Nigeria Content Online

Players of Dolphins
were missing from this week’s Nigerian Premier League (NPL) Team of the
Week even though they continued their impressive run at the weekend
when it inflicted a 1-0 defeat on Lobi Stars at Port Harcourt’s
Liberation Stadium.

City rivals, Sharks
were however represented through Victor Ezeji who grabbed the opening
goal in their 1-1 draw with Kano Pillars at the Sani Abacha Stadium
where Victor Namo, who also made the team, secured a dramatic late
equaliser.

The draw however
left both sides further behind Dolphins whose win over Lobi Stars made
it four wins in row for Stanley Eguma’s side and kept them at the top
of the league standings for a second successive week.

However, Sunshine
Stars with 20 points are close on the trail of the table-topping
Dolphins, who have 22 points. Sunshine had recorded a 2-1 win over
Heartland with Daniel Mende grabbing the match-winning goal for the
Akure based side at Ijebu Ode’s Gateway International Stadium at the
weekend.

The encounter was
however marred by a brawl that ensued after Heartland’s Joshua Obaje
cancelled out Ibrahim Ajani’s opening goal as fans of the Akure side
threatened harm the match officials and journalists at the match venue.

Referees take the spotlight

Another game, which
kept the match officials busy was the tie in neighbouring Abeokuta
where Shooting Stars and Kaduna United played out a 1-1 draw with both
sides finishing the game with ten men each after centre referee, Godwin
Ubosi issued red cards to Shooting Stars’ Raphael Musa and Kaduna’s
Nelson Nimyel.

A red card was also
handed out in the game between Zamfara United and Crown with the
culprit on this occasion being Zamfara’s Usman.

That incident took
place in the 44th minute but did little to prevent Zamfara from
shooting into the lead in the 53rd minute after Austin Kadiri
successfully converted a penalty. The referee had adjudged Charles
Otuwe guilty of handling the ball in the area.

Crown equally had a penalty of their own but Bode Daniel wasn’t as fortunate as he saw his effort saved by Olabisi Adewunmi.

The match officials
were also in the spotlight in Aba where Enyimba failed to win at home
for the first time this season, settling for a goalless draw against
Warri Wolves with 11 minutes of stoppage time played on the orders of
centre referee Adamu Gambo.

There was however
no such cases at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium where Enugu Rangers pipped
visiting Gombe United 1-0 to move to within six points of Dolphins.

Another game
decided in Enugu saw struggling Plateau United twice coming from behind
to secure a 2-2 draw against Niger Tornadoes.

But the shock of the weekend was witnessed in Bauchi where Bukola Babes recorded an emphatic 3-0 win over Kwara United.

Hopes of any
home-based player yet to be invited to the Super Eagles camp making it
to the United States Invitational tournament was effectively ruled out
yesterday as the team’s coach Samson Siasia said there would be no new
players till after the tournament.

Siasia who recently
invited 12 new players, said he was content with the number of
home-based players presently in camp and would focus solely on them
till after the tournament in the United States.

“There is no more
time on our side. We have barely two weeks to round up our preparations
so I would focus on the players I have now,” he said.

At the resumed
training camp yesterday, only 14 players took part in the training
session which was handled mostly by Siasia and his assistant Simon
Kalika.

Those in training
include Sharks striker Victor Ezeji, as well as goalkeepers Rotimi
Sunday and Bassey Akpan. Others include Cletus Itodo, Wasiu Sowemimo
and Yinka Adedeji.

NEXT learnt that
the rest of the invited players were at the team’s Bolton White Hotel
base after returning from their respective club sides.

Meanwhile, the
Super Eagles will on Thursday take on the Flying Eagles in another
friendly match. The first time both teams engaged themselves last week
ended in a 2-2 draw.

Despite the result,
Siasia said he was impressed with the players’ output while hoping they
would improve on their performance in the upcoming game.

Siasia also said he
was impressed with the attitude of the players towards training, and
that none of the players is guaranteed a spot yet in the team ahead of
the tournament in the United States.

In a related
development, goalkeepers’ trainer, Ike Shorunmi has said there will be
no goalkeeping problems for the team as he believes the goalkeepers
called up for the tournament are more than capable of doing the country
proud.

“They are learning fast and I am happy with that,” said Shorunmi, a
former Super Eagles goalkeeper, before adding: “I can assure you
goalkeeping will not be a problem for us.”

Now that we are
about to play in or should I say compete in an age-grade – U-20 –
championship again, there is a strong need to address pertinent issues
concerning a festering sore in our football, age-cheats and the
age-bending tactics. There is always the lazy and jaundiced argument
that we are not the only nation that cheats. The point is cheating is a
misdemeanour and howsoever or wherever it manifests, it’s a crime.
Granddads’ masquerading as youth is fraudulent.

Perhaps it would help here to re-state the main objectives of age-grade competitions in the first place.

