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AFCON qualifiers: Eagles beat Libya two times in a week, top Group E

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Two goals from Odion Ighalo and one from Ahmed Musa helped the Super Eagles overcome Libya 3-2 in their 2019 Africa Cup of Nations Group E qualifying fixture in Sfax on Tuesday to assume leadership of the group for the first time.

South Africa had led the group before Match Day 4 of the qualifiers with seven points but they let it slip after they were held 0-0 by whipping boys Seychelles earlier on. And the Eagles returned the favour by beating the North Africans to climb to the top with nine points, while Libya are third on four points.

The Nigerians, who had beaten the Libyans 4-0 in the first fixture on Saturday in Uyo, had an early control of the game and always looked the side to break the deadlock. And they did.

China-based striker Ighalo grabbed the curtain-raiser in the 14th minute after some fine interchange of passes between Arsenal forward Alex Iwobi and captain Musa, who set up Ighalo inside the box to tap into an empty net.

Three minutes later, Ighalo turned provider for Musa and the Al-Nassr man waltzed past a sea of Libyan legs before his final touch turned into goal despite losing balance in the process.

Mohamed Zubya reduced the tally for the hosts 10 minutes before the break heading high into the far corner with Nigeria keeper Francis Uzoho lost in flight.

The Libyans took control on resumption and came close to equalising on several occasions but Uzoho pulled off some fantastic saves to keep Gernot Rohr’s men ahead.

Ahmad Benali restored parity for the hosts in the 74th minute when he reacted first – with defenders Leon Balogun and Ola Aina watching – to slam home after Uzoho had parried an earlier shot.

The Libyans piled on the pressure but the three-time African champions held on. Ighalo then claimed all three points for the visitors with a fine finish, first selling a dummy to his markers, who went crashing, before firing in the decisive goal – his fifth against the Libyans in both fixtures and sixth in three qualifying matches – to move Nigeria to the top of Group E.

Source: Punch

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Sports

Robinho To Serve A 9 Year Jail Term Over Gang Rape

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Former Manchester City and Real Madrid striker Robinho will reportedly serve a nine-year jail sentence for gang rape – Imposed on him by an Italian court — in Brazil, judges in Brasilia has ruled.

The 40-year-old was found guilty in Italy in 2017 and according to Globo, Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice (BSCJ), made the ruling on Wednesday, March 20, 2024.

The former Premier League player, whose real name is Robson De Souza, was one of six men who were found guilty of a§§aulting an Albanian woman in an Italian nightclub in January 2013.

In January 2022, the Supreme Court in Rome dismissed his final appeal against the conviction, according to the report.

Robinho claims he is innocent and has been living in Brazil for the past seven years. It came after nine of the court’s 15 ministers had voted in favour of the decision to incarcerate the footballer in Brazil.

Globo also claims that the ex-footballer, who also spent time at AC Milan and Real Madrid, will now be arrested in Santos, where he currently resides.

Robinho, who was 28 and was playing for AC Milan at the time, admitted during his appeal to having ‘contact’ with the woman, but the Brazilian insisted it was consensual.

The Milan Court of Appeals found Robinho had ‘belittled’ and ‘br¥tally h¥miliated’ the victim as it upheld his original sentence in December 2020.

Intercepted phone calls between the Brazilian and those allegedly involved in the assault were used as key evidence in his initial conviction.

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Former Tennis Champion, Tania Okpala Returns To Tennis After Rehabilitation

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Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, has revealed that former tennis champion, Tania Okpala, has resumed playing on the courts.

This development follows Soludo’s assurance that she would undergo rehabilitation after a video surfaced online showing her in distress on the streets of Awka, pleading for assistance.

In an update on his social media handle on Thursday, Soludo expressed his satisfaction with Okpala’s return, stating, “Tania Okpala is back on the courts!

“A few months ago, social media was flooded with a viral video showing Ms. Tania in a distressing state on the streets of Awka. I am pleased to report that we have successfully restored Tania to her winning ways.”

Okpala, who hails from Anambra and has a Belarusian mother, represented Nigeria in the 1990s.

Here are pictures of her in the tennis court.

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AFCON: Victor Osimhen Now Cleared To Join The Other Super Eagles Ahead Of Tomorrow’s Game

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Good News has it that Victor Osimhen has finally joined the Super Eagles Nigeria team in Bouake, Ivory Coast.

He has been given the clear from the medical team on the abdominal discomfort issue. Earlier it was reported that the player could not join the rest of the team who flew to Ivory Coast ahead of Tomorrow’s football match against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.

He’s fully fit and ready to play in the Semifinals against South Africa tomorrow.

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