Sport
Tuesday, 20 August 2019 05:42
Zenith Bank celebrates D’Tigress on back-to-back Afrobasket championship victory
Zenith Bank Plc, sole sponsor of Nigerian Female Basketball League has hailed the Nigerian female basketball team, D’Tigress, for emerging champions of the FIBA Women’s Afrobasket 2019 in Dakar, Senegal, defeating the host nation 60-55 points in the final match to retain the coveted trophy. Speaking on the success of the team at the championship, Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive, Mr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu commended the team for their hard work, doggedness and team spirit, which has seen them retain the trophy which they won two years ago in Mali. He expressed delight at the heroics of the team, comprised mostly…
Saturday, 17 August 2019 05:18
FIFA bans Samson Siasia for life
A former Super Eagles player and coach, Mr Samson Siasia, has been slammed with a life ban by the world football governing body, FIFA. The adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee of the world football body found Siasia, a former official of Nigeria Football Federation, guilty of having accepted that he would receive bribes in relation to the manipulation of matches in violation of FIFA Code of Ethics. According to the statement on FIFA website, a wide-scale investigation was carried out on Siasa before the landmark judgment was delivered. The statement read: “The formal ethics proceedings against Siasia were…
Friday, 16 August 2019 05:19
Zenith Bank hails D’Tigress on quarterfinal qualification
Zenith Bank Plc, the sole sponsor of Nigerian Female Basketball League has hailed Nigerian female basketball team, D’Tigress for their exploits at the ongoing FIBA Women’s Afrobasket 2019 in Dakar, Senegal. Speaking on the progress of the team to the quarterfinal stage of the competition, Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive, Mr Ebenezer Onyeagwu commended the team for their hard work, dedication and team spirit, and urged them to go all the way to the final and bring the trophy home. He expressed delight at the heroics of the team, comprised mostly of products of Zenith Bank Women Basketball League, which…
Monday, 29 July 2019 04:56
Gov, 3 deputy govs run for cover as police shoot teargas to disperse unruly Kano Pillars fans
Security officials resorted to the use of teargas to disperse rampaging Kano Pillars fans on Sunday at Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna. This was after their team defeated Niger Tornadoes 4-3 on penalty kicks after a goalless draw during the regulation time of the men’s competition final match of 2019 Aiteo Cup. But there were many after-effects, with dignitaries present for the match having to take cover as the effect of the teargas caused pandemonium. Those affected include Kano State Governor, Mr Abdullahi Ganduje, and deputy governors of Niger (Muhammed Ketso), Kano State (Nasiru Gawuna) and Nasarawa State (Emmanuel Akabe).…
Saturday, 20 July 2019 05:25
Africa Cup of Nations: Algeria beat Senegal to win final
Algeria won the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time as a freak early goal secured a 1-0 win against Senegal in the final in Cairo. Baghdad Bounedjah's shot took a huge deflection off Salif Sane and looped over goalkeeper Alfred Gomes. Senegal, who have never won the competition, were awarded a penalty for handball in the second half but it was overturned after a VAR review. Algeria closed out the rest of the game to win their first title since 1990. Senegal's players collapsed on the pitch in tears at the final whistle. Liverpool forward Sadio Mane, who…
Saturday, 20 July 2019 05:24
Ighalo becomes second Nigerian, after Rasidi Yekini, to win AFCON golden boot
Odion Ighalo has won the highest goal scorer award at the just concluded 2019 Africa Cup of Nations on Friday night. The Super Eagles star scored five goals in the 32nd edition of the African football showpiece in Egypt. Ighalo becomes the second Eagles player, after late Rashidi Yekini to have won the golden boots award at the AFCON. The Shanghai Shenhua of China star striker scored in the third minute of play in the third-place match between Nigeria and Tunisia on Wednesday night. He scored a total of five goals at 2019 AFCON. He scored his debut AFCON goal…
Thursday, 18 July 2019 05:25
Nigeria grab bronze in 2019 AFCON
Odion Ighalo scored the fastest goal so far in the2019 Africa Cup of Nations as the Super Eagles beat Tunisia 1-0 on Wednesday night to win the Bronze medal at this year’s tournament. After Sunday’s semi-final losses, Tunisia and Nigeria wanted the bronze medal. But it was Gernot Rohr’s side that prevailed in the third place contest in Cairo. Nigeria shot into the lead barely three minutes into the game as Ighalo tucked home the ball after Ben Cherifia and Meriah made a mess of Jamilu Collins’ cross. Carthage Eagles responded well and would have gotten a quick equaliser had…
Monday, 15 July 2019 04:56
