ubamobile

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Tue, Oct

Following Nigeria's second round exit from the ongoing Brazil 2014 World Cup after a 2-0 loss to France,  Super Eagles handler, Coach Stephen Keshi has resigned his appointment as the country's chief coach.

Keshi disclosed his intention to journalists after the Eagles match in Brasilia on Monday, stating that it was time to move on.

“I have to go back to my family and face fresh challenges,” said Keshi.

Super Eagles Captain, most capped Joseph Yobo also declared that he was stepping out of the national team after winning 100 caps.

“I think I should give the younger ones the opportunity to forge ahead. I have nothing new to offer,” the Norwich City defender said.

Nigeria was beaten 2 – 0 by France in their round of 16 match at the ongoing as the quarter final qualification continues to elude the African champions. Cameroon, Senegal and Ghana have all  made it to the quarter finals in 1990, 2002 and 2010 respectively.

It has been rumoured that South African Football Association (SAFA) was on Keshi's trail, but SAFA has denied wooing the Big Boss.

Keshi did not disclose his next move.

When the country’s senior national team the Super Eagles take on the Les Bleu of France as the French side are nicknamed on Monday in Brasilia in one of the Round of 16 games at the on-going World Cup, any likely loss to the French side should have the blames pinned on the shoulders of the bunch of racketeers we have in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) led by Aminu Maigari as well as some of their lackeys in the Nigerian sports media circle.

This is not providing a ready made excuse for the Super Eagles and their technical crew led by Stephen Keshi not to get their plans right and assume they wouldn’t be criticised were they to lose to France (whom I consider every inch beatable), but surely the NFF, Sports Ministry and by extension the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration would take a lot of bashing. You may wonder what has Jonathan got to do with the Super Eagles, well his government oversees every aspect of our nation and the Eagles are not left out. Thus for the Super Eagles to be trending all over the internet about their boycott of training last Thursday ahead of their game on Monday due to non-payment of their World Cup appearance fees is totally unacceptable and a big dent to our country’s image with all the blame lying on the NFF and indeed the Nigerian government’s shoulders.

Paying the Super Eagles bonuses or match fees for their games against Iran, Bosnia, and Argentina is totally different from paying them appearance fees. The NFF claim they paid the Eagles $5,000 each for their draw, as well as loss against Iran and Argentina respectively, while paying them $10,000 for their win against Bosnia. In essence, each player of the team has received $20,000 each for their group stage matches as match fees or bonus. This however, is totally different from appearance fees at the world cup. Every ardent sport follower know that players participating in major competitions e.g say tennis players at the Wimbledon Grand Slam are entitled to a standard appearance fee which is different from their prize money should they advance past each round.

What the Super Eagles players are asking for is that they be paid 30% of what the NFF gets from FIFA as prize money for each stage of the competition. That to me is even a bit on the low side as I would recommend each player gets at least $100,000 as appearance fee for representing Nigeria in the group stages alone. As it stands Nigeria through the NFF are to get $8 million for participating in the group stages of the World cup just like the other 31 participating teams. This is aside from the $1.5 million already given to the NFF by FIFA to prepare the team. For getting to the Round of 16 the NFF gets another $9 million whether the Eagles lose to France or not (see FIFA prize money breakdown for each teams : http://www.tsmplug.com/football/prize-money-fifa-world-cup-2014/ ) , so why would there be any argument or hanky-panky in paying these players their entitled rights? Are these NFF racketeers mad or something?

That we have to hold countless meetings with the players while the competition had already started is a big shame on the country. In 2012 before the European Nations cup, the English national team knew they were going to earn £100,000 if they won the Euros months before the tourney and it was incentivised for each stage they got too. The French team were expecting £290,000 for a trophy win, while the Germans were promised £250,000. These figures were different from the match bonus, in fact the Germans waived their group stage match bonuses for Euro 2012 due to the hefty appearance fees they were promised. For the World Cup in 2014, the terms for the appearance fees of the Three Lions of England were settled in January, a clear six months before the competition. Its easy to say that is England, but they also have an uneasy relationship with their players over appearance fees and thus they started negotiations many months before the competition between the FA and the players’ representatives. It resolved that each England player would get £350,000 each for winning the tournament and it was heavily incentivised for progressing through the group stage and this is different from what they get as match bonus for each games they play which the players usually give to charity as the appearance fee is way bigger than their match bonuses.

