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Paris 2024: Ajayi Shatters Nigerian Record, Advances To 100m Semifinals

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Nigeria’s Kanyinsola Ajayi has made headlines at the 2024 Paris Olympics by securing a spot in the men’s 100m semifinals event.

Ajayi clinched victory in heat 5 with an impressive time of 10.02 seconds, setting a new record for the fastest opening round time by a Nigerian, surpassing Davidson Ezinwa’s previous mark of 10.03 seconds.

The 19-year-old Ajayi outpaced Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs of Italy, who finished second with a time of 10.05 seconds, and Ghana’s Abdul-Rasheed Saminu, who took third place with 10.06 seconds.

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Ajayi, with a personal best of 10.00 seconds, is closing in on the coveted sub-10 second mark.

Fellow Nigerian Favour Ashe, also a student at Auburn University in the USA, secured a spot in the semifinals after finishing fourth in his heat with a time of 10.16 seconds.

Ashe’s progression was confirmed as a non-automatic qualifier.

In other notable performances, Jamaica’s Oblique Seville won heat 4 with a time of 9.99 seconds, while Great Britain’s Louie Hinchliffe set the pace with the fastest time of the competition so far, winning heat 3 in 9.98 seconds.

Despite an unanticipated run, Noah Lyles advanced to the semifinals, finishing second in his heat behind Hinchliffe.

Ajayi and Ashe will compete in the semifinals alongside top athletes such as South Africa’s Akani Simbine and USA’s Kenny Bednarek, who also won their respective heats.

At the previous Tokyo Olympics, Nigeria’s Enoch Adegoke advanced to the 100m final with a time of 10.00 seconds, finishing second in semi-final 2.

For the first time in 25 years, a Nigerian male athlete has advanced to the 100m final at the Olympic Games.

On Sunday, Nigerian athletes Kanyinsola Ajayi and Favour Ashe will face strong competition in their respective semifinal heats. Ajayi, competing in heat 2, will go up against a formidable field that includes Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, Akani Simbine of South Africa, and Kenneth Bednarek of the USA.

Ashe, meanwhile, will tackle a challenging lineup in his heat, featuring Noah Lyles of the USA, Oblique Seville of Jamaica, Louie Hinchliffe of Great Britain, Emmanuel Eseme of Cameroon, and Benjamin Azamati of Ghana.

Both Ajayi and Ashe will need to deliver exceptional performances to advance to the final and aim for a podium finish, matching the achievement of Enoch Adegoke from the previous Olympics.

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Belgium Appoints Rudi Garcia As National Team Coach

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The Belgian Football Federation has named Frenchman Rudi Garcia as the new head coach of the national team, following the sacking of Domenico Tedesco after a disappointing Euro 2024 campaign.

In a statement released on Friday, the federation confirmed the appointment of the Underworld former Napoli, Lyon, and Roma manager, who will be formally introduced to the press later in the day.

READ MORE: Nuri Sahin Fired As Borussia Dortmund Head Coach

Garcia’s task will be to rejuvenate the Red Devils after their early exit from the European Championship and underwhelming performances in the Nations League.

Belgium recently parted ways with Tedesco, who had been in charge since February 2023.

The Italian-German coach was brought in to rebuild the squad following the departure of the country’s celebrated “golden generation” under Roberto Martinez but failed to deliver the expected results.

The team now faces a critical relegation play-off against Ukraine in March, before beginning their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with a trip to North Macedonia in June.

Garcia brings a wealth of experience, having coached top European clubs such as Marseille and Lyon.

He also made his mark at Lille between 2008 and 2013, leading the French side to a Ligue 1 and Coupe de France double in 2011.

However, his most recent role at Napoli in 2023 ended in disappointment after just five months.

 

 

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Nuri Sahin Fired As Borussia Dortmund Head Coach

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Borussia Dortmund have sacked head coach Nuri Sahin after a disappointing 2-1 loss to Bologna in Tuesday’s Champions League match, marking the club’s fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions.

The decision follows a string of poor performances that have left the club in 10th place in the Bundesliga, 20 points adrift of league leaders Bayern Munich.

Sporting CEO Lars Ricken expressed that the club had “lost faith” in Sahin, explaining that the decision was painful but necessary.

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“We have unfortunately lost faith that we will achieve our sporting goals,” Ricken said. “We value Nuri Sahin and his work very much, we hoped for a long collaboration, but after the game in Bologna, this was unavoidable.”

Sahin, who had been promoted to head coach in the summer following his role as assistant to Edin Terzic during Dortmund’s surprise Champions League final run last season, acknowledged the disappointment.

“Unfortunately, I was not able to live up to Dortmund’s sporting ambitions at this point in time. I wish this special club all the best.”

The defeat against Bologna caps a difficult season for the club under Sahin’s stewardship.

Despite their strong showing in last season’s Champions League, where they lost to Real Madrid in the final, Dortmund have struggled in the Bundesliga and were eliminated from the German Cup by Wolfsburg.

Their away form, in particular, has been disastrous, with only four wins and nine losses in 15 matches away from the Westfalenstadion.

Dortmund’s leadership, which has historically favored former players in managerial roles, now faces the task of finding a suitable replacement for Sahin.

German media reports suggest potential successors could include Erik Ten Hag, the former Manchester United boss who has been spotted attending Dortmund games recently, or Roger Schmidt, formerly of Benfica and Bayer Leverkusen.

In the interim, U19 coach Mike Tullberg has been appointed to take charge of the first team, starting with Saturday’s home match against Werder Bremen.

The sacking of Sahin is the latest chapter in a turbulent managerial history for Dortmund since the departure of Jurgen Klopp in 2015, with the club having cycled through eight different head coaches in that time. Only Lucien Favre managed to stay longer than two years.

Sahin’s tenure as manager was a significant moment for Dortmund, as he was one of the club’s own, having come through the ranks and played over 270 games for the team, including being part of the squad that won the 2011 Bundesliga title.

However, his time at the helm of the senior team has proven to be short-lived as Dortmund now seek a new direction.

 

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Man City Sign Brazilian Teenager, Vitor Reis For £29.6M

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Manchester City have completed the signing of 19-year-old defender Vitor Reis from Brazilian club Palmeiras, the Premier League champions announced on Tuesday.

The Brazilian youth international joins on a four-and-a-half-year deal for a reported fee of £29.6 million ($36.2 million).

Reis, a right-footed centre-back, expressed his enthusiasm about joining the English giants. “I’m excited to join Manchester City, one of the biggest clubs in the world,” said Reis.

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“Everyone has seen the amazing achievements in recent seasons, and I want to make my mark as we seek more trophies. Working with Pep Guardiola is something every young player wants to do, and I know he can help me to develop into the best player I can be.”

City’s director of football, Txiki Begiristain, highlighted the qualities that attracted the club to Reis.

He said, “Vitor Reis is one of the most promising young defenders in the world, and we’re delighted to have been able to bring him here. He is excellent on the ball and outstanding in the air — he has all the attributes needed to be one of the best.”

The signing of Reis is City’s second addition of the January transfer window, following the arrival of Uzbekistan international Abdukodir Khusanov.

Reports indicate that the club is also pursuing Eintracht Frankfurt striker Omar Marmoush before the window closes.

Manchester City, currently fifth in the Premier League table, have faced challenges this season due to a series of defensive injuries.

However, the team showcased their attacking strength with a dominant 6-0 victory over Ipswich on Sunday.

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