The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Romania

  • Super Falcons beat Romania 4-1

    The Super Falcons on Sunday defeated their Romanian counterparts 4-1 in a Four-Nation Invitational Tournament in China.

    A total of 7,319 fans were at the Wuhua Olympic Sports Stadium to watch both teams slug it out in the third-place match of the tournament.

    The African champions had lost 0-3 to hosts China on Thursday, while the same scoreline was recorded in Romania’s loss to South Korea.

    Chiwendu Ihezuo’s 44th minute goal, alongside Onome Ebi’s 63rd minute header, team captain Rita Chikwelu’s 68th minute strike and Ini Umotong’s 83rd minute effort helped the Falcons to win.

    It secured for them a third-place position.

    Meanwhile, the Steel Roses of China defeated South Korea by a lone goal in the finals match, also on Sunday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the tournament is part of the Falcons’ preparations for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France in June.

    NAN

  • S/Falcons to play ten matches before 2019 Women’s World Cup – NFF

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Thursday said it has put in place plans to provide the Super Falcons with better preparations for the 8th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals.

    Ademola Olajire, NFF’s Director of Communications, said in a statement that the federation had made plans for the African champions to participate in about 10 matches altogether.

    “Participation in the Four-Nation Invitational Tournament in China from Jan. 17 to Jan. 20 will be followed by participation in the Cyprus Women’s Cup billed for Feb. 25 to March 7.

    “They will then play planned friendly matches with Spain or Canada before a final training camp in Austria that could also take in two tune-up games,’’ he said.

    Already, the NFF has announced that the Falcons would have their final camping programme at the same Avita Hotel and Resort in Bad Tatzmannsdorf in Austria.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Super Eagles stayed at that same facility before heading to Russia to participate in the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals.

    Read Also: Super Falcons in tough France 2019 draw

    Olajire disclosed that players and officials of the nine-time African champions were on Tuesday at the Embassy of China in Abuja for visa processing.

    “The team is expected to fly out of Nigeria to China on Monday,’’ he said.

    Hosts China, Romania and Korea Republic are the other teams taking part in the four-day invitational.

    The NFF official added that the players and officials would on return from the invitational tournament in China begin visa processing for the trip to Cyprus.

    “They will take part in a 12-nation Invitational Tournament between Feb. 25 and March 7.

    “Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Italy, North Korea, Mexico, Slovakia, South Africa and Thailand are the other nations taking part.

    “Of the lot, Nigeria, Italy, South Africa and Thailand will be going to France,’’ he said.

    Olajire disclosed also that Spain and Canada have approached Nigeria for friendly matches.

    Spain will face South Africa, Germany and China in Group B at France 2019, while Canada will also take on African team Cameroon, New Zealand and The Netherlands in Group E.

    “Jamaica, who play Australia, Italy and Brazil in Group C, have also written to the NFF expressing interest in playing against the Super Falcons,’’ he added.

    Nigeria are the only African country to have featured in all previous editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup since the competition was launched in China in 1991.

    The African champions, who are the Women National Team of Year 2018 in Africa, will tackle host nation France, Korea Republic and Norway in Group A of this summer’s finals.

    The Super Falcons, who were quarter-finalists in 1999, will open their account in France against Norway, at the 21,000-capacity Stade Auguste Delaune in Reims on June 8.

    They will then face Korea Republic in Grenoble on June 12 and hosts France in Rennes on June 17.

    The 8th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals will hold from June 7 to July 7.

    France will be up against Korea Republic in the opening match at the Parc des Princes in Paris on June 7.

  • Great Britain lose to hosts Romania in Fed Cup tie

    Great Britain on Sunday lost their Fed Cup World Cup Group II play-off in Romania, consigning them back to the Europe/Africa Zone.

    It was 1-1 after Saturday’s play, when host captain Ilie Nastase was banned for swearing at the umpire, Johanna Konta and her captain Anne Keothavong.

    On Sunday, Simon Halep won 6-1 6-3 against Konta to put Romania in front.

    Irina-Camelia Begu then beat Heather Watson 6-4 7-5 as Romania took an unassailable lead before the doubles.

    Konta was left in tears after Nastase’s conduct and, even though the world number seven still beat Sorana Cirstea on Saturday, she found Halep a tougher test.

    Halep, ranked fifth in the world, raced into a 4-0 lead as she made the most of her clay-court knowhow and broke to love in taking the first set in 27 minutes.

    Konta gave signs of a comeback by breaking Halep and taking a 3-1 lead in the second set.

    But the Romanian responded by impressively taking five games in a row to win the match.

