The Super Eagles of Nigeria will begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against Madagascar on Friday, September 25, with fans able to attend the match in Uyo or follow the action on television and online.

Nigeria will face the Barea at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 5:00pm Nigerian time.

How to Get Nigeria vs Madagascar Tickets

Tickets for the match will go on sale from 8:30am on Friday, September 25, the day of the game.

Fans can purchase tickets from designated vendors and regular outlets across Uyo, including:

– Godswill Akpabio International Stadium ticket booths
– Uyo Township Stadium
– Selected radio stations and other ticket vendors in Uyo

Ticket prices are:

– VIP – ₦3,000
– Regular – ₦1,000

Fans planning to attend are advised to get their tickets early and arrive at the stadium on time ahead of the 5:00pm kick-off.

How to Watch Nigeria vs Madagascar on TV

For viewers in Nigeria, the match is expected to be broadcast live by SuperSport through its DStv and GOtv platforms.

The exact channel allocation should be checked on the DStv or GOtv electronic programme guide before kick-off, as channel listings can change.

Across Africa, Canal+ Sport 1 Afrique is also listed to show the game.

How to Watch Nigeria vs Madagascar Online

Fans who cannot attend the match or watch it on television can check the official digital platforms provided by the relevant broadcasters.

SuperSport subscribers with access to its digital streaming service may be able to watch the match online, depending on their subscription package and location.

Viewers outside Nigeria should check their local broadcasters for available streaming options, as rights differ from country to country.

In the United States, the match is listed on beIN SPORTS, with Fubo also carrying the channel.

Match Details

Match: Nigeria vs Madagascar
Competition: 2027 AFCON Qualifier – Group L
Date: Friday, September 25, 2026
Venue: Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo
Kick-off: 5:00pm WAT / 4:00pm GMT
Nigeria TV: SuperSport
Online: SuperSport digital platforms, subject to subscription and territory
USA: beIN SPORTS / Fubo

Nigeria will be hoping to start their qualifying campaign with a win after missing out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Madagascar, however, will be looking to repeat their famous 2–0 victory over Nigeria at the 2019 AFCON in Egypt.

With Nigeria, Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau battling for the remaining qualification place in Group L, Friday’s match could be an important one for the Super Eagles.

For fans in Uyo, the quickest way to be part of the action is to get a ticket from the available outlets and head to the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium before kick-off.

It’s not going to be Donald Trump, but College GameDay will at least feature one major celebrity appearance. And we’re not talking about guest picker Johnny Knoxville. We’re talking about Peyton Manning.

With GameDay traveling to Knoxville for the showdown between the top-ranked Texas Longhorns and Tennessee Volunteers, it’s only natural for Peyton to show up. Not only is he one of the most beloved players to ever put on a Volunteers uniform, he also happens to be the uncle of the team they will be hosting on Saturday with Arch Manning and company coming to town.

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According to ESPN, Manning will make his appearance during Pat McAfee’s kicking contest. That’s probably better than having the legendary quarterback to be the guest picker and having to choose between his alma mater and his nephew.

This week’s Fight Night card is loaded with some of the widest handle-versus-bets gaps we’ve tracked all season, with four separate fights showing 40-plus point differences between ticket count and dollar volume.

That kind of split is the clearest fingerprint of sharp, professional money working against the betting public, and this card has an unusually high concentration of it.

The Three Biggest Sharp Signals

Nothing on the card compares to the Sedriques Dumas-Mickey Gall bout. Dumas is drawing 84% of all bets at +124, but he’s carrying just 23% of the total handle. Gall, priced at -148, is pulling a remarkable 77% of the money on only 16% of tickets, a massive 61-point gap between his bet share and handle share. That means a small number of large, informed wagers are completely overwhelming a much bigger pool of small public bets on the underdog, making Gall the single clearest sharp play of fight week.

Close behind is Ricky Simon against Montel Jackson, where the signal flips direction. Jackson sits as the -198 favorite with 78% of bets but only 22% of the handle, while Simon at +164 is drawing 78% of the money despite just 22% of tickets, a 56-point gap favoring the live underdog. Rinya Nakamura and Brady Hiestand round out the top three with an equally extreme split: Nakamura holds 96% of bets as the -380 favorite but only 42% of the handle, while Hiestand’s +300 price is pulling 58% of the money on just 4% of tickets, a 54-point difference that flags heavy sharp interest in the upset.