For the racketeers at the NFF this is too much for them to comprehend and they would do anything to sully the image of the players so as to escape with the money when FIFA pays them. Their allies in the sport media in Nigeria are even worse, as its a shame reading or listening to a sports journalist in the country who should know better defending the NFF. I listened to one the other day who has spent years as a football writer in a well known football magazine in the country and he was defending the indefensible. He practically argued that the Eagles were only entitled to match bonuses and not an appearance fee. I would like to ask such a person, what are the NFF going to do with over $17 million prize money($8 million for group stage and $9million for Round of 16) the Eagles players have helped them earn at the World Cup so far? Is it justifiable for the NFF racketeers to keep all of that money and not pay an appearance fee for the main protagonists (the players and technical crew)? The story is that in the past when the players weren’t aware of their rights, the NFF used to collect such monies from FIFA after the World Cup and deny receipt of it, sharing some of the bounty with sports editors so as to hush up the story.

Well not any more, times have changed and everyone is more enlightened including FIFA who know how corrupt some of these FA’s are. Its sad for anyone to blame Ghanaian or Cameroonian players for fighting for their rights. These agreements should be in place well before the World Cup, and not during. Ghanaian player John Boye was seen kissing his $100,000 appearance fee and I don’t blame him one bit as its his right. He’s a professional sports person and deserves to be paid his appearance fee for appearing for Ghana at the World Cup, that has nothing to do with patriotism or lack of it. So for the Eagles to boycott training has nothing to do with lack of patriotism, they just don’t trust these NFF racketeers and their spin doctors in the Nigerian sports media.

NFF’s Technical committee head Chris Green in the defence of the federation criticised the players for their request, saying it was an unreasonable request as they cannot be paid now and they have agreed with them that they would get it after FIFA must have paid the money. He also said the NFF is expecting FIFA to deduct our feeding, accommodation and transport expenses at the World Cup from the prize money. He further said: “In 2010, FIFA eventually gave us $6.4m out of the $8m grant. This time, we cannot get up to that because we are playing more games here in Brazil and the logistics of travelling here are so huge”. To understand how these NFF racketeers work, the question to ask them is what have you done with the N880 million released by the Federal Government out of the N1.4 billion the NFF budgeted for the World Cup? If accommodation, feeding and logistics are going to be checked out of our prize money (standing at the moment at a huge $17million) by FIFA, then why not pay the players their appearance fees from the monies released to them already by the FG? These NFF racketeers led by Aminu Maigari are plain looters and this racket has been going on for decades at the federation even before this present administration.

In any case FIFA’s secretary-general Jerome Valcke has waded into the appearance fee row threatening African teams including Nigeria describing it as sad, he said: "The players have the right to receive their money but it would be much easier to do this by bank transfer. The fact that the money (for Ghana) came in cash is also sad because I was ready to sign a letter, as long as I had a copy of the agreement between the national association and the players, that the money would be paid by Fifa by bank transfer into their personal accounts." Valcke further added that something needs to be done. "At future World Cups we will ask the national associations to provide us with their agreements with their players to make sure that this kind of episode does not happen again," he said (see full story on: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28065553 ). So in essence, the Super Eagles players can take their agreements with the NFF to FIFA and ensure they are paid their rightful appearance fees. If the NFF racketeers try dodging payment, they should report them to FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) through their representatives, as this stupid injustice and lack of common-sense must not be allowed to continue.

Come Monday though if issues are not sensibly resolved , when the Eagles file out they may just be playing against the NFF racketeers rather than France and we all know what the result may be. If you don’t know rewind to France 1998, when the Eagles were beating black and blue by Denmark in a Round of 16 tie, a match preceded by arguments between the players and NFA over bonuses and appearance fees.

Ola’ Idowu a Management Consultant and Researcher writes in from the UK.

 

A word is good for the wise, a touch is good for an antelope and a repeated shouting coupled with a big stick appears not enough for self imposed ‘sports administrators’ in Nigeria. Readers should note that those so-called administrators are really clueless about sports or management because they were appointed to such roles based on their political affiliation and ‘money’. Its’ with great sadness to confirm the failed mark this writer gave the former sports dictator also known as the NSC Chairman. This is because in less than a year that he returned the same incompetent people to develop sports in Nigeria, the country’s team in various sports will find difficulty qualifying for any international competition from this year forward.

