The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Brazil

  • Ramos not ‘afraid’ of Brazil

    Ramos not ‘afraid’ of Brazil

    Adrian Ramos has implored Colombia to continue in exactly the same vein as they prepare for their World Cup quarter-final against Brazil.

    Thestriker has urged his team-mates to continue their hard work which has seen them reach the quarter-final stage of the World Cup for the first time in their history.

    Jose Pekerman’s side have been among the most impressive nations at the tournament so far, winning all four games with the likes of James Rodriguez and Juan Cuadrado particularly catching the eye.

    A 2-0 win over Uruguay on Saturday propelled them into the last eight for the first time in their history, setting up a tie with the hosts in Fortaleza on Friday.

    Ramos, who has made two appearances at the finals so far, wants the squad to prepare in exactly the same manner as they have done in previous games and not fear the threat of the host nation.

    “We must continue our work,” he said in a press conference on Monday.

    “It is doing a good job and we have to continue that idea as it has given us results.

    “We are not afraid, but we respect the Brazilian national team. We have to keep dreaming and keep believing.

    “We know that what we are doing now excites the Colombian people, and we hope to continue our job.

    “We have the opportunity to make history and we will continue to give everything.”

  • Subscribers hail Glo’s roaming services in Brazil

    Subscribers hail Glo’s roaming services in Brazil

    The roaming service offered by Nigeria’s National Telecommunications Operator, Globacom, in Brazil has been commended by sports administrators and consultants in Brazil for the Mundial.

    Globacom announced the launch of prepaid roaming service in Brazil to complement postpaid roaming hitherto available in that country. The development is expected to excite thousands of soccer fans and tourists who have either travelled or who still intend to travel to Brazil to witness the on-going 2014 World Cup.

    Steve Stretch, Head of Glo Gateway, Globacom’s international gateway division, said the prepaid roaming service is offered on Tim Brazil and comes at competitive rates. TIM is the largest mobile operator in Brazil with over 74 million subscribers.

    Stretch said that with the prepaid roaming service on Tim Brazil, Glo prepaid subscribers who travel abroad for business or leisure will now be able to make and receive calls on their phones, send SMS and browse on their phones with ease.

    The Chairman of Pamodzi Sports Marketing Company Limited, Chief Mike Itemuagbor who commended Glo for also launching prepaid roaming said he had enjoyed an excellent roaming service on the Glo network since he arrived Brazil about two weeks ago.

    “From Sao Paulo to Curitiba, Cuiaba and Porto Alegre, I have enjoyed a distinctively clear roaming service on my Glo line. I commend Globacom for taking care of my communication needs and the rate is pocket friendly,” he said.

    In the same vein, the Chairman of the League Management Company, Chief Nduka Irabor, expressed delight with the quality of service he had been enjoying on his Glo line since he arrived Brazil.

    The LMC boss, who was preparing to go to the stadium to watch the Nigerian- Argentina match in Porto Alegre on Wednesday, said he was glad that he could use his Glo line to communicate with his family, friends and associates since he got to Brazil.

  • World Cup: Way of the (3rd) world?

    Okay, Hardball is quite aware that the term 3rd World has long been banished, especially as it concerns Africa. But a village wag used to say that you can only rename your goat, you cannot help the fact of its goatness. You may take umbrage about African countries being labelled in derogatory terms what is to be done if we cannot help acting in self-deprecating and even disgraceful ways?

    We simply refer here to the attitude and behaviours of teams and football officials at the ongoing world football fiesta in Brazil. Information oozing out of the camps of most of the five African nations at the tournament has been less than savoury, to say the least. Apart from Team Algeria, the others, including Cote D’Ivoire, Cameroon, Ghana and Nigeria are all encumbered with one money row or the other. This of course has hampered the performance of African teams in the competition apart from the odium it brings upon the continent.

    Most notable is the Ghana cash haul affair. The world had four years to prepare for this great football show. Even the host nation built numerous new, state-of-the-art stadia among other massive infrastructure provisions in the build up to hosting the world. But for Ghana, it seems the mundial caught up with her by surprise  though it had qualified for the competition several months ago. Why do we assert thus, you might ask? It’s because the whole world is still laughing over the ribald trans-Atlantic cash haul ordered by the Ghanaian president last Monday to unlock a most embarrassing deadlock between the country’s players and her football officials.

