Connect with us

Olympics

Identity of who lights Olympic Cauldron is kept secret as Zidane is a suspect

blank

Published

on

Zidane In The Picture As New Man United Owner Schemes For Ten Hag Sack -
Zinadine Zidane may light the Olympic Cauldron on Friday
blank

The identity of the person who lights the Olympic cauldron on the night of the opening ceremony is one of sport’s best-kept secrets, with less than a dozen people in the know.

Paris 2024 organising committee president Tony Estanguet on Sunday said the person who will light the cauldron on Friday was not yet aware they had been selected.

Here are the top five contenders:

MARIE-JOSE PEREC

The 56-year-old is widely considered to be France’s best Olympian of all time, with three gold medals across two Games in athletics.

Perec, who was born in the overseas region of Guadeloupe, won the 400 metres title at the Barcelona Games in 1992 before achieving the 200-400m double four years later in Atlanta.

She bore the torch in her native Guadeloupe but Estanguet said someone who had already carried it could not be ruled out.

Advertisement

OMAR SY

The star of ‘The Untouchables’, of West African origin, is one of France’s most-beloved personalities. He also stars in the Netflix show ‘Lupin’, whose first series is the third-most watched on the platform, with almost 100 million viewers.

ZINEDINE ZIDANE

France’s greatest soccer player who helped Les Bleus to their first World Cup title, on home soil in 1998 and to the European title two years later, Zidane, whose parents are from Algeria, hails from the Marseille estates.

He was the favourite to bring the Olympic flame to land in Marseille after its boat trip from Greece but eventually was not involved.

THOMAS PESQUET

The Frenchman is the most experienced European astronaut with almost 400 days spent in space – and possibly as many spent on TV sets due to his huge popularity in the country.

SURVIVOR(S) FROM THE NOVEMBER 13, 2015 ATTACKS

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo says she decided to support the Olympic bid after Islamist squads killed 130 people in a night of carnage across Paris on Nov. 13, 2015, looking to lift the Parisians’ moods. It would be fitting to see one or several survivors of the attacks light the cauldron on Friday.

Advertisement

-Reuters

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

Olympics

Nigeria’s Olympic Foes Arrive After Incredible 30-0 Aggregate Rout of Sudan

blank

Published

on

blank
The good news for Comoros: a record-breaking 30-0 aggregate triumph over Sudan has secured passage to the next round of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic qualifiers. The bad news: standing between the Coelacanthes and further progress are Nigeria's Super Falcons, Africa's 10-time champions and perennial continental powerhouse.

Nigeria’s Super Falcons will face a confident and free-scoring Comoros side in the next round of the women’s football qualifiers for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games after the island nation completed a staggering 30-0 aggregate demolition of Sudan.

Comoros sealed their passage to the next stage with a 13-0 victory in the second leg of their first-round tie, having already recorded a commanding win in the opening match. The result saw the Coelacanthes score an extraordinary 30 goals across the two legs without conceding a single goal.

The emphatic triumph has generated excitement around the rapidly improving Comoros women’s national team, but a much sterner examination now awaits against Africa’s most successful women’s football nation.

Nigeria, ten-time African champions and one of the continent’s traditional powerhouses, enter the next round as overwhelming favourites. However, Comoros’ remarkable scoring exploits against Sudan suggest they will arrive with growing confidence and belief.

The Coelacanthes dominated both encounters from start to finish, displaying clinical finishing and defensive solidity that left Sudan with no answer. Their tally of 30 goals over two matches represents an astonishing average of 15 goals per game.

For Nigeria, the fixture will mark the beginning of another quest for Olympic qualification after missing out on the women’s football tournament at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Advertisement




The Super Falcons, who recently impressed in their international friendly victories over Senegal in Ikenne, boast vastly greater experience and pedigree than their upcoming opponents. The nine-time Women’s Africa Cup of Nations champions have consistently been among the continent’s strongest teams and remain Africa’s highest-ranked women’s national side.

