Sports Archives | Page 17 of 36

Dominican Republic 2024: Flamingos breeze past New Zealand

Prince Odutola2 months ago2 months ago04 mins

Nigeria coasted to a 4-1 victory over flummoxed New Zealand as the 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals rolled into action in Santiago de los Caballeros on Wednesday. Shakirat Moshood scored one of the competition’s fastest goals since it was launched 16 years ago, when she rounded the defence of the girls from Down Under to score the first goal after only 80 seconds at the CFC Stadium. The precocious Faridat Abdulwahab rocked the crossbar seven minutes later from 23 yards, and in the 13th minute, Nigeria went two goals up when defender Taiwo Adegoke’s shot from well outside the box was misjudged by the goalkeeper who palmed the ball over the line before scrambling in vain to push it out. A check with the Video Assistant Referee confirmed that the ball had, indeed, crossed the line. Firing from all cylinders, Nigeria again rattled the opposing goalkeeper in the 17th minute, with a sharp shot from Moshood that was punched over the bar. Four minutes later, Peace Effiong, all over the pitch, heaved the ball too high from six yards. In the 26th minute, Harmony Chidi rounded the goalkeeper who made a great block on the second attempt. Captain Taiwo Afolabi stung the goalkeeper’s palms from close range in the 28th minute, and from the resultant corner kick, Abdulwahab easily lifted the ball over the goalie from 16 yards for Nigeria’s third goal. In the second half, the Flamingos continued their raid on the opposition goal, and eight minutes into the restart, it was 4-0 after Afolabi’s looping header from Adegoke’s cross from the right sailed over the goalkeeper into the net. On the hour, Saxon scored a goal right from the training ground, collecting the ball from a corner kick and doing a smart turn to shoot past goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma, thus pulling one back for the New Zealanders. Although Chidi, Nigeria’s top scorer from the qualifying series, was again foiled in the 75thminute, the Flamingos finished on the ascendancy and will look forward to another three points against debutants Ecuador on Saturday, that will take them to the tournament’s knockout stage.

Sanwo-Olu celebrates Oshodi’s rise to ATTF Presidency

Prince Odutola2 months ago2 months ago04 mins

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has praised the election of Wahid Enitan Oshodi as the 6th President of the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Tuesday, October 15, 2024. Oshodi, a former Commissioner for Youth, Sports, and Social Development, was unanimously elected at the Elective Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the continental body held at the African Union (AU) headquarters. The meeting was attended by 40 member nations of the ATTF, making Oshodi the second Nigerian to lead the continental sports body after Engr. Segun George, who served from 1988 to 1996. “We are indeed proud of a true Lagosian who has continued to put Nigeria and Lagos on the world map through his sheer ingenuity in sports. His rising profile within and outside the continent has not come as a surprise, as he has shown to be a reliable hand when it comes to sports development. “His keen interest in youth development has helped to unearth several stars like Quadri Aruna and Olajide Omotayo. He is loved by the athletes and genuinely takes a special interest in their welfare. Since he left office as Commissioner, he has kept faith in sports, and this has been confirmed by his unanimous election in Addis Ababa,” said Governor Sanwo-Olu. Sanwo-Olu also pledged the state’s support to Oshodi and called on other Nigerians to support their compatriot, who has continued to make the country proud with his international acceptance. Oshodi’s journey in sports administration began in 2000 when he was appointed to the Lagos State Sports Council Governing Board under the administration of then Governor Bola Tinubu. He later became the Chairman of the Lagos State Table Tennis Association (LSTTA). Under Governor Babatunde Fashola’s administration, he was appointed Commissioner for Youth, Sports, and Social Development in 2011, where he supervised the National Sports Festival, tagged: “Eko 2012”. He was subsequently elected President of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), where he brought vibrancy to the sport, unearthing international stars for the country. Recognised by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), Oshodi was appointed Chairman of its Nomination Committee. In 2019, he was elected Deputy President of the ATTF, and in 2021, he topped the voting for the post of Executive Vice President of the ITTF, beating candidates from China and Europe. His ingenuity in sports administration has made Nigeria a hub for table tennis. With his election, Oshodi is currently the only Nigerian presiding over a continental sports body.

