Author: The Nation

Lagos Boxing Hall of Fame (LBHF), the organisers of the Lagos Monthly Saturday Boxing Show yesterday announced its decision to not to host this month’s edition of the event.

The show, which brings together the best amateur pugilists in Lagos state, was scheduled to hold on the last Saturday of the month at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Sports Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos will now hold at a date later to be announced.

In a statement sent to NationSports, the secretary of LABA, Lawal Yussuf, said that the decision to not hold the premier amateur boxing event in Nigeria was to respect Muslim faithful as they undergo the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which will start on the 23rd while the boxing show was slated to hold two days later.

He said: “The Saturday Boxing Show which was scheduled to be held on the last Saturday of the month will not be held because of the holy month of Ramadan. The above stated reason has been the tradition since inception to observe a break during the holy month of Ramadan.

“This is an act of respect for our Muslim brothers and sisters as they undergo their yearly fasting.

“Moving the event to a later date will also ensure that our athletes are in top shape for the next competition in April,” he added.

As one of Nigeria’s longest running sporting events, the Boxing Show pulls hundreds of boxing fans from the nooks and crannies of Lagos State every last Saturday of the month as well as amateur boxers who are only too happy to showcase their skills in the ring.

It has been on-going since July 2009 and hosted its last edition, the 124th edition, in January. However, the 125th edition which was to be held on 25 February was also postponed because of the Nigerian general elections held on the same day.

The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, has charged the Flying Eagles to put behind Monday’s semi-finals loss to The Gambia at the ongoing U-20 Africa Cup of Nation (AFCON) and focus on the World Cup.

Dare gave the charge yesterday in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Toyin Ibitoye.

He expressed regret over the team’s inability to play in the AFCON final but commended them for picking a World Cup ticket.

“The Honourable Minister encouraged the boys. Everybody is disappointed we didn’t make it to the final but that is football for you. I believe they will redeem themselves by winning Friday’s third-place match.

“Now we have to also focus on doing a lot better at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Indonesia in May.

“There is very little time left but I believe the coaches now know where their focus should be in improving the team,” the statement quoted Dare as saying.

The Flying Eagles lost 0-1 to their Gambian counterparts in the second semi-finals of the ongoing Under-20 AFCON played at the Cairo International Stadium in Egypt on Monday.

Having lost the encounter, the Nigerian team will now square up against Tunisia on Friday in the third-place match.

Gambia U20 coach Abdoulie Bojang says his side deserves to be in the final of the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations after edging past favourites Nigeria in the semi-final.

Also, Nigeria coach Ladan Bosso shared his frustrations after his side were stunned in the semi-finals by Gambia on Monday.

The Young Scorpions are undoubtedly the sensation of the tournament in Egypt after stunning the favourites and seven-time champions in the last four match on Monday to secure their historic ticket to the final.

Adama Bojang scored the winner after seven minutes to send Gambia to Saturday’s final against neighbours Senegal.

 “I am proud of my players who keep writing the history of our football,” coach Abdoulie Bojang said.”It is extraordinary, magnificent, satisfactory, and much more than that.

“We have scored 10 goals in this competition without conceding. We’re a small country that now plays in the tournaments.”

The WAFU-A runners-up and Senegal won all their matches without conceding a goal in the tournament.

“It is a deserved victory. We will fight for the title against Senegal,” Bojang said.

“Senegal is winning everything right now. We must prevent them on Saturday.”

The final at the Cairo International Stadium on Saturday, 11 March will rekindle the two country’s footballing rivalry as they both seek a maiden U-20 AFCON crown.

 “We lost stupidly, we were naive from the start,” a disappointed Bosso. “We failed to take our chances and we also missed the penalty in the 86th minute.

“I am very frustrated because we had the team to go all the way. Football is cruel.

“We didn’t measure up. I congratulate The Gambia for winning,” he added.

Gambia joined Senegal in the final of the TotalEnergies U20 AFCON following the Young Teranga Lions’ comfortable 3-0 victory over Tunisia in Ismailia.

