Sport
Saturday, 01 September 2018 03:48
Serena matches her easiest win over Venus in US Open rout
Serena Williams equaled her most-lopsided victory ever in 30 professional meetings with sister Venus, beating her 6-1, 6-2 on Friday night in the third round of the U.S. Open. Serena shook off an early ankle injury to win seven straight games and seize control in perhaps her most dominant performance since giving birth to her daughter a year ago Saturday. The sisters’ earliest meeting in a Grand Slam tournament in 20 years was over early, with Venus unable to do anything to blunt Serena’s power, even after the crowd tried desperately to get behind her early in the second set.…
Wednesday, 22 August 2018 05:22
NFF leadership tussle: Dalung dares Osinbajo
Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung appears to be taking the Nigeria Football Federation leadership tussle personal, as he released a statement yesterday, which contradicted the stand of the Federal government of Nigeria, which recognised Amaju Pinnick the president of the NFF. On Monday, the office of the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo issued a release, which authenticated the Amaju lead board in a bid to avoid suspension by the world soccer governing body, FIFA that had threatened to suspend Nigeria by Monday 20 August.But Dalung said the crisis cannot be wished away with a wave of a finger as it dated back…
Thursday, 16 August 2018 06:36
Victor Moses quits international soccer
Victor Moses has announced his immediate retirement from international football to concentrate fully on his club career. The 27-year-old Chelsea wingback made the shock announcement on Twitter on Wednesday, dealing a major blow to Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr’s plans for the Cameroon 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.Nigeria were beaten 2-0 by South Africa in their first group qualifying match in Uyo last year, and the three-time African champions need a convincing win over Seychelles next month to keep qualification hopes alive.In his statement, Moses said he informed Rohr that he had decided to call time on his six-year international…
Tuesday, 14 August 2018 04:56
France 2018: Falconets break Chinese hearts, face Spain in quarter-finals
The Super Falconets on Monday advanced to the quarter-finals of the France 2018 U-20 Women’s World Cup in dramatic fashion, after grabbing a last-gasp equaliser against China in Dinan-Lehon. The Nigerians needed a draw to advance in second place alongside Group D leaders Germany and were lucky to progress after a stoppage time own-goal by the Chinese themselves cancelled out Linyan Zhang’s 41st minute strike to break the Asians hearts.Two-time finalists Falconets have reached the quarter-finals of every edition of the competition but it looked like this enviable record would be broken at the Stade du Clos Gastel when Zhang…
Friday, 10 August 2018 04:53
Falconets beat Haiti 1-0 to keep quarterfinal hope alive
Rasheedat Ajibade’s first-half penalty kick on Thursday afternoon was enough to see Nigeria’s Falconets edge Haiti 1-0 in Group D at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup France 2018 to secure a crucial three points, keeping their knockout round qualification hopes alive.The Falconets needed a win badly to keep their hopes of a qualification to the knockout stage alive after losing their opening game 1-0 to Germany.But stand-in Captain, Ajibade, netted from the penalty spot after Anam Imo was fouled in the box in the 36th minute of the encounter to give Nigeria any hope of progressing to the quarter…
Thursday, 09 August 2018 04:26
Chelsea confirm €35m Courtois sale to Real Madrid as Kovacic moves to London
Chelsea have confirmed the sale of Thibaut Courtois to Real Madrid, with Mateo Kovacic coming to Stamford Bridge as part of the deal. Courtois has been at the west London club since 2011, and wrested the No. 1 jersey from club favourite Petr Cech after shining during a loan spell with Atletico Madrid as a youngster. In recent months, however, the Belgian has become increasingly unsettled, going so far as to skip training, while he has long been linked with a return to the Spanish capital where he spent three sparkling seasons. And he will now line up at the…
Tuesday, 07 August 2018 03:28
Tanzania appoints Amuneke Head Coach
Former Super Eagles winger, Emmanuel Amuneke, has been appointed as the new head coach of Tanzania senior national team.Amuneke who signed a two-year deal with the Tanzanian FA was until recently coach of Sudan’s Premier League side, Al Khartoum SC.“I am happy to start this new job and work hard so that we can achieve a lot together,” Amuneke told local media in Tanzania after signing the contract.His first competitive game in charge of the senior Taifa Stars will be their 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Uganda in September.Amuneke, 47, replaces local coach Salum Mayanga who had been…
Saturday, 28 July 2018 04:12
