Sports

CAF To Re-Inspect Amiesimaka Stadium, PH

Published

3 years ago

April 19, 2023

The Confederation of African Football will again inspect the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt before it can host Rivers United’s Confederation Cup matches.
After progressing to the quarter-finals of the competition, Rivers United have made efforts to return home for the rest of the tournament, but their quarter-final first leg game against Young Africans of Tanzania will still hold at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on April 23.
Rivers United have played their group stage matches in the Confederation Cup in Uyo and moved to have their home ground in Port Harcourt approved for the quarter-finals, with CAF inspecting the facility on April 6.
With few days to the game against Young Africans, CAF has opted to re-inspect the facility at a later date.
CAF’s Stadium Inspector, Nasir Jubril, who examined the stadium said the continental body was in the best position to issue an official statement on the development.
“It is not something I can comment on, it is CAF who will be able to give a report of the assessment,” Jubril told our correspondent.
Rivers State Commissioner for Sports, Chris Green, confirmed the re-inspection and assured that the club’s preparation for the quarter-final game against Young Africans will not be affected.
“CAF told us they will send another team to come inspect the stadium, and that is going to take another time,” Green told news men.
“On our part, we have done everything necessary to give the stadium a new look and we will be ready to receive them. Maybe they will do it before the semi-finals, but whenever they are ready, we are also ready.
“Our game is more like a national project now and we are glad to have represented the country so well thus far. We want to continue in that light and everything is in progress to ensure we have a good outing in Uyo just as we did in the group stage. We are mobilising fans from Port Harcourt and we will also mobilise in Uyo as well,” Green added.
In the group stage, Rivers United won two out of their three home games to amass 10 points and finish second in Group B, earning a place in the knockout round of the competition for the first time in the club’s history.
They are drawn against the Tanzanians, whom they beat home and away in the first preliminary round of the CAF Champions League in 2021.
With a semi-final ticket of the CAF second-tier competition now at stake, the first leg match will take place in Uyo on Sunday, while the return leg will take place in Dar es Salam a week later.

Sports

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

Published

4 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

4 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

4 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.