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VIDEO: Super Eagles players observe minute silence for Nigerians who passed on during their match against South Africa
AdminThe Super Eagles players on Thursday night, February 9, observed a minute silence for the four Nigerians who died during their match against South Africa on Wednesday, February 7.
An APC chieftain, Cairo Ojougboh, an Ivory Coast based Nigerian businessman, a serving NYSC member as well as the Deputy Bursar of Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, Alhaji Ayuba Abdullahi, all died on Wednesday night, Feb. 7, while watching the semi-finals between Nigeria and South Africa in the ongoing AFCON.
The players gathered and observed a minute silence in honour of the deceased Nigerians and went on to say prayers for the repose of their souls and for God to comfort their families.
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Team Nigeria claimed 11 medals at the just-concluded African Senior Weightlifting Championship in Ismaila, Egypt and earned the praises of Nigeria Weightlifting Federation president Ibrahim Abdul.
Joy Eze rounded off a magnificent performance for Team Nigeria on Wednesday after she scooped all the three gold medals available in the 71kg women’s category. Her three gold haul made it 11 medals for Team Nigeria consisting of six gold and five silver medals.
Eze lifted 104 kg in snatch to win gold and added another gold in clean and jerk with a lift of 130kg, before the weightlifter claimed her third gold by having the highest total lift (234kg).
Eze’s three gold moved her up to the top 12 in the Olympic qualification ranking in her weight class. Rafiat Lawal, Adijat Olarinoye and Umoafia Edidiong are closing in on Olympic Games tickets too with their performances in Ismaila and only the top 10-ranked will make it to the Olympic Games in Paris, France come July this year.
Lawal claimed three gold medals in the 59kg while Olarinoye bagged three silver medals in the same weight class and Edidiong picked up two silver medals in the men’s 73kg.
NWF boss Abdul praised the four weightlifters who boosted their chances of picking Olympic tickets and vowed to chase a record outing at the African Games in Ghana.
“It was a commendable performance from the four weightlifters. They have done us proud and we are all glad with what they have achieved in Egypt,” he said.
“We know the lifters are capable of doing more and we expect them to go full throttle at the African Games with the rest of their colleagues. We expect them to give the signal at the African Games before going to Thailand to complete the job.
“We shall proceed to camp almost immediately as they return from Egypt because the African Games is around the corner and we want to ensure we perform better than we have done in previous editions.”
The Nigerian lifters will participate in another Olympic Games qualifier next month when the International Weightlifting Federation World Cup holds from March 31 to April 11 in Phuket, Thailand, which will be the last qualifier before the Olympics.
D’TIGRESS of Nigeria secured a key victory over Senegal in their Paris 2024 Olympic Games Qualifying Tournament clash tonight in Antwerp, Belgium.
The African champions produced a fine fourth quarter display to edge out their fierce rivals 72-65 in the hunt for a ticket to the women’s basketball event of the Olympic Games in Paris, France later this year.
With both teams to face Belgium and USA in the qualifying tournament, tonight’s game was the potential decider and it could prove that way after Nigeria extended their recent dominance of their fellow Africans.
D’Tigress, who have won the Women’s AfroBasket title four times in a row, were trailing 57-49 heading into the last 10 minutes and had to dig deep to earn the crucial win.
They started the final quarter with an 11-0 run to swing the contest back firmly in their favour.
The African champions were led in scoring by Amy Okonkwo, the Most Valuable Player last year at the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket.
She registered an impressive 21 points and 10 rebounds to steer her side to victory.
To reach the Olympics, D’Tigress need to ensure they do not finish bottom of the four-team tournament standings in Belgium, and the win over Senegal could potentially secure them third place even if they lose to the hosts and USA.
“I am so incredibly proud of my team and I have special group. The game was not pretty, but they stuck together and they got it done,” D’Tigress head coach Rene Wakama said after the tense win.
“It was beautiful as a coach to see them come together and fight back when things were not going their way. This game felt like a Final because we knew what was at stake. But we only just got past this first road block.”
