Sport

Tuesday, 18 September 2018 04:35

FIFA, CAF name observers to NFF elections

World football–ruling body, FIFA on Monday named Messrs Luca Piazza and Solomon Mudege as its observers to Thursday’s elections into Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Executive Committee 2018-2022. Mudege is FIFA’s Senior Manager for Development Programmes (Africa), while Piazza is a senior official in FIFA President’s office. A statement by Mr Ademola Olajire, NFF’s Director of Communications on Monday, also said Confederation of African Football (CAF) designated a member of its Executive Committee, Sita Sangare, as its observer to the big event. It said this was communicated through a letter addressed to the NFF General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi and signed by…

Sunday, 16 September 2018 04:42

Golden Eaglets qualify for U-17 Africa Cup of Nations

Nigeria’s U-17 team, Golden Eaglets, will be among participating teams at 2019 U17 Africa Cup of Nations in Tanzania in May. Eaglets secured their berth after they edged past arch-rivals Ghana 3-1 on penalties after fulltime scores stood at 1-1. Ghana’s Black Starlets went in front in the 54th minute after a goalless first half, which they dominated. However, Eaglets fought back to draw level 1-1. Both teams had chances to get the winner before full time, but there were no more goals. In the penalty shootout, Eaglets triumphed 3-1 and will thus join seven other teams to battle for…

Monday, 10 September 2018 03:37

Serena Williams fined $17K for rules violations at US Open

Serena Williams was fined a total of $17,000 for three code violations during her loss to Naomi Osaka in the U.S. Open final. On Sunday, a day after the match, the tournament referee’s office docked Williams $10,000 for “verbal abuse” of chair umpire Carlos Ramos, $4,000 for being warned for coaching, and $3,000 for breaking her racket. The money comes out of her prize money of $1.85 million as the runner-up to Osaka, whose 6-2, 6-4 victory on Saturday made her the first tennis player from Japan to win a Grand Slam singles title In the second set’s second game,…

Monday, 10 September 2018 03:36

US Open 2018: Novak Djokovic beats Juan Martin del Potro to win title

Novak Djokovic produced an impeccable performance to beat Juan Martin del Potro in the US Open final and win his 14th Grand Slam title. The 31-year-old Serb won 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 to earn his third triumph in New York and equal American great Pete Sampras' haul of major trophies. Djokovic, who won Wimbledon in July, will climb to fourth in the world after back-to-back Grand Slam victories. Only great rivals Roger Federer (20) and Rafael Nadal (17) have won more. Argentine third seed Del Potro, 29, was playing his first Grand Slam final since winning the 2009 US Open,…

Sunday, 09 September 2018 04:10

Osaka claims U.S. Open title after Serena meltdown

Naomi Osaka became Japan’s first Grand Slam singles champion after she thumped Serena Williams 6-2 6-4 in a controversial U.S. Open final on Saturday, with the American suffering a mesmerizing meltdown after being handed a code violation. It was drama-filled conclusion to a final that was rich with storylines but will now go down as one of the most controversial Grand Slam finals of all time. There was much riding on the match for both women, with Osaka bidding to become the first man or woman from Japan to lift a Grand Slam singles title and Williams poised to equal…

Sunday, 09 September 2018 04:08

AFCON Qualifiers: Ahmed Musa leads Nigeria to victory over Seychelles

Ahmed Musa justified the captain’s armband handed to him on Saturday as he scored the opening goal in the Super Eagles’ 3-0 win over Seychelles in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series. Super Eagles who lost their opening game of the qualifiers against South Africa 15 months ago, needed victory on Saturday to get back on track in their quest to make it to AFCON 2019. The Coach Gernot Rohr’s side started brightly against Seychelles and they did not have to wait for too long as Musa continued from where he stopped from the World Cup in Russia; giving…

Friday, 07 September 2018 03:40

Minister inaugurates National Anti-Doping Committee

Minister of Youths and Sports, Mr Solomon Dalung, on Thursday inaugurated members of National Anti-Doping Committee (NADC) with a charge on them to ensure Nigeria’s compliance with anti-doping policies. The minister said that the inauguration had placed Nigeria in the league of nations, committed to promoting clean competition in sports. Dalung listed the terms of reference of the committee to include: working on the necessary executive and legislative instrument for the establishment of National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs). He said the committee would act as an Extra-Ministerial Department/Agency that would promote and coordinate the country anti-doping activities in line with World…

