Sports
FIBA: Lagos Gets World Cup Qualifiers Host
The Federation of International Basketball (FIBA Africa), has announced Lagos, for the second time, as the host of the 2019 FIBA Men’s World Cup qualifiers.
The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) said that the 2019 FIBA Men’s World Cup qualifier 4th round was billed to take place between September 14 and September 16, at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos.
Media Officer of Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Afolabi Oni, in a statement issued at the weekend said that FIBA Secretary General, Alphonse Bile, communicated the decision to the federation on Friday.
“The decision to award the hosting rights of the 4th window of the qualifiers was contained in a letter sent to NBBF secretariat by FIBA Africa Secretary General, Alphonse Bile on Friday.
“The latest announcement has been described by many as an evidence of the growing confidence in Nigeria by FIBA Africa to be a major player on the African continent,’’ Oni said.
President of NBB, Musa Kida said winning the hosting right for the second consecutive time will present the D’Tigers opportunity to continue their unbeaten run in front of their home fans.
“We are so excited that we have been considered by FIBA to host Group F after we made an impression last time.
“This is another opportunity for everybody to play their part in this memorable journey to China.
“The team will be banking on their home crowd as they hope to extend their unbeaten run against tougher oppositions while the fans will troop out as usual to watch their team play,’’ he was quoted as saying.
Nigeria currently is on top of Group F with 12 points from 6 games, while Senegal is second with 11 points.
Central Africa and Rwanda occupy the 3rd and 4th spots with 9 points apiece with Cote d’Ivoire and Mali having eight points each.
The Group E games will be hosted in the Tunisian city of Rades.
Tidesports source reports that the two top teams from the two groups and the overall third placed team will qualify for the 2019 World Cup holding in China.
England captain Harry Kane netted a hat-trick to guide Bayern Munich to an impressive victory against Stuttgart.
Kane’s goals, plus one from Kingsley Coman, helped Bayern end a three-game winless run in all competitions.
They faced a tough task against a Stuttgart side who sat back and limited their chances, leading Vincent Kompany’s side to enter the break frustrated and with the deadlock unbroken.
Bayern eventually found a way past Stuttgart’s steely defence when Kane drilled a low effort into the bottom corner from around 30 yards out after Joshua Kimmich overturned possession.
Former Nigeria goalkeeper, Dosu Joseph, is full of thanks to God after he miraculously survived another life-threatening automobile accident recent at Kara, along the Lagos-Ibadan Express Way, where a heavy-duty truck ran into his SUV.
Narrating his ordeal, the 51-year-old, who guided Nigeria to gold in the Men’s Football Tournament of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, broke the news in a statement on his social media handles on Friday.
“To God be the glory, another death escaped by Grace and Mercy of God. Me and my friend SM were at Enyo Filling Station after Ojodu Berger bus stop to get fuel on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, around 6 p.m. when this MACK truck fully loaded with iron, with registration number LND 470 XX, left the road and crushed my car beyond repairs. Thank God for life,” he stated.
This is the second time the soft-spoken club proprietor will cheat death by a whisker, having been involved in an accident in 1997 that ended his career at 23 and left his spinal cord in bad shape.
He helped Julius Berger win the Nigeria FA Cup in November 1997 shortly a memorable Olympic outing by keeping a clean sheet in the finals against Katsina United. The following year, he was involved in the auto along Ikorodu Road, Lagos, which not only cut his career short but also left him almost paralysed, ending his spell at Serie A club Reggiana.
The former Nigeria international, who also kept goal for Julius Berger FC, said the case has been reported to Isheri Police Station, Ogun State, where the driver is currently detained and the truck also seized.
According to him, the owner of the truck said he can’t fix the badly damaged SUV until after a year.
Ex – Super Eagles of Nigeria, Okwuchukwu Waobikeze has observed that sports development in Nigeria is going down.
According to him, grassroots sports is very important, without it, the administrators cannot get it right. So everybody should key into grassroots sports development, he said.
Waobikeze said this last Wednesday in an interview with sports journalists shortly after the Port Harcourt All Stars Independence football festival (OCTOBERFEST) at the Port Harcourt club, Rivers State.
He explained that for sports administrators to get it right, grassroots development is key. “They should be organising competition at the grassroots level to fish out the young ones for different sporting activities.
“Grassroots sports is very important so the administrators have to go back to the grassroots.
” Sports Development in Nigeria is going down we need to go back to the basics.
“Look at the just concluded Paris Olympics, Nigeria did not win any medal.
” Our football team did not even qualify for the Olympics. We are going down.
” If they should go back to the grassroots, they will get young ones in the games and talents will be developed.
” I started from school games, to youth games before playing for the national team. Now everybody wants to fly board to play professional football and a lot do not know the basics of the game.
” A lot of people did not know the little things about the game, they just want to play. It is not done so,” Waobikeze stated.
Kiadum Edookor