Sport
Wednesday, 12 January 2022 06:02
Super Eagles overcome Egypt in AFCON opener
Super Eagles of Nigeria overcame Egypt 1-0 in their opening match at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) at the Estadio Roumde Adjia in Cameroon on Tuesday evening. Kelechi Iheanacho scored the only goal of the match as the Super Eagles outclassed the Pharaohs and took charge of group D. The Pharaohs, who paraded Mo Salah, Ramadan Sobhi, Mohammed Elneny and Trezeguet, struggled to find their groove in a game that the Super Eagles dominated, most especially in the first half. Iheanacho put the Eagles ahead in the 30th-minute with a stunning, long-range shot. The England-based striker, who played…
Thursday, 06 January 2022 06:15
World’s No.1 tennis player Novak Djokovic denied entry to Australia, has visa canceled over Covid-19 vaccine issues
Novak Djokovic’s chance to play for a 10th Australian Open title was thrown into limbo Thursday when the country denied him entry and canceled his visa because he failed to meet the requirements for an exemption to Covid-19 vaccination rules. The top-ranked Djokovic announced on social media Tuesday that he had “exemption permission” and landed in Australia late Wednesday after receiving a medical exemption from the Victoria state government that was expected to shield him from the strict vaccination regulations in place for this year’s first major tennis tournament. But border authorities did not accept the exemption. The Australian Border…
Thursday, 30 December 2021 05:49
NFF appoints new head coach for Super Eagles
Jose Peseiro has been appointed as the new head coach of the Super Eagles. Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced Peseiro’s appointment in a communique Wednesday evening. The Portuguese tactician replaces Gernot Rohr, the Franco-German, who was sacked on December 12. Peseiro is expected to be at the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as an observer, while Augustine Eguavoen, the former international, will be in the dug-out when the three-time African champions file out at the tournament next month in Cameroon. “After careful consideration of a memo presented by Chairman of the Technical and Development Sub-Committee, the Executive Committee endorsed…
Saturday, 18 December 2021 06:12
UAE bars Nigerian athletes from world swimming contests
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday reportedly barred Nigerian athletes from participating in the 15th FINA World Swimming Championships in Dubai. According to PUNCH, the athletes and their representatives claimed they were denied access to take part in the competition on the order of UAE authorities. The athletes also alleged that they had arrived in Dubai to participate in the event but were disallowed from representing their country even though they did not travel from Nigeria. “On sighting our Nigerian passports, the UAE officials treated us with disdain,” a female athlete was quoted to have said. It is understood…
Monday, 13 December 2021 06:01
NFF sacks Rohr as Super Eagles coach, makes interim replacement
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has sacked Gernot Rohr as technical adviser of the Super Eagles. NFF confirmed the development in a statement posted on its website on Sunday. Augustine Eguavoen was named the interim coach of the three-time African champions. The statement reads: “The Nigeria Football Federation has appointed Augustine Eguavoen, currently its Technical Director, as the Technical Adviser of the Super Eagles on an interim basis. This is with immediate effect, and follows the termination of the relationship with Franco-German Gernot Rohr, who has been in charge of the three–time African champions for the past 64 months, and is…
Tuesday, 07 December 2021 06:01
U.S. officials to boycott Beijing Olympics over rights violations
U.S. government officials will boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing because of China's human rights "atrocities", the White House said on Monday, just weeks after talks aimed at easing tense relations between the two superpowers. The diplomatic boycott, which leaves athletes free to travel to Beijing to compete, has been encouraged by some members of Congress and rights advocacy groups for months. Beijing threatened unspecified "resolute countermeasures" against any such move before Monday's announcement, which is certain to further strain relations already at their lowest point in decades. President Joe Biden's administration highlighted what Washington says is genocide against…
Saturday, 20 November 2021 05:47
‘I wanted less than a minute’: 105-year-old unsatisfied after 100m world record
Like all elite athletes, Julia “Hurricane” Hawkins has a ruthless streak. So, despite setting a 100m world record on Sunday at the Louisiana Senior Games, she still wants to go faster. “It was wonderful to see so many family members and friends. But I wanted to do it in less than a minute,” the 105 year-old said after the race, where she recorded a time of 1:02.95, a record for women in the 105+ age category. When someone pointed out that 102 is less than her age and asked if that made her feel better, Hawkins answered: “No”. The retired…
