Sports
Obi, Ayew Lead New Young Stars Of Africa
The next six months will be very busy for African football, as the final round of qualifiers for next year’s CAF Africa Cup of Nations and the excitement of a new FIFA World Cup preliminary campaign take centre stage. In October, the last ten places in the 16-team field for the continental championship, co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, will hit a feverish pitch while the following month, the road to Brazil 2014 commences. The Cup of Nations itself kicks off January 21 and ends three weeks later.
Big events bring change, and the established order is under threat, with Egypt and Cameroon already out of the running for the African finals and new heroes emerging across the continent. Tidesports source looks at some of the enchanting players who have come to the fore during 2012 qualifying rounds and who appear set to be the paths set by the likes of Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o and Michael Essien enroute to Brazil 2014.
Mogogi Gabonamong (Botswana): The tough-tackling midfielder provides steel and strength for the biggest surprises in the African game. Based in South Africa with SuperSport United, he made his international debut more than a decade ago as a 16-year-old and is finally going to get a chance to show his ability on a bigger stage when Botswana goes to her first-ever continental finals.
Delvin Ndinga (Congo): The CNFF academy in Brazzaville is now six years old and has already produced a number of the players that took Congo to two FIFA youth tournaments. But their biggest achievement has been the discovery of Ndinga, who moved to Auxerre in 2007 and is now key to both club and country. Linked with a number of bigger clubs, Ndinga is a spark for the Red Devils as they try to improve on a poor AFCON qualifying campaign.
Wilfried Bony (Côte d’Ivoire): Formerly a top scorer in the Ivorian league, Bony has broken through to the national team in the absence of Drogba. The 22-year-old went to Europe in 2008 with Sparta Prague, but in January, he made a high-profile move to Vitesse in the Netherlands and has been in fine form since, including scoring a brace for the Elephants against Rwanda at the weekend.
Jordan Ayew (Ghana): The younger brother of South Africa 2010 break-out star Andre Ayew, and son of three-time CAF African Footballer the Year Abedi Pele, the Marseille attacker has all the right footballing genes. He won his first cap last September and is quickly emerging as another potential playmaker for the Black Stars, a side already full of prodigious talent.
Cheikh Diabate (Mali): A product of the Salif Keita academy in Bamako, Diabate moved to France in 2008 and has worked his way up through the ranks and into the first team at Bordeaux. Mali, who are a win away from reaching the 2012 finals, have had plenty of classy midfielders to choose from, but Diabate is emerging as the successor upfront to Frederic Kanoute.
Youseff Al Arabi (Morocco): Such were his goals and promise that the 24-year-old Al Arabi player ignored interest from of a number of European teams to sign for Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal after an impressive start to his career at hometown club Caen. For Morocco, he has emerged as a key attacking figure since making his debut in September of last year, thriving on the confidence handed him by coach Eric Gerets as the Atlas Lions stand on the brink of 2012 qualification.
Moussa Maazou (Niger): Niger are another surprise package to upset the formbook in the Cup of Nations. They have built up momentum since a home victory over Egypt in October when Maazou blasted home a spectacular winner. The burly striker also got the decisive goal at the weekend against South Africa to take his country top of the group.
Joel Obi (Nigeria): The Super Eagles have been searching for several years for a successor to Augustine ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha in the creative department and may well have found the solution in Obi. Touted as an up-and-comer at Inter Milan, Obi made his national team debut this February and is considered a natural partner for Jon Obi Mikel in the middle of the pitch.
Moussa Sow (Senegal): Sow is a candidate for the CAF African Footballer of Year award after winning the French title with Lille, ending Ligue 1 as top scorer and scoring four goals in five matches as Senegal won their Cup of Nations qualifying group in front of Cameroon. Linked with some of the biggest clubs in Europe, Sow could be the next superstar for the continent’s passionate fans.
