Sports

‘I stood up for my teammates’, Super Eagles’ Bright Osayi defends beating up pitch invader

Published

9 months ago

March 26, 2024

Super Eagles and Fernabache of Turkey defender, Bright Osayi-Samuel, has opened up on why he had to beat up a pitch invader in the wake of a brawl with some fans of Tranzonspor during a match in a Turkish Superlig.

The right-back had come under the spotlight when he was seen beating up a fan of Tranzonspor who had attempted to attack Fernabache players during the match last Sunday.

While many fans of the club had applauded Osayi-Samuel’s action, even going ahead to make a graffiti of the scene, others have condemned him and even went as far as demanding sanctions for him.

But while speaking to sports journalists on Monday in Morocco where the Eagles are currently preparing for a friendly match against Mali, the 25-year-old defender said he had to stand up for his teammates in self defence.

“The fans attacked the team, some had weapons on them, I had to defend my team, it was self defence, that’s what happened,” he said.

“My teammates suffered cuts and bruises, some were really scared, several others also joined me to try to defend the team.

“We found a way to win and avenge our only loss in the league to the same team after they beat us at our home in the first round,” he added.

Fans of Trabzonspor had invaded the pitch after title-chasing Fenerbache recorded a 3-2 win at away to keep up the pressure on league leaders Galatasaray, a defeat which angered the home fans and led to them invading the pitch.

But they met their match in the Super Eagles player who chased some and pounced on them heavily.

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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)