On Monday, Quadri Aruna of Nigeria started the new year with a rise in the global ranking of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). Aruna placed 14th in the most recent ITTF Ranking after earning points in the World Table Tennis (WTT) Finals quarterfinal match, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). At the 2023 WTT Finals in Doha, one of the biggest upsets was instigated by the African champion.

This was after he came from 0-2 down to beat world number five Hugo Calderano of Brazil 3-2 and book his place in the quarterfinals of the year-ending tournament held in Qatar. Aruna, who was ranked 16th before the WTT Finals, gained 265 points after his quarter-final finish in Doha.

His global rating increased to 1,425 points as a result, surpassing Slovenia's Darko Jorgic, who is ranked 15th with 1,340 points. Aruna's 2023 victory against Tomokazu Harimoto, the former world number five, has also been ranked by WTT as one of the top five upsets of the previous year. This came after the Nigerian surprised the Japanese 3-0 to advance to the Singapore Smash quarterfinals in 2023.

Aruna was reported on the WTT website as stating, "I am training hard this year so that I may gain greater success and continue to shoot up my ranking. "This will help me to ensure my qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games."

 

 

With a prize pool of $250,000, the competition, which began on Monday with the preliminary round, will conclude on Saturday at the Lusail Sports Arena in Doha, Qatar. (NAN)

The 78-year-old German icon, who was considered by many to be among the best football players of all time, passed yesterday. Franz Beckenbauer: Legend of German football passes away at age 78 Mario Zagallo came first, and then Franz Beckenbauer. The most illustrious football team has been reduced to just one surviving member in a matter of days. The only member of the elite group to win the World Cup as a player and manager is Didier Deschamps. Like Deschamps, Beckenbauer was able to make an impression even in greats since he was the captain of a World Cup-winning squad. Along with Sergio Ramos, Beckenbauer is the only captain to have won three European Cups.

As a player and manager, he made it to four World Cup finals and experienced both wins and losses. Italy's 4-3 victory against West Germany in the 1970 World Cup semi-final was perhaps the competition's best since it prevented him from reaching the fifth final. He even won a Bundesliga title when he moved to Hamburg in his mid-thirties, which helped them win the European Cup. Despite his limited experience in club management, he managed to win two league titles and a Uefa Cup.

 

Beckenbauer was a fixture on the largest stages, a symbol of achievement, and a royal figure who always seemed to be at the top, no matter where he focused his attention. Der Kaiser, his moniker, denoted an imperial authority, much as Beckenbauer, the football player, did when he began to manage games from midfield, then shifted to sweeper, and then assumed control from the technical area.

 

 The German football scene was shaped by Beckenbauer, a man whose achievements far outweighed his flaws despite the taint of sleaze, Fifa politicking, the awarding of the 2006, 2018, and 2022 World Cups, and a 90-day suspension for refusing to cooperate with a corruption investigation. His influence and legacy remain today.

 

Beckenbauer is largely responsible for Bayern Munich's rise to prominence in Germany. Before his debut, the team had only won the national championship once, and no Bundesliga team had ever won the European Cup before their three victories in the 1970s. Before Beckenbauer, West Germany had just one unlikely World Cup victory, coming from behind in 1954. On the other hand, his team of the 1970s was a true superpower, winning the European Championship in 1972 and finishing second in 1976.

 

 

Although Helmut Schon's team was able to play their brand of total football with a sweeper who came out from the back, Beckenbauer's team painted the Germans as the villains who always won out. Perhaps Johan Cruyff's Netherlands, their final victims in 1974, were more well-liked and influential in modern thinking. Given his position, Beckenbauer may be considered an anachronism in the modern era of intense pressing and defensive lines, where few teams have a spare player behind everyone else. Since no other defender has won the Ballon d'Or more than once, it did make him unique.

 

In addition, Beckenbauer's placement can confuse those unfamiliar with his work. When he was in the US, an official from the New York Cosmos told him to "get his ass up front." "We don't pay a million dollars to have a guy hang out in defense."

Although it seemed like a waste, Beckenbauer's goal-scoring ability allowed him to score seven goals for his country in 1966 alone. He did not score in the team's most famous final, the first of two World Cup games in which he and Bobby Charlton were assigned to man-mark each other. However, in their 1970 rematch, the Germans struck again, transforming the match with both skill and personality.

 

Similar to Charlton, Beckenbauer's passing marks the end of an era. Only Sepp Maier is left of the three legendary Germans who achieved everything for club and nation and were the best in their respective fields. Before Beckenbauer, the deadliest finisher in football history, Gerd Muller, proved to be an efficient German player.

