The Nation Newspaper

Tag: world cup

  • Niger 0-1 Nigeria: F/Eagles qualify for U-20 World Cup

    Flying Eagles have qualified for this year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup after they beat hosts Niger 1-0 to qualify for the semifinal of the U-20 AFCON in Niamey yesterday.

    Kano Pillars’ midfielder Alhassan Adamu’s free kick from an acute angle in the 73rd minute proved to be the match winner for the Nigeria U-20 side.

    Nigeria should have opened scoring as early as the fourth minute when striker Nazifi Yahaya was put through on goal, but his shot was somehow kept out.

    Early in the second half, Niger goalkeeper did well to push out for a corner a goal-bound header.

    Niger battled hard, but they lacked quality when they pushed forward. They came close towards the end of the game, but it was too little too late for the tournament hosts.

    South Africa beat Burundi in the other Group A match in Maradi to qualify on five points and battle Group B winners Senegal for a place in the final.

  • 10 start-ups for World Cup

    TEN start-ups have been selected to pitch at Start-up World Cup (SWC) on  February 9 at Civic Hive, Yaba, Lagos.

    SWC offers innovation and entrepreneurship opportunities for start-up ecosystems around the world.

    The start-ups were selected out of about 70, after a rigorous vetting.

    Through regional events held in various countries, the best start-ups are selected and invited to compete for a $1million investment prize at the Grand Finale in San Francisco, United States.

    A  statement from Passion Incubator, the exclusive regional partner for the contest, listed  the  start-ups to include: Natterbase – a global engineering platform that connects world-class remote teams to software companies;Edupoint – an online, peer-to-peer learning platform that connects people seeking to learn anything with verified, expert teachers within their communities. It also ensures safety, accountability, and quality service delivery and WellNewMe – ahuman capital advisory company that advises business leaders and governments on strategies to improve the health outcomes of their most valuable assets – their people.

    Others are Sabi.ai, an AI-powered on-demand service marketplace that connects small businesses to potential customers searching for services within proximity in real time using mobile technology; Spleet -a company that provides great living spaces with flexible & convenient payment options,Loystar – a loyalty and retail platform that helps merchants build customer loyalty and drive repeat sales in their business and  Social Lender – a lending solution based on social reputation on mobile, online and social community platforms.  It is designed to bridge the gap of immediate fund access for people with limited access to formal credit.

    It also includes Publiseer – a free digital publishing platform tailored to meet the growing needs of independent African authors and artists;Afara Partners – a leading provider of platforms for alternative financial services in Africa and FarmFunded – an agricultural technology(agri-tech) company leveraging technology to provide a crowdfunding platform that aggregates finances from funders (investors) and channels. .

    The judges, comprising Olusola Amusan, founder of Coven Works, Emmanuel Adegboye, Entrepreneurship Center Manager at Andela, Brian Odhiambo, Associate Director at Novastar Ventures, and Dayo Koleowo, Principal Investment Officer at Microtraction, will select one winner to represent Nigeria at the Grand Finale,which  will hold   on May 17 at the Masonic Auditorium, San Francisco, California. They  will  compete with other regional winners from across the world for the $1 million investment prize.

    A fireside chat with the theme:  “How to be highly competitive and secure investment” will also hold at the event. It will be moderated by Senior Corporate Counsel at Echo VC, Damilola Thompson, with the judges doubling as speakers alongside Evgeny Pobegailo, Investment Associate at Fenox VC.

     

  • Qatar, FIFA to decide on 48-team world cup in March

     

    Parading 48 teams at World cup in 2022 is not a signed sealed and delivered decision yet, a Senior Gulf tournament Organiser declared  on Wednesday.

    The decision by FIFA to increase the 2022 World Cup to 48 teams will only be made in agreement with hosts Qatar

    Nasser al-Khater, talking to journalists in Doha, said at the moment the country was continuing to prepare for a 32-team tournament in three years’ time.

    “No decision will be made without the agreement of Qatar, this is an important point,” he said. “It will be a joint decision.”

