Al Ahly star Percy Tau will lead the South African attack at next month’s TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Cote d’Ivoire 2023.
The reigning CAF Interclub Player of the Year winner headlines the Bafana Bafana squad announced by TotalEnergies AFCON 2017 winning coach Hugo Broos on Thursday, 28 December.
Other noticeable selections include Mamelodi Sundown’s key players who enjoyed African Football League glory, such as Ronwen Williams, Aubrey Modiba, Teboho Mokoena, and star player Themba Zwane.
Bafana Bafana is drawn in Group E, facing Mali, Namibia, and Tunisia.
Clashes with Riley Osborne In NXT Men’s Breakout Tournament Finals
The NXT Men’s Breakout Tournament held its penultimate round on Tuesday, Robert DeFelice reports for Fightful.
In the first of two semifinal matches in the tournament that occurred on December 26, Lexis King was defeated by Riley Osborne, who picked up a victory with a Shooting Star Press after Trey Bearhill distracted King.
Later that night, Oba Femi defeated Tavion Heights defeated with a Powerbomb.
3 Members of No Quarter Catch Crew vs. Dragon Lee, Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro
Roxanne Perez vs. Arianna Grace
Ridge Holland interview
Ranch Hand or Servant Match: Tiffany Stratton vs. Fallon Henley
NXT Men’s Breakout Tournament Finals: Riley Osborne vs. Oba Femi
NXT Championship: Ilja Dragunov (c) vs. Trick Williams
NXT Women’s Championship: Lyra Valkyria (c) vs. Blair Davenport
Fightful will have live coverage of NXT New Year’s Evil as it airs on January 2.
Click here to catch up on FightFulcoverage of the December 26 episode of WWE NXT. For a full review, check out the post-show podcast on FightFul YouTube channel
World Championships: Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR) 2.01m Wanda Diamond League: Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR) 2.03m Asian Championships: Kristina Ovchinnikova (KAZ) 1.86m South American Championships: Valdileia Martins (BRA) 1.84m Pan-American Games: Rachel McCoy (USA) 1.87m Asian Games: Safina Sadullayeva (UZB) 1.86m
Season at a glance
Yaroslava Mahuchikh’s world title win felt like it had been a long time coming. But the Ukraine athlete’s gold, after silvers in 2019 and 2022, arrived shortly before her 22nd birthday, such is the measure of her precocious ability.
In March 2022 Mahuchikh fled the Russian bombardment of her native city and, after a six-day car journey, arrived in Belgrade where she added a world indoor title to the world outdoor silver and Olympic bronze she had already collected.
At the 2022 World Championships in Oregon, she won her second silver.
Mahuchikh’s form in 2023 maintained its high level. Indoors, she headed the world list with 2.02m and won the European title.
She followed victory at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Rabat with victory at the third European Games in Poland, the ideal preparation for the World Championships later in the season.
Meanwhile, Australia’s Olympic silver medallist Nicola Olyslagers was also offering clear evidence of her form, winning Diamond League meetings in Paris and Lausanne – where she equaled the 2.02m she had cleared at the Olympics – plus in Monaco.
Australia’s 2022 world champion Eleanor Patterson broke her foot at a meeting in February, but had recovered in good time for Budapest, as she demonstrated in becoming the only athlete other than Mahuchikh to clear 1.99m first time.
Olyslagers made sure of a medal by going over that height at her second attempt as Britain’s Morgan Lake, who had begun the year by setting a national record of 1.99m at the indoor meeting in Hustopece, finished with a best clearance of 1.97m.
Mahuchikh, ahead on countback, clinched gold with a second-time clearance of 2.01m – a height that proved too much on this occasion for Patterson and Olyslagers, who finished as respective silver and bronze medallists.
“I am so proud to win this gold for my country,” said Mahuchikh. “It was the first outdoor world gold for my country for 10 years, and in this difficult time is it extra important.”
The world champion remained in winning mode for the rest of the season, earning victories at the Xiamen and Brussels Diamond League meetings with respective clearances of 2.00m and 2.02m – the latter equalling the world lead.
Better still was to come in a hugely competitive Wanda Diamond League Final in Eugene, where the Budapest gold and silver medallists played it again.
Olyslagers responded to Mahuchikh’s first-time clearance of 1.98m by clearing exuberantly at the third attempt and then put the pressure on her rival with a first-time clearance of 2.01m. Suddenly the Ukrainian, defending her title, was on the back foot. She responded with a first-time clearance that restored her leading position on countback.
When the bar went up to 2.03m, the Ukrainian went over at the second attempt to set the 2023 world lead.
But the indefatigable Olyslagers once again cleared at her third attempt to move the competition on to the height of 2.05m which proved too much for both. The season had finished on a high.
Three athletes – two fewer than in 2022 – jumped 2.00m or higher during the 2023 outdoor season. Mahuchikh’s compatriot Iryna Gerashchenko was the third, clearing 2.00m exactly in Lausanne and going on to win at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Silesia with 1.98m.
World Championships: Gianmarco Tamberi (ITA) 2.36m Wanda Diamond League: Woo Sanghyeok (KOR) 2.35m Asian Championships: Woo Sanghyeok (KOR) 2.28m South American Championships: Carlos Layoy (ARG) 2.23m Pan-American Games: Luis Zayas (CUB) 2.27m Asian Games: Mutaz Essa Barshim (QAT) 2.35m
Season at a glance
Like a cut branch growing back stronger, Gianmarco Tamberi has renewed and reinvigorated his career to reach the heights.
