Sports
Italy, England Crash Out
Diego Godin’s later header sent Uruguay though to the second round at the expense of 10-man Italy in a match involving another controversial Luis Suarez incident.
Godin won it with a powerful header from a corner just minutes after Suarez tangled with Giorgio Chiellini.
The Italy defender then appeared to claim Suarez had bitten him.
Azzuri midfielder Claudio Marchisio was sent off for a poor challenge with 30 minutes to go.
In the group’s other match, England ended their poor World Cup 2014 campaign with a goalless draw against Costa Rica to finish bottom of Group D.
Daniel Sturridge, one of two in the starting X1 who played in the Uruguay defeat, went closest for England with a shot that flew inches past the post.
Wayne Rooney also tested goalkeeper Keylor Navas with a clever chip.
Costa Rica, who will now go into the last 16 as group winners, sent close when Celso Borges’s free-kick was tipped on to the bar by Ben Foster.
The championship will run from today to October 12 at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia. On the ground for the championship are athletes from Brazil, Peru, Egypt, Cameroon, Tunisia, Nigeria, Mauritius and Rwanda. They arrived on Sunday.
Some of the other countries were expected in the Abia State capital yesterday. Speaking on the championship, yesterday, Abia State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Nwobilor Ananaba, said the chief host, Governor Alex Otti, has mobilised facilities and the personnel to ensure a successful event.
Speaking through the Special Assistant to the Governor on Sports, Raymond Chima Ukwa, said: “We have the best mats, playing mats, especially the wheelchair playing mats, which is the first of its kind in West Africa.
“If you go around, you’ll see the hall and the preparation that has been made to ensure that people have an equitable world-class playing field.” Thrilled by Governor Otti’s support for the competition, Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) President, Francis Orbih, said that, besides making all the necessary arrangements that will ensure a successful hosting of the events, “we will have a Para-Badminton workshop for coaches and players.
“Nigeria is doing well, Abia is doing well, and we want to do better to improve on where we are, which is why all these have been put together by Governor Otti.”
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles began their campaign at the 24th FIFA U20 World Cup with a narrow 1–0 loss to Norway on Monday, despite creating several opportunities to level the game.
Norway took the lead in the 9th minute after being awarded a controversial penalty. The Flying Eagles pressed for an equaliser but were denied two penalty claims in the second half.
Kparobo Arierhi came close in the 47th minute when his shot drifted wide with the goalkeeper beaten, while Tahir Maigana struck the upright in the 63rd minute.
Nasiru Salihu’s rising effort in the 71st minute also went narrowly over the bar, drawing gasps from the crowd.
Seven minutes from time, Maigana again tested Norway with a long-range strike that went just wide as Nigeria continued to pile on the pressure.
Despite their dominance, the Flying Eagles could not find the breakthrough and now turn their attention to Thursday’s clash against Saudi Arabia in their second group match.
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