The Nation Newspaper

Tag: football

  • AWCON: How Nigeria can beat Cameroon

    AWCON: How Nigeria can beat Cameroon

    A Soccer analyst, Bright Ejeh has charged the Super Falcons to replicate the AFCON 2000 scenario in Saturday’s AWCON 2016 finals against the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Falcons are seeking their 8th title in the competition while the Lionesses are seeking their maiden title on home soil.

    Ejeh, who spoke to NAN in Abakaliki on Saturday, urged the Falcons to employ the same “on and off’’ field tactics which the Indomitable Lions employed to defeat

    the Super Eagles in the AFCON 2000 finals in Lagos.

    “The lions were buoyed by the feat of beating the Eagles to win the 1984 and 1988 AFCON and they brought such psychological edge to bear in Lagos.

    “The Falcons should also replicate this antic as they defeated the Lionesses to win the competition’s last edition in Windhoek, Namibia in 2014,” he said.

    Ejeh further stressed that in the 2000 AFCON final, the Lions behaved like those playing at home with various antics which seemingly unsettled the Eagles.

    “Their irrepressible skipper, Rigobert Song, sang ceaselessly and physically buoyed every player who seemed to be intimidated by the crowd at the National Stadium, Lagos.

    “The Lions took control of the match, and scored two goals within 30 minutes and though the Eagles battled to equalise, the match was in the former’s control.

    “During the ensuing penalty shootout, the tension made Victor Ikpeba not to celebrate his goal which crossed the line and was awarded in Cameroon’s favour.

    “Television replays showed that the ball crossed the line as the Lions thus stunned a whole nation by winning its third AFCON title, all at Nigeria’s expense,” he said.

    He then advised the Falcons to impose a physiological edge over the Lionesses on Saturday by behaving as if they were playing at home.

    “The girls should not be intimated by the vociferous Cameroon crowd, but psyche themselves to acquire the needed confidence for ultimate victory.

    “They should attack from the blast of the whistle, seek total dominance of the game and tighten their defence to check counter-attack incursions by the Lionesses,” he said.

    The soccer analyst also advised the Falcons to shun excessive rough tackles and physical contacts with the lionesses while utilising every scoring opportunity at their disposal.

    “The Nigerian bench should play a crucial role with the coaches studying the match and making tactical decisions while the substitutes should ceaselessly spur the players on the pitch.

    “The players should be patient, avoid anxious quest for goals, and shun unnecessary challenge of referee’s decisions and loss of concentration in the match.

    “The Nigerian supporters at the stadium should cheer the team ceaselessly, while the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) should motivate the players by providing all needed incentives,” he said. (NAN)

  • Plane carrying Brazilian football team crashes, 76 feared dead

    A chartered flight carrying 81 persons, including members of the Brazilian first division football team has crashed.
    76 persons are feared dead, while five persons survived.

  • Fixing our football

    Constriction twines me like a snake every time I listen to Sports Minister Solomon Dalung’s panacea to take the NFF out of its financial crises. He gives the impression that he doesn’t know the problem with the federation. Yet, when untoward things about the body happen in his presence, he glosses over them as if it isn’t his duty to give resolve such problems.

    We are tired of this sickening setting where a few people are insisting on gate-crashing into our football administration, after losing elections. It is about time these troublemakers faced the wrath of the law. If they have a matter in court, it is important that they let it run its course. All the sides to the matter have the right to state their cases no matter how long it takes.

    Dalung’s simplistic approach to the Jos court drama, NFF and NPFL chieftains’ dilemma leaves much to be desired. Dalung did well to ensure that NPFL Chairman Shehu Dikko wasn’t arrested, shortly after arriving in the country from Zambia at midnight of October 9 outside the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport’s lounge in Abuja. But I have been waiting to read his reaction to what happened that night. I thought Dalung should have raised the matter at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, considering the grave danger which our foreign legion faced that night, especially when one of the operatives released a shot into the air. It was scary to say the least.

    A team couldn’t have left this country, secured a victory on away soil, only for some people to lay ambush to arrest one of the NPFL chiefs. What was the hurry about the arrest? It behoves of Dalung to let us know the government’s position on the matter. This idea of the NPFL sending stories to the media as fallouts of the saga isn’t the best.

