Sports

Bayelsa Queens Seal Women’s African Champions League Spot

Published

4 years ago

September 7, 2022

Nigerian women football clubside, Bayelsa Queens became the sixth side to qualify for the Women’s African Champions League after winning their zonal qualifier.
The Queens beat Ghana’s Ampem Darkoa Ladies 3-0 in Ivory Coast last Saturday to seal their spot at the eight-team finals, which begin in Morocco on 30 October.
The Nigerian champions join Moroccan hosts AS FAR, inaugural champions Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa and Egypt’s Wadi Degla, and will be one of four debutants in the competition.
Zambia’s Green Buffaloes, Determine Girls of Liberia and Tanzanian side, Simba Queens will also be making their first appearance.
The final qualifier, from Africa’s central zone, will be decided at a tournament in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, from 10-16 September.
The group-stage draw for the second Women’s African Champions League will be held in Morocco on Friday.
Meanwhile, Madagascar sealed an historic first appearance at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) but Nigeria and South Africa will be notable absentees from the 2022 finals in Algeria.
Ghana beat arch-rivals Nigeria on penalties after a 2-2 aggregate draw, while South Africa suffered to a 4-1 loss at home to Angola, who triumphed 6-1 overall.
Indian Ocean nation Madagascar will be the only tournament debutants despite being held 1-1 by Botswana in Antananarivo last Friday they progressed 2-1 on aggregate.
Leading nations who will be at the seventh edition of the tournament reserved for domestic-based players include title-holders Morocco, Cameroon, DR Congo, Ivory Coast and Senegal.
The defending champions, hosts Algeria and Libya were already assured of places at the finals after Egypt and Tunisia withdrew from the Northern Group.
The expanded 18-team CHAN finals are scheduled to be held from 13 January to 4 February 2023, and the group-stage draw will be conducted in Algeria on 1 October.
Trailing 2-0 after the first leg in Ghana, Nigeria staged a late rally in Abuja to win the return match 2-0 through goals from Zulkifilu Rabiu and Chijioke Akuneto, the latter through a 94th-minute penalty.
The Black Galaxies converted all five spot-kicks in the shootout while Maurice Ugochukwu missed to eliminate 2018 runners-up Nigeria.
The dramatic victory took two-time beaten finalists Ghana back to the finals after failing to qualify for the last three editions.
Africa’s most populous nation Nigeria boast one of the stronger national leagues in Africa but have reached the CHAN finals only three times – with their qualifying failures including a stunning 2020 loss to Togo.
It was yet another celebration for Ghana in the Nigerian capital city after pipping their bitter rivals to 2022 World Cup play-off ticket at the same venue in March.
In Soweto, South Africa got off to a great start with Prince Nxumalo halving the aggregate deficit by nodding home a free-kick just six minutes into the first half.
But disaster struck for the home side on 39 minutes when an attempted headed clearance by Mosa Lebusa looped over goalkeeper Reyaad Pieterse into his own net.
It left South Africa needing to score three unanswered goals to survive with a team sorely weakened by the absence of stars on club duty.
Angola grew stronger as the second half progressed with Jaredi Teixeira a constant menace on the left wing. He set up the second and fourth goals for Deivi Viera and Danilson, and Joaquim Paciencia netted the third with a free-kick that flew in off the underside of the crossbar.
Cameroon, fourth when they hosted the 2020 tournament, netted twice late in the opening half to beat Equatorial Guinea 2-0 and squeeze through, having lost 1-0 away.
Djawal Kaiba broke the deadlock on 43 minutes in the north-western city of Garoua and Souaibou Marou snatched what proved the crucial goal in stoppage time.
There was an even closer call for Ivory Coast, who beat Burkina Faso on penalties after both legs finished 0-0.
Football’s world governing body Fifa classifies CHAN matches as full internationals, and the results count toward its rankings.
Full list of qualified team for CHAN 2022: Algeria (hosts), Morocco, Libya, Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Ghana, Ivory Coast, DR Congo, Congo, Cameroon, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Madagascar, Angola, Mozambique.

