Zenith Bank Plc, the sole sponsor of the Nigerian Female Basketball League has hailed the Nigerian female basketball team, D’Tigress, for emerging champions of the FIBA Women’s Afrobasket 2019 in Dakar, Senegal, defeating the host nation 60-55 points in the final match to retain the coveted trophy.

Speaking on the success of the team at the championship, the Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive, Mr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu commended the team for their hard work, doggedness and team spirit, which has seen them retain the trophy which they won two years ago in Mali. He expressed delight at the heroics of the team, comprised mostly of products of the Zenith Bank Women Basketball League, which the bank has sponsored for 15 years consecutively.

D’Tigress of Nigeria held their nerves in the final quarter of the game played at the magnificent Dakar Arena on Sunday, fighting off a late challenge from their Senegalese counterparts, to emerge African champions for the fourth time.

Evelyn Akhator, one of the products of the Zenith Bank Women Basketball League, scored 14 points and made nine rebounds and her amazing performance throughout the tournament earned her a place in the Tournament Five.

The Nigerian female basketball team kick-started the competition with resounding victories of 75-26 points win over Tunisia and 106-39 points win over Cameroun in the group stages, before recording a 79-46 points win over Congo in the quarterfinals and a 79-58 points win over Mali in the semifinals.

GOtv, the country’s leading terrestrial pay-television operator, has unveiled an exciting line-up of programmes for its subscribers in the upcoming week.

From Saturday, 17 August till Wednesday, 21 August, GOtv subscribers will have access to the best of movies, telenovelas, sport, kiddies, documentaries and general entertainment programmes.

Viewers will be treated to another interesting episode of The Heir, showing on Saturday, 17 August at 8pm on Zee World. Raj tries to warn Manu about Yuvraj, but fails to heed to the advice. Manu participates in the annual village competition which could make her the village head, but Yuvraj is declared winner and crowned as the head.

Lovers of reality television shows will be thrilled with the hot pepper being served on Big Brother Naija “Pepper Them” season, airing 24 hours daily on GOtv channel 29. The housemates continue to struggle in their quest to claim the ultimate prize totalling up to N60 million in cash and gifts. However, one or more of the housemates on the season four of the programme will have his or her dream truncated on Sunday, 18 August, during the live eviction show, which will be broadcast at 7pm on Africa Magic Family. For more information on the show, visit www.africamagic.tv/bigbrother. Follow the official Big Brother Naija handle on Instagram @bigbronaija, on Twitter @BBNaija and on Facebook https://web.facebook.com/bigbrothernaija/.

Movie buffs will be thrilled by the action movie, Bad Boy II, starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. It will be broadcast on Sunday, 18 August at 7pm on BET. Police Detective Marcus Burnett his partner, Mike, are asked to investigate and halt the drug menace in Miami. The duo track the drugs to a Cuban smuggler, Johnny Tapia, who is also involved in a bloody war with Russian and Haitian mobsters. However, tension builds between the two police officers because Lowrey is romantically involved with Burnett’s sister, Syd.

Also on offer is the intriguing movie, Road to Rhode Island, which will air on Wednesday, 21 August at 4pm on FOX. After Stewie is banished from his grandparents’ house, Brian takes a trip to retrieve the terrible tyke. How will the redemptive adventure end?

Keep up with one of the most popular sisters on television as Khloe Kardashian helps fans who have gained weight get revenge on people, who discouraged them during their weight gain in the new season of Revenge Body With Khloe Kardashian. It airs on Saturday, 17 August at 9pm on E! Entertainment.

For adults with a penchant for documentaries, Donal Macintyre’s Murder Files, showing on Monday, 19 August at 8:10pm on CBS Reality, promises to provide thrills aplenty. Donal Macintyre, a renowned undercover reporter and crime journalist, examines the most horrific and fascinating crimes, interviewing first-hand, the men and women who ensured justice was done.

The kids have also a galaxy of shows to keep them happy on their return from summer classes and during the weekend. One of such programmes is The Lion Guard, showing on Saturday, 17 August at 10am on Disney Junior. A guard is tasked with helping two zany Gorilla princes return to their home in the Rwenzori Mountains. Will the journey turn out to become successful or will there be hiccups on the way?

