ACC Zone-3: FIBA Africa Fix Qualifiers For November 5 to 11 In Cotonou

The 2015 Africa Champions Cup Zone-3 qualifier has been fixed for November 5 through 12 at the Stade L’Amite, Cotonou, Benin Republic.

The eight countries in the zone, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria and Togo are expected to present two teams in the men and women categories.

According to the president of the zone, Sam Ahmedu, “teams are expected to arrive Cotonou on November 4 and depart on the 12th.

The qualifier is a prelude to the final round slated for Angola between November 27th and December 19th 2015.

Col. Sam Ahmedu FIBA Africa Zone-3 President

Zone-1 qualifier holds between November 3rd and November 7th in Tunisia, Cape Verde will stage the men’s qualifiers in Zone-2 from October 28th through 31st.

Zone-4 qualifiers for men and women clubs is scheduled for November 7 through 15th in Congo.

Zone-5 qualifiers have already been decided in Rwanda with Gezira basketball club of Egypt qualifying for the final round in the men’s category while Berco Stars of Burundi and KCCA of Uganda have qualified in the women’s category.

Zone-7 has also produced its qualifiers with ASCUT and SEBAM both of Madagascar booking their places for the final round while Zone-6 qualifiers will be decided in Angola between 29th October and 5th November.

Nigeria Women Claim Gold At Beach Volleyball AAG Qualifiers

2015 All Africa games- Beach Volleyball Women zone 3

Nigeria Women’s Beach Volleyball team claimed the gold medal of Zone 3 qualifiers for All Africa Games “AAG” held in Cotonou , Benin May 1 to 4, 2015.

The Nigerian team will be accompanied by Niger, Benin and Cote d’Ivoire who were the top 4 teams in the qualifier to the finals of 2015 All Africa Games to be held in Congo Brazzaville September 4-19.

Ghana, Nigeria, Benin and Cote d’Ivoire qualified from the same zone at Men’s category.

The tournament showed the participation of 7 teams divided into 2 pools. Pool A included Benin, Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso and Pool B comprised Nigeria, Niger, Ghana and Togo.

Each Pool played a round robin format where Benin and Cote d’Ivoire qualified to the semifinal from Pool A. Nigeria and Niger qualified from Pool B as the semifinalists already confirmed their tickets to All Africa Games finals.

In the semifinal Niger beat Benin 2-0 (21-19, 21-10) and Nigeria overwhelmed Benin 2-0 (21-13, 21-13).

Nigerian women continued their superior performance to beat Niger in the final 2-0 (21-11, 21-14), while Benin captured the bronze medal after they overcame Cote d’Ivoire 2-0 (21-13, 21-14).

Now Nigeria, Niger, Benin and Cote d’Ivoire women will accompany Algeria, Tunisia (Pool A), Senegal and Guinea (Pool B) to the finals of AAG in Congo Brazzaville.

The finals of All Africa Games will be hosted by Congo Brazzaville in September 4-19 and will feature the top 24 teams in Africa where the top 2 in Zones 1 and 7 and the top 4 from the other zones (2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) capture their tickets to the second ever beach volleyball competition at the peak sports event in Africa.

Results

Pool A : Benin – Cote d’Ivoire – Burkina Faso
Match No. 3 BUR vs. CIV – 0:2 (0:21, 0:21)
Match No. 6 BEN vs. BUR – 2:0 (21:0, 21:0)
Match No. 9 CIV vs. BEN – 0:2 (17:21, 16:21)

Pool B: Nigeria – Niger – Ghana – Togo
Match No. 1 GHA vs. TOG – 2:0 (21:15, 21:18)
Match No. 2. NIG vs. NGR – 1:2 (16:21, 21:18, 12:15)
Match No. 4 TOG vs. NGR – 0:2 (17:21, 17:21)
Match No. 5 NIG vs. GHA – 2:0 (21:15, 21:14)
Match No. 7 NIG vs. TOG – 2:1 (21:19, 12:21, 15:08)
Match No. 8 NGR vs.GHA – 2:0 (21:13, 21:16)

Semi Final:
Match No. 10 BEN vs. NIG – 0:2 (19:21, 10:21)
Match No. 11 NGR vs. CIV – 2:0 (21:13, 21:13)

