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The Nigerian Arsenal Supporters (Gunners) football club commonly known as ‘Arsenal-Nigeria’ has emerged winners of the six-a-side Babatunde Raji Fashola (BRF) Soccer Tournament among weekend clubs in Lagos.

The team beat Apapa/Ajegunle All Stars, 5-4 via penalty shoot-out in a pulsating final played on Saturday at the Campos Square mini-stadium,

in a thrilling encounter that was decided by penalty shoot out. Scores at full time stood at 1-1.

Arsenal-Nigeria opened scoring in the first half courtesy of a spectacular volley from one of its forwards; Apapa evened scores in the dying moments of the game to take the game to a shoot out.

The penalty shoot out that followed was entertaining and nerve-wracking with the first five kicks failing to produce a winner owing largely to the efforts of the two goalkeepers.

In the second round of the shoot-out, the Arsenal-Nigeria goalkeeper saved the first spot kick to pave way for his team captain to score and win the game.

Organised professionals

Commenting on his team’s performance, Antai Effiong, Vice President of Arsenal-Nigeria, said that though pundits did not give the team any chance of qualifying from the group stage, the victory did not come to him as a surprise.

“We are a very well organized group of professionals in diverse fields of human endeavour, who meet to play regularly on Saturdays and have developed a good understanding among ourselves over the years. We also participate regularly in tournaments of this nature, locally and internationally to sharpen our competitive edge. Some of the trophies we have won include the 2008 Best of Fans Trophy, 2010 NIFEX Charity Cup and the 2008 IFA WorldNet Trophy, which we won in Leeds, United Kingdom. We had actually used this tournament to prepare ourselves for the IFA WorldNet Tournament coming up mid-July, 2011 in Leeds. As the only team from Africa, we hope to win the trophy again this year” he said.

The 2011 BRF Soccer Tournament was organised in honour of Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, who was on hand to present the trophy to the victorious team. The tourney featured ten weekend football clubs in Lagos including All Stars International, Managers FC, Ikorodu All Stars,

Jeunsoke FC, All Stars Family and Festac All Stars.

The Nigerian Arsenal Supporters (Gunners) football club commonly known as ‘Arsenal-Nigeria’ has emerged winners of the six-a-side Babatunde Raji Fashola (BRF) Soccer Tournament among weekend clubs in Lagos.

The team beat Apapa/Ajegunle All Stars, 5-4 via penalty shoot-out in a pulsating final played on Saturday at the Campos Square mini-stadium,

in a thrilling encounter that was decided by penalty shoot out. Scores at full time stood at 1-1.

Arsenal-Nigeria opened scoring in the first half courtesy of a spectacular volley from one of its forwards; Apapa evened scores in the dying moments of the game to take the game to a shoot out.

The penalty shoot out that followed was entertaining and nerve-wracking with the first five kicks failing to produce a winner owing largely to the efforts of the two goalkeepers.

In the second round of the shoot-out, the Arsenal-Nigeria goalkeeper saved the first spot kick to pave way for his team captain to score and win the game.

Organised professionals

Commenting on his team’s performance, Antai Effiong, Vice President of Arsenal-Nigeria, said that though pundits did not give the team any chance of qualifying from the group stage, the victory did not come to him as a surprise.

“We are a very well organized group of professionals in diverse fields of human endeavour, who meet to play regularly on Saturdays and have developed a good understanding among ourselves over the years. We also participate regularly in tournaments of this nature, locally and internationally to sharpen our competitive edge. Some of the trophies we have won include the 2008 Best of Fans Trophy, 2010 NIFEX Charity Cup and the 2008 IFA WorldNet Trophy, which we won in Leeds, United Kingdom. We had actually used this tournament to prepare ourselves for the IFA WorldNet Tournament coming up mid-July, 2011 in Leeds. As the only team from Africa, we hope to win the trophy again this year” he said.

The 2011 BRF Soccer Tournament was organised in honour of Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, who was on hand to present the trophy to the victorious team. The tourney featured ten weekend football clubs in Lagos including All Stars International, Managers FC, Ikorodu All Stars,

Jeunsoke FC, All Stars Family and Festac All Stars.

The Super Eagles will tackle the Ethiopian national football team – the Walya Antelopes, in a 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier inside the main bowl of the National Stadium in Abuja with only one thought on their mind – victory!

In what will be Samson Siasia’s first official match, not just a victory will do for his boys tonight against the East Africans, they need to secure a wide-margin victory in order to reduce the advantage currently held by Group B leaders, Guinea, who currently have six points, three points ahead of the Super Eagles.

The Guineans also enjoy a comfortable plus-four goals difference over the Eagles, who only have plus-one following the 1-0 loss they suffered at the hands of the Guineans back in October last year.

Guinea will also be in action today against Madagascar in Antananarivo but if the poor run of form of the Madagascans since the start of the qualifiers is anything to go by, then the Guineans should emerge from this game with at least a point.

A win is equally possible for the Guineans; after all, they will be taking on a Madagascan side that has lost all their Group B matches to date, including a 1-0 loss to Ethiopia last October in Antananarivo.

But a lot has happened to the islanders since suffering back to back losses to Nigeria (2-0) and Ethiopia as there has been a change in coaching personnel with Frenchman Jean-Paul Rabier making way for local coach Maurice Mosa who will also make his competitive debut today.

That will be the scenario today for the Eagles as they seek to win and win-over the fans.

Siasia though has another agenda – the coach will seek to prove that the people’s mandate was not mis-placed.

Arguably one of the best Nigerian coaches of his generation, Siasia has the arduous task of changing the fortunes of a side that has become a shadow of its once illustrious past for the better; the Super Eagles no longer commands the respect of other teams on the African continent and in the world.

