World record holder Tobi Amusan is excited to compete among fellow record-holders Lamecha Girma and Mondo Duplantis at the Ostrava Golden Spike on 27 June, while Neeraj Chopra will feature in a strong javelin field at the 11th World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting of the season.

Amusan set her world 100m hurdles record of 12.12secs in the semifinals of the World Athletics Championships in Oregon and went on to win gold in a wind-assisted time of 12.06secs.

The Golden Spike record of 12.55secs set by Sharika Nelvis in 2015 could be under threat.

“I am excited to race in Ostrava,” said Amusan. “I’ve watched world-class athletes race on that track and I’m looking forward to experiencing an awesome atmosphere while executing a good race.”

Girma clocked 7:58.68 to break the Ethiopian 3000m steeplechase record when he raced in Ostrava last year and he will return to contest the Emil Zatopek Memorial 1500m in 2023. Since that steeplechase performance in Ostrava, Girma has won a second world silver medal in Oregon and he broke the world indoor 3000m record at the World Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Lievin in February, running 7:23.81.

The 1500m meeting record stands at 3:31.17, while the Ethiopian record is 3:29.91. Girma ran his PB of 3:33.77 in 2020.

“I am happy to return to the Ostrava Golden Spike meeting this year to try and run a very fast 1500m time,” he said. “Ostrava is a good track and event for me, and I look forward to seeing the fans again and using their energy to push myself beyond my limits and run a time to make everyone proud.”

At an event that stars Jan Zelezny as meeting director, the javelin will again be in the spotlight. India’s Olympic champion Chopra claimed world silver in Oregon and he will again face the two athletes who joined him on the podium there: Grenada’s two-time world gold medallist Anderson Peters and Czech Republic’s bronze medallist Jakub Vadlejch.

In the women’s competition, Japan’s world bronze medallist Haruka Kitaguchi will go up against Czech Republic’s world finalist Nikola Ogrodnikova.

Duplantis was announced for the meeting in February.

Nigeria’s sole representative on the continent, Rivers United face an uphill task of progressing in the CAF Confederation Cup as they go into their second leg quarter-final clash against Tanzania’s Young Africans on Sunday (today) with a two-goal deficit from the first leg, Sunday PUNCH reports.

The current Nigeria Professional Football League champions slumped to a 2-0 defeat at home last week, leaving them with a mountain to climb at the 60,000 capacity Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, in the Tanzania capital of Dar es Salam.

Although the first leg defeat was blamed on injuries which rocked the squad, the Pride of Rivers arrived Tanzania on Friday and some of the affected players, including left-back Ebube Duru and Joseph Onoja made the trip.

The team has had training sessions at the venue and coach Stanley Eguma remains optimistic about their chances of overturning the result.

“We lost at home but we have another 90 minutes to play here in Tanzania. We made some mistakes in the first leg and we are looking forward to an improved game on Sunday,” Eguma said during the pre-match interview.

“The team is positive, we cannot predict, but we will work hard. The game isn’t over, there is still 90 minutes to play and we are ready. Hopefully our plans will work out,” he said.

The winner of this fixture will face the winner of the quarter-final game between Pyramids of Egypt and Marumo Gallants of South Africa in the semi-final.

Brume won the women’s Long Jump event at the star-studded Meet and she did that in style with a world-leading distance of 6.77m.

Nigerian long jump sensation, sEe Brume, got off to a very bright start in her first outdoor competition on Saturday at the prestigious Botswana Golden Grand Prix.

Brume won the women’s Long Jump event at the star-studded Meet and she did that in style with a world-leading distance of 6.77m.

The reigning African and Commonwealth champion saved her best jump for the last with her final round jump, defeating Burkina Faso’s Marthe Koala, who had led until that moment with 6.69m in the third round.

Brume had jumped into an early lead with her opening round distance of 6.65m but after failing to build on that momentum with subsequent failed attempts, she was overtaken after
Koala registered a leap of 6.69m.

However, Brume in her characteristic way of delivering when it mattered most leapt to a distance of 6.77m in her final jump to the delight of the crowd at the National Stadium, Gaborone.

Saturday’s winning mark took Brume to the top of the world list ahead of India’s Shaili Singh’s 6.76m.

Before her outing in Botswana, Brume has been testing the waters and improving her speed.

She made an appearance at the Texas Relays where she was part of a 4x100m relay team and also raced in the 400m event at the Cameron Burrell Alumni Invitational also in Texas.

Having hit the group running with a winning jump in Botswana, the long jump multiple medallist will be hoping to stay in good shape as she targets another rewarding season that would end at the World Championships in Budapest.

Brume has been improving with every of edition of the World Championship; winning the bronze medal in Doha and stepping up to silver at the subsequent edition in Oregon.

Many will be waiting to see if Brume can go another notch higher in Budapest by winning the gold this time.

Nigeria aim to become the continent’s most successful team in the lowest age cadre of continental competition if they go all the way to clinch the U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Algeria 2023.

But, head coach Nduka Ugbade has urged caution from his boys.

Nigeria is one of only five countries to have won the title two times, and victory in Algeria will hoist them to three titles, making them the most successful. Ugbade knows the task ahead is not an easy one.

“It is going to be very difficult, with all due respect to all the teams which have qualified. But, we are not coming here to participate. Everyone knows Nigeria is a footballing nation and we are coming here to compete,” the tactician said.

