Sports
Nigerians commend Super Falcons despite 2-4 loss to Three Lionesses
Nigerians on Monday praised the Super Falcons as they bowed 2-4 via penalty to the Three Lionesses of England in the round of 16 at the ongoing 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup co-hosted by Australia/New Zealand.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the nine-time African champions, Super Falcons of Nigeria, were toe-toe against the Three Lionesses of England and were the better team despite the 2-4 penalty shoot-out defeat.
A sports presenter with Super Screen Television, Olasunkanmi Shobowale, commended the coach Randy Waldrum-tutored side for putting up such a spirited fight.
“It was a high-tempo match from the first half but lack of creativity by our girls in the second half was their undoing, and they dropped the tempo.
“England went a lady down and adopted a cautious approach, passing around with much speed yet our Falcons couldn’t press higher to exploit the vulnerability of the English defence.
“The coach failed to instruct the girls to cross the ball when Uchenna Kanu was on the pitch but later brought on lightweight but technically experienced Oshoala to nod in crosses,” he said.
Shobowale added: “We played 210 minutes at the world cup with no goal to show for it. No one wins the world cup with a blunt attack.
“Chiamaka Nnadozie, our brilliant goalkeeper, was always calm, composed and very assuring. Not hot-headed and very dependable. Kudos to the girl.
“Rashedat Ajibade is talented but not a team player. She holds on to the all too long for her strikers to waste away.
“A brilliant and maverick manager would have pushed Michelle Alozie further forward and played three at the back when the English ladies stopped running due to the red card. Her energy and ball-winning strength could have contributed further upfront.”
Shobowale said the Falcons also failed to train ahead for the penalty kick. “We obviously didn’t train for that.
“Overall, the outing was not too bad this time around. The synergy, team cohesion and team spirit have improved appreciably and we can be proud of calling Super Falcons our darling team once again.
“The Nigeria Football Federation should immediately replace Randy Waldrum with another competent foreign manager.”
Football pundit, Shina Okewale, told NAN that the Super Falcons had performed beyond his expectations.
“I am so impressed with the performances of the Super Falcons coming all the way to the round of 16; it’s a pleasant experience.
“We only lost on penalties which is a bit of no man’s game. To have held the free-scoring English team to scoreless in the entire duration of the match was a good one.
“The Super Falcons beat everyone’s expectations,” he said.
Coach Onome James, a grassroots club owner in Ughelli, praised the team’s performance against a resilient English team.
“For me, the Super Falcons got it right or almost got it right, the only snag is that they failed to wrap it up, especially after the red card to the Three Lioness and also missed one-on-one goal-scoring chances.
“I was hoping that with the red card, Falcons should have killed the game, but no matter what, they really tried because the England team had thought they would overrun our team.
“We were able to peg them down to a 0-0 score line. We ought to know that the English team are one of the best in female football,” he added.
For Oluwafemi Oyeniyi there should be no blame game for the loss against the Three Lioness as he claimed that the Falcons were up to the task.
“Sincerely to be modest, the ladies performed beyond my expectation. You see, in a game of this nature or level, one should expect some minor errors.
“The ladies really tamed them but unfortunately luck was not on our side. The girls deserved a heroic welcome,” he said.
Another pundit, Oladayo Akindejoye, said: “That’s the game of football for you, sometimes a team with a man down tends to be more dangerous than a complete team.
“This is one of the best Super Falcons teams in decades. But some legs need to be retired, especially Francesca Ordega, as her impact wasn’t felt.
NAN reports that the Super Falcons at the Round of 32 were able to hold the Three Lionesses, ranked 36 places above them, and should have scored in the first quarter-hour when England-based defender Ashley Plumptre rocked the post with a shot from 22 yards and then followed up with another that went narrowly wide.
The match ended in a 2-4 loss for the Super Falcons, after losing their first two penalties while England lost one.
(NAN)
Africa
Customs hands over illicit drugs worth N117.59m to NDLEA
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun Area 1 Command, has handed over illicit drugs worth N117.59 million to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The Comptroller of the command, Mr James Ojo, disclosed this during the handing over of the drugs to Mr Olusegun Adeyeye, the Commander of NDLEA, Idiroko Special Area Command, in Abeokuta, Ogun, on Friday.
Ojo said the customs handed over the seized cannabis and tramadol tablets to the Idiroko Special Command for further investigation in line with the standard operating procedures and inter-agency collaboration.
He said the illicit drugs were seized in various strategic locations between January and November 21, 2024, in Ogun State.
He added that the illicit drugs were abandoned at various locations, including the Abeokuta axis, the Agbawo/Igankoto area of Yewa North Local Government Area, and Imeko Afton axis.
Ojo said that the seizure of the cannabis sativa and tramaling tablets, another brand of tramadol, was made possible through credible intelligence and strategic operations of the customs personnel.
“The successful interception of these dangerous substances would not have been possible without the robust collaboration and support from our intelligence units, local informants and sister agencies.
