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Author: Ijeoma Okigbo

  • CAS clears Amusan for Paris Olympics

    CAS clears Amusan for Paris Olympics
    CAS
    By Ijeoma Okigbo
    Abuja, June 28, 2024 (NAN) Nigeria’s 100m hurdles world record holder, Tobi Amusan has been cleared to run in the 2024 Paris Olympics Games.
    The  Court Arbitration of Sports (CAS)  dismissed the appeals filed by World Athletics (WA) and by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) against the decision to clear her of a doping offence.

    In July 2023, Amusan was charged by WA for  committing an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV), under Rule 2.4 WA ADR following three alleged whereabouts failures within a 12-month period.

    Meanwhile, Amusan challenged the decision, and the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal (WADT) in August 2023, considered that Amusan did not violate Rule 2.4 of the WA Anti-Doping Rules (WA ADR) and that no period of ineligibility should be . imposed on the Athlete.
    CAS in a statement on Friday, however upheld the decision of WADT.
    “In their respective appeal to CAS, WA and WADA had sought the imposition of a two-year period of ineligibility.
    “The CAS Panel held a hearing on  Jan. 19. Having deliberated, the CAS Panel has issued its decision today dismissing both appeals.
    “The CAS Panel unanimously acknowledged that the Athlete committed two filing failures but did not confirm the existence of a missed test, alleged by WA and WADA which would have been the third whereabouts failure committed within a 12-month period.
     “Accordingly, the CAS Panel concluded that the Athlete did not commit an ADRV and that the Challenged Decision should be confirmed,” CAS noted. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
    IHA/JPE
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    Edited by Joseph Edeh

  • Turkey face Austria in Euro last-16 clash after Czech defeat

    By Ijeoma Okigbo

    Euro

    Hamburg, Germany, June 26, 2024 (Reuters/NAN) Turkey on Wednesday night overcame tough resistance from 10-man Czech Republic in a 2-1 victory at the ongoing Euro 2024 tournament.

    Goals from Hakan Calhanoglu and Cenk Tosun were enough for them to set up a last-16 clash with Austria and send their opponents home.

    The Czechs, quarter-finalists at the last European Championship, needed victory to stand any chance of advancing, but the 20th-minute dismissal of midfielder Antonin Barak for a harsh second yellow card was a blow to their attacking intent.

    In a chaotic and heated end to the game, Czech Republic’s Tomas Chory was also given a red card in a melee seconds before the final whistle.

    As well as the two reds, the referee also showed 16 yellow cards to set a new Euros disciplinary record.

    Both teams pressed hard from the start in a raucous atmosphere on a hot night with Turkish fans marching to the game and outnumbering the Czechs thanks to their huge diaspora in Germany.

    Thirty-year-old playmaker Calhanoglu’s 50th-minute goal was a first at his third Euros, triggering flares and delirium from fans.

    He scored with a low shot across goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek who had appeared to hurt his shoulder with a save just before and went off injured after the goal.

    Teenager Arda Guler inexplicably missed a close-range sitter to put Turkey two ahead and the Czechs immediately equalised, Tomas Soucek prodding home in the 66th minute after a long throw caused chaos to set up a thrilling finale.

    Tosun struck Turkey’s winner in stoppage time, sparking wild scenes on his bench and among Turkish fans.

    The result banished the Turks’ dark memories of Euro 2020 where they went home after conceding eight goals in three defeats.

    “We all fought very well together,” said defender Mert Muldur. “We had a hard time against such teams in the past. I think we have improved ourselves.”

    After two wins in three games, Turkey finished second behind Portugal in Group F on goal difference and will play Austria in the last 16 on July 2 in Leipzig.

    “When we talked with our friends before the camp, our only target was to get out of the group.

    We kept our promise and left the group. Now we will proceed step by step; we are very happy,” said Turkey winger Baris Alper Yilmaz.

    The Czechs finished bottom of the group with one point.

    “It is a disappointment because we all wanted to advance,” captain Soucek said, lamenting how the “disrespectful” soft red card had affected the game.

    “We were happy to get the equaliser,” he added. “Everyone did the maximum. The morale was huge. Just a sad end. But that is football.”

    Portugal, already guaranteed top place in the group but lost to Georgia who went through as one of the best third-placed finishers. (Reuters/NAN)

    IHA/EMAF
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  • Newcomers Georgia shock Portugal 2-0 to advance at Euro 2024

