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Nigerian Mixed Martial Artist, Kamaru Usman, will face Sweden’s Khamzat Chimaev at the co-main event of UFC 294 scheduled to take place on October 21, 2023, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The late substitution was announced by UFC President, Dana White, on the championship’s social media handles Wednesday evening.
Usman nicknamed the Nigerian Nightmare, was not originally part of the UFC 294 fight card. The event was billed to feature Chimaev against Brazil’s Paulo Costa.
Following tests conducted on the fighters ahead of the Abu Dhabi showdown, Costa was deemed ineligible to compete due to an elbow injury.
Usman, who competes in the welterweight division, is now expected to make weight within the next ten days to fight Chimaev, who competes in the middleweight class.
The Edo-born mixed martial artist had impressed since signing with the UFC in 2015, going on a 19-match winning streak that saw him capture the welterweight title.
On August 20, 2022, Britain’s Leon Edwards scored a knockout with a head kick in the final minute of round 5 to end Usman’s long reign as champion in the division at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. The loss ended Usman’s 19-fight winning streak that extended over nine years.
Usman has not been in any in-ring competition since losing his rematch against Leon Edwards on March 19, 2023.
Athletics Integrity Unit on Thursday slammed one of the country’s fastest sprinters ever, Divine Oduduru with a six-year ban for doping-related offences.
As contained in a press statement issued Thursday by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), Oduduru has been handed a six-year ban by a three-member Disciplinary Tribunal for committing two Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs).
The violations include the Possession of Prohibited Substances and the Attempted Use of a Prohibited Substance or Method. Additionally, Oduduru has been ordered to pay World Athletics a fine of US$3000 )over N3m) to cover expenses related to the case.
The ban is retroactive, starting from 9 February 2023, the date of Oduduru’s provisional suspension – and extends until February 8, 2029.
Furthermore, all of Oduduru’s results from 12 July 2021, to the date of his provisional suspension have been disqualified.
According to the AIU statement on Thursday, the case unfolded as part of a criminal investigation into Eric Lira, the first person to plead guilty under the US Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act for providing performance-enhancing drugs to Olympic athletes ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games.
The US Department of Justice’s initial complaint, issued in January 2022, referred to two athletes, “Athlete-1” and “Athlete-2.” The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) identified “Athlete-1” as Blessing Okagbare, who faced an 11-year ban last year, and, following an interview with Oduduru, concluded that he was “Athlete-2.”
Brett Clothier, Head of the AIU, expressed satisfaction with the outcome, stating, “We are very pleased with the outcome of this matter, given its particularly grievous nature, exposing the sinister collusion between athletes and other persons in deliberate plans to corrupt athletics at the highest level.”
Clothier emphasised the AIU’s commitment to uncovering cheats and acknowledged the cooperation with investigative organizations such as the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and the United States Department of Justice, whose legal reach provided crucial evidence in both Oduduru’s and Okagbare’s cases.
The panel found Oduduru guilty of Possession of a Prohibited Substance and Attempted Use of a Prohibited Substance, treating them as a single first violation.
The mandatory four-year ban for the combined violation was extended by an additional two years for Aggravating Circumstances.
The panel justified the longer ban by citing Oduduru’s involvement in a scheme with a teammate to procure multiple non-specified Prohibited Substances to influence athletic competitions.
Oduduru, who turned 27 on 7 October, maintained his innocence despite overwhelming evidence against him.
The AIU’s case relied on WhatsApp messages between Okagbare and Lira, revealing Oduduru’s solicitation of Prohibited Substances and photographic evidence of these substances in his Florida apartment.
The substances found included human growth hormone (Somatropin), synthetic Insulin Growth Factor (IGF LR3), and recombinant erythropoietin (EPO).
The panel considered it an extraordinary coincidence that these substances precisely matched those requested by Okagbare from Lira for both herself and Oduduru.
The panel concluded that Oduduru was in constructive possession of the Prohibited Substances based on the circumstances surrounding their discovery in his exclusive control.