    Minister sir, Nigeria is one of the few countries whose soccer is measured by the contributions of players who ply their trade outside here. Elsewhere, countries measure how well the domestic league players perform on the international platforms through their dominance in the national teams. It is so bad in Nigeria that we don’t see anything wrong with inviting Nigeria-born lads in Europe to play in our age-grade teams. This isn’t fair. We need to develop the game at the grassroots. It can only happen when there is stability in the administration of the domestic league.

    The domestic league champions hardly compete with their counterparts in Africa. Now that we have some semblance of growth in the domestic league, the minister should ensure that interlopers stay away from the local scene.

    The minister needs to put his foot down on those who should run our football across all the levels as demanded by FIFA statutes. About 210 countries have applied themselves to the tenets of the FIFA statutes. It is shameful that Nigeria, easily the most talented soccer nation in the world (no hyperbole) has refused to appreciate the importance of the game in shaping people’s perception of the country. If we fix our soccer, other sports will thrive. But soccer can’t get its desired results when everyone wants to administer it without complying with the laid down rules and regulations.

    The FIFA president was here. He related with those who won elections supervised by FIFA. So, knowing those who run soccer shouldn’t be a difficult task for the minister.

    The minister would write his name in gold if he could persuade the National Assembly to hasten the process of making NFF independent of government funding. In other climes rich in soccer talents like Nigeria, the administration of the game is not tied to government funding.

    I’m sure that if President Muhammadu Buhari removes NFF from the Sports Ministry’s apron and tag it with the office of the vice president, for instance, there won’t be all this noise of heading to courts by people who administered the game in the past without good results. We repeat the mistakes of the past yet we expect to change our rankings in the world. Not possible.

    I was excited reading the tweets from Senate Sports Committee Chairman Obinna Ogba that moves had begun to ensure that NFF funds itself. That will be the day. What this means is that those clueless administrators will be forced to quit the scene.

    Senator Ogba’s Wednesday tweets on states: “Yesterday, several Tweets on the Senate’s Official handle quoted the Chairman, Senate Sports Committee Senator Obinna Ogba propose an amendment to A Bill for an Act to Establish the National Football Association Act CAP N110 LFN 2004 and enact the Nigeria Football Federation and for other matters connected therewith, 2016 (SB.154). The Bill is to reduce the government’s spending and perhaps propose a law that will incorporate the FA and encourage greater participation of Corporate Nigeria.”

    Closing the debate, Senate President Bukola Saraki said: “In line with best practice, those of us who follow football progress will see the evidence of funding problems. It is important that we improve the funding problems as seen in Olympics and reduce government interference.”

    The Bill surely comes with some exciting buzz to it but without the finer details, like all else that has transpired in the last couple of years in Nigeria football, to be skeptical is safe.

    Going to Ndola in Zambia offered me the best opportunity to study Dalung closely to find out if he easily gets excited when faced with microphones or that he loves hearing his voice. The latter impression is the case as he enjoys talking when he ought to be observing. The mood inside the aircraft after beating Zambia at home opened up the flanks of most quiet people. It was good watching the minister in a relaxed mood, showing that he is after all human. It is on this score that I want to plead with the minister to copy some of the things we saw in Ndola, particularly the relationship between the Zambia FA chieftains and their sports minister.

    The Zambians and Nigerians resident in that country welcomed us into the country as kings. Movement was swift. No hiccups. We settled down easily. The Zambians were warm. The only unfriendly aspect of the trip was the weather. Even the Zambians complained. Otherwise, they shocked us with their hospitality.

    Reading through the papers in the hotel, the talk was uniform – beat Nigeria. No conflict talks between the minister and ZIFA chiefs. Few hours before the game between Nigeria and Zambia, the Zambia FA boss and the minister drove into the Eagles hotel to fast track our passage to the stadium.

    It was seamless. I was shocked that their president could drive into the stadium without blocking where he would drive through. The president arrived early for the game. He took the kick-off and watched the game till the end. He left the stadium, satisfied that the Chipololopolo fought a good fight against a very young and talented Nigerian side. From the blast of the whistle signaling the opening of the game, I noticed that Zambians thought they could beat us. They rallied their boys. Even with two goals down late in the first half, their fans, who were clad in their country’s colours raised, their voices to propel their players.

