Blog - Sports Joust

Africa will go far in Qatar 2022

Editor

-

October 29, 2022

Sam Okpodu tips Senegal and Cameroon to excel at the Mundial in Asia

By Rasheed Adewuyi

Former Super Falcons coach Sam Okpodu has tipped the Teranga Lions of Senegal and the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon to excel at the 2022 world cup in Qatar next month.

Okpodu, in an interview with Sports Joust, explained that out of the five teams representing Africa in Qatar, Cameroon and Senegal have what it takes to qualify from their groups, adding that both countries have demonstrated very high pedigree in the past at the world level.

“Senegal preparations for the Mundial are of the highest quality. I think the Teranga Lions will represent Africa well with cohesion and understanding. With Samuel Etoo’s involvement, I also believe that Cameroon will represent the continent very well,” he said.

On the timing of this year’s world cup, the former Bendel Insurance FC of Benin attacker said FIFA moved the competition from summer to winter for financial reasons.

“I don’t think the weather and injuries sustained by big players will take away the glamor from this edition because most countries have enough players to replace the injured ones and must have been working towards getting used to similar weather conditions in Qatar,” Okpodu added.

Ngolo Kante (France), Reece James (England), Diego Jota (Portugal), Alexander Isak(Sweden), Pedro Neto (Portugal), Paulo Dybala (Argentina), Kyle Walker (England) and Raphael Verane (France) are some of the stars that will not participate in Qatar because of injuries sustained while playing for their various clubs this season.

Cameroon, Tunisia, Ghana, Senegal, and Morocco will represent Africa at the world cup, which kicks off from November 21 to December 18.

Thirty-two nations will participate in this year’s competition and will increase to 48 teams in 2026.

Quique Satien says Samuel Chukwueze is priceless

Editor

-

October 27, 2022

0

Quique Satien says Samuel Chukwueze is priceless

Quique Satuen

New Villareal FC boss vetoes sale of

Nigerian attacker

By Rasheed Adewuyi

The newly appointed Villareal FC of Spain manager Quique Satuen says Super Eagles winger Samuel Chukwueze is not for sale at any price.

Reports from Goodson Park, Liverpool, say Everton manager Frank Lampard wants to sign Chukwueze when the transfer window opens in January.

According to Lampard, Chukwueze would fit into my pattern and blend with the likes of Neal Maupay, Anthony Gordon, and Damarai Gray in the attack.

“He is very fast and strong with fantastic dribbling skills. He will be a good addition if we can sign him in January,” He said.

Reacting to Lampard’s bid, Satine said Chukwueze is not for sale because he’s an integral team member.

“I am here to win trophies, and the best way to do so is to keep and work with my best players,” he said.

Liverpool and Tottenham bids were rejected by Villareal in 2020 by former manager Unai Emery after which he signed a new contract that will expire in 2024.

Chukwueze, who won the Eupora league last year, is managed by his mother.

Ogun pip Oyo state in south west final derby

Editor

-

October 27, 2022

0

Ogun pip Oyo state in south west final derby

Basketball: Ogun Beats Oyo At South West Regional Championship, Qualifies For National Finals

Ogun state FOBA team

Qualify for the national basketball final

By Rasheed Adewuyi

On Wednesday, the Ogun State Basketball team, Fortune Basketball Academy, qualified for the National Finals in Abuja after defeating Oyo State’s Hoop Dreams Basketball Academy 7-7, 10-7, 6-3, 4-5 in the finals of the Female South West Championship.

The Ogun State team had beaten Lagos State’s NUKAM Basketball Academy 4-3, 3-4, 6-5, 5-3 in the semi-final encounter to qualify for the final on Wednesday.

The dominant Ogun team overpowered their opponent, with Kehinde Kolawole firing 12 points to help her section win the quarters.

In the third-place final, the Books ‘N’ Ball of Osun State proved their superiority over Lagos NUKAM Basketball Academy, scoring 9-4, 5-8, 9-7, and 5-6 to win the bronze medals.

Addressing journalists shortly after the final held at the Basketball court of Alake Sports Centre, Ijeja, Abeokuta, the Ogun state female Basketball Coach, Adebayo Iyabode, said the competition has helped in the discovery of new talents for the state.

Coach Iyabode noted that the championship has bridged the gap between secondary school leavers and those in the league.

She said the regional qualifier has made the girls more professional and enabled the coaching team to work on their psychology.

“This Wesie basketball competition is to bridge the gap between secondary school leavers and those not yet in the league so they can learn the game.

“The team is young, and we are executing the National finals with these girls. I won’t invite any other senior players. Training females in sports generally is more difficult. We were able to train them with the best training on and off the court and prepare them psychologically.”

