The Nation Newspaper

Tag: FIFA

  • RACIST COMMENTS: FIFA warns Keshi

    RACIST COMMENTS: FIFA warns Keshi

    Nigeria coach, Stephen Keshi has been given a warning by FIFA for alleged racist comments towards former Malawi coach, Tom Saintfiet, ahead of their World Cup qualifier in September.

    According to a FIFA spokesperson who was interviewed by THIS DAY on Monday, FIFA decided to impose a warning on Keshi over his alleged comments.

    The decision was reached after the Chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, Claudio Sulser, referred to Article 57 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.

    Sulser said that Keshi must guarantee that incidents of such high gravity do not occur again in the future.

    “If such incidents should happen again, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee will be left with no other option than to impose sanctions against the coach Stephen Keshi.’’

    The use of offensive gestures or language, or any one who violates the principle of fair play or whose behaviour is unsporting in any other way may be subject to sanctions in accordance with Article 10 ff”.

    The decision will be welcome news to Nigeria officials, Keshi and all Nigerian fans ahead of the Super Eagles trip to Addis Ababa to face Ethiopia in the 2014 World Cup qualifying play-off on October 13.

  • Nigeria vs Ethiopia: FIFA clears Calabar Stadium

    Nigeria vs Ethiopia: FIFA clears Calabar Stadium

    •Craves adequate security for visiting team

    World Football governing body, FIFA has finally cleared the Super Eagles of Nigeria to play the second leg of the 2014 World Cup play-off slated for Saturday, November 16.

    SportingLife gathered exclusively in Abuja yesterday that the General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Barrister Musa Amadu received a letter yesterday from FIFA that gave the NFF the go ahead to stage the decisive final leg of the World Cup qualifiers in Calabar, Cross River State.

    But FIFA gave strict condition that NFF must ensure safety of players and officials before, during and after that match. FIFA without mincing words said that the Federation must do more on what was provided during the last qualifier against Malawi.

    FIFA requested that security must be very tight at the UJ Esuene Stadium, Calabar as well as the chosen hotels that will accommodate both the Eagles and the Walyas Antelopes of Ethiopia while also requesting adequate security for match officials for the match.

    The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye had told SportingLife shortly after the Eagles spanked Malawi 2-0 in the last FIFA World Cup qualifier in Calabar last month that Calabar will host the decisive last match that will produce the team that will pick the 2014 World Cup ticket.

  • Ethiopia like Brazil, Spain – Keshi

    Ethiopia like Brazil, Spain – Keshi

    Super Eagles Chief Coach, Stephen Keshi believes Ethiopia has all the potential to spring a surprise to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

    The coach made his views known through team media officer, Ben Alaiya after the draws for the Africa play-offs were decided at the headquarters of the Confederation of Africa Football in Cairo on Monday.
    Presently in America on holidays, Keshi equally compared the East African side to Brazil and Spain and therefore warned those who may have written them off to desist forthwith.
    “Ethiopia should not be taken as an easy ride. For all you may know they could be the surprise pack and as the coach has always maintained every team in this round all have the same chances of qualifying for the global showpiece,” said Alaiya. 
    Reiterating what Keshi had always said, Alaiya told SportingLife that the coach had no particular preference for the type of opposition he expected. “Whether it id a simple or hard team, his was to look forward to the match,” he said.   
    The two sides have met seven times with Nigeria gaining the upper hand seven times. The last meeting was at the Africa Cup of Nations this year which Eagles won 2-0 to qualify for the quarter finals. Ethiopia It is only once that Ethiopia has beaten Nigeria in a Nations Cup qualifier in 1994.
  • Keshi calm over FIFA query

    Keshi calm over FIFA query

    World football governing body, FIFA has officially written to Nigeria head coach, Stephen Keshi over his outburst directed at former Malawi coach, Tom Saintfiet.

    FIFA’s correspondence comes on the heels of a complaint from the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) after Keshi was accused of a racist slur.

    FIFA has finally reacted by dispatching a letter to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) requesting for an explanation from the Nigeria coach.

    Spokesman of the NFF, Ademola Olajire who confirmed the receipt of the correspondence from the world football governing body, revealed that Keshi’s response is expected to reach FIFA on Monday, September 16.

    Meanwhile, Keshi has reacted calmly to the development insisting that his outburst was inspired by the love of his country.

    Keshi was responding to remarks made by Saintfiet who labelled Calabar unsafe to host last Saturday’s 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying game against Malawi.

    “What I said wasn’t directly to him (Saintfiet). I was merely defending my team and defending my country and that was it,” Keshi told supersport.com.

    FAM, however, does not believe Keshi’s explanations hold any water with general secretary Suzgo Nyirenda describing his outburst as a “personal attack on our coach.”

