The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sports

  • OAU hosts conference on humanities

    OAU hosts conference on humanities

    FROM October 7 to 10, 2012, the Faculty of Arts of Obafemi Awolowo university (OAU) Ile-Ife, Osun State is hosting an international conference on the theme: RE-ENACTING LEADERSHIP IN NIGERIA:
    THE PLACE AND ROLE OF THE HUMANITIES and calling for papers
    that engage any of the following and related issues are therefore invited for presentation at this conference:
    •Theoretical and conceptual issues in leadership
    • Traditional Authority and Leadership
    • The Academia and the Intellectual Leadership Space
    • Leadership, Ethnicity and the Making of a Nation
    • Ethics of Leadership in Nigeria
    • Civil Society and National Leadership
    • Leadership Crisis and the Nigerian Space
    • Leadership and Poverty of the Nation
    • Idea-Based Leadership
    • Language and Mass Mobilisation
    • Leadership and Political Accountability
    • Nigeria and Continental Leadership
    • Religious Leadership and Democracy
    • Leadership and the Nigerian Press
    • Language and Leadership
    • The Use of Music in Party Campaigns and and Political Participation
    • Women in Leadership
    • Screening and Staging in Democracy
    • Literary Writing and Leadership in Nigeria
    • Violence, Social Disorder and Leadership
    Abstracts of proposed paper should not exceed three hundred (300) words. Each should reflect the title of the paper and author’s contact details (institutional affiliation, email address and phone number). We also welcome short research notes that speak to any of the themes.
     Send abstract todogungbile1@yahoo.com
  • What should motivate writing?

    What should motivate writing?

    Edozie Udeze reports on an argument that  recently came up: Should writers write for the sake of awards or just write for the love of literature?  

    his is a season of literary awards, not only in Nigeria, but globally.  And Nigerian writers are not letting go; they have formed themselves into groups in their different state chapters to discuss the place of literary awards in the lives of authors.
    Last weekend, the Lagos State chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) threw open the debate with the theme:  should writers write for the sake of awards?  It was a poser that encouraged authors to bare their minds on the issue and weigh both sides.
    First to sound the salvo was Daggar Tola, Chairman of Lagos State chapter of ANA, whose stand is that writers should first write for the sake of writing.  If, however, in the process, an award comes, it is all well and good.  “The duty of a concerted writer is to write, believing that he is doing what he loves in order to touch the lives of the people,” he said.
    Daggar’s presentation touched on the vibes of other writers who did not quite toe his line of contention.  For others, awards are parts and parcel of the life of a writer.  A writer can go on to write with the intention of garnering an award.  There is nothing wrong with that, after all those awards are there for him to grab.
    Examples were given about two sets of writers.  The likes of Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o and their likes did not have awards in mind when they began to write.  However, with time, some of their works began to generate awards for them.  For these set of writers, writing is a vocation, it is a total conviction embedded in their heart of hearts.
    But the second category of writers, write purposely to win awards.  This is more predominant among the younger generation of writers who are lucky that such awards are now many for their asking.
    With more literary awards being instituted in all corners of the world every year, why wouldn’t a writer seize the opportunity to write to win laurels for himself?  The whole essence of this is for him to prove himself, win the award, savour it and use the proceeds to thrive, write more and reap the fruits of his labour.
    Therefore, a common ground was arrived at:  One, those who love awards, first and foremost, should understudy the requirements for such awards and then write to tailor their style towards them.  Two, those who love literature for the sake of literature should go on with what they are doing.  Instances were given about writers in developed world where there are popular literary writers and the core novelists.
    Every week in the United States of America and Britain, newspapers announce best-seller books.  They take time to spell out these two categories – popular and core literature.  It is first to show that each category is not only relevant, but equally acts on its own strength and value.
    So, let writers write in the style they are best suited.  Every writer has his own audience; his own admirers and readers.  As it is in all aspects of life, so it is in the way people take to literary issues.  You stick to what you love and go on with it.
    That is why the likes of James Hardley Chase, Jeffery Archer, Frederick Forsyth and their likes will continue to have followers,  just like the likes of William Shakespeare, Bernard Shaw, Charles Dickens, Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka have built their own clan of followers.
    Life is all about varieties and choices and preferences.
  • Waiting for 2002