SpongeBob SquarePants, which will be broadcast on Wednesday, 21 August at 8:50amon Nickelodeon, will also keep the children laughing during this holiday season. On this episode entitled: ‘House Fancy, Krabby Road’, Squidward sees Squilliam on a TV show about fancy homes. SpongeBob thinks Plankton is in a band.

For more scheduled programming for August, visit www.gotvafrica.com You can also follow GOtv @gotvng on Twitter and Instagram, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GOtvNigeria

The football offering has been further boosted on DStv and GOtv as both platforms will broadcast games from the Sky Bet Championship and Carabao Cup for the 2019/2020 football season will be broadcast live to its subscribers.

The games from both English football competitions will be broadcast on both MultiChoice platforms after SuperSport acquired the rights this week.

Huddersfield Town and Fulham kick-off the live broadcast of the Championship matches and it will be aired live on SuperSport 10 on all DStv packages and on SuperSport Select 2 to GOtv Max and GOtv Plus subscribers.

On Sunday, Reading will take on Cardiff City in another Championship game. It will be aired live at 12 noon on SuperSport 10 for all DStv subscribers and SuperSport Select 2 to GOtv Max and GOtv Plus subscribers.

The Sky Bet Championship is the highest division of the English Football League and second-highest in England after the Premier League.

The Championship is in its third week and teams featuring in the league’s 2019/2020 season include Leeds United, Derby County, Cardiff City, Queens Park Rangers, and West Bromwich Albion.

The Carabao Cup is an annual knockout competition and includes all 92 clubs within the top four levels of  English football.

Fixtures for Round Two of the competition will take place on Tuesday 27 August and Wednesday 28 August. The provisional fixtures include QPR versus Portsmouth, Fulham against Southampton and Nottingham Forest against Derby County.

Manchester City are the reigning champions of the Carabao Cup after beating Chelsea on penalties in last season’s final.

For the latest news, fixtures and results on the 2019/2020 football season, visit www.supersport.com.

Former Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia has expressed shock over his ban by FIFA and accused the world soccer ruling body of dishing out punishment without contacting him.

The former U-23 coach, in a swift reaction on social media following news of his ban, vowed to fight to clear his name.

He wondered how a person can be charged and found guilty of an allegation without being heard from.

He also dismissed claims by FIFA that a letter to that effect has been dispatched to him while re-echoing that he has not done anything wrong.

“I am shocked with FIFA ban, I was never questioned by FIFA.

“I don’t know anything about this. I did nothing wrong and I have not received any letter from FIFA,” he said.

Siasia, who led Nigeria’s Olympic team to Silver Medal finish in 2016, insisted he was hearing about the allegation and the said decision for the first time.

There are strong indications that the former Super Eagles star who scored 16 goals in 51 appearances for the national team will appeal the decision.

Some say the 52 -year- old former Lokeren of Belgium striker may drag FIFA to Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).

The court has recently been inundated by cases involving fIFA and other stakeholders including Presidents of Football federations.  (The Nation)

Samson Siasia has been banned for life by FIFA after being found guilty over bribery and manipulation of matches.

The former Super Eagles of Nigeria coach has been banned from all football-related activities over attempts to rig matches at international level.

The world football’s governing body said it opened disciplinary proceedings after a vast investigation into various international matches that Singaporean Wilson Raj Perumal, a convicted match-fixer, had attempted to manipulate for betting purposes.

“The adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee has found Mr. Samson Siasia, a former official of the Nigeria Football Federation, guilty of having accepted that he would receive bribes in relation to the manipulation of matches in violation of the FIFA Code of Ethics,” FIFA statement said.

“The formal ethics proceedings against Mr. Siasia were initiated on 11 February 2019 and stem from an extensive investigation into matches that Mr. Wilson Raj Perumal attempted to manipulate for betting purposes.

“This large-scale investigation was conducted by FIFA via its competent departments and in cooperation with the relevant stakeholders and authorities.

“In its decision, the adjudicatory chamber found that Mr. Siasia had breached art. 11 (Bribery) of the 2009 edition of the FIFA Code of Ethics and banned him for life from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level.

