Sports

Nigerian striker, Taiwo Awoniyi, joins newly promoted Nottingham Forest for club record fee

Published

1 year ago

June 25, 2022

Super Eagles striker, Taiwo Awoniyi, has sealed a five year move worth £17.5 million to newly promoted English Premier League side, Nottingham Forest, which is a record fee for the modest club.

The 24-year-old Awoniyi moved from modest Bundesliga side, Union Berlin, back to the EPL after his time with Liverpool where he failed to make a single appearance.

The Under 17 world cup winner leaves the German league after scoring 20 goals in 43 games in all competitions last season for Union, with 15 of the goals in Bundesliga games which helped Union finish fifth, thereby qualifying for the UEFA Europa League for the first time since 2001-02.

Awoniyi had joined Liverpool for the start of his professional career in 2015, following his crucial role for the Golden Eaglets in their U-17 World Cup triumph in 2013, but due to work permit issues, he was farmed out on several loans spells outside of England before finally earning a permanent move to the German outfit last season.

Nottingham Forest also confirmed the signing of the powerful forward in a tweet on the club’s official Twitter handle on Friday.

“Nottingham Forest are delighted to confirm the signing of Nigerian international forward Taiwo Awoniyi for a club-record fee,” the club also wrote on their official website page.

Speaking on the move, Awoniyi who featured for the Super Eagles at the African Cup of Nations in Cameroon earlier this year, said it was an easy decision for him to make.

“I’m very excited to be here at Nottingham Forest. It’s always been my dream to play in the Premier League and having spoken to (Coach) Steve Cooper about our ambitions and looking at Forest, with its great history, it’s a club that I want to be part of,” he said at his unveiling.

Forest head coach Steve Cooper also expressed his delight at signing the Super Eagles star whom he said had attracted a host of clubs in the Premier League and across Europe.

“There’s been a lot of interest in Taiwo from other Premier League clubs, and other clubs across Europe, so we’re delighted that he’s chosen Nottingham Forest,” said Cooper.

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Sports

Nigerian couple makes history with Paralympic qualifications

Published

36 mins ago

September 23, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

Nigerian para-table tennis players, Kayode Alabi and Ifechukwude Ikpeoyi, have made history by becoming the first African couple to qualify for the Paralympic Games in Paris in 2024, after securing their maiden ticket at the ITTF African Para Championships in Giza, Egypt.

Alabi came out tops in the men’s Class Six category to qualify for his first Paralympic Games, while his wife also picked her maiden ticket in the women’s Class Five.

At the qualifying tournament, Nigerian players dominated in the men’s singles category and claimed the bulk of the tickets, with four of the six entrees making their Paralympic Games debut.

Nigeria also added extra tickets in women’s Classes Nine and Five in successive sessions, with Kehinde Lawal and Ikpeoyi topping their events as champions.

Other athletes who picked tickets for the Paralympic Games include Olufemi Alabi and Victor Farinloye, who both competed in the men’s Classes 10 and Eight at the last games in Tokyo.

Others are Isau Ogunkunle, Bolawa Akingbemisilu, Kayode Alabi and Abiola Adesope who all won their respective classes and will be on the plane to Paris.

Sports

Sorry Namibia pounded 96-0 by France in Rugby World Cup

Published

1 day ago

September 22, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

Namibia’s participation at the ongoing Rugby World Cup in France took a big dent when they were trounced 96-0 by the host who reached the quarter-finals of the competition with their biggest-ever win.

The one-sided Pool A encounter on Thursday evening at the Marseille’s Stade Velodrome saw France running up the huge score against the Africans, showing the gulf in class between the two teams.

In the match, Damian Penaud scored a hat-trick, while Jonathan Danty, Charles Ollivon and Louis Bielle-Biarry all scored twice to make mince meat of their opponents.

Thibaud Flament, Dupont and substitutes Baptiste Couillard and Melvyn Jaminet also scored, while Thomas Ramos kicked 12 conversions.

The host nation made 12 changes from their 27-12 victory over Uruguay, bringing back their big names and from the first whistle, dominated and outclassed a sorry Namibian side.

But it was not all good news for France as skipper Antoine Dupont was forced off the field with a head injury and will be sweating on his fitness ahead of the quarter-finals match.

Dupont was struck by Namibia captain Johan Deysel in the side of his head a few minutes into the second half and immediately left the field, being taken to hospital for a suspected fractured cheek.