Intense pressure

The match takes on added significance considering the fact that only one team from Group B is guaranteed automatic qualification to next year’s Africa Cup of Nations to be co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. And with three rounds of matches to go after tonight’s game, Siasia is no doubt under immense pressure to grab a win over the Ethiopians.

“The man must know that he has to win. I’m sure he sees the log and knows that Guinea is ahead of us,” said Ademola Olajire, the media officer of the Nigeria Football Federation. “I’m sure he knows that if we do not win this match we may not play at the Africa Cup of Nations next year.

“I’m also sure as he lives his life daily; he meets people and gets phone calls from friends to want him to know what is at stake. All that can put pressure on a person so I know he is under some pressure but it is not coming from us.”

The history between both sides backs the Super Eagles to emerge victorious at the end of tonight’s game as they have only lost once to the East Africans in four previous meetings.

That loss (1-0) came in 1993 in Addis Ababa but the Super Eagles retaliated in grand style by securing an overwhelming 6-0 victory over the Ethiopians in Lagos to qualify for the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia.

The Super Eagles went on to win the Tunisia ‘94 Africa Cup of Nations with Siasia playing an integral role in that side’s all-conquering route to the cup.

Siasia said he dreams of becoming the first Nigerian coach to lead the Super Eagles to an Africa Nations Cup title but readily admitted that he will first need to secure qualification ahead of the Guineans beginning with victory in tonight’s tie against the Walya Antelopes.

“We have to first secure qualification before we can start thinking of winning the trophy,” he said. “And to be sure of that we have to win all our games starting with this one. Everyone in the team is aware of that (and) will be doing their best to make it come to pass.”

Siasia will, however, have to make-do without the services of the duo of Osaze Odemwingie and Obafemi Martins who are currently nursing injuries.

As captain of the Super Eagles, Stephen Keshi was known as the ‘Big Boss’ for his no-nosense style on and off the pitch.

Years later when he became coach of the Hawks, Togo’s national football team, he retained something of that attitude, a fact that helped him qualify the West African country for its first ever World cup in 2006.

He failed, however, to lead the squad to the World Cup after falling out with officials of the Togolese Football Federation (TFF).

One year later, in February 2007, the TFF re-engaged Keshi for a friendly against Cameroon, but the questions concerning his dismissal continued to linger. The rumours at that time were that he (Keshi) wanted to manage the career of Nigerian-born Togolese star, Emmanuel Adebayor but because the former Arsenal player did not agree to the proposal, Keshi dropped him to the bench.

His second stint with the Togolese squad proved to be short-lived with the former Nigerian international showing up in Mali to lead the country to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola.

Keshi, who was laid off by Mali after the 2010 Nations Cup in Angola, also lost out to Samson Siasia, in the race to become the coach of the Super Eagles in November.

Third missionary journey

After losing out to Siasia, Keshi weighed his options and last Tuesday, March 22, he made a dramatic return to the job he had handled and lost twice. TFF President, Gabriel Ameyi called a press conference in Lome to reveal that a temporary arrangement had been reached with Keshi to lead the team once again.

He has assigned him the job of leading the Hawks to Blantyre for yesterday’s 2012 African Cup of Nations Cup qualifier against Malawi.

So what is different now?

Keshi is now back in his third stint as Togo coach. He has successfully weathered the storms of the accusations about his wanting to manage Adebayor. With the passage of time, the world has come to know that Adebayor is not an easy player to manage as he has shown first at Arsenal and then at Manchester City.

Whether his erratic behaviour will be curbed by the ‘Special One’, Jose Mourinho, at Real Madrid remains to be seen.

Keshi was welcomed heartily by Togolese football fans at the team’s first training session on Tuesday where he smiled and waved to fans who had come to watch the exercise.

But there could be a cog in the wheel with the naming of Emmanuel Adebayor in the list of 22 players; the former African Player of the year striker had ostensibly retired from the national team last year after the Togolese bus was attacked in Cabinda, shortly before the Nations Cup in Angola leading to the death of three persons.

Instability in Togo football

Togo’s football administration is one that can be said to be worse than their neighbour’s, Nigeria’s. The tiny West African country has a penchant for hiring and firing coaches and the football community surely must be wondering why Keshi returned after previous emabarrassments.

Since February 2009, Togo has had four coaches- Otto Pfister, hired after Keshi’s sack also quit the team over player bonuses before a ball had been kicked in Germany in 2006 but returned to the team for the opening 1-2 loss to South Korea.

Frenchman Patrice Neveu was expected to replace German Otto Pfister as the coach of the Hawks last month but his appointment was blocked by the government. Neveu was appointed by Gnassingbe Eyadema but when the son of the former Togolese president was voted out of office, Tata Avlessi, the TFF President became reluctant to endorse an appointment packaged by the previous regime. Thierry Froger resigned to take charge of French side Nimes earlier this month.

The national team players have also staged protests at various times over the World Cup bonuses of about $200,000 each, with additional payments.

The future of Keshi and Togo interwoven

As a football player, Keshi achieved many feats – the first Nigerian player to play in the Belgian league and ensured that the lexicon; foreign-based became entrenched in football journalism in the country. He has also become the first Nigerian coach to manage the affairs of three national teams – Nigeria, as assistant to Shuaibu Amodu, as coach of Togo and then Mali. Now, he has thrust himself back into the limelight perhaps to prove naysayers wrong.

If he can lift the Hawks to the heights of 2005 and 2006, then maybe Keshi will have proven beyond any doubt that he has the capability to coach at the highest level.