    The deafening noise that accompanied the Zambian goal was unparallel. It almost brought down the stadium. The young and old danced to their native tunes. It was a sight to behold. But it showed too that the people see Chipololopo as the symbol of their existence. But they were not violent in appreciating their players. Chipolopolo lost, but the fans still swarmed around their favourites. I wished our fans could replicate this kind of love to our players, irrespective of results. Sport is for friendship, not war. I hope our fans will learn from the Zambians by supporting the Super Eagles during their matches, not matter the scoreline. Even if it doesn’t favour the team, embrace them and salute them for their gallantry. But is it sport to win all games? I don’t think so.

    Thursday’s news that Nigeria moved four places upwards to 60th is commendable. It should be sustained by beating Algeria in Uyo on November 12. However, Nigeria’s 11th placing in Africa is preposterous, given our abundance of talents.

    The minister should support the NFF to get a World Cup budget for the federation, now that our players are insisting on being paid in dollars. I won’t blame them because they earn their wages in foreign currencies, with many of them not interested in running local accounts when they hardly live here.

    Moses and Success

    It is difficult to placate Victor Moses and Isaac Success for missing the October 9 cracker between Zambia and Nigeria in Ndola. Nigeria secured a nail-biting 2-1 victory. But the result would have been better had the team’s manager Gernot Rohr had Moses and Success on the bench. A good team is as good as the quality of players on its bench. Having Moses and Success in Ndola would have been a bigger boost for the Eagles.

    It is true that players are susceptible to injuries. But where it appears that any player feigns an injury to dodge a game, it is only fair that such lads are punished no matter whose ox is gored.

    Success was the MVP in Watford’s 1-0 away win over Middleborough FC. Moses was a delight to watch, scoring Chelsea’s third goal in the Blues’ 3-0 whiplash of defending Barclays English Premier League champions Leicester City.

    The way Moses and Success played for their European teams put a big lie on their claim of not being able to play for Nigeria, six days earlier. It would, therefore, be unfair to those who also play in Europe if both men walk into Nigeria’s next game against Algeria inside the Nest of Champions Stadium in Uyo, no matter how important the game is to us. We mustn’t compromise discipline on the altar of sentiments. We shouldn’t have sacred cows in the Eagles. Moses and Success can return for the Cameroon game next year, not this one against Algeria, please. Besides, shouldn’t the doctrine of not changing a winning side that coaches advocate for stay?

  • Ofurumapepe wins Udom’s U-20 football tournament

    Ofurumapepe wins Udom’s U-20 football tournament

    Ofurumapepe in Ijaw language means, the great white shark. The shark is strong and rugged. It remains afloat and never swallowed by the tempestuous sea. The Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson, adopted it as his sobriquet when he sought a reelection. He emerged victorious.

    In the same spirits, when Bayelsa State was invited recently to participate in an Under-20 football tournament sponsored by the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Emmanuel Udom, a new team assembled to represent Bayelsa decided to name itself after Dickson’s sobriquet, Ofurumapepe.

    There was something spectacular about the Ofurumapepe football team. The team was solely sponsored by Dickson’s Special Adviser on Youths, Ibarakumo Otobo. Otobo took it as his personal project. He did not wait for funding from the government. In fact, his passion to empower the youths and develop their talents compelled him to found the team.

    Again, the team was brought together after rigorous screenings. Youths from all the local government areas, indigenes and non-indigenes residing in the state were given an opportunity to compete for shirts. The best among them were selected to form the Ofurumapepe.

    The result was resounding. They played fantastic football similar to the ‘tiki-taka’ soccer of known clubs like Barcelona FC and Arsenal FC. Indeed, they thrashed all their opponents losing only their first game because of late arrival. Niger Delta Report gathered that at Uyo, where the tournament was held, Ofurumapepe was a spectacle.

    Among the 18 teams including teams representing Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Kano, and Akwa Ibom states, Ofurumapepe made Bayelsa proud by emerging as the winner of the Governor Udom Under-20 Football Tournament. They brought the cup home.

    The Coach of the team, Mr. Gwegwe Ada, said the feat would not have been possible without Ototo. He said the special adviser took full responsibility of all the expenses incurred by the team.

    Ada said: “If it is not for him, I don’t think this trophy will be here. He footed all the bills. He had shown love to the youths of Bayelsa. One individual came to the rescue to sponsor a team to represent the state. It is a welcome development.

    “We named the team after the governor’s title, Ofurumapepe. The governor answered Ofurumapepe and won his election. We decided to answer the name. We went and we conquered. We promise that we will continue to make Bayelsa state proud”.