    According to a BBC report, the World Cup qualifying bonuses, which ought to have been paid to the team months ago, were not paid. Now, the players boycotted training early last week, threatening not to file out for their last group match against Portugal last Thursday. The looming crisis and attendant shame pushed Ghana’s president to charter a plane, load it with over $3 million in cash and had it flown direct to Brazil. Presidential officials noted that the cash was borrowed in lieu of FIFA’s prize money pay-out after the tournament. Whoever hauls cash like this anymore in this age? The president’s cash did not save the Ghanaian team; it crashed out.

    Players’ fee crisis also brewed in Nigeria’s Super Eagles’ camp through last weekend even though officials denied it. Nigeria’s team that qualified for the round of 16 is said to have refused to turn out for training late last week because of appearance fees palaver. Nigeria’s president too had to fly emergency cash to Brazil. Will this save the team against an organised and psychologically-stable France?

    So would we be unreasonable if we insist that this can only happen in a 3rd World country? Would the American, English or even Iranian teams get into this kind of mess? These vexatious players’ fee brouhaha that continuously plague African countries, are they not simple administrative routines that ought to have been carefully documented before any tournament and strictly adhered to like other nations?

     

  • See Brazil and die

    Kick off the fun! The month-long world’s fiesta of football is on. It is said that religion is the opium of the masses but was that in the past?  Football may well be the emerging religion of the world’s people today. And the World Cup (WC) tournament, also known as the mundial which takes place every four years, must be the revival service. It is yet another season when men (and many women too) dream football, think football, talk football and would rather eat football. Football, the round leather object and game, also called soccer, is here to keep the world spellbound and a little quiet for a while. Football, especially the World cup, has become so transcendental that even those dark fiends who are in the business of holding the world hostage are sure to take a breather. Yes, we mean professional terrorists, warlords and even armed robbers would hold their fire while the WC lasts. This is especially so in the 32 participating countries.

    The festival holds in Brasil, the South American combo of a nation where it all started in 1930 and which has over the years become the world’s basilica of the game. She last hosted the game in 1950 but has been the most successful in this queer art of kicking a round leather object around a field, winning five trophies. It has also given the world a football god – Arantes do Nacimento, better known as Pele of Brasil. There are other big Brazilian football cult heroes like Garincha, Zico and Ronaldo to name just a few.

    Welcome to Samba country:Though football has its home in England, its soul is in Brazil. The rumbustious tropical rainforest country of South America seems tailor-made for football and football made for it. Not because it has the largest football stadium, the Maracana; not even because it covers almost half of the vast South American continent, no. Brazil, with a population of about 250 million people and an economy larger than that of all her regional peers put together, epitomises the best, the worst, the most beautiful and the ugly too. A vastly rich country with a modern economy, it also boasts some of the poorest peoples symbolised by some of the worst slums (favelas) to be found anywhere. It is from the cauldron of these favelas that Brazil serves the world a thick broth of gangsterism, drugs, rape and football artistry. Brazil also boasts of great beaches, perhaps the best carnival and absolutely the most voluptuous black women to be found anywhere (you may read my lips!). It is also a rich cultural environment, a rainbow country of Caucasians, Blacks, Hispanics and a beautiful mixture of all. Brazil, the samba country, looks to me like the picture of our future.

     Every four years, the tournament gets bigger, better and more riveting. FIFA, the world body in charge of football also gets bigger and grows in importance as if it would form a world government someday. Such is the intriguing power of football which the numerous scandals in the world house of soccer have not diminished. In fact, it is feared that someday, countries may be rated by the number of World Cup silverware in their kitty. Countries not part of the four-yearly fireworks feel left out of the world community and great players not in the tournament walk with slouched shoulders throughout the show.

      Eagles flying on a wing and a prayer:Nigeria is represented by the Super Eagles in this contest, her fifth in the history of the tournament. Her first outing in USA 1994 was a glorious one and her best so far, having reached the second round of the competition and losing on penalties shootout to the finalist, Italy. Since then, it has been tales of woe with group stage ousting each time. That seems to be the last golden era in terms of soccer talents in the senior team. It was the time of Nigerian legends like Rashidi Yekini, Sunday Oliseh, Emmanuel Amunike and Stephen Keshi, to name a few. The only other time the Nigerian team had such array of talents was in the early 80s class, which had Christian Chukwu, Segun Odegbami and Adokiye Amasiemeka, among others. Though the current Eagles are African champions, the team led by Joseph Yobo has not shown character and style, the hallmark of champions. The team which has notable stars like goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, Chelsea FC stars, Mikel Obi and Victor Moses is flying to the World Cup on a wing and a prayer. Most Nigerians can only hope that they will escape from their group, which comprises soccer super power, Argentina and minnows; Iran and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

    Coach Stephen Keshi has selected the best players available, which include three players from the home league. We hope for sweet soccer, we pray for good fortune for our Eagles. But most important, we hope to enjoy an exposition of one of the greatest genius of humanity; perhaps the greatest unifier of the peoples of the world.

