Author: Nurudeen Obalola
The legendary Segun Odegbami has provided an update on the condition of fellow great Peter Fregene, who has been battling with illness for some time. Fregene, a goalkeeping great with the national team in the 1960s through to the 1980s, is lying critically ill in Sapele, Delta State and Odegbami is soliciting for help for the former footballer, who is in his late 70s. In a heartfelt post shared widely on social media this week, Odegbami, who is a broadcaster and syndicated columnist, provided details of Fregene’s current condition and the efforts to find healing. The post is reproduced below:…
By Kayode John Quadri Aruna, Olajide Omotayo, Fatima Bello and Ajoke Ojomu have been listed in a 10-member squad by the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) for the 2024 ITTF African Championships. The competition is scheduled for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from October 12 to October 19. Joining the seasoned players are promising young talents such as Matthew Kuti, Muiz Adegoke, Abdulbasit Abdulfatai, Aishat Rabiu, Hope Udoaka, and Aziza Sezuo. Aruna, Omotayo and Bello all represented Nigeria at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in France but none of them made it beyond the first round of the singles categories. Matthew Kuti,…
The sports writers earlier kidnapped on Thursday on their way to cover the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match between Nigeria and Libya in Uyo have been released. The journalists, whose names are withheld, were abducted somewhere in Imo State on their way to the assignment by a yet-to-named group of gunmen. The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) announced on Thursday afternoon that the journalists had been released. In a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Ikenna Okonkwo, and made available to SportingTimes.ng, SWAN said: “We want to inform our teeming members across Nigeria and beyond that some of the…
Manchester United full-back Noussair Mazraoui has undergone a minor corrective heart procedure after experiencing palpitations. He is expected to be available to play in the next few weeks, according to reports. Mazraoui withdrew on Monday from the Morocco squad for two Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against the Central African Republic scheduled for Saturday and Tuesday. The 26-year-old joined United from Bayern Munich in August and has started all seven of his new club’s English Premier League games this season and nine of the 10 matches he has been available for since then. However, he was taken off at half-time…
The Nigeria Football Federation has rejected claims of poor treatment on arrival in the country by Libya captain Faisal Al-Badri. The NFF has insisted that the Libyan Football Federation created chaos for their own team with their shoddy arrangements. NFF’s Assistant Director (Protocol), Emmanuel Ayanbunmi, said the Libya federation only informed their Nigerian counterparts that their team was landing in Port Harcourt, and not Uyo, only three hours to the team’s arrival on Tuesday. “I spoke to the General Secretary of LFF, at length, on Monday, 7th October and he never hinted that his team would be arriving on Tuesday…
By Kayode John Libya captain Faisal Al-Badri has alleged poor treatment by Nigerian authorities ahead of Friday’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier in Uyo between the two countries. According to Libyan news outlet, Addresslibya, Al-Badri claimed on his Facebook page that Nigerian authorities frustrated what should have been a smooth travelling experience for his team. “We left the hotel at six in the morning, and the plane took off at nine. The flight took four hours, and thus we arrived in Nigeria at one in the afternoon, Libyan time,” he was quoted as saying. “Our luggage was searched inside the…
By Kayode John Super Eagles defender William Troost-Ekong has insisted that Ahmed Musa remains the captain of the team and is welcome back as such any time. Musa, who is the most capped Super Eagles player of all time with 110 appearances, last featured for Nigeria in January 2024 in a warm-up game ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) against Guinea, to whom they lost 2-0. “He’s still our captain and he’s welcome back any time. He’s our most capped player, a good role model, and he’s a good leader. I am happy to deputise for him,”…
Rafael Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam champion, will retire from tennis at the end of this season. The 38-year-old will represent Spain in his final appearance at next month’s Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. Nadal has barely played over the past two seasons because of injuries and suggested last year he could retire at the end of the 2024 season. In a video message released on Thursday, Nadal said: “I am here to let you know I am retiring from professional tennis. “The reality is that it has been some difficult years, the last two especially. “I don’t think I…
By Kayode John Super Eagles defender Ola Aina has said his birthday wishes are is for the team to win the next Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco and qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Aina turned 28 in the Super Eagles camp on Tuesday as the team continued to prepare to face Libya at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Friday in the first leg of their double-header against the North Africans in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers. A video posted on the Super Eagles’ X account on Wednesday showed the Nottingham Forest defender being celebrated during the…
By Kayode John Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has confirmed that Inter Milan were genuinely interested in him last summer and would have been a dream if the move had materialised. Okoye has established himself as one of the best shot-stoppers in the Italian Serie A since joining Udinese in 2023. His impressive performances, which were key to the club escaping relegation last season, had put him on the radar of top clubs, including champions Inter. He instead signed a four-year contract extension that will keep him at the Stadio Friuli until 2028. “The interest from Inter was concrete, but…