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Amusan Bounces Back, Reclaims Gold at Berlin Meet

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World record holder Tobi Amusan dominated the women’s 100m hurdles at the ISTAF 2022 Berlin meeting on Sunday, winning in a time of 12.45 seconds. The meet is part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver level series.

Amusan entered Sunday’s race on the back of a second-place performance at the 2022 Lausanne Diamond League meeting last month, but said she was confident of bouncing back at the Olympic Stadium this weekend.

The Nigerian standout got off to a strong start to build a sizable lead and then powered away to secure the victory.

She hit the last hurdle and was pictured limping at the end of the race, even minutes after her celebrations. But, the world champion revealed afterward that she was okay and is now looking forward to her next competition at the 2022 Wanda Diamond League final in Zurich later this week.

American two-time world junior champion Tia Jones finished strongly over the closing barriers to take second place with a time of 12.58 while Olympic bronze medalist Megan Tapper of Jamaica was pushed back into third place in 12.66.

Amusan said after her victory: “It has been a long season, but I am still alive. I just wanted to finish strong today. I was here to execute.

“I need to work on what I need to work on, but it is alright. There is always room for improvement. I need to improve my start and my finish.

“I will race again in Zurich. Today we had a great competitive field. My goal was to focus on myself.”

Amusan won the world title in Oregon in July with the fastest time in any conditions at 12.06 seconds, hours after running 12.12 seconds to set the current world record in the semi-final.

Meanwhile, the top German finisher was Isabel Mayer who ran a personal best time of 13.24 to better the 13.25 she clocked in June.

“It could not have been better for me today,” said Mayer. “I was super excited because the German Championships here were a bit traumatic for me. I felt very good today.

“I just wanted to have fun and that worked out today.”

Also, Ese Brume, who clinched her first win at the Diamond League Meet, winning the Women’s Long Jump event at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme in Brussels, Belgium on Friday, finished second in the women’s long jump event in Berlin.

The Commonwealth champion jumped 6.78m to finish behind world and Olympic champion Malaika Mihambo, who won with a leap of 6.92m.

Brume got her first-ever victory in Brussels, winning with a distance of 6.83m, having finished second in Doha (2018) and Eugene (2022).

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UCL Quarter Final: Arsenal Draw Bayern, Madrid to Play Man City

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Arsenal have been drawn against FC Bayern Munich while Real Madrid will face defending champions Man City in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

The draws are as follows:

Q4: Paris Saint Germain vs FC Barcelona

Q3: Real Madrid vs Manchester City

Q2: Atletico Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund

Q1: Arsenal vs Bayern Munich

Here’s the

Winners of Q2 vs Winners of Q4

Winners of Q1 vs Winners of Q3

The eight teams that get past the round of 16 will compete in the draw, with all eight teams likely to face each other as there is no seeding for the draw.

Teams from the same country and teams that played against each other in the competition’s group stage will be allowed to meet in the draw going forward. The host team will draw the first ball, while the visiting team will draw the second.

The semifinal and final routes will also be determined here, as has been the tradition since the 2018–2019 campaign. Thus, the eight qualified teams will be aware of the path required to get to the final.

The quarter-finals will be played on April 9 and 10 for the first leg, while the conclusions will come one week later, on the 16th and 17th of the same month.

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Anthony Joshua Secures Second Round Knockout Against Ngannou

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Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua halted Francis Ngannou’s nascent climb to crossover stardom Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, defeating the mixed martial arts star via second-round knockout.

Joshua (28-3, 25 knockouts) made quick work of Ngannou, ending the fight with a massive right overhand that knocked the Cameroonian out cold. Ngannou (0-2, 17-3 in MMA) was fighting in his second professional boxing match after claiming the UFC heavyweight crown in 2021.

“It is what it is,” Joshua said on the DAZN broadcast after the match. “When I saw the fight between Francis and Tyson Fury, I realized he could fight. And I wanted a piece of that. He’s an inspiration. He’s a great champion and this result doesn’t take anything away from his capabilities.”

Ngannou’s October bout against Fury, the World Boxing Council heavyweight champion, went decidedly different. The 37-year-old MMA star entered that match as a substantial underdog but dropped a stunned Fury with a left hook in the third round. After 10 frames, Fury escaped with a controversial split decision victory on the scorecards.

Ngannou had said boxing was his first love before he discovered MMA. But that showing in his professional boxing debut sparked excitement.

Ahead of Friday’s fight, Joshua said he would not underestimate Ngannou as some believed Fury had. His coach, Ben Davison, said Ngannou carried a “false sense of confidence” into the match.

He landed a powerful right jab to drop Ngannou late in the first round. Joshua connected with the right hand to drop him again in the second round. Seconds after Ngannou returned to his feet, Joshua delivered a crushing right overhand that flattened his opponent on the canvas. Ngannou was given oxygen by the ringside doctors and regained consciousness.

“I told him he shouldn’t leave boxing,” Joshua said of Ngannou. “He can do well. He’s fought two of the best.”

For Ngannou, a decisive defeat potentially bruises his chances of a rematch against Fury, who is scheduled to face Oleksandr Usyk on May 18 for the undisputed heavyweight title. After leaving the UFC for the rival Professional Fighters League last year, Ngannou is scheduled to return to the cage to face Renan Ferreira in what will be his PFL debut and his first MMA bout since January 2022.
Usyk defeated Joshua in 2021 to capture his title belts, then repeated the feat in 2022 to retain them. Promoter Eddie Hearn has said the winner of Friday’s match will face the winner of the May 18 fight, opening the door for a potential blockbuster fight between Joshua and Fury, which Hearn has failed to secure in the past.

“My team will shape my future,” Joshua said. “I’m just here to fight. I will go back to my cage and lock myself away and I will come back when it’s time to fight.”

Source: WashingtonPost

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Eguavoen Takes Over Super Eagles As Paseiro Resigns

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Follwing the resignation of Jose Paseiro as Coach of the Super Eagles, former Nigerian coach and captain, Augustine Eguavoen, is reportedly set to be appointed as interim coach.

Nigeria’s national team job became vacant after February 29, 2024, when Peseiro’s contract with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officially expired.

The Portuguese tactician took over 18 months ago and led the Super Eagles to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2024) in the Ivory Coast.

He was, however, unable to end the country’s 10-year trophy drought as Nigeria lost 2-1 to hosts Ivory Coast in the final.

Afrik Foot reports that Eguavoen is in line to be appointed as the interim coach of the Super Eagles.

The 58-year-old has prior experience in managing the national team, having acted as its technical director from 2020 to 2021.

He has also served as caretaker coach of the Super Eagles in two different spells – first in 2010 and again from 2021 to 2022.

During his second spell as caretaker boss, Eguavoen guided Nigeria to a round of 16 finish at AFCON 2021 but could not lead them to qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup after the Super Eagles were beaten by rivals Ghana in the playoffs.

Though the Portuguese born tactician had an option to renew the contract, he chose to resign from the job.

afrik.foot.com

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