    “We thought it was a personal attack on our coach and we had to defend him regardless of skin. We felt we should help our coach and at the same time put a stop to the racist remarks from Mr Keshi. We have sent evidence of what Keshi said and we hope FIFA will come up with some measures to control Mr Keshi,” said Nyirenda.

    It is believed that Keshi could miss as many as five FIFA sanctioned matches if he is found guilty of racially abusing Saintfiet.

  • 24 FIFA-badged referees pass 2013 fitness test

    24 FIFA-badged referees pass 2013 fitness test

    THE 24 FIFA-badged referees, who participated in the 2013 FIFA fitness test for various cadres of referees in Abuja on Thursday, retained their badges after passing the programme. The test was for Centre Referees, Assistant Referees, Beach Soccer Referees and Futsal Referees.

    Emmanuel Imiere, FIFA Physical Instructor, confirmed the results to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

    NAN reports that FIFA, through the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA) carries out the test yearly to test the fitness level of the badged referees and to prepare them for the 2013/2014 season.

    The test, which had medical and physical exercises, was held from August 27 to 29 with the medical tests taking two days before the physical test.

    The test included five male Centre and Assistant Referees each, three female Centre Referees, four Assistant Referees, three Futsal Referees and four Beach Soccer Referees.

    Imiere said the test was the third quarter fitness programme to be carried out by the NRA.

    ”Also, 14 male and five national referees participated in the fitness test to serve as replacements in case any of the FIFA badged referees failed.”

    He said 13 out of the male referees passed at the national level while only two of the females made the list. He noted that the success of the test would herald the FIFA Member Association (MA) course which external FIFA instructors would handle.

    ”The MA course will hold in the last week of September to keep the referees abreast of the amendments in the laws of the game. We will also invite 20 of our elite referees so as to widen their knowledge and expand their horizon. They will become more exposed as to what the FIFA amended laws of the game are.”

    Reacting to the test, NRA President, Ahmed Maude, said the test was a success compared to the last edition.

    ”The 2013 fitness test was a success compared to last year that we had a casualty. Now, those that were left out opted out themselves even before the test started,” Maude said.

    ”It is a good thing for our football that our FIFA badged referees are fit and up to the task. And it is a good omen which means we have younger referees who are ready to work harder and the sky will be their limit. Now, we are on course and we are maintaining our standard,” the NRA president said.

    Speaking about the national referees, Maude said since no FIFA-badged referee failed, none of the national referees would be called for the yearly test meant for their category.

    ”It means they have done their yearly test, they will not be called for promotion to the Globacom Premier League. They will not have to wait till October when some of their colleagues will be tested, their results will be carried over. It is only those that failed in this test that will be recalled in October.’’

  • Malawi coach reports Keshi to FIFA

    Malawi coach reports Keshi to FIFA

    Malawi national coach, Tom Saintfiet who was called  a “white dude” by Super Eagles chief coach, Stephen Keshi has finally reported the matter to the world football governing body (FIFA).

     A response to a mail sent by SportingLife from the organization’s media department on Tuesday acknowledged receipt of the report.  The date it was received was not stated in the mail.

    “We can confirm that we have received a complaint on the said matter,” the mail read.

    FIFA however declined to offer further comments until the matter is finally thrashed.

     

    “But please understand that we cannot comment any further at this stage,” FIFA said.

    Although the matter is being investigated, FIFA may act on it owing to its policy of fairness and fairplay.

     

    SportingLife gathered from an official of the  Nigeria Football Federation that they were awaiting FIFA’s reaction.

     

    “I am very sure that FIFA just got the report since it was last week that the Malawian coach threatened to report Keshi. FIFA will certainly get back to us as the football federation. But like Keshi had said, he meant no harm when he called Saintfiet a “white dude”. As far as he was concerned, it was not a racist attack,” said the official.

     

    Report on BBC Sports says the Africa Cup of Nations winner disagreed with Saintfied over his request that next week’s World Cup qualifier between both countries be moved from Calabar to another venue owing to security reasons.

     

    Keshi followed up his reaction on UK-based African TV show, Vox Africa’s Sports360, by saying: -I think the coach of Malawi is crazy. “If he wants to talk to FIFA, he should go back to Belgium. He is not an African person, he is a white dude, he should go back to Belgium, ‘’ Keshi said.

  • Ekoku mystified, disappointed by Keshi’s comments

    Ekoku mystified, disappointed by Keshi’s comments

    Former Super Eagles striker Efan Ekoku has told the BBC he’s “mystified and extremely disappointed” by Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi’s comments towards the Malawi coach Tom Saintfiet.

    Saintfiet is to report Stephen Keshi to FIFA after the Nigeria coach called him “a white dude who should go back to Belgium.”

    The pair have been arguing since Malawi asked FIFA to move next month’s crucial World Cup qualifier from Calabar for safety reasons.