     

    Siege on media: if we be the problem…

    If routine seizure of some
    national newspapers and
    their circulation vans by the military will help the now intractable fight against Boko Haram terrorists and also help free the Chibok girls perchance, please let us give them all the papers and vans they want.

    If the seizure of some national newspapers and their circulation vans by the military will help gather preemptive intelligence about the financiers, finances, heavy arms shipments and training grounds of the terrorists, please let us give them all the papers and vans in the world.

    If the seizure of some national newspapers and their circulation vans by the military will help the presidency wake up to some of the problems bedeviling our country, we will gladly move to banish newspapers for the sake of our dear country. Yes, we will gladly pay the ultimate prize for dear country if we be the problem of Nigeria. Yes, if we could, we will gladly morph into Boko Haram, just to grant the military instant victory… if we be Nigeria’s problem.

    (An ode to the Federal Government of Nigeria which through the instrumentality of the military has been breaching newspaper operations in Nigeria since early June.)

     

    Good bye Dora…

     

    Good bye Dora (Akun
    yili) our brief candle
    that burned with bright, beautiful flames. In your laughter, in your eyes, in your verve, you shined forth so beautifully, the colours of hope…

    Goodbye Dora, the oriental queen who proved that it could be done. We can still hear the clack of your stilettos in the moldy corridors of bureaucracy; and where there were cobwebs, you hung bright pearls…

    Goodbye Dora, though we will miss you sore, we draw from your well still…

  • BRAZIL: LET THE SAMBA PLAY

    BRAZIL without football, without the Samba, would be like Green Land, lost in the North Pole. Great nations of world: Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium etc, play good football. But it is something else when Brazilians take to the field to play the Jiso. When the yellow-clad eleven move into the field, Brazil add into the game their dance foot work. In obedience to the African heritage, Brazilian music tends to transform functional motions into dance. With the fans cheerleading, the players selling the dummies, the excited audience commit themselves so completely to the marriage of the eye and the ear. In a few days time, the world will converge on Brazil to celebrate the football theatre that is the World Cup. The Brazilian eleven will dance their samba and the global audience will get their money’s worth.b

    Quick passing and clinical finishing continue to mark Brazilian football since 1970 when Pele, Jairzinho, Tostao, Carlos Alberto and Rivelino took the world apart. In the 90s, a new Brazilian outfit starring Careca, Romario, Bebeto and violent-shooting Dunga emerged.

    We had described Belgium and Spain as the complete teams to Brazil. However, as we watch the preparations and the build-up matches, it is clear that Brazil has the most complete squad. The Samba exponents seem very conditioned and as usual the most creative. The world is waiting for Neymar da Silva Santos; Brazil will triumph playing at home.

    ITALY:

    As usual, the “CATENACCIO” defence is as mean as ever. In the USA 1994, Italy replaced the deadliness provided by the generation of Altobelle, Paolo Rossi with Aldo Serena, Nicola Berti, Gianluca Vialli and the unforgettable Roberto Baggio.

    Tactically, Italy tends to slow it down at the preliminaries, increasing the tempo as they move into the finals. Will be in Brazil to compete and may win it again.

    USA:

    This is a workman team. Effective, disciplined with very few frills and lacking ball jugglers. From its debut appearance when it knocked out England, the Americans cannot be taken for granted, Remember a German ex-striker Jurgen Klinsmann is the USA Football Manager.

    GREECE: THE RETURN OF THE EAGLES SKIPPER

    He came into prominence manning Nigeria’s right full back position. He was so good he was able to move into the central defence in his years as a professional and later as the skipper of the national football team, Yobo in spite of his petit height knew it. The Nigerian defence, not the midfield, is the pivot of our pressure game. The midfielders most of the time, extra ordinary, multi talented are like they say in military operations, decoy commanders. The Nigeria defence as a result of its thorough conditioning is always able to contain the opponents’ offensive.

