Sports

‘Rose from the dead.’ Other interesting facts about Cameroon’s new coach, Rigobert Song

Published

1 year ago

March 4, 2022

Rigobert Song Bahanang, born on the 1st of July 1976 was a Cameroonian former professional football player, who is the current manager of the Cameroon national team.

Internationally, he played at a record eight Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and served as a captain in five.

He holds a record for most consecutive games played in the tournament with 35 first-team games. He has won two CAF Africa Cup of Nations titles in 2000 and 2002.

Aside from Zinedine Zidane, Song is the only player to have been sent off in two different World cups, once against Brazil in 1994 and against Chile in 1998. He also holds the record as the youngest player ever to be sent off in a World Cup aged 17.

He was nicknamed “Big Chief” by Turkish fans; he is the Uncle of fellow Cameroon defensive midfielder, Alex Song.

He was falsely reported to have died after a near-death cerebral attack on October, 3rd 2016, that came through a stroke in Yaoundé, Cameroon that had him in a coma for two days.

He is happily married to his long time girlfriend and the love of his life, Gabrielle Esther Nnomo Mballa and they have four beautiful children together.

Aside from Zinedine Zidane, Rigoberto song is the only player to have been sent off in two different world cups; Brazil 1994 and Chile 1998.

In late 2015, Song was reportedly close to signing a managerial deal with the Chad national team but for unknown reasons, it was never finalised.

Song is the country’s most capped player, after making 137 appearances for the Indomitable lions.

After sacking the former head coach of the Cameroon national team Antonio Conceicao, who led the indomitable lions to a third place in the just concluded African cup of nations 2022, is being replaced on the instruction of the country’s President Paul Biya, by Rigobert Song.

Sports

FIFA honours Osimhen after amazing season with Napoli

Published

9 hours ago

June 7, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

Following his record-breaking season with Napoli where he scored 26 goals to win the Serie A top scorer award, Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen has been honoured by the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA).

The world football governing body Tuesday presented Osimhen with a customized jersey and soccer ball for his “superb displays for Napoli in the 2022/23 season,” which led to Napoli winning the Scudetto after a 33-year wait, according to an official of FIFA, Gelson Fernandes, in a “special message” to the 24-year-old Nigerian forward.

“Victor Osimhen, you represent at the moment what football can do,” Fernandes wrote in an Instagram post.

“From Lagos to Napoli where people love you, you have suffered, but your love for football and determination have guided you.

“Keep going, keep pushing. Africa needs examples and millions are watching and dreaming.”

Osimhen became the first African to win the highest goal scorer award, while also becoming the first player since Zlatan Ibrahimovic to win both the Capocannoniere and the Scudetto in the same season, a record which has stood for 14 long years.

His horde of honours was also enhanced with a National Award of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic bestowed on him by former Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari.

Sports

Tunisian tennis star, Ons Jabeur zooms into French Open quarter-finals

Published

1 day ago

June 6, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

Tunisian tennis sensation, Ons Jabeur took a step further in her quest to win the 2023 French Open Grand Slam when she defeated World number 36, Bernarda Pera 6-3, 6-1 to zoom into the quarter-finals.

Jabeur, ranked number 7 in the world, and who only won her first WTA 1000 title at the Madrid Open last year, has since then been facing a downward slide coupled with injuries which saw her either missing out on some tournaments or crashing out in early rounds.

However, the 28-year-old who became the first ever African woman to reach a Grand Slam final last year, was at her best when she defeated Pera to move to the next stage on Monday night.

Though Jabeur was not at her fluent best and was herself broken three times in the first set and at the start of the second set, she still raced through the final six games, sealing victory in 63 minutes.

“I never thought about something was missing or I didn’t reach all four of them,” the African said after the match.

“Maybe it’s a good thing. It came and hopefully, we’ll set it to all semi-finals and then all finals,” she added.