After wrecking his ankle shortly before the Rio 2016 Olympics, an injury that kept him out for the best – or rather worst – part of two years, he has adorned his CV with honors, including a share of the Tokyo Olympic title with his friend and rival Mutaz Barshim.
And in 2023, finally, his first outdoor world medal at the fifth attempt – a golden one.
It was a close-run thing in Budapest – achieved on countback over 24-year-old US athlete JuVaughn Harrison after both had cleared 2.36m, equalling the world lead set by Barshim the previous month.
But once more, when it had come to the highest challenge, the 31-year-old Italian – sporting a half-shaven beard for the final as in Tokyo – had risen to it.
Harrison, a rising talent who placed seventh at the Tokyo Olympics in the high jump with 2.33m and fifth in the long jump with 8.15m – had laid a strong base for his Hungarian challenge. He won the Wanda Diamond League meetings in Doha and Florence with efforts of 2.32m before earning victory in London with a season’s best of 2.35m.
Barshim, targeting a fourth consecutive world title at the age of 32, also indicated strong form in setting the world lead of 2.36m in Silesia a month before the World Championships.
Tamberi’s season was lower key, but finishing second to his Qatari rival in Poland with 2.34m indicated he too was ready to improve upon his frustrating experience at the previous year’s World Championships, where he had missed out on bronze on countback.
Inevitably, Tamberi’s triumph involved drama. He scraped through qualifying with a last-gasp clearance of 2.28m. He began the final with a first-time failure at 2.25m. However, he – and his vibrant supporters – still liked his chances.
Tamberi cleared 2.25m on his next attempt before making 2.29m and 2.33m first time. But as Harrison reached the same point without flaw, it looked as if the Italian might pay for his opening lapse. Everything tipped at 2.36m, though, as Harrison incurred his first failure of the day – and indeed of the whole competition.
Could Tamberi take over the lead with a first-time clearance? High stakes. Huge support. Just the way he liked it.
Of course he could. Of course he did.
Neither man could clear 2.38m, and as the US athlete knocked the bar off with his heels at the third attempt the Italian celebrations erupted.
Tamberi thus completed a full set of major medals: Olympic, world outdoor and indoor, and European outdoor and indoor.
Barshim, unbeaten in a global outdoor championship since the Rio 2016 Olympics, claimed a consolation bronze on countback as one of three men to clear 2.33m.
He would add another gold to his collection at the delayed Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games, where he equaled the Games record of 2.35m.
Cuba’s 2016 world U20 champion Luis Enrique Zayas missed a world medal by one place after clearing what was a personal best. But he had a golden moment later in the year as he won the Pan American Games title in Santiago.
Finishing fifth in Budapest was Germany’s Tobias Potye, European silver medallist behind Tamberi in in his home town of Munich the previous year.
Korea’s Woo Sanghyeok, world silver medallist and world indoor champion in 2022, finished sixth on 2.29m. But he finished the season with two big wins – the first at the Asian Championships, where he cleared 2.28m.
The second triumph came at the Wanda Diamond League Final in Eugene, where he equaled his national record of 2.35m, with Harrison taking third place on countback on 2.33m and Poland’s Norbert Kobielski claiming silver with a personal best.
A total of five athletes cleared 2.30m or higher during the indoor season – five fewer than in 2022.
Overall, seven athletes managed 2.34m or more during the outdoor season, and 15 made it over 2.30m, compared to seven and 17, respectively, in 2022.
World Championships: Katie Moon (USA)/Nina Kennedy (AUS) 4.90m Wanda Diamond League: Katie Moon (USA) 4.86m Asian Championships: Li Ling (CHN) 4.66m South American Championships: Juliana Campos (BRA) 4.60m Pan-American Games: Bridget Williams (USA) 4.60m Asian Games: Li Ling (CHN) 4.63m
Season at a glance
The women’s pole vault at the World Championships created a moment of history as defending champion Katie Moon of the United States and Australia’s Nina Kennedy, equal on countback after clearing a world lead of 4.90m and unsuccessful at 4.95m, decided to share the gold.
As the two athletes hugged each other there were clear parallels with the decision taken in similar circumstances at the end of the men’s high jump final at the Tokyo Olympics, where friends and rivals Mutaz Barshim of Qatar and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy chose the same option.
By the time the two vaulters reached 4.90m the gold medal was between them as Finland’s European champion Wilma Murto and Tina Sutej of Slovenia failed at 4.85m after clearing 4.80m first time.
Murto claimed bronze, her first senior global medal, on countback.
So it was down to the 26-year-old Commonwealth champion and world bronze medallist Kennedy and the 32-year-old Olympic and defending champion Moon, each of whom had registered just one failure up to that point. With her 4.90m clearance, Kennedy added eight centimeters to her own Australian record, set in 2021.
En route to that moment of golden accord there were moments of individual achievement from others.
For Murto, 4.80m equaled her season’s best. For Sutej it was a Slovenian outdoor record, although she had cleared 4.82m indoors in February.
Britain’s 23-year-old Commonwealth silver medallist Molly Caudery improved her personal best by four centimeters as she cleared 4.75m to share fifth place with Switzerland’s Angelica Moser, for whom the result equaled her personal best.
