Sports
D’Tigers Tipped To Pick 2024 Olympics Ticket
With the competition starting today and with the Top ten players to watch list having been issued, along with a preview of both groups, you can now check out our countdown prediction from eight to the coveted number one spot.
It’s often hard to evaluate Uganda’s real potential and predict where they can end up at major continental competitions, mainly because of the team’s inconsistency. At times Uganda look capable of competing against heavyweight teams on the continent just as much as they can struggle against some of the lower ranked teams.
If Uganda bring the likes of Arthur Kaluma, Adam Seiko, Ishmail Wainright and Den John Geu to Lagos, then this ranking position will feel wholly inaccurate. But without too much disrespect, if they show up with a similar squad to the one that went 0-3 in the last window of the 2023 World Cup African Qualifiers, it’s hard to rank the Silverbacks any higher than this.
Having Alpha Diallo, Alpha Kaba and rising star Mambourou Mara on the squad as confirmed by head coach Zeljko Zecevic, is great news for Guinea, Plus, adding Shannon Evans is everything they could have asked for. However, Zecevic’s team will need a productive bench, which is often their Achilles heel.
Group B isn’t necessarily an uncharted territory for Guinea mainly because of their history with Tunisia. Ever since Guinea returned to the African Championship in 2017, after three decades away from FIBA Africa’s flagship event, they’ve lost four times to Tunisia. But, times are different now. Reigning champions Tunisia have experience some decline, while Guinea have grown in confidence.
Congo DR is another team that desperately needs to implement a consistent program to capitalize from the immense pool of talented players at their potential disposal.
For instance, during the second and third qualifying windows of the 2023 World Cup African Qualifiers, the Congolese defeated powerhouse Senegal twice in Dakar and Alexandria. But they crashed out in the next window in Alexandria where they showed up with a new coaching staff and also missing key players, despite the addition of Golden State Warriors rising star Jonathan Kuminga.However, if the Congolese can utilize half of the team that finished fourth at the 2023 FIBA AfroCAN last month, they can do wonders in Lagos, but if they select a brand new team things might be hard for DR Congo.
It remains to be seen what Mali have to offer after pulling out of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers. Obviously Mali did poorly in the FIBA AfroCan last month, but the team’s talent and potential is never in question.
And if they make the necessary adjustments and learned from that FIBA AfroCAN experience, where they finished winless and last in the 12-team event, they will be safe in Lagos and might just cause some mayhem.
Cameroon are headed to Lagos with a relatively new team compared to the one that finished 0-3 at FIBA AfroCAN in Luanda. And the return of former Cameroonian international Alfred Aboya at the helm of the indomitable Lions might just bring a new playing style.
Under Aboya, Cameroon went 3-3 in the last two windows of the 2023 World Cup African Qualifiers. If Cameroon can beat Tunisia in Group B it’s be a game-changing moment for a team that has shown so much potential over the years, but is yet to become a Top Five nation in Africa.
The return of Mario Palma at the helm of Tunisia after the abrupt departure for Erman Kunter represents a major boost for the reigning African champions. And, they desperately need to return to their glory days after missing out on the qualification to this year’s FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Angolan-Portuguese Palma and Tunisia had parted ways after the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Whether or not Palma, the most successful coach in African basketball with five AfroBasket titles, can revive Tunisia’s Olympics hope will be seen over time. But this Tunisia team is very likely to look different in Lagos.
One of Senegal’s most coveted aspirations is the Olympics. The only African heavyweight that hasn’t appeared in the Olympics in the last four decades, Senegal look at the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Lagos as an opportunity to re-write history.
There’s no question that Senegal will be challenged in the Nigerian capital, but if they can overcome hosts Nigeria in Group A, and this is not an improbable dream, the Lions will roar towards the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament next year.
In the build-up to the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament Nigeria can’t contemplate any other result on home soil, and that’s what makes them the number one team in this Power Ranking.
But can they be challenged? Absolutely. Can they live up to expectations? Well, quite simply, they have to. Do they have the team and coaching staff to successfully protect their home court? Yes, D’Tigers have a decent team, but the game against Senegal on Monday, August 14 will tell us more about this team’s actual identity and reality.
Sports
Inter Best Juventus To Maintain Serie A Lead
Andrea Cambiaso scored at both ends during the first half of Saturday’s Derby d’Italia, before Pierre Kalulu’s red card forced Juventus to play the entire second half a man light.
Substitute Francesco Pio Esposito got Inter back in front with a bullet header, then Manuel Locatelli’s pinpoint finish looked to have salvaged a point for the Bianconeri, before Zielinski struck on the cusp of stoppage time.
Juventus made the brighter start, but they were masters of their own downfall in the 17th minute, when Cambiaso deflected Luis Henrique’s cross beyond Michele Di Gregorio.
Cambiaso atoned within nine minutes, catching Henrique on his heels when Weston McKennie’s cross squirmed through to the back post and applying a side-footed finish.
But after Bremer cleared Zielinski’s dinked effort off the line, Juve’s hopes were damaged when Kalulu received his second yellow card for a 42nd-minute pull on Alessandro Bastoni, though the Inter centre-back appeared to go down theatrically.
Di Gregorio made a remarkable stop to thwart Hakan Calhanoglu, but as Juventus dropped ever deeper, they were punished when substitute Esposito guided Federico Dimarco’s searching cross into the far corner with 76 minutes on the clock.
