Sports

Uganda makes history with first ever Men’s T20 World Cup qualification

Published

5 months ago

November 30, 2023

The Uganda cricket national team on Thursday made history by qualifying for the Men’s T20 World Cup for the first time after dispatching Rwanda with a dominant nine-wicket victory to pick the 20th and final spot at the 2024 edition which will hold in the West Indies and the United States.

Uganda’s win, where they managed to skittle their opponents for 65 before reaching their target in 8.1 overs, was their fifth in six games at the Africa Qualifier. It saw them clinch second place in the table behind host Namibia which had already sealed her ticket on Tuesday.

The Cricket Cranes who are ranked 23rd in the world, will join Namibia to represent Africa at the 20-team finals next year.

Speaking after the historic feat, team captain, Brian Masaba said:

“It is pretty surreal. I can’t put words to the emotions we are feeling now as a team. It’s massive for Ugandan cricket and huge for African cricket, especially, for a country like Uganda to make it to the World Cup.

“A lot of work has gone on behind the scenes to get us where we are today.

“It has been years of toil and hard work, four or five years of sacrifice. The fans joining in the celebrations was pretty special.

“I think the whole world realises there is a lot of potential outside the big nations. Hopefully, this is something the government and sponsors can get behind.”

Uganda opened with a win over Tanzania before succumbing to a defeat by Namibia. The Cranes went on to defeat Zimbabwe in their third game before cruising past Nigeria and neighbours Kenya by 33 runs to move to the brink of qualification.

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Sports

Nigeria’s football federation appoints Finidi George as Super Eagles coach

Published

1 day ago

April 29, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has approved the appointment of former international, Finidi George, as the new head coach of the Super Eagles.

The board of the Federation
on Monday, approved the recommendation of its Technical and Development Committee to appoint George, a former Eagles winger, as the manager of the Nigeria’s men national football team.

Before his appointment, George, served as assistant to José Peseiro before the Portuguese voluntarily resigned from post after leading the Eagles to the final of 2023 Africa Cup of Nations where they lost 2-1 to host Cote d’Ivoire.

Following Peseiro’s departure, George took charge of the squad in interim capacity during two friendly matches in Morocco last month.

He led the squad to a 2-1 victory over Ghana in the first match but lost 0-2 to Mali in the second game.

The 52-year-old George was a member of the Eagles team of the early 90s fondly called the “Golden Generation” that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Tunisia and qualified Nigeria for its first ever senior FIFA World Cup in 1994.

During his playing career, George starred for Sharks of Port Harcourt and Calabar Rovers in Nigeria before moving abroad where he played for Ajax Amsterdam in the Netherlands and Real Betis of Spain.

He won 62 caps for Nigeria, including featuring at the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cup finals and also won gold, silver and bronze medals from the 1992, 1994, 2000 and 2002 AFCON tournaments.

George’s immediate task will be to guide the Super Eagles to victory in two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and Benin Republic in Uyo and Abidjan respectively, in a little over five weeks.

Sports

Al Ahly, Esperance to clash in CAF Champions League final

Published

3 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.