Sport
Wednesday, 23 November 2022 05:37
Hundreds of fans report World Cup ticket woes for 2nd day
Handwritten paper tickets were given to some fans to enter a World Cup game on Tuesday as hundreds more in Qatar struggled to retrieve their digital passes amid problems with FIFA’s mobile application for a second day. The Associated Press witnessed a FIFA staffer writing out replacement tickets from a white paper in an attempt to help fans waiting in line outside the France versus Australia match about 40 minutes before the start in Al Wakrah. Other fans were advised to show security staff their emails from FIFA confirming a ticket purchase and seat number in order to get in…
Monday, 21 November 2022 06:02
Qatar in disappointing 2-0 loss to Ecuador in opening World Cup game
WHAT HAPPENED? The opening game of the World Cup saw Ecuador beat Qatar 2-0 courtesy of two first-half goals from captain Enner Valencia. Ecuador's captain also saw a goal ruled out for offside. The result means Qatar become the first host nation ever to lose their opening game at a World Cup. THE BIGGER PICTURE It's obviously not the start Qatar will have wanted to make to a competition that had been plagued by controversy before a ball had even been kicked. Supporters also made their feelings clear about the match at half-time as they abandoned the game in large…
Wednesday, 02 November 2022 06:14
Super Eagles coach Paseiro’s salary unpaid since taking charge
Jose Peseiro, coach of Nigeria's national football team, has not received a single pay cheque from his employers, six months after being appointed to lead the Super Eagles. The 62-year-old, who took charge of the team in May, has however yet to make an official complaint to Nigeria's Football Federation (NFF) about the non-payment of his salary. In response, the financially stricken NFF, which receives its funding from the government, says it has come up with a plan on how to settle the arrears. The NFF already owes money to the Paseiro’s predecessor, Gernot Rohr, and to players from its…
Thursday, 27 October 2022 06:43
Oyo set to host U23 AfCON qualifiers at upgraded Lekan Salami stadium
Oyo State government has commenced mobilization ahead of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) Qualifier match between the U23 National Team and Tanzania in Ibadan on Saturday. The state Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Seun Fakorede, made the disclosure during a news conference held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre, Iyaganku in Ibadan. The second leg of the tie between the Dream Team and their Tanzanian counterparts would hold at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex. The two teams had played a 1-1 draw during the first leg of the match held in Dar es Salam, the capital…
Sunday, 02 October 2022 06:30
129 dead in Indonesia soccer match riot
Panic at an Indonesian soccer match after police fired tear gas to stop brawls left 129 dead, mostly trampled to death, police said Sunday. Several fights between supporters of the two rival soccer teams were reported inside the Kanjuruhan Stadium in East Java province’s Malang city after the Indonesian Premier League game ended with Persebaya Surabaya beating Arema Malang 3-2. The brawls that broke out just after the game ended late night Saturday prompted riot police to fire tear gas, which caused panic among supporters, said East Java Police Chief Nico Afinta. Hundreds of people ran to an exit gate…
Saturday, 01 October 2022 07:02
Nigeria Football Federation gets new president, Board
Ibrahim Musa Gusau has been elected as the new president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). Gusau was voted into the position at the federation’s committee election held in Benin on Friday. The Zamfara-born football administrator defeated nine other contestants to emerge as the successor of Amaju Pinnick. He gathered 39 out of 40 votes in the re-run election after all the candidates had initially failed to meet the 22 votes requirements. Gusau had earlier managed 21 votes followed by Seyi Akinwunmi who got 12 and Shehu Dikko with 6 and a lone vote for Peterside Idah. Akinwunmi and Dikko,…
Friday, 16 September 2022 06:51
Buhari confers national honours on, shares N200m to Amusan, Brume, others who excelled in international sports
PRESS RELEASE President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday in Abuja approved National Honours and cash awards of N200 million for Team Nigeria contingents to the 2022 Commonwealth Games and World Athletics championships. Speaking at a presidential reception in honour of the athletes, the President said his Government is committed to rewarding excellence, no less for members of Team Nigeria who ignited the spirit of victory in the nation through stellar performances at international competitions. Congratulating all the awardees and recipients, he expressed confidence that this will spur them to greater heights. The President who described the athletes as champions, worthy ambassadors,…