    Once the ball is safe in the hands of the goalkeepers or the defence line has blocked the opponent attack, the defence takes the ball and moves in with the midfield sector commanders.  The Commander-in-Chief, Stephen Keshi, calls it “possession football and pressing the opposition.” In that process, the central defence suddenly moves in with the decoy commanders and the midfield is occupied by so many green boots.  In 90 minutes of ravaging blitz, the Super Eagles pressure flag pivoted on its defence would eventually cross the opponents’ goal line and clatter the net.

    Against Greece, the Nigerian defence returned to its traditional role. My boy, Kunle Odulanmi, did not allow any Greek gifts from the outside left flank and when Captain Yobo went in, the defence established its authority. The balls were being headed down and our libero Kenneth has bared his teeth and Omeruo added aggression to his game. Efe Ambrose showed his dexterity by returning to the No. 3 position and played well. We can safely keep Echiejile to warm the reserve bench. That defence can decide to pair Omeruo with either Yobo or utility ace Godfrey Oboabona, and still have a rich reserve. No. 1 Vincent Enyeama, we are happy is now catching the balls once and safe! If the defence is back then the Eagles will go. No shaking.

     

    KESHI’S INCOMPLETE 23

    When I was provided with the full list of the final 23 going to Brazil I did not bother to check the details.

    When I watched the Greek encounter with the Eagles I knew it. Who is playing our set pieces? In the last World Cup in South Africa, Kalu Uche was the confident tiger taking our corner kicks and set pieces. During the last Africa Tournament, Ejike Uzoenyi was confident on those deliveries, and almost converted a flick from an impossible angle. The set pieces at the World Cup level are as good as spot kicks.

    These set pieces and corner kicks under the foot of a skilled creative player is surely a banger. A World Cup squad that is unable to hit a set piece away from the block to score or frighten the goalkeeper is a downer for that team’s manager. Nigeria had Jay Jay Okocha, Sunday Oliseh, Christian Chukwu Stephen Keshi to either flick in the set pieces or kill somebody with a thunderous free kick! We cannot afford to be pussy footing anytime we are awarded a free kick or corner kick. Even then, Moses, Mikel and Babatunde cannot settle on who to execute those free kicks and when Nigeria delivers set pieces, they are predictable or the keeper catches it with one hand!

  • EMENIKE – Mum fell in love with Amokachi after USA’94

    EMENIKE – Mum fell in love with Amokachi after USA’94

    TWENTY  years ago, he was a mere  carpet boy  watching  the Super Eagles in their historic debut at the USA’94  World Cup and Emmanuel Chinenye Emenike has sensational revealed how his mum predicted his pre-eminence right on the floor of their family’s living room

    “My World Cup dream has been there long time ago,” Emenike, the 2013 African Cup of Nations’ top scorer told The Nation Sport& Style. “I had the dream of playing for Nigeria since 1994 World Cup. My mother along with other members of my family was passionate about the Super Eagles and we all watched their matches at that World Cup.

    “Our sitting room was usually busy like a market place. It was the belief of my mum that one day; I would play for Nigeria one day.

    “In fact, my mum passion for football is very much and I remember the fact that she was so fond of Daniel Amokachi and he believes Amokachi can do anything on the pitch.

    “Her dream was that I become a great player like Amokachi because of what he did with the Super Eagles at the World Cup in 1994.

    “Since that time, I have always been living the dream of playing for   Nigeria at the World Cup. I just believe we can do very well at this World Cup. On my own part, I will want to keep working hard. I’m committed to what I do and I enjoy it,” he stated.

    Ahead of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Emenike had an exciting season following his return to Turkish giants, Fenerbahce with whom he won a domestic double and he believed it would put him in good stead as the Super Eagles hopes to break the second round barrier in Brazil. Excerpts…

    Looking back at how your club, Fenerbache emerged t title winner among the big Turkish rivals, what was the highlight of the season for you?

    It was a difficult season going by the fact that we fight for every point. As a matter of fact, our winning the title was a reward for hard work.  We enjoyed a very good season with some fantastic results away from our home ground. Personally, I’m very happy to have been part of the success of the club this season.

    It has been good news for you since your exploit at the AFCON 2013 in South Africa, what has been the secret?

    When you work, you learn to believe and trust in God. Everything is from God but it would be disaster if I don’t work for success in order to achieve my dream. Everything happens because I’m focussed. But to cap it all, I will say I have been fortunate to have everything like you said.

    You started slowly after your move to Fenerbahce but ended the season with 13 goals, how did you do it?

