Adult Video Disrupts Nigeria’s DMO’s Online Meeting With Investors On Dollar Funding
A pornography video clip, on Thursday, interrupted an investors’ call organised by Nigeria’s Debt Management Office (DMO) to secure dollar investments.
CAFWCLQ|Edo Queens Seal Semi-Final Spot After 3-0 Win Over Hasaacas LFC Of Ghana (Video)
Edo Queens of Benin, Nigeria’s representatives at the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League – WAFU B qualifiers holding in Ivory Coast, have secured a semi-final spot.
The Nigerian Women’s League Champions, having secured two victories in their first two matches, have earned themselves a place among the last four.
Edo Queens were ruthless against AS Garde Nationale of Niger on Matchday one, as they trashed their opponents 5-0.
On matchday two, Edo Queens cane to the party late but with persistent pressure, they got maximum points from the game against Hasaacas LFC Of Ghana.
The match ended 3-0
Only Ainonvi FC of Benin Republic have made to the last four.
Ainonvi FC who are in Group A alongside Inter Abidjan FC, ASKO de Kara FC of Togo, defeated the home team, Inter FC, 2-1 in their opening game and concluded their Group stage matches with another 2-1 over AS Koza of Togo.
Man City Beat Man United 7-6 On Penalty To Clinch FA Community Shield
Man City Beat Man United 7-6 On Penalty To Clinch FA Community Shield
Premier League champions Manchester City beat FA Cup winners Manchester United 7-6 on penalties to win the Community Shield at Wembley on Saturday after the traditional season curtain-raiser finished 1-1.
8 Clubs Battle For One Ticket As WAFU B – CAF Women’s Champions League Qualifier Kickoff In Ivory Coast
The road to qualification to the CAF Women’s Champions League officially gets underway for the WAFU B Zone this weekend, with 8 clubs set to take each other on between 10 – 23 August to decide who will represent the zone at this year’s CAF Women’s Champions League finals in November.
Tournament Venues
Peace Stadium (Stade de la Paix)
Bouaké Stadium
Participating Teams
Ainonvi FC (Benin)
Hasaacas Ladies (Ghana)
Inter Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire)
AO Étincelles (Burkina Faso)
AS National Guard (Niger)
Edo Queens (Nigeria)
ASKO from Kara (Togo)
Groups
Group A: Inter Abidjan, Aïnonvi FC, ASKO Kara
Group B: Hasaacas Ladies, AO Etincelles, AS Garde Nationale, Edo Queens
Qualifier Format
The seven participating teams have been divided into two groups. A victory results in three points, a point for a draw and zero points for a defeat.
The top two teams will advance to the semi-finals to decide the two teams that will contest for a place in the CAF Women’s Champions League finals.
SCHEDULE
10/08/24
Inter Abidjan vs Aïnonvi FC, Stade de la Paix, 13h00 GMT.
08/11/24
Hasaacas Ladies vs AO Étincelles, Stade de la Paix, 13h00 GMT
AS National Guard vs Edo Queens, Bouaké Stadium, 16h00 GMT
08/13/24
Aïnonvi FC – AS Kozah, Bouaké Stadium, 13h00 GMT
08/14/24
AO Étincelles – AS Garde Nationale, Bouaké Stadium annex, 12h00 GMT
Edo Queens – Hasaacas Ladies, Stade de Bouaké annex, 15h00 GMT
08/16/24
AS Kozah – Inter Abidjan, Stade de la Paix, 13h00 GMT
08/17/24
AS National Guard – Hasaacas Ladies, Peace Stadium, 13h00 GMT
Edo Queens – AO Étincelles, Bouaké Annex Stadium, 13h00 GMT
All matches will be live streamed on our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/@citysportng and www.youtube.com/@sportsarique
Participating Teams:
Ainonvi FC (Benin)
Runners up in the 2024 domestic season, Ainonvi FC managed to clinch the title this year to earn their place at the qualifiers. With the momentum of being champions, the Benin side will be looking at going all the way in the qualifiers.
Achievements:
Benin Championship
Winner in 2024
Vice-champion in 2023
Hasaacas Ladies (Ghana)
Hasaacas Ladies have had a remarkable trajectory of growth in recent years. They first won the inaugural edition of the Ghana Women’s League in 2012-2013, before retaining their title the following two seasons. In 2021, they achieved a historic double by winning both the league and the national cup. That year, they also represented Ghana in the first edition of the CAF Women’s Champions League where they lost in the League final to Mamelodi Sundowns by a 2-0 margin.
Achievements:
Ghana Championship
Winners in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2024
Ghana Cup
Winner in 2021
CAF Women’s Champions League
Finalist in 2021
WAFU B Tournament
Winner in 2021
Inter Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire)
FC Inter d’Abidjan made their CAF Women’s League Finals debut last season after qualifying as tournament hosts.
In 2020-2021, Inter Abidjan finished in place in the championship, behind Africa Sports. They then won their first trophy by winning the national cup after a 2-1 victory against Atlético in the final. During the 2023/24 season, Inter won the champion title and to earn their place in the qualifiers..
Achievements:
Cote d’Ivoire Championship:
Winner in 2024
Vice-champion in 2021 and 2022
Cote d’Ivoire Cup:
Winner in 2023
AO Étincelles (Burkina Faso)
AO Étincelles put an end to the domination of the USFA Colombes, who had won the Burkina Faso championship three times in a row. This performance allows the team to make their debut in the CAF Women’s Champions League Qualifiers.
Achievements:
Burkina Faso Championship
Winner in 2019 and 2024
Burkina Faso Cup
Winner in 2021
AS Garde Nationale (Niger)
Since the creation of the women’s football championship in Niger, the National Guard Sports Association has won the title twice. They will be the second team form Niger to participate in the CAF Women’s Champions League qualifiers, after AS Police in 2021.
Achievements:
Niger Championship
Winners in 2021, 2023, and 2024
Edo Queens (Nigeria)
The Edo Queens women’s football team has established itself as an essential reference in the landscape of Nigerian women’s football. Based in Benin, Edo State, the outfit enjoys a rich heritage of success, both nationally and internationally. Known for its technical and dynamic play, the Edo Queens team has always been among the main contenders for the title of Nigeria’s premier women’s division. Off the field, the team is actively involved in community programs and initiatives aimed at promoting women’s empowerment through sport.
Achievements:
Nigerian Championship:
Winner in 2024
ASKO from Kara (Togo)
Champions of Togolese football, ASKO’s achievement sees the side being the third team to represent Togo in the WAFU B qualifiers after Friends of the World in 2023 and Athlética de Lomé in 2022.
Achievements:
Togolese Championship 2024
Previous WAFU B Champions
2023: Ampem Darkoa (Ghana)
2022: Bayelsa Queens (Nigeria)
2021: Hasaacas Ladies (Ghana)
Best scorer
2023 : Mary Amposah (Ghana – 8 goals)
2022 : Etim Edidong (Nigeria – 6 goals)
2021 : Maryann Ezenagu (Nigeria – 5 goals)
Paris Olympics| Yemisi Ogunleye Clinches Gold For Germany In Women’s Shot Put
In a thrilling finale at the Stade de France on Friday, 9 August, Germany’s Yemisi Ogunleye clinched the women’s shot put gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Her impressive throw of 20.00m secured a historic victory, marking Germany’s first win in the event since Astrid Kumbernuss in 1996.
Ogunleye’s triumph was met with jubilation as she proudly draped the German flag around her shoulders and rang the victory bell.
Born to a Nigerian father and German mother, Ogunleye’s remarkable performance came as a surprise to many.
New Zealand’s Maddison-Lee Wesche took silver with a throw of 19.86m, while China’s Song Jiayuan claimed bronze with a distance of 19.32m.
Wesche had initially seemed poised for victory, unleashing a personal best on her fifth attempt, but Ogunleye rose to the challenge with a perfect response.
Notably, Nigeria was not represented in the women’s shot put event, where Ogunleye secured gold.
However, the country had representation in other throwing events, including the men’s shot put, where Chukwuebuka Enekwechi finished sixth.
Ex-CAF President, Issa Hayatou, Dies At 77
Former president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Issa Hayatou, has passed away at the age of 77.
The football administrator, who was a key figure in African football for decades, died in Paris on Thursday, August 8, 2024, a
Fifa president Gianni Infantino described the late Hayatou as a ‘passionate sports fan” in a post on Instagram on Thursday evening.
He wrote: “Saddened to hear of the passing of former Caf president, former Fifa president ad interim, Fifa vice president, and Fifa council member, Issa Hayatou.”
“A passionate sports fan, he dedicated his life to sports administration.
“On behalf of Fifa, condolences go to his family, friends, former colleagues and all who knew him. Rest in peace.”
Hayatou was in charge of African football from 1988 to 2017 and served as interim FIFA President from 2015 to 2016 when Joseph Sepp Blatter was suspended amidst a corruption scandal.
It was also under his tenure that South Africa hosted the World Cup in 2010, becoming the first-ever African nation to host the tournament.
Paris 2024 Olympics | Women’s Basketball|USA Edge Nigeria’s D’Tigress 88-74, Advance To Semi-Final
The United States women’s basketball team cruised into the semifinals of the 2024 Summer Olympics with an 88-74 win over Nigeria.
A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart were once again the stars of the Team USA offense. They combined for 33 points. Jackie Young added 15 points to the winning cause.
Team USA will take on Australia in Friday’s semifinals with a spot in Sunday’s gold-medal game on the line. France takes on Belgium in the other semifinal.
Australia beat Serbia 85-67, Belgium defeated Spain 79-66 and France took down Germany 84-71 in Wednesday’s other three semifinals.
Box Score
Nigeria 17 Q1 / 16 Q2 / 15 Q3 / 26 Q4 / 74 TOT
United States 26 Q1 / 26 Q2 / 24 Q3 / 12 Q4 / 88 TOT
Randy Waldrum – Super Falcons Players Are Extremely Talented And Can Compete With Top Teams
Despite seeing his team fail to make it out of the group stage of the Olympic women’s football tournament, Nigeria coach Randy Waldrum believes the Super Falcons are not far from the world’s top teams.
The American coach also expressed his hope that he would be allowed to carry on and refresh the team with younger players going forward.
