By Dayo Awoniyi
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles Head Coach, Aliyu Zubair, has taken his managerial career international after being appointed as the new Head Coach of Telecom Egypt SC, a club in the Egyptian Second Division.
Zubair, who led Nigeria’s U-20 team to the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, was unveiled on a two-year contract by the club’s management at its headquarters in Cairo.
The Ilorin-born tactician’s appointment is regarded as a reward for his consistent record of success at both club and national levels. Known for his ability to rebuild and promote teams, Zubair guided Gombe United (2021) and Elkanemi Warriors (2024) to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL).
His crowning moment came in 2024, when he led Elkanemi Warriors to victory in the President Federation Cup, adding to the same honour he won as assistant coach with Akwa United in 2017.
At the international level, Zubair’s Flying Eagles won the 2024 WAFU-B Championship and secured bronze at the U-20 AFCON, earning a place at the World Cup.
Joining him at Telecom SC is his long-time assistant, Lukman Ijaiya, as the pair aim to replicate their success in Nigeria on Egyptian soil.
For Zubair, the move marks a new chapter in his coaching career — one that could see him guide Telecom SC to promotion to the Egyptian Premier League and establish his footprint in North African football.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
