Sports
Africa Cup Track: Nigeria Leads Table With 21 Medals
Team Nigeria in day two of the African Cup Track have continued to dominate the Championship, winning 21 medals.
Tidesports source reports that Team Nigeria won eight gold, 10 silver and three bronze medals in twelve events at the weekend.
The 2019 Africa Cup Track Cycling is holding at the Velodrome of the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja.
In the Women Junior individual pursuit Tawakalt Yekeem won first Gold for Nigeria, Mary Samuel won Silver, and Salma Salahedin from Egypt won Bronze.
Also in Women Elite Individual pursuit, Ebstissam Zayed from Egypt won Gold , Ese Ukpeseraye from Nigeria won Silver and Awa Bamogo of Burkina Faso had Bronze.
In the Men junior individual pursuit, Nigeria’s Bethel Okeyah and John Gabriel clinched gold and sliver respectively while Jacques Nizeyimana of Burundi won bronze.
In Team Men Elite individual event, Assem Khalil won Gold for Egypt while Kurotimi Abaka and Qodiri Ajibade won silver and bronze for Nigeria.
In Women Junior Sprint, Tawakalt Yekeem from Nigeria won Gold while Mary Samuel won Silver also for Nigeria and Hadir Ossam secured bronze for Egypt, while in the women elite Team Sprint, Rita Oveh won Gold and Ese Upkeseraye won sliver for Nigeria and Awa Bamogo won bronze for Burkina Faso.
For the Men Junior Team Sprint, Nigeria’s Bethel Okeyah won Gold, Ahmed Elsenfawi of Egypt had sliver and Shedrack Igunbor won bronze.
Result of the Women Elite point race showed Ebtissdam Zayed of Egypt winning gold, Rosemary Marcus of Nigeria with Silver and Awa Bamogo won bronze.
In the Women Junior point race, Nigeria’s Mary Samuel, Grace Ayuba and Tawakalt Yekeem clinched Gold, Silver and bronze respectively.
However, Mounier Elzhari of Morroco won gold, Caleb Kalizibe from Nigeria won sliver and Ahmed Mohammed of Egypt won bronze in the men’s elite sprint.
In the Men Junior points race, Bethel Okeyah and Bethel Vitalis secured Gold and Silver for Nigeria while Jacques Nizeyimana of Burundi won bronze.
Results for the Men Elite point race showed Qodiri Ajibade from Nigeria winning gold, Mohammed Sadki of Morroco with sliver while Daouda Soulama of Burkina Faso clinched the bronze.
Tidesports also report that Nigeria has eight gold, 10 silver and three bronze, followed by Egypt with three gold,one sliver, three bronze.
Burundi has two bronze; Burkina Faso, four, and Morocco, one gold and one silver on the second day of the championship.
Nigeria has won the bid to host the next edition of the prestigious All Africa Challenge Trophy in 2026.
The AACT is a biennial continental ladies’ golf championship in Africa that had its inaugural edition in May 1992 in Zimbabwe.
Nigeria hosted the AACT in 1996 at the Ikoyi Club 1938, while in 2010, the AACT was played at the IBB International Golf and Country Club, in Abuja.
This would be the third time Nigeria will be hosting the championship.
Interestingly, the West and Central Africa Challenge Trophy (a regional version of the championship) was held for the first time in Nigeria at the Lakowe Lakes Golf Estates and Resort, Lagos, in 2023.
Evelyn Oyome, the President of the Ladies Golf Association of Nigeria, who was the leader of the Nigerian delegation to the championship’s 16th edition in Morocco, said Nigeria emerged winner amongst the 20 countries that took part in the bidding process.
“Nigeria had earlier hosted the West, Central Africa Challenge Trophy in October last year at the Lakowe Lakes Golf Estate and Resort in Lagos, showcasing its outstanding golfing facilities, with no fewer than 10 countries participating.
“So, hosting that championship successfully last year gave us the edge amongst so many other countries that also bidded and winning was a huge victory for Nigeria,” she said.
Oyome revealed that the Federal Capital Territory would be the host city for the AACT 2026 edition, with no fewer than 30 countries expected to participate in the championship.
Super Eagles B co-handler Fidelis Ilechukwu has revealed that Kano Pillars duo Ahmed Musa and Shehu Abdullahi were initially listed in the 30-man squad for the 2024 CHAN qualifiers double header clash against Ghana, but were dropped over their ineligibility.
Musa and Shehu, who made sensational returns to Kano Pillars this season, were conspicuously missing when the Nigeria Football Federation revealed the names of 30 Nigeria Premier Football League stars for the assignment.
The CHAN Eagles are currently camping in Ikenne, Ogun State. They will play the first leg of their encounter in Accra on Sunday, December 22 before returning to Uyo for the return leg on Saturday, December 28.
“I was told he (Musa) didn’t meet up with the conditions of playing in the CHAN tournament or qualifiers,” Ilechukwu told our correspondent.
“Ahmed Musa was on our list, there is no way we wouldn’t have included him in the list with his performances in the league but they told us to replace him due to eligibility.
When asked if the same applied to Shehu, the coach replied in the affirmative.
According to CAF regulations, only footballers playing in their country of birth are eligible.
While the above rule favours both Musa and Shehu, their participation was perhaps made difficult by another CAF regulation which says, “Only players with a permanent contract registered in a local club affiliated to their national association are eligible to participate in the African Nations Championship” – as both players are in the NPFL under the Elite Player Scheme.
According to section 9.91 of the NPFL Framework and Rules, “There shall be an Elite Player Scheme wherein each Club shall be allowed to register a maximum of two players who in the opinion of the NPFL will add value to the league.”
The Federal Capital Territory is set to host the 2024 Annual General Assembly (AGA) of the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) on Tuesday, December 17, 2024.
In a statement released yesterday, the Chief Operating Officer, Modupe Shabi, confirmed that all arrangements have been finalised for the AGA, which will take place at Fabino by Toprank Hotels, Abuja.
The AGA meeting promises to be a significant gathering in charting a way forward for the women’s football rising agenda and the women’s football leagues in Nigeria.
Key stakeholders, including board members and representatives of Premiership and Championship clubs, will review the successes and challenges of the outgone 2023/2024 season.
Notably, Edo Queens emerged champions of the NWFL Premiership for the first time, while Honey Badgers and Ibom Angels secured promotion to the Premiership from the NWFL Championship.
The AGM will also focus on sustaining the league’s growing credibility and improving operations while setting the calendar and start date for the 2024/2025 NWFL Premiership and Championship campaigns.
This pivotal meeting aims to further strengthen women’s football in Nigeria and lay the groundwork for the league’s continued growth.
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