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Tag: Africa’s best

  • Salah is Africa’s best

    Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah was voted as the African Footballer of the Year for the second successive year at the Confederation of African Football’s 2018 awards ceremony in Dakar on Tuesday.

    Salah beat fellow nominees, Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane and Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

    He edged the same two players last year in a vote decided by the technical directors and head coaches of 56 CAF member associations.

    Salah becomes the fourth African after El Hadji Diouf, Samuel Eto’o, Yaya Toure to win the award back to back.

    The award caps yet another remarkable year for Salah, who boasts of 13 goals in the English Premier League to help the Reds lead the log.

    Read also: CAF Awards: Ordega, Kgatlana challenge Oshoala for 2018 women’s best player

    The 26-year-old was named the Premier League Player of the Year and ranked high in Goal 50, Fifa Best Awards and Ballon d’Or.

    Thembi Kgatlana of South Africa beat Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala and Franseca Ordega to pick up the Women’s Player of the Year gong, while the Super Falcons were named Women’s National team of the Year. Mauritania edged Uganda and fellow AFCON debutantes Madagascar for the Men’s National Team of the Year award.

  • ASISAT OSHOALA I’m still hungry to be Africa’s best

    ASISAT OSHOALA I’m still hungry to be Africa’s best

    Come January 4, the identity of the  2017 African Women’s Footballer of the Year will be revealed at the awards’ Gala in Ghana’s capital, Accra and Nigeria’s golden girl and  two-time winner, Asisat Oshoala, is eyeing an encore, reports MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN 

    Super Falcons and Dalian Quanjian forward, Asisat Oshoala, has turned  winning soccer awards to an art so much so it can been seen in the light of Vince Lombardi’s famous saying that ‘winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.’

    Since coming out of her teens,  she has bestrode the football ‘s landscape like a colossus by winning  the most sought-after African Women’s Footballer of the Year award on two occasions and with other eight individual awards in both  domestic and international competitions – including the golden boot and player of the tournament at the FIFA  Under-20 World Cup in 2014.

    Come January 4, Asisat would battle Chrestina Kgatlana (South Africa & UWC Ladies) and Gabrielle Aboudi (Cameroon & CSKA Moscow) for her third continental crown when the identity of the 2017 winner is revealed at the CAF/ Aiteo Footballer of the Year Gala in Accra, Ghana

    “I feel very happy and excited going for the third African Women’s Footballer of the Year award; it is good for me as a person as well as Nigerian football,” the 23-year-old Asisat stated in an interview with THE NATION.

    In the year under review, Asisat was crowned the Chinese Women’s Super League (CWSL) top scorer after her goals saw Dalian Quanjian claim the CWSL title for the 2016/2017 season:  “Of course, it’s not all about winning all the time because being shortlisted showed a certain level of consistency on my part and I’m really happy about that but I will really be happy to win African Women’s Footballer of the Year award for the third time.”

    Incidentally, CWSL’s side, Dalian Quanjian, is the third high profile side Asisat would turn out for after joining the overseas train in 2015.She is the first African to play in the Women’s Super League in England following her transfer from Rivers Angel to Liverpool Ladies and was described as ‘one of the best young players in the world’ by the then club’s manager – Matt Beard.

    It was when she was with the Reds Ladies that she was rewarded with the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year for 2015 following a poll held online, as well as via mobile phone and handheld devices and she received the most votes to become the winner ahead of four other contenders including Veronica Boquete (Spain), Nadine Kessler (Germany), Kim Little (Scotland) and Marta (Brazil).

    “Going to England is not just about me, it’s about Nigeria as well,”  Asisat reportedly admitted. “A lot of people wouldn’t have thought that a Nigerian player can go out to play for a team like Liverpool Ladies so I think it will have a big influence. Most people follow the Premier League, but they don’t really know much about the women’s league here. Now, because I’ve joined, they’re going to start following the WSL.”

    But after a brief stint with Liverpool Ladies, she was on her way to Arsenal Ladies where she won her only silverware in England after helping the Gunners pip Chelsea to the Women FA Cup before berthing in China.

