*Kwara United 0 Niger Tornadoes 2
Eric Frimpong -11th minute
Ibrahim Babawo -49th minute
*Akwa United 2 Enugu Rangers 0
Kelly Kester -40th minute
Dennis Nya -66th minute
*Katsina United 2 Kano Pillars 2
Junior Lokosa (Pillars) 33rd minute
Ajanah Chinedu (Katsina) 45th minute
Ibrahim Alhassan (Pillars) 61st minute
Destiny Ashadi (Katsina) +95 minute
*Rivers United 1 El-Kanemi Warriors 0
Guy Kuemian-68th minute
*FC IfeanyiUbah 2 Yobe Desert Stars 1
Godwin Obaje (IfeanyiUbah) 37th minute
Chinedu Ohanachom (Yobe Stars) 61st minute
Gabriel Shola (IfeanyiUbah) 66th minute
*Lobi Stars 1 Enyimba 1
Chinedu Udeagha (Enyimba) -41th minute
Ezekiel Mbah (Lobi) -62nd minute
*Nasarawa United 0 Plateau United 1
Raphael Ayagwa -87th minute
*Heartland 0 Sunshine Stars 0
*Abia Warriors 2 MFM FC, Lagos 0
Ndifreke Effiong (52nd, 65th minute)
*Wikki Tourists 1 Go Round FC 0
Nafizu Kabuga -45th minute
Thursday, 18 January 2018
Tuesday, 9 January 2018
Senate President appoints National Unity Cup boss, AbdulRauph as Legislative Assistant
THE Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki (CON), has appointed the Chairman Senate President Unity Cup and National Unity Cup, Honourable AbdulRauph AbdulSalam as his Legislative Assistant.
The appointment which is with immediate effect is in recognition of AbdulRauph's numerous contributions to the Saraki political dynasty and the All Progressives Congress (APC) at large.
Mallam AbdulRasheed Saraki has on behalf of other members of the President Unity Cup and National Unity Cup organising committee, congratulated AbdulRauph on his deserved appointment, just as he urged him to continue his good work in developing the grass-roots sports in Kwara State and Nigeria at large.
AbdulRauph has before now served as Secretary to Moro Local Government Area between 2007 and 2010.
He also served as the Youth Empowerment Coordinator to the Governor of Kwara State from 2011 to 2015.
Niger State coach charges Nigeria Squash Federation on development
The Nigeria Squash Federation (NSF) has been charged to rise up to the occasion, and revive the game in the country.
Head Coach of squash in Niger state, Segun Afokhai, while analysing the state of the development of the game in Nigeria said that the game is only been played in very few states, a situation he described as absurd.
According to him, "squash is going down, and is just happening in few states like Kwara, Lagos, and maybe Ogun and Niger. And even in Niger State, we are only improvising to train the players because we don’t have squash courts".
Afokhai, who was in Ilorin recently on a three-day training visit with his players, said that the federation needs to really operate like a federation, and a mother to all the components that made up squash in the country.
He said that coaches are not recognised, pointing out that in most national competitions, only players are accommodated, with no provision for the coaches who in the first place, are the ones discovering and training the players to keep the game going.
"Coaches must be recognised, officials must be accorded their rightful place in the system, and the players’ association must also be carried along, and not just some set of people running it," he added.
On the level of improvement of squash in Nigeria, coach Afokhai said that there is improvement in the standard of play of the junior players saying that they are gradually upsetting the senior players.
"In recent times, the improvement is only being witnessed in younger players, and that was maybe because we have more junior tournaments.
The U-19 players are already upsetting the senior players, and the players creating these upsets are from either Kwara or Lagos states."
The team was in Ilorin to sharpen up ahead of 2018 programmes, as well as the National Youth Games. He said that they decided to choose Kwara State because the state has younger players that are good, adding that the team will return to have one or two weeks extensive training in the state.
He commended Kwara Squash Association, the players and coaches for the hospitality, adding that his players have learned a lot during their short stay.
Four players, two male and two female from Niger State played the round-robin friendly against eight players from Kwara State during the three day tour, at the squash court of the Kwara State Stadium Complex, Ilorin.
.................
Caption:
Nigeria's Yemisi Olatunji (left) during a recent international squash tournament.
Monday, 8 January 2018
2018 NPFL FIXTURES:
Week 1, January 14
Wikki Tourists vs Go Round
Nasarawa Utd vs Plateau Utd
IfeanyiUbah vs Yobe Stars
Abia Warriors vs MFM, Lagos
Katsina Utd vs Kano Pillars
Kwara United vs Niger Tornadoes
Akwa United vs Enugu Rangers
Heartland vs Sunshine Stars
Lobi Stars vs Enyimba
Rivers United vs El-Kanemi Warriors
Wikki Tourists vs Go Round
Nasarawa Utd vs Plateau Utd
IfeanyiUbah vs Yobe Stars
Abia Warriors vs MFM, Lagos
Katsina Utd vs Kano Pillars
Kwara United vs Niger Tornadoes
Akwa United vs Enugu Rangers
Heartland vs Sunshine Stars
Lobi Stars vs Enyimba
Rivers United vs El-Kanemi Warriors
I will play until my eldest daughter understands tennis------Murray
RECUPERATING Andy Murray has said that he would like to play until his eldest daughter Sophia, who was born in February 2016, is able to watch him and have "a small understanding of what it is I've done for my living".
