
Nigeria's U-17 women's team, the Flamingos, defeated Benin Republic's young Amazons 3-2 in the first leg of the final qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco. The match, held at Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State, saw Benin take an early lead in the 16th minute through Romaine Gandonou. Nigeria equalized five minutes later with a header from Queen Joseph. In the second half, Oluwakemi Adegbuyi put Nigeria ahead in the 62nd minute, but Nazifatou Dangui leveled for Benin. Kindness Ifeanyi then scored the winning goal for Nigeria in the 75th minute. Head coach Akeem Busari had anticipated a tough match. The return leg is scheduled for July 11 in Benin Republic, with one of Africa's four qualification slots for the Morocco finals at stake. Nigeria previously advanced with an 11-0 aggregate victory over Guinea. Other final round qualifiers include Senegal against Ghana, Zambia against Ethiopia, and South Africa against Kenya.
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Must ReadPeter Obi, the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Party, has accused President Bola Tinubu's administration of corruption, citing a recent International Monetary Fund IMF report on Nigeria's public finances. Obi stated on Sunday that approximately ₦8.83 trillion in government expenditure for 2025 was not included in the national budget, describing this as "grand corruption." He highlighted that this expenditure, which represents about 2% of Nigeria's Gross Domestic Product, was not subject to legislative oversight or administrative scrutiny. Obi noted that this amount exceeds the combined federal allocations for education and health, suggesting it could significantly improve these sectors if properly utilized. He characterized this as a pattern of financial mismanagement and renewed his call for President Tinubu to resign, urging Nigerians to demand greater accountability. The IMF had previously disclosed that Nigeria's public spending equivalent to about 2% of GDP was unreported in official budgets, which obscured the country's true financing needs and understated the fiscal deficit. Christian Ebeke, IMF Resident Representative in Nigeria, confirmed that these unreported expenditures were linked to major government infrastructure projects executed outside the formal budget framework. The IMF warned that this practice complicates policy coordination, weakens oversight, and reduces transparency, but also noted that the Federal Government has started implementing
Must ReadThe All Progressives Congress is facing criticism from opposition parties including the PDP, SDP, and Labour Party for allegedly altering the outcome of its National Assembly primaries. Meanwhile, the Vatican's Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, hinted at a future visit by Pope Leo XIV to Nigeria following discussions with President Bola Tinubu. In other news, former Senate President Bukola Saraki pledged to support a first-class UNILORIN graduate's Master's degree pursuit in Italy, and the Federal Government inaugurated a new board for the Bank of Agriculture. Additionally, France secured a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals after defeating Paraguay 1-0.

Osasere Okundaye, Nigeria's youngest chartered accountant, revealed she failed one of her final Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria ICAN examinations before qualifying at age 16. She shared her three-year journey during a visit to Dr. Daniel Olukoya, General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries. Okundaye began the Accounting Technicians Scheme programme after secondary school, encouraged by her parents. She noted that not having an accounting background made the initial stages challenging, requiring extra effort. Despite failing a final professional paper last year, she retook it and passed. Dr. Olukoya praised her achievement as a testament to God's faithfulness, diligence, and discipline, stating that her story proves age is not a barrier to success. The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, also commended Okundaye, calling her a shining example of Nigerian youth potential. Okundaye surpassed the previous record set in 2022 by Jonathan Adewale, who qualified at 17.