Sports
CAF Awards 2024: Ademola Leads Nigeria’s Date With Destiny
Atalanta forward, Ademola Lookman will lead Nigeria’s quest for honours at the CAF Awards in the Moroccan City of Marrakech.
Lookman is in pole position to be crowned the CAF Player of the Year for 2024 following a stunning campaign that saw him win the Europa League where he bagged a historic hat-trick in the final.
Last year, Lookman’s compatriots Victor Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala scooped the men’s and women’s CAF prizes respectively.
In announcing the final shortlist for the men’s prize for this year, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said it was a close call, thus their inability to prune the list to three.
That means Lookman will battle South Africa’s Ronwen Williams; Cote d’Ivoire’s Simon Adingra; Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy and Achraf Hakimi of Morocco for Africa’s top individual football prize.
However, in Morroco on Monday, the Atalanta man is favoured to take the crown from his compatriot Osimhen.
The statistics tell it all! In the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) played earlier in the year, Lookman was an inspirational figure for Nigeria, notching three goals and two assists in seven games as the Super Eagles flew to a second-place finish.
He struck a brace in the last 16 match against Cameroon before bagging the winner in the quarter-final vs Angola.
His performances in Cote d’Ivoire earned him a place in the Team of the Tournament, about two years after he switched allegiance to Nigeria from England.
Lookman followed up the AFCON outing with a historic hat-trick as Atalanta defeated Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final, ending the German side’s unbeaten season run and giving his team their second major crown since 1963.
So far this season, the winger has scored 11 goals and five assists in 18 games across all competitions for his Italian side.
Lookman has also been impressive for the Super Eagles after the AFCON. He was instrumental in the team’s AFCON 2025 qualification, scoring two goals in the process.
Two of his goals were ruled off in controversial conditions during that qualification series.

Nigeria’s forward #18 Ademola Lookman (C) celebrates scoring his team’s first goal with Nigeria’s forward #9 Victor Osimhen (R) during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2024 round of 16 football match between Nigeria and Cameroon at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on January 27, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
The 27-year-old was the only African in the Ballon d’Or shortlist this year and finished in an impressive 14th place.
Lookman won’t be the only Nigerian going for honours in Morocco. In the women’s category, the soft-spoken Chiamaka Nnadozie will hope to take the Player of the Year award – won six times by Oshoala – back home.
But she faces stiff competition in the mold of Zambia’s Barbra Banda and Moroccan Sanâa Mssoudy.Nnadozie, a key figure for French side Paris FC, helped Nigeria seal an Olympics ticket after a 16-year absence.
The Super Falcon is equally a favourite to retain the Goalkeeper of the Year gong. She is up against Andile Dlamini (South Africa) and Khadija Er-Rmichi of Morocco for that.Falconet’s Chiamaka Okwuchukwu completes Nigeria’s trio of contenders for individual prizes in the CAF Awards for 2024.
She made the final shortlist for the Young Player of the Year (women) after helping Nigeria reach the last eight of this year’s U-20 World Cup in Colombia.
Okwuchukwu also featured in the Nigerian squad that got to the final of the Africa Games.For the team prizes, the Super Eagles and Falcons were nominated for the men’s and women’s teams of the year in that order.
For the former, South Africa and Cote d’Ivoire are contenders while the latter has Morocco, South Africa, Zambia, and the Cameroon U-20 side.
Edo Queens who got to the semi-final of the CAF Women’s Champions League in their debut also earned a spot in the Women’s Club of the Year category.
As the world eagerly awaits the 2024 CAF Awards ceremony, all eyes will be on Lookman to lead his home country to glory in the imperial Moroccan city of Marrakech.
Sports
UNIDO Wins 16 Medals at United Nations Inter-Agency Games 2026
Jointly hosted by the Vienna-based organizations, with the strong support and engagement of UNIDO, the Games welcomed participants from across the UN system for several days of competition in a wide range of sporting disciplines.
Image credit: UNIDO
United Nations Industrial Department Organization (UNIDO) wrapped up this year’s United Nations Inter-Agency Games winning a total of 16 medals — 7 Gold, 6 Silver, and 3 Bronze — through competitions involving both UNIDO and joint inter-agency teams.
The game held in Crete, Greece, brought together colleagues from across the UN system in a long-standing tradition of friendship, exchange and healthy competition, highlighting the role of sport in strengthening cooperation and collegiality.
Jointly hosted by the Vienna-based organizations, with the strong support and engagement of UNIDO, the Games welcomed participants from across the UN system for several days of competition in a wide range of sporting disciplines.
