Tag: Sports - Page 37 - African News Today

Osimhen Recovers From Shoulder Injury, Returns To Italy For Xmas

25Dec

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

Nigeria, Sports, Youths

Osimhen Recovers From Shoulder Injury, Returns To Italy For Xmas

Napoli and Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen has reportedly recovered from the shoulder injury which has sidelined him for weeks now and is back in Italy for Christmas, according to reports. The 21-year-old has been sidelined since dislocating his shoulder while on international duty with Nigeria last month. His last match for Gennaro Gatusso’s side was on November 8, when he scored the decisive goal in the 1-0 away win against Bologna. Osimhen has missed 10 games across all competitions for Napoli following the setback. According to Italian news hub La Repulica, the former Wolfsburg striker will return to action when football resumes in January. Osimhen travelled to Belgium last week to receive theraphy from a specialist. The striker has scored twice in eight...

Super Eagles 2021 Fixtures Set To Return To Lagos

24Dec

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Sports, Youths

Super Eagles 2021 Fixtures Set To Return To Lagos

The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare has assured that the National Stadium pitch in Surulere, Lagos could be ready to host Super Eagles and other international matches by May 2021. The Minister made this assertion during an inspection tour of the Surulere National Stadium, Lagos which is undergoing rehabilitation. His words: “It’s high time we had a familiar ground for our national teams. The Moshood Abiola National stadium Abuja and the Surulere National Stadium, Lagos will be ready to host matches next year and it will be a major plus to our teams when they have a familiar ground. “This arrangement is under the adopt initiative which is a public-private model that we developed. We were able to pitch that to the private sector. We discussed with a philanthrop...

New NPFL Season to Start Before End of 2020 – Sports Minister

21Dec

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Covid-19, News, Nigeria, Sports

New NPFL Season to Start Before End of 2020 – Sports Minister

Sunday Dare, Nigeria’s Minister of Youths and Sports Development, has said that the new NPFL reason will start before the end of 2020. The Minister disclosed this to journalists in Lagos during his inspection tour of the Surulere national stadium in Lagos State. Dare said the development followed consultations with the Nigeria Football Federation president, Amaju Pinnick and other relevant government agencies. He said that club owners have been informed of the new safety protocols to prevent the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus. He added that similar protocols enforced prior to the commencement of the female league would apply to the NPFL league. Dare said, “If you want your club to play, you must follow the football rules, I’m sorry that’s why that league hasn’t started, I ...

Eagles Yet to Have First Choice Goalie – Rohr

15Dec

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Sports

Eagles Yet to Have First Choice Goalie – Rohr

Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr has said Maduka Okoye must work twice as hard if he wishes to maintain his position as the first-choice goalkeeper for the national team. Okoye has featured for the Super Eagles in their last four matches, but his performance against Sierra Leone last month was questioned by the fans after he conceded four goals. The goalkeeper has been in sublime form in recent weeks for his club side, Sparta Rotterdam. Okoye who once played for Fortuna Düsseldorf rose through the ranks as back up goalie to book a place as a regular first choice for Sparta Rotterdam, keeping four clean sheets in the process; the most by any goalkeeper in the team this season. Rohr while commenting on the recent form of the goalkeeper warned Okoye not to rest on his oars as the r...

President Buhari Commends Anthony Joshua

13Dec

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

Nigeria, Sports

President Buhari Commends Anthony Joshua

President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday expressed delight over the victory recorded by Nigerian-born international heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Joshua, against Kubrat Pulev on Saturday night. Joshua had knocked his Bulgarian opponent, Pulev, out in the ninth round of their title fight in London, retaining his IBF, WBA and WBO titles. In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, President Buhari said Joshua had done Nigeria proud, just as he had served boxing enthusiasts globally an evening of pleasure through his Saturday night victory. “The President says by retaining his IBF, WBA, and WBO titles, Joshua has given boxing lovers round the world, and particularly in Nigeria, something to cheer. “He recalls his meeting with the heavy...

