Sports

Ronaldo! All Hail Mr. Consistency

Published

7 years ago

August 25, 2018

Eric

By Timothy Edaki

Call him a goal scoring machine and you have not erred from the truth. Refer to him as a football god and you have just put it mildly. Arguably the best football currently, Cristina Ronaldo is one player to envy. Everything about this 33 year old Portuguese star is totally on point. On pitch, his tactical and mouth-watering dribbles, his sleek passes and crosses, and of course his signature shots that sends goalkeepers diving but always too late to stop the ball from its predestined course for the back of the net.

One must congratulate the man for his consistency in the Balloon d’Or nomination list. Since his first entry in 2011, Ronaldo has shown that he is a force to be reckoned with. Having won it five times, the new Juventus signing would be looking to succeed his rival, Lionel Messi with his sixth win s3ei they both have five apiece.

As much as we wish Ronaldo well, one must not forget that there are other gladiators in the list. The young but striking Mbappe. The dazzling Modric and of course one of Africa’s shining stars, Salah.

Who would take home the crown?

As Salah Makes Balloon d’Or List…

… Messi Losses Out

Tongues are wagging, social media is buzzing and faces are lit with questions. Everyone is wondering why the world’s supposed G. O. A. T, Lionel Messi has failed to make the shortlist for the 2018 Balloon D’or. Interestingly, there’s a new entrant to the list, Egypt’s starman and Liverpool playmaker, Mohammed Sallah. The question however is: Was Salah a better player than Messi in the previous year? What criterias were uses to determine those who made the list and those who didn’t? How effective was Salah in the games he played?

One must however not forget to congratulate the latest signing into Juventus, Cristiano Ronaldo for his consistency in making the list since 2011. A brilliant player, the Portuguese star is making incredible feats in the footballing world.

While most Messi fans are of the opinion that Salah doesn’t deserve to be on the list, it is pertinent to expose and explain the reason why the Balloon D’or committee decide to favor a Salah over a Messi.

First, there is the need for a new face at the awards and while one might argue that this reason isn’t solid enough because Ronaldo who has been a nominee for the award for such a long time made the list. It is however obvious that Ronaldo had a better and more intresting season than Messi, winning the UEFA Champions League, bagging the highest goal scorer award in the tournament and having his country go ahead of Messi’s Argentina before finally crashing out.

Salah made the list because he had the highest number of goals in the English premier league, a feat Messi tied with Ronaldo. Salah was instrumental in the Jurgen Klopp’s side meteoric rise to the UEFA Champions League final. Barcelona had crashed out after a stunning 3-0 defeat by Roma in the Round of 16.

Again, Salah made the list because it was necessary to include a player from the English Premier League following reports that the awards had been biased against players from the league.

Moreover, as earlier hinted, Argentina failed to make an interesting mark in the 2018 World Cup, barely managing to lead his team to the Round of 16 before losing to France.

A Salah or a Messi? The Ballon D’Or committee has chosen and we can only keep our hands crossed to see who finally takes home the award. Cristiano Ronaldo? Mohammed Salah? Kylian Mbappe? Lukas Modric? The world is waiting!

Sports

FirstBank Elephant Girls Win in Zone 3, Qualify for WBLA Final Round

Published

1 week ago

December 8, 2025

Eric

FirstBank Basketball Club of Nigeria, popularly known as the “Elephant Girls”, have secured their spot in the final round of the Women’s Basketball League Africa (WBLA), scheduled to hold in Cairo, Egypt from 5-14 December 2025.

The Elephant Girls put up a commanding performance at the FIBA Africa Zone 3 Qualifiers in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, winning all three games. Representing Nigeria as the country’s sole team in the tournament, they overcame fierce competition from Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Benin Republic, Ghana, and Togo in the Zone. Their undefeated run included a 66–55 upset against home favourites CSA of Côte d’Ivoire and a thrilling 63–59 comeback win against FBA of Côte d’Ivoire, after trailing by 20 points in the second quarter.

