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Enugu Rangers Focuses On CAF Champions League

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3 months ago

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Fresh from a successful campaign in the 2025/26 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), which they won for a record-breaking ninth time, Enugu Rangers are now focused on doing better in the CAF Champions League than they did two years ago.

The team defeated Ikorodu City 2-1 in Lagos on Sunday to beat their closest rivals, Rivers United, to the crown by just one point.

Now done with the league campaign, Rangers, who are set to meet old foes, Rivers United, in the President’s Federation Cup round of 32 in Uyo on June 1, believe they have enough experience now to navigate the dangerous waters of the CAF Champions League.

Following the league win, an elated chairman of the club, Amobi Ezeaku, told The Guardian that the plan has always been to take Rangers back to the summit of African football.

He said: “This is a new era for our club after we announced our strategic plan in August 2023, when Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mba asked that I come back to become the general manager after my FIFA masters. We are on a different trajectory.

“We just want to continue to develop our strategic plan, sporting excellence, community social impact, and commercial development.

“We are majorly playing with young players, and we are consistent in the sense that Coach Fidelis Ilechukwu continues to stay with us to maintain that sustainable aspect of football.

“The win in 2024 catalysed into our minds that we can always win. So two trophies in three seasons means mentally the players will think, okay, we can go again, again and again, and that is how big institutions in football are built.”

Team captain, Chidiebere Nwobodo, echoes his manager’s sentiments, adding that the challenge is now to fortify the team for the CAF Champions League.

“We showed that we are the best team in Nigeria and deserve to win. Rangers are not a small team. Everybody, especially the easterners, looks up to us, and our duty is to continue to do well to please them.

“The Champions League is on another level, and we are going to prepare well for it. We will do our best to make Nigerians proud.”

On equaling Enyimba’s record of nine league titles, Nwobodo said that it was their mission from the onset. “Now that we have achieved it, we want to go further by making a mark on the continent.”

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

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7 days ago

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August 10, 2026

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

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7 days ago

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August 10, 2026

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

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7 days ago

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August 10, 2026

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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.

 

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