October 2024 | Page 19 of 23

Sooj, Anita evicted from BBNaija 2024 house

Prince Odutola3 months ago3 months ago01 mins

Sooj and Anita have been evicted from the Big Brother Naija 2024 No Loose Guard’ house. Sooj is the last born of five, he has two brothers and two sisters. He refers to his father as his twin and his mom as his rock. “I was raised with love,” he added. A man of many talents who is still discovering more, Sooj is very artistic. He draws, paints, dances, and raps. “I feel like a champion getting to the final. “I’m very proud of the outcome,” he said. On the other Anita aims at taking her modelling prowess to the international stage. She said is not disappointed by her eviction on the final day. Apart from winning the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) pageant in 2018, Anita also competed at the Miss World pageant and has modelled both locally and internationally.

WAFU B U20 Tourney: Flying Eagles to relocate to Ikenne

Prince Odutola3 months ago3 months ago01 mins

Nigeria’s U20 boys, Flying Eagles, will move to Ikenne, Ogun State for a final camping programme ahead of their participation at this year’s WAFU B U20 Championship in Togo. The 2023 FIFA World Cup quarter-finalists will camp at the high-grade Remo Sports Institute for a week before departing for Lome, where they tackle Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire in a three-team Group B, in their quest to defend the title they won in Niger Republic two years ago. Hosts Togo will battle Ghana, Benin Republic and Niger Republic in Group A of the competition that is scheduled for 17th – 31st October. The championship in Togo serves as the qualifying tournament for next year’s Africa U20 Cup of Nations, from where the top-placed four teams will qualify to fly Africa’s flag at next year’s FIFA U20 World Cup finals in Chile.

Morocco 2025: CAF names Malawian referee for Nigeria, Libya clash

Prince Odutola3 months ago3 months ago01 mins

Referee Godfrey Philip Nkhakananga, of Malawian nationality, will be at the centre during Friday’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and the Mediterranean Knights of Libya, at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo. The Confederation of African Football has also appointed Nkhakananga’s compatriots, Clemence Kanduku and Joseph Nyauti as assistant referees 1 ad 2 respectively, while Botswanan Keabetswe Dintwa will serve as fourth official for the Matchday 3 clash starting at 5pm. Munkaila Nassam Adam from Ghana will be the commissioner, while Issaka Boubacar from Niger and Mayowa Akingbemisilu will be in the roles of referee assessor and broadcast venue manager respectively.

Morocco 2025: Eguavoen drops Osimhen, picks 23 Eagles for Libya clash

Prince Odutola3 months ago3 months ago03 mins

Head Coach Augustine Eguavoen has called Captain William Ekong, rave-of-the-moment Ademola Lookman, in-form winger Moses Simon and 20 other players for this month’s home-and-away 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying battle with the Mediterranean Knights of Libya. Wing-backs Olaoluwa Aina and Bruno Onyemaechi are included, as well as goalkeepers Stanley Nwabali and Maduka Okoya, defenders Oluwasemilogo Ajayi and Calvin Bassey, midfielders Wilfred Ndidi, Raphael Onyedika and Alex Iwobi, and forwards Taiwo Awoniyi, Victor Boniface and Samuel Chukwueze. Reigning Africa Player of the Year Victor Osimhen is excluded on grounds of injury, just as South Africa-based centre-back Olisa Ndah, but defender Bright Osayi-Samuel makes his way back after missing the duels with Benin Republic and Rwanda last month, and in-form playmaker Chidera Ejuke returns to the fold after many moons. Veteran forward Kelechi Iheanacho is also listed, as well as midfielders Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi and Frank Onyeka. The Super Eagles will host the Mediterranean Knights at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Friday, 11th October, before flying to Benghazi to take on the Knights at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium, 19 kilometres away from Benghazi on Tuesday, 15th October. All the players are expected to report in Uyo on Monday, 7th October. Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy); Amas Obasogie (Fasil Kenema SC, Ethiopia) Defenders: William Ekong (Al-Kholood FC, Saudi Arabia); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce SK, Turkey); Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista FC, Portugal); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Benjamin Tanimu (Crawley Town, England) Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England Revolution, USA); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Lazio FC. Italy); Frank Onyeka (Augsburg FC, Germany); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England) Forwards: Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Chidera Ejuke (Sevilla FC, Spain); Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Sevilla FC, Spain); Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Taiwo Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest, England)

