Sports

Clean sweep for Kenya at World Cross Country mixed relay race

Published

9 months ago

March 30, 2024

It was a clean sweep for Kenyan athletes at the ongoing World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, as its mixed relay team regained their title seven years after winning at the inaugural edition.

It was much more delightful as the East African country regained their title with a dominant display, pipping fellow Africans and arch-rivals, Ethiopia, to the silver medal while Great Britain & Northern Ireland took bronze.

Kenyan teenage sensation, Reynold Cheruiyot, led for most of the first lap with a stiff challenge from Uganda’s Hosea Kiprop tried his best to match the World U20 1500m champion for the first half of the circuit, but the Kenyan proved too strong.

According to World Athletics, Morocco’s Hafid Rizqy and Ethiopia’s Taresa Tolosa were close behind Cheruiyot, while Serbia’s Elzan Bibic was also in contention, much to the delight of the home supporters lining the course.

“On the final bridge, Bibic briefly moved into second place, just a few strides behind Cheruiyot, but Ethiopia’s Tolosa then came through in the closing stages and handed over almost level with Cheruiyot.”

“Virginia Nyambura took up the running for Kenya on the second leg. The African cross-country silver medallist maintained a lead of about five metres over Ethiopia’s Dahdi Dube for most of the way as the lead duo carved out a 17-second lead over the rest of the field.

“The duo managed to distance themselves from the rest of the competitors, with Nyambura handing over a slender lead to Kyumbe Munguti.

“Munguti’s performance on the third leg was nothing short of spectacular, widening the gap and setting the stage for a Kenyan victory.

“However, the race was not without its challenges. Ethiopia faced an unexpected setback when Adehana Kasaye accidentally stepped on the foot of his teammate Birri Abera during the exchange, leading to Abera losing her shoe.

“This mishap resulted in a significant delay for Ethiopia, giving Kenya an even more considerable advantage.

“Purity Chepkirui, running the anchor leg for Kenya, capitalized on the lead. With an outstanding display of speed Chepkirui crossed the finish line in 22:15, securing the gold for Kenya.

“Despite the earlier incident, Abera managed to finish strong, securing the silver for Ethiopia, while Bethan Morley’s impressive final leg ensured that Great Britain & Northern Ireland did not leave empty-handed, securing the bronze.”

Sports

Coach of Mamelodi Sundowns female team suspended over sexual harassment allegations

Published

2 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The head coach of Mamelodi Sundowns women’s team, Jerry Tshabalala, has been suspended indefinitely amid allegations of sexual harassment of players.

A statement by the management of the top South African team said the 44-year-old Tshabalala, who has been in charge of Sundowns’s women’s team for over a decade, has been accused of a number of allegations, including making inappropriate sexual comments to his players, as well as entering the dressing room and refusing to leave while players are completely naked.

In a statement released on Saturday, Sundowns said they had appointed a law firm to investigate the allegations against the coach with specific instructions to unravel allegations of improper conduct by the Tshabalala.

The club said it views the allegations in a very serious light and has relieved the coach of his appointment pending when the investigations are concluded.

“Sundowns has, in the interim, put Coach Jerry Tshabalala on special leave pending the outcome of the investigation,” the club statement said.

“This is not done to pre-empt the outcome of the investigation, but to ensure that the investigation can proceed expeditiously and protect the rights of all parties.

“In the event that the investigation establishes facts that warrant action, the Board will immediately take such steps as are appropriate.

“Mamelodi Sundowns will in due course make announcements on the findings of the investigation and the action to be taken,” the statement concluded.

The Sundowns female team have been a dominant force in women’s football in South Africa and on the continent since Tshabalala took over in 2012, winning seven domestic league titles, as well as two CAF Women’s Champions League crowns.

Sports

FIFA Ranking: Nigeria ends 2024 as fifth best team in Africa

Published

2 days ago

December 20, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Nigeria’s men’s football national team, the Super Eagles, ended the year 2024 as the fifth best team in Africa in the latest FIFA world ranking for the month of December.

According to the rankings published by the world football governing body, Nigeria remains unchanged from its previous position, despite having a challenging international break.

The FIFA rankings also reveal that Nigeria suffered a significant decline this year, dropping eight places to end 2024 ranked 44th globally.

The decline follows disappointing performances during the final AFCON qualifiers for 2025, where the Super Eagles struggled against the Benin Republic and Rwanda, resulting in a lack of wins.

However, some of the Super Eagles bitter rivals like South Africa’s Bafana Bafana experienced a resurgence, climbing three positions to finish the year ranked 57th in the world, showing a marked improvement in their recent form and successful matches during the qualifiers.

It was a woeful year for West African rivals Ghana who ended the year in 77th position, which highlights the challenges the Black Stars have encountered in the outgoing year in its bid to maintain its positions among Africa’s elite teams.

Meanwhile, the Moroccan national football team, the Atlas Lion, retained its 14th position in the in the world while still maintaining its number one spot in Africa, holding the first position for the third year in a row.

In the world ranking, Morocco is followed by Senegal on 17th position, Egypt, 33rd, Algeria 37th, Nigeria, 44th, Côte d’Ivoire, 46th, Cameroon, 49th, Mali, 51st, and Tunisia in the 52nd position.

Top 10 African teams in 2024

1. Morocco – (14th)

2. Senegal – (17th)

3. Egypt – (33rd)

4. Algeria – (37th)

5. Nigeria – (44th)

6. Côte d’Ivoire – (46th)

7. Cameroon – (49th)

8. Mali – (51st )

9. Tunisia – (52nd)

10. South Africa – (57th)