Sports Archives | Page 6 of 58

Wilder Set For Ring Return Against Herndon in June

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Former WBC world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder will return to the ring to face Tyrrell Herndon in Kansas this June. The 39-year-old fighter suffered back-to-back defeats against Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker in his last two bouts. Wilder famously fought British superstar Tyson Fury in three iconic contests between December 2018 and October 2021. However, with four defeats in his last five fights, Wilder will be desperate to prove he is still up there with the best in the world when he collides with Herndon on June 27 in Wichita, Kansas. ‘The Bronze Bomber’ established himself as one of the hardest hitters in the heavyweight division as he built up an impressive 40-0 professional record between 2008 and 2018. He pushed Fury to the limit during the Brit’s comeback fight for the WBC heavyweight title in December 2018, settling for a draw after ‘The Gypsy King’ dramatically got off the canvas in the closing stages. He followed that up with successful title defences against Dominic Breazeale and Luis Ortiz, but Fury outclassed him in their second and third fights to reclaim heavyweight gold. The American has struggled to recover from those defeats, beating Robert Helenius but losing to Zhang and Parker. Herndon has a professional record of 24 wins and five defeats ahead of the all-American clash. There had been talk that Wilder may retire after losing to Parker, but he insisted that he has more to give in an interview with TMZ. “The best is yet to come,” he said last November. “I had a lot of outside distractions that I had to get rid of. I took care of a lot of people and it got to the point where I couldn’t do it anymore. “I’ve got seven kids of my own, I can’t take care of everybody. Even the closest ones to me, I’ve been betrayed so many times. “It’s been a domino effect for the last five years. The thing about betrayal is it’s worse than heartbreak.”

Over 1000 Students Set to Participate in MTN Champs Continental Relays

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Over 1000 athletes are already set to participate in the upcoming MTN Champs Continental Relays, taking place between April 9 and April 12 at the UNILAG and Yabatech Sports complexes. Organisers anticipate even more registrations before the April 2 deadline. MTN Champs is Nigeria’s largest grassroots sports competition, a collaboration between MTN Nigeria and Making of Champs (MoC), providing a platform for young athletes to showcase their talents and potentially represent Nigeria on the global stage. Osaze Ebueku, Senior Manager, Go-to-Market at MTN Nigeria at the opening ceremony of the MTN Champs Classics events in Benin had emphasised the long-term vision behind MTN Champs: “We’re building future Olympians for Nigeria. MTN Champs is about more than competition. It’s about changing lives.” The continental relays mark the second leg of the MTN Champs Season 3, following the Classics competition in Benin, which saw 4,371 event entries from 2,056 athletes. As of March 24, the Lagos leg had already recorded 2,821 event entries across different age categories, highlighting the growing enthusiasm around the competition. The registered athletes are spread across four categories, with 174 in the Cadet (U-14) category, 388 in Youth (U-17), 270 in Junior (U-20), and 279 in the Senior category.To ensure smooth participation, organisers have outlined important guidelines. Athletes in the Cadet, Youth, and Junior categories must submit a signed Parental Consent Form, while all registered schools and athletes must collect their competition bibs by April 8 at the competition venue to confirm their participation and secure their place on the start list. Sports enthusiasts can look forward to an electrifying showcase of emerging talent, as young athletes seize the opportunity to prove their skills on a professional stage.

Ex-Barca star, Dani Alves, Release From Prison

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The top court in Spain’s Catalonia region on Friday overturned Brazilian soccer player Dani Alves’ rape conviction, saying the case against him had inconsistencies and contradictions. The 41-year-old defender was convicted last year of raping a woman in the restroom of a Barcelona nightclub in 2022 and sentenced to 4-1/2 years in prison. “Dani Alves is very happy. He is innocent, that is demonstrated. Justice has spoken,” Ines Guardiola, lawyer for the former Barcelona, PSG and Juventus player, told RAC1 radio. Two former power houses of world soccer, former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and France soccer great Michel Platini, were cleared of corruption charges on Tuesday. In its appeal ruling, the Catalan high court said the accuser’s testimony lacked reliability over facts that could be objectively verified through video, “explicitly indicating that what she recounted does not correspond to reality”. “The inadequacies of the evidence lead to the conclusion that the standard required by the presumption of innocence has not been met,” it said, noting “a series of gaps, inaccuracies, inconsistencies and contradictions concerning the facts, the legal assessment and its consequences”. Alves had already been released from prison on a 1 million euro ($1.1 million) bail while awaiting the appeal. He may now leave the country as the Catalan court lifted all restrictions, including a travel ban and restraining order, plus the payment of compensation. The court said that the alleged victim’s argument that she went with Alves into the restroom for fear that his friends might follow them did not appear reasonable, concluding that she instead “voluntarily went to the bathroom area for the purpose of being with the defendant in a more intimate space”. It added that CCTV footage did not allow any inference about whether she consented to the subsequent interaction or not. Ester Garcia, the accuser’s lawyer, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The regional prosecutor’s office declined to comment. The decision can still be appealed to the Supreme Court.