13Dec

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Sports

Flying Eagles Kicked Out of WAFU Cup

The Flying Eagles of Nigeria have crashed out of the 2020 WAFU B Zonal championship taking place in Poto Novo, Benin Republic. The Nigerian side finished their first two games with just a point, needing Cote D’Ivoire to beat Ghana with a 2-0 margin on Saturday to qualify for the semifinals, but the Ivorian side managed to win by a single goal. Ladan Bosso’s side Flying Eagles were sent packing from the championship, leaving the Young Elephants and Black Satellites to qualify from the group. Their failure to progress in the competition would make the side miss out on the 2021 U-20 AFCON which serves as qualifications for the FIFA U20 World Cup.

Anthony Joshua knocks Out Kubrat Pulev in Style to Retain World titles

13Dec

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Sports

Anthony Joshua knocks Out Kubrat Pulev in Style to Retain World titles

Nigerian born boxer Anthony Joshua on Saturday night retained heavyweight titles in stunning style after securing a ninth-round knockout against IBF mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev at the SSE Arena outside London. The WBA, IBF, WBO heavyweight champion dropped Pulev twice in round three after two slow rounds in front of the 1,000 socially distanced spectators. Joshua was patient to outbox Pulev in rounds four through eight before he then dropped his challenger in round nine. Although Pulev beat the count, the Nigerian born Joshua responded with a big right hand to put him down for the count. The 31-year-old boxer was fighting for the first time since regaining his belts from Andy Ruiz Jr with a point victory last December. Joshua after the fight had indicated that he wanted a...

Obasi Charges Rohr to Get Eagles Back to Winning Ways

12Dec

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Sports

Obasi Charges Rohr to Get Eagles Back to Winning Ways

Chinedu Obasi, former Super Eagles attacker has tasked the team’s manager, Gernot Rohr to harness the abundance of talents in the team and dominate the continent. He said the team is gifted with an abundance of talented players that ought to take Africa by storm. Obaseki’s comments came on the heels of the team’s below-par outing recently, failing to win a match in 2020. The Eagles round off the year as the 35th best team in the world and the fifth in Africa, behind Senegal, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. The Super Eagles coached by Rohr played four matches in 2020, recording a defeat and three draws, including the 4 – 4 result against Sierra Leone in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers played in November. Obasi while assessing the performance of the three-time African champ...

Why I Declined NFF Technical Director Job —Amuneke

11Dec

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Sports

Why I Declined NFF Technical Director Job —Amuneke

Former Super Eagles star, Emmanuel Amuneke, has disclosed that he rejected an offer to become the Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation because of his existing contract with a club. He said this on Friday while speaking to newsmen on topical issues in Nigerian football. Though the 1994 African Player of the Year did not mention the club, it was learnt that Amuneke joined Misr Lel-Makkasa Sporting Club, popularly called El Makkasa, in Faiyum, Egypt, after leaving Tanzania on mutual consent. He explained that the club he was working with agreed to release him after the season. Amuneke, who won Olympic Gold in 1996 as a player and led Nigeria to the 2015 Under-17 World Cup in Chile, said, “I was approached by the NFF for the role of a technical director but I had a...

Rohr Travels to France For Christmas Holidays

10Dec

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

AFCON, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sports

Rohr Travels to France For Christmas Holidays

Super Eagles Head coach Gernot Rohr is set to travel back to his base in France in the next few days ahead of the Christmas celebration with his family. The German has been in the country since last month when the Super Eagles engaged the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone in the 2021 AFCON double header and attended to other sundry issues. Apart from being part of the crowd at the NFF President Amaju Pinnick’s 50th birthday celebration in Warri, Rohr also watched the country’s representatives in the CAF Club competitions including Plateau United home tie against Simba of Tanzania and Rivers United’s home game against Futuro Kings of Equatorial Guinea. “The home based players need to play regularly and in good conditions, especially infrastructures,” Rohr told NationSport. “I saw two tea...