In 1974, Brazilian
lawyer and businessman, Jao Havelange was elected President of World
Football Governing body, FIFA at the FIFA Congress in Germany where the
World Cup was held. Africa’s champion and lone entry at the Mundial
suffered heavy and embarrassing defeats in all the matches they played
at the opening round.

Havelange’s new
Executive Board sought to find reason(s) for the heavy defeat suffered
by the African Champions at the 1974 World Cup. Amongst other findings,
it was revealed that the African Champion suffered from inferiority
complex. Such psychoanalysis propelled the thought and eventual resolve
that lesser platforms be created to afford African and third World
countries opportunity to compete with the rest of the world before
getting to the World Cup proper. It was also resolved that the
championships so recommended, U-16 (later U-17) and U-20 be hosted by
third world and developing countries.

That is why the
maiden edition of the U-20 World Cup was held in Tunisia in 1977. In
1979, Japan hosted with Argentina winning, throwing up an all-time
great, Diego Armando Maradonna. Since then Nigeria has participated and
hosted without really recording outstanding players or players who
lasted ten years after participating in either U-17 or U-20
competitions.

Nigeria failed to
go to the Tokyo in 1979 even with talent like Sylvanus Okpala, Henry
Nwosu, Adedeji Obe, Lucky Imafidon, Franklin Howard, Humphrey Edobor,
Edema Benson etc.

Note that Edobor
and Edema played in U-20 from 1978 to 1983, in the team that played in
Mexico! In the 1983 team, Samson Siasia and Andrew Uwe played again in
U-20 in 1985 Russia edition. That is how we have been doing it even
when the Mexico ‘83 team had talent like Wilfred Agbonavbare, Yisa
Shofoluwe, Amaechi Oti, Tarila Okorowanta, Deinde Akinlatan, Yemi
Aderanijo, Alphonsus Akahan, Paul Okoku, Chibuzor Ehilegbu, the
Olukanmi brothers, Femi and Segun, Dahiru Sadi, Christopher Anigala,
Ali Jeje (Captain), Tajudeen Disu, Edema Benson, Humphrey Edobor
(again), Wahab Adesina, Patrick Udo etc. The team to Russia ‘85 was
loaded to hilt with Aloy Agu (Keeper) Mark Odu, Andrew Uwe (Captain),
Osaro Obobaifo, Waidi Akanni, Ndubisi Okosieme, Titus Mbah, Niyi
Adeleye, Wasiu Ipaye, Godwin Eke, Christian Obi, Uche Ikeogu, Augustine
Igbinabaro, Mark Anunobi, Michael Dominic, Monday Odiaka, Kingsley Onye
(Mature), Samson Siasia (again).

Never mind that
bronze boot winner in that competition, Monday Odiaka did not claim an
Eagles shirt, he could not hold a first team shirt at his club, ACB FC
of Lagos in the 1986-87 season.

Missing the point

Monday Odiaka and
his types represent premature retirees and the negative impact or lack
of growth of our youth players. To be honest, apart from the 1983 U-20,
who Adegboye Onigbinde had the balls to blood, and who made the nucleus
of the Eagles for the African Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire ‘84, the
percentage of graduation to the senior national team has dropped
sharply. The team had players such as Yisa Shofoluwe, Paul Okoku,
Chibuzor Ehilegbu, Femi Olukanmi, to join other relatively young and
little tested Peter Rufai, Patrick Okala, Kingsley Paul, Charles
Yancho, Rashidi Yekini, James Etokebe, Clement Temile and tested horses
Muda Lawal, Stephen Keshi, Bala Ali, Humphrey Edobor.

The decline is
such that out of the very talented and on the face of it a young
looking squad to Japan ‘93, Celestine Babayaro and Nwankwo Kanu are the
only real benefits of that edition. In Wilson Oruma and Mobi Oparaku,
we have two other players who looked good enough but only had a handful
of caps between them. The drop became more apparent in subsequent years
when football administrators lost the essence and spirit of age-limited
competitions. Pressure to win and justify their stay on the job forced
not so ready Nigerian Coaches to recruit grandfathers from Pro-League
Clubs for even the U-17 team.

Nigeria’ 1996
Olympic Squad: Emmanuel Babayaro, Celestine Babayaro, Taribo West,
Nwankwo Kanu, Uche Okechukwu, Emmanuel Amuneke, Tijani Babangida,
Wilson Oruma, Teslim Fatusi, Jay-Jay Okocha, Victor Ikpeba, Abiodun
Obafemi, Garba Lawal, Daniel Amokachi, Sunday Oliseh, Kingsley Obiekwu,
Mobi Oparaku and Dosu Joseph, all full internationals apart from Mobi,
Dosu, Obiekwu, Emmanuel Babayaro and Obafemi before the Olympics on
paper had an average age of 23 years. Ten years later, only Wilson
Oruma, Jay-Jay Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu could still play big-time
football. U-23 players indeed.