In their fourth Olympic appearance, and first in 16 years, the Super Falcons failed to win a single game, going down 1-0 to Brazil and Spain before seeing their hopes of progress extinguished 3-1 by Japan. In a bizarre coincidence, the results were the exact same as they posted at their most recent appearance, in 2008.
But Waldrum insists that the team not only has the talent, with a balanced mix of experienced core and young players, but have also made enough progress to match up against any of the world’s top sides.
“Our players are extremely talented,” he told Citysports. “That’s always been the history of Nigeria, it has extremely talented players. And I think this one could be a special group. We’ve shown our quality against some of the best teams in the world.”
Blessed with the experience of players like Asisat Oshoala, Rasheedat Ajibade, Osinachi Ohale, Uchenna Kanu, along with promising youngsters like Deborah Abiodun, Tosin’s Demehin, Rofiat Imuran and Nicole Payne, Waldrum believes there is a bright future for the team.
He added: “I’m excited about the young players but I really do like the core of our team. I guess the one thing I said after the World Cup, and I would continue to say it now publicly, is if we will invest in this team, as a federation and a country, this team would have a chance to be one of the best in the world.”
To get to that position, Waldrum, who also time-shares as coach of the University of Pittsburgh women’s soccer team, would like to see the kind of organization that teams in the US enjoy that optimize their potentials, but says so far, he has not quite succeeded.
Waldrum continued: “One of the things I really hoped I could do when I came to Nigeria as a coach, is to bring some experiences of the way we do things in the US, with our organization, and with our preparation, but for whatever reason we still battle some of the same issues.”
A lot of those organizational issues include staggered travel arrangements that leaves players arriving in batches for training camp, visa troubles, lack of an advanced schedule and payment issues. Waldrum says to make the Super Falcons one of the top teams in the world, changes will be necessary.
This is similar to the kind of talk that got the American in a bit of hot water with the Nigeria Football Federation prior to the 2023 World Cup. But with fences mended, the coach was keen to make it clear that he was not taking shots at the NFF, only trying to point out how things could be better.
He said: “I don’t want to revive that. But I would say this, and I don’t mean it in a bad way towards the Federation: I do think that we can do with changes in some of this.”
He continued: “It may come down to finances and that part I’m not involved with because I don’t know the financial situation of the NFF, and how it works with the government. I can tell you from a coaching perspective, I’ll give you a good example.
“When we played Cameroon in the Olympic qualifiers, we had a 10-day FIFA international window. But we ended up traveling most of the window. Some of the players were even a couple of days late. We had to come to Nigeria first.
“So we fly from Europe, the US wherever our players are playing and we fly into Nigeria, then we have to turn around a day and a half later, and fly to Cameroon because we’re playing a game like three days or four days into the window.
“Well, what happens to players? When you fly in, and you’re traveling 15 hours of travel, your body needs time to recover. We got into Nigeria, had to have some time to recover on that first day and a half, then we had time for one practice, which was still when we were in recovery mode.
Paris Olympics| Women’s Soccer Semi-final| USWNT vs Germany, Spain vs Brazil – Preview
Can Spain make history with first Olympic-World Cup double?
For 28 years, or eight cycles, women’s football has had a place at the Summer Olympics. Yet from the inaugural event at the 1996 Atlanta Games and through all seven editions, the World Cup holders from the previous year have yet to complete the double and collect a gold medal.
Even the great Germany team — who were the first to win back-to-back World Cups in 2003 and 2007 — could only claim bronze in 2004 and 2008. While the great United States teams crowned world champions in 2015 and 2019 fared far worse, as they were eliminated in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively.
Italy’s men won gold in 1936, in between their first two World Cup wins, but why has a women’s team never managed to claim that elusive Olympic gold the following year?
We might get more of an answer on Saturday. This tournament has brought a new World Cup champion and Olympic debutant at the same time: Spain. And only a semifinal against Brazil, and final against either the USWNT or Germany now stands in their way.
Ahead of Paris 2024, there was plenty of optimism that Spain could be the ones to make history, yet they also had to deal with a lot of upheaval — they changed their coach, with Montserrat Tomé replacing the controversial Jorge Vilda — and off the pitch the feud with their federation following the fallout of the Luis Rubiales-Jenni Hermoso scandal has rumbled on.
Three wins from three in the group stage have not told the whole story. La Roja have been underwhelming and have so far failed to get out of second gear. Indeed, they nearly got knocked out at the quarterfinal stage, needing a 97th-minute goal from defender Irene Paredes to force extra time against Colombia before winning 4-2 on penalties.
To make history, Spain need to overcome it. Only Japan and the USWNT have come close to doing the double before.
When the U.S.’s famed 1999ers ran the Olympic gauntlet in Sydney, they only lost the final 3-2 to Norway in extra time after a sudden-death goal from Dagny Mellgren.
Then, after Japan’s fairytale success at the 2011 World Cup in the wake of disaster at home following the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the U.S. team avenged their penalty-shootout loss in that final by beating the Nadeshiko 2-1 at London’s Wembley Stadium to take gold at the 2012 Games.
“I think [at the World Cup] we had a big purpose, a desire to win the tournament because the bad things happened in Japan,” former Japan midfielder Yuki Nagasato told ESPN. “It was bigger than us. Like the U.S. in 2019, when they were fighting equal pay; so that kind of desire to win above the win. That’s the purpose we had.”
In 2016, all eyes were on the USWNT again. With gold medals won at the Athens (2004), Beijing (2008) and London (2012) Games, the expectation was on them to win in Rio de Janeiro. Yet a team that had so emphatically won the 2015 World Cup went out in the quarterfinals on penalties to Sweden — the only reigning world champions to have failed to make it to a medal match.
Arguably the main reason why no team has followed up their World Cup success with gold is that the Olympic football tournament is an endurance test; a gauntlet to be run. Only 12 nations qualify, meaning the standard is incredibly high [unlike the men, who put out U23 teams, the women’s event is far more prestigious], and countries have to use smaller squads of 18, rather than 23. There are also only two rest days between each game (save for an extra day before the gold-medal match), barely allowing for any recovery as they play three group games in nine days.
“It’s just really hard to win this kind of tournament,” Nagasato added. “It’s multiple things [needed] to win: it’s timing, it’s peaking, it’s [avoiding] injuries … you need to get every single piece together to win.”
Rhian Wilkinson, who was part of Canada’s bronze medal-winning teams in 2012 and 2016, and is now manager of Wales, told ESPN there are a lot of variables to finding success.
“I would say it [the Olympics] is a very different tournament,” she said, “The World Cup is the most accurate decider of who the best team in the world, and you’ve got a bigger roster, you have rest between the games. You’ve got the preparation piece down to a tee and then you have to deliver consistently. The Olympics is so quick and such a tight roster that there is a little bit more luck involved. It could be the weather that you get, it could be the travel distance, there’s so many variables.
“And then there’s how healthy you can keep your team … how healthy they [other players] are coming in. At the World Cup, you can carry players that might play a little later in the tournament if you’re one of those top teams. It’s a dangerous thing to bring anyone with any kind of knock to the Olympics because you are playing non-stop, and you have to be able to do some rotation, because it’s impossible [the schedule].”
Spain arguably have one of the best squads in the world, with quality players all over the pitch, but they first need to overcome Brazil in the semifinals on Tuesday to keep the double dream alive. They managed their group-stage clash with the South Americans well enough, winning 2-0, and will be feeling confident. But they can leak goals — a trend seen in the UEFA Nations League too — and that could tell if they come up against USWNT, who are looking good under new boss Emma Hayes, in the final.
The U.S. are seemingly at their most dangerous in Olympic tournaments following a disappointing World Cup; of their four gold medals, they failed to make the World Cup final the year before on three occasions. Their 2023 World Cup campaign was the most disappointing of the lot, exiting in the round of 16 to Sweden.
So Spain will certainly be wary of a U.S. side looking to get back on track. But if they are to make history, they’ll need the right balance of talent, endurance and luck to do so.
THE FINAL FOUR
Following a highly competitive group-stage, the quarterfinals of the 2024 Olympic Women’s Soccer Tournament did not disappoint, with all four matches being determined by the thinnest of margins. Both the USA and Brazil advanced on dramatic, late goals, while it took penalty kicks for Germany and Spain to reach the semifinals.
The USA and Germany will open the semifinal round on August 6 at 12 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. local, while Brazil and reigning FIFA Women’s World Cup champion Spain will square off at 3 p.m. ET / 9 p.m. local in Marseille.
Of the four teams still standing, the USA, Germany and Brazil have all previously reached the podium. The U.S. has the most Olympic gold and most total medals in the history of the competition, winning four golds, one silver and one bronze. Germany, the 2016 gold medalists, has also won three bronze medals while Brazil has two silver medals. Spain earned its first world championship at last summer’s Women’s World Cup and is making its Olympic debut at Paris 2024.
FORMER CHAMPIONS FACE OFF AGAIN
Tuesday’s match at the Stade de Lyon will be seventh meeting between the U.S. and Germany at the World Cup or Olympics, with four of those match-ups coming in the semifinals. The teams famously met in the semifinals of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which the USA won 2-0 on the way to its third World Cup title. Prior to last week’s group stage showdown, the only previous Olympic meeting between the teams came in the semifinals of Athens 2004, which the U.S. won 2-1 in extra time, getting a game-winning goal from 19-year-old Heather O’Reilly in the 99th minute.
Overall, the U.S. leads the head-to-head series 5W-1L-0D at world championship events. Germany’s only win over the U.S. at a world championship came in the semifinals of the 2003 Women’s World Cup, a 3-0 victory in Portland, Ore. on Germany’s path to its first Women’s World Cup title. The teams also met in the quarterfinals of the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup, a 3-2 victory for the USA, and the 1991 World Cup semifinals, a 5-2 victory for the Americas in China. In each of the five previous knockout-round meetings between the USA and Germany, the team that won the match went on to win the entire tournament.
Paris 2024 | Nigeria’s Ogazi Breaks 24-Year Olympics Record, Nathaniel Breaks Men’s 400m Hurdles 12-Year Record
Ezekiel Nathaniel has broken a 12-year record at the ongoing Olympic Games in Paris, qualifying for the semifinals of the men’s 400m hurdles event, while Samuel Ogazi shattered a 24-year record by advancing to the semifinals in the men’s 400m.
Diana-Mary Nsan, a media aide of the Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.