UEFA  said it will reimburse all Liverpool supporters who attended last year’s chaos-hit Champions League final against Real Madrid at the Stade de France in Paris.

European football’s governing body, which was heavily criticised in an independent report published last month for organisational failures which “almost led to disaster”, said its refund scheme would cover the entire Liverpool allocation of nearly 20,000.

It will also cover supporters of Real and other spectators affected by the trouble outside the stadium.

 “Refunds will be available to all fans… where the most difficult circumstances were reported,” UEFA said, adding that all ticket-holders who did not enter the stadium by the originally scheduled kick-off time, or could not get in at all, would also receive a refund.

 “Given these criteria, the special refund scheme covers all of the Liverpool FC ticket allocation for the final, i.e. 19,618 tickets.”

Real’s 1-0 win on May 28 was overshadowed by the fiasco outside, with the kick-off delayed by 37 minutes as fans struggled to get into France’s national stadium after police funnelled them into overcrowded bottlenecks as they approached.

Police then fired tear gas towards thousands of supporters locked behind metal fences on the perimeter to the stadium.

UEFA tried to pin the blame on Liverpool fans arriving late despite thousands having been held for hours outside the stadium before the start of the match. 

A Liverpool fans’ group, Spirit of Shankly, later said fans were left “fearing for their life” in a “maelstrom of chaos and alarm”.

The Spirit of Shankly and the Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association hailed the decision to reimburse supporters but said it did not go far enough.

A joint statement said the announcement “does not excuse UEFA, exempt them from criticism or lessen the need for them to implement all of the recommendations made by the Independent Inquiry”.

Lawyers for hundreds of Liverpool fans said they would continue to pursue legal action against UEFA.

 “UEFA did not just ruin the biggest event in the football season, people were injured and traumatised and any compensation needs to reflect that,” said Clare Campbell and Jill Paterson, partners at law firm Leigh Day, which is representing more than 800 Liverpool fans.

 “We will be pushing ahead with our legal claim to seek appropriate compensation for our clients.”

The French authorities claimed an “industrial scale fraud” of fake tickets was the problem.

A French Senate enquiry in July found that poorly-executed security arrangements were the cause of the mayhem.

The independent report said that “UEFA, as event owner, bears primary responsibility for failures which almost led to disaster”.

 “We have taken into account a huge number of views expressed both publicly and privately and we believe we have devised a scheme that is comprehensive and fair,” said UEFA general secretary Theodore Theodoridis.

Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann said star striker Sadio Mane was unlikely to start tonight, but warned Paris Saint-Germain Mane can still be “decisive from the bench.”

Speaking ahead of today’s last 16 Champions League match in Munich, Nagelsmann said Mane was “still finding his rhythm” after “being away for quite a while.”

 “I don’t think he will start but we still need to make a final decision on that.”

Mane injured his leg in November and required surgery, keeping him out of Senegal’s World Cup campaign. The former Liverpool striker has appeared twice off the bench in the league in the past fortnight.

 “We are very happy to have Sadio back, he can bring a spark from the bench,” he said. “Even if he doesn’t start, Sadio is a player who can be – and wants to be – decisive from the bench.”

Bayern come into the match with a 1-0 advantage thanks to a second-half goal from former PSG winger Kingsley Coman and only need a draw to progress to the quarter finals.

Twice Champions League winners in the past decade, Bayern have only failed to reach the quarter final stage on one occasion, the 2018-19 season where they were eliminated in the last 16 by eventual champions Liverpool.

Nagelsmann said attack was the best form of defence against “extraordinary” Paris striker Kylian Mbappe, who is set to start  after coming off the bench in the first leg.

 “It’s key not to just focus on defence and sit back and think about how many excellent players PSG have,” Nagelsmann noted. “Instead, we want to send our excellent players onto the field, in their best positions, so that they can be dangerous and attack the goal.”

Despite a difficult group which included Barcelona and Inter Milan, Bayern have won seven from seven in the Champions League this season, scoring 19 goals and conceding just two.