Of the five contests in the Wanda Diamond League before the World Championships, Moon won three. But it was Kennedy who was inspired immediately afterwards as she won the Zurich meeting, adding a further centimeter to her national record.
Moon, however, ended with a last victory on the home soil of Eugene as she won the Wanda Diamond League Final with an effort of 4.86m.
Six women cleared 4.80m or higher throughout the year and 57 went over at 4.50m or more.
World Championships: Mondo Duplantis (SWE) 6.10m Wanda Diamond League: Mondo Duplantis (SWE) 6.23m Asian Championships: Ernest John Obiena (PHI) 5.91m South American Championships: German Chiaraviglio (ARG) 5.55m Pan-American Games: Matt Ludwig (USA) 5.55m Asian Games: Ernest John Obiena (PHI) 5.90m
Season at a glance
The men’s pole vault at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Monaco, less than a month before the World Athletics Championships, produced a highly unusual result – that is, Mondo Duplantis failed to win. Failed, in fact, to finish in the top three.
But when the big event in Budapest arrived, the defending champion earned a second world title for Sweden pretty much as he pleased.
Starting, unusually, at the relatively low height of 5.55m, the 24-year-old made six first-time clearances up to and including 6.10m to secure gold. After which he had three unsuccessful attempts to raise his world record of 6.22m by a centimeter.
Duplantis’s closest rivals did themselves proud in their efforts to remain competitive. Ernest John Obiena of the Philippines extended the contest, notionally, to 6.10m, although he was unable push on after equalling his area record with a second-time clearance of 6.00m, failing twice at 6.05m before electing for one final go at the next height up.
The 28-year-old from Manila thus added silver to the world bronze he had won a year earlier in Oregon.
The 2022 world silver medallist Chris Nilsen of the United States made the podium again after producing a season’s best of 5.95m, sharing bronze with Australia’s double Commonwealth champion Kurtis Marschall, for whom the height was a personal best.
Fifth- and sixth-place finishers Thibaut Collet of France and China’s Huang Bokai also rose to the big occasion with respective efforts of 5.90m, a personal best, and 5.75m, equalling a personal best.
The centerpiece of the 2023 season for Duplantis had been preceded by another sequence of supremacy. He began his year at the meeting named after him in Uppsala, the Mondo Classic, producing a classic victory in 6.10m – the best season-opener ever in pole vault. He also broke the record set by Olympic and six-time world champion Sergey Bubka of 11 clearances of 6.10m or higher.
On 25 February, at the All Star Perche meeting put on in Clermont-Ferrand by his predecessor as world record-holder, London 2012 Olympic gold medallist Renaud Lavillenie, Duplantis cleared 6.22m, adding a centimeter to the world record he set in winning his first world title the previous year.
That Monaco result apart, the Wanda Diamond League was something of a glory tour for Duplantis, who won in Oslo, Stockholm, Silesia, Zurich and Brussels, always with 6.00m or above, before arriving at the scene of his 2022 world record, Eugene, for the final.
There he rounded off the season in the perfect fashion as, after seeing off all opposition, he composed himself for another crack at 6.23m – with success.
It was his seventh world record.
Four men managed 6.00m or better in 2023 – Duplantis, Obiena, KC Lightfoot of the US and Sondre Guttormsen of Norway.
Lightfoot cleared 6.07m in Nashville on 2 June, improving the US record held by Sam Kendricks by one centimeter, while Guttormsen soared over 6.00m indoors in Albuquerque in March.
Lightfoot’s performance moved him to fourth on the world all-time list behind Duplantis, Lavillenie and Bubka.
Kendricks re-established himself in the top flight with a clearance of 5.95m at the post-World Championships Zurich Diamond League meeting, finishing joint fifth in the 2023 world list.
World Championships: Ivana Vuleta (SRB) 7.14m Wanda Diamond League: Ivana Vuleta (SRB) 6.85m Asian Championships: Sumire Hata (JPN) 6.97m South American Championships: Eliane Martins (BRA) 6.62m Pan-American Games: Natalia Linares (COL) 6.66m Asian Games: Xiong Shiqi (CHN) 6.73m
Season at a glance
Even before the last round of the World Athletics Championships final got under way, Serbia’s 33-year-old Ivana Vuleta dropped to her knees, overcome with emotion. She knew, just knew, that world gold was coming her way – at the fifth time of asking.
Vuleta had arrived in Budapest without having made too many waves in the Wanda Diamond League, where she had finished third in Stockholm and Lausanne, the winner on both occasions being Italy’s rising talent Larissa Iapichino – 21 in July – who had also won in Florence.
Iapichino, whose English-born mother Fiona May won two world titles and two Olympic silvers in the long jump, had earned a breakthrough silver earlier in the year at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul, recording 6.97m behind Britain’s Jazmin Sawyers, who set a British record of 7.00m.
She arrived in Hungary full of confidence. But Vuleta, the oldest athlete in the final, was freighted with invaluable experience after a long career in which she had already earned one Olympic and two world bronze medals, two world indoor titles, two European titles and three European indoor titles.
After an opening foul, Vuleta laid down a big marker with a second round effort of 7.05m, moving into the lead ahead of the 6.91m opener recorded by Tara Davis-Woodhall of the United States.
