The National Sports Commission (NSC, has scheduled the first Joint Technical Meeting and inspection of venues and facilities for the 23rd National Sports Festival, tagged Coal City Games Enugu 2026, for October 27–30, 2026.

The exercise, which will bring together key stakeholders in Nigerian sports, is designed to address technical issues relating to the Festival and assess the readiness of facilities designated for the Games.

The Commission, in a statement signed by

Zira Zakka Nagga, head of Press and Public Relations Unit, described the meeting and inspection are important components of preparations for the Festival, providing an opportunity to review technical arrangements, identify potential challenges and ensure that relevant facilities are assessed ahead of the national sporting event.

According to the schedule issued by the Office of the Director-General, Tuesday, October 27, is designated for arrivals, while the inspection of venues and facilities will take place on Wednesday, October 28. The inspection will continue alongside the Joint Technical Meeting on Thursday, October 29, with departures scheduled for Friday, October 30.

Expected participants include members of the Main Organising Committee (MOC), secretaries and technical directors of National Sports Federations, zonal coordinators, directors of sports from the states, and representatives of the media.

The Joint Technical Meeting underscores the importance of coordination among the National Sports Commission, the host state and other stakeholders in laying the groundwork for a successful National Sports Festival.

The NSC, under the leadership of Mallam Shehu Dikko and Hon. Bukola Olopade, continues to work towards strengthening sports development and creating an enabling environment for athletes from across the country to showcase their talents at the Coal City Games Enugu 2026.

The Bureau of the FIFA Council on Thursday approved the appointment of a Normalisation Committee to manage the affairs of the Nigeria Football Federation, pending fresh elections into the NFF Executive Committee.

According to a letter signed by FIFA Secretary General, Mattias Grafström and addressed to Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme MON, “the normalisation committee shall consist of a suitable number of members, who will be appointed jointly by FIFA and CAF as soon as possible.”

The letter also informed that “the period during which the normalisation committee shall perform its functions shall expire as soon as it has fulfilled all of its tasks, but by no later than 31 May 2027.” None of the members of the normalisation committee will be eligible for the positions to be filled during the upcoming NFF elections under any circumstances.

In the meantime, the Secretariat of the NFF will continue with the day-to-day running of the organisation and administration of the country’s football pending the appointment of the Normalisation Committee.

Nigeria’s U-17 Women National Team, the Flamingos, kept their campaign at the ongoing FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco on track with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Puerto Rico in their Group B encounter on Tuesday night in Rabat.

The 2022 World Cup bronze-medallists started the game with real intent, pressing high and creating early problems for the Puerto Rican defence. It was a lively opening from both sides, but the Flamingos soon took control with their quick movement and direct play going forward.

The breakthrough came in the 25th minute when in-form striker Oluwakemi Adegbuyi finished brilliantly from Queen Joseph’s assist to put Nigeria 1-0 up. That goal settled the Nigerian girls and gave them the confidence to dominate possession for most of the first half.

In the second period, the Flamingos continued to push for another goal. Queen Joseph, Tosin Rafiu and Favour Nkwocha all came close, while Puerto Rico also tried to find a way back into the game with a couple of changes. Coach Hakeem Busari responded by introducing Awawu Bashiru and Oluebube Umejiaku in the 67th minute to add more energy and bite in attack.

The pressure finally paid off in the 90th minute when Nigeria got the second goal as substitute Precious Oscar nodded home a cross from Kemi Adegbuyi to seal the contest at 2-0. The team showed great maturity to see out six minutes of added time and secure all three points. The victory is a big boost for the Flamingos as North Korea defeated Poland 6-1 in the other match of Group B. The high-score deficit against the Poles is an advantage to the Flamingos ahead of Friday’s Group B encounter against the Koreans.