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Ighalo Out as Mahrez, Salah, Mane Emerge CAF Award Top Contenders

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Super Eagles’ retired striker, Odion Ighalo, who was Nigeria’s only remaining candidate among the five earlier shortlisted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for the continent’s Footballer of the Year Awards, has been eliminated from the contest. Instead, Egypt’s Mo Salah, Algeria’s Riyadh Mahrez, and Senegal’s Sadio Mane are the shortlisted stars for the awards, which winner will be made known on January 7 in the Egyptian resort of Hurghada.

In the final list of contenders named by CAF yesterday, three Nigerians made the cut in their respective categories.

The nominees were pruned to three following votes from a CAF Technical & Development Committee, a panel of media experts and a select panel of CAF Legends, made up of former winners of the prestigious African Player of the Year award.

In the shortlist for the African Women’s Player of the Year is Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala, who will contend with Ajara Nchout of Cameroun and Thembi Kgatlana of South Africa.

Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi will battle with two Nigerians, Samuel Chukwueze and Victor Osimhen, for the African Youth Player of the Year, while former Super Falcons manager, Thomas Dennerby has South Africa’s Desiree Ellis and Cameroun’s Alain Djeumfa to compete with in the African Women’s Coach of the Year category. Nigeria, Cameroun and South Africa are the top three African Women’s National Team of the Year contenders.

Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez enjoyed a stellar year in 2019, winning a domestic treble with Manchester City and captaining Algeria to glory in the African Cup of Nations in Egypt this summer.

Mohamed Salah is looking to defend the title he secured last year, while Sadio Mane is aiming to take the crown away from Mahrez, who defeated him in the Cup of Nations final.

Mahrez previously won the award in 2016 but the last two honours have been clinched by Salah, with Mane finishing runner-up in each of the last two years.

The final phase of voting for the award will be selected by head coaches/technical directors and captains of senior national teams from CAF member associations.

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PSG Bundle Barcelona Out of Champions League

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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.

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IGP Salutes Exceptional Performances of Police Athletes at 2023 African Games

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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.

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

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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.

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