Sports

CAF: Ahmad Cleared to Contest Presidential Election

Published

5 years ago

February 6, 2021

Eric

A new twist has been added to the upcoming CAF elections billed for March 12 as the recently restored president of the continent’s football governing body, Ahmad Ahmad, is reportedly back in the race for next month’s presidential polls.

The BBC reports that Mr Ahmad has been restored as a candidate for the March elections by CAF’s Governance Committee. The decision to re-admit Mr Ahmad as a candidate comes after his five-year ban from football by FIFA was temporarily suspended by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on January 29.

It, however, understood that despite Mr Ahmad’s clearance by CAF’s Governance Committee, which met on Friday, the Malagasy still needs FIFA to overturn its previous decision to rule him out of the elections if he is to make the ballot in March 12.

The quartet of Jacques Anouma (Cote d’Ivoire), Patrice Motsepe (South Africa), Augustin Senghor (Senegal), and Ahmed Yahya (Mauritania) have already been approved as candidates.

61-year-old Mr Ahmad could become the fifth participant in the elections if FIFA also clears him just like CAF.

The BBC reports that Mr Ahmad’s camp approached FIFA earlier this week to ask that the decision by the Review Committee to bar Ahmad from the elections, which was made before CAS lifted his ban, can be overturned.

Football’s world governing body, which was asked to have the final say on vetting candidates by CAF’s Emergency Committee, is yet to respond to the requests.

Mr Ahmad, who took charge of CAF in 2017, was banned by FIFA in November after being adjudged to have broken several ethics codes.

Last month, CAS – sport’s highest legal body – said that it was temporarily lifting Mr Ahmad’s FIFA ban “due to a risk of irreparable harm for Mr Ahmad if the disciplinary sanction is maintained during the period prior to the CAF elections”.

The Switzerland-based body says it will hear the appeal in full on 2 March, with a decision issued before the Caf presidential elections on 12 March.

There are reports suggesting the March 12 elections may out rightly be postponed to give room for all knotty issues to be sorted out before proceeding on for the polls.

Meanwhile, Mr Ahmad has since resumed his duties as CAF president.

Mr Ahmad is presently in Cameroon’s capital Yaounde, ahead of Sunday’s African Nations Championship (CHAN) final.

Sports

Anthony Joshua Defeats Jake Paul in Sixth-round Knockout

Published

2 days 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.