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Tag: Championship

CAF African Schools Football Championship: CAF Officials to Inspect Ikenne, Sagamu Facilities

Fola Badmus02 mins

Officials from the Confederation of African Football will arrive in Nigeria on Monday to inspect facilities that Nigeria is putting up to host this year’s CAF African Schools Football Championship Final Phase.   The CAF African Schools Football Championship, launched four years ago, is an annual U15 tournament with the objective of developing youth football and promoting education across the African continent. It is supported by a $10 million investment from the Foundation owned by CAF President, Dr Patrice Motsepe, and features zonal qualifiers leading to the continental final tournament.   The competition is for both boys and girls. The 2024 finals were held in Accra, Ghana where Tanzania’s boys and Ghana’s girls emerged victorious. Winners receive up to $300,000 in infrastructural development, and the tournament involves partnerships with organizations like United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO), for health education.   CAF officials Omar Amr (Safeguarding), Fatima Elmissaoui (ASFC officer), Herve Dassoundo (Marketing & Branding), Mahmoud Amer ((Travel/Logistics), Diabate Zakarhiya (Safety & Security), Hend Thabet (Travel & Accommodation), Joshua Knipp (ASFC Competition) and the Executive Director of WAFU B, Philippe Tchere will inspect proposed competition and ancillary venues in Ikenne-Remo and Sagamu on Tuesday, 3rd February and Wednesday, 4th February 2026.   Focus will be on the Remo Stars Stadium and training pitches in Ikenne-Remo, the FC Ebedei Stadium and training pitches in Sagamu, as well as hospitals and hotel facilities within these two towns.

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Nigeria, Egypt, Others Draw Opponents for 2026 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships

Fola Badmus03 mins

African table tennis giants Nigeria and Egypt are set to spearhead the continent’s campaign at the 2026 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships, which will unfold in London from April 28 to May 10. The official draws will take place at The Shard, London’s tallest building, on Monday, January 26, setting the stage for a historic tournament. In the men’s category, 12 African teams will line up among the 64 nations competing for global supremacy. The women’s category will see 11 African teams join the 64-nation field, a milestone that coincides with the centenary anniversary of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). Of the 64 teams per gender, 52 qualified through continental championships, 11 earned their places via the world rankings of November 2025, while host nation England completes the roll call. Beyond Nigeria and Egypt, Africa’s representation in the men’s division includes Benin, Tunisia, Algeria, Togo, Madagascar, Morocco, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, and Angola. In the women’s division, the continent will be represented by Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, Madagascar, Algeria, Tunisia, Uganda, South Africa, Angola, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo DR. A century after the inaugural ITTF World Table Tennis Championships were staged in England in 1926, the sport now returns to its birthplace for a landmark centenary celebration. The 2026 edition promises intensity and spectacle, with 64 men’s and 64 women’s teams competing across 13 days at two iconic London venues. The format will unfold in three stages as Stage 1B features group stages determining qualification pathways, followed by Stage 1A seeding matches for the top-ranked teams, before Stage 2 delivers knockout rounds showcasing the world’s finest teams in pursuit of global supremacy. The ITTF World Championships remain the pinnacle of table tennis—a stage where legends are forged, and history is written. The countdown has begun, the teams are assembling, and the world awaits as London 2026 prepares to host a celebration of sport unlike any other.

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Leicester Sacks Manager Ruud van Nistelrooy

Fola Badmus01 mins

Leicester City have confirmed manager Ruud van Nistelrooy will leave the club, nine weeks after they were relegated from the Premier League. Leicester were sent down to the Championship after winning just six games last season in a campaign that saw them sack Steve Cooper in November and replace him with Van Nistelrooy. However, the Dutch coach was unable to save them from relegation and paid the price for that result on Friday. “I would like to personally thank the Leicester City players, coaches, academy and all the staff I have worked with for their professionalism and dedication during my time at the club and to thank the fans for their support, and take this opportunity to wish the club well for the future,” Van Nistelrooy said in a statement. They will begin life in the Championship at home to Sheffield Wednesday on Aug. 10.