    After that result, world number 113 Watson knew she had to win against 33rd-ranked Begu and she was involved in a tight match with plenty of quality and drama.

    There were five breaks of serve in the first set, which Begu took, but none in the second until Watson lost the seventh game.

    The Briton broke back but then lost her serve again at 5-5 and Begu served out for a match that lasted two hours and two minutes to secure victory for Romania.

    Cirstea claimed Konta had “overreacted” by crying in their match but the British number one has defended her actions.

    The incident that led to Nastase being dismissed on Saturday happened when Cirstea was 2-1 up in the second set.

    After Konta and Keothavong had complained of calling out from the crowd at 1-1, former world number one Nastase was involved in a discussion with officials.

    During this, he used foul language before verbally abusing the British player and her captain.

    He was sent off the court by referee Andreas Egli and, after initially taking a seat in the stands, was then escorted back to the locker room.

    Konta went 3-1 down after her serve was broken in the next game and was in tears before the umpire suspended play for about 25 minutes.

    “With all due respect to Sorana, she was not in my shoes at that end of the court being verbally threatened,” said the Briton. “Any abuse is not all right.

    “But when it’s a couple of metres away from you, screaming at you, I think that’s a different ball game.

    “It’s not something that you truly know how it affects you until you experience it, so I do believe she may have been slightly unaware of the events that happened.”

    Halep defended the crowd following her win on Sunday and, on Nastase — whose conduct is being investigated by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), said “maybe he did mistakes”.

    “I was not there right on the court but I heard some things so I cannot defend anything here,” she added.

    “I don’t know exactly what happened but the people from ITF, they will know what they’re going to do.”

  • Grindeanu is Romania’s new Prime Minister

    Social Democrat candidate, Sorin Grindeanu is Romania’s new prime minister, following a vote in parliament on Wednesday in which legislators backed his programme and 27 member governments by 296 votes to 133.

    The Social Democratic Party (PSD) won the December 11 elections but just missed out on an absolute majority, leading it to form a coalition with the small liberal party ALDE.

    Presenting his programme and asking for support Grindeanu, 43, promised to work towards a “normal Romania where people will live better.’’

    Teodor Melescanu is the foreign minister in the new government and Viorel Stefan takes over the finance portfolio.

    Sevil Shhaideh, whom the party had previously put forward for prime minister only to have her candidacy blocked without a detailed explanation by President Klaus Iohannis, is now a deputy prime minister.

    Had Shhaideh been accepted, she would have become the first woman and first Muslim prime minister of Romania.

    But even Grindeanu, a former telecommunications minister, is widely seen as a stand-in for the PSD chief, Liviu Dragnea, who was unable to claim the post because of a law banning people with convictions from assuming top government offices.

    The law is, however, to be challenged in the Constitutional Court and if it falls, Dragnea will be expected to take over from Grindeanu.

    Dragnea himself made it clear earlier that he intends to keep “political responsibility’’ in his hands, and Grindeanu referred to Dragnea’s promises as he presented his programme for government.

    “In the programme , you will find all the measures presented in the electoral campaign by Mr Liviu Dragnea,’’ Grindeanu said.

    A former Communist Country, Romania joined the EU a decade ago.

    Its main battle during that time has been with widespread corruption, which remains a top problem despite significant headway spearheaded by the country’s anti-graft agency DNA.

  • Europa Cup: Joel Obi fail to make Romania trip

    Europa Cup: Joel Obi fail to make Romania trip

    Inter Milan have announced their 21-man squad for the Europa League second-leg match against CFR Cluj with Nigeria’s Joel Obi conspicuously missing.

    The Nerazzurri travel to Romania holding a 2-0 aggregate lead, and do so without Diego Milito – who is sidelined until the end of the season with a knee injury.

    In his place the San Siro side have called up Primavera prospect Giovanni Terrani while Obi will need more work on his fitness to feature for the Blue and Balck.

    Incidentally Thursday’s clash could have affored Obi to face a long time pal and national teammate Obiorah Nwankwo who only recently made a switch from Italy to join the Eastern Europe clubside.

     

    Full squad:

     

    Goalkeepers: 1 Handanovic, 27 Belec, 77 Di Gennaro;

    Defenders: 6 Silvestre, 23 Ranocchia, 26 Chivu, 40 Juan Jesus, 31 Pereira, 42 Jonathan, 55 Nagatomo;

    Midfielders: 4 Zanetti, 10 Kovacic, 11 Alvarez, 14 Guarin, 19 Cambiasso, 21 Gargano, 24 Benassi, 28 Pasa;

    Attackers: 8 Palacio, 49 Terrani, 99 Cassano.