Sports

Algeria, Nigeria Scrape Through To W’Cup Play-Off Spots

Published

5 years ago

November 17, 2021

Algeria and Nigeria did enough to reach Africa’s play-offs for the 2022 World Cup after drawing their final qualifiers yesterday.
Both sides needed just a point at home against their closest challengers to secure top spot in their respective groups.
Algeria twice led against Burkina Faso but drew 2-2, while the Super Eagles won Group C despite being held 1-1 by Cape Verde in Lagos.
The final two spots in the play-offs were yet to be decided before press time.
Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Mali, Morocco and Senegal have already reached the play-offs, which will take place next March and decide the continent’s five representatives in Qatar.
However, South Africa has complained to FIFA about the refereeing in their 1-0 defeat by Ghana on Sunday, which decided top spot in Group G.
Continental champions, Algeria were pushed all the way by Burkina Faso, who needed victory in Blida to keep their hopes of a first-ever World Cup appearance alive.
Algeria took the lead midway through the first half when Manchester City forward, Riyad Mahrez converted a cutback from Youcef Belaili, but the Stallions equalised eight minutes before the break through Zakaria Sanogo, who chipped the ball over Rais M’Bolhi.
Half-time substitute, Sofiane Feghouli restored the Desert Foxes’ lead, converting another pull-back by Belaili in the 68th minute, but the Burkinabe got a second equaliser through Issoufou Dayo’s penalty with six minutes left to set up a nervous finale to the Group A clash.
However, Djamel Belmadi’s men held on to extend their unbeaten run to 33 matches, four short of Italy’s world record of 37 set earlier this year.
Similarly, Nigeria had a two-point lead over Cape Verde going into their showdown but Gernot Rohr’s side scraped into the play-off stage.
The Super Eagles made the perfect start as in-form Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen controlled a cross from Moses Simon and slotted home in the opening minute, but the islanders hit back four minutes later when defender, Stopira equalised off a corner kick.
Cape Verde keeper, Vozinha made several saves in the first half to deny the hosts and the Blue Sharks almost pulled off an upset, with Super Eagles defender, Chidozie Awaziem making a crucial late block.
In the other match in Group C, Liberia beat Central African Republic 3-1.
Marcus Macauley and Peter Wilson gave Liberia a 2-0 lead after eight minutes and, after Isaac Ngoma pulled one back on 61 minutes, Wilson restored the Lone Stars’ two-goal advantage 12 minutes later.
Earlier yesterday, already-qualified Egypt rounded off their campaign with a 2-1 win against Gabon in Alexandria to finish unbeaten in Group F.
Al Ahly midfielder, Mohamed Magdy put the Pharaohs ahead from the penalty spot in the fourth minute after Ahmed Yasser Rayyan was clipped by Denis Bouanga.
Clermont forward, Jim Allevinah scrambled in a cross to equalise nine minutes after the restart but Gabon defender, Johann Obiang deflected a through ball past his own keeper with 15 minutes remaining, and his own goal proved to be the winner.
The visitors finished with 10 men as Bouanga was sent off late on for a kick out at Mohamed Hamdy – his second bookable offence – giving Carlos Quieroz’s Egypt a fourth win in six matches.
Elsewhere Libya finished behind Gabon on goal difference following a 1-1 draw with Angola.
Sanad Al Warfali’s penalty gave the north Africans the lead four minutes into the second half after Yousef Karah was bundled over, but Angola striker Zini fired in a loose ball from seven yards out to net the leveller in Benghazi in the 81st minute.
In Cotonou, a second-half own goal from Malawi captain Limbikani Mzava gave Mozambique their first win of the campaign in Group D.
The defender headed a long ball over his goalkeeper from just outside the area and the result saw Malawi, who will feature at the Africa Cup of Nations in January, leapfrogged by their neighbours.
Mozambique finished the group campaign on four points, one more than the Flames.

Sports

Amusan Clinches Gold, sets record in Taiwan

Published

2 days ago

June 8, 2026

The Tide

Nigeria’s world record holder, Tobi Amusan, continued her impressive 2026 season by winning gold and setting a new meet record in the women’s 100 metres hurdles at the New Taipei Athletics Open in Taiwan on Saturday, Tidesports source reports.

Amusan crossed the line in 12.72 seconds despite running against a slight headwind of -0.3 metres per second, finishing well clear of Chinese Taipei’s Bo Ya Zhang, who took silver in 13.17 seconds.

The performance erased the previous meet record and underlined the 29-year-old’s consistency as one of the dominant forces in women’s hurdling on the international circuit.

The New Taipei victory adds to a string of strong outings this season for the Nigerian. Earlier in the campaign, Amusan claimed her first Diamond League win of the season in Rabat, Morocco, clocking 12.28 seconds to break her own meeting record of 12.45 seconds set in 2025.

That time equalled her season’s best, which she had also posted at the Xiamen Diamond League.

Before Rabat, Amusan had recorded a third-place finish in Shanghai with 12.41 seconds and a runner-up spot in Xiamen with 12.28 seconds, where she was edged by American hurdler Masai Russell.

The season has also included a continental triumph, with Amusan winning gold in the women’s 100 metres hurdles at the African Championships in Accra, helping Nigeria to its first gold medal of the competition.

Her 12.28-second performance remains among the fastest times globally this year and ranks as one of the finest of her distinguished career.

Only her world record of 12.12 seconds, set at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, and the 12.24 seconds she clocked at the Meeting de Paris last year stand above it in her personal all-time list.

A three-time Diamond League champion, Amusan will be looking to reclaim the overall title this season while also preparing for the Diamond League finale and the Commonwealth Games later in the year.