Sunday, 26 September 2021 05:44
Anthony Joshua loses 3 titles at a go as Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk prevails
Oleksandr Usyk has defeated Anthony Joshua by unanimous decision to be crowned the new unified world heavyweight champion. The Ukrainian boxer became the new heavyweight champion after all the three judges scored him 117-112, 116-112, 115-113 over Joshua. The Nigerian-born British boxer was left stunned by Usyk in front of 67,000 fans at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night. Joshua was defending his WBA, IBF, and WBO titles for the second time since recovering them back from Andy Ruiz Jr two years ago. The first upset was handed by Ruiz Jr in 2019 at the Madison Square Garden in New…
Thursday, 08 April 2021 05:49
National sports festival shuts down as organisers accuse FG of failing to release funds
Organisers of the National Sports Festival have threatened to end the event abruptly over failure of the Federal Government to release funds. They took the decision at the end of a meeting of the Local Organising Committee of the Sports Festival. According to the Coordinator of Media and Publicity, National Sports Festival, Ebomhiana Musa, Federal Government has failed to fulfil its promise to make funds available for the festival. “The Local Organising Committee, Edo2020 regrets to announce that it will end the games abruptly today, Thursday, April 8, 2021, for lack of funds,” the statement read. “Rising from an emergency…
Wednesday, 31 March 2021 05:21
AFCON 2022: Super Eagles peck Crocodiles of Lesotho 3-0
Super Eagles marked their return to Lagos with a 3-0 win over Crocodiles of Lesotho on Tuesday evening in their final game of the 2022 AFCON qualifiers. Victor Osimhen, Oghenekaro Etebo, and Paul Onuachu got a goal each as the Super Eagles ended their campaign in grand style. Super Eagles had already booked their place at next year’s AFCON tournament in Cameroon with their 1-0 win over the Benin Republic last Saturday in Porto Novo. Match Gernot Rohr made four changes to the starting 11 from the match against the Benin Republic. Francis Uzoho started his first game for the…
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Sunday, 28 March 2021 05:17
Nigeria celebrate Cup of Nations place with Benin Republic win
Nigeria are through to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations - but Group L rivals Benin will have to wait after conceding an injury time goal to the Super Eagles and losing 1-0 in Porto Novo. Nigeria had already been confirmed as having qualified for the tournament in Cameroon next year thanks to a 0-0 draw between Lesotho and Sierra Leone earlier in the day. That result also meant Benin only needed a point from the game at home against Nigeria, and they held out for 93 minutes - until Paul Onuachu scrambled in Nigeria's winner deep into injury time.…
Saturday, 13 March 2021 05:32
CAF elects new president, returns Nigeria’s Pinnick as VP
At the 43rd Confederation of African Football, CAF, General Assembly meeting, March 12 in Rabat, Morocco, Patrice Motsepe was elected as President, while Amaju Pinnick emerged as one of the Vice Presidents. Motsepe, who becomes the seventh person to occupy the position of CAF President, begins his four-year term after being elected unopposed by the Member Associations. Pinnick, Nigeria Football Federation boss, is now the fifth Vice President going by the new arrangement by CAF, which hitherto had three vice presidents. He was CAF First Vice President (September 2018 to July 2019) under former CAF president, Ahmad Ahmad. He lost …
Wednesday, 10 February 2021 04:02
Ex-Super Eagles star Yisa Sofoluwe is dead
Former Super Eagles’ defender Yisa Sofoluwe has died on Tuesday after being in coma for five days. The 53-year-old Sofoluwe was admitted at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) since last Thursday after it was diagnosed that he had mild cerebral atrophy. Ex-footballer Waidi Akanni who has been taking care of the deceased alongside another former footballer, Jide Oguntuase broke the news of Sofoluwe’s death late last night. “Sofoluwe didn’t make it. We tried our best to save his life but unfortunately he has gone to be with the Lord”an emotional Akanni revealed. Sofoluwe won 40 caps and scored one…
Monday, 11 January 2021 06:16
Football legend, Christian Chukwu, debunks death rumour
Former Super Eagles Coach, Christian Chukwu has debunked the news of his death, saying that he is hale and hearty. Chukwu disclosed this on Sunday in an interview at his Trans Ekulu residence, Enugu. The social media have since January 8, been awash with the news of Chukwu’s demise. However, the former Green Eagles captain, who celebrated his 70th birthday on Jan. 4, 2021, said that he was surprised that some people would wish him death. “I am terribly embarrassed with this news that I am dead. Several people have been calling me from across the world since the news…