Sports

Egyptian basketball team, Al Ahly nicks BAL 2023 semi-finals ticket

Published

2 weeks ago

May 22, 2023

The Al Ahly Basketball Club of Cairo has become the first team to qualify for the semi-finals of the ongoing 2023 Basketball Africa League (BAL) at the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda, after beating their Rwandan hosts, REG BBC, by a scoreline of 94-77.

The Cairo giants had qualified for the playoffs after finishing second in the Nile Conference, where they won four games and lost just once to Petro de Luanda.

In the opening playoff game held on Sunday night, Al Ahly showed its superiority over REF BBC by winning the first quarter 23-18.

The Al Ahly lead was increased to 14 points in the second quarter with the Egyptian club scoring 46-32.

The hosts managed to reduce the deficit to three points in the third quarter. Al Ahly, with man of the match, Ehab Amin, leading the charge, stormed back with a 15-point lead in the final quarter to win the tie with a scoreline of 94-77.

Amin was named the MVP after scoring 22 points with South Sudanese teammate, Nuni Omot, accounting for scoring 16 points.

Al Ahly will face Malian giants, Stade Malien in the semi-finals on May 25, with the hopes of sealing a place in the finals and winning the title for the first time.

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Sports

FIFA honours Osimhen after amazing season with Napoli

Published

15 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

2 days 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.