Additional Underdog Value

Yazmin Jauregui versus Vanessa Demopoulos shows another significant reverse signal worth tracking. Jauregui is a massive -1000 favorite holding 80% of bets, yet she’s carrying only 34% of the handle. Demopoulos, at +650, is drawing 66% of the money on just 20% of tickets, a 46-point gap. Combined with the extreme price, this looks like a spot where sharp bettors are willing to take a significant plus-money underdog rather than lay a heavily juiced favorite, even against a live betting public.

Line Movement to Watch

One matchup shows real momentum shifting between snapshots. Earlier splits had Elves Brener at +114 and Josiah Harrell at -135 with only a modest 6-point gap between them, essentially a coin-flip in sharp terms. But the more recent numbers show Harrell shortening to -122 while his bet share climbed to 76% against just 47% of the handle, and Brener’s handle share jumped to 53% on only 24% of tickets, a 29-point swing toward the underdog. That kind of flip between snapshots suggests sharp money moved into Brener as the week progressed, and it’s worth watching for further line movement heading into fight night.

For bettors chasing the smart money into UFC Vegas 121, Gall, Simon, and Hiestand stand out as this week’s clearest sharp signals, while Demopoulos offers additional underdog value and the Brener-Harrell steam is worth monitoring right up to the walkouts.

Talented opener Yashasvi Jaiswal last month got involved in a tense altercation with Asitha Fernando on Day 1 of the second India vs Sri Lanka Test in Colombo. The incident took place immediately after Fernando dismissed Jaiswal (45) with a lovely nip-backer in the first session of the match at the SSC Ground. As the left-hander was walking off the field, Fernando gave him a send-off, prompting Jaiswal to turn back and confront him. Jaiswal’s helmet touched Fernando’s forehead as the two players engaged in a heated verbal exchange before Sri Lanka skipper Dhananjaya de Silva intervened to separate them.

Dhruv Jurel, who scored a century in the match, revealed what exactly happened during a podcast with former India star Aakash Chopra.

“When he got out, he was quietly walking back to the dressing room. He didn’t say anything. If you look at the footage, Jaiswal immediately turned around. The Sri Lankan pacer was abusing him. Jaiswal told me that he was abusing him nonstop,” Jurel told Aakash Chopra.

“Jaiswal told him, ‘It’s okay. You took my wicket, you can show normal aggression, but you can’t abuse me.’”

Chopra then opined: “He’s a feisty guy, isn’t he? He will give it back if you give it to him.”

Jurel replied, “100 per cent. He will never start it; I have never seen him do that. He is always in the zone; he is always thinking about his batting. But if you provoke us, we will also return it.”

After the day’s play ended on the day the incident occurred, popular cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle spoke about whether Jaiswal had crossed the line. In a video, Bhogle said Jaiswal is a great talent and that should always be his dominant trait, rather than being combative and responding to send-offs. “He was provoked, but I think they got a little too close.”

Jaiswal responded to the video on Instagram on Monday morning with the following comment:

“If you don’t know what he said, then please don’t make your judgment. If anyone crosses the line, we need to let them know. This India will fight and reply,” Yashasvi Jaiswal commented on the video.

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Spain’s Royal Family Welcomes World Cup Champions To Zarzuela Palace

The four main European football leagues – the English Premier League, Spain’s La Liga, Italy’s Serie A and Germany’s Bundesliga – called on Friday for a reform of FIFA.

The sport’s governing body has been mired in crisis since the revelation of a plan, since shelved, to create a commercial company FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), which would be open to private investors.

“Fundamental governance reform is essential to restore clear constitutional boundaries within FIFA, including confidence that individual disciplinary matters remain demonstrably insulated from political interference,” the four leagues wrote in a statement sent to AFP.

“We are speaking up together, as founding members of European Leagues and the World Leagues Association, because we understand how FIFA’s relentless expansionism affects everyone.”

