Sports
Okagbare Yet To Appeal 10-Year Ban, As Deadline Draws Close
Nigerian Sprinter, Blessing Okagbare, may not appeal the 10-year-ban handed her by the Athletics Integrity Unit for doping as the 30-day appeal deadline nears expiration.
The AIU February 18 banned the 2008 Olympics long jump silver medallist for “multiple breaches of anti-doping rules.”
Okagbare was handed a five-year ban for the multiple prohibited substances found in her out of competition test, which was carried out on July 19, 2020, and another five-year ban for failing to cooperate with investigators.
Tidesports source reports that the 33-year-old was provisionally suspended just hours before she was due to run in the semi-finals of the women’s 100m at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo last year.
Reacting to the ban, Okagbare took to social media on February 19 stating that her lawyers were studying the decision in order to advise her on the next course of action.
“My attention has been drawn to the statement issued by the AIU regarding its disciplinary panel’s decision. My lawyers are currently studying it for our next line of action, which we will inform you soon,” she stated.
However, according to our findings, Okagbare is yet to make an official appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport with just five days to the expiration of the deadline.
In a letter sent to our correspondent and signed by CAS’ Communications Officer, Katy Hogg, dated March 10, 2022, CAS stated that there was no record of Okagbare filing an appeal in its log.
“Please be advised that at the time of writing, no appeals have been filed at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in relation to this matter.”
Should the 33-year-old file an appeal and lose, she will be made to pay indemnities to both CAS and World Athletics.
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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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