Cristiano Ronaldo fined 3.2 million euro in tax evasion case
Cristiano Ronaldo will be fined 3.2 million euros (2.82 million pounds)and sentenced to 24 months in prison, a sentence he is unlikely to serve, after settling a tax evasion case with Spanish tax authorities, the prosecutor said on Friday. The 33-year-old is accused of evading 5.7 million euros in taxes. He has denied the allegations. Ronaldo is unlikely to go to prison as Spanish law states a sentence of under two years for a first offence can be served on probation. The football star will be required to pay the 3.2-million-euro fine plus the 5.7 million euros in back taxes,…
Thursday, 26 July 2018 04:44
2018 World Cup: 75 Nigerian football fans abscond in Russia – FG
Ministry of Foreign Affairs says 75 out of 230 stranded Nigerian Football fans absconded in Russia after 2018 FIFA World Cup. The ministry’s Spokesperson, Mr Tope Elias-Fatile, said Wednesday in Abuja that the fans absconded in spite of government’s efforts to repatriate them. Fatile said 230 stranded Nigerian football fans were profiled to board chartered Ethiopian Airline to Abuja but at the last minute, only 155 boarded the flight. “As at the last count, over 230 stranded Nigerians had been cleared to board an Ethiopian Airline flight to Abuja, however, only 155 boarded the flight that arrived Friday night July…
Tuesday, 24 July 2018 05:10
NFF crisis: DSS kicks out Giwa, restores Pinnick
Secretariat of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), was thrown into confusion, when members of Amaju Pinnick’s-led Executive Committee led by second Vice President, Mr Shehu Dikko stormed the Glass House yesterday evening. Operatives of Department of State Services (DSS) were jolted to their feet on sighting three cars they came with, mistaking them for Chris Giwa-led faction. It took the intervention of the General Secretary, Mr Mohammed Sanusi, to calm the security agents. Shortly after the drama, board members comprising Chairman, technical sub-committee, Mr Ahmed Yusuf Fresh and Chairman of chairmen, Mr Ibrahim Gusau held closed door meeting with Sanusi before…
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Sunday, 22 July 2018 03:13
155 Nigerians stranded in Russia after World Cup arrive Abuja
A nursing mother and 154 out of 230 Nigerian football fans stranded in Russia after the 2018 FIFA World Cup arrived the country Friday night. The stranded football fans came through Ethiopian Airline flight number ET-ALP that arrived Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport Abuja at about 9.12 p.m on July 20. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, who was at the airport to monitor their arrival, lauded President Muhammadu Buhari’s effort to ensure their safe return. He said the president had directed that Nigerians, stranded in Russia after the 2018 World Cup tournament, should be evacuated immediately. According to him,…
Sunday, 22 July 2018 03:11
Niger 2019: Nigeria’s Flying Eagles beat Mauritania to qualify
Flying Eagles of Nigeria have qualified for 2019 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations to be staged in Niger Republic in 2019. Nigeria U-20 team sealed their qualification in style on Saturday at Agege Stadium in Lagos as they thumped their counterparts from Mauritania 5-0. The Flying Eagles scored two goals in the first half and did more in the second half to confirm their superiority over their opponents. It was Wasiu Alalade that put Nigeria in front in the 12th minute with a shot from a goalmouth scramble. After a flurry of missed chances, Flying Eagles doubled their lead after…
Tuesday, 17 July 2018 05:07
Buhari orders repatriation of Nigerians stranded in Russia
President Muhammadu Buhari has directed Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama and Minister of State, Aviation, Mr Hadi Sirika, to commence the process of repatriating Nigerians who travelled to Russia for FIFA 2018 World Cup and got stranded after the competition. The Presidency said Nigerian football fans got stranded in the country following activities of some unscrupulous travel agents who cancelled their return tickets and abandoned them to their fate. It said Onyeoma and Sirika have in compliance with the president’s directive taken necessary actions to bring the Nigerians back. “The Presidential directive is in line with the policy…
Tuesday, 17 July 2018 05:05
World Cup win gives France new set of heroes, needed boost
The welcome was grand, the emotion visceral as France's victorious World Cup team rolled down Paris' Champs-Elysees Avenue in an open-top bus Monday while tens of thousands of people cheered with unrestrained pride and jets streamed the national colors — blue, white, red — overhead. The crowd that waited for hours to greet the soccer team, under a hot sun and amid celebratory smoke bombs that choked the air, got its moment hours after the team returned from Russia to hoist the gold trophy on French soil for the second time in 20 years. The national team's 4-2 win over…