    Waiting for 2002

    he hours ticked by as the year
    Slowly dawned on me, on me all
    Alone, slowly, minute by minute.
    The new year comes calling
    At the dawn of the night
    As the skies rest in the steady
    Slow mist of the harmmattan breeze,
    And the nauseating endless noise
    Of banger knockouts intercepting
    The dew of the night, quaking many hearts.
    But the waves defy all entreaties
    Stirring me unconstructively to consciousness
    Time in tow to give praises
    To the Almighty
    And in the middle of the night,
    As the throes of heavenly bliss join
    In the glories of Allelluyah
    I raise my eyes, my voice crying
    In deep supplication:
    Yes, better to turn to God
    In this moment of grave torments
    Just to usher in the New Year
    Yes, the clamour of the year 2002.
  • Surmounting bumpy ways

    Surmounting bumpy ways

    Destined To win – Life of Joseph as case study, is a positive book that touches on the core values of a serious follower of Christ.  In it, Pastor Soji Omotunde brings his many years sojourn as a man of God to bear on the presentation of the story of Joseph in the Bible.  It is to teach a lot of people how to wait on the promises of God.  The story of Joseph indeed represents the life experiences of many children of God who make it to the height of their profession and end the race of life rather gloriously.
    Essentially, the beauty of the story of Joseph is that God’s plans for his own chosen children can never be altered by man.  But in His own wisdom and divinity, God uses funny and incomprehensible ways to accomplish His goals in the lives of His favourite ones.  And when God’s plans are in operation, man may not understand it or even appreciate what is in the offing.  It is mostly after the work has been fully accomplished that man will begin to see the handiwork of God in it all.  This is what Destined to win exposes to mankind.
    In order to make the book more appealing to readers, the author divides it into sections.  Each of the subtitles has clear message to impact in the minds of people.  For instance, chapter one is entitled The Apple of God’s Eye.  And this is what Joseph represents in the Holy Book where he is so loved by Jacob, his father.  This love evokes envy from his brethren who plot to undo him.
    Besides, Joseph’s dreams drive fear and hatred into the minds and hearts of his siblings.  Gradually, those dreams are fulfilled but in ways that are somewhat uncouth and strange to the people who witness and follow it.  Yes, here, like in most other such cases in the Bible, God proves that His ways are not our ways.
    In tracing the background of Joseph to the height of his career, Omotunde succeeds in instilling the lesson into the subconscious of people so that they will be righteous for the sake of the kingdom.  Righteous life is the key but prayer and trust in the Almighty equally play vital roles for one to get God’s favours in life.
    To justify each sequence in the life of Joseph who patiently and piously follows God’s destiny in his life, the author quotes portions and verses in the Holy Book to embellish the story.  Each segment touches the heart and brings to the fore, man’s inability to pray fervently for God’s plan to manifest in his life.  God is righteous and we, created in His image, fullness and likeness, should endeavour to act likewise.
    But then, God can mould one from nothing to something just to fulfill His dream for the person.  “This is why in The Cross before the crown, it is good for one to have a vision of where he is headed in life.  Yes, God’s style might be slow and His way might be bumpy, windy and rough, yet it is the surest way because it can never fail you,” so writes the author on page ten.
    Other sub-themes include:  Obstacles as stepping stones, whatever you sow, God with us, delay is no denial, and lots more.  The lesson here is that God is in total control of our lives and we should worship and trust Him.  Our purpose here on earth is to worship and adore Him.  This is the primary reason He created us – to be true to Him in all our ways.  This is what Joseph epitomised even when temptations came to sway him.  Let us take a cue from this story.
    Even though there are many editing and typographical errors (for instance on pages 4, 11, 12, and so on) that does not still distort the lesson in the book.  It is written to teach people how to allow God to rule in their lives, no matter the bumpy way to the top.
  • The new orchard

