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Morocco threatens to pull out of Chan 2023 over diplomatic row with Algeria

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Defending champions, Morocco, has threatened to pull out of the upcoming African Nations Championship scheduled to hold in Algeria from January 13 to February 4, 2023, over diplomatic rows between the two neighbours.

The Moroccan Football Federation in a statement on Friday, said they will boycott the tournament unless they are allowed to fly directly from the country’s capital, Rabat, to Constantine, where their group stage games will be played, insisting the Atlas Lions must be allowed to use its Air Maroc and be granted authority to land in Algeria.

The North African neighbours had severed diplomatic ties in 2021 with Algeria closing its airspace, but the Morocco FA has insisted that its team will only partake in the tournament for African-based players if they are allowed to fly in directly.

“Contrary to the information conveyed during the past 24 hours, we have requested that the plane which will transport the national team on January 10 be authorised to land at the airport of Constantine, host city of the matches of the national team,” Morocco FA boss Fouzi Lekjaa said in the statement.

“And of course, the official carrier for all national teams is Royal Air Maroc,” he added.

Lekjaa explained that the federation had sent correspondence to CAF to get Algeria to enforce the specification, in particular the aspect concerning the reception of the participating teams.

CAF has also notified the Algerian authorities of Morocco’s request and a correspondence has been opened between the two, Lekjaa said.

“The Minister of Youth and Sports, Abderezak Sebgag, told us that Algeria has received a request from CAF regarding the decision of the Moroccan Federation which requests a direct flight to Constantine.

“The response from the Algerian authorities will be given in the next 24 hours,” he added.

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Nigeria’s 4x400m mixed relay, 4×400 teams qualify for Olympics

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Team Nigeria on Sunday morning booked two places at the upcoming Paris Olympics Games in the Mixed 4x400m relay and 4X400m men’s events with automatic qualification spots at the ongoing World Relays in the Bahamas.

The mixed 4x400m relay team which had the quartet of Samuel Ogazi, Ella Onojuvwevwo, Chidi Okezie, and Esther Elo Joseph, picked the slot after finishing second behind the USA in their heat with a time of 3:13.79, to ensured Nigeria’s presence on the Olympic stage.

Both Nigeria and the US were a distance ahead of other in the heat and it was obvious as at the third leg that the race was between the two countries.

According to reports on the race, Okezie ran an impressive third leg in 44.78 to handover his baton first, but a US Olympics gold-medalist, Kendall Ellis, was too much for Esther Elo Joseph in the anchor leg as she led the United States to the finish line first.

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Kenyan footballer arrested over brutal robbery, murder case

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A Kenyan footballer, Byron Billy Owuor, has been arrested in connection with a violent robbery that led to the murder of a businesswoman in the Kondele area of Kisumu County of the country.

Owuor, a former Kisumu All-Stars player, was arrested after an AK47 rifle linked to violent robbery and murder was recovered and linked to him.

According to media reports, the 26-year-old midfielder was arrested along with another suspect for their alleged roles in a crime that has shocked the local community.

Police authorities confirmed that they seized the AK47 and 36 rounds of live ammunition linked to the robbery which took place on January 27th.

In a statement by the country’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the weapon was used to fatally shoot the business woman, Grace Awino Adero, who operated an M-Pesa shop with her husband.

“The assailants attacked the couple, making off with the day’s earnings and killing Mrs. Adero, while her husband narrowly survived the encounter,” the DCI said.

“The cold-blooded killers, believed to be part of a larger gang, fled the scene on an unmarked motorcycle, retreating to a hideout in Kasagam.

“Hours later, a suspicious saloon car was located by the Kasagam police during a routine patrol. Upon searching the vehicle, officers discovered a homemade pistol and four mobile phones, alongside an AK47 rifle without its magazine.

“The investigation revealed that the rifle had been obtained illegally from Uganda,” the DCI noted.

A media report stated that the case took a significant turn when detectives identified Robert Wakolo Okoth, also known as Michael Osama, as the alleged mastermind behind the syndicate’s criminal activities.

“Following this lead, a coordinated sting operation was conducted at Osama’s residence near Rai Primary School in Kasagam. During the raid, Osama’s 17-year-old brother, also believed to be a gang member, was arrested.

“The items recovered from the house include an AK47 magazine loaded with ammunition, six rounds of .38 special ammunition typically used in pistols, and five ID cards from different individuals.

“A green camouflage bag and a Kenya Armed Forces Comrades Association card were also found, pointing to the serious nature of the gang’s operations.

“With the arraignment at the Winam Senior Principal Magistrate’s Court, detectives have been granted an additional 14 days to wrap up their investigation.

“The focus now turns to capturing the remaining gang members whose identities have been uncovered but remain at large,” the statement said.

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