Thulani Serero (South Africa): Diminutive but tricky, Serero was chosen as South Africa’s best player last season. He also earned a move to Ajax and has immediately impressed. For Bafana Bafana the 21-year-old provides the hint of unpredictable genius that coach Pitso Mosimane says he is looking for, and has won three caps since his February debut for the national team.
Knowledge Musona (Zimbabwe): Another 21-year-old attacker, Musona is full of speed and skill and it comes as no great shock that he has moved to one of world football’s top leagues, with Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga after two prolific years in South Africa. He scored three vital goals for his country in the Nations Cup qualifiers – including a brace and the 90th-minute winner in Zimbabwe’s most impressive victory, a 2-1 reverse of Mali.
The 2006 Commonwealth Games silver medallist spoke to Tidesports source her desire to defend her para singles title in the women’s category and to also secure a qualification berth for both the regional West Africa para table tennis event in Abeokuta in September and the continental championship billed to hold in Cairo, Egypt in November.
The multiple Paralympian said, “My expectation is to come out great at this wonderful tournament and to qualify for the forthcoming tournament that is coming up in Nigeria and Egypt in September and November. Last tournament, I won the singles. I won three golds at the last ValueJet tournament. And I want to believe and hope that I will maintain my position by coming in first position.”
Ugwueke had featured in the para event at the 56th Molade Okoya-Thomas National Table Tennis Championships, held at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in January, where she suffered a stunning defeat to eventual finalist and tournament runner-up Taiye Oyinloye, who in turn was beaten 3-1 (11-3, 7-11, 11-6, 11-9) by Commonwealth Games medallist, Kate Oputa, to become the women’s class 1-5 champion.
The ValueJet Lagos Para table tennis Open, which is in its seventh edition, is an event sanctioned by the governing body ITTF Africa and put together by the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation in partnership with Lagos State Sports Commission.
The event will come to a close on July 11, with the competition serving as qualifiers for the country’s players for the regional tournament in Abeokuta.
A total of 98 athletes—57 men and 41 women—from Nigeria, Benin Republic, and Togo are competing in the singles events.
Notable performances have come from Alabi, Agunbiade, Ogunkunle, and Commonwealth Games medallists Kate Oputa and Faith Obazuaye, who have showcased their class against emerging talents across various classifications.
Their presence has intensified the battle for podium finishes, with top seeds asserting dominance in their respective singles events.
The AIU announced in the June 2025 sanctions list on July 1 that 21-year-old quarter-miler Uko was found guilty of an anti-doping rule violation committed on June 5 2024. Her infraction falls under whereabouts failures, having missed three tests within a 12-month period.
The AIU confirmed that her period of ineligibility will run until 23 July 2026 and all results recorded from the date of the infraction have been officially disqualified.
Uko rose to fame after clinching three gold medals at the 2021 World U-20 Championships in Nairobi, winning the women’s 400 metres, 4x400m relay, and the mixed 4x400m relay.
Stephen Eloji (June 2028)
Sprinter and hurdler Stephen Eloji tested positive for dehydrochloromethyl-
The 25-year-old was active in the American collegiate circuit, recording strong performances in the 110m hurdles and relay events as recently as April 2024, including at the Pepsi Florida Relays and Music City Challenge.
Ada Princess Bright (September 2027)
Ada Princess Bright is serving a four-year ineligibility period after testing positive for Metenolone during the National Athletics Trials held on July 6 2023 in Benin City.
She had an active season prior to her suspension, competing in national meets in Lagos, Uyo, and Benin, and earning a relay gold at the African U20 Championships in Ndola, Zambia.
Grace Nwokocha (August 2025)
Nwokocha is serving a three-year ban after testing positive for SARMS substances including Ostarine and Ligandrol during the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
The fallout was significant, as Nigeria was stripped of its women’s 4x100m relay gold medal at the Games. Prior to her suspension, she had qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, posted a personal best of 11.00s in the 100m, and reached the semi-finals in the 100m and 200m at the 2022 World Athletics Championships. She is ineligible to compete until 2 August 2025.