Tuesday, 04 September 2018 03:51

AFCON Qualifiers: Three Super Eagles stars ruled out of tie

Three Super Eagles players from the original roster of the 24 invited for the September 8 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Seychelles have been ruled out of the crucial tie. The affected trio as announced by Nigeria Football Federation on their official twitter handle are Ola Aina, Alex Iwobi, and William Troost Ekong. It is understood that Torino wing-back Ola Aina pulled out of international duty with Nigeria after sustaining a muscular injury. The player on loan from Chelsea limped off during the 1-0 Serie A win over SPAL on Sunday night. According to reports from Italy, more…

Monday, 03 September 2018 04:14

Serena Williams hits 18 aces in US Open win; Isner into QF

Serena Williams’ yells of “Come on!” crescendoed right along with the tension in a fourth-round U.S. Open match that began as a rout and suddenly became riveting. When she ripped a backhand winner to claim the third set’s opening game Sunday, Williams let out her loudest shout of the day, leaning forward and rocking both arms. This turned into a test, and she passed it. Williams reached the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows for a 10th consecutive appearance — she wasn’t there last year because she gave birth to her daughter during the tournament — by picking her level up after…

Saturday, 01 September 2018 03:48

Serena matches her easiest win over Venus in US Open rout

Serena Williams equaled her most-lopsided victory ever in 30 professional meetings with sister Venus, beating her 6-1, 6-2 on Friday night in the third round of the U.S. Open. Serena shook off an early ankle injury to win seven straight games and seize control in perhaps her most dominant performance since giving birth to her daughter a year ago Saturday. The sisters’ earliest meeting in a Grand Slam tournament in 20 years was over early, with Venus unable to do anything to blunt Serena’s power, even after the crowd tried desperately to get behind her early in the second set.…

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Wednesday, 22 August 2018 05:22

NFF leadership tussle: Dalung dares Osinbajo

Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung appears to be taking the Nigeria Football Federation leadership tussle personal, as he released a statement yesterday, which contradicted the stand of the Federal government of Nigeria, which recognised Amaju Pinnick the president of the NFF. On Monday, the office of the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo issued a release, which authenticated the Amaju lead board in a bid to avoid suspension by the world soccer governing body, FIFA that had threatened to suspend Nigeria by Monday 20 August.But Dalung said the crisis cannot be wished away with a wave of a finger as it dated back…

Thursday, 16 August 2018 06:36

Victor Moses quits international soccer

Victor Moses has announced his immediate retirement from international football to concentrate fully on his club career. The 27-year-old Chelsea wingback made the shock announcement on Twitter on Wednesday, dealing a major blow to Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr’s plans for the Cameroon 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.Nigeria were beaten 2-0 by South Africa in their first group qualifying match in Uyo last year, and the three-time African champions need a convincing win over Seychelles next month to keep qualification hopes alive.In his statement, Moses said he informed Rohr that he had decided to call time on his six-year international…

Tuesday, 14 August 2018 04:56

France 2018: Falconets break Chinese hearts, face Spain in quarter-finals

The Super Falconets on Monday advanced to the quarter-finals of the France 2018 U-20 Women’s World Cup in dramatic fashion, after grabbing a last-gasp equaliser against China in Dinan-Lehon. The Nigerians needed a draw to advance in second place alongside Group D leaders Germany and were lucky to progress after a stoppage time own-goal by the Chinese themselves cancelled out Linyan Zhang’s 41st minute strike to break the Asians hearts.Two-time finalists Falconets have reached the quarter-finals of every edition of the competition but it looked like this enviable record would be broken at the Stade du Clos Gastel when Zhang…

Friday, 10 August 2018 04:53

Falconets beat Haiti 1-0 to keep quarterfinal hope alive

Rasheedat Ajibade’s first-half penalty kick on Thursday afternoon was enough to see Nigeria’s Falconets edge Haiti 1-0 in Group D at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup France 2018 to secure a crucial three points, keeping their knockout round qualification hopes alive.The Falconets needed a win badly to keep their hopes of a qualification to the knockout stage alive after losing their opening game 1-0 to Germany.But stand-in Captain, Ajibade, netted from the penalty spot after Anam Imo was fouled in the box in the 36th minute of the encounter to give Nigeria any hope of progressing to the quarter…

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