Sports

World Football Icon, Pele, Dies at 82

Published

3 years ago

December 29, 2022

Eric

Brazil World Cup legend and global football superstar Pele has passed away at the age of 82.

The all-time great has had several battles with illness over recent years and had surgery to remove a tumour from his colon in September 2021. In November, he was admitted to Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital in Sao Paulo due to “general swelling” before it was revealed in December that his cancer had progressed and needed “greater care related to renal and cardiac dysfunctions”.

Pele’s passing was confirmed to the Associated Press by his agent this evening. A post on Pele’s official Instagram account read: “Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pelé, who peacefully passed away today. On his journey, Edson enchanted the world with his genius in sport, stopped a war, carried out social works all over the world and spread what he most believed to be the cure for all our problems: love.

“His message today becomes a legacy for future generations.

“Love, love and love, forever.”

Pele’s daughter Kely Nascimento wrote on Instagram: “We are thanks to you. We love you infinitely. Rest in peace.”

Nascimento, who had posted before Christmas that members of Pele’s family would spend the holiday period in the hospital with him, added three heartbroken emojis.

The striker goes down as one of the greatest to ever play the game, having won three World Cups in 1958, 1962 and 1970. He is Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 77 goals in 92 caps.

During his club career, he played near to 700 games for Santos over 18 years between 1956 and 1974, scoring more than 650 goals. He left the club for New York Cosmos after lifting 25 pieces of domestic silverware.

Including friendlies, Pele netted 1,279 goals in 1,363 matches in all, which is recognised as a Guinness World Record. After two years in the USA, he hung his boots up for good in 1976.

In 1999 he was named as the athlete of the century by the International Olympic Committee and player of the 1900s by FIFA alongside the late Diego Maradona. He won countless other individual awards during his lifetime, one of which was the 2005 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Award.

After Brazil’s 2022 World Cup last-16 win over South Korea on December 5, players unfurled a banner in tribute to the country’s hero amid his depreciating condition.

From his hospital bed, he sent an encouraging message to Manchester United attacker Antony after the team’s World Cup quarter-final exit to Croatia four days later, saying: “You are part of the future generation. Don’t give up and stay strong. The story is just beginning.”

Pele opened the Old Trafford museum in April 1998 and revealed in 2006 how the Reds tried to bring the great man to Manchester in 1968. “I even had a proposal from Manchester United… 1968… their best team,” he said.

Manchester Evening News

Sports

Anthony Joshua Defeats Jake Paul in Sixth-round Knockout

Published

14 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.