Ezekiel became the first Nigerian athlete in 12 years to reach the semifinals of the 400m hurdles at the Olympics.
He secured his spot by finishing 2nd in heat 4 with a time of 48.32 seconds, earning an automatic qualification.
The last Nigerian to reach this stage in the event was Amaechi Morton at the London 2012 Olympics.
In the men’s 400m event, Ogazi ran a new personal best of 44.50 seconds, finishing 2nd behind USA’s Quincy Hall, who won the race in 44.28 seconds.
Ogazi’s impressive performance marked the first time in 24 years that a Nigerian male quarter-miler qualified for the 400m semifinals at the Olympics.
Paris 2924 Men’s Soccer Semi-final|Egypt, Morocco Outclassed By France And Spain Respectfully
Substitute Juanlu Sanchez struck a late winner as Spain came from behind to beat Morocco 2-1 on Monday and reach the final of the Olympics men’s football.
Morocco had led in the semi-final through a Soufiane Rahimi penalty towards the end of the first half at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille.
However, Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez equalised midway through the second period and then set up Sevilla right-back Sanchez to fire in the winner.
It is Spain’s second consecutive appearance in the final of the Olympic men’s football. They had to settle for silver three years ago in Tokyo after losing in extra time to Brazil.
Spain, who are chasing a second gold after triumphing in Barcelona in 1992, go to Paris for the final on Friday against either hosts France or Egypt, who play their last-four tie later.
Morocco can still claim a first medal by winning the bronze medal match, which will take place on Thursday in Nantes.
Last year’s Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations winners had impressed on their run to the semi-finals and looked on course to shock Spain when they went ahead in the 37th minute thanks to the prolific Rahimi.
Morocco were awarded a penalty following a VAR check for a foul by Pablo Barrios on Amir Richardson in the box, and Rahimi stepped up to send the goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot.
It was a sixth goal of the Olympics for the tournament’s leading scorer, with four of his strikes coming from the penalty spot.
That sent the large Moroccan support wild but Spain kept their cool to equalise through their own star man in the 66th minute.
Lopez, a member of Spain’s triumphant Euro 2024 squad who scored twice in the Olympic quarter-final against Japan, pounced to snatch possession when the ball broke loose in the box and fired low into the net to make it 1-1.
With the prospect of extra time looming, Spain won it in the 85th minute as Lopez found Sanchez bounding into the area, and he sent a shot low into the far corner.
France Came From The Dead To Beat Egypt 3-1
France U23 team beat Egypt after coming back in the 83rd minutes to force the game into an extra-time.
Egypt had scored their only goal of the semi-final before half time break.
The home team however, couldn’t score until about 7 minutes left, when Jean-Philipe restore parity for France.
The game went into extra time, Egypt were reduced to ten men a, penalty awarded to France and the Les Blues scored two additional goals to give them 3-1 victory .
Paris 2024 | Nigeria’s D’Tigress Emerge 1st African Team To Reach Olympic Quarter Finals
Paris 2024 | Nigeria’s D’Tigress Emerge 1st African Team To Reach Olympic Quarter Finals
D‘Tigress, Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, has emerged as the first African Female Basketball team to reach the Olympics quarterfinal.
Paris Olympics| Nigeria’s Mixed Relay Team Fail To Reach Final Despite New National Record
Nigeria’s Mixed Relay team on Friday narrowly missed out on a spot in the final of the Mixed 4x400m event at the Paris Olympic Games.
The quartet of Samuel Ogazi, Ella Onojuvwevwo, Emmanuel Ifeanyi Ojeli, and Patience Okon-George finished fourth with a new national record time of 3:11.99.
Although they fell short of advancing to the final, the team put up a valiant effort against strong competition, including Great Britain, who won with a national record time of 3:10.61.
The Netherlands and Italy took second and third places, respectively, with times of 3:10.81 and 3:11.59.
In a separate heat also on Friday, Team USA’s quartet of Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon, and Kaylyn Brown set a blistering pace, winning with a world record time of 3:07.41.
France and Belgium also achieved national records, finishing second and third with times of 3:10.60 and 3:10.74, respectively.
Team Kenya finished seventh with a time of 3:13.13.
CAF WCLQ |All Zonal (Sub-Region) Fixtures, Match Schedules, Date & Time
The Confédération Africaine de Football conducted the draw for the qualifying phases of the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League on Wednesday, July 24, at the CAF headquarters in Cairo.
The zonal unions involved in this draw were UNIFFAC, UNAF, CECAFA, and WAFU B. It should be noted that COSAFA also held its draw for the qualifiers of this competition earlier in the day.
Finally, the WAFU-A Qualifiers fixtures were confirmed following the draw held on Thursday, 25 July.
WAFU B
Mr. Philippe Tchere, the Executive Director of the WAFU Zone B, conducted the draw for the women’s qualifying tournament for the final phase of the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League. The seven teams participating in this tournament are divided into two groups. The competition will take place from August 10 to 24 in Côte d’Ivoire, with the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké and the Stade Charles Konan Banny in Yamoussoukro chosen to host the tournament.
WAFU B Tournament Groups
Group A: Inter d’Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), Ainonvi FC (Benin), AS Kozah (Togo)
Group B: Hasaacas Ladies (Ghana), O. Étincelles (Burkina Faso), AS Garde Nationale (Niger), EDO Queens (Nigeria)
WAFU B Tournament Match Schedule
First Matchday
10/08/24
– Inter d’Abidjan vs Ainonvi FC 15:00, Stade de Bouaké
11/08/24
– Hasaacas Ladies vs Omnisports Etincelle, 16:00, Stade de Bouaké
– AS Garde Nationale vs Edo Queens, 18:00, Stade de Bouaké
Second Matchday
13/08
– Ainonvi FC vs AS Kozah, 16:00 Stade Charles Konan Banny
14/08
– Omnisport Etincelles vs AS Garde Nationale, 15:00, Stade Charles Konan Banny
– Edo Queens vs Hasaacas Ladies, 18:00, Stade Charles Konan Banny
Third Matchday
16/08
– AS Kozah vs Inter d’Abidjan, 16:00, Stade de Bouaké
17/08
– AS Garde Nationale vs Hasaacas Ladies, 16:00, Stade de Bouaké
– Edo Queens vs Omnisports Étincelle, 16:00, Stade de Bouaké 2
Semi-finals
20/08
– 1st Group A vs 2nd Group B, 15:00, Stade Charles Konan Banny
– 1st Group B vs 2nd Group A, 18:30, Stade Charles Konan Banny
Third Place
23/08
– Loser of the first semi-final vs Loser of the second semifinal, 15:00, Stade de Bouaké
Final
– Winner of the first semifinal vs Winner of the second semifinal, 18:30, Stade de Bouaké
UNIFFAC
Ms. Aimée Nagoua, the head of women’s football development at UNIFFAC, conducted the draw for the Central African region’s qualifying phase. The tournament will take place from August 16 to 24 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. The Stade des Martyrs and the Stade Tata Raphaël will host the six matches of the competition. The four teams participating in this tournament are: TP Mazembe (DR Congo), Lékié FF (Cameroon), Atletico Feminino Malabo (Equatorial Guinea), and CSM Diables Noirs (Congo). The teams will compete in a mini-league format, and the team that finishes on top will represent the UNIFFAC zone in the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League.
UNIFFAC Tournament Schedule
First Matchday
19/08/24
– TP Mazembe vs CSM Diables Noirs, 13:00, Stade des Martyrs
– Atletico Feminino Malabo vs Lékié FF, 17:00, Stade des Martyrs
Second Matchday
21/08/24
– Lékié FF vs CSM Diables Noirs, 13:00, Stade des Martyrs
– TP Mazembe vs Atletico Feminino Malabo, 17:00, Stade des Martyrs
Third Matchday
23/08/24
– TP Mazembe vs Lékié FF, 17:00, Stade des Martyrs
– CSM Diables Noirs vs Atletico Feminino Malabo, 17:00, Stade Tata Raphaël
CECAFA
Ms. Jean Sseninde conducted the draw for the CECAFA zone tournament, which will take place from August 17 to September 4 in Ethiopia. The Addis Ababa and Abebe Bikila stadiums have been chosen to host the competition. The nine teams participating are divided into two groups.
Group A: Commercial Bank Of Ethiopia FC “CBE FC” (Ethiopia), Kenya Police Bullets (Kenya), Yei Joint FC (South Sudan), Warriors Queens (Zanzibar), Rayon Sport (Rwanda)
Group B: Simba Queens (Tanzania), PVP Buyenzi (Burundi), Kawempe Muslim Ladies (Uganda), FAD Djibouti (Djibouti)
First Matchday
17/08
– Kenya Police Bullets vs Warriors Queens, 13:00, Addis Ababa Stadium
– CBE FC vs Rayon Sport, 16:00, Addis Ababa Stadium
CECAFA
Ms. Jean Sseninde conducted the draw for the CECAFA zone tournament, which will take place from August 17 to September 4 in Ethiopia. The Addis Ababa and Abebe Bikila stadiums have been chosen to host the competition. The nine teams participating are divided into two groups.
