Obafemi Martins Plans Six-Zone Football Tournament for Tinubu’s Re-election

Former Super Eagles striker Obafemi Martins has announced plans to organise and personally finance a youth football tournament in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign.

Martins disclosed the plan during an interview with TVC, saying the competition, which he described as the Renewed Hope Youth Tournament, would be held in November.

The former Inter Milan and Newcastle United forward said the tournament would involve teams representing Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, with an additional two or three teams expected to take part.

“There’s a tournament that I’m doing for His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu that I’m doing for his campaign, the Renewed Hope Youth tournament, and I’m doing it with geopolitical zones, which is six, and I’m adding two to three more teams with it,” Martins said.

He explained that the initiative was intended to serve purposes beyond political support, stressing that he wanted the tournament to create opportunities for Nigerian youths through football.

“I’m just happy to do it for the president with all his hard work and all that. And that is not just for the president, it’s for the Nigerians and the Nigerian youth as well; how we can help them,” he said.

Martins also confirmed that he would personally fund the tournament when asked whether he would finance the initiative himself.

“Yes, I’m doing it in November,” he said.

The proposed Renewed Hope Youth Tournament is coming as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with supporters of President Tinubu increasingly using grassroots, youth and sporting initiatives as part of efforts to mobilise support for his re-election.

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The tournament’s proposed structure around the six geopolitical zones could also give young footballers from different parts of the country an opportunity to participate in a national competition. However, Martins has not yet publicly announced the venues, participating teams, prize structure or detailed fixtures for the event.

The former Nigeria international has in recent months also become more vocal about the need for greater youth involvement in Nigerian football administration.

In August, Martins expressed support for Seyi Tinubu, the President’s son, saying he believed Seyi could contribute to changing Nigerian football if he became involved in the administration of the sport.

Speaking on the Obi One Podcast while discussing the crisis in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Martins said Nigerian football needed younger people who understood both the game and the system. He identified Seyi Tinubu as someone he believed could contribute to such efforts.

Martins’ proposed tournament therefore adds a new dimension to his recent public involvement in football and his support for the Tinubu administration ahead of the 2027 election.

The former striker enjoyed a lengthy professional career, including spells with Inter Milan and Newcastle United, and remains a familiar figure among Nigerian football supporters. His latest initiative combines his football background with his stated desire to support young Nigerians and Tinubu’s re-election campaign.

The phrase “Renewed Hope” has become closely associated with Tinubu and his administration. It was used prominently during the 2023 presidential campaign of Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima and has subsequently been adopted in the branding of government programmes and by political groups campaigning for continuity ahead of the 2027 election.

The development also comes against the backdrop of increasing efforts by pro-Tinubu groups to engage young voters ahead of the 2027 election. Recent political mobilisation initiatives have specifically targeted youths and women at the grassroots level in support of the President’s re-election bid.

For Martins, the November tournament represents an attempt to combine his support for Tinubu’s 2027 campaign with a youth-focused football initiative. While the political objective of the event is explicit, the former Super Eagles star has also presented it as an opportunity to support young Nigerians through the sport.

The details of the tournament, including the host city, participating teams, competition format and prizes, are expected to be announced by the organisers as preparations for the November event progress.

Martins has, however, made his central position clear: he plans to finance the competition himself, bring together teams from across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, add other participating teams and use the event to support Tinubu’s bid for another term as President in 2027.

Obafemi Martins Plans Six-Zone Football Tournament for Tinubu’s Re-election

Donnarumma: Two Jailed Over Violent Paris Burglary of Man City Goalkeeper, Wife

Two men have been jailed over the violent burglary of Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and his wife, Alessia Elefante, at their Paris home in July 2023, while a third defendant was acquitted.

Ilyas Kherbouch, 21, whom prosecutors described as the main organiser of the operation, was sentenced by a Paris criminal court to nine years in prison and fined €80,000.

Moktar Diop, 24, who admitted taking part in the operation, was sentenced to five years in prison, with two years suspended and subject to probation.

A third defendant, Khyan Mamouni, 22, who was accused of helping coordinate the robbery from his prison cell, was acquitted. The verdict was delivered late Friday after a two-day trial. (L’Équipe)

The case centred on the home invasion targeting Donnarumma and Elefante in the early hours of July 21, 2023, when the Italian goalkeeper was still playing for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

Donnarumma subsequently moved to Manchester City, where he now plays as the club’s goalkeeper. (AFP)

The couple were asleep in their luxury ninth-floor apartment on Avenue Montaigne in central Paris when a group of masked men entered the property through the rooftops.

According to evidence presented during the trial, four attackers entered the apartment and pulled the couple from their bed before restraining them.

Donnarumma was beaten in the face with hard gloves until he bled, while the attackers demanded money, watches and other valuables.

Elefante, who was pregnant at the time, was also subjected to serious violence and was choked with a phone charging cable before the couple were separated and tied up.