“In addition, a fine in the amount of CHF 50,000 has been imposed on Mr. Siasia. The decision was notified to Mr. Siasia today, the date on which the ban comes into force.”

Vice Chairman, Kwara State Boxing Referees and Judges Association, Mr. Afolabi Olatoke, has expressed delight at the choice of Ilorin as host city for GOtv Boxing NextGen 5, a programme that aims to discover talented young boxers on the verge of joining the professional ranks.

The two-day programme holds at the Kwara State Stadium Complex, Ilorin, on 29 and 30 August.

Speaking in a phone interview, Olatoke, who retired as Kwara State Chief Boxing Coach, said the choice of Ilorin as the host city will give young boxers in Kwara and neighbouring states the opportunity to be fast-tracked into the professional cadre.

“I can tell you that young boxers here can’t wait for the programme to commence. Many of them are participating in the friendly boxing tournament among Ondo, Kwara, Osun and Oyo states currently going on here and have expressed interest in being part of GOtv Boxing NextGen 5. The programme has raised their hopes that they can find the platform to express their abilities. Many of them are familiar with GOtv Boxing Night, which they watch on television and are aspiring to become stars like those they have seen on television,” he said.

The programme is open to boxers aged between 18 and 25, who will take part in sparring sessions conducted by prominent boxing coaches. The coaches will select those adjudged ready to move into the professional cadre, while the sponsors will pay for their professional licenses and free medical examination.

Registration forms for the programme are available free of charge at the Kwara State Boxing Association Office and Referees and Judges Association Office, both in Ilorin; Akure Township Stadium Complex, Akure; Alake Sports Centre, Abeokuta; Oyo State Boxing Association Office, Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan; Lagos Boxing Hall of Fame Gym, Surulere, Lagos and the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C) Secretariat, National Stadium in Lagos.

Real Madrid and Barcelona have offered three players each to PSG in their quest to land Neymar.

Both clubs are desperate to outdo eachother in the pursuit of the Brazilian forward.

Real and Barca have made serious moves to sign Neymar and no side wants to backtrack from the deal.

Both teams have ramped up their bids to sign the superstar, according to The Sun UK.

The newspaper reports that Barcelona’s preferred option is to originally sign him on loan before agreeing to a fee of £93m next summer.

Barca have also offered Coutinho, Rakitic and Dembele moving in the opposite direction.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid were said to have offered Isco, Marcelo and Varane in exchange to sign the Brazilian.

Neymar has made it clear that he wants to leave the club so they have an opportunity to get three established stars and possibly some money in return.

France’s Stephanie Frappart has no concerns about the scrutiny she will face in Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup between Liverpool and Chelsea when she becomes the first woman to referee a major men’s match in European competition.

“I don’t think so. We have to prove physically, technically and tactically that we are the same as the men. I’m not afraid about that. Nothing changes for me,” Frappart said on the eve of the match in Istanbul between the reigning European champions and the winners of last season’s Europa League.

Frappart, 35, has already been a trailblazer for female referees. Earlier this year she became the first woman to take charge of a match in Ligue 1 in her home country. She has since been promoted to the French top flight’s pool of referees on a permanent basis.

“Of course my life has changed because I am more popular now all over the world,” she said, insisting that refereeing a men’s match is the same for her. “I think there is not a lot of difference, because football is the same.”

Along with her assistants, compatriot Manuela Nicolosi and Ireland’s Michelle O’Neill, Frappart also took charge of the women’s World Cup final between the United States and the Netherlands last month. Nicolosi and O’Neill will assist her again in Istanbul.

Roberto Rosetti, UEFA’s head of refereeing, said he came up with the idea of appointing Frappart for such a high-profile men’s fixture after watching her at the women’s World Cup.

“I hope she will inspire thousands of younger women referees all over the world,” he said, a sentiment shared by the Chelsea boss, Frank Lampard.

“It’s great news, I’m very pleased to be a part of this moment in history which is very much due,” said Lampard.

“I think we were very slow everywhere on this and now we are trying to make strides. There is still a long way to go but in terms of tomorrow (Wednesday) it is a huge moment.”

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp added: “I am happy that we can be part of a historic moment. It’s a very smart decision to have a woman referee a very, very important game.”