Sports

Paris 2024: Falcons’ camp open for Operation Bang Banyana in Abuja

Published

1 year ago

April 2, 2024

Nigeria’s Super Falcons opened yesterday for the African final qualifying fixture for this year’s Women’s Olympic Football Tournament against the Banyana Banyana of South Africa.

The two teams, arguably the best women football squads on the African continent, are at each other’s jugular for one of the two tickets from Africa for Paris 2024 Olympics women’s football, with the first leg taking place at the MKO Abiola National Stadium Abuja on Friday. The return is scheduled for the Loftus Versfeld Arena in Pretoria five days later.

Captain and chief motivator Rasheedat Ajibade, whose savvy, skill and sapience helped the Falcons to the Round of 16 at last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Down Under, will be joined in the roost by home-based goalkeeper Linda Jiwuaku and defender Jumoke Alani (drafted in following injury to Saudi Arabia-based Ashleigh Plumptre) as early birds.

Young defender Shukurat Oladipo, veteran goalkeeper Tochukwu Oluehi, Japan-based Chidinma Okeke and Spain-based forward Gift Monday are expected in camp early today. The rest of the squad will be in tomorrow though USA-based African queen Asisat Oshoala is not expected until Thursday.

South Africa’s delegation, including 24 players, will land in Abuja this evening.

The Super Falcons are extra-motivated for this fixture, having not beaten the Banyana in regulation time for many years now, and having watched as the South Africans carted away the Women Africa Cup of Nations trophy in Morocco last year after the Banyana edged them 2-1 in a group phase match.

Nine-time African champions Nigeria still call the shots at that level though, with nine of 12 titles contested so far, and with a squad brimming with youth and experience, and the bounce of having been Africa’s best performer at the last World Cup finals – unbeaten in regulation time until their exit via penalty shootout defeat to England.

Related Topics:Abuja camp Falcons Paris 2024

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President Federation Cup: NFF unveils venues, dates for quater-finals

Published

2 days ago

April 19, 2025

Charles Flames

The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has announced venues and dates for the quater-final of the President Federation Cup.

Plateau United and Rangers will clash at the Area 3 Stadium in Abuja.

The encounter between Akwa United and Kwara United will be played at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu.

Abakaliki FC abd Nasarawa United will lock horns at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, while Wikki Tourists and Ikorodu City clash is billed for the Bwari Stadium in Abuja.

All the matches will kick-off at 4pm on Saturday, May 3rd, 2025.

The winner of the competition will represent Nigeria in the CAF Confederation Cup next year.

Sports

U-20 AFCON: Flying Eagles Coach Unveils 24- Man Squad

The team is scheduled to play a series of warm-up matches in Egypt before their group opener against Tunisia on May 1.

Published

3 days ago

April 18, 2025

OhiBaba

Head coach of the U-20 national team, Flying Eagles, Aliy Zubairu, has unveiled a 24-man squad for the upcoming U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the 2025 U-20 AFCON will take place from April 27 to May 18.

Zubairu named first-choice goalkeeper, Ifeanyi Harcourt, defender and captain, Daniel Bameyi, midfielder Sulaiman Alabi, and forward Kparobo Arierhi in the squad.

The squad is a blend of home-based and foreign players who have intensified training in Abuja ahead of the tournament.

Some of the top foreign-based players invited include: Emmanuel Chukwu, Precious Benjamin, all of German outfit TSG Hoffenheim and Kparobo Arierhi (Lillestrom SK, Norway).

The Flying Eagles, who are seven-time African champions and two-time FIFA Under-20 World Cup runners-up, will depart Nigeria on Sunday for Cairo in a bid to clinch an eighth continental title.

The team is scheduled to play a series of warm-up matches in Egypt before their group opener against Tunisia on May 1.

They will then face Morocco on May 4, followed by a clash against Kenya on May 7 to wrap up the group games.

Sports

Ex-Man Utd star Bastian Schweinsteiger ‘splits from wife’

It was reported that the two are frequently separated by thousands of kilometers, with Ivanovic staying in Serbia with her kids while Schweinsteiger travels the world, and while this situation persists, their relationship kept straining from all angles.

Published

5 days ago

April 16, 2025

OCHEFA

Ex-Manchester United and Bayern Munchen star, Bastien Schweinsteiger and wife Ana Ivanovic are now separated from their union.

German outlet, Blunte, reports that the couples, having married for nine years, have now being separated since two months ago.

The couple has three kids between them.

In addition, the reports says that while the couple’s last Instagram post together was in December 2024, they haven’t been spotted together for months despite getting married in Venice nine years ago.

It now remains to be seen whether both couples can eventually reconcile and work things out as the former midfielder is currently in Jakarta, Indonesia, leaving Ivanovic, a tennis ace who won the 2008 French Open, to rely on the support of her parents and brother who also live in Serbia.