 

The World Cup victory by West Germany will be commemorated for the 50th time in 2024 at Euro; five decades later, Beckenbauer is still deserving of a spot in the all-time eleven. Undoubtedly, Beckenbauer's legacy lives on in a successor who was born not only after his playing career but also after he led West Germany to the 1986 World Cup final. This successor is too young to recall the 1990 World Cup victory, a tournament in which they were the most reliable, strong, and dominant team. Julian Nagelsmann declared, "Franz Beckenbauer was the greatest football player in German history, in my opinion."

 

He became a free man thanks to his relationship with the ball and his interpretation of the libero role, which altered the course of the game. Franz Beckenbauer could hover on the grass. He was exceptional both as a football player and subsequently as a coach, standing above the rest. A room glowed when Franz Beckenbauer walked in. Until the very end, he was enveloped by an aura. Beckenbauer's time is now over. However, Franz Beckenbauer changed the course of German football history and made a significant contribution, as Karl-Heinz Rummenigge once stated. The greatest football player in German history is no longer with us.

A mountain lion perched atop the police car's bonnet prevented the police from responding to 911 calls. The Sherwood Police Department in Canada recently posted an image of a cougar, or mountain lion, perched atop a police responder's bonnet to alert drivers to the need to carefully check their cars before starting them up.

 

 

NIGERIA VS GUINEAU  FRIENDLY

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                                                                                                     HT : Ginueau 1: Nieria 0

After hosting the competition in 1984, Ivory Coast will host the Africa Cup of Nations once again. Almost forty years have passed since Cameroon won their first AFCON championship, and just eight countries took part in the competition's 14th edition.

 

 

In 2024, twenty-four countries will compete in six stadiums spread over five Ivorian towns. The host country, Abidjan, will host the competition's opening match on January 13 when the Elephants take on Guinea-Bissau. The championship match is scheduled for February 11.

 

Current champions Senegal, Cameroon, Egypt, and Morocco are the tournament favorites at the start of the campaign. Still, legends like Sadio Mané, Kalidou Koulibaly, Mohamed Salah, Victor Osimhen, or Riyad Mahrez will undoubtedly steal the show.

                                                                                                    Mohamed Salah

Group A: Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau.

 

Group B: Mozambique, Egypt, Ghana, and Cape Verde. Senegal, Cameroon, Guinea, and The Gambia make Group

 

C. Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, and Angola make Group

 

D. Namibia, South Africa, Mali, and Tunisia make Group

 

E. Group F: Tanzania, Zambia, DR Congo, and Morocco.

 

Four of the highest-seeded third-place teams will accompany the top two teams from each of the six groups to the Round of 16.

 

The tournament then proceeds in a straight knockout style to the final on February 11, which will take place in the 60,000-seat Alassane Ouattara Stadium in the nation's capital, Abidjan, and crown the champion of Africa.

 

Schedule for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (times in ET)January

13th, Saturday Group A: Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan vs. Guinea-Bissau (3 p.m. ET) Sunday, January

 

14 Group A: Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan; Nigeria vs. Equatorial Guinea (9 am)

 

Mozambique vs. Egypt in Group B at Abidjan's Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium (noon)

 

Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan: Ghana vs. Cape Verde, 3 p.m.

 

 

Monday, January 15, 9 a.m., Charles Konan Banny Stadium, Yamoussoukro, Senegal vs. The Gambia,

 

Group C: Yamoussoukro, Guinea vs. Cameroon (midnight)

 

Group D: Stade de la Paix, Bouake; Algeria vs. Angola (3 pm)

 

                                                                         Victor Osimhen

Tuesday, January 16, 9 a.m.: Burkina Faso vs. Mauritania in Group D, Bouake

 

Group E: Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium, Korhogo vs. Namibia (noon)

 

Group E: South Africa vs. Mali, Korhogo (3 pm) Wednesday, January 17, 12 p.m.,

 

Laurent Pokou Stadium, San Pedro: Morocco vs. Tanzania in Group F.

 

Group F: San Pedro, DR Congo vs. Zambia (3 pm)

 

Thursday, January 18, 9 a.m., Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan,

Group A: Equatorial Guinea vs. Guinea-Bissau Group A:

 

Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan, Ivory Coast vs. Nigeria  (12 p.m.)

 

Egypt against Ghana in Group B at Abidjan's Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium at 3 p.m.

