After the first rounds of matches (Knockout) in the ongoing GOtv Hood to Hood Football Championship Season 2, 8 teams have emerged for the quarterfinals of the competition.
The 8 teams are Satech FC Iganmu, Honour FC Gbagada, Team 360 FC Surulere, Yemo FC Bariga, Rainbow FC IyanaIpaja, Kings United FC of Ajah, Skillful FC, and IGI Premier Academy.
To qualify for the quarterfinals Satech FC qualified at the expense of Olukoya FC who were disqualified by the FA for fielding professional players against the rules of the competition.
The knockout rounds which were played at the opening ceremony on Sunday showcased the raw field skills of IGI premier FC as they defeated Bethel FC 4-2 on penalities after 1-1 draw in regulation time. Skillful FC defeated Buruj Sports Academy 1-0 while Honour FC beat Kush FC 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
In the matches played on Monday at the Legacy Pitch, Team 360 defeated Dino FC 5-4 on penalties after playing 1-1 draw in full time. Yemo FC defeated Edwin Collins FC 4-2 in penalities after a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
Rainbow FC Iyana Ipaja defeated Stronghold FC of Idiaraba by a lone goal 1-0 while Kings united qualified for the quarter finals with a walkover over Yobo FC of Ikeja.
L-R . Marketing Manager GOtv, Mr. Dare Kafar, the General Manager, GOtv, Mrs Elizabeth Amkpa, Board Member of Lagos Football Association Mr Mojeed Adegbidin and the General Manager, Supersports, Mr Felix Awogu while unveiling the Jersey for the GOtv Hood to Hood Football Championship during the Press conference held in Lagos on Thursday
According to the Marketing Manager GOtv Oludare Kafar, “the quarterfinals for Season 2 of the GOtv Hood to Hood Football Championship will witness 4 exciting matches at the Legacy Pitch National Stadium Surulere”.
The quarterfinals matches will involve Satech FC Mushin vs Team 360 Surulere, IGI Premier Academy Apapa will be trading tackles with Yemo FC Bariga while Skillful FC will face Rainbow FC IyanaIpaja and Honour FC will confront Kings United in the other 2 quarterfinals matches.
President of Nigeria Football Federation, Mr. Amaju Pinnick on Saturday night congratulated the Senior Women National Team, Super Falcons, following the team’s triumph over Cameroon that returned the African Women Championship trophy to Nigeria.
ASISAT OSHOALA, DEDICATES NATIONAL HONOUR TO TEAM MATES, PARENTS,
The Falcons defeated the Lionesses 2-0 in the final at the Sam Nujoma Stadium, Windhoek with goals from Desire Oparanozie and Asisat Oshoala – indisputably the two best players of the competition.
“I am very happy at the performance of the Super Falcons. They have given this new Board of NFF its first trophy in under one month in office, and I am delighted.
“They played the Lionesses with lion hearts and there was no doubt which was the better team. They made the country proud and I want to assure the team that the NFF will do everything possible to prepare the team adequately for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Canada.”
Pinnick was scheduled to travel out of the country on Friday night alongside Sports Minister, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, to watch the final match in Windhoek. He was however, inexplicably, stopped from traveling by some security operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
In the event, Dr. Danagogo was joined at the State Box of the Sam Nujoma Stadium by Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Namibia, Ambassador Biodun Olorunfemi.
NFF President, Mr. Amaju Pinnick.
Pinnick added: “The domination of our women in African football is no longer in doubt. Seven titles out of nine editions aptly tell the story. What we must now work hard towards is making our mark at the global stage. That is going to start with Canada 2015.”
Star–girl Asisat Oshoala was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament, replicating her feat at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada in the summer. But she was unable to repeat the double, pipped to the Top Scorer’s award by compatriot Desire Oparanozie, who got five goals to her own four. Nigeria’s Francesca Ordega was also named Player of the final match.
The Falcons, alongside the Lionesses of Cameroon and the Les Elephantes of Cote d’Ivoire, who shocked South Africa’s Banyana Banyana in the third place match, will represent Africa at the 7th FIFA World Cup finals in Canada, 6th June – 5th July, 2015.
Ingrid Klimke (GER) is poised to win her first CCI4* after a superbly committed Cross Country round on Horseware Hale Bob at Les Etoiles de Pau (FRA), opening leg of the FEI Classics™ 2014/2015.
The double Olympic gold medallist was cheered to the finish by the large crowd enjoying an exciting and sunny afternoon as she flew home just two seconds over time.