    At times, things does not work the way you think or the way people expected. I had a good dream for Fenerbahce after I left Russia, I knew I was going to win trophies and I also knew it was not going to be easy. People don’t always have that in mind forgotten that I was coming into a different team, a big team like Fenerbahce where there are talents and experienced players. But I knew the hurdle before me and that was why I had to take things easy. Sometimes, it may take a whole season to settle  into a new team and that does not mean you can’t face the challenges but only if you know what it takes but in my own case, I  already prepared for the best and worst time.

    Did you imagine ending your first season at Fenerbahce on such a high note?

    I was very optimistic. Though I didn’t get my form immediately, there was belief and focus. For every successful club, there must be a winning mentality. Even when I was on the bench, I believed the people on the pitch can do it.  I was very excited about the way the season turned out.  Though things didn’t go how we wanted initially, in the end it all went perfectly for us.

    From Africa, you are regarded as one of the big stars at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, are you under pressure to deliver for your country after your successful season in Turkey?

    I don’t have to be under pressure. It has always been my desire to do my best whether I’m playing for a club or my country. As you know, the World Cup is a serious business and we are all going to do our best for our country.

    Some analysts believe we have a fairly good group and we can easily secure a second round ticket if we can win our first two matches against Iran and Bosnia, do you think it is as easy as that?

    Our destiny is in our hands, even if we are grouped against France, Spain and Brazil, our destiny still in our hands. On papers, the likes of Brazil, Spain, Germany may be better than us better on the pitch we are equal to play the game. Self confidence and focus plays a lot in success. Bosnia are a very good team but that does that mean Iran are not good. At this point, we need to be positive about our chances and remain focussed.

    You scored a fantastic goal against Argentina in a friendly match in Abuja, should Nigeria be looking forward to another goal?

    As a striker, you are expected to score goals but not every time that the ball comes to become a goal. The foremost thing would be our ability to fight for the impossibilities. I will like to score goals but not at the detriment of the team.

    Which team will you pick as favourite?

    I wouldn’t say there is one. If I had to name one team, it would be Nigeria, of course. Nobody is talking about us but I believe Nigeria can go all the way if we really know what we are doing. We just need to be ourselves.

    Apart from 1994, Super Eagles have not had any great outing at the World Cup; can you guys emulate the glorious team of 1994?

    Nothing is impossible. We would do our best in Brazil and it our prayer that our best should be good enough for Nigerians to appreciate. Our careers can get a boost if we do well at the World Cup. And that is the reason why we have to do the right thing in order to get good results. Like I said before; the World Cup is a big business.

    At club level, you have played the big clubs that paraded big players like Lionel Messi and co; are you ready to confront the big stars at the World Cup?

    Experience or no experience, football need positive approach to each game and that is the best way we can have good results.  The UEFA Champions League matches are not the same as the World cup, a different tournament, different players rise and set world ablaze. What I am trying to say is that we need to be ready having it in our minds that we are playing one game at a time.

    The usual expectation from Nigerians is for the Super Eagles to qualify for quarter-final at least, is it possible?

    Did anybody believe we could qualify for the quarter-final when we won the 2013 AFCON in South Africa? But we answered the question as a team when we won the trophy. The expectants should also be fair with us in some situations, footballers are not magicians, we play football to earn livings and entertain people but one thing is sure, we are going to give our best.

    But most people see Lionel Messi as the magician that wreck any time…

    He’s exceptional because of his passion and extraordinary talent for the game. A magician is a magician, so Messi is not a magician but a hearty devoted player with dreams. Whether he is capable of wrecking or not depends on if we allow him. We are as good as every other qualified teams, two things will get us result; being proactive and ambitious.

    Few months ago, a UK- based media, named you among the World’s 100 best strikers. Can we say that the World Cup in Brazil could bring out the best in you?

    First thing first, Super Eagles! It was a unique feeling being in that category; it’s just an avenue to work harder. I am happy but I can still do better.

    Have you ever thought of playing with this kind of talented generation of footballers in the Super Eagles?

    Every generation has been wonderful; I grow up admiring lots of players from different generation. But the best aspect is to learn from the game. Football is another school of thoughts for those who believe they can learn. I have learnt from the past and present generation of footballers. So it’s great to be in this generation.

    In our last interview, you said Samuel Eto’o and Didier Drogba are the players you admire with much respect and both players are going to Brazil, what are the chances of the team against the big teams?