    “Yet it’s true for people who don’t follow women’s football well to think that I may not be in the limelight after leaving England for China,” she further explained. “But Asian countries are doing very well as far as women’s football is concerned. Women’s football is at the very top level in Asia, particularly in China. Maybe people are looking at the men’s game to judge women’s football which is at the top level in China. I’m  really having a good time in China and I’m not disturbed about what people say.

    “Playing in China has given me the opportunity of meeting different people as well as some of the top female footballers around the world.  It is also an opportunity of learning another different culture. “This is just my first season in China and I can say it wasn’t a bad start for me; altogether I can’t quite remember the number of goals I had in all the competitions but I scored 12 goals in the league to win the top scorer award.

    “It feels so good to emerge the top scorer in only my first season in China where I had to compete with some of the best female footballers from around the world and I mean players like Cristiane ( Rozeria de Sousa Silva) and Rafelle Sousa , so I’m  proud of winning this award in the presence of some of these top players ,” she stated.

    Asisat worked her way to the top and she reckoned that former Super Falcons’ striker, Mercy Akide, now married to top sport journalist, Colin Udoh, was one of her biggest motivators while she was furrowing through the maze.

    “Growing up, I think Mercy Akide was one of the top players we had and I really looked forward to be like her,” she confessed. “Though I didn’t get to meet some of these people but watching their tapes, they inspired me a lot. I met some of them in the national team and they really nurtured me and they have really added value to my career.”

    Never the type to forget little kind gestures, Asisat singled out Onome Ebi, her Super Falcons’ teammate, as one of the many people that had influenced her on and off the pitch, no wonder they do things in common like Siamese twins.

    “Ever since I met Onome Ebi, she has been nurturing me both in and outside the field. In fact, I wouldn’t say Onome is my friend but she is my sport’s mum,” Asisat revealed. “We are really close; and she knows everything about me. I have confident and trust in her as somebody I can seek advice from anytime I want to do anything and she has been guiding me so well. Apart from my dad and mum, she is like the next person to me.”

    Yet, the lion-hearted striker had to rebel against the wishes of her parents to kick-start her career with the beautiful game of football.

    “Yes, it is true that I had the same issues with my parents because they never wanted me to play football because they felt football is not something for a girl-child,” remarked Asisat. “This is what happens to the girl-child in the society but I was determined on my part.  I’m really happy  about the stage I’m today and that shows  I was able to handle the responsibility my parents gave to me.

    “It was a big responsibility and my parents are now very proud of me. I can speak to parents so that they can allow their children combine sport with their education,” remarked Asisat who has established a foundation to offer assistance and mentorship for the girl-child.

    “If not for football, I would have been a lawyer today,” she continued. “I think I have the spirit (of defending the rights of others) right from my days in the secondary school. Some of my best subjects  then were government and literature  but along the line, I had to  quit education to be a professional footballer.

    “I’m happy doing things for kids, especially the girl-child and I’m happy with the way everything is going and with the kind of support I’m getting from people around me. I’m really concerned about the upbringing of the girl-child because I actually grew up in a rough area. I knew how things work and I know I’m in a good position to speak for the girl-child as well as helping them out in the best way I can.

    “Being a professional footballer is similar to working in a corporate environment, you have to be disciplined and focussed. It’s like a normal day-to-day job  but the most difficult  time was when I was struggling with my parents on the choice of career.  Ever since I don’t think I had any issue that so disturbed me,” explained Asisat who went to town with the hash-tag  #HappyGirlAlways on her Facebook profile.

    “It is true that I smile a lot  playing football  but  I’m sad anytime I lose a match,” she said. “It is difficult for me to think of anything that can make me sad outside  of football because I’m always a happy person.

    “I’m a natural person; being happy just makes me happy and I can’t honestly say this is what makes me happy. I think you should know what makes you happy because when the thing stops, you will become a sad person. Everything comes so natural to me. Money doesn’t make me happy but I’m working and getting paid,” she noted.

    Asisat has had an impressive career and three years ago, she was named best player and was the highest goal scorer at the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. She was also named best player and second top goal scorer with the Super Falcons team who won the 2014 African Women’s Championship.

