Author: Nurudeen Obalola
A last-gasp own goal gave Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa an upset result over holders Al Ahly on Friday night and a place against another Egyptian club, Pyramids, in next month’s CAF Champions League final. Al Ahly defender Yasser Ibrahim turned the ball into his own net in stoppage time at the end of a semi-final second-leg tie in Cairo to see Sundowns eliminate the Egyptian giants on the away goals rule after a 1-1 draw. Later in the Egyptian capital, Pyramids twice came from behind to beat Orlando Pirates of South Africa 3-2 with Fiston Mayele scoring twice for…
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has expressed its shock and sadness over the death of former President of the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA), Otunba Tade Azeez. Azeez, 63, was reported to have passed away at about 2.45pm on Friday after a brief illness. NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, was stunned when first notified of the demise of Azeez, who was also Vice Chairman of the Lagos State Football Association during the tenure of former NFF 1st Vice President, Seyi Akinwunmi. “What? Are you serious? This is shocking; we didn’t even know that he was sick. Another big loss to the…
The Flamingos of Nigeria defied wintry conditions in Blida on Friday night to hold Algeria to a 0-0 draw and qualify for this year’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Leading 4-0 from last Saturday’s first leg in Ikenne-Remo, the 2002 bronze medallists defended solidly and soaked up the expected pressure from the hosts, relying on fast breaks to try and hurt their opponents. Although they created the better chances on the night, the Flamingos failed to score, but it was not a problem as they secured the ticket to the World Cup in Morocco on a 4-0 aggregate win. In…
Former Manchester United and France defender Patrice Evra will make his mixed martial arts debut in Paris next month. The 43-year-old will compete in a bout at Professional Fighters League Europe’s Paris event on May 23 at the Accor Arena in Bercy. Evra has been doing combat training for nearly a decade and has been preparing for his competitive bow alongside friend and PFL star Cedric Doumbe. It has not yet been announced who Evra will fight against, and he said: “You guys should know by now, I love this game too. “I’ve performed on the world’s biggest stages, won…
A Kobe Bryant jersey worn during his Los Angeles Lakers pre-season and regular-season debuts was sold for $7 million at Sotheby’s in New York City on Thursday, the auction house said. The jersey was photo-matched to seven games of his 1996-1997 rookie season including his October 16 pre-season debut and November 3 regular season debut in 1996, as well as his NBA media day. At $7 million the item is the fourth-most expensive game-worn sports jersey behind Babe Ruth’s “called shot” jersey ($24 million), Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals jersey ($10.1 million), and Diego Maradona’s Argentina shirt from the 1986…
Paralympic bronze medalist, Eniola Bolaji of Nigeria, has been named the winner of the 2024 Africa Women in Badminton Award (AWIBA) in recognition of her outstanding achievements and inspiring journey in para-badminton. The prestigious award was presented during the Badminton Confederation Africa (BCA) Annual General Meeting held on Thursday in China. Bolaji, a multiple-time African champion, becomes the second Nigerian to receive the honour, following in the footsteps of badminton veteran Obiageli Solaja who received the award in 2019. Receiving the award on her behalf, President of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, described the recognition as timely…
Flamingos of Nigeria head coach Bankole Olowookere has vowed that his side will not let the country down when they face Algeria in Blida on Friday. The Nigerian girls are looking to seal their passage to the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after beating the Algerians 4-0 in Ikenne-Remo on Saturday in the first leg of their final qualifying round tie. The Flamingos are seeking an eighth appearance in the competition as they take on Algeria in the chilly Stade Mustapha Tchaker in Blida (outside Algiers) on Friday night. The Federation Algerienne de Football (FAF) has scheduled the match to…
Leicester City have announced that Jamie Vardy is leaving the club after 13 seasons. The Foxes striker, teammate of Super Eagles midfielder Wilfred Ndidi for several years, will depart at the end of the campaign having made more than 400 appearances and helped the club win an English Premier League title and FA Cup. “I’ll be devastated on the day when it is the last [game], but good things, they come to an end,” Vardy said on the club’s website. “It’s going to be one of those emotional days. Who knows which way that can go. If you ask anyone, I’m…
Super Eagles winger Samuel Chukwueze was an unused substitute on Wednesday night as AC Milan defeated neighbours Inter Milan 3-0 to advance to the Coppa Italia final. Chukwueze scored twice in AC Milan’s 6-1 round of 16 victory over Sassuolo in December but has since played just three minutes in the three matches that followed. A Luka Jovic double and a goal from Tijjani Reijnders on Wednesday helped AC Milan to outclass city rivals Inter Milan to seal a 4-1 aggregate triumph. Inter earned a 1-1 draw against Milan in the first leg of their semi-final but they could not stop an…
Arsenal and Crystal Palace played out a 1-1 draw at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night to keep Liverpool waiting to be officially crowned English Premier League champions. Both these teams’ main focus is on their cup exploits, with Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals and Palace at the same stage in the FA Cup, and both managers rested key players. Arsenal took an early lead through centre-back Jakub Kiwior, who headed past Dean Henderson from a Martin Odegaard free-kick in the third minute. Palace looked dangerous on the attack but vulnerable at the back, though the visitors pulled level…