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Ethiopian-born world champion, Mo Farah, to retire after 2023 London Marathon

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Ethiopian-born British multiple marathom champion, Mo Farah has announced that the 2023 London Marathon will likely be his last as he hopes to put an end to his illustrious career.

The 40-year-old Farah who became a sensation after winning back to back track gold medals in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres at both the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games, said on Tuesday that he plans to end his brilliant career after the London marathon.

Farah who has also won several world titles across both distances, said he is keen to compete in the London event on April 23, after he missed out of the 2022 edition.

“It’s been an amazing career and taking part in the London Marathon is a very big deal,” Farah said in the statement issued by event organisers.”

“I was gutted not to race last year and I just want to give it one more shot.”

“It depends on my body. I just want to get to the start line and see what I can manage. I’m just taking one race at a time.”

“I’m not a spring chicken any more. You can’t keep coming back in the right shape and, for me, I’d love to be able to finish it at home.”

The African-British Athletics great has also ruled out competing at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, though he may yet try to finish his time as a British international at this year’s World Championships in Budapest.

“I’m not going to go to the Olympics and I think 2023 will be my last year.”

“It’s been a little while. But I’ll be preparing well, I’ll head out to Ethiopia and put in a lot of solid training and see what I can do when it comes to April,” he added.

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Former President of Moroccan club Raja sentenced to 3 years in prison

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The former President of Moroccan top club, Raja Casablanca, Mohamed Aouzal, has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison after he was found guilty of fraud by a Casablanca Ain Sebaa Court of First Instance on Friday.

According to court documents, the case involved charges of breach of trust and issuing a bounced check in connection with his role in the insurance sector.

Other charges against Aouzal included financial misconduct, specifically breach of trust and issuing a check without sufficient funds.

The documents stated that the legal action against Aouzal stemmed from a lawsuit filed by an insurance company and was found guilty of owing the company nearly MAD 400 million (around $40 million) as the legal representative of an insurance brokerage firm.

In addition to the prison sentence, the court also imposed a fine of MAD 20 million (approximately $2 million) in favor of the plaintiff company.

Aouzal was arrested following investigations by Morocco’s National Judicial Police Brigade after which he was charged before the Public Prosecutor at the Ain Sebaa Court and was placed in custody at Oukacha Prison.

The lawsuit, according to Morocco World News, pointed to significant financial irregularities in Aouzal’s brokerage firm, alleging that it failed to meet its financial obligations and caused substantial losses for the insurance company.

“The trial began on December 10 after Aouzal’s initial court appearance. The court examined the evidence and heard extensive arguments before entering deliberations earlier this week.

“On Friday, the judge ruled in favor of the insurance company due to the significant monetary damages incurred,” the report said.

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Dumping England for Nigeria the best decision of my life— Ademola Lookman

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Current African Men’s Footballer of the Year, Ademola Lookman, has attributed his rise in the football echelon to his decision to dump the English national team, The Three Lions, to play for the Super Eagles of Nigeria.

The Atalanta striker, who was named the African Player of the Year after a sterling 2024 season where he kept putting up superb performances for both club and country, credited the success of his career to his decision to snub England and commit to Nigeria.

“I think ever since I put on the Super Eagles jersey, it’s been fruitful,” Lookman said in an interview on SportyTV.

“We’ve been able to achieve a lot as a team and we’re still going as a team. But the camaraderie is something that’s very special within the squad.

“It is an incredible achievement and an incredible moment. It is special to join a list of many great players who have achieved a lot in the game. They are legends.

“There have been many special moments this year, and I can speak about a lot of good ones. But also the tough moments, like when you don’t feel like hitting the gym, but you push through and end up doing that session—it gives you more strength. Those difficult moments have given me that extra strength,” he said.

The Atalanta forward believes that his decision to represent Nigeria has contributed to a significant personal and professional growth, allowing him to continue thriving with the national team.

Before switching allegiance to play for the Super Eagles in 2022, Lookman had represented England at youth level, including winning the U-20 World Cup in 2017 but he had a stop-start career with stints at Everton, Fulham, and Leicester City, before he was shipped to Atalanta, initially on loan, before the move was made permanent.

But the turning point in Lookman’s career came when he decided to switch allegiance to Nigeria and has never looked back as everything he touched turned to gold.

The London-born Lookman made his Super Eagles debut in March 2022 against Ghana, and he has since described this moment as a turning point in his career.

He has scored eight goals and provided four assists and was the star man at the 2023 AFCON tournament where he netted three goals and registered one assist, and was named in the tournament team.

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