SPORTS
Benue Braves Coach Confident of Finals Ticket After Whipping Rivers Hoopers
Regina Akpera, the Head Coach of Benue Braves Basketball Club of Makurdi, says her team is confident of achieving the maximum goal at the Basketball Final Eight Championship in Lagos.
Akpera told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos that their team spirit was very high after they beat Rivers Hoopers 78-66 to reach the semi-finals.
She said the team’s fighting spirit gave them the victory and they were confident the performance could spur them to reaching their first-ever final match at the Final Eight Championship.
“We played well and we are determined from the begining to the end and never allowed Rivers Hoopers to dominate at any point.
“Personally I dedicate the victory to God Almighty, because this achievement has been long overdue.
“Our team is very young but very energetic and the fighting spirit is very high and this has kept us believing from the begining that we are the team to watch out for,” the coach said.
Similarly, David Mustapha, the team’s captain, expressed the determination of the team to progress into the final.
He said the team was very strong and coordinated, with the desire to play and win together.
Mustapha said this was what motivated them to do well and play strongly against any opposition.
“We are here to prove a point and we shall stop at nothing to prove our capabilities. We play together as a team and believe strongly that we can go beyond the semi-finals.
“To berth in the final match will be a dream come true and as long as we stick together, we can achieve. I believe strongly in our team spirit,” he said.
In results of the final group games played on Thursday, Kano Pillars crushed Lagos Islanders 78-39, while Gombe Bulls demolished Police Batons 74-39.
Nigeria Customs had to endure two overtime plays to beat hard-fighting Kwara Falcons 80-72 to also record their win.
NAN reports that the competition’s semi-finals will see Kwara Falcons up against Benue Braves while Rivers Hoopers face Nigeria Customs on Friday.(NAN)(
English and Italian football giants Manchester City, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Juventus will square up for pre-season friendlies in Hong Kong in August, the clubs announced yesterday.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, currently arm-wrestling Arsenal for the Premier League title, will take on Inter Milan on Saturday, August 1, spearheaded by their Norwegian goal machine Erling Haaland.
The match will kick off the “Hong Kong Football Festival” at the city’s futuristic 50,000-seat Kai Tak stadium.
The gleaming arena opened a year ago, featuring a roof that can be closed and air-conditioning to combat the fierce summer heat and humidity in Hong Kong.
Chelsea will play Juventus on Wednesday August 5 to round off the mini-tournament.
Lagos State will host the second edition of the National School Volleyball Championships from April 21 to April 24 at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.
President of the Nigeria School Sport Federation (NSSF), Olabisi Joseph, said in a statement on Monday that schools from across the country had converged for the four-day tournament.
She said the competition meant for secondary schools is organised by the NSSF in collaboration with the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF), with support from the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC).
Joseph said the annual tournament aims to develop volleyball in the school system and identify outstanding athletes who will represent Nigeria at the International School Sport Federation (ISF) events.
She expressed delight at the growing interest among schools nationwide and urged participants to be worthy ambassadors of their institutions.
“In Nigeria, we are blessed with an abundance of talent in the school system.
“Volleyball, being one of the popular sports in schools, has ignited healthy rivalry among students.
“Sports stimulates learning, so we are building a total child through events like this,” she said.
Joseph added that standout athletes from the Lagos championship would be shortlisted to compete at the ISF World School Volleyball Championship in China.
She described the event as a unique opportunity for young players to showcase their skills before global scouts.
“Teams from Lagos, Osun, Rivers, Bayelsa, Adamawa, Ogun, Taraba, Bauchi and other states are competing for honours, with NVBF technical officials on ground to scout for talent.”
The maiden edition of the National School Volleyball Championships was held in Abuja, where host teams won both the boys’ and girls’ categories.
Outstanding players from the FCT, Plateau and Kaduna states later represented Nigeria at the 2025 ISF World School Volleyball Championships in China.
The World School Volleyball Championship is scheduled to be held from July 1 to July 10 in China.
Guinea will face Nigeria’s Flamingos in the final qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The Guineans defeated Niger Republic 3-0 in the second leg of their qualifying fixture in Conakry on Saturday.
They won the contest 8-2 on aggregate, following their 5-2 triumph in the first leg last week.
The winner of the Flamingos versus Guinea clash will qualify for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The Flamingos set up camp in Abuja for the clash with their fellow West Africans last week.
Newly appointed head coach, Akeem Busari invited 36 players to camp for the team’s preparation.
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