    “One of my happiest moments as a footballer was winning the first trophy with the Super Falcons for my country at the African Women’s Championship in Namibia and that was in 2014,” she grinned.

    “It was really a special moment for me because I just broke into the senior national team and I was one of the youngest players in the team. There was pressure here and there with some saying I didn’t have the experience to cope at that level, but I was given the opportunity.

    “I was so happy with my contribution to the success of the team.  I scored in both the semi-final and final. I took my chance and that’s why I’m here today.

    “It was also a great honour to be decorated with the MON (Member of the Order of the Niger); it is a big privilege to be recognised by my country as a young girl. This, I think, would also serve as good inspiration to younger generation coming up,” she offered.

    Nevertheless, this happy-go-lucky Asisat would not admit that she is a soccer celebrity.

    “I don’t think I’m a celebrity yet and I’m happy that people appreciate my game.  The usual thing they tell me is that they appreciate my game and they would ask after my friend, Onome.”

    It is said that there’s a difference between beauty and charm but Asisat’s beauty tips is weird. “My beauty tip is simple: I eat, sleep and mind my business. I don’t poke my nose into other people affairs. I eat good and my best food is fish and rice. Maybe amala (yam flour) too.

    “I love casual wears but if need be, I go on corporate  dress too. I’m an all-rounder, I wear just  what I feel like  wearing whenever I wake up.  I’m not attached to specific designs.  I love wearing good perfume too and sometimes I mix them together but the best for me is Coco Channels. I pick as many stuff I like when I go to perfume shop.  Books? I’m not a book person.

    I’m not reading anything for now; I’m off season and I  want to enjoy my holidays.

    “My fans and admirers should expect a better Asisat in 2018; a hard working person who wants to be a perfect example for the kids,” sounded of Superzee – the nickname she hinted means the super girl.

  • OAU is Africa’s best

    OAU is Africa’s best

    Law students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, did Nigeria proud when they beat their counterparts from the University of Pretoria to win the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Competition, a regional contest held at the Pretoria High Court in South Africa. CALEB ADEBAYO (Graduating law student) reports.

    •Varsity wins regional Law contest

    You could cut through the tension in the Palace of Justice of the Pretoria High Court in South Africa that day with a knife. The courtroom was filled with people who came to watch legal fireworks by the opposing counsel. The outcome of the case was not to jail anyone; it was all part of the thrills and frills at the grand finale of the regional Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Contest held in Pretoria.

    Students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, thrilled members of the audience with their knowledge of the law when they met their counterparts from the University of Pretoria at the final  of the competition. OAU students won.

    •The moot session
    •The moot session

    The Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Competition is a yearly contest where law students worldwide show their litigation proficiency in proceedings based on international space law disputes. The contest imitates proceedings at the International Court of Justice.

    This year’s edition was hosted by the South African Council for Space Affairs (SACSA), a space science regulatory body affiliated to South Africa’s Department of Trade and Industry, in collaboration with the Aerospace Industry Support Initiative.

    The argument centred on dispute between two hypothetical countries – SPIDR and URA. It was to present issues relating to the response to a threat posed by the risk of collision of the earth with Near Earth Objects (NEOs). Counsel from each school addressed the utilisation of natural resources and liability for damages occasioned by the NEOs.

    Six African universities, including OAU, University of Pretoria, Niger Delta University also from Nigeria, Makerere University in Uganda, University of Juba in South Sudan, and Mount Kenya University, participated in the competition.

    The OAU counsel comprised John Odey, Peace Onashile and Toheeb Amuda, the team’s researcher. All of them are 400-Level students. Their lecturer, Dr Oduola Orifowomo, was their coach.

    For three days, the teams argued their cases on the legality of outer space science. The OAU team beat the University of Pretoria and Niger Delta University at the preliminary stages.

    Phethole Sekhula, a South African lawyer, Icho Kealetswe, an advocate of the High Court of Botswana and Christopher Okegbe, a solicitor from Nigeria presided over the final.