    Yes, we must promote Africa football in Brazil. These are the players who have paid their dues at both club and international levels. If you ask Drogba or Eto’o that what his dream now in Brazil is, he will tell you he wants to win because he has won everything as a player and I can bet they are going to show the reasons for going to the World Cup. I always learn something from Drogba, his passion to fight for success. I’m following their motives and it will work for me.

  • Brazil tipped to win World Cup

    Brazil tipped to win World Cup

    Brazil is the clear-cut favorite to win a sixth World Cup title, confirming on home turf its reputation as a soccer superpower, according to a global survey of over 120 football-loving market analysts polled by Reuters.

    Brazil was the best bet for over half of the respondents, way ahead of Germany and arch-rivals Argentina, as international soccer fans vie for one of the millions of tickets to cheer on their home country after the first kick off on June 12.

    “The Brazilians are the big favorites. It will be very difficult for Brazil to lose there,” said John Welch, a strategist with CIBC in Toronto. “But because of the way (Brazil’s coach) Felipao plays, they are not going to be winning by 3 or 4 goals every time like they did in 1950 until the final.”

    Market professionals from across the world who regularly participate in Reuters economic polls were invited to showcase their forecasting powers on sporting matters. Most responses came from Europe and South America, in line with the greater presence of both regions in the 32-team tournament.

    However, being the favorite of analysts and bookmakers should not cause too much enthusiasm in Brazil, according to Reuters polls on previous World Cup tournaments.

    Although most were right in predicting Spain’s glory before the 2010 South Africa cup, economists failed miserably in forecasting Italy’s fourth title in 2006.

    Some used sophisticated statistical models to predict World Cup results but were beaten by Paul, an Octopus living in a aquarium at Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, Germany, who picked the right winner in 12 out of 14 matches in the latest cup.

    A Reuters Breakingviews calculator based on the hard numbers – the players’ transfer value, population, participation and public engagement – suggested Germany will squash the dream of a sixth win for Brazil.

    In any case, this year’s solid consensus is evidence of the great impression left by Neymar and his teammates last year, when they crushed once-feared Spain by 3-0 to win the Confederations Cup after a flawless campaign.

    Despite unrest in Brazil’s streets over the staggering cost of the World Cup and jeers for President Dilma Rousseff, Brazil’s team received massive support from its fans, giving economists another reason to be optimistic about the Selecao.

    Brazil last hosted the cup in 1950 and an unexpected defeat then by Uruguay in front of more than 200,000 fans left deep scars in Brazil’s national psyche and nurtured glory-thirsty teams which, led by Pele, were crowned world champion three times in the following four editions.

    The best candidates to repeat Uruguay’s feat in the economists’ opinion are Germany, with 18 votes, and Lionel Messi’s Argentina, with 13. Spain had more mentions than Germany to appear in the World Cup final match, but only eight expect a second straight title.

    None saw Brazil’s challengers coming from England, though. The inventors of football were pointed as the most likely former world champion to crash out of the tournament in the group stage, with 64 mentions.

    “England will return from Brazil without scoring a single goal a la France in 2002,” said Isaac Matshego at Nedbank.

    Pessimism about England’s World Cup prospects seems to have reached the highest levels after a British government report suggested that the national team faced their customary early exit from the tournament.

     

  • TomTom takes consumers to Brazil

    TomTom takes consumers to Brazil

    TomTom has flagged off a consumer loyalty reward promo with an all-expense paid trip to Brazil.

    The promo which runs between March 15th and April 30th 2014 will produce winners that will experience the trip to the South American country, the company’s Head, Corporate & Government Affairs Mr. Bala Yesufu has said in a statement.

    “If a consumer presents one TomTom candy to the roving TomTom Promo crew from March 15th to April 30th 2014, he or she will collect a raffle ticket in exchange for the empty TomTom pillow wrapper which qualifies him or her for a draw,’’ he explained.

    Yesufu further stated that  ‘’digital raffle draws would hold in 3 major cities – Abuja, Lagos and Calabar where winners would emerge and proceed on an all-expense paid trip to Brazil.”

    He emphasised the company’s delight in taking loyal consumers on this lifetime memorable experience.

    Cadbury is one of the various brands of Mondelēz International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDLZ). Mondelēz International is a global snacking powerhouse, with 2013 revenue of $35 billion. Creating delicious moments of joy in 165 countries, The conglomerate, located in 165 countries,  is a world leader in chocolate, biscuits, gum, candy, coffee and powdered beverages, with billion-dollar brands such as Cadbury, Cadbury Dairy Milk and Milkachocolate, Jacobs coffee, Oreo, LU and Nabisco biscuits, Tang powdered beverages and Trident gum.