Klimke now has a fence in hand for tomorrow’s final Jumping phase over Joseph Murphy (IRL) and Electric Cruise, the only pair to achieve the optimum time of 12 minutes 2 seconds.
“It was a very challenging course with lots of places where you could run out, but it was wonderful to ride,” said a delighted Klimke. “I am very proud of my horse because it’s his first year at CCI4* level and he had two run-outs at Luhmühlen.
“I knew I had to remain very focussed, but Bobby is clever so I could take the lines I wanted. I know tomorrow’s Jumping will be big, but that’s great for me because he’s a big scopey jumper. And what is even better is that he is my own horse, so I am hoping that he will have a wonderful future.”
Ingrid Klimke (GER) and Horseware Hale Bob, joint leaders with William Fox-Pitt (GBR) and Parklane Hawk after today’s Dressage phase, are ready to take on tomorrow’s Cross Country at Les Etoiles de Pau, the opening leg of the FEI Classics™ 2014/2015. (Trevor Holt/FEI)
Course Designer Pierre Michelet’s (FRA) twisting, technical course demanded an obedient, flexible horse and Andreas Dibowski (GER) hardly took a pull on the beautifully trained FRH Butts Avedon. He finished with the good score of 5.6 penalties and is in third, on the same score as Murphy, who is higher placed due to finishing nearer the optimum time.
Murphy was the hero of the day, the only rider to complete with two horses. He was pathfinder on Sportsfield Othello, rising 16 places to fourth with another fast clear, for 2.4 penalties.
“Both my horses are very good jumpers and had great experiences today, but they are very different,” said an elated Murphy, who is on the brink of the best CCI4* result of his career.
“Electric Cruise is very careful and travels at a good cruising speed, but he’s very careful. He’s a special horse. I enjoyed my first round as well – once I’d jumped fence 4! The only problem was that I knew I had to do it again, but I think that stood me in good stead. It was a real rider’s course, definitely more technical than last year.”
The Irish rider made it look easy, but thereafter others were considerably less fortunate. Both William Fox-Pitt (GBR) and Pippa Funnell (GBR) pulled up their first rides. Fox-Pitt decided to retire Seacookie at fence 6, feeling that the ground was too firm for the 15-year-old, and Funnell and Mirage D’Elle fell foul of the sharply angled corner at fence 4.
This notoriously difficult obstacle, where the direct route is approached “blind” after a tree, also claimed New Zealand’s Jock Paget (Shady Grey) and Britain’s Francis Whittington (West Side) as victims.
It wasn’t Fox-Pitt’s day because he later withdrew his joint Dressage leader, Parklane Hawk, and matters worsened for Funnell when she was unseated from her second ride, Redesigned, when the long-striding chestnut clipped the second arrowhead at fence 20.
The time proved highly influential, with Arnaud Boiteau (FRA) and Quoriano ENE HN, incurring only four penalties and, as a result, they have leapt 12 places from 17th to fifth and best of the home riders.
New Zealand’s Jonelle Price, now in sixth place after a great ride on the nine-year-old Faerie Dianimo, was one of very few riders to take all the direct routes with the grey mare, and making two huge leaps over the boats in the second water complex she still clocked 11.2 time penalties.
North America is well represented in the top ten, with Erin Sylvester (USA) and No Boundaries in seventh, ahead of British-based Canadian Kathryn Robinson, who achieved her best CCI4* Cross Country result to date with eighth place at this stage on Let It Bee. Lauren Kieffer (USA) and Veronica have slipped to ninth place with 27.2 time penalties.
Nicola Wilson (GBR), fourth after Dressage on the former Bill Levett (AUS) ride One Two Many, had a frustrating run-out in the final water complex at fence 25, but with an otherwise good round and only 11.6 time penalties, she remains in the top ten in 10th place.
Julien Despontin (BEL) and Waldano 36, sixth after Dressage, had a bold clear round but lost time with a few steering problems and are now 12th with 42.4 time penalties.
There were 22 completions from the 31 Cross Country starters and 15 clear rounds.
