Sports

2014 AWC: Falcons Victory Excites Fans

Published

12 years ago

October 27, 2014

Football fans in Ebonyi
have urged football authorities in the country to use Saturday’s Super Falcons’ African Women football Championship (AWC) victory to evolve lasting peace to the Nigerian Football Association (NFA).
The Falcons defeated Cameroun’s Les Lionnes 2- 0 in the final of the 9th edition of the competition played at the Sam Nujoma Stadium in Windoek, Namibia.
The victory, which was Nigeria’s seventh in the championship, has qualified the team for the FIFA Women World Cup in Canada in 2015.
Nigeria, Cameroun and Cote d’Ivoire, which placed third after defeating their South African opponents in the third-place match, will represent Africa at the world cup.
Some of the fans who spoke with Tidsports source on Sunday in Abakaliki called on all interests in the NFA crisis to use the victory of the female team to come together and move the nation’s football forward.
Former Commissioner for Sports in the state, Chief Nicodemus Omenka, while congratulating the players for the victory, said that women in particular, had always brought honour to Nigeria in sports.
“The Falconets nearly won the last FIFA U-20 World Cup and that was at the height of the NFA crisis.
“The Falcons have replicated that effort by winning the AWC at a time a High Court judgment dashed all hopes of truce in the NFA crisis by sacking the Pinick Amaju-led new board,” he said.
He, however, said that the team’s victory would provide the “tonic” for the resolution of the crisis “so that football in the country will have a focus.”
A retired permanent secretary in the state, Mrs Judith Okoh, attributed the falcons’ victory at the tournament, to the “seamless team-selection” by Coach Edwin Okon.
According to her, the coach displayed a high level of technical competence by effectively merging youth with experience in making the team’s selection.
“This covered the lapses of late preparation by the team as the players blended well with established players, including old war-horse, Perpetua Nkwocha,” she said.
On his part, Bredan Nwankwo, the coach of Galaxy Football Club of Abakaliki, appealed to Mr Chris Giwa to withdraw all suits against the incumbent NFA leadership “for the good of Nigeria’s football.”
“I appeal to him and members of his faction to consider the future of Nigerian football by withdrawing the suit to allow us to savour the falcons’ victory.
“I urge relevant stakeholders such as President of the Senate, David Mark, to intervene in the crisis and ensure that Giwa and his men were adequately pacified,” he said.
Another fan, Mrs Gloria Asokuh, a civil servant, urged all stakeholders, including the Federal Government, to address the NFA issue before it festered further.

Sports

Rivers-born Chess Player Clinches Third Position At World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship

Published

14 hours ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

A veteran Rivers State chess player, Apollos Akomaka, has finished in joint 3rd place at the just-concluded World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship held in Abuja.

Akomaka, who is the director of physiotherapy at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, overcame a shaky start to secure a podium finish in the 11-round rapid event that began on August 2.

The tournament featured top chess players from several countries.

After losing his opening game, the defining moment for Akomaka came between Rounds 7 and 11.

He raised his game and began defeating some of the top-ranked players in the event.

The Rivers-born player ended the championship tied for 3rd place in the U2000 category with 6.5 points out of 11, alongside Cameroon’s national champion, Noumbo Vidal.

His final game was against Vidal, with the Nigerian playing the black pieces.

Vidal opened with a queen’s gambit but quickly transposed into an English opening with a double fianchetto attack.

Akomaka responded sharply with a king’s Indian defense and soon launched a kingside attack from a defensive position.

The pressure paid off, resulting in an immediate material gain, a knight for a rook, and leaving Akomaka with a strong attacking advantage.

Vidal fought hard to avoid mate and managed to steer the game into an endgame, where he found some respect. At that point, the Cameroon champion offered a draw, which Akomaka accepted.

Speaking after the event, Akomaka said that he is resilient and determined after the poor start but happy that he finished on the podium.

He expressed optimism that in subsequent competitions he will make Rivers State proud and Nigeria at large.

Akomaka has won both local and national chess championships in recent times.

He is passionate about chess; besides, he has equally sponsored several national chess tournaments in Nigeria.

The World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship concluded with Akomaka of Rivers State,

Nigeria, battling back from an early loss to end among the top three in his category

Tonye Orabere/Kiadum Edookor

Sports

Team Nigeria Secures Women’s 4x100m, 4x400m Finals at World U20 Championships

Published

15 hours ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

Team Nigeria continued its impressive showing at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, securing places in both the women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay finals after strong performances in the heats.

The Nigerian quartet of Becky Ebiyadi, Jecinta Lawrence, Tejiri Praise Ugoh and Faith Ezechukwu booked their place in the women’s 4x400m final after clocking a season’s best of 3:35.28.

Nigeria finished third in the heat behind Italy and Great Britain, doing enough to advance to the final and remain firmly in contention for a medal.

In the women’s 4x100m, Ugoh joined Lucy Nwankwo, Chigozie Nwankwo and Oluebube Ezechukwu as Nigeria produced another season’s best, clocking 43.65 seconds to secure an automatic ticket to the women’s 4x100m final.

The qualification was sealed by a sensational anchor leg from Ezechukwu. Receiving the baton nearly 20 metres behind the United States, the Nigerian launched a determined charge down the home straight, rapidly closing the gap before edging the Americans at the line to claim the third automatic qualifying position.

Nigeria stopped the clock at 43.65 seconds, just 0.02 seconds ahead of the United States, who finished in 43.67 seconds.

The performances mean Nigeria will now contest both women’s relay finals, further strengthening the country’s medal prospects at the championships.

In Saturday’s evening phase of the event, Success Uyibo will compete in the 200m women’s final while the 4x100m compete in the women’s final.

Sports

Poor welfare forced me to dump Delta for Enugu, says world – Nwachukwu

Published

15 hours ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

World Record holder and Commonwealth Games champion, Goodness Nwachukwu, has revealed why she dumped Delta State for Enugu State.

The sudden departure of Nwachukwu, a multiple gold medallist, from Team Delta to the Coal City, Enugu , sparked controversy within the sports family, with officials of Delta State Sports Commission accusing the president of the Paralympic Committee of Nigeria, Sunday Odebode, of manipulating the system for the athlete to dump the state.

But Nwachukwu, who broke the World Record to win a gold medal for Team Nigeria in the Women’s Discus F42 event at the just-concluded Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, has cleared the air on the circumstances that led to her movement to Enugu State.

Speaking with The Tidesports source report, shortly after winning the gold medal, Nwachukwu said: “It is not true that anybody aided my movement from Delta State to Enugu. Rather, it was Delta State that forced me to leave because of poor remuneration.