Sports

I Know Why Pinnick Snubbed Me, Says Rohr

Published

5 years ago

July 29, 2019

Eric

Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr says he knows why the Nigeria Football Federation president, Amaju Pinnick, snubbed him during the bronze medal presentation ceremony at the just-concluded 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

A video of the incidence showing Pinnick avoiding Rohr’s handshake went viral online, with close football followers in the country suggesting there was a rift between the two.

In an exclusive interview with Sports Extra, Rohr admitted seeing the video and offered an insight on what could have led to the incident.

“Yes, I saw it (video), somebody sent it immediately to me, the people did not understand (what happened),” Rohr told Sports Extra.

“Ask the president (Pinnick) why he did it, I didn’t do anything, I wanted to shake him. So you must ask him why he did it.

“I watched the video again when Victor Ikpeba was here (his hotel), we were laughing about it.”

He added, “The president did not explain to me but I know exactly what happened, because I was the last one on the stage. Before me was Tunde, my assistant, who wanted to receive the medal from Pinnick and Pinnick said, ‘No, no, I will start from you (Rohr).’

“There was Constant (Omari), CAF vice president, and he was happy to see me and took me in his arms and gave me the medal, I could not say no. I didn’t even know that Pinnick wanted to give me the medal with him, nobody told me.

“But I heard it after because Pinninck told Tunde that he wanted to present the medal to me, so he was a little bit worried about this situation.

“But I only understood it after. He (Pinnick) went to Constant and asked why he gave me the medal because he wanted to give it to me. But I understand that it was joy for him to give me the medal because we had face-to-face conversation in Cairo, where we could speak about all these problems.

“So, there was no problem between us at that moment, the misunderstanding was unfortunate.”

The former Bordeaux manager wondered why a picture of him and Pinnick standing side-by-side after the incidence didn’t get the same publicity as the video .

“I joined the players for the photo (session), I stayed on the stage and said, “President, come (and join us).’ The photographers could see us (Rohr and Pinnick) behind the players but I didn’t see all these photos, they only shot this video, so many bloggers here in Nigeria.”

The Punch

Sports

PSG Bundle Barcelona Out of Champions League

Published

1 week ago

April 17, 2024

Eric

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have kicked 10-man Barcelona out of the Champions League as they qualified for the semi-final after winning 4-1 at the Camp Nou.

Barcelona had won the first leg 3-2 in Paris, but PSG won 6-4 on aggregate to qualify for the semi-finals.

Kylian Mbappe grabbed a brace in the encounter to see PSG through.

A Superb work from Lamine Yamal squared the ball to Raphinha, who beat Gianluigi Donnarumma with a brilliant shot into the bottom right corner to give Barcelona a 12th minute lead.

In the 29th minute, Ronald Araujo made an ugly tackle on his opponent and was sent off by the referee leaving the homers with 10 men to play the entire duration.

PSG capitalised on their advantage and equalised in the 40th minute. A former Barcelona player, Ousmane Dembele equalised for the visitors.

Bradley Barcola played the ball to Dembele, who showed great determination to get to the ball before a couple of defenders and from inside the box he shot into the top right corner of the net to make it 1-1.

PSG made it 1-2 in the 54th minute from a fantastic finish by Vitinha from just outside the box. He wasted little time in getting away a bullet of a shot that flew past the goalkeeper into the bottom left corner of the net.

Mbappe added another goal for PSG from the penalty spot in the 61st minute. He put the ball into the top left corner past the outstretched arm of Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

A minute to duration time, PSG made it 1-4. Mbappe fired the rebound into the bottom right corner after the ball broke to him in the box.

Sports

IGP Salutes Exceptional Performances of Police Athletes at 2023 African Games

Published

2 weeks ago

April 11, 2024

Eric

The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D, NPM, has commended the exceptional performances of the Police Athletes who distinguished themselves, as Nigeria’s ambassadors at the recently concluded 13th African Games in Accra, Ghana.

The IGP notes that their remarkable performances across various sporting events have brought immense pride to the Force and the country at large.

While receiving the athletes, the IGP, who was represented by the Force Director of Sports (FSO), CP Patrick A. Atayero, likened the African Games to a continental Olympics, and harped on the significance of young and talented Police Sports Men and Women showcasing their skills, passion, determination and courage on such a prestigious stage to emerge Medalists. He emphasized that the success of Police Athletes at the 13th African Games which held from 8th to 26th March, 2024, shortly after the 14th Biennial Police Games (Oluyole 2024) that concluded on 2nd March in Ibadan, is a veritable testament to the effectiveness of the sports development initiatives of the Force.

The medalists – Inspr. Aisha Adamu, Sgt. Mohammed Inuwa, Sgt. Emmanuel Bala, Sgt. Matthew Deshi, Corporal Chika Blessing, Corporal Nathaniel Samson, Corporal Victor Ikechukwu, Corporal Eweh Emmanuel, Corporal Collins Obi, Corporal Godwin Sunday, Corporal Emmanuel Ochayi, Corporal Aminu Garba, PC Olayiwola Zainab, PC Mabel David, PC Precious Joel, PC Esther Peter, and Bello Tunde Muiz (Education Officer II), demonstrated exceptional dexterity in Arm wrestling, Athletics, Badminton, Mixed Martial Arts, Swimming and Hockey. These Police Athletes garnered 1 Gold, 2 Silver and 5 Bronze totalling 8 Medals, for Nigeria at the Continental Sports Fiesta.

The Inspector General of Police appreciates all Police Athletes for their dedication, hard work, and commitment to sporting excellence, national unity and development in all spheres in Nigeria. He reiterates that their collective success serves as an inspiration to other Police Officers and fellow aspiring Athletes and inestimable potentials across the nation.

Sports

Super Falcons Draw Goalless with South Africa, Quality for Paris Olympics

Published

2 weeks ago

April 9, 2024

Eric

Nigeria’s female national football team, Super Falcons have qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Nigeria beat South Africa 1-0 on aggregate to reach the Summer Olympics.

Rasheedat Ajibade scored from the spot in the first leg of the qualifiers in Abuja on Friday.

That goal was enough for the Super Falcons to pick one of Africa’s tickets for the women’s football event of the Paris Olympics as the second leg tie ended goaless in South Africa.

The last time Nigeria’s Super Falcons reached the Olympics was 16 years ago.