Sports

Napoli president, De Laurentiis, vows never to sign African players again because of AFCON

Published

1 year ago

August 4, 2022

Controversial President of Italian Serie A club, Napoli, Aurelio De Laurentiis, has vowed never to sign African players again unless they sign a clause that will see them miss out on the biennial African Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The 73-year-old De Laurentiis who made the vow on Wednesday on a talk show, ‘Smart Talk on Wall Street Italia’, said though he ‘loves’ the African players in Napoli, he is no longer comfortable paying them so much money for the amount of time they are away playing for their countries at the tournament.

At the last AFCON held in Cameroon in February, Napoli had to release Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly and Cameroon midfielder Andre Zambo Anguissa, for several weeks with Koulibaly staying the duration of the competition as Senegal went all the way to the final where they defeated Egypt.

The other African player in the team, Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen, could not make the Super Eagles team due to injury and the club announcing that the Covid-19 virus would keep the forward away from action.

Now with Koulibaly jumping ship to sign for Chelsea, Napoli is left with only Osimhen and Anguissa and De Laurentiis is adamant he would not bring in other African additions unless they agree they would not play at future AFCON tournaments.

“I told them, lads, don’t talk to me about Africans anymore!” he said during the talk show.

“‘I love them, but either they sign something confirming they’ll back out of playing the Africa Cup of Nations, or otherwise between that tournament, the World Cup qualifiers in South America, these players are never available!

“We are the idiots who pay salaries only to send them all over the world playing for others.”

Related Topics:African Players Angelo De Laurentiis Featured Napoli Serie A

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Sports

Nigerian couple makes history with Paralympic qualifications

Published

2 hours 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.