Group A: Commercial Bank Of Ethiopia FC “CBE FC” (Ethiopia), Kenya Police Bullets (Kenya), Yei Joint FC (South Sudan), Warriors Queens (Zanzibar), Rayon Sport (Rwanda)
Group B: Simba Queens (Tanzania), PVP Buyenzi (Burundi), Kawempe Muslim Ladies (Uganda), FAD Djibouti (Djibouti)
First Matchday
17/08
– Kenya Police Bullets vs Warriors Queens, 13:00, Addis Ababa Stadium
– CBE FC vs Rayon Sport, 16:00, Addis Ababa Stadium
18/08
– PVP Buyenzi vs Kawempe Muslim Ladies, 13:00, Addis Ababa Stadium
– Simba Queens vs FAD Djibouti, 16:00, Addis Ababa Stadium
Second Matchday
20/08
– CBE FC vs Warriors Queens, 13:00, Addis Ababa Stadium
– PVP Buyenzi vs Yei Joint FC, 16:00, Addis Ababa Stadium
21/08
– Simba Queens vs Kawempe Muslim Ladies, 13:00, Addis Ababa Stadium
– PVP Buyenzi vs FAD Djibouti, 16:00, Addis Ababa Stadium
Third Matchday
23/08
– CBE FC vs Kenya Police Bullets, 15:00, Addis Ababa Stadium
– Yei Joint FC vs Rayon Sport, 15:00, Abebe Bikila Stadium
24/08
– Kawempe Muslim Ladies vs FAD Djibouti, 15:00, Addis Ababa Stadium
– Simba Queens vs PVP Buyenzi, 15:00, Abebe Bikila Stadium
Fourth Matchday
26/08
– Warriors Queens vs Rayon Sport, 15:00, Addis Ababa Stadium
– CBE FC vs Yei Joint FC, 15:00, Abebe Bikila Stadium
Fifth Matchday
29/08
– Kenya Police Bullets vs Rayon Sport, 15:00, Addis Ababa Stadium
– Yei Joint FC vs Warriors Queens, 15:00, Abebe Bikila Stadium
Semi-finals
01/09
– 1st Group A vs 2nd Group B, 12:00, Addis Ababa Stadium
– 2nd Group A vs 1st Group B, 15:00, Addis Ababa Stadium
Third Place
03/09
– Loser of the 1st semifinal vs Loser of the 2nd semifinal, 12:00, Addis Ababa Stadium
Final
– Winner of the 1st semifinal vs Winner of the 2nd semifinal, 15:00, Addis Ababa Stadium
UNAF
Mr. Darchraoui Mootez Belleh conducted the draw for the UNAF zone. This tournament will take place in Algiers, Algeria, from August 21 to 31. The July 5 and Nelson Mandela stadiums have been chosen to host the competition. The clubs participating in this tournament are: Akbou FC (Algeria), Tutankhamun (Egypt), ASF Sousse (Tunisia), and AS FAR (Morocco). The teams will compete in a mini-league format, and the team that finishes on top will represent the UNAF zone in the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League.
First Matchday
24/08/2024
– AS FAR vs Akbou FC, 17:00, July 5 Stadium
– ASF Sousse vs Tutankhamun, 20:00, July 5 Stadium
Second Matchday
27/08
– ASF Sousse vs AS FAR, 17:00, July 5 Stadium
– Tutankhamun vs Akbou FC, 20:00, July 5 Stadium
Third Matchday
30/08
– Akbou FC vs ASF Sousse, 18:00, July 5 Stadium
– AS FAR vs Tutankhamun, 18:00, Nelson Mandela Stadium
COSAFA
The first matchups of the most prestigious inter-club competition dedicated to women’s teams are now known. The qualifying tournament will take place from August 15 to 24 in Blantyre, Malawi. The eight participating teams are divided into two groups.
Group A: University of Western Cape (South Africa), Green Buffaloes (Zambia), Herentals Queens (Zimbabwe), FC Ongos (Namibia)
Group B: Gaborone United (Botswana), União Desportiva de Lichinga (Mozambique), Ascent Soccer Academy (Malawi), Young Buffaloes (Eswatini)
WAFU A
The draw for the WAFU A zone took place on Thursday, July 25. Ms. Seyni Seck, the head of women’s football development for the said zone, conducted the draw.
The tournament will be held from August 1 to 11 in Sierra Leone. The five teams participating in this tournament are: Mogbewmo Queens (Sierra Leone), AS Mandé (Mali), Determine Girls (Liberia), Aigles de la Médina (Senegal), and Red Scorpion (Gambia).
The teams will compete in a mini-league system.
The team that finishes at the top will represent the WAFU A zone at the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League.
Matchday 1
1/08
Mogbewmo Queens – AS Mandé
Aigles de la Médina – Red Scorpion
Matchday 2
3/08
Determine Girls – Red Scorpion
AS Mandé – Aigles de la Médina
Matchday 3
5/08
Mogbewmo Queens – Aigles de la Médina
Determine Girls – AS Mandé
Matchday 4
Red Scorpion – Mogbewmo Queens
AS Mandé – Determine Girls
Matchday 5
Aigles de la Médina – Determine Girls
Red Scorpion – Mogbewmo Queens
All matches will be live on www.youtube.com/@citysportng
www.youtube.com/@SportsAfrique
Akpabio To National Hunger Protesters – We Will Be There Eating While You Are Protesting
Godswill Akpabio To National Hunger Protesters – We Will Be There Eating While You Are Protesting
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has taunted those calling for demonstrations over the economic hardship in the country.
Legendary Nigerian Singer And Actress, Onyeka Onwenu Slumps And Dies In Lagos
Legendary Nigerian Singer And Actress, Onyeka Onwenu Slumps And Dies In Lagos
Legendary singer and actress Onyeka Onwenu has passed away at the age of 72. Onwenu was said to have collapsed on Tuesday after performing at a birthday party in Lagos.
Six Unbeatable Ideas To Start Making Money On Pinterest
While many see Pinterest as “just another social media platform,” there is also serious potential to create income from the platform. Because of this, more and more creators are wondering how to make money on Pinterest just as they have with Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. Pinterest, a visually-driven platform known for its inspiration and discovery, offers unique opportunities to monetize content and earn a substantial income. With over 518 million active users, Pinterest provides a vast audience for promoting products, driving traffic to websites and leveraging affiliate marketing. By strategically using Pinterest’s features and tools, creators can turn their pins into profit.
Strategies For Earning Money On Pinterest
There are multiple ways to earn money on Pinterest, including affiliate marketing, promoting products, driving traffic to a blog or website and selling your own products or services. Diversifying and prioritizing several methods to maximize your earning potential can be quite lucrative.
Affiliate marketing involves pinning images linked to products with your affiliate code, earning commissions on sales. Promoting products, either your own or others’, can drive significant revenue, especially if you have an engaged audience. Additionally, directing traffic from Pinterest to your blog or website can boost ad revenue and sales of digital products. Selling your own products, such as digital downloads or printables, directly through Pinterest can also be lucrative. The method that makes the most money often depends on your niche and audience engagement, but a combination of these strategies generally yields the best results.
1. Pinterest Creator Fund
The Pinterest Creator Fund is an initiative designed to support and elevate underrepresented creators on the platform by providing financial and educational resources. This fund helps creators grow their presence on Pinterest and monetize their content more effectively.
To sign up, creators must apply for free during the fund’s open application periods, which are announced on Pinterest’s official channels. Once accepted, participants receive financial grants, equipment and access to educational resources to improve their content quality. To be successful in the program, you must consistently create high-quality, engaging pins and participate in the program’s training sessions. The earning potential varies, but being part of the Creator Fund can significantly enhance your ability to monetize your Pinterest presence through increased visibility and improved content strategies.
2. Pinterest Affiliate Content
Pinterest affiliate content involves creating pins that link to products or services you recommend and using affiliate links to earn commissions on sales generated through your pins. This strategy allows you to monetize your Pinterest traffic by promoting products relevant to your audience and to those who organically stumble upon your pins during their Pinterest searches.
To get started, you can join free affiliate programs like Amazon Associates, ShareASale, Like to Know It, or any other affiliate network that aligns with your niche. After joining, you can create pins that include your affiliate links. To be successful, you’ll need to put time and effort into tasks that may include researching products, creating appealing pins and optimizing them with relevant keywords. The earning potential can be significant, depending on your audience size and engagement, the type of products you’re linking to and the percentage that the company is offering you as an affiliate commission. Successful affiliate marketers on Pinterest can earn hundreds to thousands of dollars per month, making it a viable and lucrative method for monetization.
3. Brand Partnerships
The same way many content creators and influencers partner with companies to promote their products on Instagram and TikTok can apply to Pinterest. Creators can promote a brand’s products or services through their pins, creating sponsored content that aligns with their audience’s interests. These partnerships can significantly boost your income by leveraging your influence and reach on the platform.
To get started, you need to build a substantial and engaged following. Brands are more likely to partner with influencers with a proven track record of high engagement and quality content. You can reach out directly to brands or join influencer marketing platforms like AspireIQ or Hashtag Paid that connect influencers with potential sponsors. Joining these platforms is typically free, but creating high-quality content that meets the brand’s standards requires time and effort. The earning potential for brand partnerships varies widely based on your audience size and engagement rate. Influencers can earn anywhere from $100 to several thousand dollars per sponsored pin, making it one of the most lucrative ways to monetize your Pinterest presence. However, it may be the most inconsistent as different brands deal with different goals, budgets and timelines.
4. Sell Digital or Physical Products
Many creators are also selling digital or physical products on Pinterest. They use the platform to promote and sell items such as eBooks, printables, crafts, clothing or other merchandise directly to their audience. This method allows creators to monetize their Pinterest following by offering products that resonate with their niche.
N70k New Minimum Wage Bill Signed Into Law By President Bola Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, signed the new Minimum Wage Act into law.
Tinubu signed the new law at 2 pm at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The brief ceremony was witnessed by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, among others.
Paris 2024 Women’s Basketball| Nigeria’s D’Tigress Edge Highly Favored Australian Opals 75-62
African basketball champions, Nigeria’s D’Tigress, started their Paris Olympic Games on a winning note after they defeated their highly favoured Australian counterparts 75-62.
The team last won an Olympic match 20 years ago.
In what has been described as the biggest upset of the Olympics so far, Nigeria stunned the Opals.
The Rena Wakama-led ladies, in a spirited performance, beat the Australians 75-62 at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium.
It was the team’s first win in an Olympic match since Athens 2004.
Australia vs Zambia| Barbra Banda Scores Another Olympics Hat Trick In An Eleven Goals Thriller
Barbra Banda has a reputation as the ‘most in-form forward in the world’ for a reason.
Having scored 12 goals in her first 12 NWSL games, expectations were high coming into Paris 2024.
The 24-year-old is no stranger to women’s Olympic football, putting her name in lights at Tokyo 2020 three years ago.
Zambia’s captain became the first player in tournament history to score hat-tricks in back-to-back games, against the Republic of China and the Netherlands, despite her side going winless and exiting in the group stages.
Fast-forward to now, at the Nice Stadium, and the electric forward has added yet another three-goal feat to her name in a breathless 11-goal encounter against Australia that ended 6-5 in favour of the Aussies.
Her slice of history was wrapped up inside the opening 45 minutes, with decisive strikes at the very start and end of the first half.
Banda is now the first player in women’s football to score three hat-tricks at the Olympic Games.
Her current tournament goal tally now stands at nine, five shy of Cristiane’s record (14).
