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8th African Nations Championship: Nigeria Go Out On a High after Win over Congo

Fola Badmus1 month ago1 month ago03 mins

The Super Eagles B caged Congo’s Red Devils with two goals in the second half in the Tanzanian capital, Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, but their firepower came too late as both teams were eliminated from the 8th African Nations Championship at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium. Congo had hopes of inching their way into the knockout rounds before kick-off, with two points from their first two matches, including a fit-fighting draw with champions Senegal. On their part, the Eagles already had their bags packed for the journey home after an underwhelming first two games of the group phase in which they lost by a lone goal to Senegal and were battered for four by Sudan. Both teams did not present a spectacle in the first period, with no clear-cut opportunities created, though the Red Devils could have gone ahead in the 25th minute when Nigeria captain Nduka Junior bungled a simple pass and was lucky the opposing striker could not keep his header down in front of junior international goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt. Nigeria returned from recess with obvious renewed vigour, and it was no surprise when Anas Yusuf connected home beautifully, a headed pass by Sikiru Alimi in the 56th minute, following a cross by defender Abdulrafiu Taiwo. The 2018 silver medallists, who had not scored a goal in the competition since winning their semi-final clash with Sudan in Marrakech seven years ago, pushed forward more and more, and got a second goal three minutes into added time through Sikiru Alimi. Cup-holders Senegal and Sudan make it to the quarter-finals from Group D, while the Eagles are expected back home on Thursday.

Nigeria Crashes Out of CHAN 2024

Fola Badmus1 month ago1 month ago03 mins

Nigeria crashed out of the 8th African Nations Championship on Tuesday after an abject performance by a team that failed to put any foot right against Sudan in 90 minutes of football in Zanzibar. The defeat on the Indian Ocean Island, following from the one-goal defeat by Cup-holders Senegal a week earlier, meant the Eagles B will pack their bags and exit the competition, no matter the result of their final Group D encounter against Congo in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday next week. The humiliation was a joint-record defeat for Nigeria in the 26-year-old competition – a similar scoreline to their defeat by hosts Morocco in the Final of the 2018 championship. Defender Leonard Ngenge, culpable for his infamous walking pace while Senegal sped forward to score their only goal in Nigeria’s first match on Tuesday last week, scored an own goal against his team in the 23rd minute, setting the stage for a rout that left ball fans aghast across the land. Sudan raced to 2-0 up just before half-time when the same Ngenge, who plays for Ikorodu City in the Nigeria Premier Football League, clumsily touched the ball with his hand in an aerial contest, and Daiyeen made no mistake from the spot against the hapless Lawal Mustapha. Only 10 minutes into the second period, it was 3-0 as Yagoub Omer finished with a flourish after the Sudanese turned the Nigeria defence inside out, and there was no meaningful effort by all of five defenders to checkmate the marauding Falcons of Jediane. It got worse seven minutes later, when Sudan poured forward again, and Omer showed audacious technique to blast the ball onto the underside of the crossbar and watch it drop into the net behind a beleaguered Mustapha.

Over 20 Killed in Church Attack by Islamic State-Linked Rebels in Eastern Congo

Fola Badmus2 months ago2 months ago04 mins

At least 21 people were killed early Sunday morning in an attack on a Catholic church premises in Komanda, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, by Islamic State-linked rebels, local authorities report. The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a militant group affiliated with the Islamic State, reportedly stormed the area around 1 a.m., opening fire on worshippers and residents. Several homes and shops were also set ablaze, leaving behind scenes of destruction and panic. “More than 21 people were shot dead inside and outside [the church], and we have recorded at least three charred bodies,” said Dieudonne Duranthabo, a civil society coordinator in Komanda. “The search is still ongoing.” The Congolese army, while confirming the attack, reported at least 10 confirmed deaths as of Sunday morning. “Armed men with machetes attacked a church near Komanda,” said Lt. Jules Ngongo, spokesperson for the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) in Ituri Province. “About 10 people were killed, and shops were set on fire.” This latest massacre follows a series of deadly attacks carried out by the ADF in Ituri Province. Earlier this month, the group killed dozens of civilians in what the United Nations described as a “bloodbath.” Komanda residents have since begun fleeing toward Bunia, the provincial capital, fearing further attacks. “We are truly disappointed—it’s incredible that such a situation could occur in a town where all the security officials are present,” Duranthabo added. “We urgently call for military intervention because the enemy is still near our town.” ADF: A Legacy of Violence The Allied Democratic Forces originated in Uganda in the late 1990s, emerging from small Islamist-leaning rebel groups disillusioned with President Yoweri Museveni’s government. Following military pressure, the ADF relocated to eastern Congo in 2002 and has since waged a brutal insurgency, leaving thousands of civilians dead. In 2019, the group formally pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, solidifying its identity as a regional arm of the global jihadist network. The ADF leadership envisions an Islamist government in East Africa and continues to target civilians, churches, and infrastructure in a bid to instill fear and gain territorial control. Meanwhile, the Congolese military (FARDC) has faced growing pressure as it battles the ADF alongside renewed violence from the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, creating a complex and volatile security crisis in the region.