    He said the team had been selected to represent Nigeria in international football tournament and appealed to Dickson to support the team to ensure brighter future for the youths.

    “We are appealing to individuals, multinational companies to come and support us. We know the crime rates in the society, cultism, sea piracy. We can take the boys out of the streets through grass root sports development”, he said.

    In his remarks, Ototo said he was proud of the achievements of the team. He said persons who kept evading responsibilities by saying there was no money in Dickson’s government were ungrateful.

    He said: “We are all salary earners. So what do people do with their salaries? I passed through a lot of difficulties. Some people even discouraged me not to engage in it. They told me that in football you only spend money and don’t get returns especially in Nigeria.

    “But I told them that I was not doing it in order to benefit but I want the youths to benefit. I made a vow that if I assume any good position in government, I will do my best to ensure that the youths of the state are taken to the permanent site.

    “I am happy that Bayelsa has become champions. The opportunity given to the players to showcase their talents and skills is the key factor. I want to advise all the coaches in the state and the management board of the sports council, whenever you are making selections, ensure that the right persons are selected.

    “You cannot select people who are not qualified because of the positions of their brothers. I have brothers who are footballers but they are not in the team. I ensured that qualified people were selected and you look at the outcome”.

    He described the team as one of the best teams in football. He said he spent five days in Uyo to pep up the players and relate with them. He said the programme was in line with his personal project, Operation Leave the Streets.

    He added: “This is one of the best team I have ever seen in this town because their ball possession was exceptional. I never knew the state could produce a team of this nature. I am a grass root person. I spent five days in Uyo to be with the them and to encourage them.

    “I want the youths to leave the streets because when they are out of the streets, we will find no reason to bring military men to come and secure our states. Our state will be secured. Our leadership should engage in these things.

    “You don’t just condemn them. Have you asked yourself a question, how many persons have you used your position to take out of the streets. You are condemning militants but what have you done to help them.

    “I want to use this opportunity to appeal to the youths of Bayelsa to shun violence. All vices should be kept in the dark and we should come to the open to pursue real life”.

  • Boosting local football league marketing appeal

    Boosting local football league marketing appeal

    Since the kick-off of this year’s Nigeria Professional Football League season, there has not been a title sponsor. To enhance the brand profile of the league, Nigerian Breweries has injected its marketing investment into it, positioning its premium brand,  Star Lager beer, as the official beer of the Nigerian football league, reports ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI.

    As the economy continues to slide, especially with recent admission by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, that Nigeria is technically in recession, the questions marketers and brand managers need to answer  are: How to invest wisely in brand building, where to use as point of exposure to engage consumers beyond the traditional platforms, and when to invest and achieve an impactful mileage for their brands?

    The economic challenges have forced some brands to rethink how to survive amidst the continued decline of the economy, to stop their marketing efforts sliding to almost zero level.

    Operators said the tough operating environment has forced a leading telco to cancel its entire billboard advert placement in Nigeria – a development that showed sliding marketing budget.

    Nielsen West Africa Managing Director Mr. Lampe Omoyele, in a marketing survey by Nielsen, a global marketing research firm, said the economy’s downturn presented brand managers ample opportunity to deploy more marketing campaigns.

    At an event organised by advertisers, he said brands should be innovative, and corporations should look for where to place their brands to derive  optimum value for marketing expenditure rather than withdrawing from marketing in the name of tight budget occasioned by market malady.

    Yielding to this advice, Nigerian Breweries shocked the marketing industry on Tuesday when it announced a major sponsorship deal with the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPLF), run by the League Management Company (LMC). The sponsorship is expected to position NB’s premium brand Star Larger beer as the official beer of the Nigerian League. Banking on an average of 8,000 fans (according to 2014/15 season fan review) that attended games, the brand is expected to ride on the impressions the league enjoys, especially via its growing digital interest.

    According to Keyhole, a real-time hashtag tracker for Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, the NPFL enjoys an average of 500 posts with four million impressions on Twitter every weekend.

    The sponsorship, according to a media buyer, would also offer Star Larger beer an opportunity to reach about 30 million TV football  audiences, who watch local leagues both in Nigeria and abroad via digital and online TV.

    The brand is also expected to leverage on the growing emotional factor in the Nigerian league to bond with its consumers. For instance, there is a growing interest among families who attend local league matches in their bright club replica jerseys due to enhanced security at venues across the country.