High Performance Ineptitude (Athletics)

Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi, the former Chairman of NSC claimed he was using the President of Nigeria transformation agenda for sports in bringing two illegal aliens to Nigeria named Eric Campbell and Angela Taylor without complying with the Federal Procurement rules for aliens or contracts. He established a Centre for those individuals to work (if you called it that) by converting the country’s only doping centre for such use without the legislature’s approval. This author and others disagreed with Mr. Abdullahi based on his motives, the background of such people and the cost issues. Fortunately, President Goodluck Jonathan dismissed Mr. Abdullahi but leaves those unlawful acts intact, including the High Performance Centre and those illegal aliens to continue.

Looking at the performance of those two illegal aliens, so far, some potential members of this year’s team were sent to the USA to train and compete. Unfortunately a former 10.1second runner is at present struggling to run 10.5seconds and the others exhibited the same declining performances. Few other athletes that were warehoused in mosquito-infested NSDC slave camp in Abuja did not do well either while the two illegal aliens enjoy robust salaries and five-star accommodation.

Illegal Aliens Galore

As if these shenanigans were not enough, the AFN Dictator Solomon Ogba, now imported more illegal aliens like Mark Jelks, Dominique Duncan, Nicole Denby, Mozavous Edwards, Tyron Akins, and others to rubbish the country’s sovereignty in sports with formerly banned athletes for using illegal drugs. Mr. Danagogo are you aware of these illegal aliens, some of whom are druggist gutting our athletics and if so, are you aware of diplomatic row that may ensue? And the last question is whether you are cognizant that some of the country’s selected males 100metres team members will struggle to beat Jamaican female stars even at the Commonwealth Games later next month?

Now, this author asks this question again, did Eric Campbell and Angie Taylor (illegal aliens) deliver any benefit to Nigeria? Is Nigeria sovereignty at the discretion of Solomon Ogba? If not, Mr. Danagogo you must act or you must go! The Presidency will receive a copy of this article.

Status on Commonwealth Games

As to Boxing, weightlifting, wrestling and few other sports that Nigeria will likely send a team, there is no doubt that the country will likely return with few medals but in athletics except for the importation of illegal aliens (mercenaries), the country is simply wasting funds. The sad story to this is the fact that Solomon Ogba at no time ever considers the impact of his action on development of local youth in sports. This is an exemplary incompetence and enough understanding to move sports development back to NSC as an autonomous entity while disengaging any further involvement with AFN or the two illegal aliens.

 Once again, it is a defeatist attitude of former Dictator Abdullahi to import illegal aliens to destroy sports development that is being implemented and of course it hasn’t worked and the dictator was sacked, so why does Nigeria continue this sorry episode in the nation’s goal to recover lost glory. Mr. Danagogo take note, take action or you must go.

I rest

Dr. Rashid A. Balogun, CPA, LLB(Hons.), LLM(London)

The Federal Government's delegation to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil is expected to arrive at Sao-Paulo, Brazil for the opening ceremony of the tournament billed for 12th June.

Headed by Senate President David Mark, the Delegation is expected to arrive at the Guarulhos International Airport, Sao Paulo, Brazil, at about 5pm local time on Wednesday.

Other members of the delegation are Sen. Liyel Imoke, governor of Cross River State; Alhaji Ibrahim Shehu Shema, governor of Katsina State; Sen. Adamu Ibrahim Gumba, Chairman Senate committee on Sports; Hon. Godfrey Ali Gaiya, Chairman House Committee on Sports; Alhaji Bala Mohammed, minister of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT); Chief Nyesome Wike, minister of state education; Mr. Edem Duke, minister of culture and tourism and Mrs. Viola Nnwuleri, minister of state 1 foreign affairs.

The delegation is expected to visit the team in Campinas, on Thursday morning before Nigeria's first group match against Iran, on 12th June in Curitiba.

The minister of sports Dr. Tamuno Danagogo, the Nigerian Ambassador to Brazil H. E. Vincent A. Okoedion, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials and other embassy officials will be on ground to receive the delegation.

