Category sport-news

As intense cycling events drew attention to Ogbomoso, Oyo State, as the town’s Ogbomoso Cradles Festival drew riders from various state-levels across Nigeria to the area to kick off the 2025 carnival.

The Oyo government’s “Vibing December” initiatives include the Cradles Carnival to mark the end of a busy year.

The 76 km long journey from Ogbomoso to Iseyin and back was completed by about 400 cyclists. The event aims to raise awareness of cycling’s benefits and encourage greater participation among all age groups.

The organizers and the Cyclists Federation of Nigeria said the administration’s enthusiastic support for such a large representation was the driving force behind the decision to have such a large representation. The state has the most cyclists in its entire state.

Nigeria’s 2025 AFCON Matches, Kickoff – Group Stage READ ALSO.

The 76 km ride included a move from the Ogbomoso Palace to the Iseyin Palace in the Iseyin Local Government Area, which was welcomed with great enthusiasm.

The Cyclists Federation of Nigeria officials’ impressive presence at the event, which was hailed as the best way to promote cycling in a state with the largest number of young cyclists, underscored its significance.

Femi Thomas, the head of the Ogun State branch of the Cyclists Federation of Nigeria and a BOT member, noted that 10 states took part in the event.

Thomas asserted that “Oyo State offers the best cycling experience in the country and the highest cycling community in Nigeria.”

Oyo State is the ideal starting place for this state initiative, according to the governor.

Bosun Tijani, the minister of communication, innovation, and digital economy, has made a statement in collaboration with the governor of Ogun State that the Bosun Tijani Foundation Festive Basketball Tournament will be held during the three-day youth sports and development event.

The Alake Sports Complex, Ijeja, Abeokuta, will host the event from December 19 to December 21, 2025, according to a press release made available to journalists in Abeokuta.

The program showcases young talents from Ogun State and beyond while celebrating the end-of-year holiday season by bringing the spirit of celebration, community, and togetherness onto the basketball court.

Wembanyama Blocking The Knicks’ Path In NBA Cup Final READ ALSO

Beyond traditional pathways, a wider commitment to youth development is reflected in the tournament. The initiative “Tech Meets Basketball” combines competitive sport, creativity, technology, community engagement, and community involvement, creating a joyful and inclusive platform for young people to express themselves, connect, and celebrate the year’s eve,” the statement reads.

“The value of creating spaces where young people can celebrate, feel, and develop. We want to evoke that spirit on the basketball court by allowing the end of the year to reflect, rejoice, and be together.

When young people are given the chance to express themselves through sports, creativity, or technology, they gain self-assurance, character, and potential. He said, “This tournament is about celebrating talent, community, and the promise of a brighter future.”

A vibrant fan village, cultural and entertainment events, tech showcase zones, stakeholder engagements involving government, private sector actors, and youth-focused organizations will all be part of the tournament, all designed to make it a festive and memorable experience for both participants and spectators.

Nigeria is expected to be one of the favorites to win the competition in Morocco, having been placed in Group C along with Tunisia, Tanzania, and Uganda.

The three-time AFCON champions were agonisingly close to increasing their total at the final edition of the continental football competition. After taking the lead, Nigeria lost to Cote d’Ivoire, who had earlier won the match-up, 2-1.

AFCON All-Time Leading Scorers and Goal Records, READ ALSO

Nigeria’s goal in Morocco will be to expand its footprint and conquer the Maghreb continent. The Super Eagles will face the Taifa Stars of Tanzania on December 23 at Fes’ Fez Stadium to begin the journey.

When the Super Eagles and Tunisian rival Carthage Eagles square off three days later, they will square off in a battle of the eagles. On December 30th, Nigeria will face the Cranes of Uganda in their final group game.

The top two teams from the lot will automatically advance to the round 16, and four other teams will compete for the best third-place finishers.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria will play in group stages at the Morocco 2025 AFCON, and they have a list below.

