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Morocco moves to 11th, Nigeria drops to 40th in latest FIFA world ranking

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Following unimpressive performances in the AFCON qualifying matches played in March, the Super Eagles of Nigeria has dropped five places from 35 to 40 in the latest FIFA world ranking released on Thursday.

The Eagles also went down one spot to the sixth position in Africa after dropping 13 points from 1494.32 which they had when the last ranking was released to 1480.8.

The Eagles have had a woeful run of results in recent times, losing five matches in a row including a humiliating 1-0 defeat to lowly Guinea-Bissau in the third round of the AFCON qualifier in Abuja.

The star-studded team only managed a scrappy 1-0 win away to the same team in Match Day 4 though the win did nothing to assuage their fans.

Guinea-Bissau, on the back of the shock win, rose five places from 118 to 113 in the ranking.

The biggest movers on the African ranking is the Atlas Lions of Morocco, which moved up to 11th spot in the world and maintained its number one position in Africa following their
semi-final run at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, and a string of good performances which included a 2-1 defeat of Brazil in a friendly match.

AFCON champions, the Teranga Lions of Senegal, moved up to 18th in the world while maintaining its second spot on the continent, as Tunisia rose to 28th in the world ranking and third in Africa.

The biggest climber of all was the Central African Republic, which enjoyed a double-digit rise (10 ranks) on the back of successive wins that have left it well placed to qualify for a first-ever AFCON appearance.

The ranking was published on FIFA’s official website.

The top 10 African ranked teams are:

Morocco

Senegal

Tunisia

Algeria

Egypt

Nigeria

Cameroon

Cote d’Ivoire

Burkina Faso

Mali

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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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