Sports
AFCON 2021: CAF to Use VAR in All 52 Matches
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) will be used throughout the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament set to commence next month in Cameroon.
This will be the first time that the technology will be used for the entire duration of the regional football tournament as it was first introduced during the 2019 edition of the AFCON in Egypt, at the knockout stages of the competition to the final.
There was also a plan for the system to be used in the 2019 CAF Champions League final between Esperance of Tunisia and Wydad Athletic Club of Morocco but the game was brought to a halt after the system failed to work prior to kick off.
Despite the difficulties in the past, the VAR has been used in some crucial club games on the continent as well as international matches, aiding in the acquisition of the technical know-how on the use of the system.
With the development of the system on the continent, CAF is set to allow the usage of the VAR in all 52 matches of the 2021 competition, which will be staged in Cameroon.
This means all 52 games will have the VAR. A total of 63 match officials have been picked to feature at the tournament.
The tournament, which will be played in six different stadia, will start on January 9 and finish on February 6.
AFCON Groups:
Group A: Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Cape Verde
Group B: Senegal, Zimbabwe, Guinea, Malawi
Group C: Morocco, Ghana, Comoros, Gabon
Group D: Nigeria, Egypt, Sudan, Guinea-Bissau
Group E: Algeria, Sierra-Leone, Equatorial Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire
Group F: Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Gambia
52 countries took part in the qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations for the only 24 places available. The qualified teams unveiled after a campaign that started in October 2019 and ended in June 2021, due to the one-year hiatus caused by COVID-19, are now fixed on their opponents.
Road to Final
Group stage: from January 9 to 20, 2022
Round of 16: January 23-26, 2022
Quarter-finals: January 29 and 30, 2022
Semi-finals: February 2 and 3, 2022
Third Place match and Final: February 6, 2022.
Five main cities were selected as hosts of the tournament, namely Douala and its Japoma Stadium, Yaoundé and its Ahmadou Ahidjo and Olembé Stadia, Bafoussam and its Kouekong Stadium, Garoua and its Roumdé-Adjia Stadium and finally the Limbe-Buea venue which houses the Limbe Omnisport Stadium.
Sports
What is SRL & Why is It Better Than Virtual Football
Today’s sports betting services are way more advanced than several years ago. Modern punters can wager on all kinds of sports from the comfort of their homes. Aside from the standard alternatives, however, players can also bet on virtual sports and even take part in the simulated reality league (SRL).
Unlike Virtual Sports, which has been around for years, SRL is relatively new, meaning that not a lot of people know about it. Although it has its specifics, a lot of punters agree that it can be better than v-sports, especially virtual football. There are many reasons for it, so let’s dive in and learn more.
What’s the Simulated Reality League?
Before learning why the SRL is better than virtual football, it is important to share a few things about it. Generally speaking, the Simulated Reality League is a place where advanced machine learning tech and AI process large amounts of data from numerous sporting events. Thanks to that, the AI algorithm can create different numbers of situations, gameplays, and outcomes.
To put it in other words, this complex system uses the real performance of teams or players and creates a similar sporting experience where the results are unpredictable. Unlike in Virtual Sports, where everything is based on the RNG system, here, the Simulated reality league matches are based on the performance of the players and teams. In the case of football, the league offers matches from the world’s best football competitions, such as the EPL, La Liga, and the Bundesliga, and all of them take place at the same time as the real games.
It’s no surprise that the Simulated reality focuses mainly on football because this is the most popular sport in the world. With that said, it is also possible to find simulations for cricket, especially the T20 format that includes the Indian Premier League. Additionally, players will find daily coverage of the big WTA and ATP tennis tournaments.
The specifics
Since Simulated Reality is not that common among sports bettors yet, many people are not exactly sure how it all works. The most important aspect to remember is that everything is unpredictable and exciting. The matches are simulations of real-time events, and AI and the RNG tech ensure that the result is not predetermined. Instead, it is based on what’s happening in the match, making it much more exciting.