Nigeria’s Ese Brume moved into bronze position with her second-round 6.84m.
So it stayed until the fifth round – when Vuleta produced a national outdoor record of 7.14m to widen the gap between herself and the rest of the field in what did indeed turn out to be a decisive fashion.
As she gathered her thoughts, perhaps her mind turned to the world title she felt she should have won six years earlier in London. On that occasion her last attempt appeared to have bettered the leading mark of 7.02m by Brittney Reese of the United States. But she was awarded 6.91m. The Serbian team appealed after slow motion replays showed that the indentation in the sand nearest to the board had been made by the flapping bib number on her back.
It was the worst of bad luck – but the effort was ruled correctly and she missed a medal by six centimeters.
Earlier that year Vuleta – then Spanovic – had won the European indoor title in front of an arena full of jubilant fans in Belgrade with a lifetime best of 7.24m – the third best indoor jump of all time.
Both Vuleta and Woodhall-Davis jumped 6.78m with their last efforts in Budapest, confirming their respective gold and silver positions. But a final leap of 6.88m earned Alina Rotaru-Kottmann of Romania bronze ahead of Brume.
Iapichino finished fifth after a final round effort of 6.82m.
The world champion went on to earn a first Wanda Diamond League victory of the year in Xiamen before securing a fifth overall Diamond League win in Eugene.
Her 7.14m stood as the outdoor best in 2023, with three others bettering 7.00m – all in May. They were Ackelia Smith of Jamaica, who reached 7.08m, Davis-Woodhall on 7.07m, and Agate De Sousa of Sao Tome & Principe, who jumped 7.03m.
Nine women jumped 6.80m or farther indoors – two more than had done so in 2022, with Sawyers second on 7.00m and Jasmine Moore of the United States topping the list with 7.03m.
World Championships: Miltiadis Tentoglou (GRE) 8.52m Wanda Diamond League: Simon Ehammer (SUI) 8.22m Asian Championships: Lin Yu-tang (TPE) 8.40m South American Championships: Arnovis Dalmero (COL) 8.29m Pan-American Games: Arnovis Dalmero (COL) 8.08m Asian Games: Wang Jianan (CHN) 8.22m
Season at a glance
Just as he had done in the Tokyo Olympic final, Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece claimed gold at the World Athletics Championships with his final effort.
He thus earned the world outdoor title that completed his set of long jump honors – a champion at the Olympics and the indoor and outdoor versions of the World and European Championships. In continental terms, he had three indoor titles and two outdoors. So eight major championship golds. And all by the age of 25.
The proof of this Greek athlete’s extraordinary competitiveness was made plain again in Budapest by his sixth and last jump.
It had looked as if he might have done enough with his first, as he registered 8.50m. But within a round he was in second place as Jamaica’s Wayne Pinnock – whose qualifying mark of 8.54m was a world lead – jumped the same distance and moved ahead through a better second jump, a first-round effort of 8.40m as against Tentoglou’s second-round foul.
Meanwhile Pinnock’s compatriot Carey McLeod moved into bronze medal position on 8.27m.
Tentoglou came within a centimeter of matching the leader with a third-round effort of 8.39m, but the order remained the same until a riveting final round.
First Jamaica’s 2019 world champion Tajay Gayle, his left knee taped, displaced McLeod from third place, registering 8.27m and having a better second effort.
McLeod was unable to respond with his last attempt. Next came a do-or-die effort from the Greek in second place. And when it registered as 8.52m all the pressure was on the displaced leader. Pinnock’s final effort was a courageous 8.38m but it was silver rather than gold for him.
Meanwhile China’s former decathlete Wang Jianan, who had beaten Tentoglou to the world title a year earlier with his final effort, had to settle this time for fifth place and a best of 8.05m.
“The only gold medal I was missing is now mine,” said Tentoglou. “I stayed calm after my first attempt of 8.50m. I was sure that Pinnock had a lot to add. He is very strong and will give much more next year.”
Pinnock’s 8.54m remained the best recorded outdoors in 2023.
The last word at the Wanda Diamond League Final went to Switzerland’s Simon Ehammer, who a year earlier had become the first active decathlete to win a senior individual global medal in another discipline as he took bronze behind Wang and Tentoglou in Eugene.
In the same setting he won the title with a best of 8.22m.
World Championships: Yulimar Rojas (VEN) 15.08m Wanda Diamond League: Yulimar Rojas (VEN) 15.35m Asian Championships: Mariko Morimoto (JPN) 14.06m South American Championships: Gabriele Santos (BRA) 13.92m Pan-American Games: Leyanis Perez (CUB) 14.75m Asian Games: Sharifa Davronova (UZB) 14.09m
Season at a glance
What would have been the biggest shock result of the World Athletics Championships looked about to take place in the women’s triple jump as the Venezuelan athlete who had ruled the event since winning the first of her three world titles in 2017, Yulimar Rojas, stood eighth of the eight remaining contenders as she prepared for her final effort.
The exuberant Olympic champion and world record-holder had barely earned the right to make more than three jumps, her best up to that point, 14.33m, having also been reached by Keturah Orji of the United States.
But the latter’s failure to record another legal jump meant the woman who had won the Tokyo Olympic Games title with a world outdoor record of 15.67m, and who soared 15.74m indoors the following year, remained – theoretically at least – in contention for a record fifth title.