Despite the ban and the damning evidence, Oduduru maintained his innocence, and the fallout from this scandal is set to have lasting repercussions on his athletic career and the broader integrity of track and field competitions.
World Athletics (WA), yesterday, unveiled the names of nominees for Women’s Athlete of the Year 2023, but the name of 100m hurdles record holder, Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan, is missing from the lot.
Amusan, who is Nigeria, Africa and Commonwealth champion in the 100m hurdles, made history last year when she became the first Nigerian athlete to be nominated for the honour.
She eventually made it to the final five, before losing out to then World 400m hurdles champion and record holder, Sydeny McLaughlin.
With Amusan’s failure to successfully defend her world title at Budapest 2023 World Championships, following the emotional trauma she went through over her provisional suspension for three Whereabouts Failures, it was glaring her successful Diamond League defence would not be enough to get into the list unveiled by World Athletics.
The 11 nominees are headlined by five world record breakers, led by Kenya’s World 1500m and 5000m champion, Faith Kipyegon, who set three world records in 2023 in the 1500m, one mile and 5000m.
Others are Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa, who set a world marathon record and won the Berlin Marathon, flying Dutchwoman, Femke Bol, who set a world indoor record in the 400m flat and won the world title in the 400m hurdles and Maria Perez, 20km and 35km race walk world champion, who set a world record in 35km race
walk.
Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay completes the list of world record holders among the nominees. The world 10,000m champion broke Kipyegon’s 5000m world record on her way to winning the event at the Diamond League final in Eugene, Oregon, USA.
Others listed are Shericka Jackson, the Jamaican world 200m champion and double sprint Diamond League winner; Japan’s world and Diamond League javelin champion, Haruka Kitaguchi, Yaroslava Mahuchikh who won the high jump title in Budapest and Eugene.
Also listed are world and Diamond League triple champion, Yulimar Rojas; Sha’Carri Richardson, the American who won the 100m title at the Worlds and Bahama’s Winfed Yavi, who won the 3000m steeplechase title in Budapest and Eugene.
[Guardian]
UEFA on Thursday announced the Euro 2024 qualifier between Kosovo and Israel, scheduled for Sunday, had been postponed because of the conflict in Israel and Gaza.
“Israeli authorities currently do not allow their national team to travel abroad,” UEFA, European football’s governing body, said in a statement.
“A new date for the fixture will be announced in due course.”
UEFA had already postponed on Sunday, the day after the surprise offensive launched by Hamas, “all matches scheduled” in Israel “in the next couple of weeks”.
The governing body has rescheduled Israel’s match against Switzerland match, originally scheduled for this Thursday, for Wednesday November 15 with the venue still to be determined.
Israel’s European Under-21 Championship matches have also been postponed along with an Under-17 mini-tournament in which Israel was due to take part.
[Vanguard]
Former Manchester United striker, Louis Saha, has hit out at the club’s summer signing Mason Mount, insisting that the former Chelsea star is not performing for the Red Devils.
Saha, who claimed he has not seen enough of Mount this season, wants Man United to sign Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma in the next transfer window.
“Man Utd are relying on one or two players to create, and I have not seen enough of Mount yet,” Saha told King Casino Bonus.
“His creativity is nowhere to be seen. I didn’t see any positive runs from him against Brentford. His timing is off, too, and he can’t make chances by playing like this.
“I hope that the players find their groove, and once they do, they will be hard to play against. They have the energy, and when players like Bruno Fernandes start making those passes, I will be more confident in Man Utd.
“I’d say, based on what we’ve seen, Mount isn’t performing and I’ve seen Casemiro play more offensively than Mount. That’s a crazy thing to say, but it’s true.’
He added, “I would like to see Mitoma arrive at Old Trafford. He’s a very exciting player and he never seems to have any doubt on the ball.”
[DailyPost]
Saudi Arabia announced it took the second step to bid for the 2034 World Cup by submitting a letter of intent to host the event to world soccer governing body Fifa on Monday.
“Last week we announced our ambitions to host the 2034 Fifa World Cup, and this official submission continues our journey to make the dreams of our people a reality,” Yasser Al Misehal, President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation SAFF said in a statement.