    Ekoku, who played in the same Nigerian Africa Cup of Nations winning squad as Keshi in 1994, has added his voice to the row between Keshi and Saintfiet:

    “I’m mystified. I’m extremely disappointed – a little bit angry as well, that a guy who’s as smart as Stephen is, has been around international football for a long time, has travelled, has played in Belgium, was a very good footballer with a big profile in African football as well – would feel the need to say something like that.”

    Ekoku, speaking on the BBC’s Sportsworld programme, went on to say that Keshi “does shoot from the hip occasionally”

    “He’s been very outspoken, saying there should be a lot more African coaches, home-based coaches who are in charge of their national team.

    “This kind of comment has been brewing for a while, but, as I said, I’m extremely disappointed that he’s chosen to vent his frustration or anger in this way.”

    The controversy comes just two weeks before the crucial World Cup Group F qualifier between the two nations on September 7th in Calabar.

    Saintfiet believes Keshi “is angry because of the request to change the venue”, but the Belgian stands by his feeling that Calabar is unsafe. Ekoku has never been to the venue, and although he doesn’t agree with Keshi’s language, he does have some sympathy with his view of Calabar:

    “Calabar, I know – in the Eastern part of Nigeria – is relatively calm. As far as I’m aware, there haven’t been any disturbances there in the last 25 or 30 years so I can’t see the reasons for the Belgian coach wanting the match to be shifted in the first place. Stephen Keshi is obviously a little bit angry that he’s made this request and he’s decided to respond in that fashion which is unfortunate for everyone concerned with Nigerian football”.

    Ekoku is hoping Nigeria will be able to put this controversy behind them as they bid to reach the World Cup finals in Brazil in 2014:

    “Not to qualify for the World Cup in Brazil next year would be an absolute disaster, and I’m sure it would cost Stephen Keshi his job.

    “Can they go on and perform very well at the World Cup if they qualify? I doubt that the squad is actually that good. I think we’ve had better teams in the past.

    “This one went to the Cup of Nations with reduced expectation and that probably worked in their favour. We’ve had better generations of Nigerian footballers and we’ve not been able to win.

    “This group of players has won something, we have one or two promising guys. I certainly hope that they can improve and we can find ourselves – in terms of consistency – at the top of the continental game for years to come”.

  • COOPER FITNESS TEST: 27 Nigerian refs for FIFA exam Aug. 29

    COOPER FITNESS TEST: 27 Nigerian refs for FIFA exam Aug. 29

    FIFA-BADGED Nigerian referees will converge on the National Stadium, Abuja, on Thursday, August 29th for the yearly FIFA Fitness Test conducted to know those that will be considered for international matches next year.

    The President of the Nigerian Referees Association (NRA), Ahmed Maude who disclosed this explained that a total of 27 referees are expected at the routine fitness test. For the males there are six Centre Referees, seven Assistant Referees, four Futsal Officials and three Beach Soccer Referees. Others are three Female Centre Referees and four Female Assistant Referees.

    These referees are all below 45 years and are also match officials for the Glo Premier League.

    “We are going to have FIFA Fitness Tests for those referees that officiate international matches in 2014. It will take place at the National Stadium, Abuja on August 29th. We have 29 referees in all that will come for the mandatory FIFA Fitness Test. It is done yearly,” Maude informed SportingLife.

  • Malawi must play in Calabar – FIFA

    Malawi must play in Calabar – FIFA

    World soccer governing body, FIFA, has dismissed the petition by the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) to move the September 7 World Cup qualifier with Nigeria from Calabar to somewhere “safer.”

    A muted FAM chief executive officer, Suzgo Nyirenda, has confirmed that The Flames had no other option but to travel to Calabar for the much anticipated World Cup qualifying cracker.

    “It is not like we said we do not want to travel to Nigeria. We are just waiting for the Nigeria Football Federation to provide us the guarantee. Once they do that, we will travel to Nigeria” he was quoted as saying by the Nation in Malawi.

    Despite the back tracking such a guarantee is bound not to come as the NFF has said it deems it superfluous since nobody can tell Nigeria where to play in Nigeria but Nigeria.

    Coach Tom Saintfiet, who personally called Calabar unsafe and questioned the fairness of the NFF, must now look elsewhere to see if he can create any other type of advantage for his team before game time rolls around, supersport.com reports.

     

     

  • WCQ: CAF invites media to final round draws

    WCQ: CAF invites media to final round draws

    The Confederation of African Football has started the accreditation process for the media ahead of the draw of the African third-round qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, futaa.com reports.

    Nigeria is one of the likely qualifiers for the third round face offs, as the Super Eagles need a single point in next month’s match against Malawi in Calabar.

    The African draw would be made on September 16 at CAF’s headquarters in Cairo, one week after the last matches of the second-round are played.

    CAF on Friday opened the accreditation process which would end on August 15.

    The group winners of the second round stage would discover their opponents for one of the continent’s five berths at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.