Sports
Africans Go Goal-Wire In Europe
With three hattricks by Ivory Coast’s Wilfried Bony in
Holland Algeria’s Sarber Khalifa in France, and Nigeria’s Derrick Ogbu in
Belgium and braces from Guinea Bissau’s Ivanildo Cassama in Portugal and
Algeria’s El-Arbi Soudani, African strikers painted European leagues with goals
at the weekend. In
France
Gabon striker, Pierre Aubameyang continued his fine form for
Saint Etienne by scoring another goal at the weekend in his side’s 4-0 win over
10-man Nancy.
He is now the league’s joint-third highest goal scorer with
five goals. Nigeria’s Simon Zenke was sent-off in the 68th minute for Nancy,
who have lost seven out of their eight games so far this season.
Despite leading at half-time, reigning champions Montpellier
lost 3-2 to Evian, with Tunisia striker Saber Khalifa scored a hat-trick
including an 89th minute winner.
Khalifa has also scored five league goals this season.
Senegal striker Souleymane Camara was on target with his fourth of the campaign
scoring Montpellier’s second.
Cape Verde striker Ryan Mendes was on the score sheet for
the first time in Lille’s 2-0 home win over Ajaccio.
Valenciennes lost a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 away at
Toulouse with the Algeria midfielder Foued Kadir scoring the opening goal for
the visitors in the 12th minute.
Mali’s Cheick Diabate scored for the second weekend in a row
with his 68th minute equaliser for Bordeaux who drew 1-1 at Brest.
England
Youssouf Mulumbu helped heap the pressure on QPR manager
Mark Hughes. The DR Congo international scored the third for West Bromwich
Albion in their 3-2 win over the struggling London club. Morocco’s Adel Taarabt
had earlier given QPR some hope with his second goal in as many games.
Arouna Kone set Wigan on their way to a surprise point at
home to in-form Everton. The Ivorian, who has now scored three Premier League
goals, gave his side the lead with a header. The match ended 2-2.
Mohamed Diame scored his first goal for West Ham as they
stole the lead at home to Arsenal. The Senegalese was booked for his goal
celebration and was then lucky to escape a second booking moments later with a
reckless challenge on Mikel Arteta. Arsenal responded to win 3-1.
The Netherlands
Wilfried Bony grabbed a hat-trick for Vitesse Arnhem as they
drew 3-3 with Heerenveen, including a 79th minute penalty to salvage the point
for his side. The goals mean the Ivory Coast forwars is the joint highest
marksman with eight goals so far.
His compatriot Sekou Cisse put Feyenoord ahead in the ninth
minute as his side drew 2-2 at Groningen.
Spain
Although Getafe played out the last six minutes without
their top striker Abdelaziz Barrada, who was sent off, his side managed to
secure all the points with a 1-0 win away at Real Zaragoza. Zaragoza’s Ivory
Coast midfielder Romaric Ndric had been sent off after just nine minutes as his
side finished the match with nine men.
Another Moroccan Youssef El Arabi scored from the penalty
spot to give Granada the lead in their 2-1 away win at Real Mallorca.
Nigeria’s Obafemi Martins played the entire game and scored
the only goal of the match in the 22nd minute for Levante who edged out
Valencia.
Germany
DR Congo’s Cedric Makiadi put Freiburg in front in the 36th
minute as his side defeated Nuremburg 3-0 at home, to help lift his side to
11th in the league, with their first win in four games.
Senegal striker Mame Birmam Diouf, helped Hannover 96
salvage a point at home in a 1-1 draw with Borussia Dortmund. He came on as a
substitute in the 67th minute to equalise with four minutes remaining with his
first goal of the season.
Belgium
Mali midfielder Mamoutou Ndiaye fired home for Gent in added
time at the end of the first-half to give them the lead away at Beerschot. But
the home side equalised in the 60th minute through Senegal striker Elimane
Coulibaly. The game finished 2-2 as both sides grabbed goals in the last 10
minutes.
Nigeria striker Derick Ogbu ended his goal drought with his
first goals of the season scoring a hat-trick for Leuven who beat Charleroi
4-0. Gambia’s Ebrahima Sawaneh scored the other goal for Leuven, to take him to
eight goals for the season.
Central African Republic striker Mouhamadou Habib Habibou
scored for the second weekend in a row to help his side Zulte-Waregem beat
Cercle Bruges 3-1, despite playing the last 20 minutes with 10 men.
There was anguish for Senegal defender Ibrahima Gueye whose
last-minute own goal meant his Lokeren side had to share the points in a 2-2
draw with Lierse. Earlier South Africa midfielder Ayanda Patosi had scored to
give Lokeren a two-goal lead before half-time.
Cameroon striker Ernest Nfor sealed victory for Kortrijk in
the 70th minute as they defeated 10-man Mechelen 2-0. Senegal’s Boubacar
Dialaba was sent-off in the 28th minute for Mechelen.
Another Cameroon players Aloys Nong found the back of the
net in the 59th minute to equalise for Mons who drew 2-2 with Waasland-Beveren.
DR Congo’s Dieudonne Mbokani was not so lucky as he missed a
penalty and a chance to equalise for Anderlecht who lost 2-1 to 10-man Standard
Liege in the big Belgian derby.
South Africa defender Calvin Ngongca saw only 14 minutes of
action for Genk as he was sent-off in his side’s 1-1 draw at league leaders
Club Bruges.
Turkey
Senegal’s Lamine Diarra scored the only goal of the game as
his side Antalyaspor edged out Gaziantepspor 1-0.
Sivasspor came from two goals down to force a draw at home
thanks to two goals in the last 10 minutes with the Nigeria striker Michael
Eneramo scoring the equaliser in the 87th minute.
Senegal striker Moussa Sow scored the opening goal for
Fenerbahce in their 3-0 win over arch-rivals Besiktas.
Portugal
Somali sensation Liban Abdi gave Olhanense the lead in the
2nd minute in the eight-goal thriller at Sporting Braga which finished 4-4.
Guinea Bisaau’s Ivanildo Cassama scored twice for Olhanense.
Vitoria Guimaraes came from a goal down to beat Academica
2-1 thanks to two second-half goals by Algeria striker El-Arbi Soudani.
Ukraine
There was only one African on target but in style as a
hat-trick by Mali striker Dramane Traore helped Metalurh Donetsk hammer Kryvbas
6-2.
RUSSIA
Anzhi Makhackala have moved to the top of the table for the
first time after beating Dinamo Moscow 2-0 with Samuel Eto’o sealing victory
with three minutes remaining. The Cameroon striker has taken his tally for the
season to seven goals.
Nigeria’s Ahmed Musa scored the opening goal in the Moscow
derby as his side CSKA defeated Spartak 2-0.
China
Mali captain Seydou Keita scored one of the goals while
Peter Utaka from Nigeria scored ther other two as Dalian Daerbin beat Beijing
Guoan 3-1. Utaka is the second highest scorer in China with 19 goals.
Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba was on once again on
target for Shanghai Shenhua who lost 4-2 to Guizhou Renhe.
Zambia striker James Chamanga now has 11 goals for the
serason, after scoring twice for Dalian Shide, but it was not enough as his
side lost 3-2 away at Liaoning Whowin.
His compatriot and national team captain Christopher Katongo
scored in the 71st minute for bottom of the table Henan Jianye, but his side
also lost going down 3-1 to Hangzhou.
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.