Headlines
Sweet Revenge: Super Eagles Pay CAR Back in Their Own Coins
gained revenge over the Central African Republic on Sunday with a 2-0 win while Tunisia moved closer to winning their group and advancing to the last phase of Africa’s World Cup qualification.
Tanzania upset Benin 1-0 away to take a slim lead in Group J while Mali and Uganda both won to keep up their tussle in Group E.
Nigeria had lost at home on Thursday to the Central African Republic in a shock defeat that was their first in 39 World Cup qualifiers stretching back to 2004.
But they won the reverse fixture in Douala, Cameroon with Leon Balogun and Victor Osimhen scoring in the first half.
Balogun made up for the slip that allowed the Central African Republic to score in the last minute in Lagos on Thursday. He met a Moses Simon cross to finish unmarked at the back post in the 29th minute.
Nigeria have a two-point advantage in Group C over the Cape Verde Islands, who were 1-0 home winners over Liberia in Mindelo on Sunday. For the second time in three days, they beat the Liberians with a last-gasp winner, this time from captain Ryan Mendes.
Tanzania top Group J after beating Benin 1-0 away just three days after losing to the same team at home. Simon Msuva cracked home a long-range shot after six minutes to advance his country to seven points, ahead of Benin on goals scored.
The Democratic Republic of Congo, who are the group favourites, are two points back after losing 1-0 away in Madagascar on Sunday.
Ibrahima Kone took his goal tally in World Cup qualification to four as he scored for Mali in their 1-0 win away against Kenya in Nairobi to stay two points clear of Uganda in the Group E standings. Uganda won 1-0 at home to Rwanda with Fahad Aziz Bayo scoring.
Tunisia lost their 100% record in Group B after being held to a goalless draw in Mauritania but they are three points clear of second-placed Equatorial Guinea, who drew 1-1 away in Zambia.
Five more African qualifiers will be played on Monday. The winner of each of the 10 groups advances to March’s playoff where the five ties will be played over two legs with the aggregate winner qualifying for the World Cup finals.
The first hostages freed from Gaza under a long-awaited ceasefire agreement are back in Israel. The news sparked jubilant scenes in Tel Aviv where large crowds gathered ahead of their release.
The three freed Israeli hostages – the first of 33 to be released over the next six weeks – are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari. They are said to be in good health and are receiving treatment at a medical center in Tel Aviv.
In exchange, 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees are set to be released by Israel from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military withdrew from several locations in southern and northern Gaza after the truce began earlier on Sunday, an Israeli military official told CNN.
Displaced Gazans have started returning to their homes, while the aid trucks laden with much-needed supplies have crossed into Gaza. Here’s what we know about how the ceasefire deal will work.
Hamas, despite suffering devastating losses, is framing the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a victory for itself, and a failure for Israel.
One of Hamas’ main goals for taking some 250 people during its brazen October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. As Israel pounded Gaza in response, Hamas vowed not to return the hostages until Israel withdrew its forces from the enclave, permanently ended the war, and allowed for rebuilding.
Source: CNN
The leader of UK’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has said she doesn’t want Britain to be like Nigeria that is plagued by “terrible governments.”
Speaking on Thursday at an event organised by Onward, a British think tank producing research on economic and social issues, Badenoch expressed fears that Britain may become like Nigeria if the system is not reformed.
“And why does this matter so much to me? It’s because I know what it is like to have something and then to lose it,” Badenoch told the audience.
“I don’t want Britain to lose what it has.
“I grew up in a poor country and watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer, despite working harder and harder as their money disappeared with inflation.
“I came back to the UK aged 16 with my father’s last £100 in the hope of a better life.
“So I have lived with the consequences of terrible governments that destroy lives, and I never, ever want it to happen here.”
Badenoch has been in the news of late after she dissociated herself from Nigeria, saying she has nothing to do with the Islamic northern region.
She also accused the Nigeria Police of robbing citizens instead of protecting them.
She said: “My experience with the Nigeria Police was very negative. Coming to the UK, my experience with the British Police was very positive.
“The police in Nigeria will rob us (laughter). When people say I have this bad experience with the police because I’m black, I say well…I remember the police stole my brother’s shoe and his watch.”