Meanwhile, Team Ogun and Oyo State’s HoopDreams Basketball Academy will represent the South West region at the National finals billed to hold in December 2022

Felix Owolabi rues Nigerian clubs continental form

Football

Editor

-

October 25, 2022

0

Felix Owolabi rues Nigerian clubs continental form

Dr. Felix Owolabi (MON). was in the Green Eagles CAF championship side in 1980

Laments over the state of Nigerian football

By Rasheed Adewuyi

Former Super Eagles winger Felix Owolabi(MON) is angry with the current state of Nigerian football and has expressed his displeasure over the exit of the country’s representatives at the CAF champions league last week.

Rivers FC was trashed 6-0 by Wydad Casablanca, while Plateau United lost on away goal rule after a 2-2 aggregate result against Esperance of Tunisia.

In a telephone chat with Sports Joust, Owolabi disclosed that he was not happy with how Nigeria’s flag bearers were eliminated from the money-spinning league, adding that their performances showed that the standard of the pro league had deteriorated completely.

” The destiny of any country’s football depends on the local league. If you don’t take good care of your local competitors, the clubs and the national teams will not excel at the international level, “he said.

The former Shooting Stars of Ibadan player explained that the collapse of school Sports is why football, baseball, Athletics, and other games are dying in Nigeria.

“Everything has broken down. There’s no avenue to tap the talents we have in our sports anymore because we rely too much on foreign-based players groomed by other countries. The media also contributed to the dwindling standard of sports n our country.

The 1980 African cup of nations winner said he would be willing to help revive the pro league free of charge if the newly NFF-constituted board gave him the nod to assist them.

Rivers FC and Plateau United have dropped to the Confederation Cup after crashing out of the CAF champions league.

Napoli ‘won’t sell Victor Osimhen for less than £87 MILLION.’

Editor

-

October 25, 2022

0

Napoli ‘won’t sell Victor Osimhen for less than £87 MILLION.’

Chelsea scouts were impressed with Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen when they watched him.

As the Napoli striker scores a big impression on Chelsea scouts

Chelsea is reportedly eyeing up Napoli star Victor Osimhen after scouts were left impressed with his match-winning performance against Roma in Serie A on Sunday, Henry Tomlinson writes for Mailonline.

The Nigerian forward netted the winning goal at the Stadio Olimpico after holding off former Manchester United defender Chris Smalling and then firing in a half-volley from a tight angle past Rui Patricio in the 80th minute.

Osimhen has become a crucial part of Luciano Spalletti’s side, and even though he has had an injury this season, he has still managed an impressive tally of four goals in seven league games so far.

The scouts saw him score a fantastic match-winning goal for Napoli against Roma.

His form has led to Premier League side Chelsea scouting him and have been ‘sent crazy’ by him, according to Calciomercato.com.

The report suggests that the Blues will be interested in signing the striker, but getting him out of Napoli will not be easy as club president Aurelio De Laurentiis will demand at least £87million for his prized asset.

The 23-year-old joined the Naples club in 2020 after a deal worth £69.4m was agreed upon with Ligue 1 side Lille.

Osimhen has become an important member of Luciano Spalletti’s Serie A side.

Chelsea will face competition for the striker’s signature, with Manchester United and Newcastle also believed to be in the running to sign him.

The Red Devils will need another forward should the currently exiled Cristiano Ronaldo leave the club.

However, Graham Potter’s side may have an ace up their sleeve as former Napoli captain Kalidou Koulibaly joined the club in the summer. Osimhen could be interested in a reunion with his former teammate.

Napoli wants to keep the Nigerian forward and has asked for at least £87million to sell him.

The Nigerian would be an ideal replacement for Chelsea as current 33-year-old striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is not getting any younger, and Armando Borja is still a very raw talent.

The Napoli striker has not been involved in transfer talk yet but has his focus on helping Napoli win their first Scudetto in three decades. Napoli is top of the table by three points ahead of current champions AC Milan.

Manchester United could break the bank for Victor Osimhen transfer

Editor

-

October 25, 2022

0

Manchester United could break the bank for Victor Osimhen transfer

Victor Osimhen could provide the perfect replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United (Image: DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

Old Trafford could target the Nigerian bomber to replace Christiano Ronaldo.

Manchester United will have to pay a hefty price to bring in Cristiano Ronaldo’s potential replacement Victor Osimhen following Gary Neville’s prediction, Justin Lawrence writes for the Daily Star,

Ronaldo’s second stint at United is coming to an ugly end after his latest spat with the Red Devils. The Portugal international received a fine and banishment from the first team following his petulant strop against Tottenham last week.

