Tag: Sports - Page 20 - African News Today

Tokyo 2020: Coach Enofe Lauds Toko’s Improvement In Rowing

23Jul

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Sports

Tokyo 2020: Coach Enofe Lauds Toko’s Improvement In Rowing

Regina Enofe, coach of Nigeria’s only representative in the rowing event at the Tokyo Olympics, Esther Toko, has commended the performance of the 19-year-old after she finished fifth in her first event. Toko got Team Nigeria’s campaign off when she took part in the women’s single scull event on Friday. Despite finishing in the fifth position, she progressed to the next stage which is the repechage where she stands a chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals. “Esther did very well being her first outing in the Olympics. She has moved to the next level and hoping to qualify for the quarter-finals,” Enofe said in a video. Read Also: Osimhen Resumes Full Training At Napoli “She was comfortable on the water that’s why she was able to perform very well, even her time is better t...

Eto’o Recalls Sydney 2000 Gold Medal Win

23Jul

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

Cameroon, World Cup

Eto’o Recalls Sydney 2000 Gold Medal Win

Slightly over two decades after Cameroon followed Nigeria to win a back-to-back Olympic soccer gold medal for Africa, Samuel Eto’o Fils , the four-time African Footballer of the Year, has yet described his country’s conquest at Sydney 2000 as unforgettable. indeed Africa and the world was Cameroon’s oysters in 2000 after the Indomitable Lions stunned Nigeria to win the Africa Cup of Nations in Lagos and completed their amazing year with the soccer gold medal in Sydney. “It was an incredible feeling, especially because we had some difficulties during the tournament,” the Qatar 2022 World Cup Legacy Ambassador explained as all eyes are set on the ‘land of the rising sun’ for the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. He continued: “ I want to take this opportunity to...

My Two Daughters Play Like Me, Super Falcons Call-up Good – Peter Ijeh

21Jul

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Sports, Youths

My Two Daughters Play Like Me, Super Falcons Call-up Good – Peter Ijeh

Peter Ijeh, a former Nigeria international, says that his two daughters, Eveyln and Josephine, possess some skills similar to his and can be great in their football careers, adding that both sisters’ recent call-up to the Nigeria national team, the Super Falcons, came to him as a ‘pleasant surprise.' The two Ijeh sisters – Evelyn a (striker) and Josephine (defender) play their club football for Swedish side, BK Hacken. Evelyn had previously represented Sweden at the U17 and U19 levels. And the ‘proud’ father of the new Super Falcons invitees, who could spark a reign of the Ijeh dynasty in Nigeria’s women’s football, says he never anticipated that his two daughters could be invited to the Super Falcons squad at the same time. “I never anticipated that my two daughter...

Ugandan Athlete Missing in Japan Spotted on CCTV

19Jul

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

News, Sports, Uganda, Youths

Ugandan Athlete Missing in Japan Spotted on CCTV

A Ugandan athlete who went missing in Japan on July 16 after failing to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics has been spotted at Nagoya Station in central Japan by CCTV, news agency Kyodo reported on Monday citing a police source. Uganda’s Olympic delegation said on Friday weightlifter Julius Ssekitoleko had been registered as missing from a team training camp in Izumisano, some 200 kilometres south-west of Nagoya. He is being sought by the police. Kyodo cited Izumisano officials as saying the athlete left a note at his hotel saying he wanted to work in Japan before buying a train ticket to Nagoya. Beatrice Ayikoru, head of the Ugandan delegation, said the 20-year-old was supposed to fly home on Tuesday, adding the team would cooperate with authorities in the search. The Ugandan t...

Iheanacho Sets Goal Target For Leicester Ahead of New Season

19Jul

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Sports

Iheanacho Sets Goal Target For Leicester Ahead of New Season

Leicester City forward, Kelechi Iheanacho hopes to improve on his goal tally for his club in the upcoming season after catching the eye with series of impressive performances that helped the Foxes lift the English FA Cup last season. The Super Eagles player finished last season with a productive goalscoring record with 19 goals in all competitions marking his best output in a season. Iheanacho is firmly focused on doing his bit to help the club go even further towards their ambitions in future. “Obviously, I scored goals last season,” he told LCTV. He added, “I think, this season, we really need to do more and focus on our games. I have a good feeling that, this season, it might fall for us and we’ll get what we want. “As I said before, we need to concentrate and focus on th...