Tuchel becomes England’s third foreign coach

Prince Odutola2 months ago2 months ago03 mins

Former Paris Saint-German head coach Thomas Tuchel was on Wednesday confirmed as the new boss of the England men’s national football team. The 51-year-old German, who claimed six trophies in his two years in the French capital, will take over from interim manager Lee Carsley in January after the draw for the qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup. “I am very proud to have been given the honour of leading the England team,” said Tuchel. “I have long felt a personal connection to the game in this country, and it has given me some incredible moments already. “To have the chance to represent England is a huge privilege, and the opportunity to work with this special and talented group of players is very exciting.” During nearly two years at the English Premier League outfit Chelsea, he led the side to 2021 Champions League, the Uefa Super Cup and the Club World Cup. But he left the west Londoners after the club was sold to Todd Boehly in 2022. In his 15 months at Bayern Munich, he steered the German giants to the 2023 Bundesliga crown – an 11th consecutive Bundesliga title for the Bavarians – before an acrimonious departure involving public spats with an array of senior players and executives. “We are thrilled to have hired one of the best coaches in the world,” English Football Association CEO Mark Bullingham said in a statement on Wednesday. Tuchel will be joined by his former Chelsea assistant Anthony Barry, who most recently worked with Portugal at the 2023 European championships. “Fundamentally we wanted to hire a coaching team to give us the best possible chance of winning a major tournament, and we believe they will do just that,” Bullingham added. “Thomas and the team have a single-minded focus on giving us the best possible chance to win the World Cup in 2026.” Tuchel will become England’s third foreign coach after Sven-Goran Eriksson from Sweden and the Italian Fabio Capello.

Morocco to host 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League

Prince Odutola2 months ago2 months ago02 mins

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced that Morocco will host the 2024 edition of the CAF Women’s Champions League Finals. The CAF Women’s Champions League Morocco 2024 will be played between 09-23 November 2024. Morocco hosted the 2022 edition of the CAF Women’s Champions League – the premium women’s club football competition in Africa. Eight (8) Clubs will contest the top prize. Winners will get USD 400 000 in prize money with runners-up walking away with USD 250 000. Mamelodi Sundowns are the current holders – having won the competition twice in three years. Morocco’s ASFAR is the other team that has won the Competition – back in 2022 when they defeated Mamelodi Sundowns. Since it’s inception, the CAF Women’s Champions League played a key role in shaping women’s football in Africa. Morocco’s hosting of the CAF Women’s Champions League follows the nation’s successful hosting of the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2022 which also enjoyed unparallelled success. Six Zonal tournaments took place to qualify 6 teams in addition to the host and the holder of 2023 title to the FT of CAF WCL 2024. The following teams are qualified: CAF Women’s Champions League Qualified Clubs: Holders: Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) Host : ASFAR (Morocco) WAFU A : Aigles de la Medina (Senegal) WAFU B : EDO Queens (Nigeria) COSAFA : University of Western Cape (South Africa) UNAF : Tutankhamun (Egypt) CECAFA: CBE FC (Ethiopia) UNIFFAC: TP Mazembe (DR Congo)

Dominican Republic 2024: Flamingos target three points against New Zealand

Prince Odutola2 months ago2 months ago03 mins

Nigeria’s U17 girls, Flamingos will gun for the maximum points when they take on their counterparts from New Zealand on Wednesday night in what is actually the first match of this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals in the Dominican Republic. Although the game between host nation Dominican Republic and Ecuador (the other fixture in Group A) is billed as the opening match, Nigeria and New Zealand will do battle at the CFC Stadium in Santiago de los Caballeros from 4pm local time (9pm in Nigeria), while the host nation and Ecuador will square up as from 9pm local time (2am Thursday in Nigeria). Bronze medallists in the last edition of the competition in India, the Flamingos are aiming to go farther this time, with Head Coach Bankole Olowookere insisting that he has the ammunition to overcome opponents on their way. “I have confidence in the girls to deliver the goods at this competition. We have come well-prepared to do even better than we did in India. The Nigeria Football Federation have done everything to prepare the team well, with a two-week final camping here in Dominican Republic. “We do not under-rate any of our opponents. However, we will take it one match at a time and produce our best in each game in order to go all the way.” The Flamingos have previously missed taking part in only one edition of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals – the 2018 finals in Uruguay. In the qualifying campaign for this year’s finals, the Nigerian girls notched 25 goals in six matches, with 13 of them scored by clinical forward Harmony Chidi. After the encounter with New Zealand on Wednesday night, the Flamingos will confront their counterparts from Ecuador, also at the CFC Stadium in Santiago de los Caballeros, before their final group phase game against the host nation at the Felix Sanchez Stadium in Santo Domingo. The clash with Ecuador is on Saturday, 19th October while the battle with the host nation is on Tuesday, 22nd October.