Spain vs Nigeria | We Lost Because We Failed To Take Our Chances – Randy Waldrum
Super Falcons head coach, Randy Waldrum has attributed his side’s defeat against Spain to poor marksmanship.
The West Africans suffered their second consecutive defeat at the 2024 Olympic Games, going down 1-0 against the world champions on Sunday.
The Super Falcons were pinned back by the Spaniard for the majority of the game but still created enough scoring chances to get at least a point.
Waldrum confessed his side’s failure to put their chances to bed was responsible for the defeat.
“We had three to four good opportunities today, regrettably, we did not convert them”, the American said after the game.
“We had one in the first half, a breakaway and Asisat and Rash (Rasheedat Ajibade) missed those chance. We had chances, regrettably, the Spanish converted theirs.”
Waldrum, however, said his team have shown they can compete with any team in the world.
“We lost to two of the best teams in the world. Spain is the best team in the world right now and Brazil are in the top 10,” he added.
“We have shown that we could have gotten something out of those matches. It shows we can play against anybody in the world. So I am proud of the players.”
August 1 Protest ~ Ogun State Youths Encourage Dialogue In Place Of ‘National Hunger Protest’
The Ogun Youth Assembly has declared the proposed national hunger protest scheduled for August 1 as faceless, lacking direction and a misplaced priority.
The youth group said that rather than embarking on any activity that could further make life difficult for Nigerians, the option of dialogue which is quite beneficial to all should be considered.
The Chairman of the youth group, Habeeb Whyte, disclosed this at a press briefing held on Friday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Whyte said though it is within the fundamental rights of every citizen to protest, such energy should be channelled towards meaningful dialogue as progress and development are only guaranteed in a peaceful environment.
He said, “We recognise the inherent right of all Nigerians to peaceful protest, yet we are also acutely aware of the potential for such protests to devolve into destructive actions, especially during times of heightened emotional intensity.
” It is crucial to pursue dialogue even as we seek change through peaceful demonstration.”
Whyte, flanked by other executives of the assembly, further said that though the country is going through its most difficult times, he noted that the recent local government autonomy posed a good trend for future hopes.
“Currently, the average Nigerian is enduring unprecedented hardship characterised by severely diminished purchasing power, lack of basic amenities, and a shortened life expectancy.
“This crisis is closely linked to the nation’s economic state. As a demographic grappling with a bleak future and uncertainty, it is only natural for the youths to seek avenues for expression and redress. It is unjust to suppress their right to protest when they are being battered by such dire conditions.
“While acknowledging that the dire straits affecting Nigerians can largely be traced to the policies of the Federal Government, we affirm that accountability spans all levels of government, including local authorities.
“Going forward, we want to emphatically announce that the era of lethargic local government is over. There will no longer be space for non-performing local government chairmen and ward councillors now that the nation has moved toward local government autonomy”, he added.
He however challenged the state government to as a matter of urgency, convene dialogue with the youth constituency, adding that it is a necessary step to foster transparency and accountability, ensuring that plans and stewardship are communicated.
“We held an engagement with the Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, on Tuesday, July 23, 2024. We appreciate his willingness to engage further and are encouraged by his commitment to continue these discussions. This dialogue is a positive step towards addressing the pressing issues faced by our youth.
“In light of this, we challenged the Ogun State Government to convene a series of public engagements with the youths across all Senatorial districts. This proposed engagement, which the Governor has since accepted is a necessary step to foster transparency and accountability, ensuring that future plans and stewardship are communicated.
“We emphasised to him that this period demands more than temporary measures or palliative solutions. It is essential to implement a comprehensive, sustainable framework that empowers citizens and residents to secure honest, safer and better livelihoods.
“Government action must focus on significantly reducing the exorbitant cost of petroleum, enhancing electricity supply, and fostering a conducive environment for business growth. Additionally, increasing grant opportunities for small and medium enterprises and promoting meritocracy in all operations are crucial”, he stressed.
2024 PARIS OLYMPICS | NIGERIA VS BRAZIL PREVIEW | SUPER FALCONS TO CAUSE UPSETS (Video)
2024 PARIS OLYMPICS | NIGERIA VS BRAZIL PREVIEW |SUPER FALCONS AIMING TO CAUSE UPSETS IN FRANCE
The Super Falcons of Nigeria will on Thursday 25th of July begin their first Olympic game campaign after sixteen years with a duel against the ‘talented’ Brazil women’s football national team.
Nigerian Senate Speedily Pass N70k National Minimum Wage Bill Into Law
The Senate on Tuesday passed the new National Minimum Wage Bill to empower Nigerian workers to earn at least N70,000 on a monthly basis.
In the House of Representatives, the bill scaled second reading.
The executive bill seeks to amend the minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000 and reduce the review period from five years to three years.
President Bola Tinubu had earlier today transmitted the New minimum wage bill to both chambers of the National Assembly, seeking expeditious support of the lawmakers for its passage.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced passage of the bill during the plenary after the senators supported it.
The President Tinubu’s letter containing details of the minimum wage bill was first read by Mr Akpabio.
Thereafter, the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, moved a motion to refer the bill to the Committee of the Whole for immediate consideration of the bill clause by clause.
The motion was subsequently seconded by the Minority Leader, Abba Moro.
The senate president then directed members of the upper chamber to refer it to the Committee of the Whole for consideration.
At the committee, none of the senators debated or spoke on the bill before the clause by clause was approved.
After approving the bill clause by clause, the senate president put the passage to vote and the senators supported it through voice votes.
In the House, the Majority Leader of the House, Julius Ihonvbere, led the debate on the bill.
Borno South Senator, Ali Ndume, had recently criticised the new N70,000 minimum wage.
Mr Ndume, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the president, said the approved minimum wage cannot sustain a household because it can only buy 50kg of rice.
The senator based his argument on the fact that many Nigerians are hungry and angry towards the government because of the harsh economy.
He advised the president to review the minimum wage in the interest of Nigerian Workers.
Paris 2024 Olympics | How To Watch Nigeria Super Falcons Live
Paris 2024 Olympics | How To Watch Nigeria Super Falcons Live
For the first time in 16 years, Nigeria Super Falcons will contest women’s Olympic football once more.
Alagbole, Akute, Ajuwon Roads Added To Roads To Be Constructed In Phases By Ogun State Government
Alagbole, Akute, Ajuwon Roads Added To Roads To Be Constructed In Phases By Ogun State Government
The Ogun State Executive Council has approved the construction of five additional roads across the State.
How Abiodun Deborah Secured Full Scholarship From The University of Pittsburgh’s Women’s Soccer Team – Waldrum Reveals
Super Falcons head coach Randy Waldrum has shared the inspiring story behind Deborah Abiodun’s move to the Pittsburgh Panthers women’s soccer team.
In 2023, Abiodun received a full scholarship offer from the University of Pittsburgh’s women’s soccer team after impressing for Nigeria’s U20 national team.
The talented youngster was part of the Falconets’ squad at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in 2022.
Although Nigeria were eliminated in the quarterfinals by the Netherlands, the Falconets made a significant impact by topping Group C with wins over France, Canada, and South Korea.
Abiodun stood out in midfield, with her energetic and intelligent performances catching the eye of Super Falcons head coach Waldrum.
He was already considering promoting the then-Rivers Angels FC star to the senior team when Abiodun took a bold step that changed her life
Waldrum, who also coaches the University of Pittsburgh’s women’s soccer team, facilitated Abiodun’s scholarship and her move to the United States.
He recounted this life-changing encounter to Channel 11 via Yahoo Sports as Nigeria prepared for the Paris 2024 Olympics, where Abiodun has been named in the squad. This marks Nigeria’s first Olympic qualification in 16 years.
“Deb came to me and said, ‘Will you take me to your school? I want to go to college, and I want to get an education,’” Waldrum said.
Abiodun joined the Pitt Panthers and had a stellar debut season, scoring six goals in 22 games.887
Later in 2023, at 19, she made her FIFA Women’s World Cup debut for Nigeria against Canada, although she received a red card during stoppage time after a VAR review — the first red card of the tournament.
Abiodun will make her first Olympic appearance b4 in August, hoping to overcome her World Cup setback and help Nigeria impress at the games.
2024 Beach Soccer Afcon Qualifiers ¦ Supersand Eagles Edge Mauritania 5-4 (Watch Full Match)
Nigeria Beach soccer team, the Supersand Eagles, on Saturday, defeated their hosts, Mauritania 5-4 to boost their chance of reaching a first Beach Soccer AFCON after five years.
The home team scored the forth goal in about 3 minutes left in the 3rd and final period, but two quick goals from the Supersand Eagles took the game beyond the Mauritanie, and it was Nigeria who take one goal advantage into the second leg that Wll be placed in Nigeria in a week’s time.
Nigeria won the first period 2-1 but upon resumption of the second period, the Mauritania beach soccer team restore parity and went ahead before Nigeria equalized to force a 3-3 draw a the end of the second period.
2024 Beach Soccer Afcon Qualifiers ¦ NFF Confirms Abdullahi Isa As The New Supersand Eagles Coach
The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has appointed Abdullahi Isa, a veteran goalkeeper who later became assistant coach of the team, as the new Head Coach of the Supersand Eagles.
Other backroom staff appointed by the NFF for the Supersand Eagles include; Christopher Kadiri as Assistant Coach and Bashar Samaila as Goalkeepers’ Trainer.
Meanwhile, Supersand Eagles will depart Nigeria to Nouakchott on Friday morning for their 2024 Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against their Mauritanian counterparts, slated for Saturday.
Experienced players Victor Tale and Emeka Ogbonna are among the playing body, which also includes Arome Isah, Adams Taiwo, Emmanuel Ohwoferia, Godwin Tale, Egan-Osi Ekujimi, Chidozie Frank and Hassan Abdullahi.
The return leg is scheduled for Saturday, 27th July in Nigeria.
We Accepted N70k Minimum Wage Because Of Other Incentives Promised By Bola Tinubu – NLC
The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero on Thursday gave reasons why the Organised Labour accepted the proposal of N70,000 minimum wage from the President, Bola Tinubu.
Ajaero, who spoke to State House reporters after the meeting with the President, said the unions agreed to the offer because of other incentives attached.
He said another reason for accepting the offer is because “ the President promised a review every three years as against what obtained in the past.”
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday approved the sum of N70,000 as national minimum wage, his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga said.
