By Muhyideen Jimoh

By Muhyideen Jimoh

By Muhyideen Jimoh

The Super Eagles open their campaign against Equatorial Guinea on Sunday, followed by a clash with hosts
Cote D’Ivoire on Jan. 18, and will end the group campaign with Guinea-Bissau on Jan. 22. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

By Muhyideen Jimoh

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) President, Patrice Motsepe, has assured of top-notch organisation and security for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), in Cote d’Ivoire.

Motsepe gave the assurance on Friday in Abidjan at a news conference, ahead of the Saturday kick-off of the biennial continental showpiece.

According to him, CAF has been working round the clock with the host country to ensure a befitting tournament and avoid the mistakes of the last tournament in Cameroon.

“I am satisfied that there is a huge amount of determination and commitment and I think we are on the right track.

“The Cameroon accident was absolutely avoidable.

“I am satisfied the appropriate steps have been taken to make sure we will totally avoid the painful experience we had in Cameroon,”  he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 2021 AFCON held in Cameroon was marred by the stampede at the Olembe Stadium in Yaounde that resulted in the death of eight fans and dozens more injured, during the round of 16 match between Cameroon and the Comoros.

The CAF boss said efforts were on deck to ensure a smooth tournament.

“For as long as I am president, whether I know or don’t know, whether I am aware or not aware, I ultimately have to take responsibility for anything that happens,” he added.

NAN reports that the Cote d’Ivoire government has invested around $1.5 billion in improving infrastructure as it prepared to host the tournament for the first time since 1984.

That has included the construction of the 60,000-capacity Ebimpe Olympic Stadium on the northern outskirts of Abidjan, which will host Saturday’s opening game, as well Super Eagles group matches.

There will be about 17,000 police and soldiers deployed during the month-long tournament to ensure security.

The tournament which kicks off on Saturday with 24 nations in six stadiums across five cities, will draw to a close on Feb. 11.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Maharazu Ahmed

By Victor Okoye

Leicester City’s Head Coach, Enzo Maresca has raised fresh concerns about Super Eagles forward Kelechi Iheanacho’s fitness.

Maresca who spoke to newsmen during a pre-match press conference on Friday in the U.K, said Iheanacho was still injured and his fitness still being assessed by the club’s medical team.

Super Eagles, the three-time African champions will begin their quest for a fourth title on Sunday against Equatorial Guinea, before facing Cote d’ivoure on Jan. 18, and Guinea-Bissau Jan. 22, in the group stage.

Iheanacho was initially billed to join the team in Nigeria before their departure to Cote d’Ivoire for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

However his arrival date was shifted by his English Championship club side to Saturday.

Super Eagles gaffer Jose Peseiro told newsmen after the team’s training session in Abidjan on Friday that Iheanacho’s arrival was being delayed by his club.

Peseiro explained that the club wanted to be 100 percent sure that Iheanacho was fit and ready for training before sanctioning his trip to Cote d’Ivoire to team up with the Super Eagles.

It now appears like his trip on Saturday might not be feasible anymore as his fitness is still in doubt.

Maresca’s statement has cast doubts on Iheanacho’s participation at the AFCON while Peseiro now faces a race against time to draft in a replacement.

The AFCON’s rule only permits teams to replace injured players 24 hours before their first game of the tournament.

Nigeria have already made three adjustments to the squad due to injury.

The injured trio of Wilfred Ndidi, Victor Boniface and Sadiq Umar have been replaced by Alhassan Yusuf, Terem Moffi and Paul Onuachu. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Muhyideen Jimoh/Maharazu Ahmed

By Emmanuel Afonne

The Federal Ministry of Sports has released the list of sports the country will participate in at the 13th African Games scheduled to hold in Ghana, from March 8 to March 23.

The ministry also released names of athletes and sports that have so far qualified for the Olympics billed for Paris, France, from July 26 to Aug. 11.

Amaka Ashiofu, Acting Director, Federation, Elites and Athletes Development (FEAD), announced this in Abuja on Thursday at a meeting with various sports federations.

He said the country would participate in 23 sports.

Ashiofu listed the sports as athletics, badminton, cycling, swimming, table tennis, tennis, triathlon, and wrestling

Others are arm wrestling, basketball, beach volleyball, boxing, chess, cricket, football, handball, hockey, judo, karatee, rugby, taekwondo, volleyball and weightlifting.

“The African Games are open and as such, we have 23 sports to participate in,” she said.

Ashiofu said that Nigeria would also be attending the African Games with three demonstration sports and they are mixed martial arts, scrabble and teqball.

On the preparation for the Olympics in Paris, France, Ashiofu said that the country would participate in 12 sports, and that efforts were being made to ensure a podium finish.

The sports are athletics, boxing, canoeing, wrestling,basketball women, badminton, football women, rowing, swimming, taekwondo, table tennis and weightlifting.

“We have qualified three athletes in athletics and they are Tobi Amusan for Women’s 100m; Ezekiel Nathanial in Men’s 400m and Edose Egbadi participating in Men’s 800m.

“So far, these are the three athletes that have qualified in athletics but there are still qualifications going on for the Olympics and we are sure more athletes will qualify.

“We also have three boxers that have qualified. They are Olaitan Olaore in Men’s 92kg category, Dalapo Omole in Men’s 57kg category and a lady, Cynthia Ogunsimilore who will fight in Women’s 60kg category.

