The Sports Minister, Sunday Dare has commended the Flying Eagles for their third place finish at the CAF U20 AFCON in Egypt.
Nigeria defeated Tunisia 4-0 on Friday to clinch the bronze medal, setting a record of finishing on the podium in the competition a record 13 times.
Describing the bronze medal as better than nothing, the Minister charged the team to put to good use the lessons learnt at the tournament as they prepare for the FIFA U20 World Cup in Indonesia in May.
“We were disappointed we couldn’t play in the final or win this competition as we planned to but this convincing victory over Tunisia today(Friday) has redeemed some of the pain we felt last Monday after the Gambia game. A bronze medal is better than nothing.
“Now we have to also focus on doing a lot better at the FIFA U20 World Cup in Indonesia in May. There is very little time left but I believe the coaches now know where their focus should be in improving the team,” Dare added.
Minister Congratulates Osimhen For Winning ‘Best Foreign Athlete’ Award
Sports Minister, Sunday Dare has congratulated Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen for clinching the prestigious ‘Best Foreign Athlete’ Award in Italy.
Osimhen who plies his football trade with Italian Serie A side Napoli has scored 19 goals in 21 games already this season.
Dare in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Toyin Ibitoye described it as a “remarkable achievement”.
“The award is well deserved owing to the hard work, dedication, discipline and professionalism demonstrated by Victor Osimhen this season.
“He is a great ambassador of Nigeria and a role model to the youth.
“His achievements have shown that you can get to the top of the ladder in your career if you believe in yourself and stay focused.
“Victor Osimhen is on the verge of inspiring his club Napoli to their first Serie A title in three decades.
“We are proud of all he has achieved. He should not relent,” Ibitoye quoted Dare as saying.
The Italian Footballers Association (AIC) also named Victor Osinhen Serie A Player of the Month for February.
He netted four goals in four league appearances for Napoli last in Febraury.
Osimhen is also in the running for the Lega Serie A Player of the Month.
With 13 games to go, Napoli are odds-on for Serie A glory, having a huge 15-point advantage over second-placed Inter Milan.
Some street hawkers are already selling mementoes in Napoli colours and with a “three” on them in anticipation of a third title.
Shops are also selling cakes and Easter eggs decorated with Osimhen’s trademark face mask, which he wears on the pitch following a face injury.
Osimhen is in his third season at Napoli after previous stints in the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg and in Ligue 1 with Lille.
Despite Postponement,African Games To Retain “Accra 2023” Branding
Postponed African Games will still be known as “Accra 2023”, despite being postponed until next year on new dates in March which have been announced.
The African Union Sports Council coordinator Decius Chipande revealed that the Games is now scheduled to take place from March 8 to 23 next year.
In spite of this, the original name will be maintained.
“The Games will still remain ‘Accra 2023’ despite the new date in 2024,” Kwaku Ofosu-Asare, executive chairman of the Local Organising Committee, said.
“We have the example of Tokyo 2020.
“A lot of discussions went into this and we have agreed to retain Accra 2023.”
In addition to the developments, an Ad-hoc Technical Committee to oversee preparations the Games is due to be set up.
Representatives from the African Union (AU), who are the organisers of the event, met with counterparts of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), and the Association of African Sports Confederations to sign the establishing agreement at its headquarters in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
The Committee will chaired by AU Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development Minata Samate Cessouma.
ANOCA President Mustapha Berraf and AASC President Ahmed Nasser Moustafa Kamal Mohamed will serve as deputy chairs.
The agreement will also see ANOCA and AASC receive a percentage of the revenue generated from Accra 2023 marketing and sponsorships.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the 36th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union.
The build-up to the Games has been overshadowed by an economic crisis which is currently affecting Ghana, although inflation did drop for the first time in almost two years in January, down to 53.6 per cent.
Prior to the postponement, former Ghana President John Mahama led calls for the cancellation of the event, although Ofosu Asare claimed in response that it would cost Ghana just as much not to host the Games as it will to stage them.
Saudi League: Ronaldo Suffers First Defeat With Al Nassr
Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo lost for the first time in the Saudi Pro League.
Ronaldo was on the losing end of a league game this week, when title rivals Al-Ittihad beat his Al-Nassr by a single goal.
The 1-0 scoreline was enough to take them to the top of the table, instead of Al-Nassr.
The 38-year-old was unable to have much influence on the game, despite having a few chances to score.
Al-Ittihad are managed by former Tottenham and Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo.
EPL: Rashford Equals Salah’s Player Of The Month Record
Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, 25, has been named Premier League Player of the Month for the third time this season, equalling a record held by Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.
Salah set the bar for most Player of the Month awards in a single season in 2017-18.
Rashford won the award in September, January and February, scoring four goals in five games last month.
Rashford has now been named Player of the Month four times in his career and topped a six-man shortlist for February which included Kelechi Iheanacho, Bernd Leno, Emerson Royal, Manor Solomon and Ollie Watkins.
He has scored 26 goals and nine assists across all competitions this season and is the first player to win the award in consecutive months since Ilkay Gundogan did so in January and February 2021.
The Red Devils were unbeaten in February, taking 10 points from four games, and sit third in the Premier League.
Ten Hag, who also won the manager’s award in September, led the club to their first trophy in six years when they won the EFL Cup.
