Sports

2015 Nations Cup: Malawi, Benin Begin With Victories

Published

12 years ago

May 21, 2014

Malawi began their cam
paign to reach the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco with a 2-0 win over visiting Chad last Saturday.
Frank ‘Gabadinho’ Mhango (pictured), who plays for Bloemfontein Celtic in South Africa, was the hero for the Flames scoring both goals of the first round first leg tie.
In front of a capacity crowd in Blantyre Mhango tapped in from a rebound in the seventh minute after the Chad keeper Mbiramanji Dilla had tipped Joseph Kamwendo’s free kick onto the post.
Mhango’s second came with 21 minutes left on the clock with a solo effort that saw him go past the Chad defence before beating the advancing keeper.
Despite the loss Chad coach Emmanuel Tregoat was still confident his side can come back in N’Djamena in a fortnight.
“I think we can win [in a fortnight]- and we can win 2-0 or more perhaps, or penalties, it’s not finished for us,” he insisted.
While his opposite number Young Chimodzi added his side would not be trying to defend their two goal advantage.
“We will devise a plan for how we can approach the game – because what we need is to get a goal,” he told BBC Sport.
“If we get a goal then we are safe and and that’s what we are aiming for – not just to go there and defend and defend.”
The winners of the tie would play either Benin or Sao Tome Principe .
Benin produced a vital 2-0 victory in Sao Tome to take a big advantage into their home leg.
Both goals came in the last 10 minutes and both were scored by West Bromwich Albion’s Stephane Sessegnon, including a last gasp penalty.
Also on Saturday Namibia edged past Congo Brazzaville 1-0 with a last minute goal in Windhoek.
Another South Africa-based player Rudolf Bester latching onto a long ball from the back to seal the victory.
Bester, a second-half substitute, thought he had scored minutes earlier with a header but he was ruled offside.
Mauritania also have a slender advantage after Saturday’s first round first leg match are they defeated Equatorial Guinea 1-0 in Nouakchott.
The only goal of the game was scored in the 76th minute by Ismael Diakite, who plays his club football in Tunisia for Hamman Lif.

Sports

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

Published

5 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

5 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

5 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.