National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
Sport
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Cricket: NCF boss sure of promotion
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J OEL A JAYI ABUJA
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bregas won’t leave Barca’
arcelona Coach, Tito Vilanova, has doused speculation g midfielder Cesc gas to Manchesnited, insisting the r-old wants to stay he Catalan club. English champion ade an opening offer 0 million for the forArsenal captain, who iled to hold down a ar first-team place returning to Camp
ving already seen o depart to rejoin r boss Pep Guarat Bayern Munich,
Barcelona is keen to avoid losing another world-class La Masia graduate this summer. Vilanova is confident Fabregas is still motivated by the prospect of proving himself at his boyhood club and has no thoughts of returning to the Premier League. “I am aware that we have received offers from other teams. I talked with him and he told me he wants to stay. Cesc doesn’t contemplate the possibility of going to another club,” the coach said.
Aminat Olowora (in yellow trunk) on the track
Entries rise for Olowora tourney YEMI OLUS
attracted me–Villa
ormer Barcelona striker, David Villa, says he was ready ove to the Premier e this summer, before co Madrid made a bid n him. a, 31, joined Atletico nitial £1.8m deal, ris£4.4m if he sees out hree-year contract. Arsenal and Tottenhad been linked with ain international. had a move to the er League in mind hen Atleti appeared ithin three days all ersonal terms had greed,” Villa said. om a career point of they weren’t lacking ng. They finished n La Liga and will play Champions League. beat Real Madrid to e Copa del Rey.” tico, who sold striker mel Falcao to Monaco eported £50m earlier ummer, could use Vila direct replacement he Colombian who 32 goals last season. a scored 48 times in 119 for Barcelona after joinm Valencia in the sum2010 for £34.2m. He is all-time leading scorer goals from 92 appear-
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N Confed Cup: Blues rues Ramires absence
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helsea yesterday apologised to the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) after a miscommunication cost the Blues midfielder Ramires a place in the Brazil squad for the recent Confederations Cup. CBF president Jose Maria Marinhad questioned Ramires’ commitment to the national team, following his absence from two friendly matches against Russia and Italy last season. “Contrary to media reports, Chelsea Football Club can confirm that Ramires was not available to play for Brazil in friendly matches against Russia and Italy in March of this year due to injury,” a Chelsea spokesman said.
ine clubs have signified intention to compete in the female category of the 1st Aminat Olowora Football Competition which kicks off at Epetedo Senior High School, Lagos Island on July 29. The weeklong event will end on August 4. Organiser of the competition, Aminat Olowora, a national athlete who won three gold medals for Lagos State at the last National Sports Festival, told National Mirror yesterday that arrangement had been concluded to make the maiden competition a success. According to her, the registered teams are Green Star FC, Real Dynamo FC, Super Star FC, Apapa Golden Queens, Young Talent Academy, Goddey FC, Damilola Taylor Academy, Jagunmolu Queens and HKT Football Club. The 19-year-old long distance runner is also hosting a table tennis championship from July 28 to August 9 while a 5km run will be held on September 22 which is the same day as the final
of the boys’ football event whose preliminaries have been concluded. Olowora, however, appealed to sponsors to partner with her with a view to helping her to fulfill the dreams of the young athletes. “I want to use these competitions to encourage the youths,” she said. “I was a table tennis player and represented Nigeria at the African Junior Championships in Egypt in 2007. I used to play football for my school, Aunty Ayo Girls Comprehensive Secondary School and represented them at the Principal’s Cup two years ago when we got the third position. “I am engaged in this venture as part of my dream even although I’m not financially buoyant to do so. Initially I just wanted to do it in my area which is Lagos Island but I decided to extend it across other local governments in order to encourage more people.” Greater Tomorrow and Damilola Taylor Island Academy will vie for the third place while Goddey FC and Damilola Taylor FC will battle for the top prize in the boys’ September 22 final.
resident of Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF), Engineer Emeka Onyeama, has assured that the Nigeria cricket team will qualify for the League Division Five at the 2013 ICC World Cricket League Division Six tournament in New Jersey, USA. Onyeama told National Mirror yesterday in Abuja that the federation had motivated the team to succeed at the qualifiers scheduled to begin on July 21. “Our team won all our four friendly games in the UK some days ago and with the level of maturity and skills, I believe we are going to win the tournament for the first time,” the NCF boss said. “Getting into division five means a lot as it signifies that Nigeria would now be ranked amongst big countries like Norway, Afghanistan, Australia, Pakistan and India,” he added.
COSAFA 2013: Bullets aim flight over Bafana
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ambia will seek an end to its two-match Cosafa Cup agony against South Africa in today’s semifinal showdown in Ndola. Strangely, these two regional superpowers have only met three times in the same competition with Bafana edging its northern rival by two-to-one wins. Bafana has won its last two successive Cosafa Cup meetings after losing the first encounter in the 2005 semifinals. Zambia lost 4-3 on postmatch penalties in the 2007 final in Bloemfontein after a scoreless draw under coach Patrick Phiri. A year later, Herve Renard stumbled at the semifinal stage, again in South Africa, this time in faraway Thulamahashe at the semifinal stage losing by the lone goal. Renard believes his mix of veteran and new talent can finally pick up Zambia’s first Cosafa Cup win over Bafana, eight years after South Africa won 9-8 on post-match penalties at Mmabatho after a 2-2 draw. “It will be important to win something one year after winning the Africa Cup. It will be very important,” Renard said.
National Mirror learnt that the Nigerian team would depart to New Jersey on July 18, even as he said the National Sports Commission was committed to seeing the country excel. Other countries billed to participate in the competition include Bahrain, Argentina and Kuwait.
Oba Cup: Lagos FA harps on registration YEMI OLUS
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spiring clubs for the 2013 Oba Cup championship have been urged to meet the registration deadline as the Lagos State Football Association (LSFA) insists it will not exceed the required number of clubs for the event. According to the FA, only early comers will be registered for the Skye Bank-sponsored competition scheduled to kick off on July 22. Chairman of the Lagos FA board, Seyi Akinwunmi, said that the State FA would adhere strictly to the rules. “We have given the competitors enough time to register the willing clubs in their divisions and we believe they would comply,” he said. Meanwhile the board has allocated slots for the five divisional football associations in the state to ensure smooth organization of the championship. Chairman of the LSFA Technical Committee, Mr. Dotun Coker, said Ikeja and Ikorodu divisional FAs will each have 32 clubs, Epe and Badagry 16 teams and Lagos division 64 clubs. “Three teams each will qualify for state finals from Ikeja and Ikorodu division, Epe and Badagry will present two qualifiers each, while Lagos division will have six qualifying for the state finals,” Coker explained. “The sixteen clubs clubs that qualify for the state finals will contest the trophy that will be presented by the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akinolu, who has pledged his presence at the final,” he further said.
Governor Fashola