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2017 World Taekwondo Championships: Esuku Loses Opening Fight
Nigeria athlete Josephine Esuku has crashed out of the 2017 World Taekwondo Championships (WTC) which began in Muju, South Korea on Saturday, after losing 6-15 to her opponent from Azerbaijan.
Tidesports source gathered that the number 24 seed, fighting in the women’s -46 kg category on the championships’ opening day, lost to Safiye Polat.
Taiwo Oriss, Secretary-General of the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF), who accompanied the Nigerian team to the competition, told newsmen the team was still hopeful of winning medals at the championships.
“Though we lost in our first outing, but we are still hopeful of getting medals in the competition as other athletes from Nigeria are still going to participate,” he said.
Commenting also, Esuku said while it was unfortunate that the preliminary round bout was her only fight in the competition, it was still a worthwhile attempt.
“It was a good fight. I have however picked some lessons from that, which will be useful in my subsequent fights.
“The Korea Open is coming up next month and I hope to correct my mistakes through that competition,” she said.
Tidesports gathered that the Korea Open holds from July 2 to July 5.
Also, Chinazum Nwosu failed to hold her own on Tuesday, crashing out in the Round of 16 of her event at the 2017 WTF World Taekwondo Championships in Muju, South Korea.
Nwosu, who is ranked 46 by the World Taekwondo, the sport’s world body, lost 1-19 to the number three-ranked Tatiana Kudashova of Russia in the women’s -53 kg category.
Tidesports source gathered that the 22-year-old had earlier in the day advanced from the Round of 64 after her opponent, Mary Maina of Kenya, was disqualified.
She went on to beat the number 41-ranked Awa Ouattara of Cote D’Ivoire 4-3 in the Round of 32, before losing to Kudashova.
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CAFCL : Rivers United Arrives DR Congo
Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt contingent, comprising players, technical crew, backroom staff, and officials, depart the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos State on Wednesday, bound for Kinshasa, DR Congo.
The team is set to face FC Les Aigles du Congo in the first-round first-leg match of the CAF Champions League.
This was contained in a press release signed by the media officer of the club, Charles Mayuku and made available to Tidesports on Wednesday.
He said that the highly anticipated match is scheduled to take place at the 80,000-capacity Kinshasa-Complexe Omnisports Stade des Martyrs on morrow with kickoff slated for 3:30pm.
According to the statement the encounter marks the first-ever meeting between both sides in any competition, adding that an air of excitement and unpredictability to the fixture.
“As the Pride of Nigeria embarks on this crucial journey, the team is determined to return with a decent result that will set them up favorably for the second leg on Sunday, 28th September” the statement said.
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FIFA rankings: S’Eagles drop Position, remain sixth in Africa
The new rankings, released via FIFA’s official X handle on Thursday, reflect the team’s continued struggles under Coach Eric Chelle amid a stuttering 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
This marks a second consecutive decline after the Nigerian side dropped from 43rd to 44th in August on the back of poor outings in recent international matches.
Despite Nigeria’s setback, several African teams made progress. Morocco remains the continent’s highest-ranked side, sitting 11th in the world after winning eight of their last nine matches. Senegal, Egypt, Algeria and Côte d’Ivoire complete Africa’s top five.
Lesotho slipped to 153rd place, while Benin Republic, Nigeria’s upcoming opponent, climbed to 93rd. South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, who held the Super Eagles to a 1-1 draw in June, rose to 55th, strengthening their bid for World Cup qualification.
Zimbabwe had the biggest slide down the ranking table, dropping nine places to 125th position in the world.
The rankings highlight Nigeria’s struggle to regain form on the global stage as key rivals continue to surge ahead.
Similarly, the Super Falcons of Nigeria remain 36th best in the world], while the Spanish female national team replaced the USA at the top of the women’s ranking.
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