The remarkable performance, marked by resilience, discipline skill, and mental strength, earned the team a triumphant return to continental basketball after a six-year absence. Emerging as champions of Zone 3 and the only English-speaking team to advance, the Elephant Girls have reaffirmed FirstBank’s long-standing commitment to promoting women’s sports in Nigeria and across Africa.

Speaking on the qualification, FirstBank’s Group Head, Human Capital Management and Development and Chairman of the Sports Council, Olumuyiwa Olulaja, said: “We are incredibly proud of the Elephant Girls for their outstanding performance. They have once again shown the world the strength, resilience, and excellence that define FirstBank.

“At FirstBank, we are committed to continuing our support for sports in Nigeria and Africa, and this victory is a significant step forward in our mission to promote excellence in sports on the continental and global stage,” he added.

The Elephant Girls had advanced to represent Nigeria at the WBLA Qualifiers for FIBA Africa Zone 3, following an impressive Silver Medal finish at the Zenith Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Women’s Premier League.

With their place secured in Cairo, the Elephant Girls are poised to showcase their talent on the continental stage once again, carrying the pride of Nigeria and the FirstBank brand as they aim to make history in the Final Round of the Women’s Basketball League Africa.

Sports

Morocco’s Hakimi Wins Africa Football Player of the Year Award

Published

4 weeks ago

November 20, 2025

Eric

Morocco and PSG defender Achraf Hakimi has been crowned the Confederation of African Football Men’s Player of the Year Award for 2025, edging out finalists Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool) and Victor Osimhen (Nigeria/Galatasaray).

The announcement came on Wednesday during the glittering CAF Awards ceremony in Rabat, Morocco, where Hakimi, the Paris Saint-Germain right-back, was the only finalist in attendance, adding to the electric atmosphere.

This marks a historic breakthrough for Hakimi, after finishing as runner-up in both 2023 and 2024 (behind Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, respectively), the 27-year-old has finally claimed Africa’s top individual football honour.

It’s also the first win for a Moroccan since Mustapha Hadji in 1998, and only the fourth for a defender in the award’s modern history.

Sports

Heartbreak As Congo Ends Super Eagles 2026 World Cup Dreams

Published

1 month ago

November 17, 2025

Eric

The Super Eagles’ 2026 World Cup dream suffered a major blow on Sunday as DR Congo advanced to the intercontinental playoff following a dramatic penalty shootout at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.

Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying ended in heartbreaking fashion, marking the second consecutive year the Super Eagles will miss out on the world stage.

The match ended 1–1 after 120 minutes of regulation and extra time, sending the high-stakes encounter to penalties.

Nigeria initially went ahead through Frank Onyeka in the third minute, but DR Congo equalised in the 32nd minute through M. Elia.

Extra time saw both teams create chances, with Tolu Arokodare missing a header for Nigeria and Nwabali making a crucial save from a DR Congo free kick, but neither side could break the deadlock.

The tension continued into the penalty shootout.

Nigeria’s Calvin Bassey and Moses Simon missed early chances, while Nwabali denied DR Congo’s first penalty.

Akor Adams kept the Super Eagles alive, but DR Congo struck back through Sadique and later scored the decisive fourth penalty, leaving Nigeria trailing 4–3 in the shootout.

The victory sets up DR Congo for a chance to secure one of the final World Cup tickets to the expanded 48-team tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Nigeria’s defeat marked the second consecutive year the Super Eagles will miss out on the world stage.

Both teams had earned their places in the final after dramatic semi-finals.

Nigeria had booked their place in the final with a dramatic 4–1 extra-time win over Gabon in Thursday’s semi-final at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium.

DR Congo also advanced with a 1–0 victory over Cameroon at the Al Barid Stadium the same evening.

The Leopards now await their intercontinental playoff opponent, keeping alive their hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup, while the Super Eagles’ campaign comes to an agonising end in Rabat.