Sports

Man City Won’t Wait Forever For Eto’o –Hughes

Published

16 years ago

July 3, 2009

Manchester City Coach, Mark Hughes has confirmed that the Premier League side had bid for Barcelona’s £22 million-rated Cameroon international but the striker remained undecided over his future after being offered a new two-year contract by Barcelona.
The City manager said he would exercise as much patience as needed to take Eto’o to Eastlands but confirmed he would walk away if the situation dragged on and he felt he could not take it forward.
“We’ve lodged a bid for Samuel Eto’o, that’s already been reported,” Hughes said.
“We have targeted players we think can help us and he’s certainly someone we have a lot of respect for and we feel he can help us.
“There’s always an element of frustration when you can’t conclude deals very quickly, but we’ll give every deal the patience it deserves.
“If we get to a situation where we feel that things aren’t going to happen and we feel the process is stalling and we can’t move it forward then that’s the time we walk away.
“We’ve done that before.
“We obviously made an offer to Barcelona and now there seems to be a situation between the player and his club.
“We’re not involved in that. That needs to be resolved between the player and his club.
“Patience has been mentioned and we’ll all have to be patient.”
Hughes also confirmed he was still hoping to sign Carlos Tevez after the Argentina striker’s loan expired at neighbours Manchester United.
“Carlos Tevez is another player I have huge admiration for,” Hughes added.
“We’ll see what happens but at this stage it’s very early in our discussions with anybody.”
City, meanwhile, confirmed that four senior stars have left the club. Danny Mills, Darius Vassell, Dietmar Hamann and Michael Ball were not offered new contracts and are now free to take up other offers.
In none of the instances is the news a surprise.
Mills has not been part of the first-team scene for well over 12 months, while Vassell and Hamann’s final year at Eastlands has been blighted by injury.
And, while Michael Ball was a regular under Hughes for the first part of last term, the former Everton star lost his place following the arrival of Wayne Bridge from Chelsea.
They join Chelsea-bound Daniel Sturridge in heading for the exit door, along with Glauber Berti, who was a frequent member of the substitutes’ bench but did not actually come on until the final game of the season against Bolton

Sports

NYG:154 Nasarawa Contingent Storms Kwara For Zonal Eliminations

Published

5 days ago

August 18, 2025

The Tide

It’s no retreat, no surrender for Team Nasarawa as a 154-man contingent has landed in Ilorin, Kwara State, for the North Central Zonal Eliminations of the 9th National Youth Games.

The delegation, made up of athletes, coaches, sports secretaries, medical and media crew, security operatives, and top officials, left Lafia on Saturday and touched down in Ilorin with high hopes of conquering their zone.

Team Nasarawa will slug it out in five major sports—football, basketball, handball, volleyball, and hockey—against rivals from Kwara, Benue, Kogi, Plateau, Niger, and the FCT. The qualifiers are held from August 16 to 18, 2025, at the Kwara State Stadium, with the team departing on the 19th.

Director of Sports Organising, Nasarawa State Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Mallam Ubah Musa, who is leading the delegation, said the team is fired up to make the state proud.

“Our boys and girls are ready. They know what is at stake, and they will give everything to qualify for Asaba. The expectations are high from our governor, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, and from the good people of Nasarawa State. We won’t disappoint,” Musa assured.

Winners from the zonal eliminations will fly the North Central flag at the National Youth Games proper, scheduled for August 26 to September 6 in Asaba, Delta State. All 36 states and the FCT will compete.

Since its inception in 2013, Team Nasarawa has never missed an edition of the Games, and this year, they say it’s “all or nothing.”

Sports

Nigeria delegation Visits London over 2030 Commonwealth bid

Published

5 days ago

August 18, 2025

The Tide

Nigeria has stepped up its push to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games with a high-level meeting in London between officials of the National Sports Commission, the Nigeria Olympic Committee, and the Commonwealth Games Federation.

According to a press statement made available to Sunday PUNCH, the delegation, led by NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko, met CGF executives to discuss Nigeria’s expression of interest, submitted earlier this year, and to review the next stage of the bidding process.

The team also included NSC Director-General Bukola Olapade, NOC President and International Olympic Committee executive member Habu Gumel, NOC Vice-President Solomon Ogba, and Secretary-General Tunde Popola, alongside technical experts and advisors.

Talks in London centred on the country’s objectives for staging the Games, as well as requirements for the final bid.

According to the NSC, issues discussed included the Code of Conduct for candidate cities, communication protocols, timelines, and the expectations of the federation.

The CGF has recently introduced new measures aimed at making the event more sustainable and affordable for hosts. Nigerian officials said the meeting was an opportunity to align the country’s vision with those reforms.

Highlighting the domestic context, the NSC said the delegation presented the reforms underway in Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu, which places hosting major sporting events at the centre of national economic and cultural development.

“The NSC believes hosting the Commonwealth Games will deliver immense value to Nigeria,” the commission said, stressing that the event would contribute to wealth creation “across sports, diplomacy, economy, culture, and social development.”

Nigeria is now expected to prepare its final submission before the August 31 deadline.

Officials said the document would be forwarded subject to presidential approval, with the CGF scheduled to announce its decision before the end of the year.

Sports

D’Tigers flawless finish against Lions in AfroBasket

Published

5 days ago

August 18, 2025

The Tide

Nigeria’s D’Tigers will look to seal a perfect group-stage record when they face Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions in their final Group B clash at the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket on Sunday in Luanda, The Tidesports source reports.

The game at the Pavilhao Multiusos de Luanda tips off at 5:30pm Nigerian time, with victory guaranteeing Nigeria top spot and direct passage to the quarter-finals on August 20 and defeat leaving them vulnerable to dropping into the qualification placement round a day earlier.

The D’Tigers have opened their campaign in style, brushing aside hosts Angola before overpowering reigning champions Tunisia 87-66 on Friday.

Josh Okogie was the star against Tunisia, pouring in 33 points to continue his standout tournament form.

Coach Abdulrahman Mohamed’s side have executed defensive intensity and offensive fluidity, averaging 82 points per game while shooting over 63 per cent inside the arc. Nigeria’s bench has also provided consistent contributions, helping maintain dominance across four quarters.

Nigeria and Cameroon have faced off three times in AfroBasket competition since 2009, with the D’Tigers leading the head-to-head 2-1.

Their most recent meeting came in the 2017 quarter-finals, when Nigeria triumphed 106-91.

Cameroon, however, arrive in Luanda with their own ambitions. The Lions have averaged 83 points per game at the tournament so far and lead Nigeria in both rebounds (46 to 42.5) and assists (18 to 15), which underlines their capacity to test the West Africans.

A win would hand Nigeria valuable rest days before the quarter-finals, while also reinforcing their credentials as title contenders in Angola. For Cameroon, toppling the D’Tigers would not only earn first place in Group B but also provide a psychological boost ahead of the knockout stages.

Nigeria forward Devine Eke expressed delight after the team’s latest victory, but maintained that the players are keeping their focus on the bigger prize. He stressed that while the result was important, the ultimate goal is to win the championship.

Eke highlighted how the D’Tigers stuck to instructions and worked as a unit, crediting the collective effort for the team’s strong display. He pointed out that every player embraced their responsibility, which made the difference in securing the win.

“We feel good about the win. The job is not done, but I feel we can win this whole thing. We feel really good. We executed well. We followed our coach’s game plan. Everyone played their role, and if everyone continues to do that, anything is possible,” Eke said.

The 31st edition of AfroBasket, hosted by Angola for the fourth time, runs until August 24. Nigeria last won the competition in 2015, and after a strong start, belief is growing that they can mount another championship run.