Tinubu was said to have announced the new wage during a meeting with the leadership of the Organized Labour in Abuja.
Thursday’s meeting came a week after the first meeting the President had with the Labour leaders last week.
The new minimum wage when approved by the National Assembly will replace the N30,000 minimum wage which expired on April 18, 2024
Onanuga who posted via his official X handle, @aonanuga at exactly 03:31 pm said, “Breaking: President Bola Tinubu has approved N70,000 minimum wage for Nigerian workers with promise to review the national minimum wage law every three years.
“President Tinubu also promised to find ways to assist the private sector and the sub-nationals to pay the minimum wage.
“President Tinubu announced the decisions at the meeting held with leaders of TUC and NLC on Thursday in Abuja, the second time the parties met in 7 days.
“The Labour leaders applauded President Tinubu for the fatherly gesture as the President also promised to use his discretionary powers meet the demands of university unions demanding unpaid 4 months salaries.”
2024 Olympics ¦ France Grants Copper Queens Coach, Bruce Mwape, Visa, But No Private Contact With His Players
Bruce Mwape will not be allowed private contact with any of his players at the Olympic Games in Paris but the coach of Zambia’s women’s football team has eventually been granted a visa despite an ongoing investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against him.
Fifa is still investigating claims that Mwape rubbed his hands over the chest of a player after a training session at last year’s World Cup in New Zealand.
In May, Bruce was also accused of intentionally touching a Fifa contractor’s breast at the same tournament. It has been revealed that before the World Cup Mwape – who has previously denied the accusations – was the subject of an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct by a number of players in the squad that had been referred to world football’s governing body by the Zambian Football Association (FAZ).
The International Olympic Committee said at the time that it “will be following the outcome of this case closely, for consideration with respect to the Olympic Games”, with Mwape having led Zambia to qualification last year after continuing in his post despite being under investigation.
It is understood he was initially denied a visa to enter France before the decision was later reversed, with strict conditions imposed on the 64-year-old. They are believed to include stipulations that he will not have private contact with any of the players and that any one-on-one meeting must be conducted in an open place.
The Fifa contractor who alleged that Mwape touched her breast said she was “bitterly disappointed” with the decision to allow him to coach at the Olympics. “He should have gone years ago,” she added.
It is understood that Mwape’s application was initially rejected under strict French laws that do not allow those accused of sexual crimes to be granted a visa.
The FAZ is said to have insisted that it was too late to replace Mwape – who arrived in France last week, 48 hours after the rest of his squad – after his application was turned down a few days before he was due to travel.
The FAZ did not respond to questions, but a spokesperson for the IOC said that “appropriate measures have been put in place by the international federation concerned and agreed with the NOC [National Olympic Committee]”.
Olympics come under the IOC’s jurisdiction, Fifa is in charge of safeguarding players participating in the men’s and women’s football tournaments in Paris. A spokesperson said: “he can confirm that Fifa has put in place an event safeguarding programme for the Olympic football tournament in coordination with the IOC, which includes a designated safeguarding focal point for participating teams as well as a clear reporting process.”
The IOC spokesperson added: “The IOC is committed to ensuring that every athlete can train and compete in a safe sporting environment, one that is fair, equitable and free from all forms of harassment and abuse. In Paris, safeguarding and mental health measures and initiatives are in place for all participants. When specific concerns are raised, additional safeguarding measures are implemented as per standard practice.”
LGSs Financial Autonomy ¦ I Will Ensure Oyo Residents Do Not Suffer – Seyi Makinde
The governor of Oyo, Seyi Makinde, says his administration will ensure that residents do not suffer from the supreme court verdict on financial autonomy for LGAs.
Makinde spoke on Monday during a meeting with LG stakeholders in Ibadan, the state capital.
The governor also said the apex court’s judgment has created a lacuna.
Section 162(6) of the 1999 Constitution states that “each state shall maintain a specific account to be called State-Joint Local Government Account into which shall be paid all allocations to the local government councils of the state from the Federation Account and from the government of the state”.
On Thursday, the supreme court ruled that the federal government should henceforth pay allocations directly to LG councils.
The seven-member panel of justices held that state governments have continued to abuse their powers by retaining and using the funds meant for LGAs.
The apex court also ordered the federal government to withhold allocations of LGAs governed by unelected officials.
In a statement, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, special adviser on media to Makinde, said the governor convened the meeting to discuss the challenges facing the LGAs, develop solutions, and ensure a seamless implementation of the judgment.
“I called this meeting because I felt that even though we have not seen the certified true copy (CTC) of the judgment of the supreme court, we have to be proactive and discuss the decision of the supreme court as it concerns the financial autonomy of the local government councils because I believe a lacuna has been created between the decision and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that we all swore to uphold,” Makinde said.
“The law is the law and when there is a conflict, yes, we should go to the court.
“But it behoves us to look for our own homegrown solutions that can ensure that we have transparency and that our people do not suffer. This is because when two elephants are fighting, it is the grass that will suffer.
“I am saying this because Oyo state will get out of this even stronger. We are people that know what is good for our people.
“Before we came in, leave bonuses were last paid in 2017 and we have paid for 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. The primary healthcare facilities and inner roads were all in bad shape.
“But we have been working collaboratively with the LGs to deliver dividends of democracy to our people.
“We were able to clear those salary arrears. We paid N18bn in pension and gratuities over this period. We upgraded about 209 PHCs, equipped about 264, and completed 60 model schools.
“We constructed and renovated hundreds of primary school classrooms and fixed some of our roads.
“But there are still challenges that we have to address. We still have a backlog of gratuities and pensions.
“The local governments owe about N55bn in pension and gratuities. We are developing infrastructure that would push the economy and raise the living standard of our people and push their economy towards sustainable goals.”
Representatives of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), attended the meeting.
At the meeting, the governor set up two committees to review the supreme court judgment and suggest recommendations for implementation.
Paris 2024 Olympics ¦ Canada To Face Nigeria Super Falcons In A Friendly Match
The Super Falcons of Nigeria have been scheduled to play Canada’s women’s football team in a friendly game.
In a post on its X page on Monday, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced that the match will be played on Wednesday behind closed doors at the team’s base in Seville, Spain.
The match will be held as final preparation for the Falcons before they depart Spain for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Super Falcons are drawn in Group C of the women’s football event at the Games, alongside Spain, Japan, and Brazil.
Falcons will play at the tournament for the first time in 16 years.
Canada are the defending champions of the women’s football event after defeating Sweden in the final of the Tokyo Olympics.
The last meeting between the team and Falcons ended in a goalless draw at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Randy Waldrum, Falcons head coach, and his team have been in Spain for a two-week training camp and are scheduled to head to France on July 18.
The team is placed in Group C and will play Brazil on July 25 before facing Spain three days later and Japan in the final game in the group on July 31.
In a recent chat with the media, Asisat Oshoala assured Nigerians that Falcons have enough talent to successfully navigate the tough group.
INEC Opens Portal For The Recruitment Of Ad-hoc Staff Ahead Of Edo, Ondo Gubernatorial Elections
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has invited applications from qualified candidates ahead of Edo, Ondo Governorship elections.
The commission made this known via its x handle on Sunday.
The advert reads as below:
VACANCIES FOR AD-HOC STAFF FOR #EdoDecides2024 AND #OndoDecides2024 GOVERNORSHIP ELECTIONS.
Applications are invited from qualified candidates to serve as Ad-Hoc staff for the Edo and Ondo Governorship Elections in the following categories:
A. Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs)
B. Presiding Officers (POs)
C. Assistant Presiding Officers (APOS)
E. RAC Managers.
D. Registration Area Technicians (RATECHs)
Applicants are to indicate their interests by registering via the INECPRES, which opens on Monday 15th July and closes at 12midnight on Monday 19th August 2024.
METHOD OF ONLINE APPLICATION
The Web version (using a laptop, desktop or cybercafe) shall be accessible via the portal: pres.inecnigeria.org
The android mobile app (android users only) shall be accessible via the link: inecpres-app.com
NOTE:
1. Applicants must not be a political party member.
2. Applicants must not have demonstrated or expressed support for any candidate or party.
3. Applicants must reside in the STATE selected except for RATECHS.
CAF Beach Soccer AFCON Qualifiers ¦ Ghana Announces Black Sharks Squad List
Ghana’s Beach Soccer squad announced ahead of 2024 AFCON Qualifier against Cote D’voire
Black Sharks Head Coach Daniel Neequaye Kotey has announced his squad of 16 players for the Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations Qualifier against Cote D’Ivoire on Sunday July 21, 2024.
The gaffer has named 3 goalkeepers, five defenders and eight attackers for the crunch tie against Ghana’s neighbours to the west.
The Ghanaians will hope for a favourable result in the first leg at home to make the return encounter less tedious.
The Black Sharks, ranked among the best 12 teams on the continent, are aiming to qualify for the Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations to be staged in Egypt.
The team will travel to Abidjan for the return leg, which is scheduled for July 26–28, 2024.
A total of 14 nations will be engaged in the qualifiers set to take place over a two-legged format to decide the 7 nations that will join tournament hosts, Egypt at the finals this summer.
Poncho Serna Will Be Super Falcons Game Analysts At The Paris 2024 Olympic
The Super Falcons of Nigeria will work with a new performance analyst, Poncho Serna at the 2024 Olympic Games.
Serna will work closely with head coach Randy Waldrum as well as other members of the technical crew.
The analyst confirmed his appointment on the social media.
“I am very happy and excited to share this: during the Olympic Games I will be working with the Nigerian women’s team (@NGSuper_Falcons), in the area of performance analysis,” he wrote on his X account.
“When one door closes, a better one opens. To continue learning and enjoying.”
The Super Falcons arrived Sevilla, Spain last weekend to begin preparation for the Olympics.
The West Africans will take on current Olympics champions Canada in a friendly next week Wednesday.
They are expected to depart for Paris the following day.
Nigeria will face Spain, Japan and Brazil in Group C at the Olympics.
Cameroon FA President, Samuel Eto’o Fils, Guilty Of Violating CAF Ethics & Integrity Principles
The Confédération Africaine de Football (“CAF”) Disciplinary Board sat on the matter of Fédération Camerounaise de Football (‘’FECAFOOT’’) President Mr Samuel Eto’o Fils.
Mr Eto’o was facing charges of alleged manipulation of football matches and violating the principles of ethics and integrity.