    He added: “We are waiting for the results of the feasibility study, and once they are ready, (FIFA) will share them with us… to see if it is possible”.

    FIFA is carrying out the study into increasing the number of teams by 16 in 2022 and will announce a final decision in March.

    Last month FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in Doha that a “majority” of football federations supported the increase.

    Any decision to extend the tournament would though be faced by huge logistical and political problems.

    The Qatar World Cup, the first in the Middle East, will take place over 28 days in November and December 2022, not the usual 32.

    Officials have said previously that is not possible for Qatar to change the number of days, so one option would be to host tournament games across the region with neighbouring states.

    Since June 2017, it has been politically and economically isolated in a rancorous diplomatic dispute with former allies, including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

    A 48-team World Cup is set to become the norm from 2026, when the World Cup will take place in the USA, Mexico and Canada.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Qatar, FIFA to decide on 48-team world cup in March

     

    Parading 48 teams at World cup in 2022 is not a signed sealed and delivered decision yet, a Senior Gulf tournament Organiser declared  on Wednesday.

    Any decision by FIFA to increase the 2022 World Cup to 48 teams will only be made in agreement with hosts Qatar

    Nasser al-Khater, talking to journalists in Doha, said at the moment the country was continuing to prepare for a 32-team tournament in three years’ time.

    “No decision will be made without the agreement of Qatar, this is an important point,” he said. “It will be a joint decision.”

    He added: “We are waiting for the results of the feasibility study, and once they are ready, (FIFA) will share them with us… to see if it is possible”.

    FIFA is carrying out the study into increasing the number of teams by 16 in 2022 and will announce a final decision in March.

    Last month FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in Doha that a “majority” of football federations supported the increase.

    Any decision to extend the tournament would though be faced by huge logistical and political problems.

    The Qatar World Cup, the first in the Middle East, will take place over 28 days in November and December 2022, not the usual 32.

    Officials have said previously that is not possible for Qatar to change the number of days, so one option would be to host tournament games across the region with neighbouring states.

    Since June 2017, it has been politically and economically isolated in a rancorous diplomatic dispute with former allies, including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

    A 48-team World Cup is set to become the norm from 2026, when the World Cup will take place in the USA, Mexico and Canada.

  • Modric beats Djokovic to win Balkan athlete of year

    Croatia captain Luka Modric was named Balkan Athlete of the Year on Thursday, becoming only the second soccer player to scoop the prize after Bulgaria’s former European Footballer of the Year Hristo Stoichkov in 1994.

    Ballon d’Or winner Modric won the Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup with his Spanish club Real Madrid as well as being instrumental in helping Croatia reach the World Cup final in Russia.

    He was awarded the tournament’s Golden Ball Award.

    The 33-year-old, who received 75 points in the 46th poll, organised by Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), beat Serbia’s world number one tennis player Novak Djokovic, who topped the annual poll five times in a row between 2011 and 2015.

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    Another tennis player, Romania’s Simona Halep, who finished the year as women’s world number one for the second consecutive season, came third in the poll, which is conducted by the state-run news agencies in nine Balkan countries.

  • We will prepare hard for 2019 World Cup – Falcons’ coach

    Super Falcons’ Head Coach, Thomas Dennerby, says Nigeria will work to prepare hard and take it one match at a time at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in France.

    The African champions were on Saturday evening drawn with hosts France, Norway and Korea Republic in Group A of the 24-team competition.

    The draw was held at a colourful ceremony inside the La Seine Musicale on the River Seine in Paris.

    “There is no easy group here. I am okay with the draw because I always knew that we will have to play (against) the best teams. That is what you do at the World Cup.

    “The French team is, of course, world-class, and I know we would have to fight very hard against them.

    “The Koreans are very technical and have pace, but we will confront them with our physical strength, ability and pace of our own and we have a great chance in there.

    “I know the Norway team, more than they know us or can hope to know us. At the end of the day, it would come down to preparations.

    “We must prepare very hard and then take it one match at a time during the finals,” the Swede said at the mixed zone which followed the draw ceremony on Saturday.