Yinka Ajayi (January 2030)
Ajayi, a 400m specialist and one-time Olympic representative, is currently serving an extended eight-year ban for multiple anti-doping violations.
The first sanction, issued after she tested positive for Metenolone in an out-of-competition test in Iowa, USA, led to a four-year ban starting in December 2021. However, further findings of tampering led to an additional four-year penalty in 2024, extending her suspension until January 25 2030.
Glory Okon (January 2026)
Glory Okon is serving a four-year ban for testing positive for Metenolone following an out-of-competition test conducted on December 2 2021 in Nigeria.
She previously won gold in the 400 metres at the 2019 African U-20 Championships in Abidjan and featured prominently at the 2021 National Sports Festival in Benin City.
Blessing Okagbare (July 2031)
Once the face of Nigerian athletics, Okagbare is now serving a 10-year ban following multiple anti-doping rule violations. She tested positive for human growth hormone and EPO in an out-of-competition test in June 2021.
Her suspension came while competing at the Tokyo Olympics and was announced in February 2022. It was later extended by an additional year in June 2022 due to further breaches.
Divine Oduduru (February 2029)
Oduduru’s career was derailed by anti-doping violations linked to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. On October 12 2023, a Disciplinary Tribunal of the AIU imposed a six-year ban on Oduduru after he was found guilty of possessing and attempting to use prohibited substances and methods. The case stemmed from the wider investigation into Eric Lira, the first individual convicted under the US Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, who supplied banned substances to athletes, including Okagbare, ahead of the Tokyo Games.
Oduduru’s ban is effective from February 9, 2023 and will run until February 8, 2029.
Henry Azike (Lifetime ban)
Azike is one of two Nigerian athletes currently serving a lifetime ban after testing positive for Metenolone, an anabolic steroid. His case was classified as a second ADRV, automatically triggering a lifetime suspension from the sport.
Azike last competed in 2011, including at the Doha Amir Cup and Nigerian Championships in Calabar.
Vivian Chukwuemeka (Lifetime ban)
Two-time Olympian and African shot put record holder Vivian Chukwuemeka is serving a lifetime ban for a second doping offence after testing positive for Stanozolol at the 2012 National Championships in Calabar.
The 2002 Commonwealth Games champion and multiple-time African gold medallist had previously served a two-year ban following a 2009 positive test. Her personal best of 18.43m remains the African record in women’s shot put.
Invited players into the Super Eagles B camp ahead of the rescheduled African Nations Championship tournament are feeling the pressure of selection, three days into their training camp at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State.
The eighth CHAN tournament is taking place in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda between August 2 to 20.
Ahead of the tournament, head coach Eric Chelle had invited an initial 35 players to camp and they began training on Monday with 21 players.
Five more players arrived on Tuesday to take the number to 26 while 28 players trained on Wednesday morning with the rest expected before the end of the week.
Captain of the team through the qualifiers, Junior Nduka, spoke about the intensity of the sessions and the jostle to make the final squad.
“Everybody is under pressure but definitely the coaches want the best among the 35 players,” Nduka said.
River United and former Flying Eagles forward, Aniekeme Okon, also admitted the pressure.
“It puts pressure on us, 35 players being invited, everybody is going to give out their best with an expectation of being selected. So we keep pushing.”
Ikorodu City defender, Leonard Ngenge also said, “Obviously, it puts everyone under pressure even myself. But I just need to do my best to be on the coaches’ radar.”
Nigeria, the 2018 runners-up, are in group D of the 19-team tournament, alongside Cup holders Senegal, Sudan and Congo.
The Super Eagles B will play their first two matches of the competition, against Senegal and Sudan, at the Amman Stadium on the island of Zanzibar, before taking on Congo at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
Nigeria has never won the tournament, having finished third at the 2014 edition in South Africa before losing the final against hosts Morocco four years later.