The 37-year-old will likely be allowed to leave Old Trafford in January, although Neville, who thinks they’re better off without him, wants him gone next week. Last week, Neville said: “Cristiano is too good of a player, too fantastic of a character, and the club has got to move on.”

Ronaldo’s exit will make room for a new striker to take his place – with Napoli ace Osimhen high on the list of targets. The Nigerian’s attacking prowess was on show when he sunk ex-United boss Jose Mourinho’s Roma side with a ferocious volley on Sunday, his fourth goal in seven Serie A games.

Osimhen’s input has helped propel Napoli to the top of the Serie A table. They also sit at the summit of their Champions League group, above Liverpool, who thumped 4-1 in September.

Osimhen could be the ideal replacement for Ronaldo, who could leave in January (Image: Getty Images)

His impact means United will have to spend big if they want to persuade Napoli to let their prized asset leave. Napoli is acutely aware of his value and has slapped an eye-watering £87million price tag on the 23-year-old, although they have no plans to let him go, according to Calciomercato.

But United legend Neville reckons Ronaldo should quit the club next week (Image: Getty Images)

Osimhen and Napoli are focused on bringing the Scudetto to Naples this season, making United’s chances of signing him even slimmer, the report added. The Italian publication’s claims enjoy the support of transfer guru Fabrizio Romano who declared that Napoli intends to retain the Nigerian attacker they forked out £81m for in 2020.

Plus, Erik ten Hag’s side faces stiff competition from Premier League rivals Chelsea and Newcastle, who are also keen on the striker. But it’s not all doom and gloom for United if Osimhen stays in Italy; Ronaldo’s exit will allow the revitalized Marcus Rashford to shine in Ten Hag’s revamped United side this season.

India 2022: Nigeria up the ante for clash against Colombia

Editor

-

October 24, 2022

0

India 2022: Nigeria up the ante for clash against Colombia

India’22: NFF boss leads Flamingos against Colombia Wednesday/punchng.com

Gusau to lead federal support for

Flamingos on Wednesday

By Rasheed Adewuyi with NFF Communique

President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, will be at the forefront of the support group when the country’s U17 girls, Flamingos, tackle Colombia in the semi-finals of this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Goa on Wednesday.

The NFF boss, who has spoken with the players and officials severally during their earlier games in the tournament, will physically witness the semi-final showdown at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa.

It is the first semi-final, starting at 4 pm (12noon Nigeria time), with the second semi-final between Germany and Spain to kick off three-and-half hours later.

Victory over Colombia – who defeated the only other African team to make the knockout stage, Tanzania, 3-0 in the last eight – will shoot the Flamingos into Sunday’s final.

The Flamingos’ odyssey in India has had an uncanny resemblance to that of the Nigeria U20 girls, Falconets, in Germany 12 years ago, at least from the quarter-final stage.

In 2010, in what was the first international tournament for any Nigeria team under the presidency of Alhaji Aminu Maigari, the Falconets had beaten the United States 4-2 in a penalty shootout in a FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup quarter-final after both teams tied 1-1 in regulation time in Augsburg.

Four days later, a 2nd-minute goal by Ebere Orji at the Bielefelder Alm in the city of Bielefeld condemned Colombia to defeat in the semi-final, and the Falconets squared to Germany in the final.

The Flamingos were the first Nigeria team to be involved in a tournament during the presidency of Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau. They have beaten the United States in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in a World Cup quarter-final and now await Colombia in the semi-finals.

It is also remarkable that Germany, Nigeria’s opponent in the final in Germany 12 years ago, is also in the semi-finals in India. They play Spain in the second semi-final on Wednesday.

Tobi Amusan’s world record run was inevitable

Athletics

Editor

-

October 24, 2022

0

Tobi Amusan

‘It was something that had been brewing for a while.’ –

Lacena Golding-Clarke

By Rasheed Adewuyi

Ex-athlete and Jamaican International Lacena Golding-Clarke has said Tobi Amusan’s world record run at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA, in July ‘was something that had been brewing for a while.’

Golding-Clarke, an Olympian and 2002 Commonwealth Games champion, is the coach of reigning World 100m hurdles champion, Amusan.

A former sprint hurdler representing Jamaica at three Olympic Games and five World Championships says she knew the 25-year-old Nigerian would break the world record and expected her to be close at the World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, in 2019.

“In 2019, before we traveled to Doha (for the World Championships), I sort of had an inclination that she may come close, but that she might run in the 12.2s,” she said in a World Athletics’ gender leadership podcast.