"That would be cool if she can come along and watch me hit some balls or practise just to see what it is I do. I like watching and seeing a lot of the other kids when they are on the tour with their parents," he stated.
Meanwhile, Murray on Monday underwent hip surgery. He was operated on by Dr John O'Donnell at the St Vincent Hospital in Melbourne.
The former world number one, 30, has not played a competitive match since he was knocked out of Wimbledon in July.
The ongoing problem forced the Scot to pull out of the Australian Open, which begins on January 15.
"I'm not finished playing tennis yet. I'm going to be competing at the highest level again," he said. "I'm very optimistic about the future - the surgeon is very happy about how it went."
Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion, believes if he can return to 95 per cent of his best, that will be enough for him to compete again at the top level.
He hopes he will be hitting balls on court again after seven or eight weeks, and has been given 14 weeks as a guide for a return from this kind of surgery.
But Murray, who has fallen to 19th in the world, said he is not "interested in coming back for a specific tournament".
"My plan is to be back playing around the grass-court season - potentially before then - but I'm certainly not going to rush anything," said Murray, speaking from his hospital bed in a telephone conference call to a group of British journalists. I want to know when I come back that I'm ready."
Murray withdrew from the US Open two days before the start of the tournament in August last year, and said he realised he was not ready to compete in Brisbane last week when he tested his hip against other top-50 players.
"I want to come back when I'm fit and ready to play, not to get into a situation like in Brisbane or New York, where I'm unsure when I turn up at a tournament how fit I am," he said.
Murray has not played a competitive match since his Wimbledon quarter-final defeat by Sam Querrey on July 12.
He said he first felt pain in his right hip during June's French Open semi-final against Stan Wawrinka, though he has had issues with it throughout his career.
"The surgeon felt that my hip will be feeling better than it did a year ago," Murray said.
"Obviously, I was still doing fine a year ago - I was ranked number one in the world.
"I'm certainly not going to be putting in the same amount of tournaments and effort to try to get to number one in the world. I'll be playing a reduced schedule, and then focusing more on trying to win major events and big tournaments rather than trying to achieve certain ranking goals.
"I've been fairly competitive with top-50 players in the world in Brisbane when I'm struggling to move, and I made the quarter-finals at Wimbledon when I literally couldn't walk and was in so much pain.
"So if I can get myself to 95 per cent of my best, I believe that's enough to compete at the highest level. No question.
"The rest of my body feels fantastic. I feel really, really good physically apart from this one issue. The surgery allows me to extend my hip well, and I'll be able to sprint."
Though he has become accustomed to soreness in his hip, the pain he has had since last summer has had an impact on his day-to-day life. It has also emerged that he had minor groin surgery on December 18.
That was successful in relieving some of the pain he had been experiencing, and was the reason for delaying his departure to Australia until after Christmas.
Should Murray's rehabilitation go to plan, he will have been out of action for almost a year by the time he returns.
Caption: Murray set to serve during a game.
"That would be cool if she can come along and watch me hit some balls or practise just to see what it is I do. I like watching and seeing a lot of the other kids when they are on the tour with their parents," he stated.
Meanwhile, Murray on Monday underwent hip surgery. He was operated on by Dr John O'Donnell at the St Vincent Hospital in Melbourne.
The former world number one, 30, has not played a competitive match since he was knocked out of Wimbledon in July.
The ongoing problem forced the Scot to pull out of the Australian Open, which begins on January 15.
"I'm not finished playing tennis yet. I'm going to be competing at the highest level again," he said. "I'm very optimistic about the future - the surgeon is very happy about how it went."
Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion, believes if he can return to 95 per cent of his best, that will be enough for him to compete again at the top level.
He hopes he will be hitting balls on court again after seven or eight weeks, and has been given 14 weeks as a guide for a return from this kind of surgery.
But Murray, who has fallen to 19th in the world, said he is not "interested in coming back for a specific tournament".
"My plan is to be back playing around the grass-court season - potentially before then - but I'm certainly not going to rush anything," said Murray, speaking from his hospital bed in a telephone conference call to a group of British journalists. I want to know when I come back that I'm ready."
Murray withdrew from the US Open two days before the start of the tournament in August last year, and said he realised he was not ready to compete in Brisbane last week when he tested his hip against other top-50 players.
"I want to come back when I'm fit and ready to play, not to get into a situation like in Brisbane or New York, where I'm unsure when I turn up at a tournament how fit I am," he said.
Murray has not played a competitive match since his Wimbledon quarter-final defeat by Sam Querrey on July 12.
He said he first felt pain in his right hip during June's French Open semi-final against Stan Wawrinka, though he has had issues with it throughout his career.
"The surgeon felt that my hip will be feeling better than it did a year ago," Murray said.
"Obviously, I was still doing fine a year ago - I was ranked number one in the world.
