Nigeria Premier League

Simona Halep: Two-time Grand Slam champion handed four-year ban for doping

Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep has been banned for four years following breaches of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme.

An independent tribunal determined the 31-year-old Romanian had committed “intentional” anti-doping violations.

Halep said in a statement she intends to appeal against the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“I am continuing to train and do everything in my power to clear my name of these false allegations,” she said.

Halep tested positive for the use of roxadustat at last year’s US Open.

She was also found guilty of using an unspecified prohibited substance or method in 2022 after irregularities were found in her biological passport.

The tribunal accepted Halep’s argument she had taken a contaminated supplement, but decided that would not have resulted in the concentration of roxadustat found in her urine sample.

The panel also stated they had no reason to doubt the unanimous “strong opinion” reached by three independent experts that “likely doping” was the explanation for the irregularities in her biological passport.

Halep has been provisionally suspended since October 2022, which means she will be able to play again on 7 October 2026, by which time she will be 35.

The findings of the tribunal, however, can be appealed against and Halep indicated that she would challenge the verdict.

She said: “The last year has been the hardest match of my life, and unfortunately my fight continues. I have devoted my life to the beautiful game of tennis.

“I take the rules that govern our sport very seriously and take pride in the fact I have never knowingly or intentionally used any prohibited substance. I refused to accept their decision of a four-year ban.”

Halep said she “adjusted” her nutritional supplements on the recommendation of her team before the hard court season in 2022 and that “none of the listed ingredients included any prohibited substances”.

However, she acknowledged that “one of them was contaminated with roxadustat” and she also planned to “pursue all legal remedies against the supplement company in question”.

Halep added: “I was tested almost weekly after my initial positive test through early 2023, all of which came back negative.

“I believe in a clean sport and in almost two decades as a professional tennis player, through hundreds of tournaments and two Grand Slam titles, I have taken 200 blood and urine tests to check for prohibited substances – all of which have been clean.”

Halep, who won the French Open in 2018 and Wimbledon the following year, is the highest-profile tennis player to fail a drugs test since Maria Sharapova in 2016.

She has won 24 WTA tour singles titles and earned £32.2m ($40.2m) in prize money and was ranked number one in the world in 2017 and 2018.

Nigeria Premier League

Rangers’ Coach Rues Defeat At El-Kanemi, Says My Boys Lost Concentration When It Mattered

Rangers International FC’s coach, Fidelis Ilechukwu, attributed his team’s 2-1 defeat to El-Kanemi Warriors FC in Maiduguri on Wednesday to lapses in concentration within his defence.

The NPFL matchday 21 clash saw El-Kanemi secured the win at the El-Kanemi Stadium, Maiduguri.

Ilechukwu, who also serves as an assistant coach for the Nigerian national team, acknowledged his players’ overall performance but highlighted two critical moments of defensive inattentiveness that allowed El-Kanemi to score.

He expressed confidence in the team’s ability to bounce back, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a positive mindset and focusing on future achievements.

He described the current situation as a temporary setback and reassured fans that Rangers would soon return to winning form while urging his players to remain confident as they prepare for their next game against the high-scoring Ikorodu City.

El-Kanemi’s goals came from Nasiru Salihu, who scored in the 18th and 73rd minutes. Isaac Saviour scored the lone goal for Rangers in the 63rd minute.

Despite Rangers’ efforts to equalize, including the introduction of former World Cup star Michael Uchebo, El-Kanemi’s goalkeeper, Abine George, made crucial saves in extra time to secure the victory.

The win moved El-Kanemi Warriors into 4th place on the league table, while Rangers dropped to 6th.

Rangers will face Ikorodu City, who are currently 5th with the same number of points, at home on Monday, February 3, 2025, at 4:00 pm at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu.

Nigeria Premier League

Ogunmodede reflects on Emo Stars’ win over Abia Warriors

Emo Stars technical adviser Daniel Ogunmodede admitted his side was fortunate to secure a 3-2 victory over Abia Warriors in Ikenne on Wednesday.

Abia Warriors took a 2-0 lead in the first half, with goals from Ayodele Eziekel and Anthony Ijoma. However, Emo Stars responded with three goals from Olamilekan Adebayo, Jabbar Malik, and Franck Mawuena to clinch the win.

Ogunmodede acknowledged that his team had underestimated their opponents but managed to turn things around. “The game was tense and shocking in the first half on our home ground. Not every time you will be lucky against a great team we played against,” he said in the post-match interview.

“We underestimated the qualities of our opponent, and we were punished for it. But luckily, we identified the problem and readjusted to get the victory.”

Emo Stars will now aim to build on this win as they continue their campaign

Nigeria Premier League

Kano Pillars eye maximum points in midweek showdown with Ikorodu City

Kano Pillars are determined to secure all three points in their upcoming fixture against Ikorodu City in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

The Sai Masu Gida will face Ikorodu City at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos on Wednesday.

Usman Abdallah’s side is upbeat and focused ahead of the match, with the players in high spirits.

“Done and dusted with the shake-ups ahead of our NPFL25 Matchday 21 clash against Ikorodu City this Wednesday at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Lagos,” Kano Pillars wrote on X.

“The boys are in high spirits and determined to secure maximum points as we aim to continue our impressive run this season.”

Kano Pillars currently sit in eighth place on the league table with 28 points.