The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sports

  • Ogba leads AFN team to Obudu

    Ogba leads AFN team to Obudu

    Athletic Federation of Nigeria president, Solomon Ogba will lead the federation’s team to Saturday’s 8th Obudu international mountain race and the fourth African nations mountain running championships at the Obudu ranch resort in Obudu,Cross River state.

    Confirming this to the local organising committee for the race in an e-mail is Maria Worphil, the secretary general of the federation. Ogba will be the first AFN boss to grace the world class event jointly organised by the federation and the Cross River state government. Also expexted to be in the delegatipn are Mrs Worphil and the second vice president of the federation, Jide Josiah as well as Samuel Fatunla,the only athletics statistician recognised by the Association of Track and Field Statisticians.

    Meanwhile Honourable Patrick Ugbe, the state Commissioner for Youth and Sports has confirmed that all the elite athletes participating in Saturday’s race will be flown straight to Obudu from Lagos and Calabar.

    ‘The LOC has concluded arrangements to airlft all elite runners, both the local and foreign to the venue of the competition.We have an ultra-modern airstrip, Bedi airstrip at the ranch which is reputed as one of the best airstrips in the country.”Says Ugbe adding that His Excellency, Senator Liyel Imoke inspected the airstrip last year and it has since been in use.

    ‘I recall that the Governor inspected the Bedi Airstrip last year and was pleased with its modern equipment. He knows that one of the most difficult tasks a pilot has to perform is to achieve a smooth and safe landing and the airstrip is fitted with the latest landing aids which will help pilots find the correct landing course and to make landing safer,” Ugbe said.

  • AFRICAN UNDER-17 QUALIFIER: Eaglets to tackle Mali at 2:00 pm

    AFRICAN UNDER-17 QUALIFIER: Eaglets to tackle Mali at 2:00 pm

    The peculiar tight flight schedule within the West African sub region has again forced the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to change the kick off time of the Golden Eaglets’ Sunday’s Under-17 African Championship qualifier against the Junior Eagles of Mali to 2:00pm

    The match earlier billed for 4:00pm at the team’s traditional home ground at the U.J Esuene Sports Stadium in Calabar was shifted to 2:00pm so that the Malian delegation could return to Bamako via Lagos as scheduled on Monday.

    It would be recalled that similar reason was responsible for a similar 2:00pm kick off time against Guinea last month but the Golden Eaglets still grinded a convincing 3-0 win despite the harsh weather condition.

    The temperature in Calabar at present is oscillating between 25 and 30 degree Centigrade with a maximum temperature of 31 degree Centigrade expected on Sunday’s afternoon according to local weather forecast.

    Consequently, the Golden Eaglets have equally adjusted their training session in order to acclimatize ahead of the 2:00pm kick-off time even as the team’s medical doctor, Dr. Ayodeji Olarinoye has assured that the players would be able to cope despite the expected dry condition.

    “The good thing is that we have a bunch of experienced coaches and they have actually been making rooms for any change in our training programmes as we are experiencing now,” stated Olarinoye. “All the players we have in camp are match fit and in good spirit too. They would cope with the weather because they are already used to the weather in Calabar.”

    In a related development, Head coach Garba Manu (MFR) has already told the players to brace themselves up for the Malian challenge, adding that no sacrifice would be too small on their parts to ensure outright victory on Sunday.

    “We are playing at 2:00pm on Sunday and that means we must be battle ready,” Garba told the players after the team rounded off training after midday on Wednesday. “It is good that we have been familiarizing ourselves with training around this time and we shouldn’t have any worry playing at any time because we have been training over time during bad and good weather condition.

  • ‘Mikel miss is Eagles’ gain’

    ‘Mikel miss is Eagles’ gain’

    Tijjani Babangida has argued that the absence of Mikel Obi and Victor Moses against Venezuela will allow other players to show themselves.

    The former international told MTNFootball.com that though their presence could have added quality to the team, Keshi could use this chance to test other players ahead of next year’s AFCON.

    “In my own opinion, their absence is good for the team and the coach because it would afford him an opportunity to test other players,” Babangida said.

    “The coach has already seen them and know what they are capable of. And added to this is the fact that the EPL is really very demanding with games after every three days. As such their absence should be positively exploited.”

    In the meantime, the former international has called on Sports Minister Bolaji Abdullahi to allow Keshi do his work.

    The sports minister has ordered Keshi to stop experimenting with new players and get on with the serious job of preparing for the Nations Cup in South Africa.

    “The minister is just trying to cause trouble, he should be focused on ensuring that the funds needed for the AFCON campaign are released in time,” said the former Ajax Amsterdam winger.

    “If Keshi fails today, the minister cannot save him. They should leave Keshi to run his programme the best way he deems right. If he wants to test players for the Venezuela friendly I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

  • CLATTENBURG RACISM SAGA: Mikel knows fate today

    CLATTENBURG RACISM SAGA: Mikel knows fate today

    The Football Association will today make their announcement on the action they will take over Mark Clattenburg race-row allegations — Sportsmail understands they are unlikely to charge the referee.

    FA officials have spent a significant sum on legal advice and taken their time in order to come to the right decision.

