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MotoGP Thailand GP: Bagnaia strikes back to win over Martin, Marquez crashes

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Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing © Autosport.com
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Francesco Bagnaia has reduced Jorge Martin’s lead in the 2024 MotoGP standings after mastering wet conditions to win the Thailand Grand Prix.

The Italian capitalised on an error by Martin in the early stages to take the lead and assume control, Bagnaia going on to take the flag almost three seconds clear of his title rival.

It allows Bagnaia to recover ground conceded to Martin in Saturday’s sprint race with the margin between the Ducati pair reduced to 17 points with two rounds of the season remaining.

As flurries of rain threatened to throw a curveball into what is already a finely poised 2024 MotoGP title battle, Martin held the advantage early on after grabbing the lead at Turn 1 off the line from Bagnaia.

Going on to pull a second clear of the Italian, a mistake by Martin coming into the hairpin on lap five of 26 allowed both Bagnaia and Marc Marquez to slip past.

With further leery moments in the tricky conditions stymying Martin’s attempts at recovering lost ground on his Ducati counterparts ahead, Bagnaia and Marquez moved clear in their battle for the lead.

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

However, when Marquez’s challenge ended on lap 14 with an off at Turn 9, Bagnaia was released into a comfortable advantage he protected to the chequered flag for his ninth victory of the 2024 MotoGP season.

In second, Martin benefitted from Marquez’s exit to limit the damage to his championship advantage with just two rounds and four races remaining.

Behind Martin, countryman Pedro Acosta came on strong in the closing stages following earlier off-track moments to recover to a fifth podium of the season in third, while Fabio di Giannantoniobrought his 2024 MotoGP campaign to a close in fourth ahead of the surgery that will sideline him from the remaining two events.

Jack Miller ran as high as third as he revelled in the slippery conditions before slipping back to fifth at the flag, ahead of factory KTM team-mate Brad Binder in sixth.

Maverick Vinales flew the flag for Aprilia in seventh place, ahead of top Honda rider Johann Zarco in eighth and Aleix Espargaro on the second of the factory Aprilias in ninth.

Despite falling on the sighting lap in the worst of the weather conditions, Alex Marquez made it back to complete the top 10, leading brother and team-mate Marc in 11th after the six-time MotoGP world champion remounted for a points finish.

Marquez was initially docked one position, behind Honda’s Luca Marini, for “irresponsible riding” while battling with former team-mate Joan Mir, but video evidence showed Marquez had already given the place back, meaning he was eventually classified 11th.

Marquez wasn’t the only rider to fall victim to the conditions with Enea Bastianini also crashing, though the Italian got going again for a 14th place finish behind Takaaki Nakagami, the final point going the way of Mir.

Elsewhere, Marco Bezzecchi was another to crash out, while both Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins fell to leave Yamaha pointless.

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Ugwumba Uche Nwosu the former Chief of Staff and Son in-law of former Governor of Imo State Owelle Rochas Okorocha, has donated 1000 tickets for Heartland FC of Owerri fans for the Oriental Derby between Heartland Football Club of Owerri and Rangers Football Club of Enugu.

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Ugwumba Uche Nwosu the former Chief of Staff and Son in-law of former Governor of Imo State Owelle Rochas Okorocha, has donated 1000 tickets for Heartland FC of Owerri fans for the Oriental Derby between Heartland Football Club of Owerri and Rangers Football Club of Enugu.

The game is slated for today Saturday, 23rd November, 2024 at Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri by 4:PM.

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IWUANYANWU NATIONALE 1988.

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Back row (l-r): Edward Ansah, Cyril Levi, Toyin Ayinla, Godwin Eke, Thompson Oliha, Mike Obi, Wahab Haruna, Samson Ozogula, Andrew Uwe.

Squatting (l-r): Lawrence Okaegbu, Ramson Madu, Uwem Ekarika, Uwakwe Eke, Paul Uzokwe, Peter Nieketien and Friday Ekpo.

#tbt

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The list of 24 teams that qualified for 2025 AFCON

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The lineup for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is now complete, promising a thrilling competition hosted by Morocco in December next year.

The tournament will feature 24 teams, including a mix of seasoned champions and ambitious underdogs. Here’s a recap:

Qualified Nations:

Morocco (Hosts)

Burkina Faso

Cameroon

Algeria

DR Congo

Senegal

Egypt

Angola

Equatorial Guinea

Côte d’Ivoire (Defending Champions)

Uganda

South Africa

Gabon

Tunisia

Nigeria

Zambia

Mali

Zimbabwe

Comoros

Sudan

Benin

Tanzania

Botswana

Mozambique

Highlights:

1. Host Advantage: Morocco automatically qualifies as the host nation, setting the stage for a passionate home crowd.

2. Returning Champions: Former AFCON winners Senegal, Algeria, Egypt, and Côte d’Ivoire will vie for continental glory.

3. Iconic Teams: Powerhouses like Nigeria, Tunisia, and South Africa ensure a highly competitive tournament.

4. Comebacks: Botswana makes a notable return after 12 years, alongside teams like DR Congo, Angola, and Gabon.

5. Last-Minute Thrills: Sudan and Benin clinched their places on the final day of qualifiers, with Mozambique claiming the last spot after a decisive 2-1 victory over Guinea-Bissau.

This diverse lineup guarantees an electrifying AFCON 2025, where teams will battle for supremacy and pride on Africa’s grandest footballing stage.

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