Of Samson Siasia’s
famed Holland’ 2005 just Taiye Taiwo, John Obi Mikel, Sani Kaita
(loaned to just about every team in Russia), Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi,
forever injured, Solomon Okoronwo, Dele Adeleye, Olubayo Adefemi, John
Owoeri, Onyekachi Apam have graduated to the Super Eagles even when
there are not many good players around. So what happened to team
Captain Isaac Promise, Kennedy Chinwo, Monday James, Yinka Adedeji,
Daddy Bazuaye, Daniel Akpeyi, Soga Sambo, Kola Anubi, Kola Ige, Ambrose
Vanzekin?

Then scan through
the U-17 of 2007 if you will recognise any top flight player in it
still plying his trade at home or abroad: Laide Okanlawon, Ganiyu
Oseni, Usman Amodu, Azeez Balogun, Kingsley Udoh, King Osanga, Kabiru
Akinsola, Rabiu Ibrahim, Matthew Edile, Oladele Ajiboye (Aji boy!),
Yakubu Alfa, Lukeman Abdulkarim, Sherif Isa, Mustapha Ibrahim, Uremu
Egbeta, Ademola Rafael, Saheed Fabiyi, Lukman Haruna, Uche Okafor and
Macaulay Christantus, hailed as the new Jay-Jay Okocha.

As we now know, he is the new Phillip Osondu.

You all know that
story, no need to bother readers with it. Like his Ghanian equivalent,
Nii Odartey Lambtey, Phillip Osondu never grew. But how could he?
Osondu, known as Zanza played in the football League for Falcons of Aba
in the 1979 – ‘80 season and played U-17 for Nigeria in 1987. Such is
the level of fraud in age-grade football in Nigeria.

Adokiye Amiesimaka
aka Chief Justice, ex-Eagle and Cup of Nations 1980 winner screamed
loud before the U-17 championship in 2009 that the players we were
parading are overage particularly the team’s captain and that it’s a
disservice to the country, opinions were divided as to the propriety of
his action. I supported him at the time and still support his position.
Now let’s save that agony and national embarrassment and do it right
for now. Choose real U-20 please.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is considering changing
the name of the National Amateur League to one that would reflect its
grassroots nature.

Musa Amadu, the Acting Secretary General of the NFF, said on
Thursday in Abuja that he believed a change of name would help in attracting
more sponsors and glamour to the competition. “The name ‘Amateur League’ makes
it sound as if players there are inexperienced and less relevant,” he said.
“Already, our marketing department is looking into it and we will come up with
something as soon as all approvals are received.”

Noting that the National Amateur League is very important a
segment in Nigerian football because most players in the country would have
played in it at one time or the other, Amadu said: “The League has about 128
clubs in all its three divisions and has more national coverage, thus giving
the sponsors more mileage. From some of the matches I have witnessed in the
league, it has raw talent and you can see the players’ dedication.”

Playing fair

Amadu also promised that the league would become better
organised with the election of a National Amateur League board, stating that
the interest of the League would be protected as it would be given a fair
hearing as a member of the NFF Executive Committee. He urged clubs in the
league to play fair and called on referees to make sure their officiating was
free and fair so that everyone involved would be satisfied. “Clubs should abide
by the rules and regulations guiding the league and ensure that their fans do
not take laws into their hands by encroaching on the pitch or being violent,”
he said.

The acting NFF Secretary General advised club owners on ways of ensuring
prosecution of matches at home: “When matches are being played, you must have
medical personnel on board and on ground in case of any casualty. It is also
necessary that clubs conduct periodic check-up on their players and officials
to make sure they are medically fit,” he said.

No serious Chelsea fan would have believed it if he were told
that at the beginning of 2011, the Blues would be outside the Champions League
placing, especially going by the way the team started the season. In the last
10 weeks, it has gone horribly wrong for Carlo Ancelotti and his men. Chelsea
host Blackburn at Stamford Bridge on Saturday with just one need – get all
three points against Rovers. The fans will not mind the manner the victory is
procured as long as three points are secured. This will help the team leap-frog
Tottenham, which is in fourth place, at least for 24 hours.

Team captain, John Terry, has made another rallying call to the
players after describing their current form as being unacceptable. “Our recent
performances have not been good enough,” he said in the Daily Star. “We’re not
playing at the level we can and we’re slipping further behind the leaders with
every point we drop. That’s unacceptable for a club like this, where we expect
to win every game, and now we have to start to put things right. This squad
should be challenging at the top of the league, winning games and pushing hard
in every competition.” And despite the 7-0 mauling of Ipswich Town in
third-round FA Cup match-up on Sunday, the team will not be lulled into false
state of over-confidence. Ancelotti had said after the match, “I’m not going to
get carried away.

Morale booster

The result was good and we did a lot of things well in this
game. We have to give the same performance next week against Blackburn.” But
one thing the result will have done for the team is boost morale in the team.
Another plus was that young striker, Daniel Sturridge, got a chance to show the
coach that he can score goals and Salomon Kalou might be given a rest to allow
the England U-21 striker to continue his rich vein of scoring form. He scored
five goals in a reserve match against Aston Villa last week. “He played well,
scored, and is a good player and a good striker, very dangerous,” said
Ancelotti. “In the future, he’ll have opportunities. We have a lot of games in
this period coming up. I think he has to fight with the other strikers, but
everyone has to fight. There are a lot of players in competition up front.”

