Nigeria’s senior men’s national basketball team, D’Tigers, has regrettably withdrawn from the AfroBasket 2025 qualifiers citing financial constraints, as confirmed through D’Tigers’ official communication channel. Drawn into Group B alongside Uganda, Cape Verde, and Libya, D’Tigers were set to compete in the first window of qualifiers held in Tunisia. Their scheduled opener against Libya on Saturday, 23 February, now stands uncertain due to the funding shortfall. In response to the financial challenges, the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) is actively engaged in last-minute efforts to secure the necessary funds, aiming to ensure D’Tigers’ participation in the qualifiers. The AfroBasket 2025 qualification…
Author: Prince Ade ADe
Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos, aged 34, has made a return to international football, coming out of retirement to represent Germany in Euro 2024, where they serve as hosts. Having been a pivotal part of the German team that secured victory in the 2014 World Cup and accumulating 106 caps for Die Mannschaft, Kroos retired in July 2021. However, following discussions with Germany’s coach Julian Nagelsmann, he has reversed his decision. In an Instagram post, Kroos stated, “I’ll be playing for Germany again from March. Why? Because I was asked by the coach and I’m up for it.” Expressing optimism…
Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has mandated the National Population Commission (NPC) to disclose the intricacies of its expenditure related to the abandoned 2023 Population Census to Abuja-based lawyer, Opatola Victor, within a stipulated seven-day period. The directive was issued during the delivery of judgment in a lawsuit filed against the population commission. Justice Ekwo ruled that the NPC’s refusal to divulge information or records of spending on the halted census, as requested by Victor on March 30th, 2023, was not only wrongful but also deemed illegal and unconstitutional. Citing Section 4 of the Freedom…
Renowned entrepreneur Asue Ighodalo secured victory in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary for Edo State, triumphing over fellow aspirants, including Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu, during the election conducted at Benin City’s Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium on Thursday. Amassing a total of 577 votes, Ighodalo was declared the ruling party’s gubernatorial candidate for the upcoming September 2024 election by the Chairman of the Edo PDP Primary Electoral Committee, Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State. Governor Dauda, serving as the chief returning officer, formally announced Ighodalo’s success and congratulated him alongside co-chairman Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State.Philip Shaibu, one of…
The Federal Government has addressed concerns raised by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) regarding the implementation of the N35,000 wage award for January and February 2024. Minister of State for Labour, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, clarified in a statement on Wednesday that substantial progress has been made in fulfilling the commitments outlined in the agreement with organized labor. The statement highlighted that the government has already disbursed the wage award for four out of the six months specified in the agreement, covering up to December 31, 2023. Regarding the outstanding two months, January and February 2024, the payment is currently in the…
The Senate has expressed strong opposition to the Ministry of Power’s proposed electricity tariff hike, citing concerns about the current economic challenges in the country. Additionally, the Senate has rejected plans to eliminate subsidies on electricity, emphasizing the necessity to maintain these subsidies in light of the prevailing hardships faced by the populace. This stance was formalized through a resolution reached during the Senate’s deliberations, where Senator Aminu Abbas (PDP, Adamawa Central) presented a motion. The motion emphasized the importance of preserving subsidies on electricity for the foreseeable future. Last week, Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu revealed in a press…
Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen, rescued Italian champions, Napoli from defeat with the equalizer in a 1-1 draw with Barcelona in a UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first-leg tie in Naples, Wednesday night. Pre-match talks centered around the forward’s availability for the match and he did just what he had to do to save his new manager from a negative start. Following his return from the Africa Cup of Nations AFCON duty with Nigeria, Osimhen displayed his undeniable quality with a goal against the formidable Spanish opposition at the Diego Maradona Stadium. Notably, it marked Napoli’s debut under new…
President of Nigeria the Football Federation, Ibrahim Gusau has charged Nigerian referees to make conscious, deliberate efforts to change the current negative narratives about their performances by telling themselves the truth and resolving to uphold their professional tenets while committing to decent conduct. Speaking on Wednesday in Abuja as 30 referees were decorated with their FIFA badges to represent Nigeria in international competitions this year, Gusau reiterated that a big sore point with the NFF and the Nigeria Football community as the Super Eagles excelled at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cote d’Ivoire was the absence of…
Manager Thomas Tuchel is set to part ways with Bayern Munich at the conclusion of the current season, a year earlier than initially planned. The 50-year-old, who took over from Julian Nagelsmann in March 2023 on a contract until June 2025, will depart as part of what Bayern describes as “a sporting realignment.” Tuchel achieved success in his debut season by securing the Bundesliga title for Bayern, but the team currently faces challenges, trailing eight points behind league leaders Bayer Leverkusen after consecutive defeats. Notably, they suffered a 3-0 setback against Leverkusen and a 1-0 loss to Lazio in the…
Former Brazil international Dani Alves, awaiting the verdict in his rape trial, is set to appear in court on Thursday, as announced by judicial sources. The Barcelona court issued a statement indicating that all parties involved in the Alves case, including the defendant, are summoned for a “notification procedure” on February 22 at 10:00 am (0900 GMT). While neither the court nor Alves’ lawyers confirmed the purpose of the appearance, Spanish media reports suggest it may be for the delivery of the verdict. Alves, renowned for his illustrious career with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, faced charges related to an alleged…