The final Jumping action starts at 14.30 CEST tomorrow. Follow all the action live on FEI TV (www.feitv.org), with live results on http://www.event-pau.fr
Ingrid Klimke (GER) and Horseware Hale Bob, cross country leaders after a superb fast round at Les Etoiles de Pau, the opening leg of the FEI Classics™ 2014/2015. (Trevor Holt/FEI)
Results after Cross Country
1 Ingrid Klimke/Horseware Hale Bob (GER) 39.3 + 0.8 = 40.1
2 Joseph Murphy/Electric Cruise (IRL) 46.3 + 0 = 46.3
3 Andreas Dibowski/FRH Butts Avedon (GER) 40.7 + 5.6 = 46.3
4 Joseph Murphy/Sportsfield Othello (IRL) 53.8 + 2.4 = 56.2
5 Arnaud Boiteau/Quoriano ENE HN (FRA) 52.8 + 4.0 = 56.8
6 Jonelle Price/Faerie Dianimo (NZL) 48.3 + 11.2 = 59.5
7 Erin Sylvester/No Boundaries (USA) 59.3 + 9.6 = 68.9
8 Kathryn Robinson/Let It Bee (CAN) 50.5 + 18.4 = 68.9
9 Lauren Kieffer/Veronica (USA) 44.2 + 27.2 = 71.4
10 Nicola Wilson/One Two Many (GBR) 41.2 + 11.6 = 72.8
The ITF has announced the latest results for the two Davis Cup by BNP Paribas Zone Group I second round play-off ties taking place on 24-26 October.
The two winners of these ties will remain in Zone Group I in 2015, while the two losers will be relegated to 2015 Zone Group II.
The draw for the 2015 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas Europe/Africa Zone Group II will be held at the ITF offices in London at 10:00 (09:00 GMT) on Wednesday 29 October. The seeds will be based on the new ITF Davis Cup Nations Ranking of 27 October.
NEW ZEALAND defeated CHINESE TAIPEI 3-0
Venue: Z Energy Wilding Park Tennis Centre, Christchurch, NZL (hard – indoor)
Jose Statham (NZL) d. Yang Tsung-Hua (TPE) 61 62 63
Michael Venus (NZL) d. Wang Chieh-Fu (TPE) 76(5) 76(3) 62
Marcus Daniell/Artem Sitak (NZL) d. Peng Hsien-Yin/Wang Chieh-Fu (TPE) 60 64 62
Michael Venus (NZL) v Yang Tsung-Hua (TPE)
Jose Statham (NZL) v Wang Chieh-Fu (TPE)
EUROPE/AFRICA ZONE GROUP I SECOND ROUND PLAY-OFF
SWEDEN leads LATVIA 2-1
Venue: Racketcentrum, Jonkoping, SWE (hard – indoor)
Martins Podzus (LAT) d. Elias Ymer (SWE) 76(3) 75 67(5) 36 97
Christian Lindell (SWE) d. Janis Podzus (LAT) 76(5) 46 76(3) 76(7)
Johan Brunstrom/Robert Lindstedt (SWE) d. Mikelis Libietis/Martins Podzus (LAT) 64 62 36 46 63
Christian Lindell (SWE) v Martins Podzus (LAT)
Elias Ymer (SWE) v Janis Podzus (LAT)
Sports Minister, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, First Lady of Delta State, Mrs Roli Uduaghan and the Chairman of Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Adamu Gumba were among the nation’s leading personalities who graced the grand ball organized by the Nigeria Football Federation for Corporate Nigeria in Lagos on Friday.
The colourful event at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island was an experiential session by the new NFF Executive Committee, led by Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick, to bond with NFF’s partners and prospective sponsors.
In the presence of top government functionaries, corporate titans and political heavyweights, Pinnick espoused his vision with ease, academic and articulate, and it was applause all the way for the young and energetic new supremo of Nigeria football as he enraptured all who were there.
Put together by NFF’s proposed financial consultants, Financial Derivatives, the event afforded participants and media chiefs an inkling into the new direction for Nigeria football, as Pinnick, 1st Vice President, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi and Chairman of the Marketing, Sponsorship and Television Advisory Committee, High Chief Emeka Inyama harped on useful partnership, mutual respect, accountability, probity and transparency.
Sports Minister, Dr Danagogo praised the idea behind the event and the vision of the NFF, saying he was bowled over by the ingenuity of it all and pledged Government’s full backing for the Federation.
Senator Gumba said he was hugely impressed by the plan for going forward and would get the National Assembly to give total support.
Bain & Co, who will be NFF’s management consultants, talked on NFF Strategy & Restructuring, while the Managing Director of Financial Derivatives, Mr. Bismark Rewane captivated the auditorium with Repositioning of Nigeria Football for Global Competitiveness.