Pogba’s drug ban cut to 18 months from 4 years

Prince Odutola3 months ago3 months ago03 mins

French international footballer Paul Pogba’s four-year ban for doping has been reduced to 18 months, a spokesperson from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said on Friday. “I can confirm the decision: an 18-month suspension with effect from 11 September 2023. The reasons for the decision will follow later,” the CAS spokesperson said. Pogba, who is under contract with Juventus until 2026, will be able to return to competitive football from March 11 next year, four days before his 32nd birthday. Pogba tested positive for testosterone in August 2023 after a match between Juventus and Udinese. He was provisionally suspended in September of the same year, and then banned for four years by the Italian National Anti-Doping Tribunal the following February. Pogba’s representatives said the testosterone came from a food supplement prescribed by a doctor he consulted in the United States. After the ban was announced, Pogba posted on his Instagram account that he had “never knowingly or deliberately” taken doping products. “I am sad, shocked and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me,” he wrote. On Friday evening, after the CAS ruling, his post was wordless, showing only a close-up of two feet wearing Pogba football boots with socks bearing his initials and decorated with the French flag and the two World Cup stars. A key figure when France won the 2018 world title in Russia, Pogba collected four Serie A titles in his first stint at Juventus but had a string of problems, on and off the pitch, after his 2022 return from Manchester United. During the 2022-23 season, Pogba made just 10 appearances for the club, mainly due to a knee injury that also ruled him out of the World Cup in Qatar, where France lost out to Argentina in the final in December 2022. He was also the victim of a case of organised extortion, for which six men, including his brother Mathias, were last month ordered to stand trial.

Basketball: Rivers Hoopers defeat Kano Pillars, advance to semis

Prince Odutola3 months ago3 months ago02 mins

Reigning champions of the Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL), Rivers Hoopers defeated Kano Pillars 59-42 in the quarterfinals of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Basketball Championship in Abuja on Saturday. It was a game that renewed old rivalry between the two teams and the two coaches (Ogoh Odaudu and Scott Nnaji). Although 99% of Kano Pillars’ players who last played against Hoopers in the league had left the team, leaving just Azuoma Dike as the only veteran on the team. The KingsMen, whose last meeting with Pillars was the group stage of the 2022 NPBL Final Eight in Lagos, started the game with a 6-0 run in the first quarter. Hoopers led in all four quarters of the game, and had a slim 31-22 lead at the break. Despite efforts from Pillars to close the gap in the third, the KingsMen outscored Pillars 12-10 to take an 11-point lead into the last quarter.Pillars, who played with a six-man rotation, wore out in the fourth and could barely keep up with the momentum in the last 5 minutes of the game. Rivers Hoopers will play Suleja Hornets in the semis on Saturday evening at 4pm.

CDS tourney: Rivers Hoopers remain unbeaten, face Kano Pillars

Prince Odutola3 months ago3 months ago02 mins

Rivers Hoopers have been drawn to play Kano Pillars in the quarterfinals of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Independence Basketball Championship in Abuja. The KingsMen defeated Gilali 77-41 to finish the group stage without a defeat, while Gboko City Chiefs finished second with two wins in Group C. Unlike the first two games, Hoopers took care of business in the first half and sailed through the remaining part of the game. At halftime, Hoopers had built an 18-point lead heading to the third quarter, which was extended to 29 points (62-33) going to the fourth. Although the KingsMen took their feet off the gas in the last quarter, they outscored Gilali 18-6 to pick up their third victory of the tournament. Hoopers will play against Kano Pillars at 8 a.m. on Saturday. The winner will advance to the semis scheduled for Saturday evening, while the winners of the semis will play in the final on Sunday.

NFF budgets N17.6bn for 2025

Prince Odutola3 months ago3 months ago02 mins

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has budgeted a whopping sum of N17.6 billion for the year 2025. Raising from its Annual General Meeting held in Asaba, Delta State on Thursday, the Congress in a communique approved the new budget. “The Congress approved the NFF’s 2025 budget proposal amounting to the sum of N17.6 billion,” the Communique stated. The Congress also approved the NFF’s Financial Statements for the Year ended 2023. The Congress acknowledged the Federal Government’s expectation for the Super Eagles qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Congress assured the government of its commitment to ensuring that necessary preparations are made to meet these objectives, while urging the Executive Committee of the NFF to prioritize decisions that will further develop Nigeria football. The Congress lauded the efforts of Nigeria’s national teams, especially the Super Eagles for their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations’ silver-medal feat and the Super Falcons for their participation in the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament after 16 years.