The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sports

  • Racist Chanting Onazi’s Lazio faces stadium ban

    Racist Chanting Onazi’s Lazio faces stadium ban

    Former Golden Eaglets ace Eddy Onazi and his Lazio pals may be forced to play their next Europa League game behind closed doors if their fans are found guilty of making monkey chants, leading anti-racism campaigner Piara Powar said on Friday.

    Tottenham’s Aaron Lennon, Jermain Defoe and Andros Townsend all appeared to be the subject of racist chanting during Thursday night’s 0-0 draw against the Italian side at White Hart Lane.

    UEFA, whose president Michel Platini was at the game, are awaiting reports from the match delegate and referee Ovidiu Alin Hategan before deciding to take action against Lazio.

    Members of anti-discrimination group Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) who were in the crowd at the north London ground, said they heard monkey chanting and they are now filing their reports to UEFA to help them with any potential disciplinary action.

    The group’s executive director Powar thinks European football’s governing body need to issue a tough punishment on Lazio to send a strong message to the club that racism will not be tolerated.

    He said: “UEFA normally operate a ‘three strikes and you’re out’ policy, and I think Lazio are at first base in that respect, but if (UEFA) really want to set the bar high, if they really want to send out a strong message, then I think they can do so regardless of whether it’s a first or second offence.

    “I therefore think that UEFA could move directly to something like a match behind closed doors (punishment).

    “They could suspend that punishment, perhaps, and then if something happens further down the line, then they can trigger that.

    “Lazio are a strong club. They have been part of the European football scene for a long time. There needs to be quite a hard symbolic action taken when these instances occur.

    “This punishment is one way of waking the club and the fans up to some of the problems that they face.”

    Last season UEFA fined Porto £16,700 for their fans’ racist abuse at Mario Balotelli and Yaya Toure, but then caused outrage by fining Manchester City £24,735 for being one minute late back onto the pitch after half-time during the Europa League clash.

  • Eneramo targets three points

    Eneramo targets three points

    Michael Eneramo is one of the most important players of Turkish club Sivasspor.

    With only one win in their first four games in the Super Lig, the Nigeria international has targeted victory in Sunday’s match against Kasimpasa, the club of compatriot Kalu Uche.

    ”We want to play a good game at home. Because we have to get three points. The opponents have a good team, but we also have a good team,” Fanatik quoted Eneramo as saying.

    Michael Eneramo has netted twice in four matches this season. He is under contract with Sivasspor until June 2013.

  • Keshi hands Igiebor automatic shirt

    Nosa Igiebor performed well in his first official game for the Super Eagles of Nigeria, and coach Stephen Keshi has hinted to Spanish media estadiodepotivo.com that he would be taking the Real Betis midfielder to next year’s African Cup if the Super Eagles overcome Liberia next month.

    ‘’In his debut in a competitive match Nosa played a great game, played very well and also scored a goal,” said Stephen Keshi, who relies heavily on the qualities of Nosa and his contribution to the ‘Super Eagles’.

    “He is a hard working player and has a great ability to see the final pass. Has a very hard shot and not only makes goals but also creates them, but above all, he is a young guy with a great future ahead “.

    South Africa host the 2013 edition of the African Cup of Nations from January 19 – February 10. And if Nigeria qualifies as widely expected, Nosa Igiebor could miss five league games against Levante, Athletic, Rayo Vallecano, Atletico Madrid and Valladolid.

    ‘’Of course I’ll take him, but first we have to qualify for the finals to be played in South Africa in January,” said Keshi to estadiodeportivo.com with great caution, because first of all, Nigeria has to beat Liberia at home on 13th October.

  • Kayode fails to impress at Etoile du sahel

    Kayode fails to impress at Etoile du sahel

    Former Flying Eagles striker Olanrewaju Kayode is still far from settling down after he failed to impress in his bid to lace booths for Tunisian side Etoile du Sahel.

    “He was not impressive during the trials with Etoile and as such was not given a contract,” a top source informed MTNFootball.com.

    Kayode who became a free agent after his Swiss club Luceme failed to extend his short deal last year is doing all he can to land a new club to no avail.

