Page 46 stories

Page 46 stories

Fashanu blames Eagles, Egypt draw on professional misconduct

A former Wimbledon of England attacker, John Fashanu, has blamed Super Eagles’ 1-1 draw with the Pharaohs of Egypt last Friday on players’ professional misconduct.

The draw was in a Match Day Three fixture in the 2017 AFCON Qualifiers at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna.

The result left the Eagles with five points (now two points), two behind group leaders Egypt who have seven points (now four points) and just one above third-placed Tanzania who have four (now one point) points.

Fashanu said on the sidelines of an exercise tagged “Walk Against Crime”, organised as part of activities to mark the 2016 Police Week, that the players should be blamed.

While pointing out that the draw was not a good result for hosts Nigeria, he said it was careless of the players to concede such a late goal.

“Playing a match at home should give us a 1-0 head start. This is our home. Let no one come to our home and take over.

“It was a careless unprofessional goal given away in the dying seconds,” the former member of the then Nigeria Football Association (NFA) board said.

“I think the players let themselves down because it should have been a wonderful celebration for us,” he added.

Fashanu said the Eagles could bounce back to reckoning in the qualifiers, but acknowledged that it would be a big mountain to climb on Tuesday in Alexandria.

“We have a real mountain to climb in Egypt. Look at their home record, their home matches. It is going to be a tough game,’’ he said.

Fashanu however hailed the efforts of the team’s interim coach, Samson Siasia.

“Siasia is giving a new initiative to football in this country and I believe in him and I think he will do very well,” he said. (NAN)

Zone 2 wins 2016 Police Games

By Orkula Shaagee @shagcy

The Zone 2 police command, comprising Lagos and Ogun state on Saturday evening emerged the over-all winners of the 11th edition of the biennial Police Games, held in Abuja. Zone 2 garnered a total of 231 medals, made up of 96 gold, 77 silver and 58 bronzes, while Force Headquarters (FHQ) placed second on the standing with 70 gold, 41 silver and 48 bronze medals at the end of the seven-day sports fiesta.

Zone 11 police command comprising of Oshogbo, Osun, Ondo and Oyo finished the Games as third best team with 56 gold, 44 silver and 69 bronze medals.

The fourth position went to Zone 5 with 45 gold, 37 silver and 42 bronzes, Zone 6 finished fifth with 35 gold, 42 silver and 62 bronze medals, while the Zone 6 command, with 21 gold, 29 silver and 33 bronzes placed sixth on the final table.

Declaring the games closed, Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the games, saying the competition met his expectation.

“The event met my expectation because we have been able to allow the zones to compete under favourable circumstances.

“Those that won were happy and those that lost were happy too, everybody is a winner in this matter. So it is the spirit of camaraderie that we were able to bring together all our officers,” Arase said.

Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa called for support and collaboration with the police to enable them continue to produce athletes for the country.

FHQ won the last edition of the biennial games held in Port Harcourt.

Oborududu, Adeniyi, eight others picked for Olympics qualifier

By Orkula Shaagee @shagcy

The Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF) has named 10 wrestlers that will represent the country at the Africa/Oceanic Olympics qualifier slated for Algeria between April1-4, 2016.

The team comprises five (5) female wrestlers, four (4) male freestyle and one (1) Greco Roman wrestler.

The female wrestlers are Genesis Mercy (48Kg), 3× Africa Champion, Aminat Adeniyi (58Kg), 7× Africa Champion and Captain, Blessing Oborududu (63Kg), Hannah Reuben (68Kg) and Blessing Onyebuchi (75Kg). The male freestyle wrestlers are Welson Ebikewenimo (57Kg) , Daniel Amas (65Kg), Melvin Bibo (74Kg) and Soso Tamara (97Kg) while in Greco Roman, Nworie Emmanuel (66Kg) will seek to redeem his image after a disastrous outing at the Africa Championship.

Odunayo Adekuoroye who has qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics after winning bronze at the 2015 World Wrestling Championship held in Las Vegas, USA will accompany the team to cheer them to victory.

The Technical Director NWF, Damien Ohaike said the various coaches are working round the clock in ensuring that all the weight categories qualify for the Olympic Games.

“We did it at the Africa Championship in Egypt, I’m very sure the team most especially the female wrestlers will make Nigeria proud,” Damien said.

Fijabi wins W/Africa Boxing Night light welterweight title

From Yahaya Ibrahim, Lagos

Boxing rave, Olaide “Fijaborn” Fijabi has won the West African light welterweight title after defeating Benin Republic’s Djamiou Ekekpo during their title fight at the sixth edition of the GOTV boxing night.

The rising star defeated Ekekpo via a technical knockout in the sixth round of the 12 round bout at the indoor sports hall of the National Stadium in Lagos on Friday night.

Fijabi’s aggression and speed were the tools that gave him victory against the visiting Benin Republic opponent.

ýThe boxer also won the N1 million cash prize for the second time as the best boxer at the sixth GOtv Boxing Night.

Speaking after the fight, Fijabi said his next target is to become an African champion.

“I am not yet satisfied. I feel like punching on and on. Ekekpo couldn’t take my punches. Whoever is holding the African light welterweight title, I, Fijaborn am coming to claim it,” he said.

In the other fight, Nigeria’s Abolaji ‘Afonja Warrior’ Rasheed knocked out Adjei Sowah of Ghana in the third of their 12-round contest to win the West African middleweight title.

Former best boxer of the GOtv Boxing Night Otto ‘Joe Boy’ Joseph made light work of Hogan Jimoh Jnr. Son of boxing legend, Hogan Jimoh, knocking him out in the first round of their six-round national lightweight challenge bout.

Jimoh’s father, widely known as Atomic Bomb, was in attendance.

In the first fight decided, a graduate of the of the GOtv Boxing Next Gen Search, Michael “Show” Rolland, was knocked out in the fifth round of their national lightweight challenge bout by Nwoye “Lion” Prince.