Sports

Nigerians In South Africa Wear Super Eagles Jersey2010 W/Cup

Published

16 years ago

June 8, 2010

Officials of the Nigerian Consulate and Nigerians living in South Africa wore the Super Eagles colours, as the country celebrated its last “Football Friday’’ before the World Cup.

Tidesports South African source reports that the world’s most spectacular sporting event will start on June 11 and end on July 11.

Some of the Nigerians also hoisted the country’s flag on their cars as they drove around the city of Johannesburg.

The Nigerian Consulate officials in Johannesburg donned the Super Eagles colours for the day’s duties in solidarity with the team.

The Consul-General, Mr Okey Emuchay, said the Eagles would make Nigeria proud during the football tournament, adding that the consulate’s mission was to make the atmosphere conducive for the Eagles to perform well.

“We are all donning the Eagles colours to mobilise support for the team,” Emuchay said, promising that Nigerians in South Africa were ready to give support to the team.

The Super Eagles played a friendly match against North Korea in Johannesburg on Sunday (June 6) and they were also be hosted by the Nigerian mission in the country.

The team will begin their World Cup campaign with a match against Argentina at the Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg on June 12.

“Football Friday” is a programme in South Africa whereby South Africans don the Bafana Bafana colours every Friday.

As the last one was celebrated on Friday, FIFA President Sepp Blatter officially handed over the World Cup trophy to South Africa’s Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe in Pretoria.

Blatter lauded South Africans for the interest they had shown in hosting the first World Cup tournament on African soil.

He noted that the preparations for the competition were in order, while the teams coming in to South Africa were happy.

Blatter lauded former President Nelson Mandela’s role in securing the hosting rights for South Africa and said that from his interaction with Mandela, the icon wanted to be at the opening ceremony.

Motlanthe said that South Africa had worked hard to ensure that it fulfilled all the FIFA requirements in hosting the World Cup.

He thanked Blatter for believing in South Africa’s competence to host the football tournament amid the pessimism in some quarters.

By FIFA protocol, a Head of State is expected to receive the World Cup trophy before the onset of the football tournament and Motlanthe, in his capacity as Acting President, accepted the cup on behalf of the South African government.

Sports

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

Published

4 days 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

4 days 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

4 days 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.