Senegal coach Alberto Carlos Antuna Leal rued his team’s late capitulation but acknowledged the strength of the Nigerians as he looked forward to a bright future.
“It was tough. I think we controlled the first three quarters and played a solid game,” he said.
“The girls respected the game plan and the rules. In the last quarter some offensive rebounds, turnover and missed lay-ups made the difference but I am really proud of the girls.
“I think the future is bright for Senegal. This was my first game as the head coach of the team. We have to remember Nigeria has not lost to another African team since 2015.
“We are focused on next year’s FIBA Women’s AfroBasket and we are going to get to the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup for sure.”
USA defeated Belgium 81-79 in the other game tonight, and D’Tigress will face the Americans tomorrow and the hosts on Sunday.
[NaijaTimes]
Medical experts in the country have warned hypertensive patients against participating in activities that cause excitement or put much pressure on the heart.
Speaking on the possibilities of what could have happened to those who died while watching the football match between Nigeria and South Africa on Wednesday, consultant cardiologist, federal medical centre, Jabi, Dr. Salau Ibrahim, said the sudden collapse could be as a result of stroke, sudden heart attack or stress induced heart problem.
The cardiologist told LEADERSHIP that age matters a lot and for people who are older and have other problems like heart issues or the kidney, they need to be very careful about things that stress the organs, especially the heart.
He cautioned against anxiety or stress, explaining that anxiety is a form of emotional stress.”
Dr. Salau said the major causes of such sudden deaths are stroke or heart attack.
“Like the two incidents that happened on Wednesday, it could be that they had heart attack or abnormal heart reading. it’s possible they are hypertensive, diabetic and have not been checking themselves.
“So, it’s either they had heart attack or they had cardiac arrhythmia, which can predispose someone to having cardiac arrest. Everything still falls under cardiac arrest.
“Those are he major things. Regular check and lifestyle modification is very important. If you have any background comorbidity like hypertension or diabetes, ensure you take your medications regularly,” he advised.
Dr. Salau said “You can watch football even if you are hypertensive but you need to be sure that your blood pressure is well regulated, and taking your medication adequately.
“Being hypertensive is not a contradiction to watching football but you need to know the status of your heart before you watch that kind of very intense game.
“Avoid watching football among the crowd that can put pressure on you,” he advised.
Also, a consultant cardiologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Dr Ramon Moronkola has linked the possible causes of deaths during the football match to stroke as a result of cardiac arrest and heart or brain issue.
Moronkola told LEADERSHIP that when there is emotional surge, which is a sudden increase of an emotion, many things could go wrong.
“Your adrenaline is pumping and your blood pressure could go up immediately. For someone that has underlying cardiovascular disease that is not well managed, that person could suffer from a sudden cardiac arrest, which could lead to death.
“For example, if the person has myocardial ischemic heart disease, which occurs when blood flow to your heart is reduced, preventing the heart muscle from receiving enough oxygen, that emotional surge could make that person develop heart attack which could lead to sudden death,” he explained
The physician also identified another possibility as having heart failure that is not properly managed, adding that when such a person is experiencing emotional surge due to the match, that could lead to sudden death as well.
He said emotional surge can also lead to abnormal heart beat, which can also lead to sudden death.
In essence, for those with underlying diseases like hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol around the heart area, cardiac arrest is inevitable due to emotional surge as a result of the match, he affirmed.
He said there is another set of people who may not have had heart disease prior to the match, but they have genetic predisposition that made their heart go into abnormal heart beating due to emotional surge, which could lead to death.
The cardiologist, therefore, urged Nigerians to have regular heart check.
“Please go for regular heart check, Moronkola stated, adding that, “Do not wait until you have symptoms or until a problem arises before you go to the hospital. It might be too late, as with the case of Wednesday. If you are diagnosed with any heart condition, please treat it well.
For those who already know their heart status, the cardiologist advised them to control their emotion properly. “If watching the match can make you experience emotional surge, then don’t watch,” he appealed to Nigerians.