Though Chelsea has not completely given up on defending their
title, Terry said his side must firstly start winning games. “Even if we have
gone off course recently but, before we start thinking about silverware, we
have to concentrate on starting to win games again.” Ancelotti faces the
dilemma of dropping either Didier Drogba or Florent Malouda to accommodate
Sturridge. Drogba and Malouda have been out of sorts over the last eight
matches and Drogba has scored just one goal in eight for the Blues.

Blackburn, under caretaker manager Steve Kean, can themselves
move into the European spots with a win at Stamford Bridge though the team
selection and performance may be hampered by the absence of some key players
due to suspensions and injury. Former England goalkeeper, Paul Robinson, leads
the casualty list, joined by giant midfielder, Steven Nzonzi, centre back, Phil
Jones, who is out for the season, Keith Andrews and Vincent Grella. A piece of
good news is that Jason Roberts has returned from injury and should start in
the absence of Nikola Kalinic, who is suspended.

Basement side seek
Arsenal reprieve

There is no other way that West Ham can go but to seek to beat
Arsenal on Saturday. And with the Gunners’ coach complaining of fatigue in the
0-1 loss to Ipswich Town on Wednesday, there will not be room for excuses as
the Hammers also had to play on Tuesday. Arsene Wenger described his side’s
loss to the championship side as an act naivety. “We were too naive; I said to
them if you can’t win the game at least don’t lose it,” said Wenger on BBC. “I
was very disappointed. We had no spark, no creativity. But I’m confident we
will turn it around at home.” But his attention on Saturday will be turned to
the pursuit of the Premier League crown that has evaded the Gunners for six
years. Wenger also said after the loss at Portman Road on Wednesday that his side
had no excuse for losing and they will have no need for excuses on Saturday
afternoon as they confront Avram Grant at Upton Park.

Saturday could be Grant’s last as manager of the Hammers and that could in
itself lift the home side unless the manager has inadvertently lost the
dressing room. There is already a short-list of candidates ready to replace
him, from former Aston Villa manager, Martin O’Neill to recently sacked
Blackburn coach, Sam Allardyce. Arsenal will have to do that without the
presence of defenders, Thomas Vermaelen and Sebastien Squillaci, who are
sidelined with Achilles tendon and hamstring injuries respectively. Obinna
Nsofor is suspended for the Hammers because of the red card he picked up
against Birmingham in the first leg 2-1 win on Tuesday.

Coach Samson Siasia has given his Super Eagles wards the weekend
off to play Nigeria Premier League matches for their domestic clubs.

“You should go back to your clubs and help them in the League
matches this weekend; but you must be back here by Monday. Whoever is not here
on Monday should count himself out of the running for a shirt,” said Siasia as
the players had lunch at their Bolton White Apartments camp before dispersing
to different parts of the country. This came after the team had played a 2-2
draw with the national U-20 side, Flying Eagles, in a knock-around at the
artificial turf of the FIFA Technical Centre, Abuja.

On Wednesday evening, Chris Green, the Chairman of the NFF
Technical Committee; Felix Anyansi-Agwu, the Vice Chairman; and acting
Secretary General, Musa Amadu, watched the Eagles in their evening training
session at the Technical Centre. After the session, Green addressed the
players: “You must be ready to listen to the technical crew headed by Coach
Samson Siasia at all times, because if the coach says you are out, you are
out,” he said. “Discipline is important in everything you do, and be assured
that the Nigeria Football Federation will give the team the needed support at
all times.”

A total of 27 players featured in the training, which resumes on
Monday.

Siasia as technical
director

Meanwhile, Green has revealed that Siasia would act as technical
director of the federation pending the appointment of a substantive coach.
“Siasia’s position as the head coach of the Super Eagles qualifies him to act
as the technical director,” he said. “He will do that for now until we appoint
the right candidate for the job.” He said the arrangement has been made
expedient because of the crowded schedule of the NFF this year. Nigeria will be
involved in a number of international football competitions beginning with the
Africa Youth Championship in Libya in March.

If the Flying Eagles do well, they will feature in the FIFA U-20
World Cup coming up later this year. Also Nigeria’s senior women’s national
team, the Super Falcons, would be participating in the FIFA Women’s World Cup
billed for Germany in June. For their part, the Super Eagles would continue the
qualifiers for next year’s African Cup of Nations. The Eagles are currently in
camp preparing for an invitational international football tournament, ‘Obama
Cup’, taking place in the United States next month with Siasia fully in charge
of training sessions. The former Eagle striker has warned players to comport
themselves in a manner befitting of national team players.

