Rafiatu Lawal sets new Commonwealth Games record, wins Nigeria’s 2nd gold medal – Newstrends
Connect with us

Sports

Rafiatu Lawal sets new Commonwealth Games record, wins Nigeria’s 2nd gold medal

Published

on

Nigeria has won a second gold medal at the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Birmingham through Rafiatu Lawal.

The gold medalist has also set new Commonwealth Games record in the weightlifting event.

The 25-year-old won the medal in the women’s 59kg weightlifting event on Sunday.

Lawal lifted a total of 206kg to set a Commonwealth record for accumulated lifts.

She also set the Commonwealth record in the snatch category after lifting 90kg for her first lift.

The wieghtlifter also set a Commonwealth record in the clean and jerk category, lifting 110kg, 115kg and 116kg in all her attempts.

Lawal’s gold is Nigeria’s third medal at the games, after Adijat Olarinoye and Umoafia Joseph finished first and third on the podium of their weightlifting categories, respectively.

In boxing, Nigeria’s Adeyinka Benson booked a place in the quarter-final of the 71-75kg boxing category.

He defeated Abubakar Kumasi of Ghana 3-2 in the third round.

The 26-year-old will face Sam Hickey of Scotland on Wednesday at 3:15 pm.

Earlier, Nigeria’s men’s table tennis team also booked a place in the semi-final after a 3-2 defeat of Malaysia in the quarter-final.

The Nigerian contingent came from behind to defeat the Asians after the duo of Bode Abiodun and Olajide Omotayo lost the first game 3-1.

 

Sports

Super Eagles suffer 2-0 loss to Mali in friendly match 

Published

on

Super Eagles suffer 2-0 loss to Mali in friendly match 

Nigeria’s Super Eagles on Tuesday night suffered a 2-0 defeat to Mali in a friendly match played in Marrakech, Morocco.

Mali, ranked 19th below the Super Eagles in the FIFA’s latest standings, opened scoring through Atalanta-based striker El Bilal Toure in the first half after Nigeria’s dreadful error resulting from a short goal kick.

Toure could barely believe his luck when defender Chidozie Awaziem tried to play a long square pass under pressure near the edge of the Nigeria box and succeeded only in crossing the ball straight to the Mali striker.

He controlled well on his chest before bundling a finish past goalkeeper Stanely Nwabali.

Nigeria lost Moses Simon to injury when the Nantes star collided with Mali keeper Mamadou Samassa and had to be substituted after appearing to suffer a painful knee injury.

Kamory Doumbia made it 2-0 for Mali with three minutes to normal regulation time.

Nigeria defeated Ghana 2-1 last Friday in a positive result for interim coach Finidi George, the former Ajax and Real Betis winger, who won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations.

The defeat has left the Super Eagles with a lot of concerns before they resume World Cup qualifying in June.

This was the 12th meeting between Nigeria and Mali. Nigeria have the head-to-head advantage, with six wins and three defeats in those games.

Mali’s most recent previous win over the Super Eagles was a 4-1 friendly victory way back in 1975.

Some key stars missed the friendly match due to injury. They are Victor Osimhen, William Troost-Ekong, Victor Boniface, Ola Aina, and Zaidu Sanusi.

Midfielder Frank Onyeka has also withdrawn from the squad.

Continue Reading

Sports

Chelsea, Arsenal, PSG ready to pay €90m for Victor Osimhen

Published

on

Victor Osimhen

Chelsea, Arsenal, PSG ready to pay €90m for Victor Osimhen

Chelsea, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are ready to offer €90 million for Napoli star striker, Victor Osimhen, according to Italian newspaper, II Mattino.

Osimhen has a release clause of around €120 million in his contract but Napoli President Aurelio de Laurentiis could accept a bid below that, according to the publication.

Napoli are prepared to part company with the Nigerian at the end of the season despite the forward signing a new contract last December.

READ ALSO:

Chelsea, Arsenal and PSG have been persistently linked with a move for the forward.

Intermediaries are reportedly working with the striker’s agent, Roberto Calenda to sort out his future.

Osimhen, who joined Napoli from Ligue 1 club, Lille in 2022, has scored 72 goals in 125 appearances for the Partenopei.

Chelsea, Arsenal, PSG ready to pay €90m for Victor Osimhen

Continue Reading

Sports

Finidi George aims for second victory as Super Eagles face Mali today

Published

on

Finidi George

Finidi George aims for second victory as Super Eagles face Mali today

Former World Cup star Finidi George is determined to secure a second consecutive win as he leads the Super Eagles in their clash against Mali today. Appointed as the interim coach for the Nigerian team, George aims to maintain the winning momentum after their recent victory over Ghana.

The encounter between the two West African teams is scheduled at the Grand Stade de Marrakech in Morocco, where the Super Eagles emerged triumphant in their previous match against arch-rivals Ghana with a 2-1 scoreline.

However, George faces challenges as key players such as defender Calvin Bassey and midfielder Frank Onyeka are sidelined due to injuries, adding to the absence of other notable names like Victor Osimhen, William Ekong, and Olaoluwa Aina.

READ ALSO:

Despite these setbacks, George remains optimistic about the team’s prospects against Mali. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining a winning mentality and expresses confidence in the players’ ability to replicate their performance against Ghana and secure another victory.

Notably, George himself has a history with the Eagles of Mali, having played against them during the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations, where Nigeria emerged victorious.

In light of the absences and injuries, George may turn to players such as goalkeeper Olorunleke Ojo, defenders Kenneth Omeruo and Jamilu Collins, midfielder Alhassan Yusuf, and forwards Nathan Tella, Sadiq Umar, and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru to play prominent roles in the upcoming fixture.

Despite the challenges, Finidi George remains determined to guide the Super Eagles to another triumph as they prepare for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in June.

Finidi George aims for second victory as Super Eagles face Mali today

Continue Reading

Trending

Skip to content