“For Canoeing, we have two persons, Ayomide Bello for the women C2 500m and Beauty Etuku Women C1 200m.

“Women Road Race has Ese Ukpesereva, while Wrestling for now has Odunayo Adegoroye for Women’s freestyle 57kg.

“These are the qualified athletes we have under these sports and like I said qualification is still ongoing and more sports and athletes will qualify.

“The remaining sports on partway for qualification are Basketball Women, Badminton, Football Women, Rowing, Swimming, Taekwondo, Table Tennis and weightlifting,” Ashiofu said.

Thecla Opara, Acting Director, Para Sports, also spoke on the preparation for the Paralympics.

Opara said that Nigeria would participate in five sports at the Paralympics, immediately after the Olympics.

She listed the sports as Para athletics, Para Powerlifting, Para Table Tennis, Para Badminton and Para Canoeing.

“Para athletics has qualified two athletes already and more are on pathway to qualification.

“Ten athletes are on pathway to qualification in Para Powerlifting, while Para Table Tennis has nine athletes confirmed for the Games.

“They are also to attend more qualifiers before the Games in August.

“Para Badminton has eight athletes on pathway to qualification as they are attending more qualifiers, while Para Canoeing has one qualified athletes and more on pathway to qualify,” Opara said.

She said that the ministry was working assiduously to identify camps in Abuja and Lagos, depending on the number of athletes that have qualified in preparation for the Games. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Joseph Edeh

By Victor Okoye/Muhyideen Jimoh

Super Eagles forward Kelechi Iheanacho and Terem Moffi are expected to team up with the rest of the squad ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Iheanacho would arrive a day before Nigeria’s first match against Equatorial Guinea, even as Real Sociedad forward, Sadiq Umar has been ruled out of the tournament.

Meanwhile, Moffi who was a last-minute replacement for Victor Boniface is expected to join the squad on Sunday.

The AFCON which kicks off on Saturday with a game between Nigeria’s Group A foes – hosts Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea-Bissau – will hold till Feb. 11.

Super Eagles Media officer, Babafemi Raji, told NAN that both players were not part of the team’s second training session in Abidjan on Thursday.

Iheanacho was initially expected to have travelled with the team to Cote d’Ivoire from Lagos on Wednesday.

“Iheanacho will join us on Saturday and Moffi on Sunday,” Raji told NAN.

Meanwhile, Umar, who is in Abidjan, did not train with the rest of the squad on Thursday, as he jogged alone on the sidelines, while Peseiro and his crew worked with the remaining 22 of the final 25 men.

This was after the Real Sociedad striker suffered a knee injury in the aftermath of their warm up friendly with Guinea in Abu Dhabi, and will now be out of action for at least three weeks.

NAN also reports that Nigeria’s injury list has been growing since the Portuguese coach named his final 25-man squad.

Leicester midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, was the first to be ruled out and was replaced by Antwerp’s Alhassan Yusuf, while red-hot Bayer Leverkusen man, Victor Boniface, also picked up a groin injury before the end of the team’s one-week training camp in Abu Dhabi.

With Boniface and Umar now out, Peseiro only has reigning African Player of The Year, Victor Osimhen, as the only fit striker.

However, a post on the team’s official X handle (formerly twitter) on Friday confirmed that Trabzonspor of Turkey gangling striker Paul Onuachu will now replace the injured Sadiq.

Nigeria, who won the AFCON in 1980, 1994 and 2013, are in Group A with hosts Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.

The three-time African champions will begin their quest for a fourth title on Sunday against Equatorial Guinea, before facing Cote d’Ivoire Jan. 18, while the last group game is against Guinea-Bissau on Jan. 22. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Muhyideen Jimoh/Salif Atojoko

By Deborah Coker

The Founder, Sports University of Nigeria, Idumuje-Ugboko, Delta, Sen. Ned Nwoko, said the institution was specially established for Nigerians in particular and Africa in general to pursue sports and education.

Nwoko stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said the goal of the institution is to position it as a center of excellence in sports, business and academics that would attract  aspiring sportsmen and women.

According to him, the institution has opened its doors to all without discrimination in line with its equal opportunity commitment.

“The university is built on six principles of Equity, Justice, fairness, hard work, dedication, and commitment as a catalyst for self-improvement of its students and national development.”

Nwoko said that the vision behind the establishment of the Sports University, was to develop an institution that produces international standard sports professionals.

“Sports men and Women who could compete at the Olympics and other world fora with exceptional results and focus on teaching, research and community development,” he said.

He said that the university currently has more than 40 approved courses, 10 global partners and more than 22 students’ nationals.

“The university will also serve to promote sports and sports education to ensure the development of sports professionals of international standards,” he also said.

Nwoko said that the institution would continually help educate and prepare the next generation of sports industry professionals as well as offer additional training.

He said that it was committed to finding creative ways to use sports and athletes to inspire positive social change.

NAN reports that Nwoko will  be honoured as the ‘Face of Sports Tourism in Africa on Feb. 4, in Cote d’ Ivoire by the African Tourism Board (ATB)

The award is in recognition of his inspiration and advocate of tourism and passion for sports.

The ATB award is in partnership with the Ivorian Ministry of Tourism, Sports and Agriculture as well as the FCT Tourism Volunteers Network. (NAN)

Edited by Joseph Edeh