“We are extremely committed to presenting the most competitive bid possible that will also help unite the world through football,” he added.
SAFF said that once they declared their intention on Wednesday to bid for the tournament, “over 70 Fifa Member Associations from across different continents have publicly pledged their support for the Kingdom.”
Last week, Fifa named Morocco, Spain and Portugal as hosts of the 2030 World Cup, with Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay hosting the opening matches to mark the tournament’s centenary.
Spain Call Up Fati, Zaragoza To Replace Pino
Spain selected Ansu Fati and Bryan Zaragoza to replace the injured Yeremy Pino for upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers on Monday.
Granada winger Zaragoza, 22, scored twice in his team’s 2-2 draw against champions Barcelona in LaLiga on Sunday, earning his first international call-up.
“Barca players congratulated me a lot (on the performance)… and told me to stop running in the middle of the game,” Zaragoza told DAZN.
Brighton forward Ansu Fati, on loan from Barcelona, was not selected by Spain coach Luis de la Fuente for the previous qualifying wins over Georgia and Cyprus in September.
Fati’s last appearance for Spain came in June in the Nations League final victory over Croatia, when he came on as a substitute for Pino.
Villarreal winger Pino suffered a hamstring injury during his side’s 2-1 defeat by Las Palmas on Sunday.
Spain, second, will face Group A leaders Scotland on Thursday before visiting third-place Norway on Sunday.
[Leadership]
The match referee for Nigeria’s international friendly against the Mambas of Mozambique will be Portuguese official Miguel Nogueira.
Nogueira will be supported by his compatriots Paulo Bras, Ana Loide, and Bruno Viera, who will serve as assistant referee 1, assistant referee 2, and fourth official respectively.
This encounter is scheduled to take place at Estadio Municipal de Portimão on Monday next week.
It will mark the fifth meeting between both countries.
The match will kick off at 4:00 pm Portuguese time, which is the same as Nigeria’s time.
The Eagles are expected to start arriving at their Penina Hotel and Resort, Portimao, on Tuesday, with the first friendly against the Green Falcons of Saudi Arabia set for Friday.
[newsnownigeria]
Former England and Manchester United midfielder David Beckham is touted to make a sensational return to the Premier League club in an ambassador role if Sheikh Jassim buys the club from the Glazers, according to talkSPORT.
There are speculations the banker is vying with Sir Jim Ratcliffe to buy the Red Devils.
Beckham spent 11 years in the United first-team from 1992 to 2003, before he was sold to Real Madrid.
However, his relationship with Qatar dates back to 2013, when he signed a short-term contract with QSI-owned Paris Saint-Germain.
The 48-year-old was also a guest at Formula 1’s Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday night and had an ambassadorial role at the 2022 World Cup in the Gulf state.
[Newsguru]
THREE England-based players, Taiwo Awoniyi, Ola Aina and Jamilu Collins, have all withdrawn from the Super Eagles squad for the friendly matches against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique in Portugal, the Nigerian national team confirmed today.
The Super Eagles face Saudi Arabia on Friday and Mozambique next Monday, with both matches to be held in Portimao, Portugal.
Nottingham Forest pair Awoniyi and Aina have been replaced with Tyrone Ebuehi and Sadiq Umar respectively, while Chidozie Awaziem comes in for Cardiff City defender Collins.
Both striker Awoniyi and defender Aina missed recent Premier League fixtures for Forest with injuries.
Awoniyi missed Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace with a knock while Aina was not in the squad for the 1-1 draw with Brentford on October 1 and Saturday’s clash.
On his part, left-back Collins, who has made nine appearances in the Championship this season after recovering from a long-term injury, played all 90 minutes on Saturday as Cardiff drew 1-1 with Watford.
The Super Eagles players are expected to arrive in Faro, Portugal from tomorrow for the games.
The Nigeria Football Federation says the friendlies have been arranged as tune-up games for the Super Eagles ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The three-time African champions begin the race by hosting Lesotho in Uyo on November 17 before travelling away to play Zimbabwe four days later.