However, as the increasingly bemused defending champion failed to record a legal mark on jumps four and five, gold seemed destined for the Ukrainian who had won the European title with 15.02m the previous year, Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk, whose first-round effort of 15.00m was looking increasingly unassailable.
Until, that is, Rojas took off with a final jump that erred so far on the side of caution that her toes barely touched the leading edge of the board, giving up almost 20cm – and still landed at 15.08m.
As the eighth-placed jumper, Rojas had taken the first jump of the final round. But not even the hugely competitive Ukrainian was able to threaten the new lead, as she finished with a foul.
A final effort of 14.83m from Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts lifted her into fourth place, but Cuba’s Leyanis Perez Hernandez remained safe in third place on 14.96m.
“It was very difficult,” said Rojas. “The fact that I won the competition with my last attempt makes it very special and memorable. This is my seventh world championship gold in a row (outdoors and indoors), but this is the most special of all of them.”
Rojas had dominated the Wanda Diamond League before the World Championships, winning in Oslo and Silesia – where she recorded a world lead of 15.18m. She dominated it afterwards also, winning at Zurich with 15.15m and finishing her season by earning a third consecutive Diamond Trophy by recording 15.35m in the Eugene Final – naturally enough, the best effort of the season.
Second on the final outdoor world list was Ricketts, who recorded 15.03m in finishing second to Rojas in Eugene.
World Championships: Hugues Fabrice Zango (BUR) 17.64m Wanda Diamond League: Andy Diaz Hernandez (ITA) 17.43m Asian Championships: Abdulla Aboobacker (IND) 16.92m South American Championships: Almir dos Santos (BRA) 17.24m Pan-American Games: Lazaro Martinez (CUB) 17.19m Asian Games: Zhu Yaming (CHN) 17.13m
Season at a glance
Hugues Fabrice Zango earned his – and Burkina Faso’s – first global title at the World Athletics Championships after a dramatically fluctuating men’s triple jump final that ended with two Cubans sharing the podium with him, separated by a single centimeter.
The 30-year-old France-based Zango, who already had an Olympic bronze and world silver and bronze, completed his collection with the best of all colours after taking an early lead, losing it, and regaining it with his penultimate effort of 17.64m.
Silver went to 25-year-old Lazaro Martinez, the 2022 world indoor champion, on 17.41m, with his 24-year-old teammate Cristian Napoles earning bronze thanks to a personal best of 17.40m.
There was disappointment, however, for Jamaica’s 18-year-old rising talent Jaydon Hibbert, who had to scratch from the competition after the first round.
Having invited and received big support before his opening jump, the world U20 champion, whose 17.87m in May finished as the best performance of the year, aborted the effort immediately after his hop, stuttering to halt and appearing to be troubled by the hamstring in his take-off leg.
To add to his frustration, the mark of 17.70m he set to top qualifying would have been enough for gold.
Despite the relatively late announcement of the withdrawal of Portugal’s world and Olympic champion Pedro Pichardo, who had won the opening Wanda Diamond League meeting in Doha with 17.91m, this final lacked for nothing in terms of quality or competitiveness.
Zango, second on the 2023 world list with 17.81m, took an early grip on the contest with an opening effort of 17.37m that put him 41 centimeters clear of his nearest first-round challenger, Algeria’s Yasser Triki.
But in the second round it was as if a switch had been thrown, and Burkino Faso’s Olympic bronze medallist was pushed down to second place by the 17.41m recorded by Martinez, with China’s Zhu Yaming moving into third position on 17.12m and Napoles taking over fourth place on 17.02m, one centimeter ahead of Zhu’s compatriot Fang Yaoqing.
It was Napoles’s turn to celebrate in the fourth round. He thumped the side-boarding and roared into the cameras after a big effort that turned out to be a personal best of 17.40m – enough to move him into silver-medal position.
Zango’s response was good – 17.36m – but not good enough to raise him from the bronze medal position.
But fifth time round it all came together for him as he moved back into the lead for good with 17.64m.
“I promised to make history and I did it tonight,” Zango said. “That is the first gold medal in the men’s triple jump not only for my country, but for Africa as well. I cannot imagine the level of celebration in my country when I go back home, but I’m going to start the celebrations in Budapest.”
The season ended with a final flourish by Italy’s Andy Diaz Hernandez. Having won the 2022 Wanda Diamond League title for Cuba he retained the title for Italy in Eugene with a best of 17.43m.
Wants To See Anthony Joshua Fight Daniel Dubois now!
“DDD” Vs. “AJ?” Promoter Frank Warren, who looks after Daniel Dubois, said today that he wants to see Dubois fight Anthony Joshua, James Slater reports for Boxing News.
Warren, speaking on Talk Sport’s Breakfast show, said he would watch Dubois fight Joshua “all day long.” Dubois impressed a good deal of people with his late stoppage win over Jarrell Miller on December 23, Dubois coming through a couple of tough middle rounds as the hefty, 333 pound “Big Baby” tried to pour it on and take Dubois’ heart.
Now, Warren says he would back Dubois against any heavyweight ranked in the top 10. And it is the Joshua fight that Warren finds most appealing, most exciting. We know it’s not very likely at all that AJ will fight Deontay Wilder now, not after what Joseph Parker did to Wilder on “The Day of Reckoning” card.