4th

Super Falcons Must Improve- Coach Madugu

Super Falcons head coach Justin Madugu has offered an honest assessment of his side’s performance after Nigeria defeated Senegal 2-1 in an international friendly at the Remo Stars Sports Complex in Ikenne, admitting there is still considerable work ahead of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, Tidesports source reports.

Goals from Asisat Oshoala, who converted a first-half penalty, and Toni Payne gave Nigeria a commanding lead before Sokhna Nogaye’s long-range effort in the 86th minute reduced the deficit and set up a tense finish.

While the nine-time African champions secured the result and met their primary objective of assessing squad depth, Madugu acknowledged the performance was not without its shortcomings.

“It’s a good result, and naturally, when you play any game, you always want to win. This is a preparatory game, and the aim is to assess our readiness, test the strategies we want to execute in the competition, and give players the opportunity to showcase what they can do to provide us with more options,” Madugu told official54fx.

“These are the matches we use to identify which players are fully ready for the WAFCON. It was not a bad game for us, but as you know, there is always room for improvement. Yes, we did well, but we know there is still a lot of work to be done.”

The two sides meet again on Monday, June 8, in the second match of their friendly double-header as both nations continue their WAFCON preparations.

Sports

Govt, Allen Onyema to Immortalise Stephen Keshi

Published

2 days ago

June 8, 2026

The Tide

As Nigeria buries one of its legendary football heroes this weekend, the spirit of another late football hero of the same generation is being evoked.

As the body of late Henry Onyenmanze Nwosu, MON, is being committed to mother-earth on Saturday, June 6, in Naze, near Owerri, on

Sunday, June 7, 2026, the first in a two-part series of activities in remembrance of late Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, MFR, the one referred to as ‘the Big Boss’ by the football faithful, will take place in Lagos at the 10th Memorial Lecture organised yearly by a Foundation established by his friends and family at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Lagos.

Also, on July 28, 2026, exactly a day to the date (July 29) that Stephen Keshi died 10 years ago in 2016, his contributions as a sports diplomat within Nigeria’s strategic foreign affairs will be showcased and acknowledged. His name will be inscribed in gold letters on ‘the NIIA Sports Diplomacy Wall of Fame’ in everlasting memory of the great Nigerian football hero and patriot.

His name will be an addition to those of 69 other sporting heroes from Nigeria’s history that have already been found deserving of a place on famed Wall.

The ‘NIIA Sports Diplomacy Wall of Fame’ is a national monument established by an agency of the federal government of Nigeria, the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, to immortalize Nigerians that are known to have made major contributions to Nigeria’s international politics and diplomacy objectives through sports.

On July 28th 2026, it will be 3 years since the edifice was erected within the premises of NIIA in Lagos sponsored by Dr.Allen Onyema and his AirPeace Airline. It is an environment of water fountains, a beautiful garden and a Black marbled-wall on which the names of Nigerian sports heroes considered deserving are inscribed.

The existing list will now be extended to include the name of former Nigerian Green Eagles Captain and national team Coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, CON. He has been considered worthy, and his contributions identified, justified and approved by the NIIA.

The extension of the space on the wall to accommodate his name, plus the small ceremony to be done in his honour, will be courtesy of Dr. Allen Onyema and AirPeace Airline.

Stephen Keshi played and captained the Nigerian national football team. He also coached and managed the National team of Nigeria to an African Cup victory, qualified and took another African national team, Togo, to the FIFA World Cup, personally opened the way and assisted a whole generation of Nigerian and other African football players in the transition to professional ranks in Europe.

Meanwhile, inside the sports diplomacy department of the NIIA, a few other Nigerians athletes are being considered for a place on the wall in the very near future. They include world record breaker and holder,Tobi Amusan; first and only female Olympic Gold medalist, Chioma Ajunwa, and the Atlanta ‘96 ‘Dream Team’ and Olympic Gold medalists.

The honours list is not based on sports achievements only, but on impact in the international diplomatic and political space in conformity with Nigeria’s foreign affairs agenda and objectives!

I remember the great ‘Stefan’, as I called Keshi, very fondly. He called me ‘Segunda Fero’!

Sports

“Nigerian athletics has fallen”

Published

2 days ago

June 8, 2026

The Tide

Former national 400m hurdles champion, Olympian Henry Amike, has called for greater investment in athletics, athletes’ welfare, training and competitions to restore Nigeria’s competitiveness in track and field events.

Amike who spoke in Abuja Thursday said the pace of development in Nigerian athletics has fallen short of expectations despite the achievements recorded by previous generations of athletes.

“We expected that after we left the scene, people would take over immediately, but it has taken almost 40 years before things like this are coming up. We are not happy with what we have seen in Nigerian track and field,” he said.

He said that their technical expertise and experience could contribute significantly to policy formulation and institutional reforms within the sector.

Amike, one of Nigeria’s most accomplished track and field athletes, represented the country at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul.

He competed in the 400 metres hurdles and 4×400 metres relay events.

The Olympian’s most notable international achievement came at the 1987 World Championships in Rome, where he became the first Nigerian athlete to qualify for the final of the men’s 400m hurdles. His personal best time of 48.50 seconds stood as Nigeria’s national record for 35 years before it was broken in 2022.

Amike also won medals at continental competitions and was widely regarded as one of Africa’s leading hurdlers during the 1980s, contributing to Nigeria’s growing profile in international athletics.

Amike, who served as a legislative assistant to the speaker of the House of Representatives, has confirmed his intention to contest the Lagos West Senatorial District seat in 2027.

According to him, his political agenda will focus on youth empowerment, sports development, education and broader socio-economic issues affecting residents of the senatorial district.