SPORTS
South Africa, Liberia Leave it for Late to Win on Match day 2
Both South Africa and Liberia scored in the last 10 minutes of their respective games to pick identical 1-0 wins on Monday.
The wins were in their respective second matches of the qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup scheduled for Qatar.
At the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, Bongokuhle Hlongwane scored with seven minutes remaining as Bafana Bafana beat Ghana’s Black Stars 1-0.
It was a result which helped the 2010 World Cup hosts to move to the top of Group G with four points.
They had picked a point in the 0-0 draw against Zimbabwe on match day one.
Hlongwane simply adjusted his foot to direct the ball into the net from inside the goal area after a cross from the right.
It was a bright spark for Bafana Bafana and a huge relief to pick a win at home and hand coach Hugo Broos his first victory as head coach.
It was not a game with so many chances though, but the home side will take the victory nonetheless.
They had a chance early in the game when Richard Ofori who is with South African side Orlando Pirates spilled a cross from Teboho Mokoena.
That was after an akward bounce in front of him.
The rebound fell on Mothobi Mvala but he could not hit the target on the half volley.
Percy Tau thought he had given Bafana Bafana the lead in the 37th minute but his header from a cross which beat goalkeeper Ofori was flagged down for offside.
South Africa had a brilliant chance to break the deadlock in the 46th minute, but Evidence Makgopa missed a complete sitter.
Ofori who seemed to be struggling with injury let a seemingly harmless ball from Mokoena slip through his legs.
But with the goalmouth at his mercy from two yards out, Makgopa connected wide.
South Africa sought to make amends and came close after 66 minutes.
This was when Mavala controlled the ball inside the box from Hlongwane’s cross before going for an acrobatic kick, but it hit the side netting.
They kept pushing and ultimately were rewarded with a goal in the 83rd minute.
Meanwhile, Liberia went second in Group C after beating Central Africa Republic (CAR) by a solitary goal.
Kpah Sherman scored the lone goal for the Liberians with just four minutes left on the clock.
Liberia raised their tally to three points compared to CAR’s lone point, before Cape Verde take on Nigeria in Mnidelo on Tuesday.(NAN)
The finals of Gov. Peter Mbah Secondary Schools Games, on Thursday began in Enugu with the arrival and accreditation of athletes at Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium Enugu.
Dan Onwuegbuna, Director, Information, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Enugu State, said in a statement on Thursday that the games would be held between Aug.
7 and Aug. 10 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium and the Enugu State Sports Council.“The games is designed to help the state discover talents to represent the state at the forthcoming U15 National Youth Games scheduled to take place in Asaba, Delta, from Aug. 26 to Sept. 6,” he stated.
Onwuegbuna said that apart from representing the state at the Youth Games in Asaba, talented athletes discovered would represent the state in other competitions.
He quoted the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Lloyd Ekweremadu as thanking Gov. Peter Mbah for approving the games.
Onwuegbuna said that the games was made possible following the collaboration between the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the state Post Primary Schools Management Board (PPSMB).
The games finals followed the outcome of the inter- Secondary Schools competitions held at the local government areas in the six Educational Zones in the State – Enugu, Agbani, Awgu, Udi, Nsukka and Udenu.
“The games will feature athletics, boxing, chess, basketball, volleyball, football, tennis and scrabble,” Onwuegbuna stated.
Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie has been nominated for the 2025 Women’s Yachine Trophy, the Ballon d’Or award for the best female goalkeeper.
The 24-year-old recently joined Brighton Women FC from Paris FC after helping the French side win their first major title in nearly two decades.
Nnadozie delivered a heroic performance in the final of the 2025 Coupe de France Féminine, where Paris FC edged Paris Saint-Germain 5-4 on penalties following a goalless draw at Stade de l’Épopée in Calais.She was also instrumental in Nigeria’s success at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), where the Super Falcons secured a record-extending 10th continental crown against host nation, Morocco.
Her standout displays earned her the Best Goalkeeper award and a place in the Team of the Tournament.
Other nominees for the Yachine Trophy include Ann-Katrin Berger (Gotham FC), Cata Coll (Barcelona Femeni), Hannah Hampton (Chelsea Women) and Daphne van Domselaar (Arsenal Women).
Nigeria’s Super Falcons maintained 36th position in the latest FIFA women’s world ranking.
The latest ranking was released on FIFA’s official website yesterday.
While the Super Falcons remain the number one team in Africa, WAFCON 2024 runners-up Morocco are third on the continent and dropped to 64th spot in the world.
Former WAFCON champions Banyana Banyana of South Africa maintained 54th place in the world and second in Africa.
Ghana’s Black Queens who claimed third place at the WAFCON dropped to 67th position in the global ranking.
The Super Falcons recently won their 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after coming from 2-0 down to beat hosts Morocco 3-2 in the final.
Second half goals from Esther Okoronkwo, Folashade Ijamilusi and substitute Jennifer Echegini completed the turnaround.
Okoronkwo, scored a goal and provided two assists against the Moroccans was Named Player of the Match.
Chiamaka Nnadozie was named Goalkeeper of the Tournament while Captain Rasheedat Ajibade won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
Meanwhile, World champions Spain (1st, up 1) had an impressive run to the final of the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 with five back-to-back wins, which was enough to see them reclaim top spot in the ranking, a position they previously held from December 2023 to June 2024.
The USA (2nd, down 1) have therefore been knocked off their perch, which they had occupied since August 2024.
However, three convincing home wins in friendlies during this period have kept the USA in contention, and they are now sitting less than two points behind Spain.
The top 10 has been shaken up completely since the June edition of the ranking, with France (6th, up 4) performing best among them.
France completed a flawless group stage at the European Championship before falling to Germany in the quarter-finals.
The next edition of the Women’s World Ranking will be published on 11 December 2025.
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