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Colombia 2024: Falconets off to Bogota for two-week final camping ahead World Cup finals
Joel Ajayi
Two-time finalists Nigeria will set up camp in the Colombian capital, Bogota as from Sunday, for a two-week final camping programme leading to the commencement of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals which begin in that country on the last day of this month.
The ever-present Falconets, who also reached the semi-finals in Japan 12 years ago and have been in the quarter-finals in 2006, 2018 and 2022, grabbed one of Africa’s tickets to this year’s final tournament after aggregate-score defeats of Tanzania and Burundi.
The Coach Christopher Musa Danjuma-led maidens spent four weeks in the first phase of their final camping in Abuja, during which they won a series of friendly games, losing only once.
“I want to thank the NFF for arranging the two-week camping in Colombia. This will go a long way to help the team, as the players will acclimatize very well and get familiar with their surroundings before the championship begins. I assure you that we will make the best use of this opportunity,” Danjuma told thenff.com on Saturday, hours before the team was due to fly out of the country to Istanbul aboard a Turkish Airline flight, en route Bogota.
On Friday, Sports Minister John Owan Enoh met with the squad, and charged them to go for the ultimate prize having won the silver medals previously and being in the semi-finals once.
“Your predecessors have done well reaching the final of the competition on two occasions and making the semi-finals once. It is now time for you to take our country further by winning the trophy. I commend the NFF for arranging the two-week final camping for you in Colombia that will enable you to acclimatize very well before the tournament.
“The Government and the people of this great country are with you, and I am confident that you will not disappoint.”
Present in Canada in 2002 when the tournament was launched as an U19 Championship, the Falconets have participated in Thailand 2004, Russia 2006, Chile 2008, Germany 2010, Japan 2012, Canada 2014, Papua New Guinea 2016, France 2018 and Costa Rica 2022. The global coronavirus pandemic made any tournament impossible in 2020.
Already drawn to play Korea Republic, Germany and Venezuela in that order in the group phase, the Falconets know they must start fighting hard from the first blast of the whistle in Bogota to have any chance of making the Round of 16, as the competition welcomes 24 teams for the very first time.
With the field expanded to 24, Africa now has four flag-bearers (Nigeria, Morocco, Cameroon and Ghana this time) Matches will take place in four venues in three different cities (Bogotá, Medellín and Cali). There will be two venues in Bogotá – Estadio El Campín and Estadio Metropolitano de Techo. The Estadio Atanasio Girardot in Medellín and the Estadio Pascual Guerrero in Cali are the other venues.
Nigeria’s first match of the tournament against Korea Republic holds inside the 10,000 -capacity Estadio Metropolitano de Techo in Bogota on 1st September – the same venue where they confront Germany three days later. Their final match of the group phase is against Venezuela at the Estadio Pascual Guerrero in Cali on 7th September.
News
Eagle Times Newspaper Will Be Voice for Nigerians – Publisher Chukwunyere Vows
Joel Ajayi
The Publisher of The Eagle Times Nigeria, Sir Ikechukwu Chukwunyere, has pledged that the newspaper will promote accountability, credible journalism and public-interest reporting in its coverage of national affairs.
Chukwunyere made the commitment on Thursday, October 1, 2026, during the official unveiling and launch of The Eagle Times Nigeria.
He said the new media organisation was established not merely to add another newspaper to Nigeria’s media landscape, but to provide a platform committed to serving the public interest.
According to him, the newspaper’s guiding philosophy, “The Voice for the People, The Watchdog for the Nation,” places a responsibility on the organisation to listen to Nigerians, tell their stories, highlight issues affecting their daily lives and scrutinise those entrusted with public responsibilities.
“To be a voice for the people means that we must listen to Nigerians, tell their stories, highlight their concerns and give visibility to issues that affect their daily lives,” he said.
The publisher added that The Eagle Times would be guided by accuracy, fairness, professionalism, credibility and responsible journalism, stressing that the newspaper would not publish stories merely because they were sensational.
“We will verify. We will investigate. We will seek the other side. We will correct our mistakes when we make them,” he said.
Chukwunyere further stated that the newspaper would endeavour to give individuals and organisations the opportunity to respond whenever allegations were made against them.
“Our commitment is not to any political party, government or individual. Our primary commitment is to journalism, to truth and to the Nigerian public,” he said.
He noted that the newspaper was launching at a time when the media industry was undergoing rapid transformation, with audiences increasingly consuming news through digital platforms, including websites, television, podcasts and social media.
He said The Eagle Times would therefore operate as a multimedia organisation, combining its newspaper with digital platforms and The Eagle Times TV to reach audiences across different channels.
According to him, the organisation also intends to create opportunities for young journalists, writers, photographers, producers, digital creators and other media professionals to develop their skills and contribute to journalism and national development.
Chukwunyere said the newspaper’s coverage would include politics, governance, business, economy, security, judiciary, education, health, technology, sports, entertainment, lifestyle and international affairs.
He, however, said the organisation intended to distinguish itself not only by the subjects it covered but by the quality and approach of its journalism.
We want to tell stories that matter, we want to investigate issues that require investigation, we want to highlight Nigerians who are making a difference, and we want to give communities that are often ignored an opportunity to be heard,” he said.
The publisher acknowledged the challenges involved in establishing a newspaper, saying the venture required investment, commitment, professional discipline and the courage to pursue an idea.
He expressed appreciation to the management, editorial, reporting, production and digital teams, as well as families, friends, partners and supporters who contributed to the establishment of the organisation.
Chukwunyere also assured readers, viewers and the newspaper’s digital audience that The Eagle Times would strive to earn their trust and remain accountable to the standards it had set for itself.
He said the newspaper’s success would not be measured only by circulation figures, website traffic or social media followers, but also by the confidence Nigerians placed in its journalism.
“Today, we spread our wings. Today, The Eagle Times takes flight,” he said, reaffirming the newspaper’s commitment to its slogan: “The Voice for the People, The Watchdog for the Nation.”
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