While Mbappe will return to the starting XI alongside World Cup winner Lionel Messi, midfielder Neymar will miss the match, and probably the rest of PSG’s season, with an ankle injury.

Bayern veteran Thomas Mueller said PSG would “definitely be weakened” by the absence of Neymar and his “outrageous skills”, but warned of his “favourite” player Mbappe.

Sporting Lisbon will play host to Arsenal tomorrow  as Round 16 of the first leg matches of the Europa League commence on GOtv.

The Gunners boast an unbeaten record against their Portuguese opponent and they head into the tie in good spirits. The last time both teams faced each other was in the group stage of the 2017/18 season Europa League. Danny Welbeck’s strike gave Arsenal a 0-1 victory away from home, while the reverse fixture at the Emirates Stadium ended 0-0.

Mike Arteta’s players are keen to make history this season by securing the club’s first European trophy and reclaiming the Premier League title since the 2004 Invincibles. Tune in SuperSport La Liga (channel 32) at 6:45pm to watch the game unfold.

Similarly, Manchester United will take on its third Spanish opponent in this competition, Real Betis. The Red Devils locked horns with Real Sociedad in the group stages and knocked out Barcelona in the play-off to book a place in the Round of 16.

But, Erik Ten Hag’s men head into this tie on the heels of a 7-0 defeat at the Anfield against Liverpool, which happens to be the club’s biggest loss since 1931. Ten Hag urged his team to learn from the defeat and bounce back ahead of their match against Real Betis.

 “The bad days are the days that if you do the right things, if you react with the right messages as a manager and as a team, you can learn a lot from it,” Ten Hag said, in his post-match press conference.

 “I know my players, they are good characters, they can bounce back and they will do,” he added.

All eyes will be on the Red Devils when their match begins at 9pm on SuperSport La Liga (channel 32).

Heineken, the world-renowned beer brand, has opted to extend its ‘Cheers to all Fans’ campaign to consumers.

The campaign, which was originally launched after the coronavirus pandemic to welcome fans back to the stadium, has helped add even more glamour to the Champions League.

A healthy mix of football and entertainment, the campaign has done well celebrating the passion and love fans have for the round leather game

Heineken’s Senior Brand Manager, Chinwe Greg-Egu, explained that the extension of its ‘Cheers to all Fans’ campaign to consumers is a way for the premium brand to show its appreciation for its loyal customers as they enjoy Champions League football once again.

She said: “The ‘Cheers to all Fans’ campaign has been a massive success since its launch and has been able to connect with football fans in Nigeria and globally and it has also helped to reinforce Heineken’s position as a brand that is passionate about football.

 “We are glad the campaign has been able to create a sense of community among football fans, and it has provided a platform for them to share their love for the sport.”

 “With the extension of this campaign, Heineken is looking to deepen its connection to millions of its loyal consumers in the country,” the Senior Brand Manager affirmed

While it has promised to unveil its specific activation plans now that the Champions League has entered the crucial phase, Heineken is inviting consumers and fans alike to share their passion for football and their love for Heineken by participating in their various activities.

These activities include sharing pictures and videos of themselves enjoying Heineken while watching the intriguing Champions League matches.

Fans can also participate in online quizzes and games while also attending football-related events organized by Heineken.

At the moment, the second leg games of the Round of 16 matches of the Champions League are on the front burner.

Steve Cooper has delivered an injury update on Taiwo Awoniyi and two Nottingham Forest players following Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Everton.

Awoniyi, Cheikhou Kouyate, and Moussa Niakhate are the trio of starts that the head coach has provided reports on.

Chris Wood and Emmanuel Dennis are the only fit centre-forwards, whilst Joe Worrall and Felipe are the only central defensive options.

Awoniyi has also been a huge miss. He had just started to accustom to life in the Premier League and he was playing really well in the left-sided forward role that Cooper looks to utilise.

Now, Cooper has delivered an update on the trio of Forest stars.

