One of the usual suspects will win next month’s African Cup of Nations billed to start in Cote d’Ivoire on January 13, 2024. This is the verdict of a panel picked to dissect the chances of the participating countries at a trophy viewing event organised by VISA, one of the sponsors of the biennial championship.

Visa recently welcomed its partners and lovers of African football in Nigeria to an exclusive viewing of the AFCON trophy, which arrived in Lagos on December 14.

The four-man panel comprising Charles Ogundiya of New Telegraph newspaper, Onyinye Ogu of Galaxy TV, Peter Edema of Daily Independent and Africa’s first female pidgin commentator, Tracy Chapele also known as Suo of Wazobia FM, were convinced that one of Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Nigeria and Cameroun will win the title currently held by Senegal.

The panelists looked at the pedigree of the teams and the quality of stars they have in arriving at their choice, although they did not rule out any of the outsiders from causing an upset as was the case when Zambia won the title in 2012.

Chapele who picked Morocco and Senegal as the frontrunners, said, “Morocco showed at the last World Cup that they are a team to reckon with. I believe this is their best opportunity to win the Nations Cup after many years.

“Senegal as the defending champions still have some the best African players and they have been together for long. So, they can retain the title all things being equal.”

To Edema, who picked the Super Eagles for the crown they last won in 2013, “it is very early to pick any of the top teams for the title. Any of the top-rated teams could succumb to a referee’s bad call in a game or a players/administrators’ crisis can make nonsense of a top team, just as injury to top stars and many other extraneous things can change a team’s fortune.

“However, I am picking the Super Eagles because I am a Nigerian, who knows that the Super Eagles have the ability to surprise people when they have been written off.

“I recall that in 2013, Emmanuel Eboue of Cote d’Ivoire wrote off Nigeria because the quarterfinals. He said that a country that has Mikel Obi as its biggest star stood no chance against the Elephants. And that singular statement was what Coach Stephen Keshi used to boost his team psychologically to defeat Cote d’Ivoire.”

Apart from experts’ analysis of the chances of participating teams, Visa’s clients and partners, customers and football enthusiasts were at the event hosted by internet sensation, Bukunmi Adeaga-Ilori, popularly known as kie kie, and Radio Celebrity OAP, Tega Onojaife of Smooth FM, treated to an amazing musical performance by Mavin’s top-rated artiste, Crayon and an opportunity for guests to experience the trophy live.

As part of the activities for the tour, the trophy had earlier made its first stop at the Lagos State Government House, where it was presented to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu by Vice President, and Head of Visa West Africa, Andrew Uaboi.

[Guardian]

Anthony Joshua put in a terrific performance to beat Otto Wallin inside the distance. But Deontay Wilder’s shock points loss to Joseph Parker on the same bill scuppered plans for the long-awaited heavyweight showdown.

Nigerian-Briton Joshua boxed magnificently in Saudi Arabia, dominating Wallin before the Swede’s corner pulled him out of the fight at the end of the fifth.

Earlier in the night, American Wilder appeared a shadow of himself in Riyadh, and was hurt badly in the eighth as New Zealander Parker was awarded a unanimous decision.

“I heard that Deontay lost. So what? He’ll be back. Deontay, everything that he said about me, I could rip him apart right now, but I’m going to take the higher ground,” Joshua said.

“You can come back. If he wanted to, he can come back. I’m sure everyone still wants to see that fight.”

Parker, also a former world champion, was awarded a unanimous decision with the judges’ scoring it 118-111, 118-110 and 120-108.

Saudi organisers had already pencilled in the Joshua-Wilder bout for next year. While no contract had been signed, the pair were expected to enter the ring post-fight and announce a deal to fight at some point in early 2024.

Wilder admitted all the talk of a fight at least five years in the making had been “a distraction”, although Joshua more than did his part. After the fight, promoter Eddie Hearn said Joshua is most likely going to face Croatia’s Filip Hrgovic for a vacant IBF world title, bidding to become a three-time world champion.

But as the dust settles in Riyadh, many boxing fans will be cursing their luck, as Joshua v Wilder slips away once again.

Wilder dazed
Wilder a shadow of himself as Parker proves his worth Wilder entered the ring wearing a crown, but it has been almost four years since he reigned over the heavyweight division. The 38-year-old was introduced with his newly acclaimed nickname ‘Dr Sleep’.

After some cagey opening rounds he may have put the crowd to sleep rather than his opponent. The inactive Wilder had boxed just three minutes in the past two years, signs of ring rust were expected. But losing rounds is nothing new to Wilder.