    Cadbury Nigeria Plc flagship candy – TomTom, remains a mega brand and Nigeria’s favourite candy, with three variants, TomTom, TomTom HoneyLemon and TomTom Strawberry. Over the years, consumers have enjoyed the brand’s promise, and it has grown to become a trusted brand that helps consumers breathe deep and go for it.

     

     

     

  • The road to Brazil

    Super Eagles’ team is not a casino where gamblers revel in pulling the one-arm bandit machine for a bountiful harvest. The act of gambling is not as easy as just pulling the machine’s arm.

    There are gambling rules. If you don’t have the machine’s playing dice, “nothing for you.” You cannot dip your hands into the wallet and insert any coin. It won’t work.

    Each player and coach in the Super Eagles must be told what they will earn at every stage of the Mundial to avoid the show-of-shame that happened in Namibia during the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

    Curiously, the scene in Windhoek, Namibia, where Eagles stars refused to board the aircraft secured for Nigeria by the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) to fly the players and officials to Brazil for the 2013 Confederations Cup arose when the players insisted that they must be paid $10,000 for beating Namibia, through a nail-biting 1-0 victory.

    The Federal Government constituted a panel headed by Segun Adeniyi to draw up a Code of Conduct for the Eagles to avoid a repeat of the shameful incident. The Adeniyi-led committee has submitted its recommendations, which Sports Minister Bolaji Abdulahi has handed over to the NFF for implementation.

    Match-winning bonuses have been a contentious issue since the 1998 World Cup in France, where our players met with NFA chiefs for three days, negotiating how much they should be paid before the game against Demark, which the Danes won by 4-1.

    Indeed, the players were paid $15,000 each before the game against Denmark, largely because they had envisaged that Nigeria will whip the Danes and meet Brazil in the quarter-finals. Pundits had tagged the match that never was a revenge tie, following Nigeria’s U-23 side’s 3-2 semi-finals victory over their Brazilian counterparts in one of the soccer matches at the Atlanta ’96 Olympic Games.

    Why have we found it difficult to present a package to the Eagles for them to either accept or reject? After all, the other 31 countries take part in the World Cup without rancour and where they exist, punishments are meted out to the culprits based on written agreements before the Mundial begins.

    For us to understand why other climes transit from one World Cup event to another irrespective of their results, there is the need to state that their leagues serve as the launching pad for picking most of their players, although with a few big ones coming from other developed leagues in Europe. With this setting, there are no big names. No idols. And such World Cup camping serves as a platform for the discovery new of stars.

    The reverse is the case with Nigeria. The domestic league is in dire straits, except for the innovations which the Nduka Irabor-led League Management Committee ((LMC) has introduced in the last one year. The Super Eagles is not a reflection of our local league. This unfair tilt makes Europe-based players feel as if they are doing Nigeria a favour while playing for this great country. Besides, they always give the impression as if their career didn’t start on Nigeria’s dusty streets.

    It is, therefore, heartwarming that the Namibia incident has produced the Code of Conduct document where all issues are addressed and decisions taken. Our players are used to rules in their European clubs. So, there is nothing new in this.

    But the clincher in the Code of Conduct is that the players will be told that they will earn $5000 winning bonus. Will the players accept this? Interesting. But that is the reason for the dialogue between them and the NFF.

    Happily, the Aminu Maigari-led NFF has chosen to go the way of others where intricate matters are documented after decisions have been reached by the contending parties. And it is a welcome development. One hopes that our nosey bigwigs in Abuja do not jeopardise the code when the Eagles start to dazzle the world. What one is saying here is that no highly-placed person in government should lead any delegation to Brazil and try to lord it over the NFF. When that happens, the powers of the football chiefs are whittled and indiscipline creeps in because the boys know who to run to.

  • Nigeria can win the World Cup in Brazil

    Nigeria can win the World Cup in Brazil

    On Monday September 30, 2013, one of Nigeria’s greatest sports columnist Mr. Tayo Balogun in his popular Column ‘Talking Turf’ wrote an article I christened an extra-terrestrial piece on Nigeria’s Super Eagles titled ‘FIFA World Cup 2014’: Champions Nigeria!, where he masterfully crafted a dreamer’s graphic account of Super Eagles World Cup exploits in Brazil 2014 and at the end of this masterpiece, he stated that he just realized it was a dream. I carefully noted this piece in my diary with his name and mobile phone, waiting for the conclusion of the African playoff qualifiers to confirm the five African representatives in Brazil 2014. Interestingly, Nigeria, the African Champions in 2013 is one of the confirmed representatives with Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroun and Algeria.

