SPORTS

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Reigning football’s world champions, Germany, beat Chile on Sunday to win the Confederations Cup just two days after claiming the European Under-21 title. Lars Stindl scored the only goal into an empty net in the 20th minute of a pulsating, bad-tempered final in the Russian city of St Petersburg. The dramatic game featured missed chances, defensive howlers, scuffles and two …

MoneyGram, one of the world’s leading providers of international money transfer and a multicultural company with employees from all across the world, is organizing the Europe-wide MoneyGram Cup of Nations 2017. The football tournament is designed for young footballers aged 16-17 years of all nationalities and backgrounds living in eight European countries. As sport brings people closer, the goal of MoneyGram …

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of German first division side Borussia Dortmund has won the “kicker Cannon” after scoring his 30th and 31st goals of the season against Bremen on Saturday. The 27-year-old Gabon forward is the fifth Borussian player to win the award for the top goal scorer of the Bundesliga. And he becomes the second African to clinch the prestigeous title after …

Despite winning record-breaking 18 million euros for beating Wladimir Klitschko, world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has moved back into his mother’s 2-bedroon ex-council flat in North London. The humble boxer had been staying in a plush villa in St John’s Wood, north-west London, for which he reportedly paid 100,000 euros per month, before his Wembley mega-fight. But he is refusing …

A Supreme Court judge of Ghana, Justice Anin Yeboah, has been named the new head of FIFA’s disciplinary committee (DC). The position will span the next four years and the new DC members are to take office immediately. He takes over from Swiss Sulser Claudio who last headed the DC. Anin was voted to head the body in a landslide …

Ronaldinho Gaucho, former Brazil and Barcelona attacking midfielder, has revealed two attackers who he admired most as a footballer. The player said two former national team captains were his most admired attackers. He named them as former Nigerian and Colombian skippers, Austin Jay-Jay Okocha and Carlos Valderrama. The Brazilian joined other former football stars in Bahrain for the FIFA congress …

The world football’s governing body has confirmed that at least nine African countries will participate at the World Cup Finals when the competition expands to 48 teams in 2026. Africa could have as many as 10 teams competing at the 2026 World Cup after the allocation for places at the expanded 48-nation competition was ratified by the FIFA Council during their meeting …

Ghana and Pescara’s  player Sulley Muntari confronted racism boldly on Sunday during a Serie A match  involving his club in Cagliari. The 32-year-old midfielder complained to the referee about racist chants of Cagliari fans but was punished for his complaints, prompting him to take action himself by leaving the pitch in protest. The Ghana international had appealed to the referee …

Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua was hailed as “the biggest star in British sport and the biggest star in world boxing” after his exhilarating world heavyweight title triumph over Wladimir Klitschko on Saturday sky-rocketed him into the global sporting elite. After the British-Nigerian’s 11th round stoppage of Ukraine’s rejuvenated former champion at Wembley Stadium in a heavyweight title fight for the …

An opening ceremony was held for the construction of 45 sports fields for socially disadvantaged youth in Namibia recently. In the future, nearly 14,000 young Namibians across the country will be able to use the sports fields for free to play football or other sports. Germany’s development ministry has teamed up with prominent partners for the project. They include partners …

Kenya’s Paul Lonyangata won the Paris Marathon in a quick time of two hours, six minutes, 10 seconds on Sunday and Purity Rionoripo, his wife, won the women’s race in a new record time of 2:20.55. Lonyangata pulled clear when his compatriot Stephen Chebogut, who started with the best personal best of the field, cracked with 5.7km left. The 24-year-old …

FIFA has granted media rights to five major broadcasting entities in the sub-Saharan Africa region for all 2017-2018 FIFA events, after an open tender process for 42 territories*. This includes the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The following broadcasters have been awarded certain media rights with regard to the 2018 FIFA World Cup: ▪ Econet …

Fifteen footballers from Cameroon and one from Belgium have been detained in the Crimean village of Ordzhonikidze for attempting to stay in the country illegally. The players from FC Yaounde II, the second string of Cameroon premier division side FC Yaounde, were taking part in the Open Winter Cup organized by the Crimean Football Union (CFU) in February. For the …

Madagascar Football Association chief Ahmad pulled off a stunning upset on Thursday, ousting Issa Hayatou, the long-serving president of the Confederation of African Football, in an election at the organization’s congress in Ethiopia. The 57-year-old former government minister, who goes by just a single name, won the CAF presidency by 34 votes to 20 in the poll, bringing to a …

Akosua Puni Essien, the wife of former Chelsea midfielder and Ghanaian legend Michael Essien, has purchased Italian football club Como. She paid 237,000 euros for the Lega Pro side at an auction on Thursday. Ms Essien becomes the first Ghanaian to buy a club in Europe. As reported by the Associated Press, the acquisition does not include the club’s board, …

Cameroon came from behind to beat Egypt 2-1 and seal a fifth Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in a thrilling final. Vincent Aboubakar came off the bench to score a late goal to steer Cameroon to a 2-1 victory over Egypt in the final of the Gabon 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Libreville on Sunday (5 February). The victory …