Connect with us

Breaking

Road to Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup: Ghana dumps Nigeria on away advantage

Published

3 years ago

on

Share

Ghana secured their place at the 2022 World Cup, at the expense of Nigeria, after an away goals victory at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja on Tuesday night.

Thomas Partey’s strike was enough to upset the home fans in Abuja, after a goalless draw in the first leg last week, to end the Black Stars’ brief stint away from World Cups.

After only 11 minutes, goalkeeping errors came back to haunt Nigeria.

Maduka Okoye had allowed Youssef Msakni’s shot to beat him too easily as the Super Eagles were knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations by Tunisia in January, and this time it was Francis Uzoho in between the sticks for a true howler.

Arsenal Thomas Partey lined up a fairly powerless shot from outside the box and right at the keeper, Uzoho made an awful mess of his save and suddenly Ghana had the vital away goal.

Unperturbed, Nigeria almost replied instantly when Victor Osimhen fired wide from a narrow angle.

While it was the Tunisians who wrecked the Super Eagles’ AFCON hopes, Sadok Selmi, the Tunisian referee on this occasion, reignited their World Cup dreams after Denis Odoi fouled Ademola Lookman in the penalty area.

A tight call, Selmi reversed his decision via VAR and William Troost-Ekong converted his penalty.

Osimhen thought he had completed the turnaround before the break until VAR once again intervened, correctly calling the Napoli striker’s goal back for offside after he had rounded the goalkeeper.

There was a sense that Osimhen was the Nigerian hero in waiting, as shown by his expertly-improvised flick towards goal as a cross bounced up awkwardly, which nonetheless flashed only a touch wide.

But, just as in Cameroon two months ago, Augustine Eguavoen’s side began to run out of steam. Odion Ighalo and Ahmed Musa provided the experience and goalscoring prowess off the bench yet proved toothless. Osimhen remained the primary threat, firing an acrobatic half-volley off-target.

Ghana, head to their fourth World Cup in five attempts later this year, while Nigeria sit out their first since 2006.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Breaking

NASS Passes ₦54.99trn 2025 Budget

Published

4 weeks ago

on

February 13, 2025

By

National Assembly Complex Abuja.
National Assembly Complex Abuja.
Share

The National Assembly on Thursday passed the ₦54.99trn 2025 Appropriation Bill.

The bill was passed separately by the Senate and the House of Representatives.

A breakdown of the budget showed N3.645trn for statutory transfers, N14.317trn for debt servicing, N13.64trn for recurrent expenditure and N23.963trn capital expenditure (development fund), with fiscal deficit put at N13.08trn.

The Deficit-to-Gross domestic product (GDP) Ratio was put at 1.52%.

Last Week, President Bola Tinubu increased the 2025 fiscal year budget from an initial N49.7trn to N54.2trn, seeking approval from the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, Abubakar Bichi, while presenting the bill for consideration, stated that the committee met with the Presidential Economic Planning team to further discuss revenue projections and expenditure for the 2025 Appropriation Bill.

According to him, the 2025 Appropriation Bill was presented late, compared to that of 2024.

He urged the executive to present subsequent budgets to the National Assembly not later than three months before the next financial year, to maintain the January to December budget cycle.

Continue Reading

Breaking

Court Sacks APC Governorship Candidate In Bayelsa

Published

1 year ago

on

October 10, 2023

By

Timipre Sylva
Timipre Sylva
Share

The Federal High Court, Abuja, has disqualified the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva, from contesting the November 11 Guber election in Bayelsa state.

The suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/821/2023 was filed on June 13, 2023, by Deme Kolomo, a member of the APC.

Justice Donatus Okorowo ruled that Sylva, having been sworn in twice and ruled for five years as governor of the state, would breach the 1999 constitution as amended if allowed to contest again.

The judge also declared that Sylva was not qualified to run in the November poll because if he wins and is sworn in, he would spend more than eight years in office as governor

Citing the case of Marwa vs Nyako at the Supreme Court, Okorowo noted that the drafters of the country’s constitution stated that nobody should be voted for as governor more than two times and that the parties to the suit agreed that Sylva was voted into office two times.

He further stated that the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Marwa vs Nyako that nobody can expand the constitution or its scope, stressing that if Sylva was allowed to contest the next election, a person could compete as many times as he wanted.

Continue Reading

Breaking

Senate stops El-Rufai, 2 Others Confirms Wike, Keyamo, Oyetola, Others As Ministers 

Published

2 years ago

on

August 7, 2023

By

Cross Section of Ministerial Designates
Share

The Senate has put the confirmation of former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai on hold and confirmed 45 ministerial nominees presented to it for screening and confirmation by President Bola Tinubu.

Two others affected are Stella Okotete (Delta State), and Abubakar Danladi (Taraba State). The Senate said the trio were still undergoing security clearance.

The Senate had spent a week in screening all the ministerial nominees presented to it by the president.

Those confirmed are:

Abubakar Kyari (Borno)

Abubakar Momoh (Edo)

Nyesom Wike – Rivers

Engr Joseph Utserv (Benue)

Senator John Owan Enoh (Cross River)

Hon Bello Mohammad (Sokoto)

Mohammed Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa)

Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar (Bauchi)

Uju Kennedy Ohaneye (Anambra)

Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo (Ondo)

Nkieruka Onyejeocha (Abia)

Dr Betta Edu (Cross River State)

imaan Sulieman Ibrahim (Nasarawa)

David Umahi (Ebonyi)

Adebayo Olawale Edun (Ogun)

Arch. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa (Katsina)

Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji (Enugu)

Mr Dele Alake (Ekiti)

Waheed Adebayo Adelabu (Oyo)

Mohammed Idris (Niger)

Prof Ali Pate (Bauchi)

Dr Doris Anite Uzoka (Imo)

Lateef Fabemi SAN (Kwara)

Rt Hon Ekperikpe Ekpo (Akwa Ibom)

Hannatu Musawa (Katsina)

Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe)

Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (Niger)

Hieneken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa)

Alkali Ahmed Saidu (Gombe)

Dr Tanko Sununu (Kebbi)

Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi)

Bello Matawalle (Zamfara)

Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun)

Simon Bako Lalong (Plateau)

Abdullahi Tijani Muhammad Gwarzo (Kano)

Bosun Tijani (Ogun)

Dr Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure (Kano)

Dr Iziaq Salako (Ogun)

Dr Tunji Alausa (Lagos)

Lola Ade-John (Lagos)

Prof Tahir Mamman SAN (Adamawa)

Zephaniah Jisalo (FCT)

Uba Maigari Ahmadu (Taraba)

Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu (Kogi)

Festus Keyamo SAN (Delta)

Continue Reading