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BEIJING 2008 OLYMPIC STADIUM, BIRD NEST, CLOSED OVER EPIDEMIC

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The National Stadium in Beijing, commonly called ‘Bird Nest’ is among several public buildings to have been closed by Chinese authorities as they battle to contain the outbreak of the coronavirus, which is sweeping across China.

The Stadium was the centrepiece of the 2008 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, hosting the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and the athletics.

It is also due to be involved in the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics when it will become the first stadium in history to host the Opening Ceremonies of both Summer and Winter Games. 

Chinese officials announced they are closing the Stadium until at least next Thursday (January 30) to “prevent and control” the spread of the virus, authorities said. 

An ice and snow show taking place on the pitch to help celebrate the Chinese New Year has been cancelled.

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The Chinese Government have ordered the shutdown of a number of tourist attractions to try to control the spread of the deadly virus that has infected hundreds of people across the country.

A range of Lunar New Year festivities have been cancelled to try to contain the virus, and Beijing’s Forbidden City has also been closed temporarily.

Parts of the Great Wall of China have also been closed.

The number of people to have died from the virus rose to 41 today, with more than 1,300 infected globally, but most of the cases and all of the deaths so far have been in Wuhan, where officials have imposed severe restrictions on travel and public gatherings.

Wuhan was due to host two major Olympic qualifying events next month but both have now been moved.

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The Asian and Oceania boxing qualifying event, originally due to start in Wuhan on February 3, has now been moved to Amman in Jordan and re-scheduled for March.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), meanwhile, moved one of its qualifiers for the women’s tournament at Tokyo 2020 from Wuhan to Nanjing, 550 kilometres away.

Group B will be led by hosts China, who will take on Australia, Thailand and Chinese Taipei.

Australian goalkeeper Lydia Williams admitted they were relieved when the tournament was moved away from Wuhan.

“It’s good to see that we’re not going to Wuhan,” she told The Daily Telegraph in Sydney.

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“We were kept in the dark, I think for a good reason, our Federation, while FIFA and the AFC were all in discussions about our Plan B.

“But our staff really did a top job of communicating and making sure that, until they had something concrete, they weren’t going to comment on it.”

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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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

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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.

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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

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