Sports

Super Eagles players pocket $10,000 each for Egypt, Sudan wins

Published

2 years ago

January 17, 2022

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• NFF, team agree on $5000 win bonus, $2,500 for draw

Players of the Super Eagles will receive $10,000 each for the victories over Egypt and Sudan at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, it has been learnt.

This follows the agreement reached between the Nigeria Football Federation and the players over the mode of payment for wins and draws at the tournament.

The meeting between the players and the NFF officials was held before the start of the tournament in Garuoa, it was also learnt.

The Eagles are expected to receive the sum of $5000 for a win and $2,500 for a draw following the meeting.

“There is an agreement that the players will receive $5000 for a win and half of that for a draw, while they won’t get a dime for losing,” an Eagles official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.

The players and officials of the team would be paid their bonuses in full after they qualified from the group stage of the competition, it was also learnt.

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The Eagles defeated the Falcons of Jediane 3-1 at the Stade Roumdé Adjia to advance to the round of 16 of the competition, with goals from Samuel Chukwueze, Taiwo Awoniyi and Moses Simon securing their spot.

Khedr Daiyeen scored a consolatory goal from the spot for the Sudanese in the 70th.

The three-time African champions, who were yet to be paid two-match bonuses prior to the start of the tournament, would now be paid their bonuses for Tuesday’s win over Egypt and the outstanding bonuses as well, a team official told PUNCH Sports Extra in Garoua.

“We don’t discuss how we pay players their bonuses in the media,” our source added.

“Has any player complained? We are focused on our mission here and won’t want to be distracted by these issues.

“There is an agreement with the players’ representatives, coaches and the NFF officials on how everybody will be paid and we will keep up to our promises when the time comes. All we want is the boys to be focused and in doing that we have promised to keep to the agreement.”

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Nigeria leads Group D with six points and have qualified for the Round of 16 with a game left to play.

Egypt are second while Guinea Bissau and Sudan occupy second and third spots respectively.

Sports

Usyk defeats Fury to emerge undisputed heavyweight champion

Published

7 hours ago

May 19, 2024

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Oleksandr Usyk has defeated Tyson Fury to become the undisputed heavyweight boxing champion of the world.

Fury and Usyk fought at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday night.

Usyk won the bout through a split decision, edging the Briton 115-112, 113-114, and 114-113 on the cards.

Fury came out strong in the early rounds of the bout but Usyk was able to stave off the British fighter’s onslaught.

The Ukrainian gained momentum as the fight progressed, with his superior footwork and technical skill allowing him to evade Fury’s powerful blows and land precise shots of his own.

The Ukrainian floored Fury in the ninth round which was the turning point of the much-anticipated fight.

Despite Fury’s valiant effort to recover in the final rounds, Usyk’s dominance had already sealed the victory.

The 37-year-old Ukrainian is the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the world since Lennox Lewis 25 years ago. He has now unified the WBA, WBO, IBF, and WBC titles.

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For Fury, it is the first loss in his 16-year professional career — but he will have a chance at a rematch before the end of the year.

In his post-fight interview, the British boxer accused the judges of giving the victory to Usyk because of the war in Ukraine.

“His country is at war, so people are siding with the country at war,” he said.

Sports

Finidi George unveiled as Super Eagles’ head coach

Published

6 days ago

May 13, 2024

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The Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh, has officially unveiled Finidi George as the new head coach of the Nigerian men national team, the Super Eagles.

The Minister unveiled the former Super Eagles forward at an event in Abuja attended by the leaders of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) at the Media Centre of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja on Monday morning.

“Any country I find an indigenous coach sitting on the bench, I always feel very proud and I am glad that we have an opportunity that have a Nigerian coach, Finidi George, as football men national team coach,” Enoh said during the unveiling.

The former Real Betis winger was appointed permanently after the departure of the Portuguese gaffer Jose Peseiro. He an assistant to Peseiro at the last African Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast where the team finished second place.

George’s appointment was announced a few weeks ago after he took charge of the team on an interim basis for the doubleheader international friendly against Ghana and Mali.

READ Insecurity: Kebbi closes seven schools over safety concerns

His first assignment as the substantive Head Coach will be the 2026 World Cup qualifier against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa in June.

Sports

Ex-Eagles star, Tijjani Babangida’s one-year-old son dies as wife ‘loses eye’ in car crash

Published

6 days ago

May 13, 2024

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Tijjani Babangida, the former Super Eagles player, has lost Fadil, his one-year-old son, in a car crash involving his family along the Kaduna-Zaria highway.

Last Thursday, Babangida was travelling with his family — Maryam, his wife, their son, and Ibrahim, his brother — and his maid when the car incident occurred.

Ibrahim was said to have died on the spot while the other occupants in the vehicle were rushed to the hospital.

But in a recent update, Harrison Jalla, chairman of the Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria (PFAN) Task Force, disclosed that Babangida’s son also died due to injury sustained in the accident.

“Yes he eventually lost the son, a one-year-old boy,” Jalla told TheCable on Sunday evening.

Babangida’s wife is also said to have lost an eye due to the severe injury to her face. She is said to be receiving treatment at the intensive care unit of the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria.

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It is also reported that their maid suffered a fracture in her leg.

The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) on Sunday paid a courtesy visit to Babangida at the hospital.

The delegation consoled the former Eagles player over the deaths of his brother and son. They also prayed for a quick recovery for Babangida and his wife, “who has undergone a successful facial surgery”.

Babangida is the president of PFAN and was a member of the Nigeria U-23 team that won the gold medal in football at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

He had a decade with the Super Eagles, where he became famous for his speed down the wings.

Babangida was also a member of the Eagles squad at the 1998 World Cup and 2000 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).