Speaking further, he said this is also a wake-up call for the government to ensure that the country’s emergency response system is well developed, the cardiologist stated, adding that, “This involved training everybody on how to do basic resuscitation.
“Government should ensure that places like airport, supermarket and churches etc, where people are gathered should have a Automated External Defibrillator (AED), which is used to help those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. It’s a sophisticated, yet easy-to-use, medical device that can analyze the heart’s rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm.”
In the same vein, consultant family physician at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Dr. Chira Obiora, told LEADERSHIP that people can watch football but they should first of all know their health challenges.
Dr Obiora said if your health challenges get stimulated, watching football will release adrenaline which can cause problem especially if you have a cardiovascular problem.
“It can trigger a heart problem and the person can have heart attack and die. It can even trigger stroke in some people especially if they are not controlling their blood pressure very well. That is why excitement can kill somebody.
“Excitement whether positive or negative, there are hormones that are released. That hormone is known as adrenaline, that is the hormone released when one is excited. It also releases it in anxiety, so what happens is that this hormone, one of the functions is that it can narrow blood vessels and make the blood pressure to increase a bit.
“So if one is having a pressure problem, it can trigger it or if the pressure is not good enough, it can even burst because if it is narrower, the pressure in the vessels will increase, so that is how it stringers heart attack. Even the narrowness of blood vessels can cause different forms of cardiovascular phenomenon to arise; from heart attack to stroke to even the clot in the blood vessel which can even detach and go and block somewhere, it can cause pulmonary embolism or any other thing,” he explained.
The family physician advised that the general thing is for people to go for general medical checks especially as it relates to age and family history. “That is the basic thing,” he said, while stating that someone who is hypertensive can watch football if the person is doing the right thing; controlling his or her blood pressure, doing medical checkup and trying as much as possible to have positive outflow so that the person will not be tensed unnecessary.
[Leadership]
Kelechi Iheanacho Reveals How He Felt Before Taking Match-winning Penalty Against South Africa
AdminSuper Eagles forward, Kelechi Iheanacho has described the moment he had to score the match-winning penalty against South Africa on Wednesday, February 7, as a “make or break” moment.
Kelechi Iheanacho, who was one of the last players to link up with the Super Eagles in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, ahead of the 2023 AFCON, hasn’t started a game in the tournament so far.
The Leicester City forward had not played any minute in the tournament before the South Africa vs Nigeria clash on Wednesday.
During Wednesday’s game, coach Jose Peseiro who is reportedly at loggerhead with the player before the tournament, introduced him into the game in extra time.
He couldn’t help the Super Eagles win the game within the extra period as the match ended in a 1-1 draw and was decided by a penalty shootout.
Fortunately for Kelechi Iheanacho, he was the last among the five players selected to take Super Eagles’ spot-kicks and successfully converted it to seal a 4-2 shootout win.
After the win, Iheanacho told reporters that he felt like the entire country was on his shoulder at the point of taking his spot-kick.
“I felt at that moment, I was carrying the hope of the nation on my shoulder. The penalty was either make or break but I thank God who made it possible for us to go through to the final,” Iheanacho said.
It will be interesting to see whether coach Jose Peseiro will give Kelechi Iheanacho any minute in the 2023 AFCON final against Ivory Coast at 9 p.m. on Sunday, February 11.
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday expressed hope that the Super Eagles of Nigeria will lift the 2023 All African Cup of Nations, AFCON, in Ivory Coast.
Tinubu expressed hope that it’s Nigeria’s turn to lift the trophy, saying, “Awa Lokan.”
The president spoke at an event in Abuja while congratulating Nigerians over the Super Eagles victory against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa.
According to Tinubu: “Congratulations once again on the attainment of victory just last night. It was a moment of joy for every one of us united as a nation and very hopeful that it’s our turn for the trophy, Awa Lokan.”
On Wednesday evening, the Super Eagles of Nigeria had defeated their South African counterpart 4-2 to qualify for the AFCON finals.
The match had ended 1-1 at the end of 120 minutes after which the game went into a penalty shoot-out.