Comoros coach Youssouf Abdallah has described his team’s performances against Sudan as evidence of the progress being made within the squad, but the encounter with Nigeria will provide a true measure of their development.

While Comoros’ record-breaking victory has captured attention across African football, the challenge of overcoming Nigeria represents a significant leap in quality. The Super Falcons have traditionally dominated lower-ranked African opponents and will be expected to continue their march towards a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

The dates for the second-round qualifiers are expected to be confirmed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), with the winners advancing further in the race for a place at the Olympic Games in the United States.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

 

Advertisement




Continue Reading

Olympics

Super Falcons Draw Bye, Set to Face South Sudan or Comoros in LA 2028 Olympic Qualifiers

blank

Published

on

blank
Super Falcons endured a 16-year gap in between their last two participation at the women's football event of the Olympic Games.

By Kunle Solaja.

Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, will begin their campaign for a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games from the second round of the African qualifiers after being granted a bye in the opening stage.

The draw, conducted on Wednesday in Cairo by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), placed Nigeria among 29 higher-ranked teams exempted from the first round of the series.

The Super Falcons will take on the winner of the first-round clash between South Sudan and Comoros in their opening fixture of the qualifiers.

A total of 35 nations are competing for just two available slots allocated to Africa for the women’s football tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, underlining the intensity and high stakes of the qualification process.

Advertisement
blank

The qualifiers will be contested over five knockout rounds on a home-and-away basis, leaving little room for error as teams battle for continental representation on the global stage.

The first round involves the six lowest-ranked teams—Sudan, Mauritius, Djibouti, South Sudan, Madagascar and Comoros—based on the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings. Winners from this stage will advance to face each other again before the 29 seeded teams, including Nigeria, enter the fray.

blank

Nigeria will be aiming to consolidate their status among Africa’s elite women’s football nations, having qualified for the most recent Olympic tournament alongside Zambia at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Although the Super Falcons boast a notable Olympic pedigree, having made their debut at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and subsequently appearing at Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and Paris 2024, qualification has not always been easy.

The 16-year gap between their last two participations in Beijing 2008 and Paris 2024 illustrates the tough time they have endured in the qualifying series.

With the women’s football event at Los Angeles 2028 set to feature 16 teams—including hosts the United States—Nigeria’s path to qualification is expected to be demanding.

Attention will now shift to the preliminary encounter between South Sudan and Comoros, as Nigeria’s technical crew intensify preparations ahead of their second-round entry point.

Advertisement

For the Super Falcons, the mission is clear: successfully navigate a rigorous qualifying campaign and secure a return to the Olympic stage in 2028.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Continue Reading

Olympics

Nigeria’s Road to Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games Begins with CAF Draw in Cairo

blank

Published

on

blank

Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, will on Wednesday discover their route to the football event of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles when the Confederation of African Football conducts the official draw in Cairo.

The draw ceremony, scheduled for April 29 at CAF headquarters in Egypt, will set in motion Africa’s qualifying campaign for the women’s football tournament of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

A total of 35 countries, including Nigeria, will participate in the race for just two tickets allocated to Africa for the Olympic football event, which will take place from July 11 to 29, 2028.

Alongside Nigeria, other contenders include continental heavyweights such as South Africa, Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco and Zambia, as well as a wide range of emerging nations from across the continent.

The full list of participating teams also features Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

Advertisement

According to CAF, the qualification series will be played over five rounds, gradually narrowing the field to the two teams that will fly Africa’s flag at the Olympics in the United States.

For Nigeria, Africa’s most successful women’s national team, the qualifiers present another opportunity to reaffirm their continental dominance and secure a return to the Olympic stage after recent mixed fortunes in global competitions.

The Super Falcons, nine-time African champions, are expected to be among the top seeds when the draw is conducted, a factor that could influence their early-round opponents.

Wednesday’s ceremony in Cairo will therefore provide clarity on the fixtures, timelines and potential hurdles facing Nigeria and other contenders as the road to Los Angeles officially begins.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Most Viewed