3rd /4th place:
Match No. 12 BEN vs. CIV – 2:0 (21:13, 21:14)

Final:
Match No. 13 NIG vs. NGR – 0:2 (11:21, 14:21)

Final Ranking
1. BENIN
4. COTE D’IVOIRE

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Ghana, Nigeria, Benin And Cote D’ivoire Through To Beach Volleyball AAG Finals

2015 All Africa games- Beach VB Men zone 3

Ghana, Nigeria, Benin and Cote d’Ivoire Men’s Beach Volleyball teams claimed the 4 tickets of Zone 3 to 2015 All Africa Games finals after they gained the top 4 position at the zonal qualifiers held in Cotonou , Benin May 1 to 4, 2015.

The tournament that showed the participation of 7 teams divided into 2 pools, featured gold medals for Ghana who won the final against Nigeria 2-0 (21-16, 21-18).

The participating teams were divided into Pool A which included Benin, Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso and Pool B Nigeria, Niger, Ghana and Togo.

Cote d’Ivoire men’s team

Each Pool played a round robin format where Benin and Cote d’Ivoire qualified to the semifinal from Pool A. Nigeria and Ghana qualified from Pool B as the semifinslist already confrimed their tickets to All Africa Games finals.

In the semifinal Ghana beat Benin 2-0 (21-14, 21-14) and Nigeria overwhelmed Cot d’Ivoire 2-0 (21-18, 21-12).

Now Ghana, Nigeria, Benin and Cote d’Ivoire joined the already qualified Tunisia, Algeria (Zone 1), Sierra Leone, Gambia, Senegal and Guinea Conakry (Zone2).

The finals of All Africa Games will be hosted by Congo Brazzaville in September 4-19 and will feature the top 24 teams in Africa where the top 2 in Zones 1 and 7 and the top 4 from the other zones (2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) capture their tickets to the second ever beach volleyball competition at the peak sports event in Africa.

Results

Pool A : Benin – Cote d’Ivoire – Burkina
Match No. 3 CIV vs. BUR – 2:0 (21:19, 21:10)
Match No. 6 BEN vs. BUR – 2:0 (21:14, 21:12)
Match No. 9 CIV vs. BEN – 0:2 (10:21, 11:21)

Pool B : Nigeria – Niger -Ghana – Togo
Match No. 1 GHA vs. TOG – 2:0 (21:16, 21:16)
Match No. 2. NIG vs. NGR – 0:2 (13:21, 11:21)
Match No. 4 TOG vs. NGR – 0:2 (13:21, 15:21)
Match No. 5 GHA vs. NIG – 2:0 (21:19, 21:20)
Match No. 7 NIG vs. TOG – 2:1 (19:21, 21:15, 15:08)
Match No. 8 NGR vs. GHA – 2:0 (21:0, 21:0)

Semi Final :
Match No. 10 BEN vs. GHA – 0:2 (14:21, 14:21)
Match No. 11 NGR vs. CIV – 2:0 (21:18, 21:12)

3rd and 4th Place :
Match No. 12 BEN vs. CIV – 2:0 (21:13, 21:16)

Final :
Match No. 13 GHA vs. NGR – 2:0 (21:16, 21:18)

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Seven Nigerian Referees Set To Get FIBA Badges.

Nigeria may weĺl boast of 10 FIBA referees by the end of October should Lagos referees Lai Alimi, olusegun Adekanmbi, Samuel Sofoluwe, Razak Okedeyi, Joseph Patrick alongside Musa Gambo from Kano and FCT referee Opeyemi Ogunleye succesfully complete the FIBA referee clinic and examination which starts from the 15th to 17th of October 2014.

The 3day assessment slated for Cotonou, Benin Republic, will see the Nigerian 7 regional referees join their other African collegues to be assessed on their knowledege on the newly revised 2014 Official Basketball rules approved by the FIBA central board as well as physical evaluation.

Today, Nigeria currently has 3 FIBA referees, Kingsley Ojeaburu who stands as the first Nigerian referee to officiate at any senior World organised event , when he arbitrated at the maiden FIBA World Cup in Spain in September. Oyo State’s Tunde Popoola and Yinka Famogbiyele from Osun State make up the Nigerian FIBA BIG 3.

