Sports
Defender Babes, Safety Shooters Win North Central Handball Championship
The NSCDC Defender Babes of Abuja has been crowned champions of the third North Central Handball Championships.
The team braved the odds to down its archrivals, FRSC Safety Babes 35-26, in a tense finale, which ended on Friday evening, in Makurdi, Benue State.
After Thursday’s penultimate games were decided, Plateau Peacocks of Jos, with seven points, but a rather precarious superior goals difference of +4, appeared to be the favourites to win the crown; having been the first team to beat the women defending champions, FRSC Safety Babes 29-28, on Wednesday.
But the Defender Babes had better ideas, knowing that a win, that’s two points gained, with a goals difference of +5 or more, will be enough to beat their more illustrious city rivals, Safety Babes, and the Peacocks from Jos.
Peacocks eventually came second, while the dethroned champions, with two losses in the hands of their main opponents, settled for third.
The last two spots were occupied by teams from the host state, as Benue Queens finished fourth with four points; while Dream Girls of Gboko came fifth with zero points.
Meanwhile, FRSC Safety Shooters of Abuja successfully defended their men’s title, beating Niger United of Minna 28-22, to win the tournament with 14 points and a 100 percent win record. The thrilling finale did not disappoint spectators at the Aper Aku Stadium.
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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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