    The grand finale was a show of forensic advocacy and oratorical skills as the counsel came up with their arguments. For every principle of law cited by the South African team, the OAU counsel had an answer.

    It was be the fourth time OAU would be winning the regional contest. It won it in 2011, 2012 and 2014. The team also won the   Best Written Brief of Argument award.

    The OAU students described the feat as “hard-won”, saying they faced many hurdles to win the contest. They praised their coach, whose expertise in space law, they said, helped them to come up with valid arguments.

    Peace said: “The competition gave us the opportunity to engage our peers in other parts of Africa in an area of law which is seemingly unregulated. We matched our advocacy acuity with oratorical skills to win the contest.”

    Asked about the team’s winning secret, John, the lead speaker, said: “From the onset, we were confronted with vague terms on the field of law that we were not familiar with. It was our task to break it down to understand the meaning of the terms to present our cases in Space Law. The team was conscious of the responsibility placed upon it and we moved faster to argue our points. The victory was not easy to come by; we fought hard and came out successful at the end.”

    Dr Orifowomo hailed the students for the feat, saying his team proved to be formidable with its grasp of the fundamentals of space law as exhibited by the  members. He dedicated the victory to the moot and mock group of its OAU’s Faculty of Law, hailing its commitment to the knowledge of space law.

    Dr Orifowomo also praised the OAU Vice-Chancellor, Prof Bamitale Omole, and the Dean of Law, Prof M.O. Adediran, for their support.

    The OAU students will represent Africa in the international edition of the contest in Israel in October. It will be held during the 66th International Astronautical Congress.

  • We want to be Africa’s best -Ifeanyi Uba FC

    We want to be Africa’s best -Ifeanyi Uba FC

    The proprietor of Ifeanyi Uba FC of Nnewi (Gabros International), Chief Ifeanyi Uba, has restated his commitment to make the team one of the best in the continent.

    Speaking through the Coordinator/Media Officer, Olisa Onuchuwku, the oil magnate said the continued great performance of the team on their return to the Glo Premier League is being propelled by the impeccable welfare package introduced by Chief Uba.

    According to Onuchukwu, upon taking over Gabros, Chief Uba increased the players’ salary by 2000 percent as well as other wonderful packages that have formed the bedrock of the motivation for the players.

    “If Chief Uba sustains this level, the team will turn out to be the best in Africa,” the coordinator said.

    “A lot of marketing strategies have been mapped out and the appointment of Chukwuma Uba as chairman and Ambassador Fanny Amun as management consultant is part of the plan to reposition the team. Again, with the purchase of two buses, three Jeeps, two Hilux Pick Up vans and two extra saloon cars to ease transportation and logistic have turned the team to beautiful bride as inquisitive Nigerians have beginning to ask questions if it’s possible for a Nigerian team to be this funded,” he stressed.

    Onuchukwu added that the proprietor has approved recruit of more players during the mid-season, adding that the team started the season with 95 percent of the boys inherited from Gabros.

    “We didn’t recruit outside the players that gained promotion from the National League. They are the same set of boys that went on European tour but because of added incentives, the team has been able to come out with incredible results. This is a positive sign that with time, Ifeanyi Uba FC will rule the continent,” he said.

    Onuchukwu dispelled insinuation that Chief Uba bought over Gabros because of his political interest, stressing that but for providence, the proprietor would have become a great player.

    “He is a keen sportsman, especially football. He even attempted to play football by traveling abroad to pursue his dream but along the line the business side of him override his passion. In 2011, he gave the Flying Eagles N20 million and has been attracted to football stars because of his benevolence. That’s why the like of Fanny Amun, Waidi Akanni etc maintained close relationship with him,” he said.

  • Africa’s best

    Africa’s best

    Four students of the Geology Department of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, have done their institution and country proud. They defeated their peers from universities across Africa to win the regional contest of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, becoming the best on the continent. NGOZI EMMANUEL reports.

    As they walked into the council chambers of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), with their Head of Department, Prof Anthony Okoro, all heads turned. And they beamed with smiles, acknowledging cheers from members of the Governing Council.