With this victory, the Super Eagles will be facing their Ivorian counterpart in the AFCON finals on Sunday.
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Reports have emerged that some South Africans have threatened Super Eagles goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, not to return to his club following his heroics against the country as the Nigerian team progressed to the AFCON 2023 final at the expense of the Bafana Bafana team.
It is said that some South Africans are not pleased that the goalkeeper prevented their team from making it to the finals.
Nwabali, who plays for Chippa United in the South African Premier League, has been solid between the goalposts for Nigeria in the 2023 AFCON tournament ongoing in Ivory Coast.
Nwabali gave a superb performance against the Bafana Bafana in the semi-final clash on Wednesday, February 7.
During the clash, Nwabali showed the best of himself as he stopped multiple attempts by South African players. He followed that up in the penalty shootout as he saved two spot-kicks.
Nwabali’s saves were enough for the Super Eagles to knockout South Africa 4-2 on penalties which qualified Nigeria to take on Ivory Coast in the 2023 AFCON final on February 11.
Speaking on Nwabali’s heroics so far in the tournament, former Nigerian keeper, Idah Peterside, said some fans have already told the Super Eagles shot-stopper not to return to Chippa United after the tournament.
He said, however, that there have only been threats, and no violence has been recorded.
See the video.
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The vice-president of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Shehu Dikko, has hailed head coach of the national team, Jose Peseiro, for his bold decision-making against South Africa.
The Super Eagles needed a penalty shoot-out to see off Bafana Bafana in the semi-final of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday night.
Dikko, writing on his verified X page, said Peseiro trusted other players in his squad as the game went into its crucial phases.
He wrote: “Congratulations @JosePeseiro… Fantastic job and huge respect ✊….
“Only a fearless, deliberate, competent and confident coach will be bold to replaced his entire top three strikers and two central midfielders in Osimhen, Simon, Lookman, Iwobi, and Onyeka in a Semi-final do or die match ….. and even had the trust to send on his alternate central defender as the 6th substitute to go in for the Penalty kicks …. and all perfectly worked out very well and the positive results achieved…… WE BELIEVE.”
The talented goalkeeper for the Super Eagles of Nigeria, Stanley Nwabali, has emerged on the radar for some clubs in Saudi Arabia and France, as well as Kaizer Chiefs, a team in South Africa.
Naija News reports that Nwabali is currently the first-choice goalkeeper for South African club Chippa United, which plays in the Premier Soccer League (PSL).
However, the 27-year-old player has become highly sought after due to his exceptional performances at the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire.
According to reports, there is strong interest from Kaizer Chiefs to secure Nwabali’s services, as he has proven to be a valuable asset.
This demonstrates the Nigerian’s skill and reliability in the competitive league.
Naija News reports that Super Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro, recognized Nwabali’s abilities and selected him as the number one goalkeeper for the AFCON tournament, surpassing Francis Uzoho.
This decision has paid off, as Nwabali has only conceded two goals in six matches, against Equatorial Guinea and South Africa.
Nwabali’s outstanding performances have given the Super Eagles a fighting chance in the continental competition, which they last triumphed in 2013.
Speaking on the latest interest, Nwabali’s agent, Mohammed Lawal, has now hinted at a big move for the player.
“There is interest in France and Saudi Arabia. There is no surprise because of his performance during the Afcon tournament in Ivory Coast,” SNL24 quoted Lawal saying.
“I have only seen [Kaizer Chiefs links] in newspapers. I cannot comment on anything regarding local interest, please speak to the chairman of the club.”
The CAF Technical Study Group (TSG) has released its initial assessment of the ongoing CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023, affirming that the tournament has surpassed expectations on the field.
As the competition progresses into its thrilling final stages, 50 matches have been officially played, providing ample data for analysis by the team of experts comprising data analysts, technical directors, former footballers, and coaches.
Raul Chipenda, CAF’s Director of Technical and Development, expressed delight with the tournament’s quality, stating, “We are witnessing an exceptional competition. This AFCON stands out as the best in history across multiple aspects.”