Joshua may well fight Filip Hrgovic in a fight for the vacant IBF heavyweight title; we’ve been hearing about this possible scenario for some time now. But anything can happen in the heavyweight division if the money’s right, and plenty of fans will no doubt agree with Warren when he says a fight between Joshua and Dubois would be a good fight. It for sure would be an interesting fight.
“For me, [Dubois] could fight any of those guys in the top 10,” Warren said this morning. “Even AJ would be a good fight. I’d watch that all day long. I thought Daniel Dubois was brilliant (in the Miller fight). Absolutely magnificent. He proved to all his doubters that he does have heart in a tough, tough fight against a guy who is very good with his gamesmanship, was a tough, tough competitor and made him fight all the way.
He needed a confidence booster. The fight with Usyk, he gave Usyk his toughest fight. He hurt him to the body and, for me, that was a legitimate punch, and the referee giving him more than four minutes to recover was ridiculous.”
Fans still have their opinion on the, ‘was it low, or was it not?’ episode from the Usyk-Dubois fight in August, but moving on, can Dubois hang with anyone in the world’s top 10? Dubois, 20-2(19) did pass a gut-check against Miller, this a fight that some felt the 26 year old would quit in if the going got too tough.
In coming on strong to get the stoppage in the final round, Dubois arguably picked up the biggest win of his career to date. If he can keep the momentum going and if he stays active, then who knows, maybe Dubois can win some bigger fights.
It’s not clear if AJ, or Eddie Hearn, will be too interested in fighting Dubois, what is there for Joshua to really gain from the fight? But stranger match ups, or less likely match ups, have happened in the sport. And for sure we fans would tune in if Joshua rumbled with Dubois.
Two big punchers, both of whom looked pretty good in their most recent fights, both of whom have also shown some vulnerability. Picking a winner would perhaps split fans down the middle.
Would Dubois be able to crack Joshua’s chin? Or would Joshua’s power crack Dubois?
After Napoli star decided to renew his contract with The Parthenopeans
Photo by Danilo Di Giovanni/Getty Images
Chelsea are tracking a couple of strikers who could be potential alternatives to Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, even as The Athletic claims ‘The Blues’ admire the Napoli superstar Osimhen, Caleb Sage reports for The Chelsea Chronicle.
The Nigeria international recently agreed a contract extension with his club that would keep him at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona till 2026, putting earlier discussion with Chelsea over a potential move to Stamford Bridge at risk.
However, the same outlet has suggested that RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko could become another centre-forward option for the Blues if they fail to land Osimhen, with the club continuing to scout both the 20-year-old and Viktor Gyokeres.
Back in October, Calciomercato claimed that AC Milan, Chelsea and Arsenal were all interested in Sesko and that Leipzig valued him at around €50m (£43m).
Nicolas Jackson is currently Mauricio Pochettino‘s first-choice striker but has had an up and down season. He has scored seven goals in the Premier League so far, but former Arsenal forward Alan Smith thinks that the Senegal international is lacking confidence at the moment.
Photo by Ulrik Pedersen/DeFodi Images via Getty Images
Chelsea scouting Benjamin Sesko
Sesko is a very talented No.9, so of course he is going to be on the radar of big clubs.
The Slovenian has not quite hit top form at Leipzig yet, but he is still only 20 years of age and just joined them.
While Sesko has only scored three goals in the Bundesliga this season, he managed to net 16 times in 30 league appearances during his final campaign at Red Bull Salzburg.
At 6 ft 4, the Slovenia international also looks like a Premier League centre-forward, tall and powerful. Even so, Chelsea could probably do with someone who has a little bit more experience than Sesko and more proven.
Signing another young striker who may need time to adapt to the English top flight like Jackson seems a bit risky. Pochettino needs goals now, which was evident from his side’s last game against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
They just about managed to break down Wolves at the very end of the game thanks to Christopher Nkunku’s header.
Pochettino does not have time to develop centre-forwards. He needs a proven one that is ready to go now.
Emmanuel Amunike exclusive: Advice for Napoli ace Osimhen; tipping Tottenham kid for stardom & hope for Nigeria
Emmanuel Amunike is convinced by the new generation of talent now emerging from both his native Nigeria and Africa, Xhulio Zeneli reports for Tribal Football.
Regarded among the greatest of his generation, Amunike was crowned African Footballer of the Year in 1994 and the BBC African Footballer of the Year in 1996. It was a golden era for Nigerian football, literally, as Amunike and the Super Eagles won gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
“I would say the Olympic title and the gold medal that I won with the national team was a moment of pride for me,” Amunike tells Tribalfootball.com. “Also winning the African Cup of Nations was very important – but I would stick with the Olympic medal (as my favorite) because it brought a lot of attention to African football.”
Now on the Super Eagles coaching staff, Amunike says Nigerian fans can be excited about the young players on the verge of breaking through. Ahead of next month’s Africa Cup of Nations, Amunike says there may be one or two surprises to come out of the tournament.
“I think we have young promises that we have been able to develop from youth level,” he says. “I think this is a positive aspect regarding Nigerian football that we have seen these young players develop from the youngest age through now to playing in the first team.
“But still, we are well aware that football success doesn’t come only from this, but you have to get better also in other aspects. I can say for sure we have a promising young team. But we have to give them and create for them all the opportunities necessary to express themselves as best as they can.