Unearthing talent

Green says with someone in the saddle as technical director,
these and the federation’s development programmes would not suffer: “We want to
ensure that the programmes we drew up are systematically implemented in addition
to the various competitions lined up this year. Now is the time to actualise
the promises we made about the development of our football and we must move
beyond lip service to achieve these objectives,” he explained.

Green, who is also Chairman of the Rivers State Football
Association, has attributed his re-election into the board of the NFF to hard
work. He said that he intended to embark on an immense sponsorship campaign to
garner more sponsors for grassroots football in the state.

One of such grassroots development programmes is the forthcoming Governor’s
Cup which is sponsored jointly by the Rivers FA and the Shell Petroleum
Development Company. The tournament begins on 20th January. Green hopes that
such programmes such as this would “unearth more football talent in the
different local government areas of the state.”

The
new Super Eagles coach will resume office today if he makes it back
into the country from the United States of America. He was to have
resume on January 3, but that resumption date was postponed for
technical reasons.

During his trip to
the United States, the Nigeria Football Federation completed the
coaching department of the Super Eagles with the announcement of Ike
Shorunmu as the goal keeper coach and Salisu Yusuf as the second
assistant coach. Simon Kalika, the first assistant to Samson Siasia had
been chosen prior to these announcements. These coaches will either
make or break the next set of players that will make up the senior
national team.

Every coach has a
philosophy which he normally adopts in coaching his sides and as the
new era starts, we need to ask questions concerning the individuals
that make up the coaching quartet. On first hand basis, Siasia is a
hands-on coach who is said to be close to his players. This was the
prognosis of his team during the build up to the Olympic Games at
Beijing in 2008.

But that assumption
throws up further questions -will he be able to forge that kind of
camaraderie with the likes of Yakubu Aiyegbeni and the other senior
Eagles players?

What will be the
functions of the first assistant coach and the second assistant? What
are their antecedents? In a nut-shell, what are they bringing to the
table?

Though there is
still controversy on how the NFF came to pick Yusuf and Shorunmu, we
want to believe that best practices were followed in arriving at the
choices. Yusuf has worked extensively on the local scene, most
prominently with Kano Pillars over the past three seasons and his sides
have been known to play pleasing football.

Former Super Eagles
Coach, Christian Chukwu said recently in a local newspaper that, “I
cannot tell you I know the criteria used in picking the two coaches but
we all started the process which was inconclusive.” “We were told that
when the nominees were pruned from the number of text messages, Siasia
was supposed to have an input in the choice of who would be his
assistants. I do not know if from the names gathered through text
messages, Siasia was contacted to make his final choice. May be he was
contacted through the same way we were asked to send names, I cannot
confirm. Until we meet, I cannot exactly say what really happened.”

Moving forward

The second
assistant coach, Yusuf spoke to NEXTSports from his base in Kano and
said, “We are young and ambitious and we also want to make Nigerians
proud.” When he was asked what particular quality he would be bringing
to the national team, the Kano Pillars coach said,

“I have extensive
knowledge of the local league and even Samson (Siasia) does and since
we are in the process of rebuilding, the local league will have a say
in the formation of the new national team.” Nigerian football fans have
not been happy at the ‘plodding’ football that the national team
currently exhibits so the question was posed to the second assistant
coach for him to elaborate on what he thinks are the challenges that
the team currently faces?

Yusuf said: “The
problem that the Eagles face presently in my own opinion is that of
players playing out of their natural positions.

“The first thing we
need to do to build a viable team is to make sure that the players that
are chosen are placed in their natural habitats. There can be
emergencies in the match but firstly, players must play in their
natural positions. In the past few years, players have been used in the
wrong positions and that is why we have had defensive midfielders
playing as offensive midfielders and vice versa.” Yusuf and Shorunmu
have been with Siasia at different times. Shorunmu was around the U-23
team before the Beijing Olympics and Yusuf was on the bench with Siasia
at the FIFA U-20 World Championship in Egypt IN 2009.

The new coach has
drawn out a plan of action to revive the national team. They are of
short and long term duration; the question being asked is: how would
Yusuf and Kalika fit in to his plan?

Speaking concerning
Kalika in the new set-up on SuperSport, Siasia said: “Simon (Kalika) is
a useful ally in scouting other teams and that is how we got to meet.

“In 2005 in
Holland, he just came to me and said he would like to help the U-20
team by helping us scout the opponents. I was glad that he came but I
told him not to expect any form of payment and he agreed. I found out
that whatever reports he gave to me helped the team to prepare for our
matches and his analysis on the opponents’ weaknesses were always
accurate and that is how we started working together.” Kalika has been
with Siasia to the U-20 World Cup, the U-23 team at the Beijing
Olympics, and also at the U-20 FIFA World Cup in Egypt in 2009.

Siasia has said he
would not be introducing drastic changes but begin by looking around to
identify young and talented footballers who would be given the
opportunity to prove their worth, both from within and outside Nigeria.