Tuchel agrees to become England’s manager

Prince Odutola2 months ago2 months ago04 mins

Thomas Tuchel has agreed to become England’s manager after talks with the Football Association accelerated on Tuesday. The 51-year-old will be the third foreign manager of the men’s team and the first from Germany. The FA has had Tuchel on its shortlist to find Gareth Southgate’s permanent successor since the beginning of the process, a list that also included Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola and the interim manager, Lee Carsley, among others. It zeroed in on Tuchel, who led Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2021 – the highlight on an impressive CV. He has been out of work since leaving Bayern Munich in May. Tuchel follows Sven-Göran Eriksson and Fabio Capello in taking the job as an overseas head coach. The FA’s chief executive, Mark Bullingham, who led the recruitment process alongside the technical director, John McDermott, has long been clear that nationality should be no barrier to the role. Bullingham made the point during the European Championship in June that the England women head coach, Sarina Wiegman, is Dutch. In others words, the FA was and is perfectly happy to put its trust in someone from outside England. There is no doubt that Tuchel is an anglophile. He speaks excellent English – a prerequisite for the FA in terms of an overseas candidate – and he embraced his 18 months or so at Chelsea, becoming a cult hero to their fans. Tuchel’s skills as an orator and a leader came to the fore when he spoke out against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, despite Chelsea being owned at the time by a Russian, Roman Abramovich. Tuchel found that he loved the more personality-driven aspect of the British media. Tuchel is uncompromising and left his previous four jobs under something of a cloud, reports of fallings-out with players and directors following his exits from – in chronological order – Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern. On the other hand, when Tuchel hits his stride, he has the ability to energise and inspire, to build momentum. Hugely charismatic, he has a proven track record at the highest level, winning everything on the domestic front at PSG before narrowly failing to deliver them a maiden Champions League trophy, losing in the 2020 final to Bayern. He would make up for that on a personal level at Chelsea. At Dortmund, he had won the DFB-Pokal. At Bayern, he would win the Bundesliga. Tuchel would be expected to bring the English coach Anthony Barry with him, having worked with him at Chelsea and Bayern. Barry is an assistant to the Portugal manager, Roberto Martínez.

Sudan further sinks Ghana’s AFCON 2925 hope

Prince Odutola2 months ago2 months ago02 mins

Ghana suffered a 2-0 defeat to Sudan in a crucial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Martyrs International Stadium in Libya on Tuesday. The Black Stars were seeking their first win in the qualifiers, but Sudan showed greater determination in the second half, scoring two goals to secure the points. Mohammed Kudus captained the team, with Inaki Williams leading the attack. Ibrahim Sulemana and Elisha Owusu operated in midfield, while the backline consisted of Alidu Seidu, Gideon Mensah, Mohammed Salisu, and Alexander Djiku. After a goalless first half, Sudan broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute through Al Tash Mohammed. He scored from close range after Mohammed Salisu’s unsuccessful goal-line clearance. Sudan doubled their lead three minutes later with Abdel-Rahaman’s precise shot, which beat Lawrence Ati-Zigi. Ghana made several substitutions in pursuit of a goal. Mohammed Salisu was replaced by Jonas Adjetey due to injury, while Jordan Ayew and Abdul Fatawu Issahaku came on for Antoine Semenyo and Ernest Nuamah. Alidu Seidu and Ibrahim Sulemana made way for Tariq Lamptey and Michael Baidoo. Despite creating a few chances, Ghana’s best opportunity fell to Inaki Williams in the 82nd minute, but he shot wide. The Black Stars pressed for a consolation goal, but their efforts were insufficient as Sudan secured their second win in the qualifiers. Ghana will face Niger and Angola in their remaining two matches in November.

WAFU B U20 Tourney: Zubair lists Agada, Salihu, 18 others as Soname promises naira rain

Prince Odutola2 months ago2 months ago03 mins

Head Coach Aliyu Zubair has selected talented midfielder Nasiru Salihu and forward Charles Agada among a list of 20 players to fly Nigeria’s flag at the WAFU B U20 Championship kicking off in Lome, Togo on Thursday. The championship is a qualifying tournament for next year’s Africa U20 Cup of Nations. The contingent of 20 players and 12 officials arrived in Lome on Tuesday afternoon, following an intensive, one-week final camping programme at the high-grade Remo Stars Training Complex in Ikenne, Ogun State. Proprietor of the institute and president of Nigeria Premier Football League club Remo Stars, Hon. Kunle Soname has promised the Flying Eagles the sum of N5 million if the Cup holders successfully defend their title in Togo and return the trophy home. He also gave the team the sum of N1 million on departure from the institute on Monday. The Flying Eagles won the last edition of the competition staged in Niamey, capital of Niger Republic. They will take on their counterparts from Burkina Faso on Friday, in their first match of the competition, and will also play Cote d’Ivoire in a three-team Group B, with the two best teams to reach the semi finals. Group A has hosts Togo, Ghana, Niger Republic and Benin Republic. FLYING EAGLES FOR 2024 WAFU B U20 CHAMPIONSHIP Goalkeepers: Ifeanyi Harcourt (Sporting Lagos); Nathaniel Nwosu (Nasarawa United) Defenders: Adamu Maigari (El-Kanemi Warriors); Daniel Bameyi (Bayelsa United); Kenneth Igboke (Enugu Rangers); Haruna Aliyu (Doma United); Musa Ademu (Wireless FC); Olalekan Alabi (El-Kanemi Warriors) Midfielders: Raphael Oyebanjo (Shuffle Select FC); Muhammad Ibrahim (Niger Tornadoes); Oluwaseyi Akinfenwa (Real Sapphire FC); Ibrahim Abdullahi (Bayelsa United); Isaac Ayuma (NK Istra, Croatia); Nasiru Salihu (El-Kanemi Warriors) Forwards: Divine Oliseh (Forster FC); Charles Agada (Mavlon FC); Kparobo Arierhi (Beyond Limits FC); Olalekan Amole (Real Sapphire FC); Olalekan Ibrahim (Central Academy); Clinton Jephta (Enyimba FC)