 

Having been found guilty of biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini in Tuesday's World Cup clash in Natal Uruguay's striker Luis Suarez has on Thursday been banned from all soccer-related activity for four months.

He was also been banned from nine international matches and he is required to pay a fine of 82,000 euros.

The ban was proclaimed in a FIFA statement released on Thursday.

The statement read:

The player Luis Suarez is to be suspended for nine official matches. The first match of this suspension is to be served in the upcoming FIFA World Cup fixture between Colombia and Uruguay on 28th June 2014. The remaining match suspensions shall be served in Uruguay's next FIFA World Cup match(es), as long as the team (remains in the competition), and/or in the representative team's subsequent official matches.

The player Luis Suarez is banned from taking part in any kind of football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) for a period of four months. A stadium ban is pronounced against the player Luis Suarez in accordance with article 21 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code as follows:

The player Luis Suarez is prohibited from entering the confines of any stadium during the period of the ban.

The player Luis Suarez is prohibited from entering the confines of any stadium in which the representative team of Uruguay is playing while he has to serve the nine-match suspension. The player Luis Suarez is ordered to pay a fine in the amount of 100,000 Swiss Francs.

Claudio Sulser, the chairman of the FIFA disciplinary committee, said the panel had taken into account all the factors in the case. It means Suarez will miss the rest of the World Cup and the start of the new Premier League season with Liverpool.

 

The Minister of Sports Dr. Tammy Danagogo has waded into the brewing crisis between the Super Eagles and the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over the world football governing body's $8 million allocation to the federation.

The players had protested to the NFF Chairman Alhaji Aminu Maigari, in the United States (US) demanding their own share of the money and threatened that should the federation refuse to pay them the money they were not going to play in the opening match of the FIFA 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

But it was gathered that the NFF claimed that they have only received $1 million from FIFA out of the $8 million with which they have been organising friendly matches and pre-world cup preparations. It was also gathered that in addition to the FIFA $1 million, the Federal Government gave the NFF N850 million out of the N1.4 billion total budget for the tournament.

In a meeting held between Danagogo and Maigari, at the Maksoud Plaza Hotel, Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Monday evening, the minister charged the NNF boss to negotiate with the team to be able to reach an agreement so that the players' morale would be boosted during the tournament.

The minister was of the view that the welfare of the team should be paramount during the tournament adding that if they are not treated well and made happy, they may just go into the tournament and perform badly.

“They are the reasons why Nigeria is participating in the tournament and we should do everything within our powers to ensure that we do our best for the team," Maigari said.

He pledged to also personally appeal to the players to put the interests of the nation first during the tournament.

Meanwhile, Dr. Danagogo and Alhaji Maigari would be on ground to receive the Super Eagles team on arrival from Miami, United States (US), in Sao Paulo, on Tuesday by 8.30pm local time.

The team is expected to fly aboard an American Airline flight from the Miami International Airport and land at the Guarulhos International Airport, Sao Paulo.

On arrival, the team is expected to drive by road to their training ground in Campinas, about an hour from Sao Paulo.

The Super Eagles will play Iran in its World Cup opening match on June 16 before playing Bosnia-Herzegovina, June 21 and Argentina June 26.

Stephen Keshi, coach of the Nigerian national soccer team, Monday, released the list of the 23 players to represent the country at Brazil 2014 World Cup.

The list includes three goalkeepers, eight defenders, eight midfielders and ten strikers.

Full List:

Goalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama, Austin Ejide, Chigozie Agbim

Defenders: Joseph Yobo, Elderson Echiejile, Juwon Oshaniwa, Godfrey Oboabona, Azubuike Egwuekwe, Kenneth Omeruo, Efe Ambrose, Kunle Odunlami

Midfielders: John Mikel Obi, Ogenyi Onazi, Ramon Azeez, Michael Uchebo, Reuben Gabriel

Strikers: Osaze Odemwingie, Ahmed Musa, Shola Ameobi, Emmanuel Emenike, Babatunde Michael, Victor Moses, Uche Nwofor.

More Articles ...

  1. Murder Of My Son, And The Cover-Up By The Dubai Police.
  2. Super Eagle’s 30-Man World Cup List Out
  3. Nigeria Now 45th on FIFA Ranking
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