His plan as he put it is to have for now, a mixture of some of the
old players in the team who are still relevant and some young ones who
have shown that they have the special talent to make the team.

Newcastle United were humiliated 3-1 by League Two (fourth division)
Stevenage on Saturday as four top-flight teams were knocked out by
lowly opposition in the third round of the FA Cup.

Sunderland, West Bromwich
Albion and Blackpool also went out as the world’s oldest cup
competition maintained its reputation for upsets.

Arsenal almost made the tally
five but Cesc Fabregas came off the bench to score a last-minute
penalty to earn the 10-times winners a 1-1 home draw with Championship
(second division) side Leeds United.

Thirteen years ago Stevenage,
then a minor league club, took a Newcastle title-chasing team to a
replay in an acrimonious fourth-round tie before the top-flight side
eventually went on to reach the final.

Stevenage were deserved winners
this time round as new Newcastle manager Alan Pardew paid a heavy price
for resting several regulars.

Two goals in five minutes early
in the second half by Mike Williamson (own goal) and Michael Bostwick
gave the home team a 2-0 lead.

Newcastle then had Cheik Tiote
sent off for a reckless challenge. Joey Barton pulled a goal back in
the last minute before Peter Winn slammed the door shut with
Stevenage’s third.

“They gave us a lot of problems
with the pressure and physical side of their game,” Pardew told ESPN
television. “I felt we were running on empty, we had four or five
players who looked like they were shot (exhausted).

“I think there are a few in
there that need to understand what this game is all about. In the
Premier League it’s all well and good but a few of the young lads got
caught out tonight.”

SUNDERLAND SLUMP

Sunderland, flying high in
sixth position in the league and with a formidable home record, also
fielded a weakened team and were beaten 2-1 at the Stadium of Light by
Notts County who are struggling in League One.

Championship promotion-chasers
Reading won 1-0 at home to hand West Brom their sixth successive defeat
while League One Southampton overcame visiting Blackpool 2-0.

Bolton Wanderers, seventh in
the Premier League, needed late goals from Kevin Davies and Johan
Elmander to scrape past minor league York City 2-0 while Everton,
Fulham, Wigan Athletic, Aston Villa, West Ham United and Birmingham
City also progressed.

On Sunday, holders Chelsea
entertain Ipswich Town while Kenny Dalglish’s first game back in charge
of Liverpool could hardly be bigger as he takes his side to Old
Trafford to face Manchester United.

Last year Manchester United lost at home in the third round to Leeds, then in League One.

SNODGRASS OPENER

The Yorkshiremen looked on
course for another upset win at the Emirates in Saturday’s lunchtime
kickoff when Denilson tripped Max Gradel in the 54th minute and Robert
Snodgrass converted the penalty in front of 8,000 travelling fans.

Arsenal, unbeaten in 28 home FA
Cup games since Leeds won at their old Highbury ground in 1997, threw
on their big names in an effort to save the tie.

When substitute Theo Walcott was pulled back by Ben Parker up stepped Fabregas to stroke in a 90th-minute spot kick.

In stoppage time Kasper
Schmeichel saved brilliantly from Denilson before Nicklas Bendtner had
a fabulous chance to win it for Arsenal only to screw his shot badly
wide.

“I felt today our game was a
bit slow in our passing, we were not sharp in our decision-making, the
rest is credit to Leeds. They stopped us from playing,” manager Arsene
Wenger told the club’s website (www.arsenal.com)

“When Cesc comes on he has that vision so even if he is closed down he doesn’t have to run too much to make the game quicker.

“It was a very difficult game
because it was a real Cup game and Leeds were up for it, they played
well,” added Wenger. “It was important … not to go out today because
that would have been a shocker.”

This second Sunday
of 2011, I open my account on a note a few may consider curious, given
the somewhat misplaced perception that I am just a football buff no
more no less. Matters are not helped by friends who gave me the
sobriquet Football Aficionado! But here is something that may interest
you and may well be a talking point, which when thoroughly explored and
the findings adequately addressed, a major sport which put Nigeria
first on the World map in 1958, again in 1962, 1965 and for a long time
thereafter will return with a bang.

An old female
friend of mine now resident in Florida, whom I last saw or communicated
with some twenty-four (24) years ago got connected courtesy Facebook
sometime in December 2010 and we have been playing catch-up. On
Thursday morning she changed the gears and had this to say… ‘All you
talk about is football… so boring… What about boxing etc?’

And I replied thus:

“Well, you are
right but you cannot talk boxing with predominantly Nigerian network
audience on Facebook because boxing is dead in Nigeria today. The only
time you hear of it is when its officials are boxing over money or who
will go on a foreign trip because estacode is involved. The Shell Belt
Championship, our equivalent of the US Golden Gloves Tournament was
last held probably in 1989. There are no local promotions and promoters
since age slowed down ace promoter, Martins Osaile.