    The hard running striker has featured for Asec Mimosas of Cote d’Ivoire and was linked with several top European clubs after he scored three goals at the 2011 FIFA U20 World Cup in Colombia.

    Kayode who represented Nigeria at the Olympics was the hero as Nigeria won a sixth African Youth Championship in South Africa last year

  • MTN/Lagos Street Soccer winners to visit Spain, SA

    The winners of the male and female categories of the 2012 MTN/Lagos Street Soccer championship were on Wednesday rewarded with N5m and N1m respectively by the organisers of the annual event, MTN.

    In addition, the first, second and third-placed teams in the male category will travel to Spain, South Africa and Gambia respectively.

    After a round robin elimination series, Koilo 1 of Lagos Island East emerged the winners of the male category while Go-for-Goal of Ikotun-Igando LCDA were crowned champions of the female category at the final played on September 16 at the Campos Mini Stadium, Lagos Island.

    Manager, Events & Sponsorship, MTN, Dola Bamgboye, called on both teams to be disciplined and make good use of the opportunity.

    He said at the 1960 Eagles Park, Ikeja, venue of the reception for the winners, “You are now ambassadors and you must take this as the only opportunity you ever had. You have to make hay while the sun shines.”

    Lagos Island East Local Council Development Area chairman, Kamal Salau-Bashua, said they would ensure that the players were nurtured to become star players in future.

    The LCDA had previously emerged second twice before they finally claimed the diadem.

    “We will make sure that the efforts of the players are not in vain. To ensure that they are properly guided, we have sent some of our coaches on courses. We are grateful to the sponsors and the state for the opportunity given us to participate and win the competition,” Salau-Bashua said.

    Jinadu Yusuf and Kolawale Rachel, captains of the male and female teams, thanked MTN and the Lagos State Government for giving them and their team-mates the opportunity to display their talents.

  • Anichebe is not human

    Everton defender Leighton Baines has hailed forward Victor Anichebe as “an asset” to his team.

    The 24-year-old Nigeria international has scored two goals in three appearances for the Toffees so far this season, and left-back Baines is confident that Anichebe will be an able replacement for striker Nikica Jelavic, who is struggling with an injury at the moment. He told the Chester Chronicle:

    “Victor’s starting to grow into the role he needs to be in at the club. We want to get behind him. We don’t know what the situation is with Jela, but Victor is definitely more than capable of coming in. And there’s not a centre-half in the world who isn’t going to find him a handful when he’s playing like that.”

    Anichebe scored in the 2-2 draw with Newcastle at Goodison Park recently, and will be eager to keep hitting the back of the net. Baines continued:

    “Victor’s more a beast than a man at times. He can be a great asset to us and if he gets the chances he can show what he’s done in the glimpses we’ve seen him this season.”

    Everton travel to the Liberty Stadium today to face Swansea City.

  • Flight hitch moves Eaglets tie to Sunday

    The suspension of all domestic flights by local airline, Arik Air, has forced the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to shift Saturday’s Africa qualifier between the Golden Eaglets of Nigeria and their Niger counterparts by a day.

    With the change of plans, the match originally scheduled for the U.J. Esuene Stadium in Calabar would now hold on Sunday (September 23).

    An impeccable source revealed to SportingLife that only Arik operates daily flights from Abuja to Calabar on Friday.

    “You know that we have only two operational airlines in the country, but the other does not have a flight from Abuja to Calabar for Friday,” said our source.

    Consequently the visiting team which has been in Abuja since Friday is expected to arrive in Calabar today.

    “With what has happened, the team will travel on Saturday (today) meaning that the match would now be played on Sunday and no longer Saturday,” said a source.

    Our source could however not disclose how the team will be conveyed.

    “From all indications the team maybe flown to Port Harcourt and then connect to Calabar.

    Nigeria won the first leg 4-1 in Niamey a fortnight ago.

  • Flying Eagles hold South Africa 1-1

    Nigeria’s Flying Eagles on Friday night played out a 1-1 draw with South Africa’s Amajita in the 1st leg tie of the final qualifier round of 2013 African Youth Championship (AYC) at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.

