Sports

Nigeria’s Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Augustine Eguavoen steps down after embarrassing World Cup miss

Published

2 years ago

March 31, 2022

In the wake of the failure of the Super Eagles of Nigeria to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup after a 1-1 scoreline with the Black Stars of Ghana on Tuesday, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced that “erstwhile Technical Adviser, Augustine Eguavoen has stepped down from that position with immediate effect”.

NFF disengages Super Eagles’ Technical Crew https://t.co/bmA88niYc2

— The NFF 🇳🇬 (@thenff) March 31, 2022

The football body said it has “withdrawn the two-and-a-half-year contract offered to the coaches and terminated the appointment of the entire technical crew of the team with immediate effect”

Other members of the crew are Salisu Yusuf (Chief Coach); Paul Aigbogun (Assistant Coach); Joseph Yobo (Assistant Coach); Terry Eguaoje (Assistant Coach) and Aloysius Agu (Goalkeeper Trainer).

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced the appointment of Augustine Eguavoen as the new Technical Adviser on an interim basis in December 2021 following the termination of the relationship with Franco-German Gernot Rohr.

The NFF also revealed that a “new crew will be announced after a proper review to lead the new charge of reinvigorating the Super Eagles to face future challenges appropriately”.

NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi on behalf of the body. thanked “the coaches and team officials for their service to the nation and wish them success in their future endeavors,” said

Nigeria failed to qualify for a seventh World Cup after it played 1: 1 draw with West African arch-rival Ghana. The Black Stars of Ghana had held the three-time African champions to a goalless draw in Kumasi on Friday, March 25, as their away goal in Abuja meant they advanced to Qatar.

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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.

Sports

Former Zambian captain Rainford Kalaba discharged from hospital after near-fatal accident

Published

3 days ago

April 26, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Former Zambian national team captain, Rainford Kalaba, has been discharged from hospital weeks after he was involved in a near-fatal accident where he sustained serious injuries.

The accident which involved a head-on collision between a Mercedes-Benz car in which Kalaba was in, and a truck, had initially sparked fears for his life and has since been in the Intensive Care Unit of the Zambian University Teaching Hospital (UTH).

The good news on the footballer’s progress was released by the UTH Public Relations Officer, Nzeba Chanda, who informed that the Chipolopolo legend has been discharged after showing positive signs of recovery.

“Mr. Rainford Kalaba has been discharged from the UTH-Adult where he was admitted after being involved in a road traffic accident two weeks ago,” Chanda said, adding that Kalaba will continue his recovery at his family home.

According to local media reports, the 37-year-old was a passenger in a Mercedes Benz when it collided with an oncoming truck in the south-eastern Zambian town of Kafue a week and five days ago.

In his active playing days, Kalaba spent the majority of his club career at TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo, winning the CAF Champions League with the club in 2015 and the CAF Confederation Cup in 2016.

He also had a spell with clubsides in Portugal including FC Braga, and was a major part of the Zambian squad that won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012 under Frenchman, Herve Renard.