    Touted as having the biggest crowd for domestic football in Nigeria, for more than 15 years and expected to rise this year, the league has become more competitive as clubs now chase points, leading to greater excitement for the fans – the biggest stakeholders who are the core target consumers of most brands.

    Over the years, there has been a chasm in football sponsorship in Nigeria. Unlike its European league counterparts that enjoy sponsorship on all their properties, such as TV right, sports arena advertising hoardings, Jersey, and league naming, among others, the Nigerian league has had  tough times in attracting sponsorships from various brands.

    “The NPFL, like many important leagues across the world, needs big corporate organisations to support its message of youth empowerment – at least 700 footballers are employed across the 20 club sides in the league,” said LMC Chairman, Shehu Dikko.

    Having enjoyed a great deal of sponsorship from Globacom, other brands have not been forthcoming, especially at this critical period when the brands are cutting marketing budget because of market realities. While some do not see the opportunities in coming on board, Star has defied the marketing challenges, economic recession and threw its marketing fund to support the league.

    ”This partnership agreement with Star shows that there is an opportunity for corporate Nigeria in our league and we hope that many more organisations will take advantage of football to reach their target market as we continue to build an attractive league,” said Dikko.

     

    Need for brand support

    However, due to the fact that more than 70 per cent of clubs are still owned by state governments, player salaries are hampered by the financial insolvency of many governments across the country.

     

    Leverage for brands

    Still, there have been more positives than negatives on the domestic scene, which has seen brand impressions grow digitally with increased interest. This, however, informs why Star Lager beer, Nigeria’s first indigenous beer, decided to support the growing local success story to push it beyond its current reach.

    “We’re excited to sign this agreement with the LMC that sees us become Official Beer of the NPFL for the next four seasons. It’s a partnership that we expect to bring excitement to Nigerian football and the fans who love the domestic game,” said Managing Director, Nigeria Breweries, Nicolas Vervelde.

    With a massive investment in the NPFL through this new partnership, Star will be able to connect its message of vibrancy and excitement with football fans across the country.

    The partnership will see STAR provide excitement to fans during matches through activations, music and fun games at match venues. Fans will be able to win signed memorabilia, replica match balls and jerseys as well as key rings.

    For many that have complained about the lack of entertainment after matches, Star’s experience with music would ensure there’s never a dull moment post-match.

  • Youths warned against playing football on Sanitation Day

    Youths warned against playing football on Sanitation Day

    The Sole Administrator of Isolo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Abimbola Osikoya has warned youths to desist from playing football on Sanitation Day.

    Ms Osikoya also called on residents to stop dumping refuse on the road, urging them to ensure cleanliness of their surroundings.

    This, she said, would aid living a healthy life.

    She spoke on Saturday, when she visited the Osolo of Isolo Oba Kabiru Agbabiaka, during the environmental sanitation exercise.

    Ms Osikoya was accompanied by the council’s environmental officials and management team members.

    They went through various streets to ensure occupants came out to clean their surroundings and properly disposed off the refuse.

  • Ifeanyi Ubah on track for continental football, says Loute

    Ifeanyi Ubah on track for continental football, says Loute

    Ifeanyi Ubah are on course to play international football next year after they defeated Kano Pillars 2-1 at home on Sunday, according to defender Isaac Loute.

    The Nnewi club are now eighth on the league table with 40 points after going unbeaten in 10 matches in all competitions.

    “We are grateful to club owner, Ifeanyi Ubah, whose enormous financial support has lifted us and we now want to repay him by playing on the continent next year,” said the Benin international.

    “I am  happy that we have extended our unbeaten run to 10 matches and we are now to pick some points away from home.”

    Loute was up against former club, Kano Pillars on Sunday and he admitted it was “emotional” for him.

    “Kano is like home for me as I played for Pillars for two seasons during which we won the league,” he said.

    “It was always going to be an emotional and difficult game considering the quality of players Pillars parade. So, it was great we won.”

