Nigeria’s Jessica Oji has achieved a historic milestone at the 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon, winning gold in the women’s shot put and becoming the country’s first-ever champion in a field event at the competition.

The 19-year-old produced a winning mark of 18.08 metres to secure the title in impressive fashion. Oji was the only competitor in the final to surpass the 18-metre barrier, underlining her dominance throughout the competition.

Oji opened the final with an 18.05m throw before improving to her winning distance of 18.08m. She followed that with 17.95m and 18.07m, while two of her attempts were recorded as fouls. Her consistency was enough to keep her ahead of the field and secure the gold medal.

The victory marks a breakthrough for Nigeria in the field events at the World U20 Championships. Before Oji’s triumph, the country’s previous field-event medals at the competition were Esther Aghatise’s long-jump silver in 2002 and Chinecherem Nnamdi’s javelin bronze in 2021.

Oji’s achievement comes during an extraordinary year in which she switched her international allegiance from the United States to Nigeria. She has quickly established herself as one of the country’s brightest young field-event talents.

Her World U20 triumph also comes shortly after another major international achievement. Oji won silver at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, adding a senior-level medal to her growing collection before claiming the world junior title in Oregon.

The historic performance provides another major boost for Nigerian athletics, particularly in the field events, where the country has traditionally enjoyed greater success in sprinting and jumping disciplines. At just 19, Oji has already created a new chapter in Nigeria’s World U20 championship history.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has received strong backing from senior football officials following an emergency meeting convened to address mounting concerns over his leadership. The meeting ended with broad internal support for Infantino to continue serving as president of world football’s governing body.

The crisis meeting was called after weeks of criticism surrounding FIFA’s governance and decision-making. Despite the pressure, members of FIFA’s leadership expressed confidence in Infantino, describing him as the right person to guide the organisation through its current challenges.

According to officials who attended the meeting, there were no formal moves to remove Infantino from office. Instead, participants agreed that maintaining stability within FIFA was essential as the organisation continues preparations for major international competitions and pursues ongoing reforms.

Infantino thanked FIFA officials for their confidence and reiterated his commitment to strengthening transparency, promoting the growth of football worldwide and delivering successful tournaments. He also pledged to continue working with member associations to address concerns raised during the discussions.

The outcome of the meeting effectively reinforces Infantino’s position as FIFA president, easing immediate uncertainty over the organisation’s leadership while attention shifts back to the sport’s global calendar and upcoming competitions.

Nigeria’s Super Falcons secured their place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after a commanding 6-2 victory over Egypt in their final Group C fixture. The emphatic win completed a strong recovery following the team’s opening defeat in the tournament.

The Falcons made a blistering start, with Rinsola Babajide opening the scoring before captain Rasheedat Ajibade added another to put Nigeria firmly in control. Egypt responded with goals of their own, but the nine-time African champions maintained their attacking intensity throughout the contest.

Babajide delivered one of her finest performances of the tournament, contributing both goals and assists, while Ajibade led by example with another influential display. Nigeria’s attacking unit overwhelmed the Egyptian defence, ensuring the Super Falcons finished the group stage on a high note.

The victory means Nigeria advances to the knockout stage with renewed confidence after bouncing back from an early setback. Head coach Justine Madugu will now turn his attention to preparing the team for a quarter-final clash as the Super Falcons continue their pursuit of a record-extending WAFCON title.

Nigeria’s convincing performance also underlined the team’s attacking quality, with several players making significant contributions as the Super Falcons reinforced their status as one of the favourites to lift the trophy.