Nigeria Content Online

League
leaders, Dolphins, are looking to consolidate their position and have
set their sights on a win when they come up against Niger Tornadoes in
Minna on Saturday.

Niger Tornadoes
have not had the best of seasons, having gone three matches without a
win since their opening weekend victory over Crown at the Bako
Kotangora Stadium in Minna. The only point the side, handled by Ladan
Bosso, have collected since the 1-0 win over Crown arrived in
penultimate weekend’s goalless draw at home to newly promoted JUTH.
Last weekend, they lost 2-1 to Lobi Stars at the latter’s temporary
home in Jalingo to add to an earlier 3-1 loss to Heartland in Owerri.
Those losses pushed the Minna side to 16th spot on the table so a win
is vital for Bosso’s side and they will be hoping that the presence of
their teeming fans will be able to motivate them to victory over the
league leaders and propel them further up the table.

But Dolphins won’t
go down that easily. Apart from their 1-0 loss to city rivals Sharks
two weeks ago, the side has given early indications of being capable of
challenging for a first league title since 2004. Just last weekend, the
former two-time winners of the league, who have already won a game on
the road this season; a 1-0 victory over Plateau United, also defeated
a previously undefeated Gombe United side 3-0 in Port Harcourt to
return to the league’s summit.

Going for victory

And according to
the Port Harcourt side’s manager, Stanley Eguma, the plan of the club
right now is to maintain their position at the top of the table. “It
was a good win for us against Gombe last week,” said Eguma. “A good but
difficult win, but we thank God that the players came through at least
in the second half to score those beautiful goals. Now [that] we have
returned to the top, we want to remain there; so we are going to Minna
to score goals and come back with a result. The side have scored five
times already this season. That is exactly the same number of goals
Tornadoes have let in this season but none of those were conceded in
Minna. “We know Minna is a difficult place to play,” said Eguma. “But I
also want to say that my players now have more cohesion and the sky can
only be the limit for us.”

Also on Saturday, Kwara United, who last weekend lost 1-0 to Crown,
will welcome Heartland, who are on a three-match unbeaten run, to the
Offa Township Stadium; while bottom of the table, Plateau United, will
be hoping to finally grab their first win of the season when they take
on Bukola Babes at the Rwang Pam Stadium, Jos. However, Plateau United
have already lost twice this season in Jos.

Pillars
goalkeeper, Sani Haliru, is now free to play football again after the
Nigeria Premier League lifted the ban placed on him last season on a
misconduct charge.

Haliru was charged
with attempting to assault a match official shortly after his side’s
loss to Enyimba at the last edition of the league Super Four
tournament, which took place back in August at the Gateway
International Stadium, Ijebu-Ode. Emeka Nwani, the spokesperson for the
league, confirmed that the ban was lifted on Wednesday. “The suspension
on the goalkeeper of Kano Pillars, Sani Haliru, has been lifted,” he
said. “The NPL decided to lift the suspension on the goalkeeper on the
grounds of compassion. So, he can return to his team.” He also added
that the fine placed on the goalkeeper had been paid by his club side.

Champions League campaign

Nwani also said the
ban was lifted so that the goal keeper can begin training with his club
ahead of next year’s edition of the CAF Champions League, where Kano
Pillars will be attempting to surpass the semi final stage they got to
at their very first attempt back in 2009. Haliru was not among the 31
players registered at the start of the 2010/2011 Premier League season
by Kano Pillars’ coach, Salisu Yusuf, but will get a chance to be
included in the team’s squad list by the time the transfer window
reopens next year. Kano Pillars have had to depend on Inua Ammani in
goal and he has done a good job conceding just two goals after four
rounds of matches. There was however no reprieve for the team doctor
who chased after the centre referee during the mild melee that took
place in Ijebu-Ode, as he still remains suspended. The doctor was
handed a three-year ban by the league.

