Sports
AFCON Qualifier: CAF to decide Libya vs Nigeria case Wednesday
The Confederation of African Football will on Wednesday, October 23 announce its decision on the botched AFCON qualifying Group D between Libya and Nigeria, which was scheduled for Benina Martyrs Stadium, Libya on October 15.
Team Nigeria had arrived for the match on Sunday, October 14, only for their flight to be diverted to Al Abraq International Airport, which is about three hours away by road to Benghazi, the venue of the match.
The Libyan authorities held them captive for approximately 17 hours, leaving them traumatized as they flew back to their home country.
Nigeria lodged a complaint with CAF lamenting their ordeal, and the Libyan Federation said that the Nigerians did not cooperate with them in any way, whether in the first or second leg, indicating that their experience is a child’s play compared to theirs while in Nigeria for the first leg.
CAF had described what happened to the Nigerian team in Libya as “extremely dangerous,” noting that it had contacted the Libyan and Nigerian authorities after reporting that the latter had been subjected to worrying conditions for hours at the airport.
It referred the matter to its disciplinary committee to investigate and take appropriate action against those who violated the regulations.
A day after the botched encounter, CAF delisted the fixture from its calendar after announcing its cancellation hours before kick-off, with the matter referred to the Disciplinary Committee for consideration.
Now according to Libya Al-Ahrar Channel, the apex continental football body will announce the final decision regarding the players’ ordeal during the first leg in Nigeria in October, which ended 1-0 in favour of the Super Eagles and the reverse fixture that would have held at the 10,550-capacity, Libya’s first all-seater stadium.
The outlet on Monday, October 21 also revealed that the Libyan Football Federation submitted all the documents it collected with a specialised lawyer assigned by the body to supervise the Libyan file with the Confederation of African Football.
Sports
Man Utd confirm Ruben Amorim as new manager
Manchester United have officially announced Ruben Amorim as their new manager.
In a club statement on Friday, the Red Devils confirmed that Amorim will remain with Sporting Lisbon until November 11.
This means the 39-year-old’s first game in charge will be a Premier League trip to Ipswich Town.
Amorim has agreed a contract until June 2027, with the option of a further year.
United have paid Sporting an extra €1m (£840,000) in addition to his €10m (£8.4m) exit clause for an early release from his 30-day notice period.
He will replace Erik ten Hag, who was sacked on Monday, while Ruud van Nistelrooy will continue in an interim role until Amorim joins.
United’s next game is a league fixture at home against Chelsea on Sunday
Sports
Flying Eagles win WAFU B championship, beat Ghana
The Flying Eagles have emerged as champions of the 2024 WAFU B U-20 Championship, defeating rivals Ghana 2-1 in a thrilling final.
Under the guidance of head coach Aliyu Zubairu, the Flying Eagles dominated the first half, surging to a 2-0 lead at halftime thanks to two well-taken goals by Remo Stars forward, Kparobo Arierhi. With their early dominance, the team appeared set to defend the title they clinched in the previous edition of the tournament.
Ghana fought back with a goal early in the second half, narrowing the scoreline to 2-1. Despite the pressure from the Ghanaians, Nigeria’s defence held strong, ensuring they retained the championship title.
In addition to the win, both Nigeria and Ghana secured qualification for the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), representing the WAFU B region at the prestigious continental tournament.
This triumph further cements the Flying Eagles’ status as one of Africa’s top youth football teams and serves as a major morale boost as they prepare for the upcoming U-20 AFCON.
Sports
NPFL: Kano Pillars fined N2m for improper conduct
The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has fined Kano Pillars N2 million following the misconduct of players and officials during their recent match against Nasarawa United.
The NPFL cited improper conduct, including a controversial statement from Kano Pillars’ Media & Communications Directorate, which quoted player Ahmed Musa making disparaging comments about match officials.
Additionally, the league accused Kano Pillars of failing to control their team’s behavior, leading to a nine-match suspension for Ugochukwu Gabriel starting from matchday 10. Gabriel was penalized specifically for his unruly actions during the game.
The NPFL also warned Kano Pillars about future inflammatory statements, advising the team to use appropriate channels to file complaints. The league stated that a recurrence of such behavior could lead to even harsher sanctions.
Kano Pillars have 48 hours from the notice date to appeal these sanctions. The Sai Masu Gida, former NPFL champions, are now under scrutiny to ensure improved conduct in upcoming matches.
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