    The new orchard

    His face was as pitted as the moon,” Coplin writes of her late-19th-century protagonist, a well-meaning orchardist named Talmadge whose familial yearnings are eclipsed by early misfortune: the mysterious disappearance of his teenage sister.
    At the cusp of middle age, Talmadge forms surrogate kinships with Della, a young girl also haunted by the loss of a sister, and Caroline, the herbalist who attended his mother before her death. Della rejects Talmadge’s attempts to assert a quasi-paternal influence, opting instead to hazard a series of traditionally male occupations and pursue an obsessive mission to destroy her sister’s childhood tormentor, an evildoer of spaghetti-­western proportions.
    The dispassionate surfaces of the novel belie its subtext of psychological crosscurrents as Della’s push for vengeance is confronted by Talmadge’s mulish strategies to keep her out of harm’s way.
    Coplin’s deliberately paced account of Della’s emotional descent threatens to pull the book down with it, but she rallies with a startlingly orchestrated climactic sequence.
    Many contemporary novelists have revisited the question of what constitutes a family, but few have responded in a voice as resolute and fiercely poetic.

  • NFF: No plan B for Eagles

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) says there is ‘no plan B’ as the Super Eagles look to qualify for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
    The Nigerian national team failed to qualify for the 2012 edition of the AFCON as they were pipped to the post by Guinea in the final round of qualifying.
    Liberia’s Lone Star currently stand between the Super Eagles and a place at the 2013 Afcon and after a 2-2 draw between both nations in the first leg of the final round of qualifying, the NFF has declared failure to qualify for the 2013 edition will not be tolerated.
    “We have just one option for the 2013 AFCON and that is to qualify for the tournament. We don’t have an option B. We refuse to be negative,” Chris Green, chairman of the NFF technical committee told supersport.com.
    Super Eagles’ coach, Stephen Keshi had declared recently that he would quit his post if Nigeria fail to qualify for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and Green said it would be difficult to see the ‘Big Boss’ staying on should Nigeria fail to go past Liberia.
    “It goes without saying. If you can’t qualify, what are you doing (staying on as Super Eagles coach). If you can’t go past Liberia, what are we talking about? What pedigree has Liberia?
    “However, I don’t think Keshi made those comments in bad faith. What Keshi is saying is that his heart and soul are in this assignment and that he will do all he can to see Nigeria’s flag hoisted in South Africa next year,” he said.
  • F/Eagles tackle Squirrels, to play SA in Nelspruit

    F/Eagles tackle Squirrels, to play SA in Nelspruit

    A head of their final 2013 African Youth Championship qualifying fixture, against Republic of South Africa, the U-20 National Team, also known as Flying Eagles, will trade tackles with the Junior Squirrels of Benin Republic in an international friendly match in Cotonou on Sunday.
    NFF officials confirmed on Friday that the Flying Eagles’ delegation will depart from their Ilorin, Kwara State base this morning and arrive in Cotonou by evening.
    The clash with the Junior Squirrels is meant to prepare the six-time African champions for their first leg showdown with the South African U-20 side, Amajita, in Nelspruit on Friday next week.
    The South African Football Association confirmed to the NFF on Friday that the big match will be played at the Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit (one of the venues for the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals) starting from 7pm South African time (6pm Nigerian time) on Friday, 21st September.
    Sunday’s tune-up at the Stade de L’Amitie, Cotonou will start at 4pm and is sure to provide the reigning African kings good shooting practice ahead of the match in Nelspruit.
    The Flying Eagles will train in Cotonou on Monday and Tuesday before returning to Lagos, from where they will depart for Johannesburg aboard a South African Airways flight on Wednesday evening. They will arrive in Johannesburg on Thursday morning.
    The Confederation of African Football has appointed Namibian referees to handle the match between Flying Eagles and the Amajita. Rainhard Shikongo will be centre referee, with David Shanika the 1st Assistant and H. Simson Shahungu the 2nd Assistant. The Reserve Referee is Andreas Helmut.
    Bibi Georges from Seychelles will be the Match Commissioner. The winner on aggregate will join six other winners and hosts Algeria for the 2013 African Youth Championship, already slated for 16th – 30th March, 2013.
  • Yobo rates NPL stars high