NFF President, Amaju Pinnick
Messrs Jibril Aku, Peter Amangbo and Ladi Balogun, Managing Directors of ECOBANK, Zenith Bank and FCMB respectively, President of Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers and Group Managing Director of BGL PLC, Mr. Albert Okumagba, Mr. Dere Otubu of Staco Insurance, Idaere Gogu Ogan of United Securities, Mr. Aniri Ojuya of Senforce Insurance, representatives of the Dangote Group and NFF’s partners Emzor were in attendance.
Mr Olufemi Adefope of HRG, Dr. John Agawu, Chairman of Sureline Liftboat and the first graduate to play for the Nigeria National Team and Mrs Nimi Akinkungbe of Nigeria Monopoly also graced the occasion, while Mansard Insurance was represented.
Pinnick promised that a similar event will take place in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja at the beginning of next year.
The IOC was saddened to hear the news that South African Olympian and former world 800-metre champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi has died at the age of just 34.
“Our sympathies go to his family and friends, and to the whole sports family of the rainbow nation of South Africa. Mbulaeni Mulaudzi was a true Olympian and a fine athlete. A World Champion, he always showed huge commitment to his craft,” said the President of the IOC, Thomas Bach. “He proudly represented his new nation around the world, and at home his successes inspired a new generation of young people to take up sport. He will be missed by the Olympic family.”
Mulaudzi, who was killed in a car crash on his way to a Johannesburg Athletics Meeting, was South Africa’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where he won silver.
Aruna QUADRI (NGR) has shocked the table tennis world by recording two stunning upsets on the opening day of the LIEBHERR 2014 ITTF Men’s World Cup in Dusseldorf, Germany.
The 26-year-old, who was ranked as low as 237 at the start of the year, beat world number 27 Kenta MATSUDAIRA of Japan and world number 37 Alexander SHIBAEV of Russia to progress to the final 16.
The Nigerian star-in-the-making stated: “I never thought I will progress to the next round because I was going to play against top rated players who are ranked higher than me. So if I lose, I had nothing to lose but if I win it is a big thing for me. I am ready to face any player because they will be under pressure as they are ranked better than I do. I am hoping for another upset.”
Aruna QUADRI photo Photo credit: Ina Fassbender/ITTF
QUADRI will now take on TANG Peng (HKG) in the round of 16, and if he wins that, a dream quarter-final match up with the Olympic and World Champion China’s ZHANG Jike. When asked about these matches, the current world number 73 stated:
“For me nothing is impossible. Sometimes you see a big moment of history, maybe only once in 20 years. Maybe tomorrow could be my history making moment.”
14-year-old Kanak JHA of USA had the crowd on their feet in his first match, when he had doubles World Champion CHEN Chien-An down one game to nil. However it was not to be as he lost the match 4-1, as well as his next match, which knocked him out of the event.
Tomorrow, the top eight seeds come out to play the eight players who qualified from today’s group stage.
Victorious Portuguese teammates from the recent European Team Championships, Tiago APOLONIA and Marcos FREITAS will become rivals, as they drew each other in their round-of-16 clash.
The Chinese Taipei World Champions doubles pair of CHEN Chien-An and CHUANG Chih-Yuan, will also have the strange feeling of playing against each other at a major event, as the play continues tomorrow.
The first night of AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) Pre-Ranking action started with a top-class performance of Lightweights (60kg) in Astana and Super Heavyweights (91+kg) Baku.
Romanian Mihai Nistor will enter APB history as the first Super Heavyweight to taste the flavor of victory. The Romanian boxer imposed his way with strong punches to Germany’s Ali Kiydin’s face and body. The Romanian superstar won on points with a unanimous judges’ decision and the final score of this fight clearly reflects the great performance of Nistor in his first APB challenge.
In the second bout of the night, Moroccan Mohammed Arjaoui defeated tall Ukrainian Sergiy Verveyko in one of the closest bouts of the night. The first two rounds were for the Moroccan and even if Verveyko showed all his courage in the four final rounds, it wasn’t enough to win.
The next fight saw the impressive victory of French poster boy Tony Yoka who overcame the strong Russian Magomed Omarov. The Russian entered better in the fight and in the second round he found a space in Yoka’s guard and he sent the French to the canvas. However the Frenchman managed to recover and started to control the fight to finally win 2-1 in a close decision.
The last fight in Baku could be called a highlight of the night. The seed number two in his category, German Erik Pfeifer controlled all the fight with his precise movements around the ring. His opponent was the New-York based Egyptian Ahmed Samir, who had got a strong professional record before entering APB. The “Prince of Egypt” answered Pfeifer with dangerous counter-attacks. But the German delivered an incredible right at the end of the second round and Samir kissed the canvas. The Egyptian managed to get up, but Pfeifer didn’t give him any opportunity anymore and clearly won the fight according to all judges.
AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) Pre-Ranking
In the meantime the APB Lightweights offered incredible emotions to the local public in Astana.
The Filipino Charly Suarez became the sensation of the night overcoming his Italian opponent – with an impressive palmares – Domenico Valentino.
The following fight brought victory to the Uzbek Hurshid Tojibaev who managed to overcome by points his Russian opponent Dmitry Polyanskiy.
This night in Astana provoked a wave of joy in South America as Brazil’s great Lightweight Robson Conceicao won by points his first APB fight against Germany’s Artur Bril.
Kazakhstan’s Berik Abdrakhmanov pleased the local attendance by disposing of Irish APB boxer David Oliver Joyce.
Following this emotional and convincing start in APB, the Lightweight and Super Heavyweight boxers will be looking forward to further impress the boxing audience in the week two of the pre-ranking stage of the competition already in December.
Two of the world’s most illustrious riders are sharing the lead after the Dressage phase at Les Etoiles de Pau (FRA), opening leg of the FEI Classics™ 2014/2015.
Germany’s Ingrid Klimke, riding the 10-year-old Horseware Hale Bob, and William Fox-Pitt (GBR), with the 14-year-old Parklane Hawk, were the only two riders to score below 40 penalties and they are now tying for the lead at this stage on 39.3 penalties apiece.
Klimke, who has won numerous team gold medals for Germany, has yet to win a CCI4*. It is her first visit to Pau since the FEI European Championships were held at the French venue, a racehorse-training centre, in 2001.
“My horse, ‘Bobby’, has proved he can do the CCI4* distance when he completed Luhmuhlen this year,” she said. “He is sharp and clever and I’m looking forward to riding him across country.”
Fox-Pitt, in contrast, is a regular at Pau and has won it twice, in 2011 on Oslo and last year on Seacookie, the horse on which he is currently lying in fifth place with a score of 41.8.
“I couldn’t split my two horses,” he said. “Seacookie has got good memories of Pau and when he feels confident, he can do anything. ‘Parker’ has had a few issues this year and has missed some runs, but he is on good form. The only problem is that he is a strong, fast horse and I am wondering whether I will be able to hold him on the Cross Country.”
Andreas Dibowski (GER), the 2010 Pau winner, is in close contention in third place on FRH Butts Avedon, only 1.4 penalties behind the joint leaders.
Britain’s Nicola Wilson was visibly thrilled with her CCI4* first-timer One Two Many after scoring 41.2 penalties. The 12-year-old by Chacoa won the CIC3* at Blair Castle (GBR) in August.
The young Belgian rider, Julien Despontin, 25, has made a good start to his first CCI4* and is in sixth place on 43.7 on Waldano 36, just ahead of the Kentucky (USA) runners-up and Pau first-timers Lauren Kieffer (USA) and Veronica (44.2).
Ingrid Klimke (GER) and Horseware Hale Bob, joint leaders with William Fox-Pitt (GBR) and Parklane Hawk after today’s Dressage phase, are ready to take on tomorrow’s Cross Country at Les Etoiles de Pau, the opening leg of the FEI Classics™ 2014/2015. (Trevor Holt/FEI)
Pierre Michelet’s (FRA) Cross Country, which follows a twisting route on and off the racecourse and is 30 seconds longer than in 2013, is, as ever, earning the riders’ respect. Fox-Pitt deems it even more challenging than last year.
First out on course tomorrow 14.00 CEST is Ireland’s Joseph Murphy on Sportsfield Othello.
Follow all the action live on FEI TV (www.feitv.org), with live results on http://www.event-pau.fr
Results after Dressage
1 Ingrid Klimke/Horseware Hale Bob (GER) 39.3
1 William Fox-Pitt/Parklane Hawk (GBR) 39.3
3 Andreas Dibowski/FRH Butts Avedon (GER) 40.7
4 Nicola Wilson/One Two Many (GBR) 41.2
5 William Fox-Pitt/Seacookie TSF (GBR) 41.8
6 Julien Despontin/Waldano 36 (BEL) 43.7
7 Lauren Kieffer/Veronica (USA) 44.2
8 Pippa Funnell/Redesigned (GBR) 44.5
9 Francis Whittington/West Side (GBRT) 45.8
10 Joseph Murphy/Electric Cruise (IRL) 46.3
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