Africa Cup of Nations: Senegal reach final with victory over Tunisia
Senegal reached Africa Cup of Nations final for the second time as Tunisia defender Dylan Bronn's extra-time own goal gave them victory. Both sides had penalties saved in normal time before Bronn inadvertently headed the only goal of the game. Mouez Hassen tipped Sadio Mane's free-kick on to Bronn's head as Senegal - who face Algeria in Friday's final - moved closer to a first Afcon title. Tunisia had a late penalty award overturned by VAR. After Salif Sane's headed clearance ricocheted off Idrissa Gueye's elbow, the referee initially pointed to the spot before overturning his decision after reviewing video…
Monday, 15 July 2019 04:55
Algeria defeat Nigeria, qualify for AFCON 2019 final
Riyad Mahrez fired in a late free-kick from outside the penalty area to give Algeria a dramatic 2-1 victory over Nigeria in a fiercely contested semi-final tie at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations Sunday night. William Troost-Ekong, the man who scored the last-minute winner for Super Eagles in the quarter-final against South Africa, turned the ball into his own net to give Algeria 1-0 lead. Odion Ighalo equalised for Nigeria in the second half from the penalty spot to register his fourth goal of the tournament. But the heart of Nigerians was left shattered when Mahrez curled in a…
Sunday, 14 July 2019 05:42
Halep wins Wimbledon, stops Williams’ bid for 24th Slam
Clutching her trophy 20 minutes after becoming Wimbledon’s champion, Simona Halep checked out the board inside Centre Court that lists tournament winners. Below all of the mentions of Serena Williams, her opponent in Saturday’s final, there already was inscribed: “Miss S. Halep.” Halep was not concerned with preventing Williams from winning a 24th Grand Slam title. All Halep cared about was winning her first at the All England Club. And she played pretty much perfectly. On top of her game right from start to finish, Halep overwhelmed Williams 6-2, 6-2 in stunning fashion for her second major championship. The whole…
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Thursday, 11 July 2019 04:58
Nigeria eliminate South Africa to qualify for AFCON semi-finals
William Troost-Ekong’s late winner sent Nigeria through to semi-finals of Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday after a tense 2-1 victory over South Africa in Cairo. Samuel Chukwueze fired Super Eagles ahead in the first half in front of a healthy, largely pro-Nigerian crowd at the 75,000-capacity Cairo International Stadium. But Bongani Zungu’s looping header brought South Africa level on 70 minutes, the goal awarded with the aid of VAR — introduced for the first time at the tournament from the quarter-final stage onwards — after it was initially ruled out for offside. Centre-back Troost-Ekong then turned home at a…
Monday, 08 July 2019 04:59
FIFA boss, French President booed at World Cup final ceremony
Crowd at the women’s World Cup final booed FIFA chief Gianni Infantino and French president Emmanuel Macron as United States fans demanded equal pay for the players after their team claimed a fourth global title by beating the Netherlands 2-0 on Sunday. Macron and Infantino, head of soccer’s world governing body, were turned on by the supporters as they approached the ceremony podium - a sharp contrast with the hero-like reception given to player of the match Megan Rapinoe by the 57,900 crowd. Despite a recent rebound, Macron’s popularity was last at 38 percent in an Ifop poll, up 15…
Sunday, 07 July 2019 05:21
Afcon: Super Eagles subdue Indomitable Lions in thrilling 3-2 win
Nigeria’s Super Eagles brushed off the disappointment of a humiliating defeat against Madagascar in their last match to rise to the occasion and eliminate defending champions, Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, from the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. The Nigerian team again faced adversity after going 2-1 down at halftime but thereafter came from behind to edge out their illustrious opponents 3-2 at the Alexandria stadium. In a match which will be remembered as one of the best in the tournament so far, it was Eagles who started on the front foot and opened the scoring in the 20th…
Monday, 01 July 2019 04:22
AFCON: Madagascar deliver shock defeat to Super Eagles to top Group B
Lowly-rated Madagascar shocked highly-rated Nigeria 2-0 after an awful performance by Super Eagles handed the Indian Ocean islanders leadership of Group B. The result condemned the three–times champions to finishing second and a probable encounter with Black Stars of Ghana in the Round of 16. The then group leaders started on the wrong footing as Leon Balogun failed to deal with a routine backpass. It led to the ball being snatched by Lalaina Nomenjanahary to score the first goal for the competition debutants after only 13 minutes. Eagles, who won each of their two previous matches by the odd goal,…