The Nation Newspaper

Tag: FIFA

  • ‘My administration motivated Plateau athletes into winning 143 medals in two years’

    ‘My administration motivated Plateau athletes into winning 143 medals in two years’

    Gov Simon Lalong of Plateau says it was a credit to his administration that the state’s athletes won 143 medals in the two years he has been in charge.

    Lalong told newsmen on Monday in Jos as part of activities to mark the 2017 Democracy Day that the feat was possible because of his unflinching support for sports.

    He said his administration had strived a lot to ensure the participation of the state athletes in many sports activities within the period.

    “Plateau won a total of 143 medals, made up of 56 gold, 37 silver and 50 bronze, in the various sports our athletes took part in.

    “Plateau athletes have participated in virtually all the sports events within and outside the country,” the governor said.

    He said he was also determined to ensure that Plateau United Football Club of Jos play their continental club competition matches at the new Zaria Road Stadium if they qualified.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Plateau United FC are currently leading the 2016/2017 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

    If they finished within the top three bracket or win the Federation Cup competition, they would represent Nigeria in one of the two available continental club competitions.

    Speaking on sports facilities, Lalong assured that he would do everything possible to complete the multi-billion Naira stadium.

    “I will do all I can to make sure that they (Plateau United) play their continental matches in the new stadium, instead of the Rwang Pam Stadium were they are currently playing.

    “There were complaints that the turf at the new stadium was not FIFA standard but we immediately approached the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports and they certified it fit for international matches.

    “But if there are fresh concerns of the state of the turf we will immediately address it,” he said.

  • Ndidi’s award excites Amiesimaka

    Ndidi’s award excites Amiesimaka

    Ex-Green Eagles Winger, Adokiye Amiesimaka, says recent young player award bestowed on Wilfred Ndidi by English Premiership Club, Leicester, is a big plus for Nigerian football.

    Ndidi, 20, a Super Eagles midfielder and former Nigerian youth international, joined the EPL side from Genk FC of Belgium.

    Amiesimaka told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone from Port Harcourt on Wednesday that the award by the former league champions showed that Ndidi was a top quality player.

    “For him to be given such an award by Leicester who won the Premier League only last season is obviously a plus.

    “It means he is a top quality player and its impact on us here is good, by virtue of the fact that he is a member of the national team,’’ he said.

    Amiesimaka, former Chairman, Sharks FC of Port Harcourt, said the award was also an indication that Nigerian football had a quality player in one of the best organised leagues in the world.

    “Even more importantly is what we’ll do with that plus, how do we make the most of that in the national team and how will it benefit us?’’ he said.

    He said that the derivation of the award should be translated to his optimal use in the national team to achieve good results in major national and international matches.

    Amiesimaka said that the welfare of Ndidi and other members of the national team should be a priority to excel in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and Russia 2018 World Cup qualifying matches.

    NAN reports that Ndidi started his career playing for the Lagos-based Nath Boys Academy in the Lagos Junior League (J-League) and won numerous accolades.

    He then played as a central defender for Nigeria’s youth team, the Golden Eaglets in 2013 for the African U-17 Championship.

    He later played for the Manu Garba U-20 youth team of Nigeria that played in the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand.

    Ndidi was called up to the Senior Nigeria team, the Super Eagles, on Oct. 8, 2015, making his debut in the friendly game against DR Congo.

    He also played again a few days later in the 3-0 win against Cameroon, when he replaced Mikel Obi in the 63rd minutes.

    He was selected by Nigeria for their 35-man provisional squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

     

  • Aina to get FIFA clearance before Bafana tie

    The Nigeria Football Fed­eration (NFF) has allayed fears over Chelsea defender, Ola Aina not being cleared by FIFA to play for Nigeria in the 2019 Nations Cup qual­ifier against Bafa­na Bafana of South Africa on June 10.

    Aina represented England at various youth level, but switched allegiance to Nigeria last month after talks with head coach Gernot Rohr who sub­sequent­ly invited the player for the team’s training camp in London.

    The young defender im­pressed the manager who has now handed him a call-up for the upcoming get together of the team later in the month in France, as part of their preparations for the AF­CON 2019 qualifiers against South Africa.

    However, his inter­national switch is yet to be approved by FIFA, but a member of the NFF has hinted that it will be sort­ed before the game against South Africa.

    “Aina won’t play against Corsi­ca due to club duties, but he will join the team after the game, all things been equal he should play in the friendly game we are try­ing to arrange after the game against Corsica”, he said.

    “For the game against South Africa, you know his switch re­quires clearance from FIFA. We (NFF) have started the process and hopefully it will be sort­ed out before the South Africa game. As a matter of fact it should work.”

