The Nation Newspaper

Tag: FIFA

  • Birthday footballers: FIFA recognises Taiwo

    Birthday footballers: FIFA recognises Taiwo

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has shortlisted the name of Nigerian Ukraine football ace, Taye Taiwo with some of the biggest names in football who will be celebrating their birthdays this week.

    As posted on their website (fifa.com) the football governing body recognizes the Nigerian left full back, who will add a year to his football age on Tuesday April 16, among 20 others across the world.

    The Nigerian footballer, who is well known for his powerful and accurate long shots and is also a dead-ball expert, has had a lot of mixed reaction trailing his age, was born in 1985, according to the FIFA record.

    Though the Ukraine Premier League ace has not enjoyed call ups for national assignment in recent times, especially under Coach Stephen Keshi, he has developed into one of the most reliable left-backs in Europe, having initially risen to prominence at the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup, where he scored two goals, propelled Nigeria to the final, and finished third in the voting for the adidas Golden Ball award.

    After being promoted to the Nigeria senior XI, Taiwo took part in four consecutive CAF Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and in the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. His name was mentioned among the likes of Martin Montoya who has succeeded in breaking into the Barcelona first team over the past couple of years, after coming through the ranks at the Catalan club.

    On 31 July 2012, Taiwo joined FC Dynamo Kyiv on a one-year loan deal with the option of making the move permanent at the end of the season, he was also recognized alongside the like of Seigo Narazaki who represented the Japanese national side at the FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan 2002™, and was part of the squads that travelled to France 1998, Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010.

    Some of the fans who commented on FIFA’s post wishes him and other players “ Happy Birthday and all the best in your careers”

  • FIFA can’t force Nigeria to accept lesbianism-Lawmaker

    FIFA can’t force Nigeria to accept lesbianism-Lawmaker

    The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Sports, Godfrey Gaiya, has reacted to the ongoing lesbianism debate in female football in Nigeria saying the world football governing cannot impose its views on the country.

    Gaiya said Nigerian female football administrators acted right by banning lesbianism in female football.

    “Nigeria is right by banning lesbianism, the laws of the land do not recognize lesbianism,” he said. “It’s not in our constitution. Nigeria’s legal system doesn’t permit homosexuals, be it male or female footballer.”

    The lawmaker said he is in support of the position taken by the chairman of the Nigerian women football league, Dilichukwu Onyedinma, on the ban of lesbians from playing for the Nigerian national teams.

    “I support her completely because I don’t think that FIFA rules surpass Nigerian rule and national law. If the chairperson said it’s illegal in our teams, meaning she hasn’t done anything wrong and I support her statement,” he said.

    He said Nigerian officials cannot support any form of homosexuality because it is illegal in the country.

    “If Nigeria is in support of lesbians in the female teams, I think it’s double standards. It’s against the rule of the land and not good for the image of this country, we will not subdue and surrender ourselves to any moral quote,” he said.

    The lawmaker said FIFA had no basis to punish Nigeria for her position as no lesbian as been banned yet. He claimed that if Nigeria takes a position to ban homosexuals from its teams, it would not have violated any FIFA rules.

    “We are waiting for FIFA to tell us that we have gone against their rules by stating the particular article and section of the FIFA rules and regulations where it (homosexualism) is stated. I have gone through FIFA statutes and I didn’t see it there. I stay by the laws of the land and what it says,” he added.

  • FIFA names Oliseh in technical study group

    FIFA names Oliseh in technical study group

    Former Super Eagles skipper Sunday Ogochukwu Oliseh has been listed by world football governing body, FIFA into its Technical Study Group.

    The ex-Julius Berger and Ajax ace who has acquired his UEFA B license since quitting active football admitted he was greatly honoured and flattered by the appointment.

    “It is with great honour that I share with you my appointment by the world’s Football governing body FIFA as a member of its Technical Study Group amongst other functions,” Oliseh posted on his personal website sundayoliseh.tv.

    The ex-Eagles star who also had spells with Italy’s Juventus and Germany’s Borrusia Dortmund added: “I am flattered to be a part of this football family and I believe that this is a blessed period not only for me personally but for my beloved nation, Nigeria!”

    Interestingly, Oliseh before now has being linked with the vacant Technical Director job at the Nigeria Football Federation after he indicated interest in coaching the Super Eagles.

  • FIFA crowns Messi again

    FIFA crowns Messi again

    …Del Bosque, Wambach triumph too
    Argentina’s Lionel Messi collected a record-breaking fourth consecutive title of best player in the world when he was awarded the FIFA Ballon d’Or, while United States player Abby Wambach claimed her first FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year award at the FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala held at the Zurich Kongresshaus on Monday evening.

    Vicente Del Bosque, the Spanish national team coach, and Sweden’s new women’s national team coach Pia Sundhage (former USA coach) were the winners of the FIFA World Coach of the Year awards for men’s and women’s football, respectively, FIFA.com reports.

    Aged 25, Messi concluded 2012 by scoring over 90 goals. He also finished top scorer in the UEFA Champions League 2011-2012 season with 14 goals.

