Tag: Sports - Page 38 - African News Today

Nigeria Cricket Federation Unveils Foreign Coach

9Dec

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Sports

Nigeria Cricket Federation Unveils Foreign Coach

A Deputy Director with the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Maria Whophil on Tuesday unveiled Asanka Gurusinha as the new Head Coach of Cricket for Nigeria at the Media Center of the Moshood Abiola Stadium. The Sri Lankan coach who was appointed after scaling through an interview attended by 32 high profile coaches said that the interview session was the most rigorous he has experience in his coaching career. He said, “I am very excited to take up this job and I am really looking forward to the best we can achieve with the level of enthusiasm, talent, and support that the Nigerian Cricket Federation has.” Whophil, who was representing the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare, said the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development is full of commenda...

CAF Fines Aubameyang For Social Media Post

9Dec

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

AFCON, Africa, Gabon, Sports

CAF Fines Aubameyang For Social Media Post

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has fined Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been fined $10,000 for social media posts. CAF said the post had tarnished its “honour and image”. Aubameyang posted in the social media after Gabon spent the night on an airport floor ahead of an African Cup of Nations qualifier in November. The player and his team mates were stuck at the airport in the Gambia after arriving for a qualifying game. They were not allowed to leave as officials argued over COVID-19 testing. The Arsenal striker posted pictures of players sleeping on the airport floor and wrote: “Nice job CAF, it’s as if we were back in the 1990s.” He later added: “This will not demotivate us but people need to know and CAF needs to take responsibility. “It is 2020 and we want ...

Super Eagles Need A Proper Number 10 – Okocha Suggests

7Dec

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

Nigeria, Sports, Youths

Super Eagles Need A Proper Number 10 – Okocha Suggests

Former Super Eagles captain Austin Okocha says what the team need at the moment is a playmaker who can open up spaces for the attackers to score. The team has struggled to replace the veteran midfielder since his exit with no real number ten emerging as his replacement in the team. Speaking on the short comings of the team, Okocha suggested that coach Gernot Rohr should intensify efforts to get a natural number ten for the team. “What the Eagles need now are natural midfielders who can create chances and change the course of a game. We need midfielders who can run at defenders and pick their teammates with good passes. “ We have midfielders but not in that level at the moment. Some of them are just scared and the fact that they are being compared to the 1994 Eagles bring a bit ...

Sports Minister Speaks on Plans to Cut Abuja Stadium Grass with ₦81m

5Dec

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Sports

Sports Minister Speaks on Plans to Cut Abuja Stadium Grass with ₦81m

Mr Sunday Dare, Minister of Sports has debunked reports of the ministry’s plans to cut the grass at the Abuja National Stadium with ₦81 million. The clarification was issued in a statement released by the office of the Minister, titled, ‘Beware of Fake News: Minister Actually Rejected the N81 million bill’. The statement read, “When we went to Abuja Environmental, for a one-time clearing, they gave us a bill of 81million. “If I tell Nigerians that I have 81million and I used the money to clear the National Stadium so that bush rats will be taken away instead of using that money to bring back the high-performance centre, you will be the first people to attack me. It’s an opportunity cost, it’s tough, the fund is just not there. “But we have made some efforts. But if you cut it d...

Home-based Super Eagles Camping To Precede Future Matches

3Dec

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

Africa, Nigeria, Sports, Youths

Home-based Super Eagles Camping To Precede Future Matches

The Nigeria Football Federation has responded to calls by Nigerians for the involvement of domestic league players in Super Eagles’ matches, by agreeing to commence camping with home-based players, for a week or two, prior to the arrival of the overseas-based players. According to a report by Completesports.com, the Federation came to this conclusion after a meeting with the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, in his office last Tuesday in Abuja, and a followup by the Executive Committee later same day. “The minister suggested to us to involve more home-based players in the the Super Eagles’ games, and we have agreed to camp the local boys for between one to two weeks before the overseas-based players report to camp for any particular match in Nigeria or abroad,” ...