The Disciplinary Board ruled that as it stands, there is insufficient proof to find Mr Samuel Eto’o Fils and Mr Valentin Nkwain guilty of match manipulation.
However, the Disciplinary Board found Mr Eto’o to have seriously violated the principles of ethics, integrity and sportsmanship as provided in Article 2 paragraph 3 of the CAF Statutes by signing a Brand Ambassador contract with a betting organisation in exchange for remuneration and consequently fined Mr Eto’o an amount of 200,000 USD
Same Sex Marriage – Nigerian Government Makes Clarifications On Signed Samoa Agreement
The Federal Government has provided the details of the Samoa Agreement it signed recently.
The controversial agreement was signed at the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) Secretariat in Brussels, Belgium on June 28, 2024.
The partnership agreement is between the EU and its Member States, on one hand, and the members of the OACPS.
The negotiations on the agreement started in 2018, on the sidelines of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly.
It was signed in Apia, Samoa on the 15th of November 2018 by all 27 EU Member states and 47 of the 79 OACPS Member states.
The agreement has 103 articles comprising a common foundational compact and three regional protocols, namely: Africa –EU; Caribbean-EU, and Pacific-EU Regional Protocols with each regional protocol addressing the peculiar issues of the regions.
The African Regional Protocol consists of two parts.
The first is the Framework for Cooperation, while the second deals with Areas of Cooperation, containing Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth and Development; Human and Social Development; Environment, Natural Resources Management, and Climate Change; Peace and Security; Human Rights, Democracy and Governance; and Migration and Mobility.
The Tinubu government said the signing was done after the extensive reviews and consultations by the Interministerial Committee, convened by the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning (FMBEP) in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and Federal Ministry of Justice (FMOJ).
It was ensured that none of the 103 Articles and Provisions of the Agreement contravenes the 1999 Constitution as amended or laws of Nigeria, and other extant Laws, the government said.
It said Nigeria’s endorsement was accompanied by a Statement of Declaration, dated 26th June, 2024, clarifying its understanding and context of the Agreement within its jurisdiction to the effect that any provision that is inconsistent with the laws of Nigeria shall be invalid.
On the issue of same sex marriage, the FG explained that it is “instructive to note that there is an existing legislation against same sex relationship in Nigeria enacted in 2014,” a statement signed by Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information and National Orientation.
“It is necessary to assure Nigerians that the President Bola Tinubu Administration, being a rule-based government, will not enter into any international agreement that will be detrimental to the interest of the country and its citizens.
“In negotiating the Agreement, our officials strictly followed the mandates exchanged in 2018 between the EU and the OACPS for the process,” he added.
Idris said that the Samoa Agreement was nothing but a vital legal framework for cooperation between the OACPS and the European Union, to promote sustainable development, fight climate change and its effects, generate investment opportunities, and foster collaboration among OACPS Member States at the international stage.
AFCON 2025 Qualifiers Draw ¦ Super Eagles Set For Another Genort Rohr’s Benin Republic Test
The Super Eagles of Nigeria have been drawn in Group D alongside Benin Republic who defeated the Eagles 2-1 on matchday 4 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
The draw for the Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025, qualifiers was held in Johannesburg on Thursday.
48 African countries will be aiming to qualify for the 35th edition of the biennial Africa showpiece in an attempt to dethrone coach Emerse Fae’s Cote d’Ivoire as continental kings.
Fae – one of the two draw assistants together with Morocco legend Marouane Chamakh – saw his side placed in a tricky group as they bid to defend their title.
Cote d’Ivoire are defending champions after defeating Nigeria 2-1 in the final of the continent’s flagship sports competition in Abidjan earlier this year.
The Elephants were placed in Group G where they will play former champions Zambia, Sierra Leone and Chad.
Hosts Morocco were placed in Group B.
The Atlas Lions will take on Gabon, Central African Republic and Lesotho.
Morocco will approach this qualifying campaign with less pressure since they are already assured of participating in the competition on home ground.
The much-coveted trophy will be put back into play with the start of the qualifiers for the next AFCON which will take place in the North African country.
The qualifiers will start in September 2024 and end in November 2024.
The first and runners-up in the eleven (11) groups that do not involve tournament hosts Morocco, will gain qualification to the competition.
The next Africa Cup of Nations will be held from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.
Groups:
Group A: Tunisia, Madagascar, Comoros, Gambia
Group B: Morocco, Gabon,Central Africa Republic, Lesotho
Group C: Egypt, Cape Verde, Mauritania, Botswana
Group D: Nigeria, Benin Libya, Rwanda
Group E: Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, Togo, Liberia
Group F: Ghana, Angola, Sudan, Niger
Group G: Cote d’Ivoire, Zambia, Sierra Leone, Chad
Group H: DR Congo, Guinea, Tanzania, Ethiopia
Group I: Mali, Mozambique, Guinea Bissau, Eswatini
Group J: Cameroon, Namibia, Kenya, Zimbabwe
Group K: South Africa, Uganda, Congo, South Sudan
Group L: Senegal, Burkina Faso, Malawi, Burundi
Facebook Activate Content Monetization For Eligible Creators In Nigeria And Ghana
Facebook Activate Content Monetization For Eligible Creators In Nigeria And Ghana
After a long wait, Social media giant, Meta, has announced that Nigerian and Ghanaian content creators with 5,000 followers would earn money on Facebook from July 1, 2024.
Deposit Money Banks In Nigeria Instructed To Accept Old And Lower Denominations Of US Dollars
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has issued a warning to Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and authorised forex dealers, advising them against rejecting old and lower dollar denominations from customers in the country.
According to the apex bank, the directive became necessary as it had been inundated with complaints from customers after it conducted consumer market intelligence.
In a circular dated June 27, 2024 but made public by the apex bank on Monday, CBN’s Acting Director, Currency Operations Department, Solaja Olayemi, said the regulator frowned at “this selective acceptance of deposit” and that all relevant parties comply accordingly.
The CBN said all banks and authorised forex dealers “should henceforth accept both old series and lower denominations of United States Dollars (USD) that are legal tender for deposit from their customers”.
The financial regulator warned that sanctions would be meted out to any bank or authorised forex dealer that reject old series or lower denominations of the United States’ greenback from their customers.
Earlier Warnings From CBN
The CBN had issued directives in 2021, instructing forex dealers and deposit money banks to stop refusing old dollar bills and denominations.
Complaints from customers over the refusal to accept the lower notes as a means of transaction had also led to sanctions.
The apex bank also warned authorised dealers from stamping or defacing dollar bills as it would fail the authentication tests during processing and sorting.
See Also;
Why Ex-Bank PHB MD, Francis Atuche’s Conviction Stands After 13-Years Of Trial
Attempts To Curb Wobbling Naira
Mid-2023, the CBN, acting out the directive of President Bola Tinubu, announced the unification of all segments of the forex exchange market, indicating that the exchange rate will rise or fall based on the supply and demand in the market.
The reason, according to President Tinubu, was the need to “stop the bleeding of our finances”.
Despite early positive signs, the Naira would eventually breach the ₦700/$ threshold hitting over ₦1,500/$ at the moment.
To tackle this challenge, the CBN swiftly implemented a series of policy measures, one of such was targeted International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs), removing the allowable limit of exchange rates quoted by them as well as limiting their operations to inbound transfers only
Another attempt was the revocation of licenses of Bureau De Change (BDCs) operators engaged in alleged unethical practices.
The Olayemi Cardoso administration also released guidelines aim to address the challenges faced by BDCs in the foreign exchange market, promoting a more stable and transparent financial environment.
The specific guidelines prohibit BDCs from engaging in certain activities.
These include street trading of foreign currencies; maintaining accounts or accepting assets for safekeeping/custody; and taking deposits or granting loans to the public in any currency or form.
Others are retail sale of foreign currencies to non-individuals (except for business travel allowance, international outward transfers, or off-shore business); maintaining foreign correspondent relationships with foreign establishments without prior approval; and opening or maintaining accounts with foreign banks or financial institutions without prior approval.
#Chivido2024 – Iyabo Ojo Lampoons VeryDarkMan (VDM) Over Davido’s Wedding | Video
#Chivido2024 – Iyabo Ojo Lampoons VeryDarkMan (VDM) Over Davido’s Wedding
Nollywood actress Iyabo Ojo has continued to lampoon controversial social media critic, VeryDarkMan, following their recent fallout.
2024 BET Awards – Tems Wins Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award
2024 BET Awards – Tems Wins Dr Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award
Tems was the only Nigerian on the winners’ list at this year’s BET Awards held at Los Angeles’s Peacock Theater on Sunday night.
Video ¦ El-Kanemi Warriors Defeated Abia Warriors To Claim 3rd Federation Cup Title
El Kanemi Warriors today won a third Nigerian FA Cup after they defeated Abia Warriors 2-0 in the final of the cup competition played in Lagos.
Ibrahim Salihu netted a brace for the Maiduguri club. He hit target in the 31st and 65th minutes.
This was after the Abia Warriors goalkeeper Ali Ishaku saved a penalty as early as the 12th minute.
El Kanemi, who previously won the cup in 1991 and 1992, will represent Nigeria in the CAF Confederation Cup.
They have also regained their place in the NPFL after they won promotion during an NNL playoff.
In the women’s version of the President Federation Cup, Rivers Angels pipped Naija Ratels 1-0 to win the competition.
WAFU B U20 ¦ Ghana’s Black Satellites To Play Royal Antwerp U23, K. Rumstse SK, In Friendly Matches
Ghana’s Under-20 male national team, the Black Satellites, have arrived in France for a three-week tour in Europe in preparation for the 2024 WAFU B U20 tournament.
Head Coach Desmond Ofei and his 22-man squad arrived in France on Thursday June 27, 2024, to kickstart the European training tour.
The Black Satellites will play in a series of friendly matches in France and also in Belgium.
The team will battle Belgian outfit KV Mechelen on Tuesday July 2, 2024 at the K. Rumstse SK, Doelhaagstraat, 70, Tourcoing, Nord before facing Royal Antwerp U23 side on Sunday July 19, 2024 at the Oude Bosuilbaan 54a, 2100, Antwerp.
The Ghanaian team will hold regular training sessions at the Rue de l’Union à 70, Tourcoing, Stadium, Nord.
Coach Desmond Ofei will use the three week training period to trim the rough edges of the team in preparation for the 2024 WAFU B U20 tournament.
