Sports

Just In: Super Eagles Lose 0-1 to Algeria in Austria Friendly

Published

5 years ago

October 9, 2020

Eric

Ramy Bensebaini’s fifth minute strike settle score as the Super Eagles slumped to a third straight defeat to African champions Algeria 1-0 in an international friendly at the Worthesee Stadium, Klagenfurt, Austria on Friday.

Bensebaini poked home from close range after the Eagles defence failed to clear their lines from a corner kick.

Thereafter, the Algerians were clearly the better side in the friendly tie, as the Eagles largely struggled for pace, and stability following the absence of midfield duo Wilfred Ndidi and Oghenekaro Etebo.

The defeat was the 11th the Eagles have suffered under Gernot Rohr and. It also ended their five-match unbeaten run of three wins and two draws, since they lost to Algeria in the semi-finals of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Everton forward Alex Iwobi had the Eagles’ best chance in the 21st-minute with a long range effort that went just wide.

In the 35th minute, Paul Onuachu’s flick off a cross from Zaidu Sanusi narrowly missed target.

Said Benhrama and Andy Delort were at the forefront of the Desert Foxes’ onslaught, with the later forcing a brilliant save from the impressive Maduka Okoye with a 25-yard free-kick early on.

The Eagles had conceded three goals in their previous two games, and their defensive fortitude was managing to keep the Fennecs at bay as the game wore out.

In the second half, the Eagles failed to record a single short on target, as the Algerians piled on the pressure.

Okoye made a smart save to deny Farid Bolaya a goal.

The 21-year-old keeper made four fantastic saves including palming away a dangerous effort at the near post.

Despite the defeat, Nigeria coach Rohr will have some positives to take home.

Sparta Rotterdam keeper Okoye will definitely stake a claim for the team’s number one position with his saves against the North Africans.

Returning right-back Tyrone Ebuehi was also impressive in Klagenfurt.

Hoffenheim defender Kevin Akpoguma, Sanusi Zaidu, Samson Tijani and Frank Onyeka.

Gernot Rohr’s men will take on Tunisia in their next international friendly on Tuesday at the Jacques Lemmans Arena.

Sports

Anthony Joshua Defeats Jake Paul in Sixth-round Knockout

Published

24 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Eric

Former heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, delivered a dominant performance on Saturday morning, stopping YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul with a sixth-round knockout in their heavyweight bout in Miami.

Although Paul exceeded expectations by lasting beyond the early rounds, Joshua’s superior power and experience proved decisive, according to The Athletic.

The British boxer dropped Paul twice during a chaotic fifth round, setting the stage for the finish.

Joshua sealed the victory in the sixth round, unleashing a sustained combination of heavy punches that left Paul unable to continue, prompting the referee to halt the contest.

Speaking after the fight, Joshua turned his attention to longtime rival Tyson Fury, challenging him to step into the ring.

“Put down (your) Twitter fingers and put on some gloves and come and fight me,” he said.

Paul, who later revealed he suffered a broken jaw in the bout, declined to name a future opponent.

Instead, the boxer said he would take a break from boxing following the loss, which marked the second defeat of his professional career.

Paul, who is ranked as the No. 14 cruiserweight with the WBA, has defeated back-to-back former boxing world champions.

He comfortably beat a 58-year-old Mike Tyson in November 2024 on Netflix’s boxing debut and most recently outpointed a 39-year-old Julio Cesar Chávez Jr. this past June.

Sports

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

Published

2 weeks 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

1 month 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.