  • FIFA elects Nigerian Chief Judge into Ethics Committee

    The immediate past Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Ayotunde Phillips has been elected as a member of the FIFA Ethics Committee.

    Justice Phillips’ election was ratified on Thursday at the 67th FIFA Congress in Manama, Bahrain.

    The 68-year-old who studied law at the University of Lagos is presently the Chairperson of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission.

    She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1974. The new FIFA appointee retired from the High Court Bench in July 2014 upon the attainment of the statutory retirement age of 65 years.

    She had by then served the Lagos State Government for 38 years out of which 20 years were spent on the High Court Bench.

    The new FIFA Ethics Committee is headed by Vassilios Skouris of Greece, the longest serving President of the European Court of Justice.

     

  • FIFA Ethics Committee investigating hundreds of cases – Borbely

    FIFA Ethics Committee investigating hundreds of cases – Borbely

    Ousted FIFA Ethics investigator Cornel Borbely said on Wednesday his committee were investigating “several hundred” cases of possible wrongdoing, some involving senior officials.

    FIFA’s ruling council decided on Tuesday not to renew the mandate of Borbely and chief ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert, who had led the clean-up attempt at the troubled organisation.

    Speaking to reporters ahead of a news conference, Borbely said the move was a “setback for the fight against corruption” with know-how and experience in the cases being lost.

    “We investigated several hundred cases and several hundred are still pending and ongoing at the moment,” Borbely said.

    FIFA issued a statement on Tuesday saying Colombian investigator Maria Claudia Rojas had been nominated as the new head of the investigatory chamber.

    Vassilios Skouris of Greece, a former president of the European Court of Justice, has been put forward as head of the adjudicatory chamber.

     

  • Messi’s ban lifted after appeal to FIFA

    Messi’s ban lifted after appeal to FIFA

    Lionel Messi is free to represent Argentina in their World Cup qualifiers after his four-match international ban was overturned on appeal.

    The 29-year-old Barcelona forward was suspended for insulting an assistant referee during a 1-0 win over Chile in March.

    He missed one match,Argentina’s 2-0 World Cup qualifying loss to Bolivia.

    A FIFA appeal committee said his behaviour was reproachable, but the evidence was not sufficient.

    Messi would be available for matches against Uruguay, Venezuela and Peru as Argentina fight to secure a place at next summer’s World Cup finals in Russia.

    A fine of 10,000 Swiss francs (7,800 pound) was also lifted.

    During the Chile game, Messi was caught on camera venting his anger at an assistant who signalled he had committed a foul.

    He was not shown a card at the time.

    The FIFA appeal committee concluded that the evidence available was not sufficient to establish an infringement had occurred.

    “The appeal committee nevertheless underlines the importance of always showing respect to the match officials, stressing that such a principle is essential in football.

    “Any unsporting conduct that may be contrary to the principles of fair play cannot be accepted,” a statement.

  • Asia Olympic chief quits FIFA role over bribery scandal

    Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, the FIFA Council member who also runs the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), said on Sunday he was resigning all his posts in football after being drawn into the latest bribery scandal to hit the game’s governing body.

    The Kuwaiti issued a statement on Saturday “strongly” denying any wrongdoing.

    His comments came after U.S. Court documents made reference to a Kuwaiti OCA official as being involved in the bribery case of FIFA’s audit and compliance committee member, Richard Lai.

    Lai, also president of the Guam Football Association (GFA), pleaded guilty on Thursday to wire fraud conspiracy charges before U.S. District Judge Pamela Chen in Brooklyn, according to U.S. prosecutors, who said he had taken close to 1 dollars million in bribes.

    “With regards to alleged illegal payments to Richard Lai, I can only refer to my previous statement and vigorously deny any wrongdoing,’’ Sheikh Ahmad said in a statement released by the OCA on Sunday.

    “I intend to work with all relevant authorities to disprove these for me totally surprising allegations.

    “However, I do not want these allegations to create divisions or distract attention from the upcoming AFC and FIFA Congresses.

    “Therefore, after careful consideration, I have decided it is in the best interests of FIFA and the AFC (Asian Football Confederation), for me to withdraw my candidacy for the FIFA Council and resign from my current football positions.’’

    The FIFA Council replaced the largely discredited Executive Committee as FIFA’s decision-making body under reforms instituted in the wake of the 2015 corruption scandal.

    The AFC will elect four members, one a woman, to the FIFA Council at a congress in Bahrain in May.

    FIFA president Gianni Infantino thanked Sheikh Ahmad for standing down from the body.