[NaijaNews]
Sevilla have sacked Coach Jose Luis Mendilibar after winning just two of their opening eight La Liga games this season.
Saturday’s 2-2 league draw at Rayo Vallecano left Sevilla in 14th position in the standings with eight points taken of a possible 24.
Mendilibar, 62, took the helm of Sevilla in March and guided the club to defend their La Liga status and won the Europa League for a record-extending seventh time.
“The club wants to thank the services provided by the Basque coach, whose role will go down in the club’s history by winning the seventh Europa League,” the club said in a statement.
Sevilla will host LaLiga leaders Real Madrid on October 21 before welcoming Arsenal to the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in the Champions League three days later.
Under Mendilibar, the team drew their opening two Champions League games against Lens and PSV Eindhoven.
They sit third in the standings, two points adrift of group leaders Lens and one point adrift of Arsenal.
[Leadership]
More...
Former England captain, Wayne Rooney has told DC United players he’s resigning.
Rooney made the announcement after DC United were beaten by New York City FC. The Athletic says he doesn’t a new job lined up.
“It’s the right time [to leave D.C. United],” Rooney said. “I’ve done everything I can to get this club into the playoffs. It’s not a single thing that’s happened. It’s about timing.
“What lies ahead, I don’t know. I’ve seen a lot of reports in the media. I’m going back with nothing lined up.
“I want to say on record to everyone involved in the club. Staff, players: I’m grateful.”
[NewsGuru]
Former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Peterside Idah has disclosed that it would take Nigeria more than 40 years to host the FIFA World Cup.
Idah cited the country’s poor maintenance culture of its sports facilities, which he said has affected some of the quality stadiums in the country.
The 49-year-old in an interview on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily, noted that the only available stadium, where good football can be played at the moment, remains the Godswill Akpabio International stadium in Uyo.
He emphasized that neglecting these facilities could limit Nigeria’s ability to compete on the global stage, not only as a future World Cup host but also as a genuine challenger in a variety of sporting disciplines.
“On record presently, the only playing field which we have is a grass stadium and it is the Uyo stadium, but 20 anything(years) is still very long maybe in the next 40 years, we would have had some kind of stability,” he said.
“We have facilities everywhere like in Port Harcourt where I live in Port Harcourt now, we have three stadiums in Port Harcourt, and we play well. This stadium must be working. We have the civic centre that had everything such as the swimming pool but these facilities are not being maintained. And once these facilities are not maintained how do you expect us to firstly chunk out athletes and be able to contest or contain the world. We have to go back to basics.”
Nigeria last hosted a global football tournament back in 2009, which was the U-17 FIFA World Cup with Switzerland emerging as champions and Golden Eaglets taking the runner-up spot.
[Leadership]
Mikel Arteta says title-chasing Arsenal can take confidence from their Community Shield win over Manchester City as the Gunners face the Premier League champions on Sunday.
Arsenal have not beaten City in the league since 2015, but the Gunners boss said their August victory on penalties in the Community Shield — the annual curtain-raiser to the season — had given his team belief.
“That was an important one for us,” he said. “To win a title against Man City is always something you have to value. The way we did it as well and it gives us confidence and belief that we can beat them.”
Arsenal led the Premier League for long stretches last season but faltered in the final furlong as City overtook them to claim their third consecutive title.
Treble winners City lead the way again after seven games, but the third placed Gunners are just one point behind.
Arteta said he was determined to look forward, rather than back at Arsenal’s poor league record against City.
“We aren’t looking back for sure because there were different players participating in those games, but we know one thing for certain, that we’re going to have to be at our best,” he said.
“We have to be at our best in every department for 100 minutes. Then we have a chance.”
Arteta, who worked as Guardiola’s City assistant before becoming Arsenal boss, was asked if the two coaches could still surprise each other.
“I’m sure that every year we have new tools and new players that can do different things, but obviously we know each other and we expect something from each other,” he said.
“At the end, it is down to the players and they are the ones that surprise you the most. That’s for sure.”
Arteta said Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka is in contention to play despite being forced off during the midweek 2-1 loss at Lens in the Champions League.