“For some time now we have been introducing a new generation of players and we need to have some patience so they can get better.”
Of course leading this new generation is Napoli’s free-scoring centre-forward Victor Osimhen. Like Amunike before him, Osimhen has just been crowned African Footballer of the Year for his success with the Serie A title holders.
And while a big fan of his countryman, Amunike admits there’s a young Senegalese now playing in England with Tottenham who boasts the potential to match Napoli’s Nigerian ace.
“Yeah, we have seen already there are some excellent young (African) players who are currently playing in Europe,” says Amunike.
“For example, we have a Senegal player called (Pape Matar) Sarr who is playing for Tottenham, there’s (Samu) Chukwueze at Milan. And of course, Osimhen at Napoli. I think in the future we will see new names and new faces.
“The players we have now like Osimhen, Sarr, etc. are doing very well and are representing the African Nation very well.”
As for some advice for Nigeria’s star man, Amunike adds: “He (Osimhen) just needs to stay calm and focused. The good things will come to him.”
Which is exactly how his career broke for Amunike. Success as a young player with Egyptian giants Zamalek brought the forward to the attention of Sporting CP in Portugal. It was there where Amunike would play arguably his best football. After two years in Lisbon, that “dream” call from Barcelona arrived.
“Joining Barcelona was like a dream coming true,” Amunike recalls. “Every player or young player wants to play for a big team. Nowadays the situation has changed because young players only want to play for a big team but for me, it’s important to play where you can have continuity and grow as a player.
“Of course, still, teams like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, etc. have that appeal where everybody wants to go and play.”
Amunike would spend four years with the Blaugrana, though admits injury prevented him from realizing his potential as a Barca player.
“My experience at Barcelona was good. Coming from Portugal to Spain it was a big step for me, but unfortunately injuries began to happen a lot. When these injuries occur you cannot give 100% as you are not in shape.
“But when this happens you need to be strong and have the confidence in yourself that everything will become better. You must remember this is part of the journey.”
Indeed, while Amunike’s injuries with Barca would leave many frustrated, Nigeria coach Jose Peseiro’s chief No2 insists everything in a player’s career is an opportunity to learn and grow.
“Every experience has its positive and negative things and for a player its important to face them. For me, all the experiences are important, also the difficult ones, because they make you better for the future and define your character.
“And for me, all of them were important because they made me a better person and helped me to grow.”
Everything you need to know about TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nation
The Mambas are in Group B with Ghana, Egypt and Cape Verde
After a fourteen-year absence, Mozambique are back in the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations
Chiquinho Condé’s men hope to qualify for knockout stages for the first time
Mozambique is back in the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations after a 14-year absence.
The Mambas, who have been on an exciting rebuilding phase will be hoping to build from the momentum that saw them reach the quarter-finals of the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Algeria earlier this year.
The Southern African nation is pitted in a tough Group B consisting of two former champions, Ghana and Egypt along with the unpredictable Cape Verde.
They will be hoping to go beyond the group stages of the competition for the first time against their more fancied opponents when they meet in Cote d’Ivoire next month.
Mozambique sealed AFCON return after dramatic win over manager Gernot Rohr’s Benin Republic
The Mambas finished second in Group I behind Senegal after doing well to beat Benin 3-2 in a dramatic final round.
Key Player: Geny Catamo
Left-footed and versatile, Geny Catamo is capable of occupying all positions in attack, although he is most often used as a right winger or supporting striker.
His liveliness and dribbling make him one of the Mambas’ main weapons. However, Catamo’s originality lies in his ability to go beyond his wing role and evolve into a playmaker, both on the wing and in the centre. He also confuses his markers by sometimes allowing his full-back to advance ahead of him for him to then cut in and invert.
The coach: Chiquinho Condé
A hard working who demands the best from his charges, Francisco Queriol Conde Júnior known as Chiquinho Condé is a tactician that lives for the game.
A fan of the classic 4-4-2 system with a lot of hard-running, Mozambique will certainly not be an easy team to beat this season under the tutelage of Conde. Since taking over, his team is well known for high pressing and quickly recovering the ball.
The former Mambas captain also believes in a good defense and has used this in the past to frustrate his opponents, before catching them on the break.
Reinforcing shared commitment to football development, equality and inclusion in Africa
The Confédération Africaine de Football (“CAF”) and Orange have renewed their long-standing Partnership, reinforcing their shared commitment to football development, equality and inclusion in Africa.
Orange has been an exclusive telecommunications partner for CAF since 2008.
The scope of the renewed Partnership between CAF and Orange includes CAF’s most anticipated tournaments namely the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023, the TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2024 and the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025.
The new Partnership has been amended to enable Orange to focus its commitments on delivering connectivity, equality and inclusivity. Central to the Group’s sponsorship strategy is how Orange will leverage the power that sport has to connect customers and fans across Africa and the Middle East, evident in three key areas: Gender equality, Inclusion and Orange Tous Connectés.
CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe said: “Orange has been a great supporter and partner of African Football for many years. We are excited to continue working together with Orange to make African Football amongst the best in the world and self-supporting. The TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire is expected to be watched by over 800 million people and we are delighted that Orange is our partner for this Competition and the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025. Our Partnership with Orange will also support the development and growth of Women’s football on the African Continent.”
