Sports
Cameroon Beat Nigeria In U-19 Volleyball Opening Match
Cameroon Under -19 Girls Volleyball team on at the weekend beat Nigeria 3-1 in the opening match of the 2022 U-19 African Nations Volleyball Championship.
The match, played at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, saw Nigeria team manage to win only the first set by 29-27.
They were unable to win the remaining sets because the Cameroonian girls defended their supremacy in the game.
Nigerian girls lost the second set 20-25, lost the third set 14- 25 and finally lost the fourth set by 20-25.
Speaking after the match, Cameroon’s captain said they were here to retain their title as the defending champions.
“We are happy to win our first match against Nigeria. The outcome of the match showed that we came very prepared for the championship.
“In our next match against Egypt, we will play according to our coaches’ instructions which will also end with a victory.
“We will go back home with the trophy so as to maintain our title in the championship,” she said.
Nigeria, Cameroon and Egypt are the countries participating at the 2022 U-19 Africa Girls Nations Championship.
The Championship, which started last Thursday with a technical meeting with officials, is expected to end tomorrow.
Vice president of the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC), Chief Solomon Ogba, foremost Sports Marketer and founder of Okpekpe Road Race, Mike Itemuagbor and top Sports Journalist and Media Strategist, Mitchel Obi have lent their voices in support of the Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF).
The personalities with backgrounds in sports administration, marketing and media spoke separately in commendation of the festival, an initiative of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) with Dunamis Icon as consultants.
“This is a positive addition to the evolving sports business ecosystem because it is not just a springboard for identifying talents, it also offers a platform to truly hone the skills of those already discovered”, remarked Obi, who served as Special Advisor to a former Sports Minister, late Anthony Ikhazabor.
He said the festival will be a flagship event in the region that would trigger interest in sports among the youths and people of the region.
Edo State-born Itemuagbor commended the NDDC for the decision to add sports in the list of their intervention projects in the region, adding that: “This speaks directly to the problem of youth restiveness which is of great concern to our people.”
Raphael Onyedika has now emerged as a major doubt for the Super Eagles’ must-win 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe later this month.
The midfielder was forced out early from last week’s league game against Standard Liege.
He has not recovered from the injury and so will miss today’s league match against Gent and may also miss a UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash against Aston Villa yesterday.
The Super Eagles take on Rwanda in Kigali on March 21, before they face Zimbabwe in Uyo four days later in crucial World Cup qualifiers.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Al-Khalood defender, William Troost-Ekong, has shared his experience on the difficulties of winning the prestigious Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) while describing it a must win trophy.
The former Watford FC defender has competed in the tournament three times but has yet to lift the trophy.
“I’ve been there three times now, bronze medal, silver medal, but I haven’t had the chance to win it. That remains my ultimate goal,” he told Tidesports source.
“It means so much to me and all the kids growing up in Africa and Nigeria.”