Nigeria-Arsenal whizkid Nwaneri lands scholarship
Nigeria and Arsenal’s 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri is quickly gaining recognition as one of the club’s brightest prospects.
Category: Sports
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Lagos Women Run: Organisers target over 10,000 runners for 9th edition
The organisers of the annual 10km Lagos Women Run has said they are targeting over 10,000 runners for the 9th edition of the race coming up on November 9, 2024.
Nigeria sinks Ghana, retains West African U20 crown
Slippery forward Kparobo Arierhi netted a brace as champions Nigeria successfully defended their WAFU U20 title on Wednesday night after a 2-1 defeat of regional rivals Ghana in this year’s final in Lome. The Flying Eagles dominated large swatches of the encounter, but it turned out a game of two halves and Nigeria were imperious in the first half and Ghana turned on the heat in the second. Harcourt came up with a clever palm-down when the Ghanaians broke through from the left with a cross and a header in the 14th minute, and then punched the ball away after a point-blank shot as the Satellites waltzed their way into the box from the right in added time. In-between, Kparobo Arierhi had concluded the damage. First, in the 34th minute, he received a pass on the edge of the box as the Flying Eagles broke forward on the right, and scored with the trusted poacher’s calm, left-footed finish into the bottom corner, with the goalkeeper clutching grass. The second was more spectacular. Nigerian manfully snatched the ball half-way into the Satellites’ area, and a couple of passes left Kparobo, who plays his club football for Beyond Limits FC, and had scored Nigeria’s winner in the 2-1 win over Cote d’Ivoire in the group phase, face to face with the goalkeeper. Without any attempt at showboating, he unleashed a right-footed rocket right into the roof of the net. On the hour, Nigeria had to spiritedly clear their lines as the Black Satellites, in a rare onslaught, picked the pockets of several defenders and got the ball past goalkeeper Harcourt. Five minutes later, Nigeria again escaped through stout defending as a flurry of shots from inside and outside the box simply failed to get the ball beyond Harcourt. The pressure finally paid off for the Ghanaians in the 74th minute, as they reduced the tally following a goalmouth melee. However, the Flying Eagles held on to retain their trophy won two years ago in Niger Republic, and with Kparobo Arierhi collecting the Man-of-the-Match award. Nigeria and Ghana will represent WAFU B at next year’s Africa U20 Cup of Nations, to be hosted by South Africa.
Man Utd: Van Nistelrooy arrives for first match as interim manager
Ruud van Nistelrooy has arrived at Old Trafford to lead Manchester United as interim manager, stepping in after Erik ten Hag’s departure earlier this week following a difficult start to the season. Van Nistelrooy, a former United striker, will oversee his first game in charge against Leicester City in the Carabao Cup, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake. This match marks the beginning of the post-Ten Hag era, after Ten Hag secured two domestic trophies last season, including the Carabao Cup, which ended United’s six-year trophy drought. Van Nistelrooy had been appointed as Ten Hag’s assistant over the summer in anticipation of Ten Hag’s third season, but now finds himself leading the team in a transitional period. United are actively pursuing a new permanent manager, with Ruben Amorim from Sporting Lisbon as the top candidate. Amorim arrived at Sporting’s headquarters on Wednesday to conduct training but faces a potential mid-season exit that some players reportedly view with concern. Sporting confirmed on Tuesday that Amorim’s £8.3 million release clause had been paid, leaving the final decision up to the manager.
Dominican Republic 2024: Sanusi salutes Flamingos
The General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, warmly welcomed the U17 Women’s National Team, the Flamingos, back to Nigeria after their quarter-final exit in the 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic. Despite their 0-2 loss to the United States, Sanusi commended the team for their determination and resilience, emphasizing the need to support and encourage the players. “The NFF is proud of the Flamingos and their performance in this tournament,” Sanusi stated. “They fought hard, and though they couldn’t replicate their win over the USA from two years ago, they showed remarkable effort.” Reflecting on the Flamingos’ impressive group-stage performance—where they topped their group with nine points, nine goals scored, and only one conceded—Sanusi highlighted the team’s talent and potential. “These players have the skill, temperament, and discipline to advance to the U20 squad, and we must continue to support them.” The Flamingos returned to Nigeria on Tuesday after a tournament that saw them defeat New Zealand 4-1, Ecuador 4-0, and host nation Dominican Republic 1-0 to advance to the knockout stages. Head Coach Bankole Olowookere expressed pride in his players, noting that while the match against the USA didn’t go their way, the team created several opportunities. “We’ll start working immediately to build an even stronger squad for next year, as the tournament will now be held annually,” he said. The 2024 World Cup in the Dominican Republic is the last biennial edition, with Morocco set to host the first of the annual tournaments starting next year.
Rivers Hoopers dominate Police Batons in Atlantic Conference clash
Rivers Hoopers stormed past Police Batons with an 87-58 victory in their third match of the Atlantic Conference at the Nigeria Premier Basketball League in Benin on Tuesday.
Gusau hails Lookman, encourages him for better Ballon d’Or outing next year
President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau has commended Super Eagles’ forward Ademola Lookman for finishing in 14th place in this year’s Ballon d’Or race, saying he believes the petite forward has what it takes to finish much higher in the race next year. Lookman finished 14th in this year’s contest which gala was held in Paris on Monday night, and which was won by Manchester City ace Rodri. “The NFF commends Ademola Lookman for his feat, and we believe he has the potential to finish much higher next year. He was already a winner before Monday’s night’s gala, as the only African on the 30-man shortlist. He was also the second highest-rated Italian Serie A player in the race. “We encourage him to continue doing his best for club and country, and the sky will be the limit for him.” Lookman scored three important goals for Nigeria as the Super Eagles finished in second place at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire earlier in the year, and then scored all three goals in the Europa Cup final as his Italian club, Atalanta, routed German top side Bayer Leverkusen. This season, he has remained within the goals/assists frame for club and country. He has scored two goals for Nigeria in the 2025 AFCON qualification race, with two other goals controversially chalked off. Most pundits see him winning this year’s Africa Player of the Year award. If that happens, it will be the first time that a Nigerian has picked the continental gong from a fellow Nigerian, since ‘Prince of Monaco’ Victor Nosa Ikpeba took over from Nwankwo Kanu in 1997. The first was in 1994, when Emmanuel Amuneke took over from Rashidi Yekini (of blessed memory).
Morocco 2025: Super Eagles to conclude qualifying campaign on November 18
The Confederation of African Football has picked Monday, November 18 for Nigeria’s final 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Rwanda, scheduled for the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo. The Matchday 6 encounter will draw the curtain on the race from Group D for slots at the 35thAfrica Cup of Nations finals to be held in Morocco December 2025/January 2026. CAF has also appointed Moroccan match officials for the game, with Samir Guezzaz in the role of referee at the encounter that will commence at 5pm Nigeria time. His compatriots Zakaria Brinsi, Abdessamad Abertoune and Kech Chaf Mustapha will serve as assistant referee 1, assistant referee 2 and fourth official respectively. Prosper Harrison Addo from Ghana will be the commissioner while Somalian Ali Mohamed Ahmed will be in the role of referee assessor. For the Matchday 5 clash with Benin Republic at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny on Thursday, 14th November, that will commence at 7pm CIV time (8pm Nigeria time), CAF has appointed officials from Senegal to superintend, with Issa Sy to be referee. His compatriots Djibril Camara, Nouha Bangoura and El Hadji Amadou Sy will serve as assistant referee 1, assistant referee 2 and fourth official respectively. Ivorian Rene Williams Sere will be commissioner while Angolan Inacio Manuel Candido will be referee assessor.