Jérôme Henique, CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa comments: “Orange is a long-term and loyal partner of football in Africa and the Middle East. Our commitment to African football spans more than 20 years, and we’re proud to host over 40 football partnerships in countries across the region, including national teams as well as numerous various youth, academy and university programme across several countries. We’re delighted to continue this important work with CAF to co-create and drive real change through common objectives.”
The partnership between CAF and Orange rest on three pillars namely:
Gender equality: Orange has committed to delivering 50/50 representation across Orange’s sponsorship portfolio, promoting equal access and opportunity. This builds on our active partnership of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and specific programme since 2018.
Inclusion: by leveraging the footprint of Orange Digital Centers, Orange is dedicated to engaging, educating and connecting young people. Through this partnership with CAF, Orange will develop dedicated programmes to support young players to develop their digital skills and training. For example, Orange aims to teach coding skills to youth by using football content and challenges to inspire them. From simple football games to tournament stats, we can use the sport they love to engage them in coding while building valuable digital skills.
Orange Tous Connectés: Orange Tous Connectés is a platform which will ensure that Orange customers benefit from seamless service continuity and connectivity to enjoy, share and participate in the sport they love.
For further inquires, please contact:
communications@cafonline.com
CAF Communication
Orange:
Vanessa Clarke vanessa.clarke@orange.com
Claire Doisy claire.doisy@orange.com
About Orange
Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators with revenues of 43.5 billion euros in 2022 and 137,000 employees worldwide at 30 September 2023, including 73,000 employees in France. The Group has a total customer base of 296 million customers worldwide at 30 September 2023, including 251 million mobile customers and 25 million fixed broadband customers. The Group is present in 26 countries. Orange is also a leading provider of global IT and telecommunication services to multinational companies under the brand Orange Business. In February 2023, the Group presented its strategic plan “Lead the Future”, built on a new business model and guided by responsibility and efficiency. “Lead the Future” capitalizes on network excellence to reinforce Orange’s leadership in service quality.
Orange is listed on Euronext Paris (symbol ORA) and on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol ORAN).
For more information on the internet and on your mobile: www.orange.com, www.orange-business.com and the Orange News app or to follow us on Twitter: @orangegrouppr.
Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trademarks of Orange or Orange Brand Services Limited.
Here are the match officials appointed for Matchweek 16 of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL). There will be five LIVE matches all together for this game week on NPFL-Live and StarTimes. Catch the matches live this Wednesday and Thursday.
Wednesday, December 27, 2023
SUNSHINE STARS v DOMA UNITED (Live on StarTimes)
Referee: Abubakar Abdullahi
Assistant referee 1: Tejiiri Digbori
Assistant referee 2: Solomon Hindan
Fourth official: Enizie Gwegwe
Kick-off: 4pm
Venue: Akure Stadium, Akure
Thursday, December 28, 2023
BAYELSA UNITED v ENYIMBA
Referee: Mohammed Grema
Assistant referee 1: Ahmad Tijjani
Assistant referee 2: Abba Abu Fagge
Fourth official: Muyiwa Oladoja
Kick-off: 4pm
Venue: Samson Siasia Stadium, Yenagoa
RANGERS v 3SC
Referee: Paul Umuago
Assistant referee 1: Usman Isah
Assistant referee 2: Mfon Friday
Fourth official: Morrison Otuwho
Kick-off: 4pm
Venue: Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu
RIVERS UNITED v BENDEL INSURANCE
Referee: Nura Abubakar
Assistant referee 1: Mahmud Yakubu
Assistant referee 2: Beauty Kabeda
Fourth official: Darlington Nwauzobilom
Kick-off: 4pm
Venue: Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt
ABIA WARRIORS v GOMBE UNITED (Live On NPFL-Live)
Referee: Bashir Salihu
Assistant referee 1: Hope Igho
Assistant referee 2: Musa Talle
Fourth official: Victor Akokoba
Kick-off: 4pm
Venue: Umuahia Township Stadium, Umuahia
KATSINA UNITED v AKWA UNITED
Referee: Hannah Elaigwu
Assistant referee 1: Abdulmajeed Usman
Assistant referee 2: Abdullahi Usman
Fourth official: Peter Bwamba
Kick-off: 4pm
Venue: Muhammadu Dikko Stadium, Katsina
HEARTLAND v REMO STARS (Live on NPFL-Live)
Referee: Bawa Buhari
Assistant referee 1: Musa Davou
Assistant referee 2: Akilu Usman
Fourth official: Sunday Oboho
Kick-off: 4pm
Venue: Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri
LOBI STARS v NIGER TORNADOES
Referee: Yemisi Akintoye
Assistant referee 1: Bello Zuru
Assistant referee 2: Tomiwa Akinwale
Fourth official: Sufiyanu Bazza
Kick-off: 4pm
Venue: Lafia City Stadium, Lafia
KANO PILLARS v KWARA UNITED (Live on NPFL-Live)
Referee: Joseph Ogabor
Assistant referee 1: Samuel Pwadutakam
Assistant referee 2: Johnbull Felagha
Fourth official: Yakubu Garba
Kick-off: 4pm
Venue: Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano
PLATEAU UNITED v SPORTING LAGOS (Live on NPFL-Live)
Mondo Duplantis in Budapest (© Getty Images)
Mozambique sealed AFCON return after dramatic win over manager Gernot Rohr’s Benin Republic