First established more than five decades ago, the Inter-Agency Games have grown into one of the largest and longest-standing staff initiatives within the UN family, bringing together around 1,500 participants and supporters from agencies worldwide.
UNIDO recorded its highest level of participation to date, reflecting the dedication, discipline, and commitment of colleagues who trained throughout the year in preparation for the event.
Beyond the results themselves, the Games provided an opportunity for colleagues from different agencies, professional backgrounds and duty stations to connect in an informal and collaborative environment.
Throughout the event, UNIDO participants demonstrated a strong spirit of fair play, professionalism and mutual respect both on and off the field of play.
UNIDO played an active role in supporting the organization of the 2026 edition alongside fellow Vienna-based organizations, reflecting the strong culture of cooperation that underpins the multilateral community in Vienna.
The Games also highlighted the continued collaboration between the Staff Union and the Administration in promoting sport, health and mental well-being as important elements of a positive and inclusive workplace culture with benefits extending well beyond the sporting arena.
UNIDO remains proud to support the Inter-Agency Games and the values they represent, including teamwork, excellence, inclusion and international cooperation.
(Industrial Times Ngr)
Sports
Serving Senators, governors battle for APC senatorial tickets today
The APC began its primaries on Saturday with aspirants contesting House of Representatives tickets, ahead of today’s senatorial primaries across the country.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio; his deputy, Jibrin Barau; Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele; and Senate Chief Whip Mohammed Tahir Monguno, alongside five serving governors and former governors, are among prominent figures expected to contest in today’s senatorial primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The APC began its primaries on Saturday with aspirants contesting House of Representatives tickets, ahead of today’s senatorial primaries across the country.
The serving governors seeking APC senatorial tickets include Hope Uzodimma (Imo West), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa North), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa North), and Mai Mala Buni (Yobe South). Others are AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara Central), Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe North), and Dapo Abiodun (Ogun East).
Several former governors are also in the race, including Yahaya Bello (Kogi Central), who will face incumbent senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of the PDP.
Similarly, former Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, who is currently a senator, will defend his seat against Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya.
Also in the race are former governors Jolly Nyame (Taraba), Simon Lalong (Plateau), and Danjuma Goje (Gombe), all vying for senatorial seats in their constituencies.
Former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege has also formally declared his ambition to contest the Delta Central senatorial seat.
(Extracted from Daily Trust).
Sports
African Athletics Championship: Team Nigeria wins 12 medals
Kenya topped the medal table with six gold, four silver and seven bronze medals for a total of 17, while South Africa won six gold, two silver and six bronze medals. Ethiopia finished third with five gold, four silver and six bronze medals.
Nigeria’s team won 12 medals in the just concluded 24th African Athletics Championships with the women’s 4x400m relay team delivered a commanding gold-medal performance on the final day of competition.
The quartet of Esther Okon, Toheebat Jimoh, Jecinter Lawrence and Patience Okon-George successfully defended Nigeria’s title in the event, clocking 3:29.25 to finish comfortably ahead of Ethiopia and Kenya on Sunday.
Nigeria’s team dominated the race from start to finish and crossed the line nearly 30 metres ahead of their closest challengers to secure the country’s fourth gold medal of the championships.
The victory ensured Team Nigeria ended the competition with four gold, five silver and three bronze medals, placing fourth overall behind Kenya, South Africa and Ethiopia in the final standings.
Kenya topped the medal table with six gold, four silver and seven bronze medals for a total of 17, while South Africa won six gold, two silver and six bronze medals. Ethiopia finished third with five gold, four silver and six bronze medals.
Nigeria’s only other medal on the final day came through Rosemary Chukwuma, who won silver in the women’s 200m after running 23.60s.
-
News3 days agoPresident Tinubu Cheers US, Nigerian troops elimination of ISIS top leaders, Lauds Trump (Video)
-
News22 hours agoAbu-Bilal al-Minuki: Deadly But Harmless Looking – Poison Dart Frog
-
News3 days agoMany Trapped in Abuja Collapsed Building , 3 Dead (Video)
-
News1 day agoSenate Rule Amendment: Debate Should Focus on Institutional Stability, Not Personalities – Eyiboh
-
Business21 hours agoPenCom bracing up to invest in Dangote Refinery’s IPO, urges PFAs
-
Business22 hours ago63% of Nigerians want interest rates reduced – CBN
-
Sports22 hours agoAfrican Athletics Championship: Team Nigeria wins 12 medals
-
Business20 hours agoDangote expands Investment in Ethiopia to $4bn