Chipenda highlighted the significant reduction in the gap between perceived smaller and larger teams, emphasizing the tactical prowess of coaches and the disciplined approach adopted by teams in various formations. He noted that the tournament has exceeded expectations by showcasing the evolution of the African game.
AFCON: Nigeria’s Super Eagles soar to final after defeating feisty South Africa on penalties
The CAF Technical Study Group, comprised of seasoned football analysts from across the continent, brings a wealth of experience to the assessment process, having served the African football community in diverse technical capacities.
In his concluding remarks, Chipenda emphasized the importance of African nations’ continued investment in football development. He advocated for active involvement from all countries, stating that increased investment would strengthen African football and nurture the emergence of world-class players domestically, reducing reliance on foreign talent.
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Popular Nigerian singer Timaya has taken to social media to issue a safety advisory to fellow Nigerians in South Africa following Nigeria’s victory over South Africa in the semi-finals of the AFCON football tournament.
The match, which ended with Nigeria securing a spot in the finals, seems to have sparked concerns regarding the safety of Nigerians in the host country.
Timaya, through his Twitter account, urged Nigerians in South Africa to “just day your day,” implying that they should remain indoors to avoid potential harm or clashes that could arise following the football match.
The tweet comes in the wake of heightened emotions surrounding the football match.
“If you’re a Nigerian and in SA tonight pls just DEY YOUR DEY!,” Timaya wrote.
Super Eagles captain, William Troost-Ekong has named Manchester United legend, Rio Ferdinand as one of the players he would give his No.5 jersey up for amid the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
William Troost-Ekong said this in a post via his X account after Nigeria defeated South Africa on Wednesday to qualify for the AFCON final.
Recall that Troost-Ekong was exceptional as the Super Eagles beat the Bafana Bafana to set up a final clash with the host nation, Ivory Coast.
Ferdinand had in a show of support to the Super Eagles, posted several Nigerian flag on X and shared a picture holding the Super Eagles jersey with “Ferdinand 5” boldly written on it.
However, Troost-Ekong retweeted Ferdinand’s post and wrote: “One of the few players I would be willing to give my number up for! Legend!”
Troost-Ekong will hope to lead Jose Peseiro’s men to victory when they face Ivory Coast in the final.
[DailyPost]
Vice President Kashim Shettima met with the Super Eagles following their win over the Bafana Bafana of South Africa and promised that the Federal Government will reward them for their “commitment and dedication.”
The Super Eagles disclosed this in a statement and photos shared on their official X handle early Thursday.
The statement read, “The Federal Government has promised to reward the Super Eagles for their commitment and dedication in reaching the final of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivore.
“Vice President Kashim Shettima told the players and their officials in the dressing room, following their hard-fought victory over South Africa in the semi finals on Wednesday, that the government and people of Nigeria are proud of their accomplishment.
“The VP was in company with Governors Dapo Abiodun (Ogun) and Duoye Diri (Bayelsa), Minister for Youths, Dr. Jamila Ibrahim as well as oil mogul, Wale Tinubu, FIFA Council member, Amaju Pinnick, and NFF President, Ibrahim Musa Gusau.”
PUNCH Online reports that the Super Eagles of Nigeria advanced to the final of the tournament after beating Bafana Bafana of South Africa 4-2 on penalties.
Nigeria holds the record for the highest number of appearances at the AFCON semi-finals, having played 15 times.
[Punch]
The Super Eagles of Nigeria have beaten South Africa’s Bafana Bafana on penalties to reach the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 final.
The match finished 1-1 after extra time and the three-time champions will face hosts Ivory Coast or the Democratic Republic of Congo in the final on Sunday.
Stanley Nwabali was the hero of the night as he saved two penalty kicks.
Nigeria were hoping to make it into their fourth AFCON final but were made to work for it early in the first half as South Africa bossed early proceedings.
Substitute Kelechi Iheanacho scored to give Nigeria a 4-2 penalty shootout victory over South Africa on Wednesday after an Africa Cup of Nations semi-final thriller in Bouake.
