Monday, July 9, 2018

sports
Eagles must qualify for 2019
AFCON, says Abdullahi
Super Eagles defender,
Shehu Abdullahi, says the
team must now fight hard
to secure a place in the 2019
Africa Cup of Nations in
Cameroon after their early
ouster from the 2018 FIFA
World Cup in Russia, reports
Completesportsnigeria. com.
The Eagles have failed to
qualify for the last two AFCONs
despite their pedigree as one
of the strongest teams on the
continent.
Gernot Rohr’s men already
face a tough task in their bid
to make it to Cameroon after
losing their first qualifying
fixture 2-0 at home against
South Africa.
The Bursaspor of Turkey
defender reckons that the team
must concentrate on reaching
Cameroon after their exit from
the 2018 World Cup in the first
round.
“It is important that we
qualify for the next AFCON in
Cameroon. We have not played
in the competition for some
time now and we can’t afford
to miss the next one,” Abdullahi
told CSN.
“I believe we have a team
that can get the job done
despite all the odds. The teams
in our group won’t hand us the
ticket on a platter of gold, so we
have to work very hard to beat
them to it.”
The three-time AFCON
champions will face Seychelles
in their qualifying game on
September 7 in Victoria.
Wimbledon: Federer, Serena
target progress
Roger Federer and Serena
Williams will be expected
to maintain their flawless
progress at Wimbledon as the
title favourites head into the
fourth round looking to survive
the tournament’s giant-killing
carnage on Monday.
Federer has been in
imperious mood in pursuit of
his ninth Wimbledon crown,
while Williams is rounding into
form just as the seven-time
champion’s rivals have collapsed
all around her.
The status quo has been
challenged like never before in
the women’s singles, with nine
of the top 10 seeds crashing out
before the Wimbledon last 16 for
the first time in the Open era.
In the men’s draw, third
seed Marin Cilic, fourth seed
Alexander Zverev and sixth seed
Grigor Dimitrov have all fallen.
But it’s business was usual
for Federer as the defending
champion took his consecutive
sets won at Wimbledon to 29
in a third round dismissal of
Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.
Federer’s 175th win from 200
career grass-court matches saw
him overtake Jimmy Connors as
the most successful male player
on the surface.
Next, the Swiss star faces
French 22nd seed Adrian
Mannarino for a place in the
quarter-finals.
World number two Federer,
eyeing a 21st Grand Slam title,
has won all five of his previous
meetings with Mannarino, a
30-year-old journeyman who
has never been past the last 16
at a major.
Although Federer is
approaching peak form, he
knows world number one Rafael
Nadal — yet to drop a set in
his first three matches — and
three-time Wimbledon winner
Novak Djokovic — playing his
way back to his best this week
— are lurking as potential final
opponents.
French Open champion
Nadal, bidding for a first
Wimbledon title since 2010,
plays Czech world number 93 Jiri
Vesely, while Djokovic takes on
Russian world number 40 Karen
Khachanov.
“Novak and Rafa, all these
guys are still in the draw,”
Federer said.
“At the end of the day I
feel on our side not that much
has happened. I know on the
women’s side more so.
“In the past it has made me
nervous when I’ve seen bigger
guys go out.
“I feel like, ‘OK, it’s me next
time’. I didn’t feel the effect this
time.”
Federer’s tie is one of 16
fourth round matches across the
men’s and women’s events in a
frenetic day of action at the All
England Club.
Idris Adesina
Nigerian-born New
Zealand mixed martial
artist Israel Adesanya on
Saturday defeated American
Brad Tavares by unanimous
decision to win their Ultimate
Fighting Championship
welterweight fight in Las
Vegas.
•Super Eagles stars, Shehu Abdullahi (2nd left) and Ahmed Musa (2nd right) receiving
the key of the TVS tricycle from Simba Group’s Branch Manager, Sunil Korde. Photo: TVS
•Japan’s Kei Nishikori returns to Australia’s Nick Kyrgios during their men’s singles
third round match of the 2018 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis
Club in Wimbledon, London … on Saturday. Photo: AFP
MONDAY, JULY 9, 2018
Adesanya beats Tavares in UFC welterweight fight
The fight, which was his
first headline fight in the UFC,
saw the 28-year-old declared
winner by the three judges
after the fifth round.
The judges scored the
185-pound contest, which
headlined The Ultimate
Fighter: Undefeated Finale,
50-45, 50-45 and 49-46 in
favour of the Lagos-born
fighter.
The win takes his streak
in the MMA to 14-0 and 3-0
in the UFC. His first fight
in the UFC was a knockout
win over Rob Wilkinson in
February before a unanimous
win over Marvin Vettori in
April. Tavares (17-5) is the
first fighter in the UFC ranked
higher than him.
“All the pundits and experts
said, ‘Is it too soon? He’s only
had two fights in the UFC,’”
Adesanya said after the fight.
“Tavares is a tough dude.
He’s got Ray Sefo, a New
Zealand legend, in his corner.
I’m only getting warmed up,
I have yet to start. I hurt him
twice and he adjusted very well
at the beginning. But I was
able to adjust as well. It was a
good chess match.
“I’m happy with the
performance. Five rounds and
my gas tank was on point. I got
the reserve tank still ready to
go another three rounds.”
He said after three fights
in the space of six months he
wants to take some time to rest
and return to the octagon to
face the winner of the Uriah
Hall/Paulo Costa bout at UFC
226.
TVS supports
Shehu
Abdullahi
Foundation
63
The official tricycle and
motorcycle partners
of the Super Eagles TVS
have thrown their weight
behind Shehu Abdullahi’s
initiative to support the
less-privileged in the
society through its recent
donation of a tricycle to the
foundation.
The Eagles defender
invited the public to
a charity match to raise
money for the Shehu
Abdullahi Foundation
at the Sokoto Township
Stadium on Thursday. TVS
was one of the sponsors of
the event.
The match, which
attracted thousands
of football fans and top
dignitaries, saw Team
Ahmed Musa (led by
Leicester City’s Ahmed
Musa) beat Team Shehu
Abdullahi (led by Bursaspor
of Turkey defender, Shehu
Abdullahi)4-1.
Musa had thrown the
crowd into delirium when
he scored two of the goals
that gave his side victory
over his fellow Eagles teammate.
An elated Abdullahi
tweeted after the match,
“It’s nice, giving back to the
society. I appreciate you all.
It was a success. Thanks.”
TVS also used the
opportunity to put their
branded Eagles products,
particularly the tricycles
and motorcycles on display.
“I need some rest but I am
waiting for whoever wins –
especially Uriah Hall. He’s
just cloud chasing, he keeps
talking so we’ll see. But even
if the Brazilian wins, I’ve
been chewing erasers since I
was a kid so it’s nothing new
to me.”
All three of Adesanya’s wins
have come in 2018. A former
professional kickboxer, he has
12 career knockouts in MMA.
Omeruo dismisses Gent move
Super Eagles World Cup defender Kenneth Omeruo has
dismissed rumours he will quit Chelsea to join Belgian
club KAA Gent.
“At the moment, I have not decided where I will be playing
next season as I still need to speak to Chelsea, so any news
right now about an agreement with any club is not true,” he
told SCORENigeria
“My agents are in talks with several clubs in the event my
future lies away from Stamford Bridge.”
Omeruo, who has yet to make a Premier League debut
with Chelsea in his six years on the books of the London
club, has expressed his desire to settle his future on a more
permanent basis following several loan spells.
His impressive performances in Russia only helped to
increase interests from several clubs in Europe.
“The truth is I am looking to settle down permanently
after several loan moves, but no agreement has been reached
with any club at the moment,” he said.