    “If you have to make real impact at the FIFA World Cup, you have to beat the strong teams. That is what we have to prepare for.

    “I am looking ahead to an interesting tournament in France in the summer of next year,” Dennerby added.

    Also, President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick, said: “It is a draw that tells us that we have to do everything we can to prepare the team well for the competition.

    “Presently, we have lined up two tournaments in China and Cyprus for the team, and we are talking with a few countries and organisers for matches and tournaments.

    “We will give the Head Coach and his team the necessary support to prepare the team adequately for the competition.”

    Speaking also, former Super Falcons’ star Mercy Akide-Udoh, who attended the ceremony as a FIFA Ambassador for Women’s Football, said it was all up to the NFF.

    “This is a tough one for us. But I think the Federation should do everything to ensure adequate preparation of the team.”

    The 8th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals will take place in nine French cities between June 7 and July 7.

    Nigeria’s first match of the finals will be against Norway in Reims on June 8, before they face Korea Republic in Grenoble on June 12.

    Their last match of the group phase is against hosts France in Rennes on June 17.

    The opening match of the tournament is between France and Korea Republic, and will hold at the Parc des Princes in Paris on 7th June 2019.

    The draw was conducted by FIFA Legends Alex Scott and Louis Saha.

    A dazzling line-up of assistants, including Didier Deschamps, Marie Bochet, Kaká, Cindy Cone, Michael Essien, Aya Miyama and Steffi Jones, lent a helping hand in the draw.(NAN)

  • France 2019: Cameroon claims Africa’s third ticket

     

    Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon Friday claimed the last African ticket for the 2019 World cup in France after beating Les Aiglonnes (Female Eagles) of Mali in the third place match of the African Women Nations cup in Ghana.

    Both teams failed in their bids to play in the finals and had to battle to the finish to see who gets the last ticket for the world cup.  Nigeria and South Africa had earlier picked the first and second slots after qualifying for Saturday’s finals where reigning champions will emerge.

    The Lionesses who were disappointed after losing in 4-2 on penalties in the semifinals to Super Falcons, had smiles return to their faces on Friday after picking the last world cup ticket incidentally beating Mali by the same margin.

    Cameroon who had beaten their opponent during the group stage of the competition raced into a two-goal lead after Therese Abena found the back of the net in the 32nd and 40th minute respectively.

    Mali however pulled one back before the break through Fatoumata Diarra before getting on level terms in the second half when Marie Aurelle turned in a cross against her own ‘keeper.

    However, Aboudi Onguene produced what might turn out to be one of the best goals of the tournament from long range to beat the Malian goalkeeper and put Cameroon back in front. Captain of the Lionesses skipper Christine Manie produced the icing on the cake with another long range effort from a free kick.

    This will be the second time the Lionesses will be at the World cup.  Their first outing was at the 2015 edition in Canada where they crashed out in the round of 16.

    They did not qualify for the maiden edition in 1991, withdrew from the 1995 edition

    They equally failed to qualify for the 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011 editions and will no doubt be hoping to surpass the group of 16 when they hit France in June.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Qatar 2022: ‘Vagina Stadium’ to be ready in 2019

     

    One of the stadia located at the port of Al-Wakrah for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is to be ready in 2019, three clear years before the commencement of the global showpiece billed for November 21 to December 18.

    Dubbed the ‘Vagina Stadium’ because of its controversial shape, it has capacity for 40,000 sitting spectators and will be connected with a state-of-the-art metro system expected to move supporters from one stadium to another, allowing them to watch several games. The stadium was designed by a British Architect Dame Zaha who died of heart attack in 2016 at 65.

    Among her other works were the Aquatics Centre at the 2012 London Olympics, the MAXXI Museum in Italy and the Guangzhou Opera House in China.

    When the Al-Wakrah stadium’s designs were first released in 2013 they were said to have been inspired by the flowing shape of a dhow boat, a traditional Arabian pearl diving and fishing vessel. The drawings were topped with a structure resembling the sails of a dhow. But the images went viral with commentators suggesting the stadium looked more like a woman’s private parts.

