Sports
2014 AWC: Nigeria, Cameroon In Crunch Finals ’Morrow
Cameroon will meet Nige
ria in tomorrow’s final of the African Women’s Championship after both teams won their semi-finals by a 2-1 scoreline.
It also means the pair have qualified for next year’s Women’s World Cup in Canada.
Nigeria overcame South Africa in Wednesday’s earlier kick-off, with a first-half brace from Asisat Oshoala setting them on their way to victory.
Jane Refiloe reduced the deficit for the South Africans but the Super Falcons held on.
In the other semi-final, Cameroon needed extra-time to beat Ivory Coast and reach the final for the first time.
Captain Christine Manie hit the winner in the 118th minute, heading in from a corner.
Only twice since the first African Women’s Championship in 1991 have Nigeria failed to win the trophy. Equatorial Guinea are the only other winners – in 2008 and 2012
Gaelle Enganamouit had opened the scoring for Cameron on 60 minutes, only for Ines Tia to equalise from close range.
Cameroon’s success in reaching the Women’s World Cup for the first time can transform the game in the country, according to their coach.
Enoh Ngatchu told Tidesports source: “We have more girls playing soccer, we are better organised – with this qualification, many things will change.”
He said he hoped members of his squad would benefit financially from their success so far – with professional contracts potentially on offer to some of his stars.
“Nobody expected us to reach this level,” he added. And it is clear he believes the Super Falcons of Nigeria are the favourites for Saturday’s showpiece, even though Cameroon’s record in the women’s game is a strong one.
“They’re still the best – but we’ll do everything possible to make the game difficult [for them] and grab the trophy,” he declared.
For eight-time champions Nigeria, winning back the trophy is only part of the challenge.
They want to translate continental dominance into success on the global stage – and in young striker Oshoala they may have the talent to do just that.
She was the top scorer in the recent U20 Women’s World Cup, in which Nigeria were beaten finalists – and has been in good form at this tournament in Namibia.
“I was at the Nations Cup two years ago in Guinea – but I didn’t play,” she told the BBC.
“[The U20 World Cup] has really upped my game – I was able to try one or two things and it came out fine, so I’m very happy.”
With Africa having three places at the senior Women’s World Cup next year, South Africa and Ivory Coast, the beaten semi-finalists here, still have a chance of making it with victory in the third-place match.
Dolphins players outsnarting an opponent during a Glo league matchs recently
Hon Dike who spoke with sports journalists shortly after the flag off the 2024 edition of Chairman’s Football Unity Tournament at Botem Tai in Tai LGA, said the tournament is an annual event to promote peace and unity in Tai as well identify budding talents in the area for global competition.
The opening ceremony of the tournament was more like a carnival was witnessed by huge crowd including prominent indigenes of Ogoni Kingdom, sports lovers and people from all works of life.
The LGA boss revealed that special sports committee will be setup in the area to work out modalities to strengthen sports development in Tai.
He advised the participants in the tournament from various wards in the LGA to play the game by the rules and conduct themselves in a peaceful and orderly manner and use the opportunity to showcase their talents.
Hon Dike further disclosed that his administration will also give priority attention to skills development among the youth to enhance their human capacity and promote enterprise development in the area.
Earlier in his address the Chairman of Tai LGA Football Council, Elder Wisdom Gorgor said the annual football competition has been a unifying factor in Tai LGA that need to be sustained to forge more unity and development in the area.
He urged the participants to see the competition as an opportunity to embrace football as a full career and earn sustainable livelihood.
Elder Gorgor who commended the Chairman of Tai LGA, Hon Dike for his visionary leadership and tremendous development achievements recorded in the LGA under his administration, appealled to the Chairman to build a Mini Sports Stadium in the area to promote sporting activities.
The training was held at the Sani Abacha Stadium Indoor Basketball Court in Kano last Saturday.
According to the Vice President and Head of NBA Nigeria, Gbemisola Abudu, the event was part of the league’s commitment to growing broader basketball ecosystem in Nigeria and making the game more accessible across the country.
“Our first Jr. NBA clinic in Kano speaks to our commitment to growing the game in Nigeria and creating more opportunities for boys and girls to learn and play the game,” Abudu said.
“Nigeria has a rich basketball history and abundance of talent, which is evident every time you watch an NBA game. We look forward to continuing to engage with basketball stakeholders, business leaders and members of the community to further the game’s reach and impact on young people around the country,” she added.
The 2024 basketball initiative clinics of NBA Nigeria also included the league’s inaugural Jr. NBA elite camp for 150 boys and age-16 girls held at the American International School in Lagos in July.
Others include the NBA’s building of 1,000 courts in Africa over the next decade, Nigeria’s Festival Coins and Salubata named the top two winning businesses at NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator’s inaugural Demo Day in New York City held last September, and the third edition of “NBA Meets Art,” a curated installation celebrating basketball through the lens of Nigerian art and culture as part of West Africa’s premier art fair Art X Lagos, held in November.
Central to this vision is the federation’s investment in capacity building, evident in the just-concluded one-week Level 1 Badminton World Federation (BWF) Coaching Course, which marked a significant milestone for Nigerian badminton.
Held in Abuja, the course brought together 13 young coaches from across Nigeria. The last time such a course was held in the country was in 2017, making this a historic and transformative step.
The training was facilitated by the Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA) in partnership with the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) and conducted by Dr. Ahmed Radah, the BCA Development Manager.
Radah, impressed by the talent he witnessed, praised Nigeria’s potential.
“Nigeria is blessed with immense talent and a strong badminton tradition. I believe this country has what it takes to dominate on the global stage,” he remarked.