Sports
CAFCC: Rivers United Hopes To Secure Quarter Final Ticket
Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt has given strong hope to Nigerians, mostly people of Rivers State that they will consecutively qualify for quarter final stage of the ongoing CAF Confederation Cup.
United 1-0 win against Club AfrIcain on Saturday, at Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, seems to be the most important, this is a strong indication that the only club remaining club representing the country in the continent will qualify for the next stage.
Speaking shortly after the match the technical manager of Rivers United, Stanley Eguma has expressed joy over victory against Club Africain of Tunisia in the group C of the ongoing CAF Confederation Cup (CAFCC).
According to him, the win will serve as a morale booster to his players going into their next game and confirmed. that the game was a very technical one.
Eguma said this on Sunday in his post match interview shortly after they defeated Club Africain 1-0 in the CAF Confederation Cup at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium Uyo.
“It was a good and highly technical game. I gave kudos to my players for keeping up with their tactical discipline in this game. Club Africain is a good team, there’s no doubt as they played with a lot of tactics.
“All our tactical plans worked because the players were able to keep their heads down and adhere to instructions.Our opponents were very fast with the ball, and we tried to calm down the tempo of the game to our own pace. We dictates the tempo of the game until the later part of the first half when we got the goal.
“In the second half, we knew that they were almost getting tired, so we tried to keep possession but we discovered that they were now using long through balls transitions. That was where we had problems trying to curtail them. My players held their heads and did that perfectly until we got to the end of the game. We have strong teams in our group” Eguma said.
The technical manager further caution his players not to be carried away by the victory because there are more games to play to qualify for the next stage..
“Today, we’ve picked three points but it’s not yet time for celebration because we have other games to play. We will go back to Tunis and ensure we keep a clean slate and then face other challenges after now.
The Port Harcourt side travel will to Tunisia in ten days time for the return leg as Club AfrIcain tops the group with goal advantage.
By: Tonye Orabere/ Kiadum Edookor
Sports
NBF eyes Commonwealth Games redemption
The Nigeria Boxing Federation has set its sights on six gold medals at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow as the body looks to recover from the administrative turmoil that undermined its preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
NBF Vice President Omonlei Imadu told our correspondent, “Our target is 10 medals, six gold, while others can come in silver and bronze colours. We are truly determined to make this a reality in Glasgow.
“We have moved focus now to the camping phase. Our aim is to ensure that the boxers are in perfect shape during and after the camping.”
Diaspora boxer Patricia Mbata, the African Games gold medallist based in the United Kingdom, was among the women’s finalists, while Kenneth Anigboro topped the men’s 90kg class. Other female finalists are Udoette Happiness and Gafar Fathia (51kg), Ajishola Kadijat and Gbadamosi Aishat (57kg), Sodipe Damilola and Ismail Abibat (65kg), Blessing Orakwe (70kg), and James Queen and Odoka Celestina (above 70kg). The male finalists are Ogunremi Michael and Habeeb Qazeem (55kg), Abdulwahab Abdulrahmon and Saliu Ridwan (65kg), Folly Hassan and Nwoha Precious (70kg), Daniel Joshua and Sharafadeen Fawas (80kg), and Anigboro Kenneth and Abiodun Adesoji (90kg).
National Sports Commission Director General Bukola Olopade, who attended Nigeria’s Commonwealth trials, also expressed optimism about Nigeria’s prospects.
“We are doing everything possible to ensure that Nigeria have a successful outing at the Games, and the prospects in boxing truly excite me,” he said.
Nigeria’s push for improvement comes after the backdrop of a difficult period for the sport at the last Olympics.
Boxers who competed at Paris 2024 also raised concerns about poor preparation, with Zainab Adeshina stating there was no adequate equipment for training and Ifeanyi Onyekwere describing the build-up as a one-week camp filled with stress.
Nigeria also suffered a 4-3 defeat to Ghana in a Commonwealth Games warm-up friendly in Accra recently, a result Imadu acknowledged as a reminder of the work still required, while noting that the federation was in advanced talks with two other nations over additional preparatory fixtures before the Games.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games will run from July 24 to August 1 at the SEC Centre in Glasgow, where boxing will feature across 14 events — seven men’s and seven women’s categories.
The NBF vice president also commended the board members for their commitment and altruism towards the welfare of the athletes.
“As a federation, we would like to appreciate these board members for their patriotism. This is an attestation of their dedication to the advancement of boxing in the country. As a body, we would continue to encourage the selflessness of our colleagues so we can collectively deliver on our mandate to revamp the squared ropes sports across the board,” he said.
The Yucateco boss further states the NBF’s readiness to deliver medals at the Games in Glasgow.
“Like I said previously, our focus has not shifted. We strongly believe that every boxer on the plane to Scotland must return with a medal for Nigeria, hence we took the lead as the only federation to call its athletes to camp ahead of time. 30 of our boxers have been in camp since April, and the federation has been solely responsible for their welfare since they commenced training,” Imadu added.
At the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, nine Nigerian fighters returned with four medals — one silver through Elizabeth Oshoba and bronzes for Cynthia Ogunsemilore, Jacinta Umunnakwe and Ifeanyi Onyekwere.
Sports
PH Arsenal Community Set For Streets Procession, Saturday
Sports
Remo To rebuild After NPFL Relegation
Remo Stars were relegated on Sunday after a 1-1 draw against Bendel Insurance F.C. in Benin City.
The Sky Blue Stars initially looked on course for survival when experienced striker Victor Mbaoma gave them the lead on the stroke of half-time, but the situation changed dramatically deep into stoppage time when Chijioke Akuneto equalised for Bendel Insurance to secure a 1-1 draw.
The delayed fixture between Kun Khalifat F.C. and Wikki Tourists F.C. later confirmed Remo’s fate, with the newcomers winning 3-1 to preserve their top-flight status and condemn Remo Stars to life in the second division.
In the wake of a season that saw them garner just 47 points from 38 games, only one year after winning the league title, the Sky Blue Stars described the outcome as heartbreaking.
“We understand the disappointment and frustration this season has brought. We did not deliver the performances or consistency required to maintain our place in the division. We take full responsibility for that failure.’’
“To our fans who filled the stands, supported the team online and stood by us even during our darkest moments, thank you. Your loyalty means everything, and we recognise that we owe you much more than what this season produced.
“Our focus now turns towards rebuilding with purpose and determination. Important decisions will be made, and every effort will be directed towards returning this club to where it belongs.”
They became the first defending NPFL champions to suffer relegation since Bayelsa United in the 2009/10 season.
They also became only the fourth reigning league champions to drop into the second tier during a title defence campaign after Stationery Stores in 1993 and Shooting Stars in 1999.
-
News16 hours agoCourt Sentences Seven To Death Over Murder Of Cleric In Rivers
-
Politics14 hours agoAPC PRIMARIES: FUBARA’S WITHDRAWAL, HISTORIC SACRIFICE FOR NATIONAL STABILITY ……. GROUP
-
News1 day agoGroup Hails Tinubu, Chinda Emergence
-
Sports13 hours agoPH Arsenal Community Set For Streets Procession, Saturday
-
Politics14 hours agoIPAC Flays INEC Over Election Guidelines Judgement
-
Sports14 hours agoNPFL: Rivers United Finishes Second, Secures Continental Ticket
-
Sports14 hours agoStakeholders Laud GTI On NPFL Partnership
-
Politics14 hours agoNDC To Adopt Electronic Voting For Future Primaries
