Sports

FIFA ranks Super Falcons 10th best team of 2023 WWC

Published

8 months ago

August 22, 2023

Following a decent outing at the recently concluded 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, the Super Falcons of Nigeria has been ranked 10th out of the 32 teams that participated in the tournament.

In a statement by the world football governing body on Tuesday, the teams were ranked based on their performance at the tournament, with Nigeria coming up among the top 10 teams after going through to the round of 16 without losing a single match, chalking up five points after defeating host Australia and picking up draws against Canada and Republic of Ireland.

Though Nigeria was eliminated by England by penalty kicks, the team did well enough to become the best African team at the tournament.

According to the compilation by Fox Soccer on behalf of FIFA, the Super Falcons played four games at the World Cup, starting off with a goalless draw against Olympic Champions, Canada.

“They then shocked tournament co-hosts Australia 3-2 in their second game before another goalless draw against the Republic of Ireland,” the report said.

“In the round of 16, the Super Falcons proved to be the toughest opponent for the Lionesses on their way to the final. They stifled the reigning European champions to a goalless affair after 120 minutes of football, only to lose on penalties.

“The Super Falcons and the USA both crashed out in the round of 16, but the former champions are ranked ahead of Nigeria based on their goal difference and missed just one of their spot kicks in the loss to Sweden”, it added.

The top 10 teams in the World Cup include Spain at one, England at two, Sweden at three, and Australia at four.

“To complete the list of the best teams, Japan is fifth, France is sixth, the Netherlands is seventh, and Colombia is eighth.

“The USA are ninth, and the Super Falcons of Nigeria complete the top 10”, Fox Soccer stated.

Other African teams that participated at the World Cup—Morocco, South Africa and Zambia were ranked at 12th, 16th and 25th respectively.

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Sports

Al Ahly, Esperance to clash in CAF Champions League final

Published

2 days 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

3 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.