    At that time Dame Zaha was angry at the comparison, saying: ‘It’s really embarrassing they come up with nonsense stuff like this”

    Iraqi-born Hadid, who won the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2004, added that ‘if a guy had done this project there wouldn’t have been the same level of criticism’.

    The Al-Wakrah stadium, which is 12 miles south of the capital, Doha, was designed to keep out the desert heat and will also use a revolutionary new air-conditioning technology which will bring temperatures down to around 72F for the fans and players.

    The tournament has already been moved to the winter months to avoid the searing summer temperatures in the Gulf.

    As part of its legacy for the 2022 World Cup Qatar will be dismantling the stadium afterwards for it to be rebuilt in the developing world.

    More than 20,000 seats will be removed from Al-Wakrah and transported to countries in need of football infrastructure.

    Qatar is building eight stadiums for a 32-team World Cup, although FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has said he would like to expand the tournament to 48 teams, which would involve Doha co-hosting with its Arab neighbours. France won the last world cup in Russia defeating impressive Croatia 4-2 at the Luzhniki Stadium.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • FIFA: Nigerians Make 2018 World Cup Unforgettable

    About 50-day after the 2018 FIFA World Cup have been concluded, FIFA has reckoned that the Russia hosted mundial was a successful phenomena football fiesta.

    FIFA President, Gianni Infantino on Thursday wrote a letter to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) stating that the success of the 21st FIFA World Cup could not be distanced from Nigeria’s participation in the June-July mundial.

    Infantino acknowledged that the efforts of Super Eagles of Nigeria, Gernot Rohr, as well as his assistants, the backroom staff, officials and fans participated graciously to make it an unforgettable ceremony.

    The letter reads; “I would like to express our most sincere appreciation to your National Team for participating in this 21st edition of the FIFA World Cup.

    “The 2018 FIFA World Cup was an unforgettable celebration of football and a major factor in this was the participation of the Super Eagles, their sixth FIFA World Cup appearance.

    “I personally was very happy and proud to be able to attend in your presence two of your National Team matches, against Croatia and Iceland.

    “Please pass on my compliments to all those who have contributed to this campaign, the players, the head coach Gernot Rohr but also the technical and medical team and, of course, the fans.

    “Such achievement is no doubt based on hard work, professionalism and attention to detail, as well as passion and love of the game. All this augurs well for a very promising future and will undoubtedly pave the way for future success.”

  • Eagles drop in FIFA Ranking after dismal World Cup

    Super Eagles dropped from 48th to 49th in the first FIFA Ranking released after the 2018 FIFA World Cup which ended in July.

    The three times African Champion dropped by one place in the FIFA rankings released just before the start of the World Cup and continued in the same trend in the latest ranking released by the World football governing body on Thursday.

    The not too impressive performance of the senior men national team at the Russia Mundial could not be argued as the reason for Eagles nosedive on the ranking.

    The Super Eagles lost their first group game 2-0 to Croatia, and then won their second group game against Iceland 2-0 thanks to heroics from Ahmed Musa.

    In their last group game against Argentina the Super Eagles narrowly lost 2-1 to a Lionel Messi inspired Argentina as they could not match their achievements of the 2014 FIFA World Cup where they progressed to the round of 16.

    The Super Eagles could not also win their two friendly matches in the month of July which ended in a 2-1 loss to England and 1-0 loss to the Czech Republic.

    The latest rankings released by FIFA show that the Super Eagles are now 49th in the World and are the seventh on the African continent.

    Gernot Rohrs’ team are behind Tunisia (24), Senegal (24), Congo DR (37),  Ghana (45), Morocco (46), Cameroon (47)

    New World Champions France are at the top of the rankings following their triumph in Russia. They are followed by third place play off winners France, quarter-finalists Brazil, finalist Croatia and Uruguay take the fifth spot.

    England, Portugal, Switzerland, Spain and Denmark make up the top ten countries in the World.