Sports

Cricket: Piety Leads Nigeria U-19 Girls to World Cup Qualifiers

Published

4 weeks ago

September 18, 2024

Piety Lucky, the right-hand batter and African Games bronze medallist, has been named captain of Nigeria’s U-19 girls’ cricket team for the upcoming 2025 ICC U-19 Women’s Cricket World Cup qualifiers. The announcement was made by the Nigeria Cricket Federation on Tuesday.

The 14-player squad will travel to Kigali, Rwanda, where the rescheduled qualifiers will take place from September 22 to 29. Alongside Captain Piety, the team features standout players such as Peculiar Agboya, Shola Adekunle, Lilian Ude, and Christabel Chukwuonye. Other team members include Kehinde Amusa, Anointed Akhigbe, Peace Usen, Deborah Bassey, Eguakun Omosigho, Victory Igbenedion, Inyene Ubong, Naomi Memeh, and Beauty Oguai.

The team’s journey began with matches against Ghana U-19 and South West selections. Nigeria will face Malawi, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe in the qualifiers. Originally, Nigeria was set to compete in a two-group tournament of seven teams each. However, the late addition of Zimbabwe led to a restructuring, with the top four teams withdrawing to form a new division.

The winner of Division 1 will earn Africa’s second spot in the World Cup, joining South Africa, New Zealand, and Samoa in Group C of the finals. The World Cup, which will be held from January 8 to February 2, 2025, in Malaysia, will feature 16 teams.

Sports

CAF Confirms Morocco as Host for 2024 Women’s Champions League

Published

12 hours ago

October 16, 2024

Online Editor

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially designated Morocco as the host for the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League finals. The tournament will take place from November 9 to November 23, as announced on CAF’s official website.

Morocco previously hosted the last edition of this prestigious competition. Among the eight teams competing this year is Nigeria’s champions, Edo Queens. The current title holders are Mamelodi Sundowns from South Africa.

The tournament offers significant financial incentives, with winners receiving $400,000 and runners-up taking home $250,000.

Sports

Messi Matches Ronaldo’s Record with Hat-Trick Against Bolivia

Published

12 hours ago

October 16, 2024

Online Editor

Argentina captain Lionel Messi has equaled Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of 10 international hat-tricks after scoring three times in a dominant 6-0 victory against Bolivia in a 2026 World Cup qualifier.

In addition to his goals, the 37-year-old forward also provided two assists, showcasing his playmaking abilities. With this win, Argentina solidifies its position in the South American qualifiers, currently leading the table three points ahead of second-placed Colombia and six points clear of their arch-rivals Brazil.

On the same evening, Ronaldo’s Portugal faced Scotland in the UEFA Nations League but was held to a frustrating 0-0 draw, leaving the superstar visibly upset post-match.

Sports

Mourinho Targets Barcelona’s Ansu Fati for January Transfer to Fenerbahce

Published

12 hours ago

October 16, 2024

Online Editor

Fenerbahce manager, Jose Mourinho, is reportedly planning a January transfer move for Barcelona forward Ansu Fati. After spending last season on loan at Brighton in the Premier League, Fati, now 21, returned to Barcelona but has struggled for game time under new coach Hansi Flick.

Once considered a potential successor to Lionel Messi, Fati’s limited opportunities at Barça have fueled speculation about a possible departure. According to *AS*, Mourinho is keen to bring the Spain international to the Turkish league, offering him the chance for regular football at Fenerbahce.

Fenerbahce’s sporting director, Mario Branco, is expected to initiate discussions with Fati’s representatives soon, confident that the promise of consistent playing time will help secure the forward’s move.