  • Messi retirement highlights implosion of Argentine football

    Argentinian football is imploding, and Lionel Messi’s international retirement will put more focus than ever on the national Football Association (AFA).
    This was supposed to be the year. Argentina’s last senior international trophy came in 1993, when a double from Gabriel Batistuta – who Messi surpassed as their record goalscorer with his 55th strike in the Copa America Centenario semi-final against United States – guided La Albiceleste to the Copa trophy with a 2-1 win over Mexico.
    After the disappointment of losing the 2014 World Cup final to Germany in extra time and the Copa showpiece to Chile the following year, not forgetting defeat at the final hurdle in the 2007 edition, 2016 looked like time to end the 23-year drought.
    Messi appeared destined to restore the glory days when he, along with the likes of Javier Mascherano, Angel Di Maria and Sergio Aguero, helped inspire Argentina to a triumphant campaign at the 2008 Olympics – a golden generation.
    But with another penalty shoot-out loss to Chile in the Centario showpiece at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday, a fourth defeat in an Argentina final, Messi – someone not accustomed to being on the losing side with Barcelona – announced his intention to retire.
    “I was thinking about it in the locker room. That this is the end for me in the national team,” the Argentina captain, who missed his spot-kick in the final, said in the wake of the defeat.
    “It’s four finals, it’s not for me. Unfortunately we tried, I tried, but that’s it.
    “It’s for the good of everyone. We were not satisfied with making the final and not winning it.
    “I’ve tried a lot to be champion with Argentina. It didn’t happen, I couldn’t do it.
    “The decision is already made. That’s it.”
    But it is not just the perennial disappointment from being runners-up that will likely have influenced Messi’s comments.
    The AFA has long been a strange beast, but, since Julio Grondona’s death brought his 35-year reign as president to an end in 2014, it has plunged into disarray.
    Last December’s shambolic presidential election drew the attention of the world when, despite there being 75 delegates present, a vote of 38-38 was counted.
    Provisional president Luis Segura, who replaced Grondona, remained at the helm as the elections were pushed back, but opposing candidate Marcelo Tinelli has since pulled out.
    With a permanent replacement for Grondona still not confirmed, elections scheduled for June 30 were postponed by the Argentinian government pending an investigation into the misappropriation of finances related to the national ‘Futbol Para Todos’ scheme.
    This raised concerns that Argentina could be banned from competing at the Copa America Centenario, with government interference in football matters banned by FIFA.
    And, on Friday, FIFA announced its decision to appoint a “normalisation committee” with a mandate that put it in charge of “running the daily affairs of the AFA, revising the AFA statutes in order to bring them in line with the current FIFA Standard Statutes, and organising elections accordingly by 30 June 2017 at the latest.”
    The worst case scenario could see Argentina’s FIFA affiliation revoked, disqualifying them from 2018 World Cup qualification and preventing domestic sides taking part in international competition.
    This will be a severe concern for Boca Juniors fans, who are scheduled to watch their team face Independiente del Valle in the Copa Libertadores semi-finals next month.
    Domestic concerns are heightened by a lack of clarity over the structure of the upcoming season’s league campaign.
    Shortly before his death, Grondona authorised a change to the structure of Argentina’s top flight that resulted in a 30-team tournament, running out of sync with Europe, for 2015.
    After one season those teams were split into two groups for a transitional competition, but there is not yet clarification over how the 2016-17 season will be run.
    With confusion and chaos paramount in all sections of Argentinian football, Messi’s retirement may well have come even if he had got his hands on the trophy.
    The 29-year-old vented his frustration when he called out the AFA with an example of poor organisation when their flight to New Jersey was delayed, branding the governing body “a disaster”. Their response, however, insisted the blame lay with the unsuitable weather alone.
    But with other stars such as Aguero, Mascherano and Di Maria potentially following their captain’s lead in turning their back on the national team, the AFA must look at itself.
    Their only hope is that FIFA’s normalisation committee help clear up the mess, enticing Messi and his team-mates to return for another shot at glory at World Cup 2018.

  • MISS TOURISM NIGERIA PAGEANT: CELEBS ENGAGE CONTESTANTS IN FOOTBALL MATCH

    MISS TOURISM NIGERIA PAGEANT: CELEBS ENGAGE CONTESTANTS IN FOOTBALL MATCH

    AS part of the 2016 pre-activities for the Grand Finale show of the Miss Tourism Nigeria pageant billed for July 9, at the Ruby Gardens, Lekki, organisers of the pageant are set to host a celebrity football match.

