Sports

Boom For Women Footballers As FIFA Triples W’Cup Money

Published

1 year ago

May 4, 2023

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed $152m as the prize money for this year’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Infantino made the confirmation while speaking alongside the World Trade Organisation Director-General Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala during Making Trade Score for Women!, a series of panel discussions held at the WTO’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

The biggest women’s football competition is slated to start on July 20 and will be hosted jointly by Australia and New Zealand with FIFA also set to increase the pool of prize money significantly from what it was four years back in 2019.

“As a father of four beautiful daughters, I know very well how much attention we need to give women in our lives,” Infantino said at FIFA Congress.

“Our ambition will be, of course, to be able to have equality in payments for the ’26 Men’s and ’27 Women’s World Cups. FIFA is stepping up with actions, not just with words… but unfortunately this is not the case of everyone across the industry. Broadcasters and sponsors, dear friends, have to do more in this respect.”

Although the $152m fund for the first 32-team tournament is a huge boost from the $30m for the 24-team edition in 2019, and 10 times what it was in 2015, it is still considerably lower than the $440m total prize money awarded at the 32-team men’s World Cup in Qatar last year.

At the 2019 Women’s World Cup, the tournament champions received $4m while every participating country received $750,000.

The FIFA boss, in a statement on the football governing body website, said FIFA had already set an example by increasing the total funding package at the Women’s World Cup 2023 to $152m, treble the amount paid in 2019 and 10 times more than in 2015, prior to his election as FIFA president.

However, he added that FIFA still had to sell media rights for the tournament to some major markets because the offers were undervalued.

The FIFA President’s call was supported by Okonjo-Iweala.

“I hope the broadcasters are listening to what the FIFA president is saying about bidding higher for the Women’s World Cup as this is a real opportunity to support women’s football, and I hope they’ll take you up on your offer,” Dr Okonjo-Iweala stated.

Sports

Finidi George Gets New Job

Published

14 hours ago

July 3, 2024

Editor

Former Super Eagles coach Finidi George has taken up another managerial job at Nigeria Premier Football League side, Rivers United, barely three weeks after resigning as the head coach of Nigeria’s men’s senior national team, The PUNCh reports.

Finidi was announced as the head coach of the 2022 NPFL champions on Wednesday with an unveiling set to follow on Thursday.

“Rivers United Football Club is pleased to announce the appointment of Finidi George as our new Technical Manager,” the club said in a statement on Wednesday.

Finidi brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our team, having had a distinguished playing career spanning over fifteen years.

The statement reads, “His impressive credentials include winning the Africa Cup of Nations with the Super Eagles in 1994, the UEFA Champions League with Ajax in 1995, and the Nigeria Premier Football League with Enyimba International FC in 2023.

“As a coach, Finidi has demonstrated his ability to lead teams to success, and we are confident that he will bring his expertise and passion to our club. We are excited to have him on board and look forward to a successful tenure under his leadership.”

Finidi left his role as the Super Eagles head coach in June after two games in charge. It was in the wake of the team’s poor performance in two 2026 World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and the Benin Republic which forced the Nigeria Football Federation to resort to hiring a foreign technical adviser for the team.

Before taking the Super Eagles job, Finidi spent two full seasons and almost completed the third with Enyimba, leading them to their record-ninth NPFL title in 2023.

At Rivers United, he takes over the leadership from head coach Evans Ogenyi, who guided the club until the end of last season after the dismissal of the long-serving Stanley Eguma.

A native of Port Harcourt, the 53-year-old began his career with Calabar Rovers, Iwanyanwu Nationale and represented local club Sharks FC – which was merged in 2016 with Dolphins to form Rivers United – for two seasons before embarking on a stellar European career.

Sports

[BREAKING] PHOTOS: Germany, Denmark Euro 2024 Game Halted Due To Violent Storm

Published

5 days ago

June 29, 2024

Editor

The Euro 2024 last-16 tie between Germany and Denmark on Saturday was temporarily halted late in the first half due to a violent storm.