“These landmark operations are testament to the unwavering dedication of the NCS to safeguard the health and well-being of our citizens and uphold the rule of law,” he said.
He said the seizures comprised 403 sacks and 6,504 parcels, weighing 7,217.7 kg and 362 packs of tramaling tablets of 225mg each, with a total Duty Paid Value of N117,587,405,00.
He described the height of illicit drugs smuggling in the recent time as worrisome.
This, he said, underscores the severity of drug trafficking within the borders.
“Between Oct. 13 and Nov. 12 alone, operatives intercepted a total of 1,373 parcels of cannabis sativa, weighing 1,337kg and 362 packs of tramaling tablets of 225mg each,” he said.
Ojo said the seizures had disrupted the supply chain of illicit drugs, thereby mitigating the risks those substances posed to the youth, families and communities.
He lauded the synergy between its command, security agencies and other stakeholders that led to the remarkable achievements.
Ojo also commended the Comptroller General of NCS for creating an enabling environment for the command to achieve the success.
Responding, Adeyeye, applauded the customs for achieving the feat.
Adeyeye pledged to continue to collaborate with the customs to fight against illicit trade and drug trafficking in the state.
Africa
Ann-Kio Briggs Faults Tinubu for Scrapping Niger Delta Ministry
Prominent Niger Delta human rights activist and environmentalist, Ann-Kio Briggs, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to scrap the Ministry of Niger Delta, describing it as ill-advised and detrimental to the oil-rich region.
Briggs expressed her concerns during an appearance on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme aired on Channels Television.
“The Ministry of Niger Delta was created by the late (President Umaru) Yar’Adua. There was a reason for the creation. So, just removing it because the president was advised. I want to believe that he was advised because if he did it by himself, that would be terribly wrong,” she stated.
President Tinubu, in October, dissolved the Ministry of Niger Delta and replaced it with the Ministry of Regional Development, which is tasked with overseeing all regional development commissions, including the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), North-West Development Commission, and North-East Development Commission.
Briggs questioned the rationale behind the restructuring, expressing concerns about its feasibility and implications. “But that’s not going to be the solution because who is going to fund the commissions? Is it the regions because it is called the Regional Development Ministry? Is it the states in the regions? What are the regions because we don’t work with regions right now; we are working with geopolitical zones,” she remarked.
She added, “Are we going back to regionalism? If we are, we have to discuss it. The president can’t decide on his own to restructure Nigeria. If we are restructuring Nigeria, the president alone can’t restructure Nigeria, he has to take my opinion and your opinion into consideration.”
Briggs also decried the longstanding neglect of the Niger Delta despite its significant contributions to Nigeria’s economy since 1958. “The Niger Delta has been developing Nigeria since 1958. We want to use our resources to develop our region; let regions use their resources to develop themselves,” she asserted.
Reflecting on the various bodies established to address the region’s development, Briggs lamented their failure to deliver meaningful progress. She highlighted the Niger Delta Basin Authority, the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC), and the NDDC as examples of ineffective interventions.
“NDDC was created by Olusegun Obasanjo…There was OMPADEC before NDDC. OMPADEC was an agency. Before OMPADEC, there was the Basin Authority…These authorities were created to help us. Were we helped by those authorities? No, we were not,” she said.
Briggs further described the NDDC as an “ATM for failed politicians, disgruntled politicians, and politicians that have had their electoral wins taken away from them and given to somebody else.”
Her remarks underscore the deep-seated frustrations in the Niger Delta, where residents continue to advocate for greater control over their resources and improved governance.
Sports
Nigerian-British Bodybuilder Samson Dauda Wins 2024 Mr Olympia, Secures Historic $600,000 Prize
Nigerian-British bodybuilder Samson Dauda has claimed the prestigious 2024 Mr Olympia title, making history with a record-breaking $600,000 prize—the largest ever awarded in the sport.
The thrilling finale of the 2024 Olympia competition took place at the Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas, United States, where Dauda faced off against 15 of the world’s top bodybuilders.
After an intense contest, Dauda secured the top spot, surpassing runner-up Hadi Choopan and 2023 champion Derek Lunsford, who finished third.
Dauda’s journey to bodybuilding stardom began in Lagos, Nigeria, where he was born, before moving to the United Kingdom during his teenage years. Initially a rugby player, he discovered bodybuilding through the encouragement of his teammates.
In 2017, Dauda earned his IFBB Pro card after winning the overall title at the IFBB Amateur Diamond Cup in Rome, marking a turning point in his career. He made his professional debut the following year at the EVLS Prague Showdown, finishing 5th.
His first major win as an IFBB Pro came in 2021 at the EVLS Prague Pro, which earned him a qualification for the 2022 Mr. Olympia competition, where he placed 6th in his debut.
Now, as the 2024 Mr Olympia champion, Dauda has cemented his place among bodybuilding’s elite, achieving a landmark victory in the sport.
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