    The encounter saw the South African side take an early lead in the first half through Thabani Mthembu on the 13′ mark.

    The goal however brought out the best in the John Obuh-led side as they went in search of the equaliser but their efforts yielded no result at the end of the first half .

    On resumption of the second half, the Nigerian strikers became more deadly in front of goal and were rewarded when Dolphins forward, Abduljaleel Ajagun scored to silence the cheering South African fans at the stands.

    The reverse fixture will hold in Ilorin, Kwara State on 7th October 2012.

  • NIGERIA vs NIGER UNDER-17 QUALIFIER Manu, Amuneke sure of Eaglets

    NIGERIA vs NIGER UNDER-17 QUALIFIER Manu, Amuneke sure of Eaglets

    The Golden Eaglets have vowed to win their first round, second leg African Under-17 qualifier against Junior Menas of Niger in their qualifier at the U.J. Esuene Sports Stadium in Calabar this weekend.

    Head coach, Manu Garba (MFR), said winning is what matters to the team in order to secure their progress to the second round of the tournament.

    “We want to win at home as we did two weeks ago in Niamey and we are leaving nothing for chance,” noted Garba.

    Speaking on the popular Good Morning Calabar TV show on CRBC, assistant coach, Emmanuel Amuneke (MON) was even more forthcoming about the chance of the Nigerian side.

    “We know there is a huge interest in this game after our 4-1 win in Niamey but we shall be ready for the game,” Amuneke said. “We are realistic about our expectations and we are approaching the game with the same winning mentality.”

    Already, there is the small talk that the match is going to be a walk-over for the Golden Eaglets on account of their flattering 4-1 win in Niamey but Amuneke has begged to differ, insisting that football is not as easy as ABC.

    “Of course, we want to win but we must work for it,” the former African Footballer of the Year said. “We are confident they would rise to the occassion.”

    Pressed to predict the outcome of the match, Suleiman Abubakar, Eaglets’ coordinator who was also on the GMC set, said what is guaranteed already is good football from the team, asking the local fans to come and see the Nigerian youngsters.

    “We don’t count our chickens before they hatch and we don’t want to talk about how many goals we are going to score,” Abubakar emphasised.” What we can assure the fans is good football and hopefully the goals would come.”

  • Azerbaijan 2012: Envoy visits Flamingoes’ camp

    Azerbaijan 2012: Envoy visits Flamingoes’ camp

    The third edition of the U-17 tournament kicks-off in Azerbaijan today with fans looking forward to a fascinating festival of football.

    The Flamingoes are already enjoying the goodwill of Nigerians with the latest being the Nigeria Ambassador to Iran, Tukur Mani, who paid a visit to the team’s camp to encourage them before their first match against Canada.

    He came in company of his wife and Deputy Ambassador, M.D. Bello, along with some Embassy staff. As the Ambassador to Iran, he also oversees Kazakhstan, Armenia and Azerbaijan, hence the need for him to visit the Flamingoes.

    “I thank God for bringing you safely to Azerbaijan and all through your training tour. I will be present for your first match against Canada and I know you will win it for us all. I hope to see you play at the final. I may not be here every day but my staff will always be around,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the team yesterday had their official training at the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium which is the venue of their opening match against Canada.

    Before the training which lasted for an hour, the head coach and two players held a press conference which lasted 15 minutes.

    During the briefing, Coach Dedevbo said he had great respect for the teams participating in the competition but he had only one misssion which is to go one step better than than the quater-final stage from which his team was eliminated at the last World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago.

    “We have come to this tournament with only one mission – to surpass our previous performance. We have great respect for the teams participating in this year’s tourney but we are going to take it one match at a time and by God’s grace my girls are ready,” said Dedevbo.

    The match will come up by 5pm local time which is 1pm Nigeria time.

    The centre referee is Monzul Kateryna from Ukraine, while her assistants are Koutsoumpou Panagiota (Greece), Foskolou Ourania (Greece) and Radzik-Johan Karolina (Poland).

    The match commissioner is Domanski Lyfors Marika from Sweden.