"I'm certainly not going to be putting in the same amount of tournaments and effort to try to get to number one in the world. I'll be playing a reduced schedule, and then focusing more on trying to win major events and big tournaments rather than trying to achieve certain ranking goals.
"I've been fairly competitive with top-50 players in the world in Brisbane when I'm struggling to move, and I made the quarter-finals at Wimbledon when I literally couldn't walk and was in so much pain.
"So if I can get myself to 95 per cent of my best, I believe that's enough to compete at the highest level. No question.
"The rest of my body feels fantastic. I feel really, really good physically apart from this one issue. The surgery allows me to extend my hip well, and I'll be able to sprint."
Though he has become accustomed to soreness in his hip, the pain he has had since last summer has had an impact on his day-to-day life. It has also emerged that he had minor groin surgery on December 18.
That was successful in relieving some of the pain he had been experiencing, and was the reason for delaying his departure to Australia until after Christmas.
Should Murray's rehabilitation go to plan, he will have been out of action for almost a year by the time he returns.
Caption: Murray set to serve during a game.
Tuesday, 2 January 2018
Brisbane International: Muguruza collapses during 2nd round clash Aleksandra
World number two Muguruza who was leading 2-1 in the deciding set in 30C heat collapsed following a serve and had to be helped out of the court.
The 5-7, 7-6, 2-1 defeat ends any hope of replacing Romanian Simona Halep as number one before the Australian Open.
"I cramp very few times," said Muguruza, adding that the problem started early in the second set.
"The last time I cramped up was actually at the Australian Open in Melbourne. Maybe it's the heat. Maybe it's the conditions. I don't know, but it's rare for me."
Muguruza's run of injury problems in Brisbane dates back to 2015 when she withdrew on the eve of the event with an ankle problem. A foot injury ended her 2016 campaign and a thigh problem led to her semi-final retirement last year.
The top seed had started well against unseeded Krunic, the world number 53, converting her seventh set point to win the first set before surging to a 5-2 lead in the second.
But Krunic took four of the next five games to force a tie-break, which she won 7-3 to send the contest into a deciding set.
Meanwhile, British number one Johanna Konta moved into the quarter-finals of the Brisbane International with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 win against wildcard Ajla Tomljanovic.
Konta, who ended a run of five straight defeats since August by beating Madison Keys in the previous round, won in two hours 26 minutes.
She will play Ana Konjuh or third seed Elina Svitolina in the last eight.
After losing a fluctuating opening set in which her serve was broken four times, fifth seed Konta raced 5-0 ahead in the next against 24-
year-old Croat Tomljanovic, the world number 118.
Tomljanovic needed a medical time-out for treatment off the court and returned with heavy strapping on her right thigh but Konta soon wrapped up the set, in which her serve improved significantly and she offered no break point chances.
Konta continued to impress with the accuracy of her ground strokes and served for the match at 5-2, but her Croat opponent struck some defiant blows and broke back, before holding serve with an ace.
Tomljanovic had three break point chances to level the match at 5-5 but Konta held on and sealed victory on her first match point.
"There wasn't a lot in it so I'm glad I stayed tough to come through that," the British player said. "It boosts the match fitness, every match is a battle."
...........
Caption:
Garbine Muguruza down and out during her second round game in Brisbane.
Monday, 1 January 2018
Oshoala favoured to retain Africa Player gong
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah is tipped to be crowned 2017 African Player of the Year in Ghana, just as Nigeria's Asisat Oshoala is equally favoured to retain the Women’s gong.
The aiteo/African Football Confederation (CAF) award is scheduled to hold on Thursday, January 4 at the International Conference Centre in Accra.
Salah who has already been named the 2017 BBC African Footballer of the Year scored 17 goals in the first round of the English Premier League this season.
He was also instrumental in the qualification of Egypt for the 2018 World Cup with his five-star performance.
Salah is to contend with team-mate, Saido Mane of Senegal and the 2015 CAF award winner, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon for the title.
It will be recalled that Algeria's Riyad Mahrez won the 2016 edition of the prestigious award.
Meanwhile, Oshoala, who plays for Dalian Quanjian of China, will contend with Chrestina Kgatlana of South Africa who plays for UWC Ladies and Cameroon's Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene of CSKA Moscow, who was also one of the 2016 final nominees.
..............
The aiteo/African Football Confederation (CAF) award is scheduled to hold on Thursday, January 4 at the International Conference Centre in Accra.
Salah who has already been named the 2017 BBC African Footballer of the Year scored 17 goals in the first round of the English Premier League this season.
He was also instrumental in the qualification of Egypt for the 2018 World Cup with his five-star performance.
Salah is to contend with team-mate, Saido Mane of Senegal and the 2015 CAF award winner, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon for the title.
It will be recalled that Algeria's Riyad Mahrez won the 2016 edition of the prestigious award.
Meanwhile, Oshoala, who plays for Dalian Quanjian of China, will contend with Chrestina Kgatlana of South Africa who plays for UWC Ladies and Cameroon's Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene of CSKA Moscow, who was also one of the 2016 final nominees.
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