    The match, scheduled to hold on July 6, will see an All-Star team of A-list celebrities engage the Miss Tourism Nigeria 2016 contestants in an exciting game of football, at the Children’s International School (C.I.S), Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

    The celebrity charity football match, aimed at creating further awareness on domestic violence against women and tagged ‘Saving H.O.P.E’, according to the organisers, is a creative blend of football, music, networking and community development.

    Marvin Records artiste Korede Bello has been confirmed as the Referee with Denrele Edun as the Lines-Man.

    The event is also a movement platform for role models to relate with fans who would love to see and experience a different aspect of their talent and skills as a source of inspiration to be all they can be.

    Proceeds from the football match will be donated to a charity.

  • Broome: Football and yoga go wonderfully together

    Broome: Football and yoga go wonderfully together

    Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out. Do you feel the energy that flows through your body?”
    Phrases to that effect are sure to have been heard a great deal over the last few days at the headquarters of the Germany national team in Evian, where they are based for the European Championship. The reason? Optional daily yoga sessions have been offered to Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Muller, Mario Gotze and Co for more than ten years now, and will continue to be on the agenda in France, where Germany face Ukraine in their opening UEFA EURO 2016 encounter on Sunday evening.
    “Football and yoga go wonderfully together,” said yoga instructor Patrick Broome, who has been in all of Germany’s European Championship and FIFA World Cup™ camps for the last decade, in an exclusive interview with FIFA.com. “It’s a very good addition for athletes to experience their body through different movements and to use their body in a non-competitive way. On top of that, it’s a good way of preventing injuries. We can stretch and extend muscles that are overused and relax them. It helps with recovery. It’s a wonderful way to relax. At major tournaments all the players complain that they can’t sleep because there’s so much tension. Yoga’s good to help establish a bit of distance and to feel more relaxed again.”
    Was Germany’s fourth World Cup title at Brazil 2014 therefore a consequence of his work? “It was certainly one of many important pieces of the mosaic that combined to form that perfect whole.”
    Broome, a trained and certified psychologist, runs a Jivamukti Yoga Center [Jivamukti is a branch of traditional yoga that was developed in the USA in 1984] in Munich, and counts several members of the Bayern Munich squad as regular visitors. Furthermore, he has given seminars all over the world for the last 20 years.
    “I once asked a player to put his arms above his head,” Broome said. “He tried but couldn’t do it; he just had so much muscle that he couldn’t raise his arms above his head anymore. But I also have others who are as agile as cats. Those kind of muscle-bound players are virtually extinct in the game now though,” he said with a wink.
    Earning acceptance in football was not easy for Broome at first. There used to be a lot of prejudice and scepticism and even today he gets the occasional questioning look when he talks about his work with Germany. “Nowadays most of the players are happy and enthusiastic to do it,” Broome continued. “When I’m travelling with the team and meet members of different delegations, sometimes they’re amazed that a yoga instructor is part of the staff. However, I know that a lot of football clubs in Germany, England and Spain now have yoga instructors.”
    Yoga exercises have even been included into everyday training in semi-professional football too. The German Football Association (DFB) recorded several video sequences with Broome so that youth players could learn how to stretch the back of their thighs and take care of themselves from a young age in order to make sure their muscles do not stiffen.
    It was thanks to Olivier Bierhoff that Broome’s collaboration with the DFB started in 2005. The former Germany striker, who scored the Golden Goal in the 1996 European Championship final, took up yoga after retiring and got to know Broome. When Bierhoff became general manager of the national team he brought him into the Germany set-up. “A lot of the exercises are toned down and geared towards football; in concrete terms that means I don’t do anything that could risk a player getting injured,” Broome said. “Everything flows from physiotherapy. It’s yoga that’s tailor-made for professional athletes.”
    Jurgen Klinsmann, who was Germany head coach when Broome first became involved, also proved to be very influential. “Klinsmann had the courage to try anything that could squeeze out the last few percentage points from the players,” Broome said. “Back then he was ridiculed because he used rubber bands, but now every amateur club uses them too. Among the technical staff here at the DFB, Klinsmann is still very highly regarded because he had the courage and power to implement changes. He opened doors.”
    In France, the 46-year-old Broome will be tasked with keeping Germany’s players relaxed as they chase another title. And anyone who remains unconvinced about the power of yoga need look no further than one player who has been especially keen on taking Broome’s sessions: Mario Gotze – the man who scored the winning goal in extra time against Argentina in the World Cup Final on 13 July 2014.