Success for the seven,will mean Nigeria will have a total of 10 referees eligible to officiate both continental and international competitions come 2015.

Oluwafemi Adefeso

Eaglets Return To Full Training In Calabar

Nigeria’s Under-17 team, Golden Eaglets, resumed training at their base in Calabar on Tuesday barely hours after they returned to the country from Libreville where they lost 2-1 to their Gabonese counterparts.

The contingent, who actually left Libreville on Monday for Lome aboard ASKY Airline, breezed into Lagos in the night through neighbouring Cotonou but finally arrived Calabar midday on Tuesday aboard Arik Airlines to begin preparations in earnest for the finale qualifier against Gabon next week.

Head Coach Emmanuel Amuneke said it was important to resume training immediately in view of the enormity of the task ahead even as he enjoined the players to give their utmost best in the days.

Golden Eaglets with some officials at Dreamland Park

“I want you to put behind all that happened in Libreville because that is gone,” Amuneke said.”I want you to know that we are condemned to win our match here and you must be focused on everything we are going to do from now.

“What we demand of you is hard work and nothing but hard work; because we want you to show Gabon that you don’t need to be aided by referee to win matches.

“We believe in you and we want you to apply yourself because we are going to undergo strenuous work in the coming days as we build up towards the match,” he warned.

Meanwhile, seven players who failed to make 18-man list to Libreville have vowed to pull their socks in order to be part of the second leg encounter against Gabon.

Dr. Sam Iheanacho with the Golden Eaglets shortly before the team’s training session

“We are happy that our teammates and other officials are safely backed in Calabar but the good thing is that we too have been working even while they were away in Gabon,” stated defensive midfielder, Henry Okebugwu.”We would keep working hard and pay serious attention to the
training programs because we know the coaches would only select the best against Gabon.”

VCP Coaching Course Concludes In Benin Republic

participants with officials

A VCP course was successfully organised in Benin August 9 to 13 in attendance of 29 participants from 4 nationalities.

The course was instructed by Mbaye Deme from Senegal in presence of 9 females. The countries represented were host Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali and Cote d’Ivoire.

Twenty participants passed the course after a great enthusiasm from all the course attendance.

participants highly excited

“We are very thankful to FIVB and CAVB for their great support to bring this course to full success,” Mbaye Deme said.

“We hope that all the participating coaches can use the benefits of what they learn here in their respective countries.”

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participants in class for the-theoritical part

Flying Eagles set for tough Benin test

Flying Eagles arrived in Cotonou Saturday afternoon ahead of an AYC qualifier warm-up against hosts Benin the following day.

The test match will be played at the Stade Rene Pleven Cotonou 2 by 4pm.

It was the same venue both teams played out a 1-1 draw two years ago.

NFF president’s special adviser Patrick Pascal has warned the Flying Eagles should expect a physical challenge from the home team after he accompanied the Golden Eaglets to lose the Benin U17 in a WAFU B U17 Championship.

“They will not take this game as a friendly and they will most likely line up big and strong players like was the case against us in Togo,” warned the ex-international.

The home team had earlier planned to camp the Flying Eagles in Porto Novo, where they are also training, and both teams would then make the hour-long bus ride to Cotonou on match day.

However, coach Manu Garba kicked against this arrangement and the Flying Eagles were booked into Bresilia Hotel, which is a five-minute drive from the match venue.

Incidentally, Nigeria Premier League club El Kanemi Warriors stayed at this hotel for their pre-season training tour of Benin recently.

The Nigeria U20s could not train on Saturday evening as hoped because a league game was being played at the match venue.

They hope they could now shake up fatigue with an early Sunday morning session.

Coach Manu is expected to ring two changes to his settled first team with Izu Omego in for Zaharadeen Bello in the heart of the back four.

Ifeanyi Ifeanyi will also replace defensive midfielder Akinjide Idowu in the starting XI.

Both teams are using this match to prepare for this weekend’s AYC qualifiers.

Nigeria will be away to Tanzania, while Benin battle Congo also away from home.