He adds; “We are confident in our preparation and what we have done before the tournament, but we have to do everything humanly possible to win it because every team is tough and if you are not careful, you will find yourself out of the competition.”

Nigeria are drawn in a tough Group B that also includes Zambia, South Africa and Morocco, one that Ugbade regards as the tournament’s group of death.

He says making it out of this group will require heart, hard work and sacrifice, and notes he will not be surprised if a team from the group gets to the final.

“This is a very difficult group. I believe that one team from this group will get to the final, but that is just me thinking. Football is not calculated that way. There are many good teams in the tournament, and even Somalia who are making their debut can surprise,” he noted.

The former Nigerian international believes the unique characteristics in his team will sail them through.

“We are a relentless team, a team that pursues every opponent till the end of the 90 minutes. We are unique in nature in the way we play,” the coach notes.

The first target for the Golden Eagles will be qualification for the World Cup for the 13th time, a tournament they have won five times before. That will require them to get to the semi-finals.

The other target, will be to clinch the title. “We are taking a match at a time and not rushing ahead of ourselves,” the 53-year old added.

Casablanca authorities have opened an investigation after a fan died outside the gates of the Stade Mohammed V before Raja’s match against Al-Ahly in the CAF Champions League quarter-finals on Saturday.

Moroccan media reported that the fan, a 29-year-old woman, died in the crush as thousands of fans tried to get into the ground to watch Raja try and overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg in Egypt.

Casablanca authorities have opened an investigation after a fan died outside the gates of the Stade Mohammed V before Raja’s match against Al-Ahly in the CAF Champions League quarter-finals on Saturday.

Moroccan media reported that the fan, a 29-year-old woman, died in the crush as thousands of fans tried to get into the ground to watch Raja try and overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg in Egypt

“Aziz El Badrawy, President of Al-Raja Club Athletic, in his name and on behalf of all members of the club, extends his deepest condolences to the family of the fan, Noura, who passed away before our team’s match against Al-Ahly,” the Moroccan club said in a statement.

Another CAF Champions League quarter-final between Esperance and Algeria’s JS Kabylie in Tunis on Saturday was marred by crowd trouble, which caused a 40-minute delay to the second half.

Esperance fans clashed with Tunisian security forces and lit fireworks on the terraces at halftime of the tie at Rades Stadium. Firefighters had to be called out to extinguish several small fires in front of the stands.

Algerian fans also complained that they had been subjected to unjustified attacks by security forces.

The match ended in a 1-1, draw but Esperance progressed to the semi-finals 2-1 aggregate after a 1-0 victory in the first leg.

They will face Al-Ahly over two legs for a place in the final after the Cairo club held Raja to a 0-0 draw in Casablanca.

Raja’s city rivals Wydad, the reigning champions, will face South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns in the other semi-final next month.

CAF has released the full schedule of the TotalEnergies U17 African Cup of Nations Algeria 2023 that will be played between 29 April and 19 May 2023. 

The opening match will see hosts Algeria play Somalia on Saturday, 29 April at the majestic Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers at 20:00 local time (19:00 GMT). 

Three stadiums will be used Nelson Mandela in Algiers, Chahid Hamlaoui in Constantine and 19-Mai-1956 in Annaba. 

For the first time, the Under-17 AFCON will feature 12 nations. The decision to increase the number of participants is in line with CAF’s objective of encouraging participation and offering more playing opportunities to young people. 

TotalEnergies U17 AFCON Groups: 

A: Algeria, Senegal, Congo, Somalia 

B: Nigeria, Zambia, Morocco, South Africa 

C: Cameroon, Mali, South Sudan, Burkina Faso 

This is the second time Naibet is winning a marathon in Nigeria having also won the 2021 edition of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon

History was made on Saturday in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory as Kenya’s Emmanuel Naibet and Bahrain runne Ruth Jebet won the men’s and women’s categories of the Abuja International Marathon.

Despite the myriad of challenges to staging the first edition of the Abuja International Marathon, the heavens were kind to the historic race that held on Saturday.

Usually in April, the beautiful city of Abuja is synonymous with torrential rainfall but on Saturday 29 April, the city provided perfect weather that aided Kenya’s Naibet emergence as the inaugural champion of the Abuja International Marathon with a time of 2:13: 45.

His winning time is the best ever recorded in any first edition of Marathon races in Nigeria. This is the second time Naibet is winning a marathon in Nigeria having also won the 2021 edition of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon.

Speaking with journalists after his historic feat, the Kenyan runner who admitted it was tough said he was excited to finish ahead of all other competitors

“It was a great race for me though a bit challenging with some hilly parts on the routes, but overall I am happy to win this race and add it to my achievements” the excited champion stated

Finishing in second position was Benard Sang 2:13:49 while Ezekiel Koech ensured it was a complete sweep for Kenya in the men’s category with a time of 2:13:51.

In the women’s category Ruth Jebet from Bahrain stole the show as she won with a time of 2.36.08 while Kenya’s Mercy Kwambai was second with a time of 2:38:17 Dida Negasa from Ethiopia with a time of 2:40: 16 settled for the third spot.

Incidentally, this is the first time Jebet is trying out in the full marathon after dominating across other long distant races.

“I can never forget the Abuja International Marathon, it is my first full marathon and I won it, I hope to be back next year to defend my title,” she said.

There were also keen competitions for prizes in the 10km and 5km races which were dominated by fun runners and students from across the Abuja metropolis.