It looked like Inter would have to settle for a point when Locatelli whipped a wonderful finish into the bottom-left corner in the 83rd minute, but Zielinski had the final say as his 20-yard drive fizzed through Locatelli’s legs and beat Di Gregorio.
Sports
Szoboszlai’s Real Madrid Dream Sparks Concern At Liverpool
A cloud of uncertainty has settled over Liverpool after comments from Hungary head coach Marco Rossi reignited speculation about Dominik Szoboszlai and Real Madrid.
Rossi, who has worked closely with Szoboszlai since his teenage years, revealed that the midfielder’s lifelong ambition is to play for the Spanish giants.
“Because of the very close and direct relationship I’ve had with Dominik since he was a child, Real Madrid has always been his dream,” Rossi said.
For a Liverpool side building around Szoboszlai as a centerpiece of Arne Slot’s project, those words landed hard.
Within hours of Rossi’s remarks, Szoboszlai interacted on social media with two Real Madrid players, applauding posts from Vinicius Junior and Trent Alexander-Arnold following Madrid’s win over Real Sociedad.
His reaction to Vinicius’ post drew particular attention. The exchange with Alexander-Arnold, his former Liverpool teammate, was seen as less surprising.
Still, in the hyper-connected world of elite soccer, even a digital thumbs-up can carry weight. On Merseyside, fans and pundits quickly began dissecting the meaning behind the interactions.
Szoboszlai, Hungary’s captain, has become one of Liverpool’s most influential players. That status is precisely why Rossi’s comments triggered such an intense reaction in England.
The midfielder had just delivered on the field as well, scoring in Liverpool’s 3-0 FA Cup fourth-round victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield.
After the match, Mohamed Salah heaped praise on his teammate, calling Szoboszlai “the best player in the world.” Slot struck a slightly more measured tone but echoed the sentiment.
“I think there are many elite players in the world, but I definitely agree with Mo that he is one of them,” Slot said. “He is very important for us.”
Szoboszlai is under contract at Liverpool through 2028. However, the club is reportedly eager to open extension talks in the coming months to secure his long-term future.
The player himself addressed the situation recently with notable candor.
“There’s nothing yet, to be honest. Nothing from now on. It’s not in my hands. That’s how it works,” he said. “There’s no progress, but if the right offer comes, we’ll see.”
He was equally clear about his affection for Liverpool.
“We’ll see what happens. Hopefully everyone will be happy in the end. Of course I want to stay. I like the city, I like the club, I like playing with these guys. I love Anfield, I love the fans. Let’s see what the future brings. It’s not my fault. I’d love to stay. We’ll see.”
Inter’s dramatic victory boosted their lead over rivals AC Milan to eight points, ahead of the Rossoneri hosting Como on Wednesday. Juventus, meanwhile, could drop out of the top four as Roma visited Napoli last night.
The last four Serie A matches between Inter and Juventus have produced a total of 21 goals (an average of 5.25 per game), compared to just nine in the previous six (1.5 per game).
Cambiaso became the first player in Derby d’Italia history to score and put through his own net in the same match between these old rivals, but it was Zielinski’s fifth Serie A goal of the season that proved decisive.
Inter will argue they were deserved victors after amassing 21 shots and 1.88 expected goals (xG), while Luciano Spalletti’s visitors mustered 10 shots and 0.92 xG – though the Bianconeri actually attempted six of their shots while down a man in the second half.
Sports
Wolves Beat Man Utd Conquerors
Premier League strugglers Wolves overcame resolute Grimsby Town in challenging conditions at Blundell Park to reach the FA Cup fifth round at the expense of the side that eliminated Manchester United in the last round.
Santiago Bueno scored from Wolves’ only shot on target with an hour played, diverting Joao Gomes’ cross past goalkeeper Jackson Smith with his thigh to end the League Two club’s resistance.
Unrelenting rainfall caused heavy ground underfoot and one penalty area in particular- that of Grimsby’s Smith in the first half – was already a quagmire before kick-off.
Charles Vernam shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box with just 43 seconds on the clock as Grimsby sought to catch their top-flight visitors cold.
Wolves had to wait until the 17th minute for their first opportunity of note, forward Tolu Arokodare firing over with a first-time attempt.
The white paint of the pitch markings soon blended and blurred with the mud as the surface rapidly deteriorated, and both sides struggled to stitch together cohesive attacks as passes travelled unpredictably across the sodden ground.
-
Politics5 days agoAPC Releases Adjusted Timetable For Nationwide Congresses, Convention
-
Sports2 days ago2026 WC: Nigeria, DR Congo Awaits FIFA Verdict Today
-
Sports5 days ago
DG NIS Wants NSC Board Constituted, Seeks Increased In Funding
-
Business5 days agoCustoms Seek Support To Curb Smuggling In Ogun
-
Featured4 days agoINEC Proposes N873.78bn For 2027 Elections, N171bn For 2026 Operations
-
Sports5 days agoSWAN Rivers Set-up Five Functional Committees
-
Sports5 days ago
NSC Disburses N200m Training Grants To 26 Athletes
-
Sports5 days ago
‘NTF Will Build On Davis Cup Success For Brighter Future’