“In 2020, during the pandemic, we trained so hard. I felt then that Tobi could, but I did not expect the world record to be broken with such a time. I thought she could go on 12.19 or 12.18, but I am happy that I was a part of it. Hoping for a world record every year, but this year it all just happened at once,” Golding-Clarke said.

Amusan has been under the watchful eye of Golding-Clarke since 2016 and her days at the University of Texas at El Paso, where the Jamaican helped to take her from a 13.11 athlete to a 12.12 athlete.

Initially, “Tobi had it in her,” Golding-Clarke said. Still, the technical work needed attention, so the two slowly built Amusan’s general strength, followed by her mental focus, to ensure that Tobi would be ready to overcome all ten barriers. The guide for 2022 was to work on speed and to hold the hurdle rhythm through to the finish line.

Amusan is one of the athletes selected by 1AAF for the best athlete award later this year.

Lagos, Nigeria 2023 Marathon is on

Editor

-

October 23, 2022

0

Ethiopian marathoner ran the show at the 2022 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon event/ The Guardian Newspaper.

As the IAAF Confirm February 12, 2023, event

By Rasheed Adweuyi

The seventh edition of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon will hold on Sunday, February 12, 2023.

The new date has been confirmed by the IAAF, the world governing body for athletics, on its official website.

It will be the third full (42.195 kilometers) marathon of the new year listed on the website of World Athletics after the Buriram Marathon in Thailand and the Osaka Women’s Marathon in Osaka, Japan.

The Access Bank Lagos City Marathon is the first 42.195 kilometers road race to have a World Athletics label rating in Nigeria. It will be one of only two full Marathons to hold in the first half of 2023 with the Kigali International Peace Marathon.

The IAAF confirms only four full Marathons to hold in Africa in 2023, with Sanlam Cape Town Marathon in Cape Town, South Africa, and the Marathon du Gabon Arise in Libreville, Gabon, which is billed for October and November, respectively.

Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan is ahead of the rest

Editor

-

October 23, 2022

0

Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan is ahead of the rest

Tobi Amusan breaks Commonwealth Games record to claim Gold at Birmingham 2022

Tobi Amusan, ahead of the rest while breaking the Commonwealth record

Tops the list of selected athlete of the year award

By Rasheed Adewuyi with IAAF press release

Sports and athletics observers rank the world-record performances of Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan, United States’ Sydney McLaughlin, and Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas as major determinants of who wins the 2022 Women’s World Athlete of the year award.

They also believe one of the three record-breakers is in line to become the best athlete of 2022.

The trio did not just smash the world’s best performance in their respective events but were also ranked number one in those events. Amusan, in particular, established herself as the world’s number-one sprint hurdler in 2022.

The 25-year-old Nigerian did not just end her season as the fastest 100m hurdler of the year; she became the fastest woman in history for the event following her stunning world record run of 12.12s at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA.

She followed that up by winning the gold medal in the competition, the biggest of the four major titles she won in 2022.

She had retained her African crown earlier and added the Commonwealth and the Diamond League titles following her breezy triumph in Oregon.

McLaughlin broke the world record twice this year, with her most recent barrier-breaking performance coming in Eugene in 50.68 seconds, arguably one of the greatest performances in the history of the sport.

Sydney McLaughlin, moments following breaking her world record in 400m hurdles

She achieved the feat on her way to winning the world 400m hurdles title, her only major honor of the year.

For the Venezuelan Rojas, coached by the great Ivan Pedroso, the standout moment of her year came at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, where she won her third successive title in an outright world record of 15.74m, adding seven centimeters to the world record she set when winning Olympic gold in Tokyo, Japan last year.

Yulimar Rojas, while making her historical jump.

She also won the World outdoor title in Oregon and the Diamond League trophy in Zurich.

SPORTS JOUST

SPORTS JOUST

SPORTS JOUST

Pulses PRO

Africa will go far in Qatar 2022

Quique Satien says Samuel Chukwueze is priceless

Ogun pip Oyo state in south west final derby

Felix Owolabi rues Nigerian clubs continental form

Laments over the state of Nigerian football

Napoli ‘won’t sell Victor Osimhen for less than £87 MILLION.’

As the Napoli striker scores a big impression on Chelsea scouts

Manchester United could break the bank for Victor Osimhen transfer

India 2022: Nigeria up the ante for clash against Colombia

Tobi Amusan’s world record run was inevitable

Lagos, Nigeria 2023 Marathon is on

Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan is ahead of the rest

About Us

Popular Category

Editor Picks

AEW Dynamite Preview – Lights Out Match

Women’s AFCON 2026 final draw’s set