    The students – Chibuzo Ahaneku, Pamela Ezidugwu, Nnaemeka Okoli and Vivian Oguadimma – made up the team that won the contest organised for African students by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. They represented UNIZIK. It was held at the Peninsula Hotel, Lekki, Lagos.

    The Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Boniface Egboka, looked with pride as the students sat down, exclaiming: “I feel like I have grown three inches taller”.

    The VC’s statement was greeted with applause by staff and students. It was a heroic reception for the victorious students.

    The students were mentored by Dr Ben Odoh and Ms Nkechi Ebgoka, lecturers of Geology, who accompanied them to the competition.

    Prof Egboka said: “I meant the statement when I said I felt taller because these students have made us very proud by making UNIZIK the first university in Africa to win the Imperial Barrel Award of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists.”

    The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Prof Joseph Ahaneku, said: “Today, we are celebrating an academic excellence through quality research and productivity.”

    According to him, the institution supports efforts aimed at putting UNIZIK on the map of honour and excellence, like the Geological Sciences students who won the African award.

    Over 20 universities across Africa participated in the competition. Each team was given an oil basin in different parts of the world to evaluate, assess and come up with objective predictions.

    The UNIZIK team was given a basin in Nova Scotia, Canada. They used power-point presentation to analyse the oil field.

    Pamela said: “We evaluated the hydrocarbon prospectivity of Penobscot field in Scotian Basin, offshore Nova Scotia Canada.” The analysis, she said, was done with the aid of power-point presentation evaluating facts about the oil basin.

    The team leader, Chibuzo, said each of them performed a specific role, ranging from the introduction to sequence straight graph interpretation. The conclusion was done by Nnaemeka; Vivian and Chubuzo handled the basin analysis and seismic interpretation. Pamela said she focused on volumetrics and economics aspect of the analysis.

    Experts in the field were on hand to judge the performance of each institution. The UNIZIK team emerged overall best with 79.5 points after the session. Being the best in Africa, the team members are expected to be in the United States for the global contest. They will meet students from other regions of the world.

    An elated Prof Okoro said the department was ready to support the students to any level, having made the university proud with their feat.

    On the world contest, Nnaemeka said determination and unique presentation would move the team to clinch the world best institution in Geology training. Vivian and Pamela said they had “unflinching faith” in God, adding that their project will earn them first position in the world.

    Chibuzo said: “We only have to improve on what we did in Lagos to be the world best and with our mentors and HOD on our side, students from other universities across the world will not be difficult for us to handle.”

    Other institutions that participated included Helwan University, Egypt, which came second, University of Tunis, Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), University of Lagos (UNILAG), Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), University of Ibadan (UI) and University of Calabar (UNICAL), among others.

  • Enyeama is Africa’s best goalkeeper

    Enyeama is Africa’s best goalkeeper

    SUPER EAGLES’ Vincent Enyeama is has been named Africa’s best goal keeper at the close of the year 2012.

    This is according to the IFFHS’s January 2013 release of the list of World‘s best Goalkeeper of the 21st Century. According to IFFHS, the ranking of the best goal keeper was done on the basis of the annual world vote combined with an ‘equitable method” that is then used to allocate points.

    Despite being Africa’s best, Kaduna born Enyeama, now 30, is 48th in the overall list with ten points. The Lille player but on loan in Israel with Maccabi Tel Aviv keeper is tie in that position with legendary Peter Schmeichel of Denmark, Óscar Pérez of Mexico, Andreas Isaksson of Sweden, Italy’s Carlo Cudicini as well as Doniéber Alexander Marangon of Brazil. Ghana’s Richard Kingson, now with Blackpool in the English second tier league is regarded as Africa’s second best keeper – he is 55th placed with nine points.

    Cameroon’s Carlos Idriss Kameni, now with Malaga in the Spanish league is rated as Africa’s third best keeper. He is 81st in the overall list. Top of the list, with 238 points is Italy’s Gianluigi Gigi Buffon of Juventus. Spain’s Iker Casillas of Real Madrid is next best with 217 points. Fabien Barthez is 11th with 55 points with Liverpool’s Spanish keeper José Manuel Pepe Reina coming in at 12th with 54 points.