AI is the main star of the show here and is the “engine” behind everything. The people behind the SRL train the algorithm to process a lot of data and come up with unique sequences. The latter replicates the real match, providing bettors with a unique experience.
Since all Simulated Reality is new, it also means that people who have not used it so far will have a completely new experience. As we have seen, SR is very different from virtual sports, so it will be something that players will be interested in.
Things to keep in mind when comparing SR to Virtual Football
As mentioned, these two have many differences that people need to take into account. Perhaps the biggest one is realism because V-sports are just simulations that are entirely based on RNG. This means that their outcomes are random and have nothing to do with the real performance of the teams and players.
Those who decide to bet on the Simulator Reality League, however, will see that the latter uses a different algorithm. In other words, players have various types of experience.
With that said, there are some drawbacks of the SRL that bettors need to take into account, one of which is availability. Virtual Sports are available around the clock, which means you can bet on them at any time of the day. The SRL, on the other hand, is based on actual matches across football, cricket, and tennis. This means that there are only a handful of events per day.
The second drawback that users have to take into consideration is the match’s length. As mentioned, virtual sports are always there when you need them, and each match lasts no more than a couple of minutes. This allows you to bet on multiple options.
Due to how it works, the SRL is not like that because the matches there take as much time as the real ones. In the case of soccer, players will have regular 90 minutes of play.
Conclusion
Despite some disadvantages, the SRL is a very attractive option for people who want to bet on football. The new tech is somewhat between real sports betting and virtual sports, so it will definitely have a lot of fans. It will be very interesting to keep track of this option’s future development.
Sports
Mayorkun, YKB to Thrill Fans at GOtv Boxing Night December 26
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
On Thursday, December 26, 2024, boxing fans will be serenaded with good music by the duo of Mayorkun, also known as Mayor of Lagos and YKB.
The two Afrobeats artists will be at the 32nd edition of the prestigious boxing show, GOtv Boxing Night, at Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos.
A statement from the organisers of the event, Flykite Productions, also disclosed that more music stars would perform at the show to be anchored by MC Lively.
The boxing showpiece, sponsored by GOtv, will be broadcast live on SuperSport channels across 50 African countries.
A total of six fights are scheduled for event, with the clash between the flamboyant Raheem “Badoo” Animashaun and Hammed “Ese” Ganiyu the pick of the lot. Also billed to hold is the national super welterweight title fight between Lateef “Enuoshe” Azeez and Rasheed “Fally Boy” Adeyemo.
In the other bouts, Sikiru “Omo Iya Eleja” Shogbesan will battle Imole “System” Oloyede in a national super featherweight challenge bout; Taiwo “Gentle Boy” Olowu will confront Jafaru “Tanka” Suleiman in a national super welterweight challenge, while Akintunde Abolade will square up against Emmanuel Abimbola in the national super flyweight category.
There will also be the exhibition clash between Kehinde Owoeye and Emmanuel Bamidele will face-off in the amateur flyweight category.
Commenting on the forthcoming programme, the Chief Operating Officer of Flykite Productions, Mr Bamidele Johnson, said, “Boxing fans know that the December edition of GOtv Boxing Night is always a vibrant celebration of boxing and music.
“This year, we are taking it up a notch by blending thrilling bouts with electrifying music and comedic performances by top entertainers, to give the fans a Boxing Day experience to remember.”
Sports
Supreme Court Nullifies National Lottery Act 2005
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The National Lottery Act 2005 enacted by the National Assembly has been nullified by the Supreme Court.
In the lead judgment delivered on Friday by Justice Mohammed Idris, the apex court held that the parliament lacked the powers to legislate on issues relating to lottery and games of chance.
The seven-member panel of justices, in their unanimous judgment, emphasised that the Lagos State government and others were right in their arguments that the federal government cannot legislate a lottery for sub-nationals.
Recall that in 2008, the Lagos State government challenged the National Lottery Act 2005, saying it also has the right to legislate which company operates betting and others since the federation does not have the exclusive power to do this.
The Supreme Court agreed and held that the National Lottery Act 2005 should no longer be enforced in all states, except the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
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