Sports
Bafana Seeks To Improve Record Against European Opposition
Bafana Bafana, who are preparing to face Poland in Warsaw
today, have a record against European opposition that leaves a lot to be
desired.
South Africa have won just nine of their 39 previous matches
against teams from the continent and only one of those came against a power of
the European game – a French side in disarray at the 2010 World Cup.
Other successes have come against Malta, Denmark, Sweden,
Scotland, Turkey, Slovenia, Norway and Poland.
The victory over the Poles came on home soil in the lead-up
to the 2009 Confederations Cup when Terror Fanteni scored on six minutes, which
proved enough for the win.
Bafana will hope to draw some confidence from that game
today, though only three of the Polish side that played that day remain in the
squad: left-back Marcin Komorowski, and forwards Marek Saganowski and Robert
Lewandowski.
South Africa’s first victory over European opposition was
against Sweden in 1999, when Siyabonga Nomvete scored late on for a 1-0 win.
Their only victory in Europe was against lowly Malta the
following year, with Thabo Mngomeni on the scoresheet against the tiny island
nation, which has a population roughly the same as Benoni’s.
The biggest victories against nations from the continent
came within three days of each other, as Bafana beat Scotland and Turkey, both
by a 2-0 margin, in the Hong Kong Reunification Cup ahead of the 2002 World
Cup.
But largely it has been a tale of disappointment, though
Bafana have never been humiliated by European opposition, as they have been
against the likes of Nigeria and Mexico in the past.
A 4-2 loss in Germany was tough to take but many better
sides have fared worse in that country, while there were also 3-0 defeats
against France in the opening game of the 1998 World Cup, Germany in 1997 and
in Sweden in 2001.
Their two heaviest defeats came in matches when they might
have been expected to do much better. They lost 4-1 in Georgia under Jomo Sono
in 2002 and went down by the same scoreline in Iceland under Stuart Baxter in
2005.
Their biggest home defeat against European opposition was a
3-1 loss to Serbia in August 2009, one of the last games in charge for
Brazilian coach Joel Santana.
Bafana’s 39 games have yielded 32 goals for and 60 against,
though out of the 21 European nations they have faced so far, they have failed
to score against just three of those – Italy (two games), Netherlands and
Portugal.
Sports
NBF eyes Commonwealth Games redemption
The Nigeria Boxing Federation has set its sights on six gold medals at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow as the body looks to recover from the administrative turmoil that undermined its preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
NBF Vice President Omonlei Imadu told our correspondent, “Our target is 10 medals, six gold, while others can come in silver and bronze colours. We are truly determined to make this a reality in Glasgow.
“We have moved focus now to the camping phase. Our aim is to ensure that the boxers are in perfect shape during and after the camping.”
Diaspora boxer Patricia Mbata, the African Games gold medallist based in the United Kingdom, was among the women’s finalists, while Kenneth Anigboro topped the men’s 90kg class. Other female finalists are Udoette Happiness and Gafar Fathia (51kg), Ajishola Kadijat and Gbadamosi Aishat (57kg), Sodipe Damilola and Ismail Abibat (65kg), Blessing Orakwe (70kg), and James Queen and Odoka Celestina (above 70kg). The male finalists are Ogunremi Michael and Habeeb Qazeem (55kg), Abdulwahab Abdulrahmon and Saliu Ridwan (65kg), Folly Hassan and Nwoha Precious (70kg), Daniel Joshua and Sharafadeen Fawas (80kg), and Anigboro Kenneth and Abiodun Adesoji (90kg).
National Sports Commission Director General Bukola Olopade, who attended Nigeria’s Commonwealth trials, also expressed optimism about Nigeria’s prospects.
“We are doing everything possible to ensure that Nigeria have a successful outing at the Games, and the prospects in boxing truly excite me,” he said.
Nigeria’s push for improvement comes after the backdrop of a difficult period for the sport at the last Olympics.
Boxers who competed at Paris 2024 also raised concerns about poor preparation, with Zainab Adeshina stating there was no adequate equipment for training and Ifeanyi Onyekwere describing the build-up as a one-week camp filled with stress.
Nigeria also suffered a 4-3 defeat to Ghana in a Commonwealth Games warm-up friendly in Accra recently, a result Imadu acknowledged as a reminder of the work still required, while noting that the federation was in advanced talks with two other nations over additional preparatory fixtures before the Games.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games will run from July 24 to August 1 at the SEC Centre in Glasgow, where boxing will feature across 14 events — seven men’s and seven women’s categories.
The NBF vice president also commended the board members for their commitment and altruism towards the welfare of the athletes.
“As a federation, we would like to appreciate these board members for their patriotism. This is an attestation of their dedication to the advancement of boxing in the country. As a body, we would continue to encourage the selflessness of our colleagues so we can collectively deliver on our mandate to revamp the squared ropes sports across the board,” he said.
The Yucateco boss further states the NBF’s readiness to deliver medals at the Games in Glasgow.
“Like I said previously, our focus has not shifted. We strongly believe that every boxer on the plane to Scotland must return with a medal for Nigeria, hence we took the lead as the only federation to call its athletes to camp ahead of time. 30 of our boxers have been in camp since April, and the federation has been solely responsible for their welfare since they commenced training,” Imadu added.
At the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, nine Nigerian fighters returned with four medals — one silver through Elizabeth Oshoba and bronzes for Cynthia Ogunsemilore, Jacinta Umunnakwe and Ifeanyi Onyekwere.
Sports
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Sports
Remo To rebuild After NPFL Relegation
Remo Stars were relegated on Sunday after a 1-1 draw against Bendel Insurance F.C. in Benin City.
The Sky Blue Stars initially looked on course for survival when experienced striker Victor Mbaoma gave them the lead on the stroke of half-time, but the situation changed dramatically deep into stoppage time when Chijioke Akuneto equalised for Bendel Insurance to secure a 1-1 draw.
The delayed fixture between Kun Khalifat F.C. and Wikki Tourists F.C. later confirmed Remo’s fate, with the newcomers winning 3-1 to preserve their top-flight status and condemn Remo Stars to life in the second division.
In the wake of a season that saw them garner just 47 points from 38 games, only one year after winning the league title, the Sky Blue Stars described the outcome as heartbreaking.
“We understand the disappointment and frustration this season has brought. We did not deliver the performances or consistency required to maintain our place in the division. We take full responsibility for that failure.’’
“To our fans who filled the stands, supported the team online and stood by us even during our darkest moments, thank you. Your loyalty means everything, and we recognise that we owe you much more than what this season produced.
“Our focus now turns towards rebuilding with purpose and determination. Important decisions will be made, and every effort will be directed towards returning this club to where it belongs.”
They became the first defending NPFL champions to suffer relegation since Bayelsa United in the 2009/10 season.
They also became only the fourth reigning league champions to drop into the second tier during a title defence campaign after Stationery Stores in 1993 and Shooting Stars in 1999.
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