    The announcement will come 18 days after Clattenburg was accused of calling Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel a ‘monkey’.

    The police Wednesday shelved their race abuse investigation into referee Mark Clattenburg after receiving no complaint from Chelsea.

    The Metropolitan Police have confirmed they are no longer investigating a complaint, made by the Society of Black Lawyers, regarding Clattenburg’s conduct.

    The FA inquiry finished on Friday and they have since been receiving legal opinion on a draft document.

    It has been delayed due to the vast amount of paperwork involved.

    Chelsea submitted 1,250 pages of evidence delivered by bike courier to the FA’s three-man compliance unit when John Terry was accused of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand — a charge he was later found guilty of by the FA.

    They have a full-time QC amongst their employees and it is believed the club will have been equally as thorough with this case.

    If, as expected, Clattenburg, 37, is cleared by the FA it will leave Chelsea’s reputation in tatters after their captain John Terry was banned for four matches and fined £220,000 after being found guilty of racially abusing QPR’s Anton Ferdinand by a Football Association independent regulatory commission.

  • How Hapoel fans booed Enyeama

    How Hapoel fans booed Enyeama

    Last weekend, Nigeria’s numero uno Vincent Enyema returned to face his old club Hapoel Tel Aviv in the ninth round of games in the Israeli championship.

    As expected, Enyeama was taunted by the home supporters, who still regard him as a traitor for joining their bitter rivals in the summer transfer market. Every time he touched the ball, the fans jeered and booed him.

    ”I was expecting much worse reception. For me it was as if they missed me. It’s Okay. Knew it would happen, I expected it,” Enyeama was quoted as saying by sports.walla.co.il.

    Had they won the game, Maccabi Tel Aviv would have opened a nine – point gap over one of their closest challengers for the title. Omer Damari’s 80th minute goal from the spot decided the tie.

    ”This is football, even if we would get the advantage of nine points, still remain more games to play, are we not playing until the end of May, this is a very long way. Have many more games. We’ve lost the game and lost three points, now we just have to go back to the drawing board. We are two points ahead and we fight until the end,” adds Enyeama.

    Maccabi Tel Aviv welcome Bnei Yehuda to the Bloomfield Stadium on Friday. Enyeama spent two seasons with The Lions from 2005 – 2007.

  • Africa Women’s Championship FALLOUT: Ikhana a scapegoat, says Onigbinde

    Africa Women’s Championship FALLOUT: Ikhana a scapegoat, says Onigbinde

    Former Nigerian manager, Adegboye Onigbinde, wants NFF to look beyond manager, Kadiri Ikhana to reverse Super Falcons’ dwindling fortune in Africa.

    Ikhana reportedly resigned his appointment on return from the African Women’s Championship in Equatorial Guinea on Monday where he guided beaten Cup holders, Falcons to her worst record at the biennial football showpiece.

    Onigbinde said the former Enyimba manager prosecuted the Africa Women’s Championship with the material available to him.

    “I’m not making excuses for Ikhana over his team’s show of shame at Equatorial Guinea. I’m disappointed that Super Falcons didn’t come back with at least bronze but not surprised because we’ve failed to explore the abundant material available to us.

    “Ikhana is not the problem of our failure at Equatorial Guinea, he went to the championship with what was available.

    “The decay in women football didn’t start with Ikhana. The men and women’s game is the same with one set of rules but for their chemistry and psychology I agree there is difference.

    “We must ask ourselves whether we’ve developed the game to the height obtainable in other lands. Have we spared a thought on administration.

    “We’ve to sit down to redress the problem but it must go beyond Ikhana. This is not the time to play the blame game or search for an escape goat but time for soul searching. If we limit it to Ikhana’s exit from the team we would’ve missed it,” the FIFA technical instructor said to supersport.com.

    The NFF technical committee member said failure or success in football competition is self-induced.

    “If you failed to plan, you would’ve deliberately planed to fail. Success or failure is a deliberate act, so when we fail as the case at hands points to we must be bold to tell ourselves the truth,” he added.

  • NFF stops NPL Congress

    NFF stops NPL Congress

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has directed the Nigeria Premier League to put on hold its 7th Congress earlier scheduled to take place on Saturday, 17th November in Kano.

    Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday, Chairman of the NFF Media and Publicity Committee, High Chief Emeka Inyama said the Federation took the decision as part of its determination to see that outstanding issues around the Premier League are conclusively resolved with a view to putting in place a credible first tier of Nigeria’s domestic football.

    “The NFF wrote the letter based on the need to put all lingering matters to rest before we can start talking about a new season. This is of high importance,” Inyama said.

    The letter, addressed to the Acting Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Premier League, Tunji Babalola, and signed by NFF General Secretary, Barr. Musa Amadu, read, inter alia: “I have the mandate of the President of the Nigeria Football Federation to inform you to put all arrangements for the staging of the NPL 7th Congress 2012 on hold until further notice.

    “This is as a result of several lingering issues around the Nigeria Premier League that have come to the fore and which must be fully resolved before a Congress can be called to set the date for the beginning of a new season.