The Black Satellites have regrouped for the first time since their Gold winning feat at the 2023 All Africa Games
Why Bank PHB MD, Francis Atuche’s Conviction Stands After 13-Years Of Trial – Supreme Court
After about 13 years of trial, the Supreme Court, on Friday morning upheld the conviction of the former Managing Director of the defunct Bank PHB Plc, Mr Francis Atuche.
In the unanimous judgment read by Justice Moore Adumein, the Supreme Court held that the appellant, Francis Atuche, did not attempt to dislodge the finding of the trial court and the Court of Appeal on his credibility.
The court in relying on its previous decisions to the effect that where the decision of a trial court on the demeanor of a party or witness is supported by the documentary evidence tendered, an appellate court has no business in tampering with the decision of the court.
In conclusion, the court held that the appellant had not given it any reason to tamper with the concurrent finding of the two lower courts.
Mr. Atuche, his wife, Elizabeth and one Mr. Ugo Anyanwu had been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2011 before Justice Lateefat Okunnu of the Lagos High Court in a prosecution that was handled by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Kemi Pinheiro on behalf of the EFCC.
The trio were arraigned on a 27 count amended information over a N25.7 billion fraud.
On June 16, 2021, Justice Okunnu in a judgment that lasted about 12 hours, convicted Atuche alongside a former Chief Financial Officer of the bank, Ugo Anyanwu.
The court convicted the duo on 21 of the 27-count amended charge of conspiracy to commit felony and stealing brought against them by the EFCC.
Justice Okunnu held that the EFCC successful proved its case against the convicts beyond reasonable doubt.
Atuche and Anyanwu were sentenced 12 years and and 10 years respectively by the High Court.
However, it was reduced by the Court of Appeal, with Atuche getting six years while Anyanwu got eight years.
She freed Atuche’s wife, Elizabeth on the grounds that the EFCC failed to link her to the crime. The court insisted that suspicion no matter how strong cannot take the place of fact.
The judge held that it was not proven that she was aware of the source of the funds she received into her account from her husband and she had no powers to take any decision to influence the transaction.
The convicts were to serve their jail terms at the Kirikiri Maximum Correctional Facility in Lagos.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, the convicts approached the appeal court and on the 23rd of June, 2022, the Court of Appeal affirmed the conviction of both men.
The appellate court also clarified that Atuche’s jail term, as handed down by the lower court, is six years concurrently, rather than 12 years.
The Justices, however, reduced Anyanwu’s sentence from 10 years to eight years.
They also upheld the discharge and acquittal of Atuche’s wife, Elizabeth.
On further appeal to the Supreme Court, the apex court earlier this year heard Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Wole Olanipekun leading Chief Anthony Idigbe and Prof. Fidelis Oditah in the appeal which was initiated by Mr. Atuche against his conviction, while Dr. Kemi Pinheiro who held the fiat of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation led the team of lawyers representing the State including Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Sebastine Hon.
The unanimous decision of the Supreme Court this morning brings to finality this criminal charge after over thirteen years.
Suspected Killer Of Glory Adekolure, A UNIBEN Fresh Graduate, Apprehended In Asaba – Police Confirms
Edo State police command has confirmed the arrest of the suspected murderer of a University of Benin (UNIBEN) fresh graduate known as Glory Adekolure, 15-days after the deceased was declared missing.
According to the Edo state Police commissioner, Funsho Adegboye, the suspect was nabbed in Asaba Delta State.
See Also ¦
Baba Ijesha ¦ Three Reasons Appeal Court Upheld Nollywood Actor’s 5-Year Jail Term Conviction
Glory Adekolure had gone for her final clearance on June 13, however, it was her dead body that was found under a tree on a street in Iyowa community, Benin city.
Funsho added that, the suspect who confessed to the killing of Glory Adekolure, and seven other young women, is yet to be paraded as investigation is still ongoing, says the Police commissioner.
Tobi Amusan Eligible To Participate In Paris 2024 Olympics As CAS Dismisses Doping Case
Nigeria’s 100m hurdles world record holder Tobi Amusan has been cleared to run in the Paris Olympics after the sport’s top court on Friday dismissed appeals against the decision to clear her of a doping offence.
Amusan, 27, was charged in July 2023 with missing three anti-doping tests in 12 months but was cleared of the offence by the Disciplinary Tribunal of the sport’s governing body, World Athletics.
However, World Athletics and the World Anti-Doping Agency appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against that decision.
CAS said in a statement that its panel “unanimously acknowledged that the athlete committed two filing failures but did not confirm the existence of a missed test, alleged by WA and WADA, which would have been the third Whereabouts Failure committed within 12 months.”
Amusan set the world record of 12.12 seconds in the world championships in Eugene, Oregon, in July 2022 and went on to win the title.
She finished sixth in the world championships in Budapest last year.
World Athletics’ anti-doping rules say any athlete failing to declare their whereabouts for a doping test on three occasions over 12 months is ineligible to compete for two years.
How Men With Low Sperm Count Can Impregnate Women
Having a low sperm count can significantly make it more difficult to conceive naturally, and although it only takes one sperm to fertilize an egg, the journey getting there can be a tough one! So, the more sperm your partner has, the better, but it is possible to get pregnant if your partner has low sperm count, even with no treatment.
Male factor infertility is a typical problem but conception itself is a complex process with numerous hurdles. Fortunately, if your partner suffers from male infertility, you and your partner can still have biological children. Treatment can increase your chances, and options are available.
The first step to treating male infertility is finding out what is likely causing it. If you have been unsuccessful in your attempts to conceive, it is time to work with a fertility clinic near you. You and your partner can increase your chances of conception by talking to a healthcare provider. You could consider trying assisted reproductive therapies like IVF using donor sperm. As long as a man produces some amount of sperm, there’s a chance he could get a woman pregnant. In fact, some couples dealing with low sperm counts or abnormal sperm are still able to conceive without any additional interventions. But others might need help in the form of fertility treatments. If you and your partner haven’t been able to get pregnant after trying for a year, consult with your doctors.
See Also ¦
Why Cooked Food Shouldn’t Be Refrigerated For More Than 3 Days – NAFDAC Advices
A low sperm count, also called oligospermia, is where a man has fewer than 15 million sperm per milli-litre of semen, while the average is around 75 million sperm per millilitre of semen. This condition is often a major cause of male infertility. There are many reasons why a man might have a low sperm count, and in some cases, it may not be obvious as to what’s causing the problem. Some common risk factors can include being obese, having experienced trauma or surgery in or around the testicles, and taking certain medications that can interfere with sperm production.
A man’s sperm count can be low for a variety of reasons, and in some circumstances, the cause may not be visible. Obesity, testicular damage or surgery, and the use of certain drugs that can interfere with sperm production are also common risk factors. Other risk factors for low sperm count include smoking, which impacts sperm volume, count, and motility. Drinking alcohol might lead to impotence and lower sperm quality.
Drug usage can disrupt hormone levels and cause DNA harm. Approximately one third of marijuana consumers have decreased sperm counts. Diabetes is associated with reduced levels of testosterone. Luckily, most of these are related to lifestyle choices and environmental factors that can easily be changed in order to reverse the effects of infertility.
To increase the chances of conception, men that have a low sperm count should consider incorporating certain lifestyle choices that can help increase sperm production and overall wellbeing by doing things such as obtaining a healthy weight, quitting smoking, reducing alcohol intake, and eating a healthy, balanced diet.
Men can have surgery to remove sperm transport blockages or swollen veins (varicocele), albeit this is a rare option. Hormone treatments and pharmaceuticals can address infertility caused by high or low hormone levels, as well as issues with hormone metabolism. But the fact is that pregnancy with low sperm count may necessitate fertility treatment and several factors contribute to successful conception.
The bottom line is that a healthy sperm must reach a matured egg and fertilize it. As said earlier, if a man has a low sperm count, there are substantially fewer sperms available to try that voyage, reducing the chances of conception significantly.
Treatment for male infertility varies depending on the cause but the majority of treatments for men with significantly low sperm counts or motility are mostly effective with combination of IVF and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI). The multi-step procedure stimulates ovulation so that matured eggs can be collected from you and fertilized in the lab and the healthiest embryo(s) are then transferred into your uterus
IVF has a high rate of success, but by combining IVF with ICSI, the success rate can be increased even further for men with low sperm count. ICSI involves collecting a sperm sample and cleansing it to isolate the strongest, healthiest sperm. Then a single sperm is collected and injected directly into the egg for fertilization. IVF with ICSI is often the best treatment option for men with low sperm count. If you’re still not having any luck getting pregnant with your partner after several failed attempts, then treatment might be the next step for both of you to take. Just keep on trying, there’s always the possibility that you can conceive successfully with him.
Baba Ijesha ¦ Three Reasons Appeal Court Upheld Nollywood Actor’s 5-Year Jail Term Conviction
The Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal on Thursday upheld a previous ruling by a Lagos State High Court, confirming a five-year prison sentence for Nollywood actor Olanrewaju James, also known as Baba Ijesha, for the sexual assault of a minor aged 14.
The Court of Appeal, in a judgment delivered by Justice Folashade Ojo, upheld the conviction of Baba Ijesha on two counts, specifically indecent touching and sexual assault of a 14-year-old minor.
Justices Abdullahi Bayero and Paul Bassi concurred with the lead judgment, aligning themselves with Justice Folashade Ojo’s decision.
Justice Folashade Ojo delivered a judgment setting aside Baba Ijesha’s conviction for indecent treatment and sexual assault, citing that the testimony of the prosecution’s witness (PW1), Damilola Adekoya, was hearsay, and therefore, unreliable.
However, Justice Ojo ruled that the testimony of Adekoya was a credible eyewitness account of the events that occurred on April 19, 2021 and that eyewitness testimony is a reliable and effective way to prove the commission of a crime.
Furthermore, the court noted that the appellant had voluntarily confessed to the crime committed on April 19, 2021, and failed to dispute or challenge Adekoya’s statement throughout the entire proceedings.
Justice Ojo observed that the appellant made two confessional statements, one at the Sabo Police Station in Lagos State on April 19, 2021, and another at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti on April 28, 2021, both of which were admitted as evidence in court.
Baba Ijesha had appealed his conviction in April, stating that, the event that led to his arrest and arraignment was a set up.