There
will be shades of Burnley in this one after the West Ham hammering. In
the second game of the 2009/10 season, United lost to newly promoted
Burnley 1-0, and Michael Carrick lost a penalty. Also the last times
that Blackpool and United have played, the two encounters ended 1-1.
United are still unbeaten in the league and the 4-0 embarrassment in
their last cup match should bring out the resilience of the Red Devils.
Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and
Patrice Evra will all be re-installed in the line-up at Bloomfield Road
– the smallest stadium in the Premiership. Normally, when United take
over the lead, they are almost always the first to cross the finish
line in May. United scored seven against Blackburn, and Blackpool
haven’t kept a clean sheet at home, with only Blackburn having stopped
them from scoring twice at home. Blackpool have also allowed their
opponents more shots, 102 on their goal, than any other team; while
Manchester United have allowed the fewest shots on target against them
than any other side, 50. Portuguese winger, Nani, is the leader of goal
assists with eight to his name so far and will be trying to provide the
ammunition for Berbatov and Rooney. The English international will be
seeking to score a league goal since the last one, a penalty goal he
got against West Ham on August 28.

Arsenal have to keep the momentum

After holding their
nerve at Villa Park and getting the 4-2 win, Arsene Wenger’s team know
that any slip up by United can be capitalised on with a win over London
neighbours, Fulham. The Gunners will be buoyed by the fact that Fulham
have failed to score in four of the last five Premier League games
against Arsenal, and the Cottagers have won just three of their 43
Premier League London derbies away from home and none of the last 32.
Arsenal will be looking to become the only team to win the Premier
League having lost three times at home, as the Arsenal team did in
2001-02. Mark Hughes needs to get his team playing on the road as they
have not won any of their last 25 Premier League away games. Cesc
Fabregas is still out, and Wenger has said he will not be rushed back
to action, so Tomas Rosicky and Samir Nasri should continue their
partnership in the midfield supported by Alex Song. Nasri has scored
six goals in his last 10 league appearances. Arsenal needs to watch the
corners and free kicks around the box as a quarter of Fulham’s goals
have been headers, a higher proportion than any other side in the top
flight.

The Blues are on the ropes

Chelsea have the
highest shots on target ratio in the league and their next shot on
target will be their 100th for the season, more than any other team in
the Premier League. Chelsea have been the most accurate passers in the
top division this season, finding a team-mate with 85% of their passes;
but all that fine statistics has just counted for four points in five
previous matches. Though Chelsea got a much needed draw last weekend
away at St. James’ Park, today’s opponents, Everton, were hammered 4-1
at home by West Bromwich Albion. Chelsea have slipped to second place
on the table on account of a very bad November. Five of the last seven
league meetings between Chelsea and Everton have ended as draws with
one win apiece; and another draw could be on the cards on Saturday.
Didier Drogba will want to continue his healthy goals’ haul against
Everton, having scored six goals in nine league appearances against
Everton. Louis Saha has scored three goals in his last two matches
against Chelsea and seven against the Londoners in 12 league matches
overall. The Pensioners haven’t lost two consecutive league home games
since May 2002; they have drawn four of their last five league away
games and the last three in a row. Everton’s highest goal scorer, Tim
Cahill’s last 19 goals in the league have had 11 assisted by left back,
Leighton Baines.

Wounded Real egos face Valencia test

Real Madrid must
show Mourinho character as they face fifth-placed Valencia in Liga on
Saturday. The 5-0 drubbing in ‘El Clasico’ was Madrid’s first loss
under Jose Mourinho, but the absolute capitulation was a surprise to
all watchers. Mourinho was then given a one-match Champions League ban,
while four players were fined on Tuesday by UEFA over allegations that
Sergio Ramos and Xabi Alonso deliberately provoked red cards in a match
against Ajax last month. “Our pride in the shirt and the club’s badge
has been hurt, especially as we know many Madrid fans are still
suffering from the defeat,” said Ramos. “We need to pick ourselves up
and stop feeling sorry for ourselves. Not to do so would be a mistake.
On Saturday we have an important game against rivals who are having a
good season.” Real will be without Ramos and Ricardo Carvalho, who is
also suspended. They will be replaced by Raul Albiol and Alvaro
Arbeloa. Cristiano Ronaldo is also a doubt as he recovers from a
bruised right ankle.

Mountain
of Fire and Miracles Ministries have emerged winners of the 2010
Pentecostal Fellowship Of Nigeria Football Competition following a 2-1
win over Day Star Christian Centre.

