Sports

Nigeria trounces Rwanda to win cricket tournament

Published

1 year ago

April 3, 2023

The Nigerian female cricket national team Sunday trounced Rwanda by nine runs to win the Women’s T20i Invitational tournament played at the Tafawa Balewa Cricket Oval in Lagos.

The third edition of the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) invitational tournament saw a repeat of last year’s final edition which pitched Nigeria against Rwanda, with the East Africans beating their bitter rivals to the title, coming in as defending champion of this time.

With Nigeria winning the toss and electing to bat, the West African ladies romped to a hard-fought first inning with 99 runs on board.

Star players like Salome Sunday 48 (58) and Piety Lucky 11 (17) led with the bat as they were the top batting performers for the hosts, racing through the inning for the loss of four wickets in 20 overs.

Nigeria won three out of four games in the competition, defeating Sierra Leone in the first game, thrashing Cameroun in their second game, and rounding off with a win against Ghana in their third match.

The only defeat the Yellow Female Greens tasted in the competition was in their last game against Rwanda on Saturday before beating the same team on Sunday to emerge champions.

Captain of the Nigerian team, Blessing Etim, while reacting to the victory, said:

“The win means a lot to us because we have put up a great deal of effort and teamwork to ensure that we go unbeaten throughout this tournament.”

The Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) Women’s T20i Invitational tournament is an annual competition on the NCF calendar, with this year’s edition featuring Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, and host Nigeria.

Related Topics:Cricket Featured Nigeria Rwanda Tournament

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Sports

Al Ahly, Esperance to clash in CAF Champions League final

Published

1 day ago

April 27, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Two of Africa’s club giants, Egypt’s Al Ahly and Esperance of Tunisia, will do battle next month over two legs for the right to be crowned champions of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.

Title-holders Al Ahly and their long-standing rivals Esperance both booked their places in the final with dramatic semi-final victories over DR Congo”s TP Mazembe and Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa respectively on Friday night.

While Al Ahly, winners of five of the last seven editions of the continent’s top draw tournament, with a record 11 in total, overcame TP Mazembe with a 3-0 aggregate victory in the semi-final second leg after a goalless first leg last Saturday, Esperance surprised Sundowns with a 1-0 victory in Pretoria to wrap up a 2-0 aggregate win.

The two-legged final will mark the third encounter between Ahly and Esperance in the Champions League final, with the Egyptians winning in 2012 and the Tunisians triumphing in 2018.

In 2023, the two clubs clashed in the semi-finals with Ahly emerging victorious home and away, securing a 4-0 aggregate triumph.

Esperance who are aiming for a fifth Champions League title, will host the first leg in Rades on May 18, with the return fixture scheduled in Cairo seven days later.

Sports

Former Zambian captain Rainford Kalaba discharged from hospital after near-fatal accident

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Former Zambian national team captain, Rainford Kalaba, has been discharged from hospital weeks after he was involved in a near-fatal accident where he sustained serious injuries.

The accident which involved a head-on collision between a Mercedes-Benz car in which Kalaba was in, and a truck, had initially sparked fears for his life and has since been in the Intensive Care Unit of the Zambian University Teaching Hospital (UTH).

The good news on the footballer’s progress was released by the UTH Public Relations Officer, Nzeba Chanda, who informed that the Chipolopolo legend has been discharged after showing positive signs of recovery.

“Mr. Rainford Kalaba has been discharged from the UTH-Adult where he was admitted after being involved in a road traffic accident two weeks ago,” Chanda said, adding that Kalaba will continue his recovery at his family home.

According to local media reports, the 37-year-old was a passenger in a Mercedes Benz when it collided with an oncoming truck in the south-eastern Zambian town of Kafue a week and five days ago.

In his active playing days, Kalaba spent the majority of his club career at TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo, winning the CAF Champions League with the club in 2015 and the CAF Confederation Cup in 2016.

He also had a spell with clubsides in Portugal including FC Braga, and was a major part of the Zambian squad that won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012 under Frenchman, Herve Renard.