Sports
Ex-International Canvasses Support For Eagles
A former Nigeria interna
tional, Tijani Babangida, has urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and well meaning individuals to support Stephen Keshi and the Super Eagles ahead of the World Cup.
Babangida told newsmen in Abuja that by so doing, the team would be spurred to improve on what other African countries had done at the World Cup.
“We must avoid any pitfall. I read about the query they gave him (Keshi) in the newspapers.
“All that is unnecessary at this stage, such distractions, shouldn’t even be made public. It is not good at all.
“Keshi is someone I’ve known for a long time and I have no doubt that he will do the nation proud if the NFA can give him all the necessary support he needs.
“I have a good feeling Nigeria will do well at the World Cup,’’ he said.
The former winger endorsed the country’s quest for a credible performance at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, adding that he was optimistic that Keshi was the right man for the job.
Babangida, who plied his trade with Ajax FC of Amsterdam, advised that Keshi should be allowed to pick the players of his choice against the backdrop of undue pressure on him.
“I will advise that we all allow Keshi to select whom he wants.
“If he feels he needs the experience of Osaze Odemwingie, or the sharpness of Ikechukwu Uche, that’s fine. If not, so be it.
“Win or lose, the buck stops at his table. Nigerians are very difficult to please.
“We are going to the World Cup as the current African champions. Surely that must count for something.
“I think we need to respect Keshi more and allow him do what he feels will be good for Nigeria,” he said.
Babangida, who was also part of the 1998 World Cup squad in France, said the Eagles should be wary of Iran, who might turn out to be the spoilers in the group.
“A lot of people are looking at Argentina and Bosnia-Herzegovina, while forgetting Iran as a potential threat.
“Argentina are familiar foes. Bosnia-Herzegovina we know a bit, but Iran being an unknown quantity can spring a surprise or two. It shouldn’t be against us.
Sports
Nigeria Cricket Federation Re-Elects Akpata President

Akpata emerged unopposed during the federation’s annual general meeting and board elections, which ended in Abuja on Saturday.
The election was decided by 37 delegates, with 12 other board members also emerging, to steer the affairs of the federation for the next four years.
Former Kwara State stalwart, Wale Obalola, emerged as the vice president at the election.
Representative of the South-West on the NCF board, Tayo Atoloye, also returned for another term, while team manager of the Junior Female Yellow Greens, Femi John, was elected as the representative of the South-South on the board.
Other zonal representatives are Chika Okoro (South-East), Ladan Usman (North-West), Dare Aimola (North-Central), and Zainab Adamu (North-East).
Former captain of the men’s national team, Endurance Ofem, secured 30 of the 37 votes to beat another ex-player, Chimezie Onwuzulike, for the players’ representative seat.
Olumide Akinkokun emerged as the technical representative, Prof Mariam Suleiman will represent the National Association of Women in Sports, Chuma Anosike as the sponsors’ representative, while the military and paramilitary will be represented on the board by Major Monica Wabulla.
The president, Akpata, was first elected in 2021 and has driven the growth of Nigerian cricket in the last four years.
Part of his notable achievements include the heavy investment in infrastructure and high-performance, national grassroots development programmes, as well as the introduction of professional contracts for Nigerian players.
Earlier this year, the women’s U-19 team finished sixth at the ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Malaysia, after the senior team had won a historic bronze medal at the last edition of the African Games in Ghana in 2024.
Nigeria has also bagged several International Cricket Council awards in recognition of the country’s strides towards growing the game, especially for women.
Sports
Nathaniel hopes to inspire young Nigerians after feat

The 22-year-old ran a scorching 47.11 seconds in Friday’s final, smashing his previous national record of 47.31 seconds set earlier this year and becoming only the second Nigerian since Henry Amike in 1987 to reach the 400m hurdles final at the World Championships.
“I hope this performance will inspire young Nigerian athletes,” Nathaniel said after the dramatic final
“This is a great opportunity to learn from the world’s best athletes.”
The race saw American Rai Benjamin storm to victory in 46.52 seconds to finally clinch his first world championship gold medal after two silvers and a bronze, but not without drama.
Benjamin was initially disqualified for crashing into the final hurdle and affecting other athletes, briefly elevating Nathaniel to bronze position. However, the American’s appeal was quickly upheld and he was restored to the top of the timesheet.
Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos claimed silver in 46.84 seconds, while Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba took bronze in 47.06 seconds, leaving Nathaniel agonisingly close to Nigeria’s second medal of the championships.
Despite the near-miss, Nathaniel remained philosophical about the disqualification reversal.
It’s a fair call,” the Nigerian said.
“He put in a lot of work to get that medal and if they are trying to rip off from that, I don’t think that’s fair. He didn’t deliberately knock over the hurdle, that could happen to anyone.”
The former 800m runner, who competes for Baylor University in Texas, expressed satisfaction with his performance and hinted at greater things to come saying, “I still have a lot of potential. I am pleased because I did my best and I ran a personal record. I have it in me and just need to wait for the right time. For now, I am enjoying the process.”
Nathaniel’s rapid rise in the event has been remarkable. Born in 2003, he broke a decades-old Nigerian record set by Henry Amike when he ran 48.42 seconds at the Big 12 Conference meet in 2022 as a freshman.
His progress accelerated dramatically this year. In June, he won the NCAA Outdoor Championships title in Eugene, Oregon, clocking 47.49 seconds – the third fastest time in NCAA history. He also became the first man in NCAA history to run a sub-48-second time in the 400m hurdles semifinal, recording 47.86 seconds.
The Tokyo performance adds another chapter to what has been an exceptional year for the young hurdler, who has now established himself among the world’s elite quarter-mile hurdlers.
While Nathaniel’s fourth-place finish matches Amike’s result from the 1987 World Championships in Rome, his national record performance signals a bright future for Nigerian athletics in the event.
Nigeria’s campaign in Tokyo concluded with Tobi Amusan as the country’s only medallist, though this still represented an improvement over the Budapest World Championships where Team Nigeria ended empty-handed.
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