Group C — Morocco 2025

23 Dec: Nigeria vs Tanzania — 06: 30 pm 
 (WAT/Nigerian time)

27 Dec: Nigeria vs Tunisia — 09: 00 pm

30 Dec: Uganda vs Nigeria — 05: 00 pm 
 (final group match).

Mario Pineida, an ecuadoran football player, was fatally shot on Wednesday in Guayaquil, according to his team.

Numerous football players in Ecuador have been the targets of recent months of gang violence in Guayaquil, which is a hotspot for drug trafficking.

Pineida, 33, did not make the squad for the 2022 finals in Qatar, but he did play for Ecuador’s national team for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup qualifiers. In 2022, he also played for Fluminense.

His club, Barcelona SC, stated in a post on X that it regrets receiving a formal notification of the death of our player Mario Pineida following an attack against him in Guayaquil.

Read more about FIFA’s sanctions on Malaysia for forging documents for foreign players.

The interior ministry confirmed Pineida’s death, citing the existence of a special police force in the case.

Two motorcycle riders opened fire on Pineida, his mother, and another woman, according to Primicias, according to the digital news outlet Primicias.

Three second-tier players from Ecuador’s second division were killed in September, one of whom allegedly had ties to sports betting. Local football player Bryan Angula was shot in the chest a month later.

Ecuador, one of Latin America’s safest nations, has grown into a major transit hub for top producers Colombia and Peru and international consumers.

Guayaquil, which had the highest murder rate in Ecuador, recorded 1, 900 murders between January and September, which has seen a rise in car bombings, shootings, and extortion.

With a 2-0 victory over Brentford on Wednesday, Manchester City advanced to the League Cup semi-finals thanks to Rayan Cherki’s stunning strike.

With their sixth consecutive victory in all competitions, Pep Guardiola could afford to give Erling Haaland the night off ahead of the hectic Premier League schedule.

Guardiola made seven changes to the Etihad, leaving Haaland out of the lineup.

Abdukodir Khusanov, a rare start, was fortunate to only receive a yellow card for deflecting German-attacking Kevin Schade.

As the England international replaced the ailing Oscar Bobb after just 20 minutes, Guardiola was forced to substitute the in-form Phil Foden.

Also Read: 2026 World Cup Winners Will Win $50 Million in Prize Money.

Ten minutes before half-time, Cherki was the one to styleably unlock the Brentford rearguard action.

The Frenchman gathered a corner that was cut inside the box, cut inside, and slammed into the top corner with an unstoppable effort.

The home side’s second came much more favorably, 20 minutes apart, when Savinho’s shot deflected off Kristoffer Ajer to encircle Hakon Valdimarsson.

Between 2018 and 2021, City won the League Cup four years in a row under Guardiola.

However, this is their first time making it to the top four in five seasons.

With a 3-1 victory over Cardiff on Tuesday, Chelsea advanced to the semi-finals early in the year.

Later on Wednesday, Arsenal host Crystal Palace in their final quarter-final match against them, while Fulham or Newcastle will play them.

The country’s football authorities announced on Wednesday that the latest punishment in a simmering scandal was FIFA, which led to three 3-0 defeats for fielding ineligible players.

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) reported that friendly victories over Cape Verde and Singapore, both of which were held at home this year, were overturned.

Seven foreign national team players have already been suspended by FIFA because of forged documents that claimed to be from Malaysian descent.

The FAM was previously subject to a $ 440,000 fine, and it has since received a further $ 12,500 fine.

Malaysia is alleged to have lost 3-0 of its three matches, according to a ruling from a FIFA disciplinary committee meeting on Friday.

Following Malaysia’s 4-0 win over Vietnam in an Asian Cup qualifier in June, FIFA launched an investigation following a complaint.

READ ALSO: 2026 World Cup Winners Win $50,000,000 in prize money.

Two of the seven players each scored.

According to its investigation, none of Hector Hevel, Jon Irazabal, Gabriel Palmero, Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, or Joao Brandao Figueiredo were selected for the national team because they were required to have a parent or grandparent born in Malaysia.

The FAM has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, alleging any wrongdoing.