Sports
2023 AFCON: Nigeria, Sierra Leone Clash In Abuja
The Super Eagles of Nigeria will tomorrow at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja open their bid to qualify for the 2023 African Cup of Nations billed for Ivory Coast with their first Group A fixture against the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone. The Eagles under the tutelage of nascent Nigeria’s new coach, Jose Peseiro, would be aiming to return to the African championships with a bang, especially, after flattering to deceive in their last outing, where they were stopped by the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia in the second round in Cameroon.
However, they must first of all, negotiate their way past the Leone Stars, who only few months ago stared them in the eyes without blinking, home and away. On paper, the Super Eagles may appear as the favourites to open this Group A account with victory, but nothing is guaranteed. This is because, in the last two meetings between the two, the Eagles were in the ascendancy at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, racing to a 4-0 lead before contriving to concede the lead and played out an unbelievable 4-4 draw. The return leg offered no better tale for Nigeria as it ended scoreless.
It is on this background that tomorrow’s clash would certainly be set. While the Super Eagles should be motivated to prove a point and show that they are a class above the opponents, the visitors would be buoyed by their last experience in standing up to the Nigerian team. The Leone Stars arrived Nigeria early and have been perfecting their strategy to take a major scalp in the group.
The Super Eagles on their part are just coming from a tour of the United States, where they took on Mexico and Ecuador in friendlies. Though the two games ended in defeat for coach Peseiro and his wards, they must have afforded the coach ample opportunity to see his team in competitive action from close quarters. It is expected that he should work to fix the lapses noticed in the games as they go for the real thing, beginning with Sierra Leone tomorrow before other dates with Sao Tome and Principe and Guinea Bissau for the tickets available from the group.
The facts are ominous for the Super Eagles though. They are winless in five games on the trot and the fact they conceded the first goal in four of those four encounters is telling. Coach Peseiro must, therefore, ensure that he gets his personnel and tactics spot on in order to begin the race on the front foot. After experimenting with Cyriel Dessers and Terem Moffi against Mexico and Ecuador, the return of Victor Osimhen is expected to add more verve to the attack, while Leon Balogun in defence and a tweak of the midfield should give the Eagles more balance and teeth to attack tomorrow’s opponents.
The plucky Leone Stars will certainly be aiming for an upset as coach John Keister would want see early advantage in the race go to his side. They may not possess as much individual quality as may be ascribed to the Super Eagles, but they have proven to be a stubborn and resilient unit. It this notion, that is expected to guide Coach Peseiro and his team as they file out tomorrow to battle the visitors.
Unfortunately, home comfort will count for little as the game billed for 5pm will be without fans, Nigeria, serving the sanction for fans’ misdemeanor last time out versus Black Stars of Ghana at same venue.
By: Gabriel Nwanetanya
Isaako All Stars FC of Opuoko and Khana Khana AllStars Football all in Local Government Area of Rivers State will tomorrow engage in a friendly football match at Opuoko Mini Stadium.
Chatting with Tidesports in a telephone interview yesterday the Chairman of Khana All Stars Saro Tap-le said that the encounter is not going to be an easy game in spite it is an AllStars game.
He express his side readiness for the encounter stating that the opportunity as come for them to showcase their talents.
However, the chairman explained that AllStars game is not about winning but the excitement, love, unity and friendship it creates is more important.
” Tomorrow game is not going to be an easy one despite is a AllStars game. We are going there in a full force to do what we know how to do best and to showcase our talents.
“As Chairman of Khana All Stars I believes we have an edge over the Isaako All Stars be we are training so hard for the encounter” Tap-le said.
Also speaking the Chairman of Isaako All Stars Mina Zaasi Iloori sees the match as an opportunity to build relationships.
” My brother it is an AllStars friendly game I think winning is not important but the paramount thing is the relationship we are going to create among both teams and my community at large
” We are training hard because of the encounter because I will not be in my house and somebody will rob soap in my eyes.
” As I speak with you we are just coming from back training ground to ensure all my players are fit for the match.
” I am using this medium to call on football fans to come en mass to Opuoko Mini Stadium tomorrow and enjoy the best of round leather game.
I promise the game will be an exciting display of football talents and sportsmanship”, Iloori said.
Kiadum Edookor
Thierry Henry has called for the return of the away goals rule in the aftermath of the bombastic Champions League semi-final between Inter Milan and Barcelona.
The visitors at the Estadio Olimpic Lluis Companys came within milimeters of clinching the first leg of the final-four clash after former Arsenal star Henrikh Mkhitaryan netted late in the second-half.
But the linesman was quick to raise his flag, and semi-automated offside ruled out what would have been a thrilling conclusion to the high-octane 3-3 draw.
The hosts came from behind twice to share the spoils, chasing Inter Milan from the first minute of the game after Marcus Thuram stunned the Barcelona faithful into silence with his neatly flicked goal.
Denzel Dumfries doubled Inter’s lead 20 minutes later, but it took just three more for the Blaugrana to finally get on the scoresheet courtesy of a moment of magic from teenage starlet Lamine Yamal.
Ferran Torres drew Barcelona level ahead of the break, but Lamal was forced to play catch-up again in the second-half after Dumfries scored his second.
In light of the impressive effort from Inter, Henry wondered if the team should have got more from the fixture ahead of the second-leg at the San Siro.
‘I know it’s been like that for a very time, and we have to accept it,’ Henry said of the removal of the away goals rule, ‘But off air I was talking to Jamie (Carragher), and I was like, “how can you score three goals away from home and you don’t have an advantage?”
‘Away goals for me were massive, you score three goals away and you still don’t have an advantage 0-0 at home,’ Henry shrugged.
UEFA took the decision to scrap the rule which gave goals scored away from home the ability to act as a tiebreaker in the case of level scorelines ahead of the 2021-22 season.
Current FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsene Wenger claimed during his time as Arsenal manager in 2015 that the away goals rule ‘encouraged the team at home not to attack’ and that ‘the weight of the away goal (was) too big today’.
Without the rules, the tie at San Siro will go to extra time and penalties to decide which teams books their spot in the Champions League final.
But based on Wednesday evening’s performance, Henry seemed to give Inter a fighting chance against the newly minted Copa del Rey champions.
The 2025 London Marathon set a new world record for the number of finishers despite hot conditions on Sunday for its 45th edition.
A total of 56,640 runners crossed the finish line at the end of the 26.2-mile route, Guinness World Records has confirmed.
The number surpassed the previous record of 55,646 set by the New York Marathon in November.
Hugh Brasher, chief executive of London Marathon Events, said he hoped the high number of finishers inspired people to apply for the 2026 race ballot.
“The London Marathon was already the most popular in terms of ballot entries, with 840,318 people applying for the 2025 race,” he said.
“It is also the world’s largest annual one-day fundraising event with more than £1.3bn raised for charity since 1981.”
The number of people applying for the ballot to enter this year’s race broke the world record of 578,304 for the 2024 edition.
Of UK applicants 49% were female, while there was a 105% increase in applications from people aged between 20-29.
Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa surged to victory in the elite women’s race in a world record for a women’s only field, while Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe triumphed in the men’s event.