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Nigeria Secures Top Italian Coach for 2025 African Fencing Championships

Fola Badmus54 mins

As part of the strategic four-year partnership between the Nigerian Fencing Federation (NFF) and the Italian Fencing Federation (Federazione Italiana Scherma, FIS), a top-tier Italian coach will arrive in Lagos this June to work with the Nigerian team ahead of the 2025 African Senior Fencing Championships, which will take place from June 25 to 29 in Lagos. The partnership, signed in December 2024, aims to accelerate the development of fencing in Nigeria through technical support and knowledge exchange. The deployment of an elite Italian coach is one ofthe key deliverables of this collaboration. Riccardo Bardine, a highly respected figure in the international fencing community, will lead a two-week intensive training program for Nigerian coaches and athletes. Bardine is a certified fencing coach, strength and conditioning expert, and Paralympic sports specialist. He studied Sport Science and completed his fencing education at the prestigious Club Scherma Pisa Antonio Di Ciolo—one of the world’s most renowned fencing institutions. Bardine brings a wealth of experience, having coached at elite clubs such as Circolo Scherma La Spezia and Club Scherma Rapallo. He has also served on the coaching staff of Italy’s U17 National Épée Team and has trained top-level athletes in both foil and épée disciplines. As a former athlete, Bardine boasts an impressive résumé: a bronze medal at the Italian U23 Foil Championships, a silver at the National Team Championships (B Series, promoted to A Series), and two selections for the Junior National Épée Team at World Cups. He is also a certified Olympic weightlifting coach and specializes in physical preparation for both able-bodied and Paralympic athletes. Beyond the training camp, Bardine will lead the technical crew of TeamNigeria during the African Championships in Lagos. President of the Nigerian Fencing Federation, Adeyinka Samuel, expressed his excitement about the development, emphasizing the federation’s commitment to growing the sport and enhancing the capacity of both athletes and coaches. “This is one of the many benefits of our international partnership with a top fencing nation. Bringing a coach of Bardine’s caliber to Nigeria is not only cost-effective but also impactful, as it allows our coaches and athletes, both local and foreign-based, to learn directly from a world-class expert,” Samuel said. “We remain committed to seeking more support from both the private and public sectors as we work toward our ultimate goal: qualifying for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles,” Samuel said.

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Anthony Joshua Planning ‘Serious Investment’ in EFL Club

Fola Badmus04 mins

Anthony Joshua is currently in talks over a potential investment into one EFL Championship club. Joshua has forged huge earnings from his career in heavyweight boxing and is reported to have a net worth of around $83 million. The 35-year-old has been making investments with his boxing fortune, including purchasing property in the London area. And now, headlines materialised that Joshua could be looking to purchase a share in a club he knows well. The Watford-born and bred boxer is looking to invest in the club, further cementing his hero status in his hometown. He told Seconds Out: “We wanted to move into private equity, venture capital funds. “As you earn, naturally you want to save, so rather than me spending recklessly I’m trying to invest money into certain asset classes and that was an opportunity that presented itself. “Nothing’s come of it yet. It’s a serious investment. If it comes off it’s one that should do well. “If they went back to the Premier League then I’d need to get a shop on Market Street because the traffic that would be coming through Watford would be phenomenal. “I remember being on Market Street and watching the football fans. “I’m not a massive football fan myself but watching the fans steamroll Market Street and steamroll Vicarage Road were real good scenes. “If we don’t do it then good luck to them anyway because they’re a great team.” The Hornets finished 14th in the Championship, securing their place in the division comfortably for another year. Since their Premier League relegation at the end of the 2021-2022 season, Watford have spent three seasons in the Championship without securing a return. In the 2022-2023 season, they finished mid-table in 11th place, with Joao Pedro as their leading scorer. The following 2023-2024 campaign saw them drop slightly to 15th, with managerial changes not helping a period of instability at the club. The current 2024-2025 season concluded with them in 14th, with Vakoun Bayo leading their scoring. While they’ve shown some attacking capability, consistent results have eluded them, and they haven’t been in contention for promotion in any of these seasons. Given their lack of Championship play-off action yet again, Watford have since parted ways with manager Tom Cleverley. Joshua’s investment would likely help try to restore the club’s chances of pushing for a place back with the country’s elite.