Sports

Rivers-born Chess Player Clinches Third Position At World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship

Published

3 days ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

A veteran Rivers State chess player, Apollos Akomaka, has finished in joint 3rd place at the just-concluded World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship held in Abuja.

Akomaka, who is the director of physiotherapy at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, overcame a shaky start to secure a podium finish in the 11-round rapid event that began on August 2.

The tournament featured top chess players from several countries.

After losing his opening game, the defining moment for Akomaka came between Rounds 7 and 11.

He raised his game and began defeating some of the top-ranked players in the event.

The Rivers-born player ended the championship tied for 3rd place in the U2000 category with 6.5 points out of 11, alongside Cameroon’s national champion, Noumbo Vidal.

His final game was against Vidal, with the Nigerian playing the black pieces.

Vidal opened with a queen’s gambit but quickly transposed into an English opening with a double fianchetto attack.

Akomaka responded sharply with a king’s Indian defense and soon launched a kingside attack from a defensive position.

The pressure paid off, resulting in an immediate material gain, a knight for a rook, and leaving Akomaka with a strong attacking advantage.

Vidal fought hard to avoid mate and managed to steer the game into an endgame, where he found some respect. At that point, the Cameroon champion offered a draw, which Akomaka accepted.

Speaking after the event, Akomaka said that he is resilient and determined after the poor start but happy that he finished on the podium.

He expressed optimism that in subsequent competitions he will make Rivers State proud and Nigeria at large.

Akomaka has won both local and national chess championships in recent times.

He is passionate about chess; besides, he has equally sponsored several national chess tournaments in Nigeria.

The World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship concluded with Akomaka of Rivers State,

Nigeria, battling back from an early loss to end among the top three in his category

Tonye Orabere/Kiadum Edookor

Sports

Team Nigeria Secures Women’s 4x100m, 4x400m Finals at World U20 Championships

Published

3 days ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

Team Nigeria continued its impressive showing at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, securing places in both the women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay finals after strong performances in the heats.

The Nigerian quartet of Becky Ebiyadi, Jecinta Lawrence, Tejiri Praise Ugoh and Faith Ezechukwu booked their place in the women’s 4x400m final after clocking a season’s best of 3:35.28.

Nigeria finished third in the heat behind Italy and Great Britain, doing enough to advance to the final and remain firmly in contention for a medal.

In the women’s 4x100m, Ugoh joined Lucy Nwankwo, Chigozie Nwankwo and Oluebube Ezechukwu as Nigeria produced another season’s best, clocking 43.65 seconds to secure an automatic ticket to the women’s 4x100m final.

The qualification was sealed by a sensational anchor leg from Ezechukwu. Receiving the baton nearly 20 metres behind the United States, the Nigerian launched a determined charge down the home straight, rapidly closing the gap before edging the Americans at the line to claim the third automatic qualifying position.

Nigeria stopped the clock at 43.65 seconds, just 0.02 seconds ahead of the United States, who finished in 43.67 seconds.

The performances mean Nigeria will now contest both women’s relay finals, further strengthening the country’s medal prospects at the championships.

In Saturday’s evening phase of the event, Success Uyibo will compete in the 200m women’s final while the 4x100m compete in the women’s final.

Sports

Poor welfare forced me to dump Delta for Enugu, says world – Nwachukwu

Published

3 days ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

World Record holder and Commonwealth Games champion, Goodness Nwachukwu, has revealed why she dumped Delta State for Enugu State.

The sudden departure of Nwachukwu, a multiple gold medallist, from Team Delta to the Coal City, Enugu , sparked controversy within the sports family, with officials of Delta State Sports Commission accusing the president of the Paralympic Committee of Nigeria, Sunday Odebode, of manipulating the system for the athlete to dump the state.

But Nwachukwu, who broke the World Record to win a gold medal for Team Nigeria in the Women’s Discus F42 event at the just-concluded Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, has cleared the air on the circumstances that led to her movement to Enugu State.

Speaking with The Tidesports source report, shortly after winning the gold medal, Nwachukwu said: “It is not true that anybody aided my movement from Delta State to Enugu. Rather, it was Delta State that forced me to leave because of poor remuneration.