    Meanwhile, Del Bosque added the European title to his 2010 FIFA World Cup crown when leading Spain to victory at EURO 2012.

    In women’s football, 2012 was the U.S national team’s year. Sundhage and Wambach led the U.S to its fourth Olympic gold medal in London after defeating the Japanese team in the final and thus exacting revenge for their defeat in the FIFA Women’s World Cup final the previous year, which Japan won for the first time in their history.

    These awards were decided after a poll in which the captains and head coaches of the men’s (for the two men’s awards) and women’s (for the two women’s awards) national teams, as well as international media representatives selected by French football magazine France Football, voted for candidates in each of the four categories. Each group’s votes represented one third of the final result.

    It was an unforgettable night, with many former and current football stars on stage and on the red carpet. The international audience was entertained with a flavour of Brazil as we look to the FIFA Confederations Cup 2013, as well as by Scottish singer Amy MacDonald.

    The FIFA Ballon d’Or was awarded for the third time tonight following the amalgamation of the FIFA World Player of the Year award with the France Football Ballon d’Or in 2010.

     

     

    Caption: Messi after receiving his award on Monday.  Photo: Supersport.com

     

  • License to thrill for Roberto Carlos’s World XI

    A round this time of year everyone is talking about the FIFA Ballon d’Or. Who’s your pick to win this year?

    Roberto Carlos: Obviously everyone’s talking about [Lionel] Messi, but I reckon he’s won enough and there cannot be much more room in his trophy cabinet.

    Therefore, I’d vote for Cristiano Ronaldo. He’s someone who can win matches for you many different ways, from varying situations in attack. He deserves to win it again.

    Speaking of deserving winners, many people consider you one of the finest

    players of your generation never to have won this award. Would you go along with that?

    Well, back in 2002, I came up against Ronaldo and he robbed me of the trophy (laughs). But I’m not sure quite what my supporters saw in me (laughs again).

    Joking aside, I think there probably was a period of six or seven years when I was the best around in that position, and that’s something I’m immensely proud of. Moreover, that generation had an absurd amount of supremely talented players, all operating in midfield or up front, where you tend to get more attention.

    Now that you’re going into coaching, who’s to say you won’t win the FIFA Coach

    of the Year award one day?

    (Laughs) Do you think so? At least let me take the first step. I still have a long way to go before I starting thinking about that kind of thing.

    So who would choose as Men’s Coach of the Year?

    Well, seeing as [Pep] Guardiola has left Barcelona, I think it should go to Jose Mourinho. A club side like his is harder to manage than a top national team – something I know a lot about. During my time at Real Madrid, I played under Fabio Capello, who did an amazing job. But when you look at Mourinho’s results, you can see his coaching has a lot of merit and he really knows how to deal with the situations he faces.

    OK so let’s hear your FIFA/FIFPro World XI…

    Right, here goes. First Casillas, Daniel Alves, Thiago Silva, David Luiz and Marcelo; in midfield Xavi and Xabi Alonso; Ribery and Van Persie as withdrawn strikers; and Neymar, Messi and… Cristiano Ronaldo up front.

    You’re right. OK let’s back up a bit. I better put Xabi Alonso on the bench as I need Cristiano Ronaldo. And I’ve forgotten Iniesta! OK, how about I sacrifice

    David Luiz and leave Daniel Alves, Thiago Silva and Marcelo. Barcelona play like that with three defenders, so why can’t I? (laughs)

    Right so the final XI are: Casillas, Daniel Alves, Thiago Silva and Marcelo; Xavi,

    Ribery, Van Persie and Iniesta; Messi, Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo? Exactly.

    Fair to say then that we can expect Roberto Carlos the coach to be a tad attack-minded?

    (laughs) Give me a team like that, and you bet we’ll play offensively.

  • FIFA to announce 2018 World Cup host cities on Sept. 29

    FIFA to announce 2018 World Cup host cities on Sept. 29

    The International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA), confirmed on Friday it would announced the host cities of the 2018 World Cup in Russia next Saturday.

    FIFA President, Sepp Blatter and Russian Sports Minister, Vitaly Mutko, would jointly on Sept. 29 unveil the final 11 host cities among 13 candidates.

    The duo would announce the cities during a live broadcast on Russia’s Channel One TV starting from 9:20 p.m. Moscow time (1720 GMT).

    “I can say with pride that whichever host cities are finally selected, we believe that the entire country will win,” Mutko said.

    Officials from FIFA and Russia, as well as Russian athletes, football stars and celebrities, would also attend the announcement ceremony.

    Russia was awarded the right to host the 2018 World Cup in Dec., 2010.

    A total of 13 Russian cities, including Kaliningrad, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Yaroslavl, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Saransk, Samara, Yekaterinburg, Rostov-on-Don, Volgograd, Krasnodar and Sochi are vying to host World Cup matches.

    Mutko said in April that FIFA had allocated nearly 700 million U.S. dollars to the 2018 World Cup. (Xinhua/NAN)