 

 

Friday, January 19, Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan,

 

 

Group B: Cape Verde vs. Mozambique (9 am) Group C: Yamoussoukro, Senegal vs. Cameroon (noon) Group C: Yamoussoukro, Guinea vs. The Gambia (3 pm) Algeria vs. Burkina Faso,

 

Saturday, January 20, Group D, Bouake (9 am) Group D: Angola vs. Mauritania, Bouake (noon)

 

Tunisia vs. Mali, Group E, Korhogo (3 pm) Sunday, January 21, 3 p.m.,

 

Group E: Namibia vs. South Africa, Korhogo

 

Group F: DR Congo vs. Morocco, San Pedro, 9 a.m. Group F: San Pedro, Zambia vs. Tanzania (12 p.m.) Monday, January 22, 9 a.m., Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan,

 

Group A: Equatorial Guinea vs. Ivory Coast

 

Group A: Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan; Guinea-Bissau vs. Nigeria (9am)

 

 

Group B: Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan: Cape Verde vs. Egypt (3pm)

 

 

Group B: Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan vs. Ghana (3pm)

 

Tuesday, January 23, 12 p.m., Bouake, Group C: The Gambia vs. Cameroon

 

 

Group C: Yamoussoukro, Guinea vs. Senegal (noon)

 

 

Group D: Yamoussoukro, Angola vs. Burkina Faso (3 pm)

 

Algeria vs. Mauritania in Group D, Bouake (3 pm) Wednesday, January 24,

 

 

12 p.m., San Pedro, Group E: Namibia vs. Mali

 

 

Group E: Tunisia vs. South Africa, Korhogo (12 pm)

 

 

Group F: DR Congo vs. Tanzania, Korhogo, 3 p.m.

 

 

Group F: Morocco vs. Zambia, San Pedro, 3 p.m.

 

 

AFCON 2023: Qualifiers January 27, Saturday SR1: Bouake, Group D Winner vs Third Place Group B/E/F (12 pm)

 

 

SR2: Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan; Group A Second Place vs. Group C Second Place (3 pm) Sunday, January 28.

 

 

SR3: Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan; Group A Winner vs. Third Place Group C/D/E (12 pm)

 

 

SR4: San 3 p.m., Group B vs. Group F Second Place Pedro Monday, January 29.

 

 

 

SR5: Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan vs. 3rd Place Group A/C/D; Group B Winner (12pm)

 

 

 

SR6: Yamoussoukro, Group C Winner vs. 3rd Place, Group A/B/F (3 pm) Tuesday, January 30.

 

 

 

SR7: Korhogo, Group D Second Place vs. Group E Winner (12 pm) SR8: San Pedro, Group F Winner vs. Group E Second Place (3 pm)

Elon Musk, a tech entrepreneur, recently clarified his South African ancestry on social media. The CEO of SpaceX and Tesla debunked the myth that he is of Afrikaner descent with a late-night tweet about his genealogy on Tuesday. Musk claimed to be of English and/or British ancestry. He made a comparison to the well-known South African-born author of "The Lord of the Rings," J.R.R. Tolkien.

 

The richest man on the planet is a confessed fan of Tolkien and frequently mentions the author's writings on social media. It was also disclosed that Musk's courting of Grimes, his ex-partner, was influenced by Tolkien's writing. Musk's past has frequently generated curiosity and conjecture. It has been underlined how misconceptions about Musk's background might make it difficult to comprehend his work in perspective.

 

The term "Afrikaner" refers to people who spoke Afrikaans and were descended from Dutch, German, and French settlers in the 17th century. Their past, which is entwined with the colonial and apartheid eras, has produced their unique cultural identity. English-speaking South Africans, on the other hand, claim British settlers as their ancestors from the 19th century and continue to have cultural links to Britain.

The well-known writer J.R.R. Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in 1892. He was born in the United Kingdom to English parents and lived there till he was a small child. On June 28, 1971, Musk was born in Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa. His biographer has extensively discussed his difficult childhood in South Africa, including his 12-year-old involvement in a hard wilderness survival program that Musk referred to as a "paramilitary 'Lord of the Flies.'" Then there are the stories regarding Musk's father, Errol Musk, and his purported participation in an emerald mine in South Africa. The tech mogul has refuted these claims on many occasions, expressing dissatisfaction with the "fake emerald mine thing" and doubting its veracity.

The World Table Tennis Series 2023 season will come to an end in the first week of 2024 with the WTT Finals Men, which will be held in Doha, Qatar, from January 3–5. The 2023 Finals champion will be determined by 16 singles players and 8 doubles pairs competing in the capital of Qatar. The 2024 season will begin in the same location on Monday, January 8, 2024.

                                                                                                         The Top Sixteen Table Tennis Players With

                                                                                                                   Aruna Quadri On The Far Right

The reigning singles winner from the previous year's WTT Cup Finals is world no. 2 Wang Chuqin; however, this year's doubles Finals is the first to be held under the current World Table Tennis system. 2019 saw Fan Zhendong and Xu Xin win the ITTF World Tour Grand Finals men's doubles championship; however, Xu has since retired, and Wang has taken up Fan's doubles partner role.