UEFA Nominates Oshoala for Player of the Year Award

1Dec

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Sports

UEFA Nominates Oshoala for Player of the Year Award

Super Falcons forward, Asisat Oshoala has been nominated for a place in the 2020 UEFA Fan’s Team of the Year. The forward who has bagged an African women footballer four times but surprisingly missed out on the 2020 FIFA Best nomination, made the list alongside 49 other layers. Oshoala is one of three Barcelona players to have been named in the list released by UEFA on Tuesday. The forward who played for English sides, Arsenal ladies was in sublime form in the 2020 season, winning the league title and the Super Cup with the Catalan giants. The Super Falcon star bagged 20 goals in 19 league appearances last season.

29Nov

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

Africa, Sports, Tanzania, Youths

I Can’t Be Assistant To Rohr – Amuneke

Former Tanzania coach Emmanuel Amuneke has denied suggestions that he was keen on working as assistant to coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr. Amuneke was previously reported to have been offered to the German coach as an assistant but the coach turned down the suggestion insisting on having Salisu Yusuf back. Yusuf was suspended from all football activities for 18 months following his implication in a cash for spot scandal as coach of the Nigeria home based team during the CHAN tournament. Reacting to the news, Amuneke said: “I categorically deny nursing any ambition to work under any other coach either in Nigeria or elsewhere with my pedigree in the game. I did not apply to work as Rohr’s assistant and nobody has also approached me about it,” he was quote...

Newcastle United Defeat Difficult To Take – Eberechi Eze

28Nov

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

English Premiership, Nigeria, Sports, Youths

Newcastle United Defeat Difficult To Take – Eberechi Eze

Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze has described the team's 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United as ‘demoralising.’ The Eagles dominated for most of the game but went home disappointed with nothing to show for their efforts. The midfielder told Palace TV: “It’s demoralising losing like that. We dominated for most of the game and I think you get punished at the end if you don’t take your chances and leave it too open for them. It’s a hard one to take for us but we’ll be stronger and go again. “We have to move on to the next game and play right in the next game.” Asked to drill-down into why Palace’s attacks were unable to produce goals, Eze said: “I don’t know. It’s a difficult one. The more we keep creating and the more we get in the opposition box, eventually it will go in. “...

FIFA Rankings: Super Eagles Slip Three Places to 35

28Nov

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

News, Nigeria, Sports

FIFA Rankings: Super Eagles Slip Three Places to 35

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have slipped three places in the latest FIFA ranking for the month of November. The Nigeria national team dropped from 32nd position to 35th in the world, courtesy of their last two draws secured during the AFCON qualifier against Sierra Leone. While the three-time African champions slipped in the latest ranking, Senegal maintained their spot as the best team in Africa and are ranked among the top 20 in the world. Tunisia are ranked second-best team in Africa, occupying 26th in the world, while Algeria slipped one spot to 31th and third in Africa. According to the latest update, the top three spots remain unchanged, though Belgium expanded the gap on their closest contenders, France. Brazil, placed third are closing in on the French side after ext...

Bosso Releases Squad List For WAFU U-20 Cup Of Nations

27Nov

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

AFCON, Africa, Sports, Uncategorized, Youths

Bosso Releases Squad List For WAFU U-20 Cup Of Nations

Head Coach Isa Ladan Bosso has picked his 20 -man squad that will contest for the WAFU B Cup of Nations title at the tournament taking place in Porto Novo, Benin Republic next month. The competition, which holds 5th – 20th December, will also serve as the qualifying tournament for the 2021 U20 Africa Cup of Nations that will be staged in Mauritania. THE FULL LIST Goalkeepers: John Amah (Box2Box FC), Chibueze Lambert (Abia Warriors), Kolawole Oladipo (Crown FC) Defenders: Temitayo Ereku (Brookhouse Academy), Charles Etim (Blessed Stars), Mike Zaruma (Plateau United), Christopher Nwaeze (Kwara United), Moses Solomon (Calabar Rovers), Isaiah Ejeh (Kwara United), Jimmy Abdul (MFM) Midfielders: Oladoye Adewale (Water FC), Liameed Quadri (36 Lions), Muhammad Abdallah (Nasarawa Uni...