Mohamed Salah has won BBC’s African Footballer of the Year for 2017 award after impressing in the Premier League for Liverpool and leading Egypt to the World Cup for the third time in their history The 25-year-old forward beat Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Guinean Naby Keita, Senegal’s Sadio Mane and Nigeria’s Victor Moses to be named the continent’s greatest player by …
Read More »Italy fail to qualify for Russia World Cup 2018
A night to remember for Sweden as they qualify for next year’s World Cup in Russia but catastrophe for Italy. For the first time since 1958 the Azzurri will miss out on the finals – They failed to score in two legs against Sweden, enabling the Scandinavians to go through with a 1-0 aggregate playoff victory.. Italy’s Coach Gian Piero …
Read More »Morocco, Tunisia qualify for Russia 2018; Côte d’Ivoire out
Côte d’Ivoire have failed to qualify for next year’s competition after losing 2-0 to Morocco on Saturday in Abidjan. Morocco needed only a draw in their last group game to finish top of the table ahead of the Ivorians, who had to win at home to make a fourth straight appearance at the World Cup. The Ivorians have reached the …
Read More »Final battle over Africa’s last three World Cup slots this weekend
Senegal and Tunisia are on the brink of qualification for next year’s World Cup finals but the tussle between the Ivory Coast and Morocco is set for a dramatic finale in Abidjan at the weekend. Egypt and Nigeria have already claimed two of the five African slots for the tournament in Russia and the final set of qualifiers being played …
Read More »Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca crowned African champions
Wydad Casablanca of Morocco became African champions for a second time when they defeated Al Ahly of Egypt 1-0 Saturday in the second leg of the CAF Champions League final. Walid El Karty nodded the lone goal on 69 minutes to give the home team a 2-1 aggregate triumph at the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca after they forced a 1-1 draw …
Read More »Anthony Joshua beats Carlos Takam to retain heavyweight titles
Anthony Joshua stopped a resilient Carlos Takam in the 10th round to successfully defend his IBF and WBA heavyweight world titles in Cardiff on Saturday. Takam is Joshua’s 20th consecutive knockout victim in a fourth defence of his IBF belt and first of his WBA title. Joshua, a British-Nigerian, had injured his nose from a headbutt from the Cameroon-born boxer …
Read More »Ronaldo retains FIFA award for world’s best player
Real Madrid’s Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo was crowned the best soccer player in the world for the second year running at FIFA’s The Best awards gala on Monday. The four-time Ballon d‘Or winner won a La Liga and Champions League double with the Madrid club this year. He stroke twice against Juventus in the European Cup final to help Real …
Read More »Morocco replaces Kenya as 2018 CHAN hosts
Morocco has replaced Kenya as hosts of the 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN), the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Sunday. The Emergency Committee of the body chaired by its president, Ahmad Ahmad, met on Saturday in Lagos, Nigeria, and unanimously decided to grant the organization of the fifth edition of the football competition to the Royal Moroccan Football …
Read More »Yaya Touré says he’s been abused by racists, supports initiative
Manchester City star Yaya Touré has announced his support for the Football People action weeks and the thousands across Europe and beyond that during the period unite to tackle discrimination in football and promote social inclusion. Speaking in a short film produced to support the campaign, which runs until 19 October, Touré said: “I have been abused by racism and …
Read More »Egypt goes wild with celebrations as it qualifies for Russia 2018
Egypt’s national football team has secured a spot in next year’s World Cup with a 2-1 win over Congo Brazzaville, clinching a place at the World Cup finals for the first time since 1990. Mohamed Salah, 25-year-old forward who plays for Liverpool, scored a stoppage-time penalty on Sunday at the Borg El Arab Stadium in the Egyptian city of Alexandra …
Read More »Super Eagles first African team to qualify for Russia 2018
Nigeria’s national team, the Super Eagles, have become the first African country to qualify for next year’s World Cup in Russia after taking an unassailable lead atop Group B. The team beat Zambia’s Chipolopolo in the city of Uyo, southern Nigeria, to secure their qualification. The only goal of the game was scored by Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi. He came on …
Read More »Kolo Toure named assistant manager of Cote d’Ivoire
Kolo Toure has been appointed as an assistant coach to the Cote d’Ivoire national team. The former Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City defender will work under ex-Belgium coach Marc Wilmots, the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) has announced. He was already an assistant manager at the last club he played for, Celtic. He hung his boot earlier in September 2017 after …
Read More »Ugandan rugby players ‘disappear’ after tournament in Germany
Some members of the Ugandan rugby national team have gone missing in Germany at the end of a three-day 12-nation tournament which the Rugby Cranes finished 10th. The three players – Ramathan Govule, Brian Kikaawa and Fred Odur – were not found at the team’s hotel on Monday (2 October) when they were preparing to leave the country, local media …
Read More »Kipchoge and Cherono make it double win for Kenya at Berlin Marathon
It wasn’t the race that anybody anticipated and the world record of 2:02:57 still stands, but Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge came away from the 2017 Berlin Marathon on Sunday with the win in 2:03:32—and he faced some unanticipated late-race competition from a newcomer to the distance. Although the pre-race hype focused on a battle between the “big three” of Kipchoge, Wilson …
Read More »Bekele, Kipchoge and Kipsang aim for marathon history in Berlin
It should be a history-making event as three of the fastest marathoners on earth line up to race the 44th BMW Berlin Marathon on Sunday, 24 September. Running for the world record are Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele and Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge and Wilson Kipsang, who will summon near-super human strength, speed and endurance developed over years of dedicated training. The time …
Read More »Nigerian-German twin brothers called into German national basketball team
Because they couldn’t sit at home doing nothing, 15-year-old Precious and Promise Idiaru took to sports many years ago. They started with football and later switched to basketball, in which the tall brothers have proved to be very good. They have now been nominated for Germany’s Under-15 national team which will take part in the 4-nation North Sea Development Cup …
Read More »CAF expands Africa Cup of Nations to 24 teams
The Executive Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Thursday passed a resolution to increase the number of participating teams in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) from 16 to 24. The change will take effect from 2019 when Cameroon hosts it. The, tournament which has traditionally been held in January and February, will also be staged in …
Read More »Boris Becker’s investment in Nigeria caused his bankruptcy – lawyer
According to a new report of the Daily Mail, a London newspaper, German tennis legend Boris Becker became bankrupt due to a failed investment he made in a Nigerian oil company. Becker, who was declared bankrupt last month, is reported to have made the investment, which has now ‘plunged in value’, in 2013. The three-time Wimbledon winner lost a huge …
Read More »Würzburg wins Nigerian Ambassador’s Cup Germany 2017
A team representing Nigerians living in the Bavarian city of Würzburg has emerged winners of the second edition of the Nigerian Ambassador’s Cup Germany. The football tournament, which took place on Saturday (14 July) in Berlin, was contested by the chapters of the Nigerian Community Germany (NCG) e.V. – the umbrella organisation of Nigerian associations in the country. This year …
Read More »Germany back at the top of FIFA World Ranking
Germany jumped over Brazil and Argentina to move back to the top of the FIFA rankings released Wednesday (6 July), thanks to the team winning the Confederations Cup last week. The world champions beat Chile 1-0 in the Russian city of St Petersburg, a year to the 2018 World Cup, to ensure a first return to the top of the …
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