CAF Awards 2023; Osimhen, Oshoala Emerges Africa Best, Set Records

…as Nigeria also Produces Best Women Goalkeeper and Best Female National Team

It was a night of glory for Nigerian players and National Teams as the 2023 edition of CAF Awards was dominated by the green white green soccer stars.

Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen won the CAF 2023 Men’s Player of The Year award. He saw off competition from Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, Senegal’s Sadio Mane, and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, among others.

The 24-year-old, standing at 1.85m indeed stood tall among his peers, with the award coming after a lengthy 24-year wait since Super Eagles legend, Kanu Nwankwo last received the honour in 1999.

The Nigerian striker had a thunderous form in the last 2022/2023 football season. He helped his Italian club side, Napoli, win their third Scudetto 33 years after the era of the late Argentinian legend, Diego Maradona.

Super Falcons striker Asisat Oshoala also won a record sixth African Women’s Player of the Year Award.

Oshoala, who plays club football for Barcelona, beat South Africa’s Thembi Klagtlana and Zambia’s Barbara Banda to the award.

The 27-year-old played a key role in Barcelona Femeni’s UEFA Women’s Champions League success last season.

The Barcelona Femeni star becomes the first woman to claim the award for a record sixth time in 2022. Recall she was also a 2023 Ballon d’Or nominee.

Nigeria has become the first country to produce the men and women winner of the Africa Player of the Year.

Chiamaka Nnadozie was equally crowned the 2023 CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year.

Nnadozie beat Moroccan shot-stopper Khadija El-Rmichi and South Africa’s Andile Olaminii to win the crown.

The Super Falcons goalie was heroic for Nigeria at the Women’s World Cup with her brave performance against Olympic champions Canada, making three saves, including stopping a 50th-minute penalty from Christine Sinclair.

The Super Falcons would go on to secure a goalless draw in the game with Nnadozie bagging the Player of the Match award.

The Nigerian female football team, Super Falcons, walked away with the 2023 Confederation of African Football award for the National Team of the Year.

The year’s award came off the back of an impressive showing at the World Cup earlier in the year.

The Falcons were knocked out of the competition in the round of 16 at the hands of England after losing on penalty shootouts.

Before the defeat, the Super Falcons did not lose a match in their three group games. They drew Olympic champions Canada, shock co-hosts Australia, and settled for a point against the Republic of Ireland.

17-Year Old Wins 2023 Lagos Marathon Race

… Lekki LCDA Showcases Tourism Potentials To The World

A 17-year-old Francis James, from Plateau State, has won the second edition of the Mangrove Marathon Race 2023 held on Saturday in Lekki Local Council Development Area, Lagos.

James won one million naira in the 10km eco-friendly race to beat other contestants including a former presidential candidate in the 2023 General Elections and Publisher of Sahara Reporters, Mr Omowole Sowore.

James who expressed delight in coming out first among the males that took part in the competition said it took him six months to prepare for the race. He urged his fellow contestants to work harder next time if they must win the race.

A staff of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), David Abiye-Joyce, came first among the females in the competition. She expressed gratitude to God for making it possible for her to win the women category. Nothing She said that she had been winning athletic competitions for the NSCDC.

Earlier in his Welcome address, the Lekki LCDA Chairman. Hon. Rasak Kasali, expressed gratitude to organizers and participants of the Mangrove Marathon Race for identifying with the LCDA.

Kasali said that there was no denying the fact that mangroves were extremely important to the ecosystem. “We are in partnership with Mangrove Marathon because the event is timely and beneficial to our people and the development of our LCDA”.

According to the host Chairman, mangroves serve as a buffer between marine and terrestrial communities and protect shorelines from damaging winds, waves, and floods.

Kasali said mangrove thickets improve water quality by filtering pollutants and trapping sediments from the land.

He, however, said that in spite of the wide ranging benefits, they were being destroyed. Kasali added that mangroves suffer from land based pollution.

The chairman noted that the benefits of mangroves were fast being eroded. “We as a government have continued to play our part and I call on captains of industries working within the Lekki LCDA to be environmentally responsive.

“I equally extend invitations to tourism enthusiasts to think Lekki LCDA and think investment in tourism. What we are witnessing today is simply ecotourism”, Kasali said.

Mrs. Tolulope Adeyo, Director, Ecology & Conservation, Ministry of Environment & Water Resources, said mangroves were very important to the Lagos State Government.

Adeyo said that Lekki has the longest stretch of mangroves in the state. According to her, mangroves are assets to the community serving as protection for fauna and floral in the ecosystem.

The Director-General, Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF), in his remarks said Nigeria has the largest mangroves in Africa. He noted that Nigeria has one-third of the entire mangrove in Africa and the third most extensive mangrove ecosystems in the world after India and Indonesia.

The Convener of the Mangrove Marathon Race, Mr Jerry Chidi, described the race was a huge success. Chidi said the youth of Lekki LCDA were excited to take part in the race, not just for fun, but to create awareness for the conservation of mangrove.

According to him, the Local Organizing Committee of the Marathon Race plans to make it bigger in the coming years; 21km in 2024 and 42 Km in 2025.

The traditional ruler of Ise Land, Oba Ganiu Adebowale Adegbesan (Onise of Ise Land), pledged the support of the palace in the preservation and restoration of mangroves.

Highlights of the event were the presentation of prizes to various categories of contesters, planting of mangroves at the Ecopark Mangrove Sanctuary and Research Centre, Akodo Ise, by the dignitaries and a cultural display by Imale Owoyele from Apakin community in Lekki LCDA.

The Mangrove Marathon Lagos 2023 which held on July 29, was aimed at commemorating the international day for the conservation of the mangrove.

Cup of Nations: Super Eagles Pummels Sao Tome 10-0

Nigerian Napoli gangling striker, Victor Oshimen scored four goals while Terem Moffi scored a brace as Nigeria pummeled Sao Tome and Principe 10-0 in an African Cup of Nations qualifiers on Monday, 13 June, 2022.

According to reports on thegazellenews.com, it was the day Ademola Lookman scored his first goal for Nigeria, same as Emmanuel Dennis who won and scored a penalty with the last kick of the match.

Other scorers are: Oghenekaro Etebo with a sublime free kick, and Captain for the day Moses Simon.

With the win, Nigeria is at the summit of the group with six points.

Breaking! AFCON 2021; Senegal Is Africa Champion!

The National Team of Senegal has emerged the Champion of Africa in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

Sadio Mane scored the winning spot-kick as Senegal claimed her first ever AFCON title with a 4-2 penalty shootout victory over seven-time winners, Egypt following a 0-0 draw in the decider in Yaounde on Sunday February 6, 2022.

Mane had been given the chance to open the scoring inside ten minutes at the sixth minute into the game when Mohamed Abdelmonem slid in with a rash challenge on full-back Saliou Ciss but Egypt goalkeeper Gabaski, the hero of their semi-final shootout win over Cameroon, kept out the forward’s effort.

At the end of the match, Egyptian goalkeeper, Gabaski was named man of the match as he kept Senegal at bay throughout a scrappy 90 minutes and then produced an excellent save to deny substitute Bamba Dieng in extra-time.

Senegalese Sadio Many was named player of the tournament while Cameroonian Aboubakar was highest goal scorer and Senegalese Mendi was goalkeeper.

Breaking! Jagaban Returns To Nigeria

APC National leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (Jagaban) has returned to Nigeria after due consultation in the United Kingdom. The presidential hopeful under the ruling party while away met with Prince Ade Omole, Dr Lee Akin Badeji, NDA team and other supporters in diaspora.