#YNaija2013Review: ‘Ifreke Inyang brings you the top 10 sports moments of 2013

by ‘Ifreke Inyang

Football-crazy

From cycling to football to athletics, there were moments that left us excited, depressed and shocked in varying measure. But here are our top 10 picks from 2013:

The race is for the swift

blessing

In July, Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare, announced to her country and the world, that there’s a new name to mark in athletics. The sprinter won the 100m final at the London Anniversary Games, breasting the tape ahead of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and breaking an African record that existed for five years.

Fergie time is over

saf

After over two decades of remarkable success, Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down as manager of Manchester United. And of course, in typical Ferguson style, he signed off by winning the Premier League title – his 38th during his reign at Old Trafford.

 

The set time is come

Barcelona vs bayern munich head to head

It has been Bayern Munich’s year. 12 months after they were cruelly beaten in the UEFA Champions League final on their home turf by Chelsea, the Bavarians finally got their hands on the trophy. It was fitting that Arjen Robben scored the winner, as they triumphed over their Bundesliga rivals, Borussia Dormund at Wembley.

Golden Eaglets blew the world away

GE

The Golden Eaglets won the U-17 World Cup in UAE, after defeating defending champions Mexico, by 3-0 in the finals. All through the tournament, the young lads impressed us all with their attacking verve and talent, introducing us to new stars like Kelechi Iheanacho, Dele Alampasu, etc.

Andy comes in handy

Tennis - 2013 Wimbledon Championships - Day Thirteen - The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club

It took 77 years, but Andy Murray’s triumph at Wimbledon ended the wait for a British male champion. The Scotsman, who had previously lost in the final in 2012, defeated Novak Djokovic in straight sets following an epic tussle.

Blackout at the Super Bowl, but Beyonce lights up the arena

beyoncé-superbowl_784x0

Minutes into the second half of Super Bowl XLVII, there was an electrical failure, which caused the game to be delayed for more than 30 minutes. Let’s not be cynical here and claim that Beyonce took their shine away, after the superstar held the audience captive with her 15-minute half-time performance.

It’s number 20 for United!

Robin van Persie

It was not the best team of Ferguson’s era, but the Red Devils blew every rival away, as they stormed to their record 20th Premier League crown. It would be criminal not to give credit to Robin van Persie, who arrived from Arsenal last summer and was fittingly handed the number 20 shirt. The Dutchman was in sensational form, as he finally broke his personal trophy duck.

The Eagles were Super

caf

Sunday Mba scored a sensational winning goal, as the Super Eagles of Nigeria, defeated Burkina Faso 1-0 to win the 2013 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations. The victory ended a 19-year wait for the continental trophy and Stephen Keshi became only the second man, to win the trophy as a player and as a coach.

Catch me if you can

vettel

Still only 26, Sebastian Vettel this year, claimed a fourth successive Formula One drivers’ title following another brilliant season. The German driver won the final nine races of the season to take his tally to 13 overall.

I’m guilty!

lance

This year, Lance Armstrong finally admitted that his cycling career was ridden with performance-enhancing drugs. In a sit-down with TV queen Oprah Winfrey, Armstrong declared it would have been impossible to win any of his seven Tour de France titles, without the help of banned substances.

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