                                                                                                                              FAN ZHENDONG

After his win, Aruna was guaranteed a berth in the quarterfinals, where he would play China's Fan Zhendong, the top player in the world.

At the World Table Tennis (WTT) Men's Finals in Doha, there was an incredible upset that the table tennis community saw. Hugo Calderano, the South American champion, was defeated by Nigeria's Quadri Aruna despite all the odds.

 

Aruna, who was placed 16th in the WTT rankings, was up against the world's number five player, Brazilian Hugo Calderano, in a tough match. In one of the most exciting matches in sports history, Aruna went from being the underdog to winning, and his incredible performance shows how he did it.

                                                                                                                               Aruna Quadri

Aruna, who was placed 16th in the WTT rankings, was up against the world's number five player, Brazilian Hugo Calderano, in a tough match. In one of the most exciting matches in sports history, Aruna went from being the underdog to winning, and his incredible performance shows how he did it.

 

 

Aruna, who was placed 16th in the WTT rankings, was up against the world's number five player, Brazilian Hugo Calderano, in a tough match. In one of the most exciting matches in sports history, Aruna went from being the underdog to winning, and his incredible performance shows how he did it.

 

After his win, Aruna was guaranteed a berth in the quarterfinals, where he would play China's Fan Zhendong, the top player in the world.

The initial loan tranche of US$2.25 billion to Nigeria is made possible by UBA and Afrexim.

The African Export-Import Bank (Afrexim Bank), acting as the local arranger, United Bank for Africa (UBA), has disbursed Nigeria's first tranche of the US$2.5 billion facility. This major US$2.5 billion liquidity assistance facility for Nigeria has been authorized to be arranged locally by UBA, a well-known member of the FUGAZ group. As the Mandated Lead Arranger for the structured financing facility, Afrexim Bank is essential to this financial endeavor.

Guvnor and Sahara Energy are also included in the arrangement as important parties to the transaction, emphasizing the cooperative efforts of several stakeholders.

 

January 2024 is when the facility's remaining balance of US$1.05 billion is expected to be released. Furthermore, we are aware of further initiatives to destabilize the foreign currency (FX) market. spearheading domestic and African-focused organizations are spearheading and actively working to find answers to Nigeria's economic problems.

Super Falcons striker Asisat Oshoala is hosted by Tinubu in Lagos Asisat Oshoala, the 2023 CAF Women's Player of the Year and striker for the Super Falcons, was received by President Bola Tinubu and First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu on Thursday in Lagos. The Barcelona Femeni star won the Best African Female Footballer of the Year award for a record-breaking sixth time, and President Tinubu and the First Lady thanked her. The First Lady and the President praised Oshoala for her accomplishments in the game and her major contributions to women's football on the continent.

 

Asisat Oshoala, the 2023 CAF Women's Player of the Year and striker for the Super Falcons, was received by President Bola Tinubu and First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu on Thursday in Lagos. The Barcelona Feminine star won the Best African Female Footballer of the Year award for a record-breaking sixth time, and President Tinubu and the First Lady thanked her.

The First Lady and the President praised Oshoala for her accomplishments in the game and her major contributions to women's football on the continent. "Nigerian women will hold a proud position in the globe forever. In addition to what our women have accomplished in football, they are attaining success in other spheres of human effort globally and exemplifying the greatness, perseverance, inventiveness, and resilience that characterize Nigerians.

 The President is aware of the achievements of prominent sprinter Tobi Amusan and the inclusion of several Nigerian women on Forbes' "2023 World's 100 Most Powerful Women" list, such as media magnate Ms. Mo Abudu and World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the President and First Lady gave Oshoala assurances that the country would support her and other Nigerian women pursuing excellence in their chosen fields.

 

"I want to thank the President and the First Lady for allowing me to present the award to them," Oshoala remarked following the cordial welcome. We had a few problems at the previous World Cup, and they stepped in and helped the girls out, even after the tournament.

Chelsea somehow survived a late 1-1 draw to defeat Newcastle 4-2 on penalties to book their place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals.

Here was another dagger in the chest right at the end, following the late anguish of the contentious penalty against Paris Saint-Germain that ultimately proved costly in the Champions League. Two minutes into the match, Mykhailo Mudryk sent an intense draw to a penalty shootout, which put the Magpies one point away from their first-ever away triumph in a League Cup quarterfinal. And how, with the home fans about to flip, Mauricio Pochettino needed that.

 

In the third minute of injury time, the Ukrainian scored a goal after taking advantage of a mistake made by Kieran Trippier. The Newcastle defender then failed to convert his penalty kick, and Djordje Petrovic came to the rescue by tipping over Matt Ritchie's attempt. Though their traveling supporters continued to cheer for Howe and his squad, this has been a painful time both physically and figuratively.