Sport

Saudi Arabia Set for 2034 World Cup Hosting

By Web News 405

Saudi Arabia is set to host the men’s 2034 World Cup after Australia decided against bidding to stage the tournament.

Football Australia confirmed its decision only hours before Fifa’s deadline for declarations of interest on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia is the only other nation to bid.

“We have reached the conclusion not to do so for the 2034 competition,” read a statement from Football Australia.

Australia’s governing body says it intends to focus its efforts on hosting the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in 2026 and the Club World Cup in 2029.

The 2026 World Cup will take place in the US, Mexico and Canada.

Morocco, Portugal and Spain will host the 2030 tournament, with matches also in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

FIFA had said the 2034 World Cup would be held in Asia or Oceania, and an Australian bid was regarded as the only potential challenger to Saudi Arabia, which announced its intention to bid shortly after Fifa’s decision.

Despite receiving support from the Asian Football Confederation, Saudi Arabia would likely be viewed as a controversial host.

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Sport

Qatar 2022: History As Atlas Lions of Morocco Reach World Cup Semi-Final

By Web News 802

Morocco has made history as the first African country to reach the World Cup semi-final stage, after defeating Portugal in one of the quarter-final matches at the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Morocco beat one of the tournament’s favourites, Portugal, 1-0 to emerge victorious.

Youssef En Nesyri had scored the only goal for Morocco in the first-half of the quarter-final match at Al Thumama Stadium.

The Moroccan national team had earlier stunned another tournament’s favourites, Spain, in the Round of 16 stage.

Olaolu Fawole

Politics

Nigeria, Portugal Sign Mou in Key Sectors

By Web News 394

Nigeria and Portugal have signed several Memoranda of Understanding for cooperation in different sectors.

The signing ceremony was done by cabinet-level officials from the two countries and witnessed by President Buhari and the Prime Minister of Portugal, Antonio Costa.

The MoUs signed include Political Consultations; Diplomatic Training, Research and the Exchange of Information and Documentation; Cooperation in the Fields of Culture, Women and Girls Development, Empowerment and Gender Affairs, Youth, and Sports.

President Buhari described the progress in signing the agreements as excellent foundations for increased bilateral trade.

Also, President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed appreciation to the Mayor of Lisbon, Fernando Medina, and City Council Members, for accommodating Nigerians, as well as those fleeing the war in Ukraine.

The President said he was optimistic that the shared features between Lisbon and Lagos, whose etymology is Portuguese, could be harnessed to promote increased trade and people-to-people contact for the benefit of Nigeria and Portugal.

President Buhari stressed that Nigeria had made great strides in diversifying her economy beyond oil and gas, recording successes in agriculture, manufacturing, and infrastructure development, and invited prospective investors to Nigeria as the next top investment destination.

The Mayor of Lisbon, Fernando Medina, extolled Nigeria’s greatness, especially in her ability to turn diversity into greatness.

He explained that Portugal would want to work with Nigeria and her innovators, stressing that Portugal needed Nigeria and the African Continent.

Similarly, President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the Federal Ministry of Transportation, the Nigerian Ports Authority, and stakeholders in the maritime industry, on the successful berthing of the first ship at Lekki Deep Seaport.
 
A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, explains that the vessel, ZHEN HUA 28, delivered three Ship to Shores, STS, and 10 Rubber Tyre Gantries, RTG, cranes to be used in the evacuation of cargoes from vessels to shore.
 
President Buhari recognizes that the nation’s maritime and aquatic resources are critical to the livelihoods of Nigerians and that Government will spare no effort in successfully harnessing the potential of the sector.

Abdullah Bello/Omotola Oguneye

Sport

2019/2020 UEFA, Europa League Matches Resume

By Web News 1331

UEFA Champions League and Europa League will resume this week to clear up the last remaining matches of the tournaments.

The two competitions were suspended in March due to Coronavirus pandemic.

The Champions League will move to Lisbon, Portugal, for the quarterfinal starting on twelfth of this month, while the final will be played at Benfica’s Estadio da Luz, on twenty-third of this month.

Also, the Europa League, will be played at different venues in the western part of Germany, with the last eight beginning on tenth of this month, while the final will be played in Cologne, Germany on twenty-first of this month.

Fixtures to be played in the UEFA Europa League

Wednesday 5th August

FC Copenhagen will take on Istanbul Buyuksehir as Shakhtar Donetsk battles Wolfsburg.

Inter Milan slug it out with Getafe while Manchester United takes on Linz ASK.

Thursday 6th August 2020

Bayer Leverkusen hosts Rangers with Sevilla and Roma battling it out in Spain.

It is FC Basel versus Eintracht Frankfurt while Wolverhampton Wanderers face Olympiakos FC.

Fixtures to be played in the 2nd leg round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League

Juventus FC will host French side Lyon who hold a one-goal advantage from the first leg encounter at the Juventus Stadium Turin, while England’s Manchester City will face reigning La Liga Champions, Real Madrid who are trailing them 2-1 at the City of Manchester Stadium.

Both matches will be played on Friday 7th of August 2020 by 8PM Nigerian time.

On Saturday 8th August in Munich, Bayern will look to complete the job against Chelsea FC of England, over who they have a commanding 3 goal advantage from the 1st leg played at the Stamford Bridge back in February.

The second match will be between Barcelona FC of Spain who play hosts to Napoli at the Camp Nou with the game finely balanced at 1-1.

Olaolu Fawole/Maxwell Oyekunle

Sport

Nigerian Woman Buys Football Club in Portugal

By Web News 1300

A Nigerian business entrepreneur, Nneka Ede has become the first African woman to own a European football club after purchasing Lusitano Ginasio Clube, a Portuguese third division side, for an undisclosed amount.

According to a statement on Thursday, Ede has secured 100 percent ownership of the 108-years-old club, which last played in the Portuguese top-flight division in the 1950’s.

“After months of negotiations with different entities, an agreement has been reached with Mrs Nneka Ede, a sports enthusiast and entrepreneur from Nigeria, a country filled with people as passionate and fiery about football as us and which incidentally share the same green and white in their flags, towards the transfer of the ownership of the SAD to the latter that will help us in our mission to take Lusitano to the next level.”

Speaking on the development, Ede said the football club acquisition will help foster a greater relationship between both countries.

“I am excited about this opportunity and I hope that this new chapter will deepen the already great sporting relation between Nigeria and Portugal,” she said.

“And to continue with the rich history of Lusitano club and provide a pathway for young talent to develop and shine through.”

The club, which has a long and rich history spanning over a century, has a Nigerian forward in his squad, Abraham Adelaja.

Lusitano FC reached their pinnacle in the 1950s when the club competed for 14 consecutive seasons in the Primeira Divisão (First Division or tier 1).

They still hold a position amongst the 30 clubs in Portugal with more participation at tier 1 level in the country.

Radio Nigeria Abuja