Numerous times before he has looked out of his depth, only to unleash that ferocious right hand. Parker, 31, grew in confidence and traded with Wilder in the fourth, whipping a left hook into the body and hurting Wilder with an exchange on the inside.

Was the ghost of the Tyson Fury trilogy, when Wilder drew one and lost two, haunting him? His timing and judgement of distance was off. Parker came forward with bursts. In between rounds Parker’s trainer, Andy Lee, told his fighter to go after Wilder, that a knockout would come.

“This is your moment,” Lee said.

Wilder enjoyed his best moment in the sixth, landing a right but without the ferocity which has stopped 42 opponents in 43 wins.

Former WBO champion Parker was the busier, more accurate boxer, comfortably winning most rounds. Wilder had no answer for what was to come in the eighth. Parker landed the most thunderous overhand right.

Wilder, backed into the ropes, was in trouble as Parker continued the attack. Saved by the bell, Wilder poked his tongue out as he stumbled back to his corner.

All the while Joshua was getting his hands wrapped and going through warm-ups in the dressing room, unaware of what was unfolding in the ring.

Wilder was telegraphing his right hands as Parker continued to land more cleanly as the fight entered the championship rounds. New Zealand’s Parker was on a run of three straight wins and two knockouts.

He was demonstrating just why many pundits tipped him for the win. For all Parker’s dominance, there was still a puncher’s chance for Wilder. He threw the kitchen sink in the 12th, but missed by an absolute mile.

Wilder refused to rule out retirement, but with just one win in four years his next move is uncertain. With Joshua moments from making his ring entrance, his promoter Eddie Hearn told TNT: “It was the most one-sided heavyweight fight I’ve ever seen. It’s ruined our plans. We’ve got to go let Anthony Joshua know Wilder lost to Parker.”

Composed & confident AJ does the business
The Saudis, promoters and boxing followers had jumped the gun.

There was still an air of disbelief as Sweden’s Wallin – in what is probably a boxing first – walked to the ring to ABBA’s ‘The Winner Takes it all’.

UFC star Conor McGregor and footballer Cristiano Ronaldo watched on as Joshua made his ring walk. On a dramatic night for heavyweight boxing, there was a noticeably low-key atmosphere in the Kingdom Arena, with plenty of empty seats in the 6,000 capacity venue.

Joshua, unlike Wilder, began strongly. The 34-year-old delivered a gut-wrenching body shot in the first and made southpaw Wallin’s legs buckle in the second with straight rights down the barrel.

The 2012 Olympic gold medallist has transitioned from an explosive power-punching finisher to a smarter, less reckless, boxer.

Joshua was enjoying his work in a measured, composed and dominant performance. He connected with a brilliant left hook in the fifth.

It was one clean punch too many, with Wallin’s team deciding it was best the 33-year-old stayed put on his stool.

The Watford fighter called the win “just another fight” and although he did not rule out a bout with Wilder in the future, he now seems ready to set his sights on challenging for a world title.

With Oleksandr Usyk v Tyson Fury on 17 February in Saudi Arabia, a potential rematch between that pair could see the IBF title become vacant. A belt Joshua and Hrgovic could contest.

“We’ve got bigger ambitions,” Joshua said of his three wins this year.

“As I said to Louis Theroux, we don’t celebrate when we win these fights, we celebrate when we win titles.” BBC

Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen has officially signed his new contract with Napoli to June 2026.

Napoli president, Aurelio De Laurentiis made the announcement himself by posting images of Osimhen signing the paperwork with only one word: ‘Done!’

According to Sky Sport Italia, Osimhen's salary will increase to €10m per season after tax.

There will also be a release clause, believed to be set at €120-130m, valid only for clubs outside of Italy during the summer.

On Friday, Romano noted that “the agreement between Napoli and Victor Osimhen on a new deal is 100% done and confirmed.

Oshimen joined Napoli from Lille in €75m deal in September 2020.

He helped the club win the Scudetto, becoming the first-ever African Capocannoniere of Serie A and African Player of the Year.

Except you are a die-hard football fan, a serious documenter of Nigeria’s football history, and above 50 years of age, it is most unlikely that you would know much about a name known in Ibadan football circles as Etu (Yoruba for a Hare) because of his incredible speed on the football field. Let me start with the bad news.

Two days ago, last Thursday morning, Philip Boamah died in Ibadan. He had made that city his home for the past 50 years since he arrived the shores of Nigeria from Accra, Ghana in 1971. He was a great friend and football companion. I am paying him this little tribute as, yet, another point of reference for the army of great football heroes that served the game and Nigeria very well, but languished in the latter part of their lives after illustrious playing carriers in the silence of neglect and forgotten history.