Kenya Probes Goalkeeper Match-Fixing Allegation

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Kenya opened a match-fixing investigation Thursday following allegations that a national team goalkeeper helped rig an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) confirmed it was aware of videos circulating online involving goalkeeper Patrick Matasi which raised concern about the possibility of match manipulation. “FKF upholds the integrity of football and has launched an official investigation, in collaboration with FIFA, CAF, and other relevant authorities,” the Kenya football board said in a statement. “We reaffirm our zero-tolerance policy on match manipulation and are committed to safeguarding the credibility of our competition.” The secretly filmed online amateur video seen by AFP shows an unnamed man talking to Matasi over a plan to fix a match in return for cash. The former AFC Leopards and Tusker goalkeeper, who also had a playing stint with Ethiopian side Coffee Sports Club, played in Kenya’s 4-1 loss to former African champions Cameroon in a 2025 AFCON qualifier in Yaounde last October. The defeat dimmed Kenya’s hopes of qualifying for the finals in Morocco, and led to the resignation of the team’s coach Engin Firat. Matasi was dropped from the team by the new coach Benni McCarthy and did not feature in the recent 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Gambia and Gabon. Kenyan football has been hit by the dark shadow of match-fixing malpractices in the recent past with 14 players and two coaches suspended by the FKF in January 2023 following a tip-off about cheating in the national league. In February 2020, FIFA banned four Kenyan-based players — one for life — over an “international conspiracy” to fix league matches. Five Kenyan referees were also later suspended over the same scandal. The Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis, an independent think tank, warned that match-fixing had infiltrated multiple levels of Kenyan football from grassroots competitions to the professional leagues. “This has left a trail of disillusionment among fans and undermined the integrity of football and could lead to loss of public trust and confidence in the football industry,” the organization said in a January 2024 report.

CAF Launches Registration For Young Reporters Workshop In Ghana

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The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has opened applications to register for the Young Reporters Workshop that will be run alongside the CAF African Schools Football Championship continental finals in Accra, Ghana from 21-26 April, 2025. CAF, in partnership with CANAL+ University, is seeking candidates under the age of 25 to take part in the workshop and develop their journalistic skills to become the future voices of football on the African continent. Participants will benefit from masterclasses held by renowned CANAL+ journalist Charles Mbuya and the chance to put their learnings into practice at the CAF African Schools Football Championship continental finals. Candidates hoping to be part of the workshop must send a covering letter motivating why they have a passion for football journalism, their resume and a text article, audio clip or video as a sample of their work to youngreporter@cafonline.com. The registration process will close on 4 April, 2025. CAF and CANAL+ INTERNATIONAL, under the banner of CANAL+ University, entered into a strategic partnership in January to develop training programmes in the field of sports journalism for young African talent. The Young Reporters Workshop has been a key development programme at the CAF African Schools Football Championship since the competition was first played in 2022. The Young Reporters Workshop is one of several development programmes that will be held at the continental finals. Other capacity-building initiatives include: CAF D License Coaching Course, CAF Safeguarding workshops, Safety and Security workshops, Young Medical Officers Programme and Young Referee Programme.

CAF Awards U20 AFCON 2025 Hosting Rights To Egypt

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The Confederation African Football (CAF) has awarded the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) and Egyptian Government the rights to host the CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations 2025. This is subsequent to CAF having been informed by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football (FIF) and the Government of Côte d’Ivoire that due to unforeseen circumstances, they are unable to host the CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations 2025. The Egyptian Football Association and the Egyptian Government had previously submitted a bid to host the CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations 2025. The opening match of the CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations 2025 will be played on Sunday, 27 April 2025 and the Final on 18 May 2025.

GOtv Boxing Night 33: Nigeria, Ghana Renew Rivalry As Otoo Clash with Osaigbovo

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Top Ghanaian lightweight boxer, Emmanuel Otoo, will face rising Nigeria’s Tosin “Soldier Boy” Osaigbovo, in an international lightweight showdown at GOtv Boxing Night 33, scheduled for April 26 at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Indoor Sports Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium Otoo, an experienced campaigner with nine wins and nine knockouts from 15 fights, brings power and grit to the ring as he looks to upset the undefeated Osaigbovo, who boasts a flawless 11-0 record with eight knockouts. The Ghanaian has vowed to make a statement on Nigerian soil, but Osaigbovo remains confident that he will extend his perfect streak in front of his home crowd. The fight will see a renewal of the age-old Nigeria-Ghana sporting rivalry. Beyond this clash, the night promises more fireworks with bouts featuring Sikiru “Omo Iya Eleja” Shogbesan against Segun Gbobaniyi also in the lightweight division. Also on the card, William “Kaki” Amosu faces Emmanuel “Ability Famous” Abimbola in a light welterweight battle, while national super featherweight champion, Lateef “Latest” Azeez faces Sodiq Oyakojo. GOtv Boxing Night 33 takes place on April 26 at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Indoor Sports Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium.

Congo DR Maxi Munanga Shamba joins Rivers Hoopers

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Rivers Hoopers have completed the signing of Congo DR national team captain Maxi Munanga Shamba ahead of season five of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) which tips off on 5 April in Rabat, Morocco. Since the 2017 Afrobasket tournament in Rwanda, Shamba has been a crucial member of the Congolese national team. The 31 year old point guard also featured in the former club competition for men (FIBA Africa Champions Cup) before it transitioned to the BAL, for Lupopo (DR Congo), Zamalek (Egypt) and Association Sportive de Sale (Morocco) in 2009, 2013 and 2017 respectively. Shamba, who currently plays in France, averaged 12.7 points per game, 3 rebounds per game, and 6.7 assists per game at the 2021 Afrobasket. Shamba guided DR Congo to a remarkable 65-55 victory over Morocco during the 2025 Afrobasket Qualifiers in February. In 20 minutes, he managed to score 15 points and hit 4-of-6 shots from beyond the arc. The new Rivers Hoopers signees can be seen below Maxi Munanga Shamba – Point Guard (Congo DR)Kelvin Amayo – Combo Guard (Nigeria/Canada)Madut Akec – Small Forward (South Sudan)Raphiael Putney – Power Forward (USA)Peter Olisemeka – Center (Nigeria)