments come weeks after Adeleke secured a second term as Osun governor on the

platform of the Accord Party. Adeleke polled 511,067 votes in the August 15 governorship election, defeating Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress, who received 444,815 votes. Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress finished third with 17,180 votes. The governor, who won his first term in 2022 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party before later joining Accord, publicly reaffirmed his support for Tinubu following his re-election. In an interview after the governorship election, Adeleke said there was no political agreement behind his support for the president, explaining

that his decision was based on his view that Tinubu, as a South-West president serving his first term, should be allowed another term. He also indicated that he would be willing to work with political figures from the APC in Osun in support of Tinubu when presidential campaigning begins. Olajengbesi's latest statement places that position within a broader mobilisation effort ahead of 2027. The Accord candidate also praised Seyi Tinubu following their meeting, describing him as supportive of greater youth participation in governance and political leadership. Olajengbesi said the president's

son had engaged young people, supported political aspirations and helped expand opportunities for younger Nigerians seeking a greater role in public life. His remarks are political assessments made in support of Tinubu and do not represent an independent measurement of voter sentiment in Osun. The one-million-vote target would also represent a substantial increase on Tinubu's performance in Osun during the 2023 presidential election. Tinubu, then the APC presidential candidate, received 343,945 votes in Osun, finishing behind Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, who polled 354,366 votes. Olajengbesi's target therefore amounts to

almost three times the number of votes Tinubu received in the state in 2023. However, the political environment ahead of 2027 is different from that of four years earlier. Adeleke, who remains governor under Accord, has openly endorsed Tinubu's re-election despite the two men belonging to different political parties. Olajengbesi is also contesting the Obokun/Oriade House of Representatives seat on the Accord platform while expressing support for the APC presidential candidate. The situation reflects the cross-party political alliances developing in Osun ahead of the general election, where support for a

presidential candidate may not necessarily translate into support for candidates of the same party in National Assembly or state contests. Olajengbesi himself has become increasingly visible in the build-up to the 2027 House of Representatives election. He emerged as Accord's candidate for Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency and is campaigning under the ITURA 2027 platform. Earlier in September, Yoruba activist Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, publicly expressed support for Olajengbesi's House of Representatives ambition during a meeting in Ibadan. Afrobeats

singer David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has also publicly backed his candidacy. Olajengbesi previously contested for the Obokun/Oriade seat in 2019 and has remained active in grassroots political mobilisation in Osun. His latest comments, however, shift attention from his constituency contest to the presidential election and the emerging relationship between political actors around Adeleke and those supporting Tinubu. Osun had more than 2.3 million registered voters during the 2026 governorship election, with more than 1.9 million Permanent Voter Cards collected, according to figures reported from the electoral commission. That

provides the numerical background against which Olajengbesi has set the one-million-vote mobilisation target. Whether such a target can be achieved will ultimately depend on voter choices in the presidential election. For now, Olajengbesi's statement signals an intention by a section of the Accord political structure in Osun to campaign for Tinubu at the presidential level while pursuing its own candidates in other races. As political alignments continue to take shape ahead of 2027, the arrangement is likely to remain one of the more closely watched features of Osun politics.