The wider group involved in the operation was reported to have comprised seven people, some of whom have not been identified.

The robbers escaped within minutes with cash, jewellery, luxury watches and designer bags. Donnarumma estimated the value of the stolen property at just under €1 million. (AFP)

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Elefante lost her pregnancy a few days after the attack. Prosecutors referred to the loss during the trial and attributed it to the shock suffered during the burglary. (AFP)

Donnarumma and Elefante, who have since married, did not attend the trial.

Prosecutors had sought a 10-year prison sentence for Kherbouch, nine years for Mamouni and six years for Diop, arguing that the robbery was a highly lucrative and extremely violent operation.

Kherbouch, known as “Ganito,” was accused of organising the burglary while he was in prison.

His name had also featured in several other cases involving alleged kidnappings and violent robberies. He attracted further attention in March 2026 after escaping from Villepinte prison in the Paris region before being recaptured. (AFP)

Kherbouch denied organising the Donnarumma robbery despite evidence from messages and videos recovered from phones used while he was in custody.

Mamouni, who was also accused of coordinating the operation from prison, similarly denied the allegations. His lawyer welcomed his acquittal, saying the court had considered the evidence and uncertainties surrounding the case before reaching its decision. (AFP)

Diop was the only one of the three defendants who was present at the scene of the burglary.

He admitted being involved but maintained that he acted only as a lookout, positioned on the roof of a building opposite Donnarumma’s apartment.

Prosecutors, however, argued that he was part of the criminal operation that targeted the couple.

The trial was marked by dramatic scenes on its first day after Kherbouch repeatedly insulted and threatened police officers in the courtroom following a dispute involving members of his family.

The proceedings were temporarily disrupted as police officers entered the courtroom and some of Kherbouch’s relatives were removed.

Kherbouch later apologised to the officers and the court, allowing the second day of proceedings to continue in a calmer atmosphere. (L’Équipe)

The case also involved another alleged participant who was a childhood friend of Diop.

That man, who was accused of being involved in the operation and later described as an informant, died by suicide in prison in May 2024 after reportedly facing threats linked to the case. (AFP)

The prosecution presented the Donnarumma burglary as part of a wider pattern of home invasions targeting wealthy residents and celebrities in Paris, particularly in affluent areas such as Avenue Montaigne.

Prosecutors said several celebrities had been targeted in similar attacks between 2022 and 2025, describing the criminal activity as increasingly youthful and focused on lucrative targets. (AFP)

The Donnarumma case has attracted significant attention because of the level of violence used against the couple, the value of the stolen property and the alleged involvement of organisers operating from prison.

With Kherbouch sentenced to nine years and Diop to five years, the latest judgment has resulted in two convictions in the main trial, while Mamouni was cleared of the allegations against him.

The verdict brings the principal court proceedings over the 2023 Donnarumma home invasion to a close, although other alleged participants in the wider operation have been dealt with separately or remain unidentified.

Donnarumma: Two Jailed Over Violent Paris Burglary of Man City Goalkeeper, Wife

Gianni Infantino may be the only declared candidate running for another term as FIFA president ahead of March 2027, but his path forward is hitting severe turbulence across Europe.

On Monday, the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) officially joined a growing revolt, announcing it will not endorse Infantino’s re-election. Citing deep concerns over transparency, backdoor decision-making, and broken governance, Belgium joins heavyweights like England and Italy in pulling their support.

At the heart of the standoff are two controversies that left European associations furious.

The World Cup Red Card Fiasco

The most explosive issue stems from the recent World Cup and an unprecedented disciplinary reversal involving US striker Folarin Balogun.

Balogun was handed a straight red card during the United States’ round-of-32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, triggering what should have been an automatic ban for the subsequent round-of-16 clash against Belgium.

Instead, FIFA stepped in and lifted the suspension, paving the way for Balogun to start. The move triggered immediate backlash across world football, which only escalated when it emerged that US President Donald Trump had personally phoned Infantino to intervene.

Even though Belgium went on to defeat the US 4-1, the RBFA is refusing to let the matter slide.

“Two months after the events, we note that our questions remain unanswered to date,“ said RBFA

President Pascale Van Damme, who has formally demanded the Balogun case be placed on the agenda for the FIFA Council meeting on October 15.

Backroom Commercial Deals

The fallout over on-pitch favoritism is only half the problem. The Belgian federation also hit out at Infantino’s aborted initiative to sell World Cup commercial stakes to private equity investors without widespread consultation.

While intense pushback forced Infantino to hastily shelve the private investment plan, the damage to his credibility was already done. Member associations are increasingly alarmed by what they view as centralized, unchecked governance in Zurich.

The Bigger Picture

Infantino has spent years consolidating power, but a rebellion led by UEFA powerhouses shows the cracks are widening. With the October council meeting looming and the election set for early next year, FIFA’s top seat might face its rockiest campaign yet.