Sports Zone 16-02-23

Enjoy the sports crew bantering and discussing news updates in the world of sports.

- the suspension of Nigerian sprinter Divine Oduduru by the Athletics Integrity Unit for Anti-Doping Violations on February 9, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria has stepped up moves to checkmate the country’s athletes from indulging in the use of banned substances.

- LEWIS HAMILTON will defy the FIA ban on drivers making political and personal statements.

- Rory McIlroy says the world number one ranking has been passed around "like a hot potato" as he looks to regain top sot at the Genesis Invitational.

- THE DISTRAUGHT wife of rugby league love rat Joe Westerman told yesterday how his sex tape shame had destroyed their family, saying: “I’ll never be able to get it out of my mind.”

- Nigeria's Super Falcons in the early hours of Thursday began their campaign in the Revelations Cup invitational tournament on a losing note at the Leon Stadium as they were beaten 1-0 by the hosts, Mexico.

- Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro’s indigenous backroom staff are yet to be paid their salaries and allowances and have not been handed contracts nine months after they were hired by the Nigeria Football Federation.

- Group A leaders, Bendel Insurance, yesterday, faced, perhaps, their toughest game of the 2022/23 Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL), so far, but at the end, they came out 1-0 winners against visiting Nasarawa United.

- Going by the projection of GTI Group, a top notch investment bank in Nigeria, state governments sponsored clubs will exit the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) in the next five years when its intervention starts yielding dividends.

- Former Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr, says he recommended Nigerian marksman Terem Moffi to Nice — his former club — after working closely with him in the national team.

- Graham Potter believes Chelsea are heading in the right direction despite a 1-0 defeat in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 meeting with Borussia Dortmund.

- Kevin De Bruyne was greeted by a hail of plastic bottles as he made his way off the pitch at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening.

- Southampton may well have ended their interest in making Jesse Marsch their new manager after talks broke down.

- CRISTIANO Ronaldo has won £278,000 from his rape accuser’s lawyer for acting in “bad faith” over bogus sex claims.