Sports

Joshua, Fury Fight to Hold Dec 3

Published

1 year ago

September 14, 2022

Eric

Anthony Joshua’s team have confirmed that they have accepted the terms laid out by Tyson Fury’s team ahead of a potential all-British super fight on December 3.

Joshua’s 258 Management and Matchroom stated on social media on Tuesday that communication had been halted due to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, and that they were waiting for a response.

The statement read, “258 and @MatchroomBoxing can confirm, on behalf of @anthonyjoshua, that we accepted all terms presented to us by Fury’s team for a fight Dec 3rd last Friday.

“Due to the Queen’s passing, it was agreed to halt all communication.

“We are awaiting a response.”

Joshua then retweeted the post on Twitter with his official account.

Frank Warren, Fury’s promoter, has since replied, “Contract will be with you very soon.”

Fury recently challenged Joshua to a long-awaited showdown and offered the two-time world champion a 60-40 purse after it emerged a prospective undisputed clash against Oleksandr Usyk would likely have to wait until 2023.

The 34-year-old initially highlighted November 26 at Wembley or December 3 at Cardiff as potential dates for the fight.

The Gypsy King marked his UK homecoming with a sixth-round knockout win over Dillian Whyte at Wembley in April and preceded to reiterate plans to retire before informing the WBC he intended to resume his career at the end of last month.

Joshua and Fury had been set to fight in August 2021 before plans were scuppered by an arbitration judge ruling that Deontay Wilder was contractually entitled to a third fight against Fury, which the American heavyweight would go on to lose by 11th-round knockout.

A rematch with Dillian Whyte had emerged as a possibility down the line for Joshua following his defeat to Usyk, while Fury was recently challenged by 37-year-old former WBA regular champion Mahmoud Charr. The aftermath of Fury’s victory over Whyte had also seen him express his interest in a potential crossover bout against UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, though that was at a time when the former had been adamant he planned on walking away from the sport.

Fury has no mandatory challengers in place as it stands, with former world champion Wilder, No 1 in the WBC ratings, scheduled to face Robert Helenius in an eliminator and No 2-ranked Andy Ruiz Jr coming off a hard-fought win over Luis Ortiz.

Sports

Again, Messi Wins Ballon d’Or for World’s Best Player

Published

4 weeks ago

October 31, 2023

Eric

Argentina captain Lionel Messi won a record-extending eighth Ballon d’Or for the best player in the world on Monday, beating Norway’s UEFA player of the year and treble winner Erling Haaland of Manchester City to the prestigious prize.

Inter Miami’s Messi, who last won the award in 2021, played a pivotal role in guiding Argentina to their first World Cup title in 36 years in Qatar last season.

Reuters

Sports

Posthumous Birthday: Google Honours Rashidi Yekini with Doodle

Published

1 month ago

October 23, 2023

Eric

Today’s Doodle celebrates Nigerian footballer Rashidi Yekini, who is remembered for being the top goalscorer of the nation and widely considered one of the best Nigerian athletes of all time.

Today’s Doodle celebrates iconic Nigerian footballer Rashidi Yekini, an accomplished forward nicknamed the “Goalsfather” for his ability to sneak shots by the keeper. On this day in 1963, he was born in Kaduna, Nigeria.

The beginning of Yekini’s life was difficult as he faced homelessness and poverty. To make money, his first jobs were a welder and mechanic, but his true goal was to pursue football. He soon began playing in front of scouts and in 1981, he joined his first football club, UNTL FC, in Kaduna.

The talented striker played for the Shooting Stars next, scoring an impressive 45 goals in 53 games. His spectacular scoring abilities earned him the title of African Footballer of the Year in 1983, and he was the first Nigerian player to receive this honor. The next year, he helped bring the Shooting Stars to the finals of the African Champions Cup.

Outside of Nigeria, he also played for football clubs in Spain, Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, Portugal, Tunisia, Switzerland, and Greece. While playing for a Portuguese team called Vitória Setúbal, he won the Bola de Prata (Silver Ball) for being the league’s top-scoring player in the 1993-94 season.

Yekini helped Nigeria’s national team, nicknamed the Super Eagles, qualify for the 1994 World Cup. Nigeria played Bulgaria on June 21st, and Yekini made it a game to remember. Not only did he score the first goal of the game, but also the first World Cup goal for Nigeria. Overcome with excitement and pride, he ran into the net and clutched it with both arms while cheering and crying tears of joy. Many consider it one of the most iconic goal celebrations in football history and it served as inspiration for today’s Doodle artwork.

He went on to play for the Super Eagles for a little over 14 years, including another shot at the World Cup in 1998. In his 58 games for Nigeria, he scored 37 times, and to this day holds the record for most goals scored for the country.

Happy birthday, Rashidi Yekini!

Source: Google

Sports

Napoli Mock Osimhen for Penalty Miss, Get Knocks

Published

2 months ago

September 27, 2023

Eric

Serie A champions, Napoli, are under serious attack from football followers, who deemed a video posted on the club’s official TikTok handle as mocking Nigeria international Victor Osimhen for missing a penalty on Sunday.

Osimhen, who was the club’s top scorer last season as the Parthenopeans won the Scudetto after three decades, missed the penalty that denied Napoli a chance to win all three points against Bologna on Sunday.

And with just four minutes to the end of the game, the Super Eagles striker was substituted for Giovanni Simeone.

Not happy with the substitution, Osimhen expressed his anger at Napoli coach Rudi Garcia as he walked away to the bench.

Osimhen has since sent his apologies to the coach and his teammates over his action but on Tuesday, the official TikTok of the team, which had posted a video three days ago referring to Osimhen as a coconut head, posted another video trolling the Nigerian for missing the penalty against Bologna.

The action by the club’s social media handle has seen the football faithful from across the world attack the club.

“That video of @sscnapoli trolling @victorosimhen9 over his penalty miss (which I won’t share) is in very poor taste for a player who continually gives 100% for that club. Everyone involved in that decision, from ideation through approval to execution, should be fired, pronto!” Nigerian journalist Collin Udoh wrote.