Category: Sports

President Bola Tinubu, GCFR, has directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead a presidential team to the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals in Côte d’Ivoire.

The Vice President had also represented the President at the semi-finals when the Super Eagles defeated South Africa in a pulsating encounter.

The Nigerian national team is set to face host Côte d’Ivoire in a thrilling rematch at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan on Sunday, February 11.

The match will rekindle memories of Nigeria’s 1-0 victory in the group stage, secured through Captain William Troost-Ekong’s penalty.

Unifying Power

Recognising the unifying power of football and the immense role the Super Eagles play in fostering national pride and unity, President Bola Tinubu believes that Vice President Shettima’s presence at the finals alongside the delegation is a testament to the government’s unwavering support for the team and its dedication to their success.

The government therefore calls on all Nigerians, both at home and abroad, to unite in support of the Super Eagles, to raise their voices in encouragement, and to create a wave of national pride that propels the team to glory.

VON

De Laurentiis was responding to an interview that Osimhen, who is with Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations, gave to American television network CBS, in which the 25-year-old striker said he had already “made up” his mind about his next move.

Questioned by Italian media after a meeting of the Italian Football League, De Laurentiis said he was not surprised, even though Osimhen signed a contract extension with the Italian champions in December.

Italian media have reported that the contract contains a release clause of between 120 and 130 million euros ($130 million to $141 million).

Osimhen was the top scorer in Serie A last season, hitting 26 goals to propel Napoli to their first league title since 1990.

De Laurentiis said he had been preparing for Osimhen to leave ever since.

“We’ve known all this since last summer, which is also why negotiations for the extension of his contract, although friendly, took so long,” De Laurentiis said.

“We know he’s either going to Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain or an English club.”

Osimhen, voted African Player of the Year last year, joined Napoli from Lille in 2020 and has scored 67 goals in 119 appearances in all competitions.

Napoli are experiencing a nightmare season. They are ninth in the league and out of the Italian Cup.

Coach Luciano Spalletti left after the title win and De Laurentiis appointed Rudi Garcia, but dismissed the Frenchman in mid-November and hired Walter Mazzarri until the end of the season.

De Laurentiis dismissed hiring Jose Mourinho as a future coach.

Mourinho is without a club after Roma terminated his contract in mid-January.

“Mourinho at Napoli is not on the agenda,” De Laurentiis said.

“He’s a great coach, very likeable, part of the history of a certain kind of soccer.

“His destiny will undoubtedly take him out of Italy, at least not to Naples,” De Laurentiis concluded.

AFP

Kenneth Omeruo captained the side in place of Troost-Ekong, while Joe Aribo replaced Alex Iwobi. Guinea-Bissau, motivated by their previous win against Mauritania, sought to repeat their success.

Victor Osimhen threatened early for Nigeria, but his shot missed the target. Despite constant pressure from the Super Eagles, Guinea-Bissau held their own, with Nito testing Stanley Nawabali from distance.

A draw would have sufficed for Nigeria, but Guinea-Bissau pushed for the win, troubling the Nigerian defense through Dalcio Gomes.

Fortunes tilted for Nigeria in the 37th minute. Moses Simon’s cross towards Osimhen was inadvertently deflected into the net by Opa Sangante, handing the Super Eagles the lead.

Osimhen had another chance later in the half but couldn’t connect with another Simon cross.

The second half saw more chances for Nigeria. Simon missed a golden opportunity, while Osimhen had a goal disallowed for offside after VAR intervention. Substitute Alex Iwobi also joined the action but failed to convert his attempt.

The Super Eagles held onto their narrow lead despite Guinea-Bissau’s late efforts, clinching the win and a second-place finish in Group A. They will now face a yet-to-be-determined opponent in the round of 16.

Victor Osimhen has been crowned the 2023 African Footballer of the Year in a momentous event that solidified his status as one of the best players in the world.

Osimhen saw off competition from Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah.

Monday’s award capped off a sterling year for the Super Eagles forward whose historic feat in the imperial Moroccan city of Marakesh ended Nigeria’s 24-year-old wait for Africa’s top individual prize. Legendary Kanu Nwankwo was the last Nigerian to win the award and that was in 1999.

The prize is a recognition of Osimhen’s exploits for his Napoli club side and the national team where he is a key member. He spearheaded the Italian team’s unprecedented Serie A title run, scoring 26 goals in the league to become the first African to win the Pichichi (top scorer) award. His contribution broke George Weah’s record as the highest-scoring player from the continent in the Italian top flight.

Napoli last won the Scudetto 33 years ago during the legendary Diego Maradona’s era. For the 2022/23 campaign, the former Lille striker’s impeccable form saw him included in the Serie A Team of the Year as he also clinched the Best Striker prize.

