Author: Nurudeen Obalola
Kate Scott, until recently known with her maiden name Kate Abdo, will be hosting the 2024 CAF Awards ceremony, along with Jalal Bouzrara. The ceremony is scheduled for Monday evening in Marrakech, Morocco. “Scott is a well-known sports broadcaster who worked for CNN and Sky Sports before joining CBS Sports. She speaks four languages, English, French, Spanish and German, and has hosted numerous events worldwide,” the Confederation of African Football said in a statement announcing her as co-host. “She is also well known for her role hosting the FIFA Ballon d’Or and Laureus World Sports Awards, both of which…
Wolves have sacked manager Gary O’Neil following a dismal run of four consecutive English Premier League defeats. The results have left the club stranded in the relegation zone, second from bottom in the table with just nine points from 16 games after Saturday’s 2-1 home loss to fellow strugglers Ipswich. “Wolves have parted company with head coach Gary O’Neil and his backroom staff,” the club announced on their official website on Sunday. “O’Neil arrived at Molineux just three days before the start of the 2023/2024 Premier League season, taking on a significant challenge and ultimately guiding the Old Gold to…
Tanzanian music superstar Diamond Platnumz and Dystinct, the Moroccan who is known for his genre that blends R&B, Afrobeats and Arabic influences, are two of the major acts to entertain the audience at the CAF Awards on Monday night in Marrakech, Morocco. “The 2024 CAF Awards will shine a spotlight on the best players, coaches and teams on the continent over the past year but will provide a platform to take in the sights and sounds of Africa’s vibrant entertainment scene,” the Confederation of Aftican Football stated on Sunday. Monday’s ceremony will be held at the Palais des Congrès in…
Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi put in another solid shift on Saturday as Fulham drew their English Premier League clash 2-2 with Liverpool at Anfield. Iwobi was a menace on the left side of midfield, combining with Antonee Robinson to torment Liverpool down that flank. The Nigeria international was involved with Fulham’s second goal, finding Robinson with a fine pass before the left-back set up Rodrigo Muniz for the finish. Fulham stunned Anfield with an early goal, Andreas Pereira hooking the ball in acrobatically in the 11th minute. Things then went from bad to worse for the league leaders as…
Although they have no contestant among the five finalists for the 2024 CAF Awards Men’s Player of the Year, Cameroon have had more winners of the prize over the years than any other country. The winner of this year’s award will be crowned in Marrakech, Morocco on Monday night, with Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman vying with Simon Adingra of Cote d’Ivoire, Achraf Hakimi of Morocco, Ronwen Williams of South Africa and Serhou Guirassy of Guinea. Past winners of the African Footballer of the Year award, which was first introduced more than a half century ago, come from 17 different Confederation of…
There is no team as good as Chelsea in the English Premier League at the moment, according to Brentford manager Thomas Frank. Brentford are away to Chelsea on Sunday night, with the Blues having won their last six matches in a row in all competitions under Enzo Maresca, who replaced Mauricio Pochettino in June. Four straight league wins have taken Chelsea to second place in the table, four points behind leaders Liverpool. “They are maybe even more in-form than Liverpool, even though they are top of the league,” Frank said of Chelsea as he previewed Sunday’s clash. “They are playing…
Victor Wembanyama made two free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining and the San Antonio Spurs overcame a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit to notch a 118-116 victory over the host Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night. Wembanyama made all 10 of his free-throw attempts while recording 28 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Devin Vassell scored 23 points off the bench, Julian Champagnie had 19 points and Jeremy Sochan added 15 for San Antonio, which overcame Portland with a 24-4 run in the final quarter. Jerami Grant matched his career high of eight 3-pointers and scored 32 points as Portland lost its…
Fiorentina midfielder Edoardo Bove has been released from hospital after undergoing a heart procedure. The Italian club confirmed on Friday that the 22-year-old was discharged after surgery to implant a heart starter device following his collapse during a Serie A match. Bove collapsed on the pitch during Fiorentina’s home Serie A fixture with Inter Milan on December 1 and the match was abandoned. He underwent an operation on Tuesday. The Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD), a type of pacemaker that can prevent fatal cardiac arrest by delivering a shock to restore a normal rhythm, is not permitted in Serie A. According to reports in Italian media, Bove…
By Nurudeen Obalola The Super Falcons did not move up or down in the latest FIFA women’s ranking, four months after the last time. The Nigerian side are still 36th in the world, the position they were in for the last ranking in August. Indeed, the nine-time African champions have been in the 36th spot since March, retaining the position in June, August and now. They have added one ranking point though, going from 1,621 to 1,622 after beating Algeria twice and losing to France once in friendly matches in the period under review. The Super Falcons are still the…
Tijani Babangida has spoken out for the first time since losing his brother and son in a car accident seven months ago. The former Super Eagles winger’s brother Ibrahim, also a former footballer, and one-year-old son Fadil were killed in the tragic crash in Kaduna in May. Babaginda himself and his wife Maryam sustained serious injuries and required surgeries. Indeed, the wife lost an eye, required reconstructive surgery on her face, and is still undergoing costly medical care in the Netherlands. In a documentary released by Babangida’s former club Ajax Amsterdam on Thursday, the former Nigeria international narrated how tough…