    Yobo rates NPL stars high

    Joseph Yobo has hailed the players who are based at home like Gabriel Reuben and Ejike Uzoenyi for increasing competition in the Eagles.
    Yobo told MTNFootball.com, “Godfrey Oboabona, Azubuike Egwuekwe, Ejike Uzoenyi and Gabriel Reuben have shown class so far in the Eagles squad. They have brought a healthy competition to the national team.”
    Yobo therefore expressed displeasure with reports in the local media credited to him that the home based players are not good enough.
    “I am shocked to hear such a report. I spoke to journalists at the FA secretariat and all I said was that we need more time together for blending. If I say I am not disappointed, I would be lying,” he said.
    “I am the captain of this team and as a leader why should I run down my colleagues in public? They all know me, if am not happy about something, I would call the player and tell them.”
    The former Everton of England defender added that Nigerians need not worry because the Eagles would make them proud, stressing that he is on the same page with coach Stephen Keshi.
    “Nigerians need not fear or panic. Like I have said before, this is not a must-win game but a must draw but we will go all out for victory next month,” he restated
    “All I ask is for Nigerians to come all out and support the team.
    “Also let me use this opportunity to say that there is no discord whatsoever between me and coach Stephen Keshi. We have one agenda and that is to qualify our country for the Nations Cup.”
  • Eagles vow to finish off Liberia

    Eagles vow to finish off Liberia

    Several Super Eagles stars have promised to thrash Liberia next month so as to qualify for the 2013 AFCON.
    At the weekend, the Lone Star forced Nigeria to a 2-2 draw in Monrovia.
    Eagles defender Efe Ambrose told MTNFootball.com that they will finish the job of securing qualification to the Nations Cup with a big win over Liberia in Calabar.
    “We will finish the job in Calabar and book the ticket for Nations Cup. I don’t want to talk about the first leg, but I am looking forward to winning the next game to reach AFCON 2013,” Ambrose said.
    CSKA Moscow winger Ahmed Musa also told MTNFootball.com that the Eagles will clinch the ticket to South Africa 2013 in grand style by the second leg on October 13.
    He said, “The draw against Liberia was not a bad result, not what we went there for but it is better than losing,” Musa argued.
    “We are almost at the next Nations Cup and all we need is to beat them in the return leg in Calabar and book the ticket for 2013 AFCON.”
    Eagles striker Emmanuel Emenike also rated the draw in Liberia as a good result as they still have their destiny in their own hands.
    “The 2-2 draw was not a bad result for us in such a tough away game, though we wanted to beat them and we were on course for that but they eventually drew level,” the Spartak Moscow star said.
    “We have to accept the fact that there are no minnows in football again and all the African teams want to beat Nigeria. We have the ticket in our own hands.
    “We have assured President Jonathan of the Nations Cup ticket and we will get it in Calabar.”
  • Moses: I’ll take my chances

    Moses: I’ll take my chances

    Victor Moses is ready to grab his chance as he prepares to make his Chelsea debut against QPR on today.
    Moses switched to Roberto Di Matteo’s Blues in a £9million summer transfer from Wigan.
    The 21-year-old, who was born in Nigeria but moved to London at the age of 11, joined Wigan from Crystal Palace in January 2010 and feels he is ready to make an impact back in the capital after learning under Latics boss Roberto Martinez.
    He told the Daily Mirror: “I feel like I am back home – I feel excited to be here again – but it has been good being away.
    “Playing at Wigan developed my character. Roberto Martinez is a great manager and he loves to play football. Having a manager like him encourages you to play the football in the right way and carry yourself in a more professional way. It was great working with him.
    “Even last month, Roberto (Martinez) was always talking to me to get the transfer speculation out of my head. He just wanted me to concentrate on the football.
    “Now Di Matteo likes to play football the same way. They are similar. I think that will make it easier for me to adapt at Chelsea.”
    Another summer signing, Eden Hazard, has already made a big impact at Stamford Bridge and Moses wants to emulate the Belgium international when he gets his chance on the pitch.
    “He is pretty impressive,” said Moses. “He has still got loads to prove but you can see what he has done in the three games he has played in the Premier League. He is a great player and he can make it even bigger than he has so far.
    “I have played in the Premier League before – it is not my first time. When I do get my chance, I have just got to go out there and grab it.
    “It depends on where the manager is going to play me. I am comfortable playing anywhere up front. I just want to enjoy myself and play football.”