    Shock
    By Ijeoma Okigbo
    Gelsenkirchen (Germany), June 27, 2024  (Reuters/NAN) Georgia stunned former champions Portugal 2-0 on Wednesday to reach the knockout stage at Euro 2024 —- their first ever major tournament.
    The match was settled by an early Khvicha Kvaratskhelia strike and a Georges Mikautadze penalty kick.
    The win, albeit against a largely second-string Portugal who had already made it into the next round, represented the greatest result for Georgia.
    This was since the country gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
    But there was nothing undeserved about the way Willy Sagnol, a former Bayern Munich and France defender, and his side claimed a third-place finish in the tournament’s Group F.
    It was a win that had now set them up for a last-16 meeting with three-time Euro winners Spain.
    Georgia’s win also means that England will line up against Slovakia, Romania take on Netherlands and Portugal face Slovenia in the round of 16.
    Hungary, who had been in contention for a spot in the next round, were edged out.
    The tournament debutants took the lead in the second minute when Kvaratskhelia, the Napoli winger, raced away after a careless pass by Antonio Silva.
    He then powered a low shot past Diogo Costa in Portugal’s goal.
    Cristiano Ronaldo —- one of only three starters for Portugal who also played in their 3-0 win over Turkey on Saturday —- stretched and strained for every ball.
    This was as he sought to become the oldest goal scorer at a Euro tournament at the age of 39.
    But Georgia defended as if their lives depended upon it and sought to catch Portugal on the break.
    In the 53rd minute, Silva compounded his earlier error by committing a foul in the penalty box which led to an award of a penalty kick after a VAR check.
    Mikautadze, who had provided the pass for Kvaratskhelia to open the scoring early on, steered his kick past Costa, making him the top scorer at Euro 2024 so far with three goals.
    Ronaldo was booked in the first half for arguing and he cut a frustrated figure when he was substituted after the break, kicking out at a water bottle.
    Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili made late saves to keep Portugal at bay in the final minutes.
    At full time, Georgia’s squad and coaching staff sprinted on to the field to celebrate in front of thousands of their fans.(Reuters/NAN)
    IHA/OLAL
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    (Edited by Olawale Alabi)

  • NFF moves President Federation Cup finals to Lagos

    Cup
    By Ijeoma Okigbo
    Abuja, June 23, 2024 (NAN) The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced that the grand finale of the country’s oldest Cup competition, the President Federation Cup, will now take place in Lagos.

    According to a statement by Ademola Olajire, the NFF’s Head of Communications, this years finals will take place at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Lagos on June 29.

    Olajire also stated that the federation had earlier scheduled the competition for the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, adding that it opted for Lagos due to its football history.

    ”Earlier scheduled for Abuja (which would have seen the city host the final for the first time in the competition’s history), the NFF have opted for the good old venue on Lagos Island, which hosted the final of the competition consecutively between 1945 and 1972.

    ”First known as Association Ground, then as King George V and later as Lagos City Ground, the venue later became known as Onikan Stadium after it was rebuilt in the 1980s. It became known as Mobolaji Johnson Arena in 2021,” he stated.

    This year’s grand finale will see Rivers Angels confront Naija Ratels in the women’s event while Abia Warriors take on El-Kanemi Warriors in the men’s event on Saturday. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

    IHA/DOE
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    Edited by Dianabasi Effiong

  • CAF announces new dates for AFCON, WAFCON

    CAF announces new dates for AFCON, WAFCON

    CAF
    By Ijeoma Okigbo
    Abuja, June 21, 2024 (NAN) The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced dates for the CAF TotalEnergies African Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the Women African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) billed for Morocco.
    CAF Executive Committee ratified the dates at a meeting on Friday and published them on its website, with AFCON scheduled for Dec. 21  2025 to Jan. 18, 2026.
    The Women’s tournament which was scheduled for this year has now been postponed to hold from July 5 to July 26, 2025.

    The President of CAF, Patrice Motsepe said the delay in the announcement of the dates was due to the extensive global football calendar.

    He is, however, hopeful that the tournaments in Morocco would be the best in the continent’s history.

    “The announcement of the dates of the CAF TotalEnergies AFCON Morocco 2025 took much longer than expected, as there were complex and at times challenging discussions with various interested parties, in the light of the extensive International and Domestic Match Calendars.

    “ CAF is committed to protecting and advancing the interests of African players, playing in football clubs in Europe and worldwide.

    “CAF is also committed to building mutually beneficial relationships with the ECA, UEFA, other Football Confederations and FIFA.

    “We will continue to make significant progress in developing and ensuring that African Football is globally competitive and amongst the best in the World,” Mosepe said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

    IHA/SOA

    Edited by Oluwole Sogunle

     

  • Super Falcons ranked 38 in the world,1st in Africa

    Super Falcons ranked 38 in the world,1st in Africa

    Rankings

    By Ijeoma Okigbo

    Abuja, June 14, 2024 (NAN) Nigeria’s Super Falcons are currently ranked 38 in the world and first in Africa, according to the latest FIFA/Coca Cola Women’s World rankings released on Friday.

    Nearly three months have gone by since the rankings was last published, and no fewer than 154 international football matches have been played during that timeframe.

    According to FIFA, the qualifying fixtures for the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament, Paris 2024 held in Africa, and the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 qualifiers in Europe impacted on the rankings.

    “These intense encounters in addition to a large number of friendly fixtures, resulted in several changes to the standings, including an adjustment to the top three”, the statement said.

    Spain is top, reigning supreme for another edition, but the pressure is mounting. France surges into second place, overtaking a slipping England who now sits at third.

    Big movers also include Montenegro (up 4 to 85th) and El Salvador (up 7 to 90th) making impressive strides within the top 100.