The head coach told the media: “Cheikhou (Kouyate) is not far away. Taiwo (Awoniyi) is not far away. Moussa is not far away. They are three really big players for us. We’ll just focus on the next game, see who’s available and commit to the plan.”

It will be such a huge boost to have the three injured players back in contention. The Reds are facing a really crucial period and perhaps those three could be the difference.

Awoniyi has scored a number of goals this season. His return would ease the burden on the likes of Brennan Johnson and Morgan Gibbs-White as the Reds aim to stay up.

• . Serie A probe racist chants against Nigerian ace

Victor Osimhen could not hide his emotion even when he was presented with the Best Foreign Athlete award in Italy at the Foreign Press Sports Award in Rome on Monday following the death of Ghanaian international Christian Atsu during the earthquakes that rocked Turkey and Syria last month

The Napoli forward, said: “The earthquakes in Turkey? I don’t know how much my jersey was sold for, even my teammates like Bartosz Bereszynski, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia sold their jerseys. Eljif Elmas organized this campaign and of course, we supported it. My condolences to those who lost their lives in the earthquakes. I also lost an African brother in these earthquakes, Christian Atsu from Ghana.

 “May he rest in peace, this is a great loss for the world of football, we all knew him and I followed him when I was very young. This is really bad news, but that’s life. What can I say? My condolences to his family,” he added.

Meanwhile, there are strong indications that the management of Italian Serie A may have begun an investigation into the racist chants against Victor Osimhen during their last weekend’s game against Lazio.

Also, French Ligue champion PSG have joined the growing list of top European teams queuing up for the services of the Nigerian ace during the summer transfer.

According to Tuttonapoli, the sports judge asked the Federal Prosecutor’s Office for a supplementary investigation into any chants against   Osimhen by Lazio fans on the occasion of Friday evening’s match against Napoli:

“Having read the report of the collaborators of the Federal Prosecutor’s Office, with regard to the chants addressed by the supporters of the Lazio club to the footballer Osimhen, he deems it necessary that the same federal prosecutor’s office acquires elements from the heads of public order, in order to report the aforementioned chants,” the statement from Serie A stated.

But according to Tuttomercatoweb, there was a secret meeting between Roberto Calenda, an agent of Osimhen, and Luis Campos, technical director of PSG. 

The meeting which was held behind the closed door was to evaluate the footballer’s future, as well as his valuation which is around 150m euro and PSG are looking for a center forward for next season.

Kelechi Iheanacho may have been vilified for missing a spate of chances as  Leicester City lost to Southampton in the  EPL tie at the weekend,  but Foxes’ coach Brendan Rodgers believed the Nigerian international will soon be back at his scoring best.

Iheanacho has been among the goals for  Leicester this season with three goals in 26 Premier League matches and  with another three more goals in as many matches in the traditional FA Cup as he took his total tally to 18 goals from 24 appearances from his days at Manchester City.

But his scoring form was amiss on Saturday as he missed glaring opportunities but Rogers has affirmed his confidence in the ‘brilliant’ 27-year-old Super Eagles forward, adding he would still be leading the line at the King Power Stadium.

 “He’s been brilliant for us of late,” the manager said as per Leicester Mercury. “He’s been the one who looks like the threat. He kept fighting and kept working. I think it’s a mark of a really good striker to keep going.

 “We’ve seen him in recent weeks, where he has taken the opportunities and scored. He had two great opportunities from free headers, and one from the edge of the box, he usually finds the corner with those. It was important for him to hit the target, but it wasn’t to be.

 “But he’s still the player that looks like he is going to score for us. I’d rather him miss the opportunities than not have any. On another day, he’ll score those,” he added.

Iheanacho has scored six goals in all competitions for City this season, with only James Maddison (nine) and Harvey Barnes (eight) netting more. Four of the Nigerian’s goals have come in his last seven games.

Rodgers added: “You lose a game there are always questions, you win a game he’s a fantastic striker. He’s shown up really well in the last number of weeks. It was just unfortunate for him.”