Team News (Arsenal vs Man City)
Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka is a major doubt after limping off during the Champions League defeat by Lens.
Gabriel Martinelli is expected to miss a sixth successive game because of a hamstring issue.
City are without midfielder Rodri who will serve the final game of a three-match ban.
Bernardo Silva is available after returning to the squad in midweek, while John Stones and Kevin de Bruyne have both been ruled out.
Match Facts
Head-to-Head
Arsenal have lost 15 of the past 16 meetings, including 12 consecutive Premier League defeats
The Gunners’ last two wins over City have come in FA Cup semi-finals: 2-0 in 2020 and 2-1 in 2017
Arsenal have gone 16 top-flight games against Manchester City without keeping a clean sheet
City are the only side that Mikel Arteta has failed to beat during his managerial career in the Premier League – he has lost all seven meetings against his former club.
Arsenal
Arsenal are unbeaten in the Premier League, winning five and drawing two of their seven matches
However, the Gunners suffered their first loss of the season in midweek, going down 2-1 to Lens in the Champions League
The north Londoners have won 19 of their past 26 Premier League home games, drawing five and losing to Manchester City and Brighton
Mikel Arteta’s side have kept just four clean sheets in their past 28 home league fixtures, with 63% of the goals they have conceded since the start of last season coming at Emirates Stadium
The Gunners have dropped points in five of their eight Premier League home games without Bukayo Saka, winning three, drawing three and losing two
Saka has contributed five goals and two assists in his past eight Premier League appearances.
Manchester City
Manchester City could lose back-to-back Premier League fixtures for the first time since December 2018, when they were beaten by Crystal Palace and Leicester
City have lost one third of their 15 league matches without Rodri since his debut in August 2019, compared to just 13% of the 144 games he has featured in
Erling Haaland scored in both of the top-flight clashes with Arsenal last season, with each goal coming after the 80th minute
Haaland has scored in his previous four Premier League outings in London, a run which started with a goal in City’s 3-1 win at Arsenal in February
Goalkeeper Ederson is set to make his 300th City appearance on Sunday.
Predictions
Arsenal 1 vs 2 Man City
[Vanguard]
Despite her 16-match winning streak coming to a close in a semi-final showdown against second-ranked Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek, 19-year-old U.S. tennis star Coco Gauff has pocketed another substantial sum at the 2023 China Open, cementing her status as one of the top earners in women’s tennis.
Gauff, who had been on an unprecedented winning spree since her title victory in Cincinnati last August, faced a formidable challenge in the semi-final on Sat., Oct. 7, at the Diamond Court. The match ended with Swiatek emerging victorious, but Gauff’s remarkable performance throughout the tournament did not go unrewarded. She earned $781,100 from her efforts at the China Open.
This substantial income from the China Open adds to the $5.017 million that Gauff secured at the 2023 U.S. Open, where she made history by winning her first-ever Grand Slam title. Her victory at the U.S. Open earned her a grand prize of $3 million, making her the youngest woman to clinch a Grand Slam title since Serena Williams accomplished the feat in 1999.
Recent financial analysis by Billionaires.Africa, based on official figures from the China Open authorities, reveals that Gauff earned an additional $108,400 from a doubles match earlier in the tournament. Her five singles matches, including the semi-final defeat to Swiatek, contributed $763,843 to her overall earnings from the competition.
While her total earnings of $781,100 from the 2023 China Open may be comparatively lower than the windfall at the U.S. Open, this figure significantly boosts her earnings this year. As of Sept. 15, Gauff, presently ranked as the world’s number three female tennis player, trailing behind 22-year-old Iga Swiatek and 25-year-old Belarusian pro Aryna Sabalenka, has amassed a staggering career earnings total of $11,107,463.
This remarkable milestone comes nearly five years after her professional debut in 2018. The year 2023 has proven to be a watershed moment for Gauff’s financial success. In this year alone, she has amassed $5,557,372 from all competitions as of Sept. 15, firmly establishing herself as one of the top earners among active female tennis players.
[billionaires.africa]