    “I have taken note of the decision of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al Sabah. I want to thank him for taking this decision which certainly was not easy to take but is in the best interest for FIFA,’’ Infantino said in a statement.

    Sheikh Ahmad served on FIFA’s Reform Committee as well as the FIFA Council but he is primarily known as a key powerbroker in the Olympic movement.

    As well as heading the OCA, he is president of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) and a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

    According to a statement from the Eastern District of New York of the U.S. Attorney’s office, Lai, who is also a U.S national, pleaded guilty to receiving bribes from what the statement called “a faction of soccer officials in the AFC region.’’

    Lai helped “officials in that faction identify other officials in the AFC to whom they should offer bribes.

    The goal of this scheme was for the faction to gain control of the AFC and influence FIFA,’’ said the statement.

    Court documents list four un-named co-conspirators in the case.

  • Nigeria’s footballers good but lack structures – U.K. Scout

    A Director in Diamond Sports Academy (DSM),U.K. Cem Sagar, says that Nigeria has abundant football talents but lack structures and organisation to expose them to the right clubs.

    Sagar, a world football governing body, FIFA agent, made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the DSM football trials in Lagos.

    NAN reports that DSM, U.K. in partnerships with Ezeani Football Academy, Nneni, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra recently conducted football trials at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

    The one week football trials hosted players from across Nigeria and had no fewer than 200 players jostle for a chance to eke playing time in one of the clubs affiliated to DSM in England.

    The trials aimed at scouting for budding talents from Nigeria, was however declared successful by the Europeans football scouts.

    Sagar said that Nigeria was blessed with talented footballer but lack organisation to fit them into the requirements and standards in Europe.

    “It’s not in doubt that Nigeria is blessed with abundant talents but what is lacking is organisation. I think there should be better organisation from what I have seen.

    “I really think the organisation is poor because the talent is there, so they really need to improve on the organisation of the game.

    “We are looking at all the attributes of the players and the abilities as well. How far a player can go will depend on the player and his ambition.

    “Every player is different and what every team is looking for is also different. The stakes are not the same,’’ he said.

    Sagar, said that with his assessment, Nigeria has more players in the defence and central midfield, adding that he was much impressed with the quality of players in those department.

    “On my assessment, we have been watching eight teams playing among themselves and we are looking for players with strength that is what we are looking for.

    “We want to take them to Europe as a project. These players are young and they will have to come in as projects. They will have their careers planned.

    “We will give targets, work on what they need to work on. I am in particular impressed with the central midfield players. We have found some good central midfield too.

    “I am disappointed with the strikers in this tournament, I was expecting more, but we’ve got left footed players but playing in the midfield,’’ he said.

  • Ex FIFA official pleads guilty to corruption charges

    A former FIFA official from Guam has pleaded guilty to charges of corruption in a New York court, the U.S. attorney’s office said.

    Richard Lai, a former member of the audit and compliance committee at the world football governing body, admitted two counts of “wire fraud conspiracy in connection with his participation in multiple schemes to accept and pay bribes to soccer officials,” according to the attorney’s office.

    The 55-year-old U.S. citizen Lai, who is president of the Guam Football Association, accepted a 100,000-dollar bribe to vote for an official from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in 2011.

    The attorney’s office also said that between 2009-2014, Lai collected more than 850,000 dollars of bribes for activities within the Asian region.

    “Today’s plea marks another important step in our ongoing effort to root out corruption in international soccer,” acting US attorney Bridget Rohde said.

    “The defendant abused the trust placed in him as a soccer official in order to line his own pockets, and now he will be held to account.

    “The defendant’s breach of trust was particularly significant given his position as a member of the FIFA audit and compliance committee, which must play an important and independent role if corruption within FIFA is to be eliminated.”

    Investigations into FIFA corruption by U.S. and Swiss authorities are ongoing.

  • FIFA sad over fans’ deaths in Calabar

    FIFA sad over fans’ deaths in Calabar

    The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) has expressed sadness over the death of some football fans in Calabar, who were electrocuted while watching Europa League quarter-final game on Thursday.

    Seven fans were confirmed dead and many injured as an electric cable from a high tension installation fell on the viewing centre where they were watching the match between Manchester United and Anderlecht.

    “FIFA is deeply saddened by the deaths of several football fans in Calabar and offer our deepest condolences to family and friends of the victims,” the world football body wrote on its Twitter handle on Friday.

    Manchester United has also commiserated with the families of the dead fans.

    United won the game 2-1 and qualified for the semi-finals of the competition.

    United will face Spanish side, Celta Vigo, in the semi-finals, while Ajax of Netherlands will meet Lyon of France.