Author: Nurudeen Obalola

By Nurudeen Obalola Super Falcons of Nigeria stars Rasheedat Ajibade and Chiamaka Nnadozie have been nominated for the 2024 CAF Awards Women’s Player of the Year prize. Several other Nigerians and teams from the country are also nominated in various other categories of the awards. The Confederation of African Football released the list of nominees for the women’s categories of the awards on Wednesday night. The 2024 CAF Awards will be held on December 16, in Marrakech, Morocco. Atletico Madrid forward Ajibade and Paris FC goalkeeper Nnadozie are among the 10 players shortlisted for the coveted CAF Women’s Player of…

Lagos sports writers mourn as veteran journalist Dapo Sotuminu dies The Lagos State chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (Lagos SWAN) was left mourning again on Wednesday following the tragic passing of one of its most active members, Dapo Sotuminu. The veteran sports writer, who has reported for several national publications and headed numerous sports desks, died on Wednesday morning after a brief illness, just weeks after the untimely death of Eko FM’s Adeyinka Adebayo. “This is a loss that strikes the heart of the association and serves as a painful reminder of the toll taken on the…

Genoa have appointed Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira as their new head coach. The Serie A strugglers confirmed the appointment of the former Gunners captain on Wednesday. Genoa said Frenchman Vieira would take charge of his first training session Wednesday afternoon after signing his contract at the club’s headquarters in Villa Rostan. The club sacked their coach, Alberto Gilardino, on Tuesday, just five days before a key Serie A match against direct rivals Cagliari. A former France midfielder of legendary status who won the 1998 World Cup with his country, Vieira started his coaching career at Manchester City with the Elite Development Squad and…

A Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) test has revealed that Vinicius Jr., the Brazil and Real Madrid forward, has ancestral roots in Cameroon. The test conducted by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) in partnership with AfricanAncestry.com on Tuesday at Fonte Nova revealed that the player’s ancestry is rooted in the Tikar tribe of Cameroon. A certificate recognising Vinicius Jr’s Cameroonian heritage was issued, along with a video highlighting the legacy of his Tikar forebears, a prominent tribe in Cameroon. The initiative is part of the CBF’s ‘Roots of Gold’ campaign, which honours the history and pride of the Afro-Brazilian community, with a…

Rafael Nadal said farewell to tennis and his fans saluted their retiring hero in a bittersweet and emotional ceremony at a sold-out Malaga arena following his last professional match in Spain’s 2-1 Davis Cup defeat to the Netherlands on Tuesday. Holding back tears as he tried to compose himself, Nadal gave a near 15-minute speech that stretched into the early hours of Wednesday. The 22-times Grand Slam champion had earlier lost 6-4, 6-4 to the Netherlands’ Botic van de Zandschulp, ending a 29-match singles winning streak in the Davis Cup and bringing the curtain down on his glittering career. “What I have…

By Nurudeen Obalola Edo Queens were knocked out of contention for the CAF Women’s Champions League title on Tuesday night following a 3-1 defeat to Congo Democratic Republic’s TP Mazembe in the semi-final in Casablanca, Morocco. The Nigerian champions scored first but TP Mazembe netted a late equaliser to force extra-time, during which they added two more goals. Edo Queens, who defeated two-time champions Mamelodi Sundowns in the group stage, had the final within touching distance when they took the lead in the 64th minute through Emem Essien with her third goal of the competition. But TP Mazembe fought back…

Roger Federer has published a long letter paying tribute to great rival Rafael Nadal ahead of the Spaniard’s retirement, saying: “Your old friend is always cheering for you.” Nadal is bidding goodbye to tennis at the Davis Cup finals in Malaga this week, with Spain beginning their campaign against the Netherlands later on Tuesday. Federer and Nadal’s rivalry defined one of the greatest eras in the sport, with the pair locking horns 40 times between 2004 and 2019. In the letter posted on social media, Federer wrote: “Vamos, Rafael Nadal! As you get ready to graduate from tennis, I’ve got a few…

By Nurudeen Obalola Super Eagles interim head coach Austin Eguavoen has admitted that he is baffled by Victor Boniface’s struggles with the national team. While the striker has scored regularly for Bayer Leverkusen in the German Bundesliga, he has not been able to get going in the Nigeria team. The 23-year-old has registered 29 goals and 11 assists in 49 Leverkusen appearances since the beginning of last season, but he is yet to score in nine competitive appearances for the Super Eagles. Boniface was given a rare start on Monday as Rwanda defeated Nigeria 2-1 in an Africa Cup of…

Two players from Edo Queens, Cordelia Odoma and Emem Essien, have been included in the Best XI of the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League group stage. The Nigerian representatives, featuring in the competition for the first time, have advanced to the semi-finals after garnering seven points from three group matches, including a stunning 2-1 win over two-time champions Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday. In the best 11 put together by the Confederation of African Football’s Technical Study Group, AS FAR of host country Morocco have four players, with two players each from Edo Queens and FC Maser. Mamelodi Sundowns, University…

By Nurudeen Obalola Super Eagles and Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman has been included in a five-man shortlist for the CAF Awards Men’s Player of the Year prize, while Stanley Nwabali is still in the race for Goalkeeper of the Year. Lookman is nominated along with Simon Adingra (Cote d’Ivoire/Brighton & Hove Albion), Serhou Guirassy (Guinea/Borussia Dortmund), Achraf Hakimi (Morocco/Paris Saint-Germain), and Ronwen Williams (South Africa/ Mamelodi Sundowns). The Confederation of African Football officially unveiled the top five nominees in each of the men’s categories of the CAF Awards on Monday night. Lookman has had an outstanding 2024 and is the favourite…