Sports

Kenya’s female athletes maintain Diamond League dominance

Published

2 months ago

September 16, 2024

Kenya’s female athletes have continued to prove their dominance at the Diamond League final in Brussels, Belgium, as they have scooped most of the titles to maintain their good record at major championships.

Out of the nine track events this far competed for in Brussels, Kenyan women athletes have picked four of them with some stunning performances recorded along the way.

Three of the four titles were won on the second day of the competition after world champion Mary Moraa had regained her 800m crown in superb fashion on Friday.

The Commonwealth champion ran a very tactical race to win the 800m Diamond Trophy in a season’s best 1:56.56, having saved the best for last, as she stormed to victory in the final 200m.

Moraa last won the trophy in 2022 before she was defeated by American Athing Mu last year but she made amends with her victory ahead of Britain’s Georgia Bell who clocked 1:57.50 and Jamaica’s Natoya Goule-Toppin, who completed the podium in 1:58.94.

On Saturday, 20-year-old Faith Cherotich stunned Olympics and world champion Winfred Yavi to claim the 3,000m steeplechase title.

With Yavi and former Olympics champion Peruth Chemutai of Uganda in the race, few gave Cherotich a chance at victory but she proved everyone wrong.

The world and Olympics bronze medallist timed her jumps at the water barriers to perfection while keeping Yavi in check, and at the final hurdle, she had already managed a good gap which she held on to win her first-ever Diamond League title.

Faith Kipyegon was the next to prove her mettle in the 1,500m and the three-time Olympics champion smashed the meeting record to clock 3:54.75 for her fifth Diamond League title.

Double Olympics champion Beatrice Chebet put the icing on the cake for the Kenyan women when she commanded the 5,000m race from start to finish.

Chebet left her rivals by a big gap as she lowered Almas Ayana’s meeting record by setting a new mark of 14:09.82 for her second Diamond League title.

Chebet had also won her first trophy in 2022 before missing out last year, but made amends in emphatic style. To show how dominant she was, second-placed Medina Eisa of Ethiopia came home in 14:21.89 to add to her world record in 10,000m, World Cross-Country title, two Olympics gold medals and now the Diamond League title in 2024.

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Sports

South Africa FA President Danny Jordaan detained. Here’s why

Published

3 days ago

November 17, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Danny Jordaan, the president of the South African Football Association (SAFA), was taken into custody on Wednesday on suspicion of misusing the organization’s funds for personal gain.

On Tuesday, Jordaan, who played a key role in securing South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 World Cup, attempted to have his impending arrest stopped by a court. The case is postponed until Dec. 5.

The matter has been postponed until December 5. Jordaan, who was given 20,000 rand ($1,110) bail, says he has done nothing wrong.

The police raid on the SAFA headquarters in March is what led to the arrest.

Between 2014 and 2018, “the president of SAFA used the organization’s resources for his gain, including hiring a private security company for his protection and a public relations company, without authorisation from the SAFA board,” according to a police spokesperson at the time.

Jordaan, 73, appeared in Palm Ridge magistrates court together with his co-accused, SAFA chief financial officer Gronie Hluyo, and businessman Trevor Neethling, who was also given bail.

They have been advised not to communicate with any of the 19 possible state witnesses on the list who may testify against them.

Sports

Ghanaians in tears as Black Stars fail to make AFCON 2025y

Published

4 days ago

November 16, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Ghanaians in tears as Black Stars fail to make AFCON 202

Football lovers in Ghana have been thrown into sadness following the failure of their national team, the Black Stars, to qualify for the 2025 AFCON, the first time in 20 years.

The four-time African champions missed out on the continental soccer fiesta after a lackluster 1-1 draw against Angola on Friday night.

The Black Stars needed to win away in Luanda to take their qualification bid to the final round of Group F fixtures and looked on course when captain Jordan Ayew opened scoring for the visitors on 18 minutes, 6 only for Ambrosini ‘Zini’ Salvador to equalise after 64 minutes for already-qualified Group F winners Angola.

The draw left Ghana bottom of the table with three points, four adrift of Sudan in the second qualifying place, with one round of match left.

In other matches played on Friday, minnows Comoros defied all odds to qualify for the tournament scheduled for Morocco next year alongside Mali, Zambia and Zimbabwe, bringing the number of countries that have so far qualified to 19, with five places up for grabs to complete the 24-team finalsyy.

Kamory Doumbia’s first-half goal gave Mali a 1-0 win in Mozambique, with the game going ahead in Maputo despite street protests following last month’s disputed presidential election to book their spot in Morocco.

Zambia moved to the summit of Group G after registering a surprise 1-0 home victory over reigning continental champions Ivory Coast, although the Elephants were already through before kick-off with the result ending Sierra Leone’s hopes of qualification.

Comoros will return to the finals after Myziane Maolida’s 90th-minute winner clinched a 2-1 victory away against The Gambia and eliminated the Scorpions in Group A.

Gambia needed at least a point to remain in the hunt and led in the 18th minute through Alassana Jatta but Rafiki Said quickly equalised for the islanders.

Comoros, who reached the last 16 on its debut at the 2021 finals but missed out on the 2023 edition, join Tunisia in progressing from Group A.

Zimbabwe needed just a point from their home game against Kenya to secure a top-two spot in Group J, and saw out a 1-1 draw against the Harambee Stars to ensure they progress alongside Cameroon.

Elsewhere, Botswana missed the opportunity to book just their second appearance at the Nations Cup after drawing 1-1 at home against Mauritania in Group C while Cape Verde were eliminated after a 1-1 stalemate at home against already-qualified Egypt.

Botswana will now need a point from their trip to Egypt on Tuesday to qualify, while Mauritania will finish second in the group if they win at home against Cape Verde and the Zebras are beaten in Cairo.

Meanwhile, South Africa defeated Uganda 2-0 in Group K and Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz scored twice as tournament hosts Morocco came from behind to win 5-1 against Gabon in Group B as all four teams were already assured of progress before kick-off.

Teams that already qualified for AFCON 2025:

Morocco (hosts), Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Comoros, DR Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.