Even the amateur
ranks that boasted Commonwealth, Olympic and Africa medallists and
title holders is asphyxiated. We had a Nojeem Maiyegun who won bronze
medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, Fatai Ayinla, Eddie Ndukwu, the
Andeh brothers, Tony and Davidson, Joe Mensah, Isaac Ikhuoria, Obisia
Nwankpa, Peter Konyegwachie, Jeremiah Okorodudu, David Izonritei,
Richard Igbinegu etc who were either Commonwealth, African, Olympic or
world amateur medallists.”

Honestly, apart
from the stymied efforts of officials of the NBBF to prevent Obisia
Nwankpa from doing his job as boxing coach to the best of his ability,
local boxing has been a bleeding ulcer. And there are not many great
international boxing fans because local presentation of the sport is
not exactly attractive. My FB network can hardly pick any! Life is not
made easy with a plethora of World boxing controlling bodies which are
all guilty of throwing up title fights between boxers of questionable
credentials. So locally or internationally boxing is ebbing.

Boxing appear to
have gone full-circle, in Nigeria and abroad because quality is scarce.
Today, apart from Manny Pacquaio, Amir Khan of the United Kingdom,
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and the Klitschko brothers, international boxing
is experiencing a drought too and has not offered much since Mike
Tyson. That is the reason two former World heavy-weight boxing
champions Evander Holyfield well into his late forties, is still boxing
and fighting into his grave as did another boxing great, George Foreman.

Diminishing talent

Boxing today is
very lean on talent, extremely pale in colour and short on class.
Roberto “Fists of stone” Duran, the enigmatic Sugar Ray Leonard,
Marvellous Marvin Hagler, Thomas “Hitman” Hearns and Africa’s
contribution to that elite corps of boxers, Uganda’s John “the beast”
Mugabe represent an extinct class of quality boxers.

Add to that, the
greatest of them all, Cassius Clay, the “Louisville lip”, later
Muhammed Ali you can then appreciate what I am saying.

The colour truly
has gone out of boxing. There was the little man from Sheffield,
England, Prince Nassim Hammed in his near Zulu boxing gear that did
have great following too but boxing needs to re-invent itself to get
its followership back.

The critical point
being made here however is the fading glory of Nigeria’s boxing
characterised by management personnel without vision, passion or
commitment. Since the passing on of Air force Officer, Brai Ayonote,
Nigeria’s boxing has been unable to throw up a manager of repute. There
is nobody to lead the way. Pretenders returning less than average
results pervade the Nigeria boxing scene. A sport that could have done
Nigeria a lot more than football has done is suffering from abject
neglect even after producing four World boxing Champions in Hogan
Bassey, Dick Tiger, Bash Ali and Samuel Peter.

Going down memory
lane, Nigeria hosted professional boxing title fights between
1975-2006. These involved boxers like Custom man Joe Lasisi, Hogan
“Atomic bomb” Jimoh, Dele Jonathan and Bash Ali. Even Obisia Nwankpa
tested his kill for a World boxing title with Saoul Mamby. We have also
disappeared from the African boxing radar. I do not recall a Nigerian
boxer with an African title today.

Going forward, I
would like to see a re-organised Nigeria Boxing Board Federation and a
professional body stepping forward to re-invent the game in Nigeria.
There are possibilities from the amateur to professional ranks for the
Nigerian boxer. Let us re-jig the business by shaking up amateur boxing
and getting quality and strength together in at least twenty-two boxers
between the ages of 17-20 years first into a four- year development
programme under the tutelage of experienced coaches from Cuba.

The programme will
prepare and gear up its products for the African and Commonwealth
boxing events as well as the Olympic especially the one for 2016. After
the 2016 Olympics the best of them would be encouraged to step up to
the professional ranks to earn big money, honour and glory. But they
must be guided through a deliberate plan adequately funded. The
Nigerian boxing federation, NABA can institute a business enterprise
unit; engage professionals to manage this initiative for honour and
profit.

Nostalgia fills me
up when I recall from the pages of history, Hogan “kid” Bassey MBE
originally Okon Bassey Asuquo, born in Calabar 3rd June 1932. He was
Nigeria’s first world boxing Champion. He turned professional while
still at school, winning and then losing the Nigerian flyweight title
in 1949. He became Commonwealth Champion and in 1958 became World
Flyweight Champion. Yes, he lost it on the eve on Nigeria’s
independence in 1960 but he was World Champion in boxing and Nigeria’s
first.

And Dick Tiger,
Nigeria’s second World boxing Champion and until Samuel Peter’s very
short reign. Dick Tiger CBE, born Richard Ihetu August 14, 1929 hailed
from Ubahu Village, Amaigbo,

Anambra State. He
was a very active fighter, full of energy, and capable of beating
bigger men. His boxing career record was: fought 81; won 60; lost 18
and drew 3. He was a two-time undisputed world middleweight title
holder. He became World undisputed Light-Heavyweight Champion. Tiger
won his first middle weight title in 1962, and was a popular fighter at
the famous Madison Square Gardens, New York.