Philip was without question a most unusual but special Eagle. He was a Ghanaian, a fullblooded Ghanaian, born and bred in Ghana, and honed in the football tradition of Ghana of the early 1970s. His movement to Nigeria was as a result of the political crisis that engulfed Ghana at the time, and the resultant economic downturn in the country.

At the same time, Nigeria was awash in Petro-Dollars, and the country became the choice destination for many African economic migrants. Ghanaian football, up till the early 1970s, was superior to Nigeria’s, and Ghanaian players were highly priced commodities in African football. Some of the best players in the continent were from Ghana – Baba Yara, Sunday Ibrahim, Mohammed Polo, Abdul Razak, Opoku Afriye, Adolf Armah, Opoku Nti, Osei Kofi, and so on.

So, Nigeria, with Petro-Dollars flowing like running-tap water, attracted a whole galaxy of them. Phillip Boamah was one of those that joined the ‘migration train’ to Lagos. Ghanaian players and some Nigerians that were either born in Ghana or grew up there that also returned ‘home’ brought a new dimension to Nigerian football, enriching it with their Brazilian flair and show-boating, considerably lifting the standard, competitiveness and followership of the domestic game.

The players were spread all over the country in different clubs – Stationary Stores in Lagos, Raccah Rovers in Kano, Sharks in Port Harcourt, Asabatex in Asaba, Mighty Jets in Jos, and, of course, IICC Shooting Stars in Ibadan where Sam Asante, Nathaniel Adewole, Sam Abossey, Kafaru Alabi, Amusa Adisa, Joseph Appiah, and Philip Boamah all berthed.

Other Ghanaians/Nigerians in other clubs included Raymond Quacopoon, Annas Ahmed, Sanni Mohammed, Baba Alli, Husseini Suleiman, Yakubu Mambo, Muhammed Lawal, Baba Otu Mohammed, Shefiu Mohammed, John Benson, John Orlando, and so on. 

Several Ghanaian players went on to play for the national team of Nigeria, the Green Eagles, only because of their names that sounded very Nigerian, or were disguised by their Arabic origins. Such names included all the Mohammeds. But there were two players whose names were completely Ghanaian, yet, they played for Nigeria purely on the strength of their exceptional talent and ability, qualities that overshadowed their nationality.

Before Leotis Boateng played for the Green Eagles from 1977 to 1980 as a full-blooded Ghanaian, there was Philip Kweku Boamah! He was invited to Nigeria’s national team in 1974/1975, was given a Nigerian name (Kolawole) and a Nigerian passport by the football federation. He then played for Nigeria for two years. Following his ‘adoption’ by Nigeria, he cemented his relationship with the country by marrying a young beautiful Egba girl from a renowned family in Abeokuta.

Except for his parents’ and siblings’ burial ceremonies, Philip never returned to his original roots again until he died two days ago. Philip Boamah was one of the brightest stars in the Shooting Stars team of the mid-1970s that emerged as a regional challenge to Rangers International of Enugu for the dominance of Nigerian football. Of all the Ghanaian players that were in Shooting Stars, he was the only one that went on to play for the Green Eagles.

That speaks volumes. Philip was a great winger. Operating from the right side of attack, he flew down the flank with or without the ball, outsprinting defenders, and lifting beautifully floated, pin-point crosses to waiting heads, including mine. Philip was the typical fast winger of the 1970s’ style, a major threat to defences. He represents a whole army of former football heroes that spent most of their lives after their careers in football, in the anguish of ignorance, of neglect, of the absence of history and documentation, and the invasion of the football space by those with limited knowledge about Nigerian football history.

Two days ago, Philip Kweku Kolawole Boamah, passed on. He was one of my closest friends during our footballing years with whom I shared many experiences and times in football at club level, His passage was a devastating blow to me because I did not know that the past one month had been a nightmare for him and his family.

A complete gentleman, In his usual manner of keeping things to himself, not wishing to stir up any recrimination for ‘disturbing’ the peace of other people, he kept his health challenge to himself. Unfortunately, it deteriorated very rapidly in the past month. By the time he was being taken to the University Teaching Hospital last Wednesday night, there was little that could have been done to help him. Philip was a solid member of the great Shooting Stars team that won the first continental trophy for Nigeria in 1976.

Before then played for the Green Eagles, the national team for almost two years. Thereafter, he married a Nigerian girl, built his house and a home in Ibadan where he lived for the rest of his life after football with his family of grown-up adults now. He coached several clubs after his playing career, and only stopped as a result of a freak motor accident he had during one of numerous trips for football matches. He hurt his eyes and his shoulder and both impaired his ability to function well in that field again. I will surely miss my bosom friend, Philip Kweku Kolawole Boamah, Etu, was 73!