    Belarus (up 2 to 55th) claims the biggest points gain (a whopping 31.91!), while North Macedonia (up a staggering 12 to 123rd) celebrates the most significant ranking jump after dominant wins.

    Other than the Macedonians, five other national teams hit their highest-ever points totals: Spain, Zambia, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, and Congo DR.

    In fact, Zambia (64th, up 1) has two reasons to celebrate, as they have also attained their best-ever placing in a table that is likely to change further in the next few months.

    Meanwhile, other African representatives, South Africa and Morocco are ranked 51 and 59 in the world, placing second and third in Africa respectively.

    The next FIFA rankings will be published on Aug. 16. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

    IHA/JPE

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    Edited by Joseph Edeh

     

     

     

     

     

  • 2026 World Cup: Super Eagles need to focus, improve their game, Bamigboye says

    2036 World Cup: Super Eagles need to focus, improve their game, Bamigboye says

    Eagles

    By Ijeoma Okigbo

    Abuja, June 12, 2024 (NAN) Godwin Bamigboye, chairman FCT Football Coaches Association, has called on Super Eagles to remain focused and improve on their performance to ensure a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.

    Bamigboye said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the backdrop of the team’s poor  outing against South Africa, and Benin Republic in their Group C World Cup qualifiers.

    He said the team had performed below par and will have to ensure they win their remaining six games for a spot at the global showpiece.

    “Finidi George is on a hot seat.

    “It is really a challenging situation to have picked up a measly three points in four games in a group that the team effortlessly scale through.

    “They have no sense of urgency or commitment in the games played so far, and the team cannot go on with such mentality if they hope to be at the World Cup.

    “After all, they benefit more than any other person or group at the World Cup.

    “ The tournament aids career progression for them, financial gains and more, so it is their duty to ensure that they remain focused and win their remaining games,’’ Bamigboye added.

    Nigeria currently seats on fifth place in a group that also have  South Africa, Benin Republic, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Lesotho.

    With the 2026 World Cup expanded to 48 teams, all group winners from the nine African qualifying groups will secure an automatic spot.

    Meanwhile, the four best runners -up will enter playoffs (two semifinals and a final) to decide which one country will go to the intercontinental playoffs.

    The World Cup is scheduled for June 2026 and will be jointly hosted by United States, Canada and Mexico. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

    IHA/JPE

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    Edited by Joseph Edeh

  • Ude’s fiery bowling inspires Nigeria to 32-run win against hosts Rwanda

    Cricket
    By Ijeoma Okigbo
    Abuja, June 4, 2024 (NAN) A six-wicket haul by medium pace bowler Lilian Ude made the difference in Nigeria’s 32-run win against hosts and defending champions Rwanda at the KwibukaT20 tournament in Kigali on Tuesday.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports hat the win ended Rwanda’s winning streak in the tournament, having won all four of their previous games.
    It also extended to a fourth consecutive win for the Nigerian side over Rwanda in all competitions.
    However, the game at the Gahanga International Stadium saw Nigeria winning the toss and batting first.
    Salome Sunday rose to the occasion with 29 runs off 12 balls before being dismissed by Rwanda’s captain Marie-Diane Biemenyimana.
    Salome’s strike pushed Nigeria’s tally to 104 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in 20 overs.
    In the  second inning, Ude’s clinical attack dismissed six Rwandan batters, therefore slowing down Rwanda’s chase to 72 runs all out in 19 overs.
    Ude’s effort earned her the Player of the Match award.
    Nigeria have now won three games in five matches, and they will face Zimbabwe on Wednesday.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
    IHA/OLAL
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    (Edited by Olawale Alabi)

  • Cricket: Nigeria beat Cameroon by 9 wickets in Kwibuka

    Cricket

    By Ijeoma Okigbo
    Abuja, June 1, 2024 (NAN) Nigerian women’s cricket team on Saturday beat their Cameroonian counterparts by 9 wickets at the ongoing KwibukaT20 Women’s Tournament in Kigali, Rwanda.
    The Nigerian ladies bounced back from the 12-runs loss to Uganda on Friday to seal their first win in the tournament’s 10th edition.
    In the game at the Gahanga International Oval, Cameroon won the toss and opted to bat first.
    The 54th-ranked side however struggled with the bat, no thanks to the best bowler of the 13th African Games in Ghana, Nigeria’s Lilian Ude.
    The 17-year-old dominated the bowling chart (4-2-7-4) for the Nigerian side, as debutants Cameroon lost wickets in consecutive sessions.
    The 26th-ranked team eventually limited their neighbours to 26 runs all out in 18.2 overs.
    In reply, Nigeria needed only 3.5 overs to score 27 runs for the loss of one and go on to win by nine wickets.
    Ude was later named the Player of the Match for her bowling performance.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nigeria will take on Kenya on Sunday in their next match, for a chance to make it two wins in three games.
    Meanwhile, a total of eight teams are featuring in the annual tournament which is in remember ace of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis in Rwanda.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
    IHA/OLAL
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    (Edited by Olawale Alabi)