Such was the texture of Nigeria’s boxing those days of yore. God
Almighty is not going to come down to do it for us. Somebody has to
step forward to do it. That somebody is not going to be me because I
have my hands full already with youth football, American Football for
Lagos State and miscellaneous interests in sport. Until next week
folks…the labours of our heroes past shall never be in vain.

The
year 2011 has started but the state of the National Women Football
League in still in confusion and uncertainty. Women’s football started
in Nigeria in the late 1970s, but it was not until the 1980s that it
really became a fixture of the local football scene. The pioneers
included Simbiat Babes and Jegede Babes and it was from these teams
that players were picked for the first women’s national football team
in 1990.

Whereas the
national women’s teams have been doing well in international
competitions, the local league that is supposed to serve as the
reservoir for the teams has been rendered comatose because of a lot of
negative happenings between the administrators, club owners and the
players.

Mere shadow

The League has
since become a shadow of its former self as the neglect from the
football body and various bickering has plunged the body into the
doldrums. Neglected by the mother body, the Nigerian Football
Federation (NFF) and differing voices on who is in the best position to
administer the League, has culminated in the women’s league sliding
into a comatose state.

The call for equal
representation In the past, there has been agitation for better
treatment of women in football but these calls it seems have gone
unheeded by the football federation. Henritta Ukaigbe, a prominent
female football commentator said: “In times past, there have been
agitations to make the female league more viable but it seems that
right now, the game is going to be further neglected or even
forgotten.” For the women’s game to get better there must be adequate
representation by the real stake-holders in decision making process in
administering the game. One way by which this could be achieved is by
having representation in the NFF. The elections held in August 2010
produced a board shorn of any woman. To make certain of this
representation, the NFF board has set aside a date for fresh elections
on January 28, 2011.

The news apparently
sounds good, but it is not satisfying to those who manage the women and
who own the clubs. The Women Football Club Owners is against one of the
guidelines set by the NFF. The said guideline stipulates that only
women could contest positions on the Women Football League Board. This
is not good news as it means that male club owners who are directly
involved with the women are not eligible to contest.

Unfair guidelines

According to Peter
Oguche, Chairman of Oguche Babes of Lokoja, such a guideline is
baseless. “No woman is funding a female football club today in Nigeria;
the club owners are all men therefore the NFF should not dictate to us
that the board must be for women only.” Another club manager, John Zaki
of Tin City Queens further buttressed the point being made by Oguche.
“For some time now, no women have been involved in the management of
football at the league level. Before there was Jegede Babes and
Omidiran Babes which were owned by women but now the clubs are no
longer functioning. If there are no women owners at the league level,
how are they to know what the problems actually are?” Speaking on the
same board representation, Ogochukwu Atube, a club less female player
said, “It does not matter if the people representing us are either men
or women. The important thing is that we have fair representation that
would benefit the players and develop the league.” A postponement to
eternity The club owners seem to be happy that the league has been
postponed and hope that all modalities will be put in place for the
commencement. According to Eddington Kuejebola, proprietor of Ufuoma
Babes, he said:

“It is to make sure
that they have all modalities in place so that there will be no
logistics problems. It can be recalled that about two years ago, it was
reported that the league secretary, Danlami Alalana, said that some
clubs would be face relegation if they did not appear for their
matches. And it is because of this statement that most of these clubs
withdrew from the league.” Though it seems this time that the NFF has
acceded to the request of the club owners but instead of putting a time
frame on the extension, the NFF has decided to postpone the start of
the league indefinitely. This further goes to confirm the apparent
pessimistic view with which the NFF views the female game in the
country.

Uncertainty reins

Macbeth Esezobor,
proprietor of the Macbeth Queens football club when spoken to last week
dismissed the starting of the league saying, “Do not be surprised if
the league which they announced would begin in January does not start.
Another person expressing this same lack of confidence is a football
player, Ogochukwu Atube, “We (the players) have been put in a state of
limbo.

We don’t even know
what is going on now. I think I would go and do something else, the
people at the helm of affairs just want to kill the game.” The need for
sponsorship For a League to be tagged a professional one, there is the
need to have sponsorship. However, in the past six years, the league
has suffered from a lack of sponsorship. “At the time we had the
sponsorship of Pepsi, female football was very exciting but now
everything is really boring”, says Atube. Tewogboye Oyewole, proprietor
of Tewo Queens decried the inattention that the women have faced at the
administrative level.

Ayo Omidiran,
proprietor the defunct Omidiran Babes of Oshogbo, also said that the
structure which holds the league needs to be strengthened. “A
professional league without sponsors is not really professional. It is
even worse than an amateur league. When the sponsorship problem is
resolved, then the other solutions to the various challenges will fall
into place.

“For some time now,
the club owners have been responsible for the funding of their
respective clubs and the NFF being the administrators of football in
Nigeria should know the amount of money that is required to keep a club
afloat.” So with all the pessimism and uncertainty relating to the
female league, it is actually correct to say that women football on the
local scene is gradually being squeezed to death.