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Leicester City Wants £9Million For Wilfred Ndidi

Fola Badmus73 mins

Leicester City could reportedly be set to see Wilfred Ndidi leave the club for just £9m this summer. The 28-year-old joined the Foxes in January 2017 from Genk in Belgium for £17m, soon establishing himself as a key player in the East Midlands. Ndidi has been a preferred option at the base of midfield this term, playing 25 matches for Leicester in the Premier League, providing four assists. Despite the Nigerian’s best efforts, Ruud van Nistelrooy’s troops have endured a woeful season, with relegation back to the Championship confirmed earlier this month. Leicester are currently occupying 19th position in the Premier League standings, a mammoth 18 points behind West Ham United in the safety of 17th. According BBC Sport, a key part of Ndidi’s transfer availability has been revealed following confirmation of Leicester finishing in the bottom three. The report claimed that the 28-year-old’s contract contains a release clause which has now activated after the Foxes’ relegation was sealed last week. As a result, Ndidi is now supposedly available for a fee of £9m during the summer trading point, with the midfielder potentially departing the King Power Stadium. It remains to be seen whether the 52-time international wishes to remain at Filbert Way and help the club regain its top-flight status next term. Premier League stalwarts Everton and French giants Marseille were known to be keen on securing the services of Ndidi before the start of the current season. Despite a sobering relegation, there are reasons for Leicester fans to be optimistic about an immediate promotion from the Championship next term. Only Daniel Iversen, Danny Ward and club legend Jamie Vardy are out of contract this summer, meaning that the Foxes could retain the core of their squad. Keeping as many Premier League players at the King Power as possible should give Leicester a healthy advantage over their second-tier rivals.

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Victor Moses, Luton Town Part Ways

Fola Badmus02 mins

Luton Town’s Victor Moses has less than three months left on his contract and his future is set to be away from the Championship club. That’s according to Africa Foot, who state the 34-year-old is aiming for new opportunities in the summer window. At the end of last season, Moses was released by Spartak Moscow and was without a club until Luton Town signed him on a free transfer in September 2024. He’s played 18 games so far this season. Luton Town appointed Matt Bloomfield as their new manager in January. Moses has played only once under his orders, against Preston North End in January. The manager has left the former Chelsea man out of the squad since then. Therefore, Moses has decided not to sign a new contract at Luton Town and leave them as a free agent. The player is managed by Roof and a source close to the agency has told Africa Foot that they can’t ignore his current situation at the English club. “He hasn’t played much since the beginning of the year, which is a fact we cannot ignore,” a source said. “But internally, the decision has been made: he’ll leave the club at the end of the season. He wants to end his time here on a high note, so he remains focused and professional until the end. His future will be determined very soon, but one thing is certain: he won’t retire.”

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Middlesbrough boss Carrick backs Iheanacho to keep scoring

Fola Badmus03 mins

Michael Carrick has backed Kelechi Iheanacho to build on his first goal for Middlesbrough and boost the push for a Sky Bet Championship play-off place. Boro moved level on points with sixth-placed West Brom and two points shy of Coventry in fifth after coming from behind to beat Oxford 2-1. Iheanacho’s strike in the 48th minute, when he powered in Samuel Illing-Junior’s cross, cancelled out Michal Helik’s opener for Oxford seven minutes before the break. But Iling-Junior, who was a menace throughout on the left for Middlesbrough, delivered another low cross into the area with 10 minutes left for defender Neto Borges to flick a brilliant finish into the net. That proved enough to earn an important win with just seven matches remaining, turning around a game which had seen Boro booed off at the end of the first half. And former Leicester forward Iheanacho is up and running, having scored for the first time since moving from Sevilla in January on loan. Boro boss Carrick said: “He is happy. We are trying to keep the smile off Neto’s face as much as anything! He was delighted too. “But Kel knows it. He has played at a level, and goals make you feel a bit better, naturally. “I wasn’t concerned, I knew he would score and hopefully he has got more in him, I am sure he has. It was a massive goal for us. “I thought it was a bit slow, a bit sticky first half. Credit to them, they started well. They put us under pressure with long balls, long throws, counter attacks, and we were slow. “I liked how we responded and we spoke about being positive. There is going to be a hell of a lot more ups and downs before the end of the season. We can’t let it affect us. We have to stay positive with it.”

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