English referee Michael Oliver stopped the match in Dortmund in the 35th minute and took the players off the pitch amid torrential rain, hailstones, high winds, thunder and lightning.

The score was 0-0 at the time of the stoppage at around 9:35 pm (1935 GMT).

“Due to adverse weather conditions, the game has been suspended. More information to follow,” read a message posted on big screens inside the stadium.

Supporters in exposed seats in the 60,000 crowd were left to seek cover as water poured from the stadium roof.

Fan zones in Dortmund were also closed due to the weather conditions, local police told SID, an AFP subsidiary.

AFP

Sports

Legendary Boxer, Over 500 Young Benin Residents Participate In Olympic Day Run

Published

5 days ago

June 29, 2024

Editor

…as Obaseki, Alli preach peace, unity

By Joseph Ebi Kanjo

Legendary Boxer, Isaac Ikhuoria(Oly) alongside over 500 young men and women on Saturday, June 29, participated in a 5km road race in Benin, the Edo State capital, to celebrate the 2024 Olympic Day.

INFO DAILY reports that the Olympic Day is an event celebrated globally. This year’s theme is ‘Let’s Move and Celebrate’.

The runners who began the 5km race from the Samuel Ogbemudia at the Sumuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin, at about 8:00am were led by the chairman, Oredo Local Council Dr Tom Obaseki, and the Permanent Secretary, Edo State Sports Commission, Dr Igbinosa Emmanuel.

The duo led the runners through Akenzua Road; Plymouth Road, King Square(Ring Road)through Oba Market Road, Zabayor Street and rounded off the exercise at the stadium, where certificates of participation were given to the participants.

2024 Olympic Day: Legendary boxer, Isaac Ikhuoria (left) receiving certificate of participation from Dr Igbinosa Emmanuel, PS, Edo State Sports commission on Saturday, June 29, 2024.

In his message, President, International Olympic Committee ( IOC), Thomas Bach, encouraged the Olympic community to celebrate the joy that only sports bring.

The message which was delivered by Obaseki, the President expressed optimism that at the Paris Olympics, “the athletes will inspire us with their achievements -they will inspire the world by living our Olympic motto: Faster,Higher-Stronger-Strong together.”

He added: “On Olympic Day, we celebrate the creation of the Olympic Movement by our founder Pierre de Coubertin. This year’s Olympic Day is a special one, taking place just ahead of the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

“With the excitement building, the athletes; the fans, the entire Olympic Community around the world -all of us- we are looking forward to a new era of Olympic Games; younger, more inclusive, more urban and more sustainable.”

Also speaking at the event, the Chairman, Edo Sports Commission, Olympian Yussuf Alli, described the Olympic Day as significant, saying it is a day set aside by the International Olympic Committee, IOC, to celebrate sports men and women and to encourage mass participation in sports.

The Chairman who was represented by Dr Igbinosa Emmanuel, Permanent Secretary of the Commission, added: “Firstly, it is marked all over the world .That is why it is under the umbrella body of the ‘Sports For All’ in IOC.

“So, Nigeria being a full member of the International Olympic Committee is celebrating it. And that is why the IOC wrote to Nigeria and Edo State to participate in the exercise.

“It is happening all over the world and we are happy that we are a part of the celebration.

“It helps us to create the right awareness for fitness and also to bring people together because the essence of sports is coming together so that we can move forward and celebrate according to this year’s theme’ Move and Celebrate,” Igbinosa emphasized.

Obaseki on his part, highlighted the benefit of Olympic Day and sports as a unifying event that brings people together and promotes peace and health.

“We all understand that Olympic is a unifying event that brings people together, promotes peace, statesmanship and sportsmanship.

“So, wherever we are we should understand that sports bring people together and in the process,we keep ourselves healthy,” he added.