    “You may kindly recall that the Nigeria Football Federation had earlier directed you to suspend plans for the commencement of a new season based on some issues. Now, other matters have been added, for which the NFF issued you a query that has only recently been answered.”

  • Teslim Balogun Stadium clinic begins 24-hr service

    Teslim Balogun Stadium clinic begins 24-hr service

    The Clinic at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, Lagos, on Monday started providing 24-hours (round-the-clock) medical services to the community, in preparation for the 18th National Sports Festival.

    Its Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Akin Judge, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos that the clinic was refurbished to provide services to athletes during and after the festival. Judge said the renovation, which was the normal routine by the government, also enabled the provision of sports-related drugs.

    “It is what needs to be done and the state government had just done it,’’ he said.

    The medical practitioner said that the staff of the clinic had undergone orientation because the stadium was one of the venues for the festival. He said that more drugs had been made available to the centre, to carter for the many athletes that would be patronising it during the fiesta.

    NAN reports that the clinic, which had been under lock for months, has begun bobbling with activities as many athletes were seen receiving medical attention there. NAN also reports that about seven medical personnel, made up of three doctors and four nurses, were attending to the athletes.

    The athletes, who were mostly Team Lagos football players, told NAN that their visit to the clinic was a routine exercise aimed at keeping them fit for the festival.

  • Yak eager to win title with Guangzhou

    Yak eager to win title with Guangzhou

    • Scores Chinese league high
    • Replies critics over Asian move

     

    Super Eagles and Guangzhou R&F forward Yakubu Aiyegbeni, has expressed a strong desire to win titles with the club, adding that he is happy to be part of ongoing development of the Chinese Super league (CSL).

    The former Blackburn Rovers ace who has since warmed himself into the hearts of Chinese fans thanks to his goal-scoring ability, dismissed insinuations in some quarters that the Chinese league is not strong compared to some other leagues.

    “I’ve only been there six months, but it’s more like a year,” Yakubu told BBC Sport. “People are quick to disrespect the Chinese league, but when you get involved you’ll find out the football is really good.”

    The 29-year-old, who has so far netted 9 goals for the club, maintained that love for the game took him to China adding however that it is up to his critics to either believe it or not.

    “You can’t compare it with England, but the Chinese players love to pass the ball around and things are getting better there.

    “I played in England for more than 10 years and had nothing to prove to anyone. If people say I went to China to make money, then it’s up to them.

    “I love playing football, and I think the time was right to move to a different place. For me, the chance to help develop the league is a great honour. Hopefully, I can win something with the club next season.”

    Yakubu did, however, admit that he still pines for English football at times, saying: “Of course, I’m going to miss England – I lived there for more than ten years. Leaving was a little bit difficult, but I think I made the right decision.

    “I still watch the Premier League games on television, so it’s not like I’m crying to go back to English football. I had the best time of my life there, but it was time to move on in another direction.”

  • Nigeria vs Venezuela clash Ejide is Eagles captain

    Nigeria vs Venezuela clash Ejide is Eagles captain

    • Ameobi, Dike celebrate call
    • Martins vows Afcon place

    Gangling Israeli based goalkeeper, Austin Ejide, will step out of the shadows of his national teammate, Vincent Enyeama, on Wednesday night in Miami, United States, when he leads the team out as skipper in the international friendly against Venezuela at the Marlins Stadium in the American city.

    Head Coach Stephen Keshi said after critical consideration, he has decided to hand Ejide the armband for the match. Indeed, Ejide first joined the national team from Gabros of Nnewi, in the run-up to the Korea-Japan 2002 World Cup, alongside Enyeama and the likes of Justice Christopher. The Eagles number one jersey has since been alternated between the duo, with Enyeama having the lion’s share, but Wednesday’s game will be another opportunity for Ejide to lay claim to the Eagles number one shirt.

    In the meantime, Newcastle United of England’s longest serving player, Shola Ameobi, has said he was simply delighted to be part of the Nigerian set up for the first time and hopes it turns out well on Wednesday (Thursday morning in Nigeria). Ameobi spoke after dinner on Monday night on arrival from England. “Its good to be here and I will learn to speak Pidgin English as the players have directed”, he joked after his former teammate at the Toons’, Obafemi Martins challenged him to start speaking in Pidgin English, which Keshi has adopted as the official language each time the team is in camp.

    Also in ecstacy over his call up is Bright Dike of MLS side Portland Timbers in the United States, who was the last to join camp. Dike said at breakfast on Tuesday morning that it was a dream come true for him to be part of the Nigerian set up, as Assistant Coach, Sylvanus Okpala tries to size up abilities to speak the Ibo language. “I understand it but don’t speak fluently, it will get better now that I will start coming to Nigeria”, he said amidst smiles.

    Obafemi Martins, who is styled the Weapon of Mass Destruction, has vowed to get a shirt with his performance on the pitch on Wednesday and in subsequent camping of the team. “My return is for real and Nigerians will see”, he said. Indeed, Martins looked the sharpest among attackers in camp as he banged in goal after goal in Monday evening training.

    The game will be played at the Marlins Stadium in Miami 8pm Miami time and 2am Thursday Nigerian time.