Musa Set to Complete Turkey Transfer This Week

18Jul

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Sports

Musa Set to Complete Turkey Transfer This Week

Nigerian winger, Ahmed Musa is expected to complete a move to Turkish club in the new week from Nigeria Professional Football League side Kano Pillars. Reports say a Turkish Super Lig club offered Musa a juicy one0year contract that is worth about €2.2m (1.05 billion naira). According to an American-based agent, Justus who failed to disclose the identity of the Turkish outfit, “the club first offered Musa €2m a year but he turned it down. “The president of the club said that they could not go above that amount due to the coronavirus-induced financial problems every club in Europe is facing,” Justus told CS. Read Also: 2022 WCQ: Enyimba’s Noble Replaces Uzoho In Nigeria Squad for Liberia, Cape Verde Games “However, the club’s president has said that they are desperate to have...

Chukwueze Resumes Training After Two-months Injury Sideline

16Jul

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Sports

Chukwueze Resumes Training After Two-months Injury Sideline

Nigerian international Samuel Chukwueze has resumed training with Villareal spending being sidelined with injury towards the tail end of last season. The winger picked up the injury in the second leg of Villareal’s Europa League semi-final clash against English club side, Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in May. Chukwueze was forced to sit out the final as his team went on to beat English Premiership club, Manchester united. Read Also: WCQ: Cape Verde Arrives Nigeria, Set To Train At Teslim Balogun Stadium Villarreal later announced that he suffered muscle damage to the quadriceps in his left leg. The winger has taken to his social media handle to announce his recovery and return to training as Villareal prepare for the new campaign. “Work in progress,” he wrote on his Fac...

Finance Ministry Ratifies Waiver For Basketball Kits

14Jul

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Sports

Finance Ministry Ratifies Waiver For Basketball Kits

The Ministry of Finance has approved a waiver for the Olympics jersey to be worn by Nigeria’s male basketball team, D’Tigers, making it feasible for customs to release the kits any moment from now. Sources at the Sports Ministry confirmed that the Ministers of Finance and Youths Sports collaborated in their efforts to ensure the documentation necessary for the waiver was granted. The waiver will expedite efforts to secure the arrival of the jerseys for the D’Tigers who are set to compete at the Tokyo Olympics in Japan. Read Also: WCQ: Cape Verde Arrives Nigeria, Set To Train At Teslim Balogun Stadium “The Minister of Finance has signed the waiver and what remains is for the customs to release the basketball kits upon presentation of the waiver to the NBBF so that our team can enjoy t...

Nigeria’s D’Tigers Beat USA In Pre-Olympic Friendly

11Jul

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Sports

Nigeria’s D’Tigers Beat USA In Pre-Olympic Friendly

D’Tigers of Nigeria got the better of the United State of America basketball team in a pre-Olympic friendly, winning 90-87 in the early hours of Sunday. The Nigeria side comprised of modest NBA players come out tops against a star-studded, All-NBA, max-contract performers in the USA team. Nigeria ranked 22nd by FIBA beat the No 1-ranked team and three-time reigning Olympic gold medalists to booster their confidence ahead of the Olympics. “I thought that the Nigerian team played very physically, did a great job in that regard and knocked down a lot of 3s,” U.S. coach Gregg Popovich said. “Give them credit.” Gabe Nnamdi of Miami Heat led Nigeria with 21 points. Caleb Agada scored 17 points, Ike Nwamu added 13 and Nigeria outscored the U.S. 60-30 from 3-point range. Kevin Duran...

Buhari to Host Team Nigeria on Monday Ahead of Tokyo Olympics

7Jul

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Sports

Buhari to Host Team Nigeria on Monday Ahead of Tokyo Olympics

President Muhammadu Buhari is scheduled to host members of Team Nigeria to the Tokyo Olympics at the Aso Rock Villa on Monday before the last batch of the contingent departs for the games. The Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, said tis on Tuesday in Abuja during a send-forth ceremony organised for the first batch of the team which departed for Japan. Dare said the Team Nigeria which would travel in four batches would be formally sent forth by President Buhari on Monday as is the norm. He noted that the ceremony would serve as an avenue for the President to officially hand over the contingent to the Nigeria Olympic Committee in line with established tradition. He added that President Buhari would also be unveiling the official Team Nigeria uniform to the Ga...