In a keenly
contested encounter, witnessed by a large crowd, at the University of
Lagos Sports Centre last weekend, Mountain of Fire proved her
superiority over Day Star courtesy of a goal apiece from Ifeanyi George
and Femi Oladejo. Sixteen churches, drawn from different states in
Nigeria, took part in the competition. General Overseer of the church,
Daniel Olukoya, commended the victorious team for not letting down
their teeming supporters who thronged the venue to cheer them to
victory. He attributed the team’s success to the experience garnered
from his pet project, the annual Daniel Olukoya International Youth
Football Competition, which attracts players from various branches of
the church across Africa. The competition takes place annually, at the
Prayer City located along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Mountain of Fire
are also the defending champions of the annual Church League, and only
recently won the Boska Cup in Lagos. Meanwhile,

MFM Headquarters will confront MFM Ikeja in the finals of the Daniel
Olukoya International Youth Football Competition, which will hold on
December 11, at the Yaba College of Technology in Lagos.

The
scandals unveiled by London’s Sunday Times and the Panorama, broadcast
on BBC on Monday, cost England as it was beaten to the 2018 World Cup
bid by Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

It was supposed to
be a return to the “motherland of football” as Joseph Blatter, FIFA
President, said on the podium moments before the envelope of the
winning bid was passed to him. When the winning bid was announced,
there were about eight Russians in the hall with the others in apparent
shock. Russia won against all expectations but it could have been swung
in their favour by the words of Putin, Russia’s President, who on
Wednesday criticised England over the FIFA exposes. “I would like to
note that recently we have watched with disappointment as an obvious
campaign was being unleashed against members of the FIFA executive
committee,” he said. “They are being smeared in dirt and compromised. I
consider it as part of unscrupulous bit of competition in preparations
for the selection of the host-country for the World Cup.”

The politics of the 2018 bid

England was said to
have had the best technical bid but Russia trumped all the stats by
promising to inject over $10 billion to host the world. Russia will
also be hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics. The Spain/Portugal bid
President, Angel Villar Llona, in his presentation on Thursday said: “I
love FIFA dearly but those I love the most are my colleagues in the
Exco. Recently we have been criticised by many media outlets.
Unfortunately for them, FIFA is a clean institution.” The defeat will
be made more unpalatable as the England bid had been described by
Blatter as being both excellent and remarkable. But it was not
remarkable enough to be chosen. In revelations after FIFA’s members had
voted in a secret ballot, it emerged that England did not make it to
the second ballot.

Last minute
attempts by Prime Minister, David Cameron, Prince William and David
Beckham to persuade the football’s world governing body executive
members came too late to douse the embarrassments suffered by these
members by the revelations of the BBC and London Times. Amos Adamu and
Reynald Temarii, the two FIFA executive members named in cash-for vote
scandal, had been suspended and fined some sums of money following the
revelations by the London Times that both members were ready to sell
their bidding votes to the highest bidders. There will be
recriminations from the British press but many observers feel that
England shot itself in the foot by being “undiplomatic.”

Qatar trumps the USA

Qatar became the
smallest country to be awarded the hosting rights of a FIFA World Cup
by snagging the 2022 World Cup. The Qatar bid committee used French
football legend, Zinedine Zidane, as a goodwill ambassador and said in
their presentation that the World Cup project of hosting the world in
2022 could help unify the region. There was also the promise to
overcome overwhelming heat by air conditioning the stadia it will
build. Sheikh Mohammad bin Hamad Al-Thani, Qatar’s bid chairman,
sounding all exultant after the pronouncement said: “Thank you for
believing in change, thank you for believing in expanding the game,
thank you for giving Qatar a chance. We will not let you down. You will
be proud of us, you will be proud of the Middle East and I promise you
this.”

And in what could
be a final word to the backlash that will definitely come forth after
the England snub, Llona had this to say, “You have already heard enough
slander in the media, the bidding process is clean regardless of what
they say.” The world will converge in Russia in 2018. And as the
Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Igor Shuvalov, was handed the World Cup
by Blatter, he celebrated by saying: “You have entrusted us with the
FIFA World Cup for 2018 and I can promise, we all can promise, you will
never regret it. Let us make history together.”

History will definitely be in the making as the Eastern European
giants host the greatest single sport fiesta in the world while Qatar’s
1.7 million people prepare to welcome the world in 2022.