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Saudi Arabia snatch late draw against Super Eagles

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Nigeria’s senior national football team, Super Eagles, on Friday succumbed to a late goal to share the spoils 2-2 with Saudi Arabia in a friendly match. 

Kelechi Iheanacho had come off the bench to give Nigeria the lead after the West Africans went behind. But a late free-kick from the Saudis saw the game end in a draw.

The Leicester City forward struck in the 81st minute for the Super Eagles against the Middle East side in Portugal but his goal was not enough for Nigeria.

The Green Falcons had taken the lead in the hour-mark after goalkeeper Francis Uzoho mishandled a corner kick, flicking the ball into his own net.

But just 13 minutes later, following a quick counterattack, the Saudi Arabia goalkeeper deflected Victor Boniface’s strike to level scores for Jose Peseiro’s boys.

Yearning for more, Nigeria launched attacks after attacks. Iheanacho, who replaced Samuel Chukwueze in the 64th minute, then latched onto a loose ball at the edge of the box and sent it to the top-left corner of the net. Advantage Nigeria!

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But the Super Eagles conceded a freekick on the edge of the box deep into added time. The strike deflected off a Nigerian player to give Roberto Mancini’s side a draw.

Nigeria will now play Mozambique in another friendly match on Monday as the team prepare for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Before Friday’s game, Nigeria were drawn in Group A of the 2023 AFCON where they were pitched against hosts Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, and Equatorial Guinea. The Super Eagles were knocked out in the round of 16 during the last edition of the tournament held in neighbouring Cameroon.

Thrice winners of the competition, Peseiro’s charges will aim to make it a fourth-time lucky when the tournament starts early next year.

 

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WrestleMania 42: Nigerian wrestler Oba Femi beats 10-time WWE Champion Brock Lesnar

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Nigerian professional wrestler, Isaac Odugbesan, popularly known as Oba Femi, defeated 10-time WWE Champion, Brock Lesnar, on his WrestleMania debut on Sunday.

The clash, one of the headline matches at WrestleMania 42, ended on a dramatic note as the 27-year-old Nigerian overpowered the veteran.

Lesnar left his wrestling gear in the ring after the match — a gesture widely regarded in professional wrestling as a sign of retirement.

Oba Femi, also known as “The Ruler,” is a former NXT champion and has spent just three months on WWE’s main roster.

The contest began with both wrestlers testing each other’s strength before Lesnar briefly seized control with a series of offensive moves.

However, Femi absorbed the pressure and responded with a dominant display, shifting momentum in his favour.

Lesnar delivered an F5, but Femi quickly recovered, hitting a chokeslam before finishing the contest with his “Fall From Grace” sit-out powerbomb for the pinfall victory.

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The bout quickly became a major talking point on social media, with fans reacting to the upset win.

Femi, a former shot put athlete, is a two-time NXT Champion and a one-time NXT North American Champion.

Born in Lagos, Odugbesan competed in track and field during his school years before signing with WWE in 2021 through its NIL programme.

He went on to win the 2023 NXT Men’s Breakout Tournament and the 2024 Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge.

During the WrestleMania Sunday post-show, Femi sent a message to Roman Reigns, popularly known as the “Original Tribal Chief,” drawing a loud reaction from fans as he hinted at a possible title challenge before the end of the year.

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BREAKING: CAF overturns Afcon final result, declares Morocco winner

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The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has overturned the result of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals and declare MOROCCO the winner of the title.

Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in the final on 18 January in a match which was overshadowed when the Senegalese players refused to play after the hosts were awarded a stoppage-time penalty with the match goalless.

Following a delay of around 17 minutes, the players did eventually return and Brahim Diaz’s penalty was saved before Senegal’s Pape Gueye scored an extra-time winner.

However, that result has now been overturned by CAF.

A statement by the African Football’s Governing Body said that Senegal are “declared to have forfeited the final match” with the “result of the match being recorded as 3-0 in favour” of Morocco.

See also  Bring home the trophy, get $250,000, Femi Otedola promises Super Eagles
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FG  fulfils promises as D’Tigress receive national honours, house documents

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The Federal Government has fulfilled its outstanding promises to the senior women’s national basketball team, D’Tigress, delivering National Honour certificates and title documents for houses in Abuja.

The presentation took place in Lyon, where the African Champions are currently participating  at  the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament.

The move follows a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu aimed at clearing a backlog of promises made to the team following their 2023 Afrobasket victory in Kigali, Rwanda.

The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, led the delegation alongside the Director General, Hon. Bukola Olopade. Speaking during the handover, Dikko characterized the prompt delivery as a “clear departure” from previous administrations, where state-promised rewards often faced multi-year delays.

“This is a prompt fulfilment of promises made by a President who leads with action,” Dikko stated. “Mr. President is giving every Nigerian athlete a renewed confidence that sports is a serious business capable of changing lives.”

See also  Bring home the trophy, get $250,000, Femi Otedola promises Super Eagles

While the physical assets (housing and honours) have been delivered, the NSC Chairman confirmed that the cash rewards promised to the squad are currently in the final stages of administrative processing. He assured the players that disbursement into their respective bank accounts is imminent.

The Director General, Hon. Bukola Olopade, noted that the current administration of President Tinubu  is institutionalizing a “reward system” modelled after developed sporting nations to ensure high-performance outcomes.

President of Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Engr. Musa Kida, credited the Presidency for prioritizing athlete welfare, citing it as a “legacy of a lifetime” for the sports sector.

Head Coach Rena Wakama and Captain Amy Okonkwo formally accepted the documents, affirming that the timely delivery of these incentives would serve as a catalyst for the team’s upcoming international qualifiers.

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