Sports

Kenyan sprint sensation, Ferdinand Omanyala storms to world-leading time at Classic

Published

12 months ago

May 14, 2023

Kenyan sprint sensation and current African 100m record holder, Ferdinand Omanyala, on Saturday at the Kip Kieno Classic held in Nairobi, raced to a new world-leading time of 9.85 to inch close to his dream of erasing the world record held by Jamaican Usain Bolt.

With the triumph, Omanyala earned a third consecutive men’s 100 metres win at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, finishing the meeting on a high note as he clocked the fastest time of the season so far.

Although he was not able to better the African record of 9.77 he set at the 2021 of the Kip Kieno Classic, the Commonwealth champion was too fast for two top American sprinters in the race, Olympic and world 200m silver medallist, Kenny Bednarek who was second in 9.98, and world 100m silver medallist, Marvin Bracy-Williams who finished third in 10.03.

Omanyala, who also ran a 9.78 time to win the Botswana Grand Prix last month, has remained unbeaten this season.

In celebrating his feat, World Athletics, in a tweet, wrote?

“Ending the @KipKeinoClassic with a bang @Ferdiomanyala reigns in the men’s 100m as he clocks a world-leading 9.84 to grab the victory in a packed Kasarani Stadium
#ContinentalTourGold
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) May 13, 2023”

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Sports

Nigeria’s football federation appoints Finidi George as Super Eagles coach

Published

16 hours ago

April 29, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has approved the appointment of former international, Finidi George, as the new head coach of the Super Eagles.

The board of the Federation
on Monday, approved the recommendation of its Technical and Development Committee to appoint George, a former Eagles winger, as the manager of the Nigeria’s men national football team.

Before his appointment, George, served as assistant to José Peseiro before the Portuguese voluntarily resigned from post after leading the Eagles to the final of 2023 Africa Cup of Nations where they lost 2-1 to host Cote d’Ivoire.

Following Peseiro’s departure, George took charge of the squad in interim capacity during two friendly matches in Morocco last month.

He led the squad to a 2-1 victory over Ghana in the first match but lost 0-2 to Mali in the second game.

The 52-year-old George was a member of the Eagles team of the early 90s fondly called the “Golden Generation” that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Tunisia and qualified Nigeria for its first ever senior FIFA World Cup in 1994.

During his playing career, George starred for Sharks of Port Harcourt and Calabar Rovers in Nigeria before moving abroad where he played for Ajax Amsterdam in the Netherlands and Real Betis of Spain.

He won 62 caps for Nigeria, including featuring at the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cup finals and also won gold, silver and bronze medals from the 1992, 1994, 2000 and 2002 AFCON tournaments.

George’s immediate task will be to guide the Super Eagles to victory in two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and Benin Republic in Uyo and Abidjan respectively, in a little over five weeks.

Sports

Al Ahly, Esperance to clash in CAF Champions League final

Published

2 days ago

April 27, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Two of Africa’s club giants, Egypt’s Al Ahly and Esperance of Tunisia, will do battle next month over two legs for the right to be crowned champions of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.

Title-holders Al Ahly and their long-standing rivals Esperance both booked their places in the final with dramatic semi-final victories over DR Congo”s TP Mazembe and Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa respectively on Friday night.

While Al Ahly, winners of five of the last seven editions of the continent’s top draw tournament, with a record 11 in total, overcame TP Mazembe with a 3-0 aggregate victory in the semi-final second leg after a goalless first leg last Saturday, Esperance surprised Sundowns with a 1-0 victory in Pretoria to wrap up a 2-0 aggregate win.

The two-legged final will mark the third encounter between Ahly and Esperance in the Champions League final, with the Egyptians winning in 2012 and the Tunisians triumphing in 2018.

In 2023, the two clubs clashed in the semi-finals with Ahly emerging victorious home and away, securing a 4-0 aggregate triumph.

Esperance who are aiming for a fifth Champions League title, will host the first leg in Rades on May 18, with the return fixture scheduled in Cairo seven days later.