    These countries are not greenhorns in the Senior World Cup.

    After our qualification, as we crossed the Ethiopian hurdle and played Italy two days later, the night to the morning of Tuesday November 19, 2013, I had the same dream of Nigeria winning the World Cup in Brazil 2014.

    It is real and it will come to pass, only if we collectively as a nation believe and work towards the success of this team with great potentials to becoming World champions. With the 2-2 draw with four times World Champions Italy, I got a glimpse of what we should expect in Brazil 2014.

    Let me state it clearly, Africa would parade worthy representatives in Brazil and wait for it, the World will get the biggest shock in this football fiesta next year. We know that the World Cup has always been won by the traditional heavyweights – Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, England, Germany, Italy and now joined by Spain in South Africa 2010, regarded before this victory as under-achievers. These are the Super powers of World football which is an exclusive club and Nigeria will join that club by 2014. The Brazil weather in summer 2014 is the same tropical weather of West Africa and the European countries will be at a clear disadvantage. African representatives should capitalize on this advantage to win this trophy.

    To make this dream possible, what should we do? Let me start by recalling Super Eagles Head Coach’s comments on November 14, 2013 – Stephen Keshi says going by Super Eagles progression in the past one year, Nigeria is capable of winning the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Keshi told Journalists in one of the training sessions before he played Ethiopia in Calabar, “the Super Eagles can win the Brazil 2014 World Cup. Why not? My brother it is possible, anything is possible in football”. Yes, the Big Boss has got a big weapon of success – ‘Believe in possibility’.

    This is the weapon of success in any endeavour in life. To realize this target, the NFF should keep the Super Eagles busy with Grade A friendly matches with South American and European countries, who are participating at this World Cup in 2014.

    Within the next six months, the Super Eagles should line up friendlies on monthly basis with countries like Columbia, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Spain, Netherlands, France, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire. The importance of this friendlies will help to plug all loopholes in our Defence, Midfield and Attack. The Italian friendly exposed the left side of Nigeria’s Defence.

    We have a lot of work to do to fortify our Defence. The friendly with Italy at Graven Cottage revealed another kid on the block staking a strong claim in the Eagles attack – Bright Dike. He proved a point, when we played Catalonia of Spain before the Confederations Cup and he has shown it again against the Azurri of Italy.

    The next point is tactical discipline and a lot of technical input on our team is necessary for the team to achieve success.

    The Coaches have to impact this to the team. Our formations against some teams from Europe and South America must be tested with the friendlies by lining up some discovered good players so as to determine how they may adapt against some of the great teams from South America and Europe.

    The tradition which holds that if a World Cup holds in South America, a South American team wins and if in Europe an European team wins will be broken by Nigeria’s Super Eagles in 2014. Brazil is a dangerous contender as hosts and having won the Confederations Cup in 2013, they are cued to winning the FIFA 2014 World Cup to add to their numerous collection of the World cup. Do we need to play friendly with them? I would say no? This is for tactical reasons. Rather, we can play Argentina, Columbia, Chile, Honduras, Uruguay. However, if the Brazilians request for a friendly with us as I anticipate they may want to, our first 11 must not be presented to line up against them now. Keshi and crew take note! Try other players, at least two to three rising stars that may not be known to see if they can break into the main team.

    Again, to motivate the team for success, we need the patronage of Corporate organizations in Nigeria. The Super Eagles are a brand. Corporate organizations should pump in money for their camping towards the World Cup.

    Our collective goal for success borders on hardwork, discipline, tactics, technicality, formations, the psychology of players before each match and the current form of the players as they make the team.

    At this stage, the Coaching crew should not be distracted.

    Stephen Keshi as Head Coach, does not need a technical assistant. The NFF should expose the coaching crew to any FIFA coaching workshop before the World Cup.

    This is what the coaching crew needs to get updated. The NFF should sort out all administrative problems and ensure the coaches get their salaries as and when due as they prepare the team for this great task. We are a praying nation. We have to pray while the hardwork for success starts now.

    The victory of the Golden Eaglets in Dubai 2013, has given us a glimpse of what to expect in 2014. This dream is a reality.

    Uncle Tayo, we wait to see this dream manifest in Brazil 2014.