Sunday, 21 August 2022 06:29
Anthony Joshua flies into a rage as he suffers second defeat from Usyk
Oleksandr Usyk has once again defeated Anthony Joshua by a split decision to retain his heavyweight titles. The Ukrainian boxer won the bout after two of the three judges scored him higher — 115-113 and 116-112 — than Joshua. The Nigerian-born British boxer was bested by Usyk in front of thousands of fans at King Abdullah Sports City Arena in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday night. Joshua entered the fight hoping to reclaim the WBA, IBF, and WBO titles which he lost to the Ukrainian in September 2021. Both boxers began the bout with renewed vigour. The pair also delivered…
Sunday, 07 August 2022 11:03
Tobi Amusan breaks Commonwealth Games record to win gold for Nigeria
Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan has successfully defended her Commonwealth Games 100m hurdles title after breezing to the first position on Sunday at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham. Amusan set a new Games Record of 12.30s to set a new Games Record and also secure Nigeria’s 10th gold medal in what has been an amazing year. A 2.4 m/s tailwind denied Amusan the chance of breaking the Games Record in the semi-final. However, there was no stopping the World Record holder as she breezed to a time of 12.30s to eclipse the 16-year-old 12.65 seconds Games record set by Jamaica’s Brigitte Foster-Hylton…
Tuesday, 26 July 2022 06:47
Nigerians on Twitter react to Tobi Amusan’s 100m hurdles world record
Nigerian fans have accused track legend Michael Johnson of racism and hatred for questioning Tobi Amusan’s world record time in the 100m hurdles final at the just-concluded World Athletics Championships in Oregon, The PUNCH reports. Amusan raced to victory in the 100m hurdles final, finishing with a time of 12.12secs, shattering Kendra Harrison’s 2016 world record by 0.08secs at the event. The 25-year-old’s feat was one of a succession of athletes to smash world records or their own personal best times at the event. In the women’s 100m hurdles alone, 12 of the 24 semi-finalists recorded their best times ever…
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Monday, 16 May 2022 05:54
NFF appoints new Technical Adviser, assistants
After much dilly-dallying, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) yesterday announced the appointment of José Santos Peseiro as the new technical adviser of the senior Men national team, the Super Eagles. The football federation also said the appointment is with immediate effect, subject to the signing of agreed terms between the NFF and Peseiro. It will be recalled that the Portuguese was first announced as Super Eagles technical adviser on the eve of the kick off of the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon but due to inexplicable reasons, his contract with the NFF fell through. José Vitor dos Santos Peseiro, 62 last…
Wednesday, 30 March 2022 06:10
Angry fans vandalise newly renovated stadium as Super Eagles fail to qualify for World Cup
Some angry fans of the Super Eagles of Nigeria invaded the newly refurbished Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja and vandalised facilities in protest of the team’s failure to qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup. The Black Stars of Ghana ended Nigeria’s dream of becoming the first African country to qualify for four consecutive World Cups. The Ghanaians secured a 1-1 draw in Abuja on Tuesday to progress to the World Cup based on the away goals rule — after holding Nigeria to a goalless draw in Kumasi last Friday. Thomas Partey’s opener in the 11th minute proved costly for…
Tuesday, 29 March 2022 06:08
Nigeria vs Ghana: FG orders civil servants to close by 1pm today
Federal government has directed all ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to close by 1pm on Tuesday (today) ahead of the second-leg clash between the Super Eagles and Black Stars of Ghana. In a circular on Monday, Ngozi Onwudiwe, the service welfare officer, also called for the mobilisation of support for the Nigerian senior national team. Onwudiwe added that all permanent secretaries should ensure the content of the circular is achieved as desired. “As you are aware, the Super Eagles of Nigeria will be meeting the Black Stars of Ghana in continuation of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier playoff (return…
Monday, 07 March 2022 06:09
Ace broadcaster Fabio Lanipekun is dead
Four days after his 80th birthday was celebrated, Fabio Lanipekun, a sports journalist, has died, reports sportsvillagesquare.com. A Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) official close to the family confirmed the passing on of the highly-respected journalist. His death is coming just a week after another iconic sports journalist, Sunny Emmanuel Ojagbaese, died in the United States (U.S.). The Guardian