The statement comes just days after FIFA president Gianni Infantino – who has come under fire since the FFE plan to bring private investment into the men’s and women’s World Cups – proposed “a consultation” of the national federations in order to reform the body’s governance.

Read moreFrench Football Federation pulls support from FIFA head Infantino’s re-election bid

“The FIFA president has now acknowledged the need for reform, but it is not enough for surface-level, process changes to be explored in the aftermath of FFE,” stated the four main European leagues, who went on to describe the project as “one of the biggest abuses of power in FIFA’s history”.

The four leagues, however, steered away from putting all the blame on Infantino’s shoulders.

“FIFA’s governance problem goes far beyond the role of one individual,” they said.

They propose the creation of a permanent body representing national associations, leagues, clubs and players, from across men’s and women’s football.

“This new body must be fully informed about new initiatives and have a meaningful role in FIFA’s decision-making process,” they added.

“Any major FIFA proposal must begin with a clearly defined rationale, supporting evidence and an independent assessment, published in advance of any decision, covering players, clubs, leagues and supporters, and evaluating the impact on all stakeholders and the development of football.”

They also called for the protection of FIFA’s role “as regulator and guardian of the game” from its commercial activities.

The four leagues put a call out for candidates for the FIFA presidency who will endorse their principles “within the first 100 days of the next presidential mandate”.

For now, Infantino is the sole candidate for the FIFA presidential election scheduled for March 18, 2027, with the submission of candidacies open until November 18.

UEFA, alongside North American body CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), issued a no-holds-barred joint letter against Infantino in August.

“Leadership in football is not a possession. It is not about holding – or demanding – power to be held,” they wrote.

However, Infantino is not without friends – 2034 World Cup hosts Saudi Arabia came out in support last month, with African football’s governing body CAF and South America’s CONMEBOL also supportive.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

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Manchester City have been found guilty by an independent commission over the club’s 115 breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules, according to The Athletic.

City insist the process “remains ongoing” surrounding the charges relating to providing accurate financial information and failing to comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) over a nine-year period, between 2009 and 2018.

City were referred to an independent commission in February 2023 following a four-year investigation by the Premier League – one City were also accused of failing to co-operate in.

City had denied any wrongdoing throughout the process and announced their “surprise” when they were referred to an independent commission.

A City spokesperson told The Athletic: “The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality. As such Manchester City FC’s position remains consistent with the club’s statement of February 2023.

“The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis the Premier League board and executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair minded regulator, free from partisan influence.”

Now, the club will have the chance to appeal against the decision of one of the most significant court cases in the history of sport.

Regardless of the judgement, both sides – the Premier League and Manchester City – knew they would have the chance to appeal within 14 days of the ruling.

Such an appeal would trigger a fresh three-person commission to look into the case, the members of which will be selected by Murray Rosen KC, the chair of the Premier League’s judicial panel.

This would lead to a further delay of the imposition of any sanctions or points deductions until the appeal process is complete.

However, the decision of the three-person commission would be final. City would not be able to turn to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas), unlike a previous case.

In February 2020, City were found guilty of breaking Uefa’s financial fair-play (FFP) rules and were given a €30m (£26.3m) fine as well as a two-year European ban.

But after the case was taken to Cas, the ban was lifted five months later and the fine was reduced to €10m (£8.8m).

Cas said City showed “blatant disregard of Uefa’s investigative process” but cleared them of “disguising equity funds as sponsorship contribution”. City said this ruling was “validation of the club’s position and the body of evidence that it was able to present”.

The club also aided by the fact Uefa statute only allows prosecutions within a five-year period, which meant most of the alleged breaches “were either not established or time-barred”. The Premier League did not have this problem of a cut-off, allowing them to bring charges against the club going back to 2009.

City have been England’s most successful team since the club’s fortunes were transformed by Sheikh Mansour’s takeover in 2008. The club won the Premier League three times between 2009 and 2018, a period in which the club also won one FA Cup and three League Cups.

Under manager Pep Guardiola, City won the Premier League in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, including an unprecedented run of four in a row. In 2023, the club also won the Champions League for the first time, completing a historic “treble” of major prizes.