Osimhen’s ranking in the 2023 Ballon d’Or was a testament to his contributions to the Serie A team’s epochal showing. He was ninth, becoming the highest-ranked African for the year and the most-ranked Nigerian in the history of the award.

Earlier in the month, the Nigerian was crowned as Italian footballers’ association player of the Year, the first African to win the AIC award.

Though Nigeria agonizingly missed out on the 2022 World Cup, losing the ticket to perennial rivals Ghana, Osimhen’s contributions to the Super Eagles were staggering in the year under review. He was the top scorer in the qualification race for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with 10 goals.

Although injuries have hampered his outing for Napoli this season – with just six goals in 10 games for Walter Mazzari’s men – Monday’s award is the crowning point of a hugely successful year for the Nigerian marksman.

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Super Falcons on Tuesday sealed a spot in next year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) with a 2-1 win against Cape Verde at the Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde in Praia.

The Nigerian side had been ruthless in their reverse encounter at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja last Thursday with an emphatic 5-0 victory courtesy of a  brace from Uchenna Kanu, Esther Okoronkwo, and Gift Monday rounding things up.

Justin Madugu’s side were still missing star striker Asisat Oshoala, as well as defender, Ashleigh Plumptre, and were hoping for a repeat show. 

However, the hosts had other plans and made their intentions known with an 8th minute goal from Racing Power striker, Ivania Moreira.

The Super Falcons pressed for an equalizer, but the Cape Verde side remained resolute taking their lone goal advantage into halftime.

The second half resumed with a Nigerian press with Madugu bringing in Okoronkwo  for Kanu and the UD Tenerife forward thought she had given the away side the equaliser but her 55th minute goal was ruled offside.

The 26-year-old would have to wait seven minutes to get her much-cherished goal with a solo finish to maintain the five-goal aggregate tally.

Okoronkwo was making herself a nuisance of the Cape Verde defence and almost got an assist after she set up Toni Payne but the latter couldn’t beat the opposition goalkeeper Jacinta Rodrigues.

Acting captain Rasheedat Ajibade also came close to giving the Falcons the lead, however, her effort went inches wide of the post.

Rodrigues was kept busy by the likes of Payne and Okoronkwo to keep the scoreline deadlocked.

The breakthrough would finally come for the Super Falcons from Ajibade in the 93rd minute to seal the win.

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Messi joins the likes of Simone Biles, Michael Phelps, LeBron James and the United States women’s national team to win the award. New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge won the award in 2022.

Messi made his debut for the Florida-based franchise in July, and announced his arrival by scoring a free kick in the final minutes to give his side a 2-1 victory. Since then he’s had a profound impact on the MLS.

With their star signing on board, Inter Miami won the Leagues Cup, their first major trophy, beating Nashville in the final in which Messi scored. The Argentina international scored 11 goals in 14 games in all competitions to finish the season. He was also nominated for the MLS MVP award.

In October, he claimed a record extending eighth Ballon d’or crown after he guided Argentina to World Cup victory in Qatar in 2022.

The 36-year-old explored the potential of a return to Barcelona and turned down a move to the Saudi Pro League before he signed with Inter Miami in a deal reported to be worth $20 million a year, and what’s reported to be an ownership stake in the club when he retires.

Leadership

Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen has added yet another gong to his growing list of accolades after scooping the Footballer of the Year prize for 2023 at the AIC Oscar del Calcio Awards.

Osimhen was instrumental for Napoli as they raced to their first Serie A title in 33 years earlier in the year.

The Nigerian scored 26 league goals to land the gong at the Italian Footballers’ Association Footballer of the Year award ceremony on Monday night.

“Victor Osimhen is the 2022/23 Footballer of the Year,” the awardees tweeted while announcing the 24-year-old as the winner.

Apart from winning the individual prize, Osimhen also earned a spot in the Serie A Team of the Year alongside teammates Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Kim Min-jae.

Others included in the list are Andrea Bastoni, Theo Hernández, Rafael Leão, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Mike Maignan, Stanislav Lobotka, and Nicolo Barella.

Monday’s event is coming one week before the CAF awards where the striker is in pole position to become the first Nigerian to win Africa’s top player prize since legendary Kanu Nwankwo in 1999. The event is billed for the Moroccan city of Marrakesh. Former Nigerian captains Mikel Obi and Vincent Enyeama were the closest to winning the award since Kanu but they ended second and third respectively in 2013 and 2014.

In October, Osimhen was ranked eighth in the 2023 Ballon d’Or, becoming the highest-rated Nigerian since the inception of the award. Kanu had finished 11th in 1996.