Sports
Nigeria Falls to 42nd in Latest FIBA Rankings
In the most recent FIBA World Rankings released on Thursday, Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, has dropped four places to 42nd globally and 6th in Africa. This decline follows their failure to qualify for the Olympics Qualifying Tournament and the Paris 2024 Games, resulting in a total of 299.7 points and a fall in the rankings.
South Sudan made a notable ascent, rising from 34th to 23rd position, and now holds the top spot in Africa with 481 points after securing their first Olympic win. This leap has positioned South Sudan as the highest-ranked African team, surpassing Cote d’Ivoire, which has moved up to 31st globally and 2nd in Africa with 392.3 points.
Among other African nations in the top 50, Angola has advanced three places to 32nd worldwide, and remains 3rd in Africa. Tunisia has dropped two spots to 37th globally, now 4th in Africa, while Egypt has climbed two positions to 38th in the world, 5th in Africa. Cape Verde has moved up one spot to 45th, ranking 7th in Africa, and Senegal stands at 47th globally and 8th in Africa.
Cameroon has seen a significant rise, moving up five places to 64th after strong performances in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, ranking 9th in Africa. Guinea also improved, climbing three spots to 73rd globally, making them the 10th best team in Africa.
The United States maintains their top position in the FIBA World Rankings following their gold medal victory at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Serbia has climbed two places to 2nd, surpassing Germany, while France has risen five spots to 4th after reaching the Gold Medal Game, now trailing Germany in 3rd place.
Canada’s historic run in the Olympics, their first in 24 years, has propelled them to 5th place in the rankings, building on their third-place finish at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023. Greece and Puerto Rico have each advanced one spot, with Greece now at 13th and Puerto Rico at 15th after their successes in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.
The Philippines have moved up four places to 34th, and Japan has jumped five spots to 21st following their Olympic performances. Costa Rica made the largest leap in the Top 100, rising 18 places to 71st, while El Salvador improved by 23 spots to 103rd, both after their performances in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Central American Pre-Qualifiers.
Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola has expressed his surprise at Manchester United’s decision to sell midfielder Scott McTominay. The Scotland international was transferred to Napoli during the summer transfer window for a fee of £25.7 million and has made a strong impact in Serie A, scoring two goals and providing an assist in his last three matches.
“I’m very surprised,” Zola said on Wednesday (via Metro UK). “I could not believe that Manchester United released him, to be honest. I don’t really know what the reason is, but obviously for Napoli, it’s been a great deal. I think everybody loves him so far; he’s scored goals and performed very well. He left me a little bit dazzled, to be honest, I didn’t expect that.”
Zola also noted the significance of McTominay’s success for Italian football, stating, “It is a big thing for Italian football; he is doing very well.”
Gateway United has officially terminated the contract of their head coach, Samson Omiponle, as confirmed by the club’s management. The decision to part ways with Omiponle takes immediate effect.
The Abeokuta-based club is now actively searching for a new coach ahead of the upcoming 2024-25 Nigeria National League (NNL) season. Gateway United will compete in the Southern Conference Group A for the new campaign, which is set to kick off on Saturday, November 30.
PGMOL chief Howard Webb has stated that there have been only two errors made by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in the current English Premier League season. VAR has faced significant scrutiny since its introduction in 2019, but Webb asserts that the technology is showing improvement and that mistakes are being minimized after a rocky start.
During an appearance on the Stick to Football Podcast, Webb addressed the management of expectations regarding VAR, noting, “I don’t think we managed expectations well in terms of VAR. We knew it was always going to be a situation where it was going to do well on those clear situations, the ones where you think, ‘That’s clearly wrong on first view.’”
He also highlighted the role of an independent panel comprising ex-players that reviews decisions weekly. According to this panel, only two VAR errors have occurred this season, a significant reduction from the ten errors reported at the same point last year. Webb’s comments suggest a positive trend in the application of VAR in the Premier League, aiming to enhance the accuracy and reliability of officiating.
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