Nigeria Content Online

At centre court of
the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, venue of the 10th edition of the Governor’s
Cup, Karan Rastogi of India brought down Laurent Rochette in straight
sets of 6-2, 6-2 to move to the semi-finals.

Right from the
beginning of the game, fans could see that the more composed Rastogi
had the upper hand with Rochette allowing the pressure to get to lose
his serves. The second set was a relatively easy win with Rastogi
getting opportunity to throw the first salvo. A lot of drop shots from
Rochette also gave him an upper hand and he finished the game in a
relatively short time. Speaking on his victory, Rastogi said he was
happy to have won. “It may have looked relatively easy but I tell you,
he was strong. He is even a better seeded player than I am but see the
way it ended. I tried my best and I made use of all the opportunities
that came my way.” On who he thinks is the best; Rastogi said:
“Everyone is evenly matched. All the players I have had opportunity to
face have all been challenging but I think a little bit of luck and God
helps.”

Sad outing for Nigerians

For a tournament
that is taking place in Nigeria, the Nigerians have all had a poor
showing with the last of them crashing out on Wednesday. Fatima Abinu,
top Nigerian player fell to Slovakia’s Zuzana Kucuva, the number one
seed in the women singles. In the men’s category, Abdulmumini Babalola,
also lost out to South Africa’s Raven Klaasen, 7-5, 6-2. Boy Westerhof
of Holland sent Clifford Enosoregbe out in a match that ended 6-3, 6-0.
Also Samuel Omoile could not survive the heat from the tournament
number one male player, Desein Niels from Belgium. He was beaten 6-3,
6-2. In another encounter, Isreali, Amir Weintraub, stopped Candy Idoko
in their match, which ended 6-2, 6-0; while his compatriot, Blessing
Samuel, was defeated by Melanie Klaffner of Austria 6-1, 6-0.

Westerhof crashes out, Kucuva moves on Boy Westerhof’s dream of
winning the first leg of the 10th Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis
Championship ended yesterday as he was betean 6-4, 2-6,4-6 by Weintraub
in one of the quarter final matches. In another match, Desein justified
his rating in the Etisalat/FCMB sponsored championship as he out
stroked Indian Ranjeet Virali-Murugesan in straight set of 7-6(6),6-4
to move to the semi final scheduled for Friday. South African Raven
Klassen beat Melaine Klaffner of Isreal 6-1, 7-5. In the women’s event,
Slovak lady, Zuzana Kucova showed her prowess to repeat the feat she
recorded at the Governor’s Cup last year, as she secured a place in the
semi-final by defeating Germany’s Karolina Nowak in straight set of
6-4,6-3.

Football’s world governing body, FIFA, has provisionally suspended Executive Committee members Amos Adamu of Nigeria and Tahiti’s Reynald Temarii as it investigates allegations of World Cup vote-selling by the duo.

FIFA announced this yesterday at a press conference following a meeting of its ethics committee, chaired by former Switzerland striker Claudio Sulser.
Four other FIFA officials were also provisionally suspended from taking part in any football-related activity. They are Slim Aloulou, Amadou Diakite, Ahongalu Fusimalohi and Ismael Bhamjee.
Besides Sulser, other FIFA officials present at the press conference to announce the suspensions were Jerome Valcke, the world body’s secretary general and Nicolas Maingot, its director of communications. The conference had started two hours later than advertised, without explanation for the delay.
“The decision to provisionally suspend these officials is fully justified and should not be put in question,” said Sulser.
“The evidence that has been presented to us today has led us to take this provisional measure, as we considered that the conditions were definitely met to take this decision and we deem that it is crucial to protect the integrity of the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bidding process.
“We are determined to have zero tolerance for any breach of the code of ethics.”
Sulser added that two national football bodies, albeit unnamed, were also being investigated in connection with the scandal.
Addressing the media after the suspension, FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, said it was a sad day for football especially after having recorded success in what people thought could not be possible with the World Cup in Africa. But he dismissed claims that FIFA is corrupt by saying the immediate reaction of the body to the scandal showed its seriousness on zero tolerance for corruption.
He urged the media to trust FIFA and promised he would continue to do everything to protect the reputation of the game as the president. Blatter also played down the magnitude of the scandal by saying just as we have good players, there also bad players.
The suspended officials now have between now and the middle of November, when the ethics committee will meet again to take a final decision ahead of the World Cup vote on December 2, to prepare their defence.
Investigations to continue
In the meantime, FIFA will investigate the circumstances leading to the suspensions, and presumably, related matters surrounding alleged voting arrangements between bidding nations and parties seeking to influence the bidding process.
Valcke said the vote to decide the hosts for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups will still go ahead as planned on December 2, but added that if Adamu and Temarii are eventually found guilty then both of them will not be part of the voting process.
Five countries are vying for the right to stage the 2022 World Cup, namely Australia, Japan, Qatar, South Korea and the United States, while there are four bid groups for the 2018 World Cup.
They are England, Russia, as well as joint bids by the Netherlands and Belgium, along with another joint bid by the Iberian pair of Portugal and Spain.
EFCC trouble for Adamu
Reprieve may however be a long way off for Adamu as Nigeria’s Anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is at the moment probing the one-time Director General of the National Sports Commission.
Reporters from British newspaper, the Sunday Times, posing as lobbyists for a consortium of American companies that wanted to help bring the World Cup back to the United States, filmed Adamu asking for money to fund the construction of four artificial football pitches in Nigeria.
No money exchanged hands but Adamu requested for the sum of £500,000, and in the opinion of the EFCC, that is enough reason to commence investigations on the embattled FIFA official.
“We have already commenced our own investigations mostly as a result of the fact that he was filmed demanding for money to construct football pitches in the country,” EFCC spokesman Femi Babafemi said.
However, Babafemi declined to confirm whether the agency will arrest Adamu upon his return to the country.
“That will depend on the outcome of our own investigation and that of FIFA,” he said.

All is set for the maiden edition of the Nigerian Executive Golf Invitational Tournament (NEGIT).

The event is scheduled to take place at the Ibom Golf Course at Le Meridien Hotel and Golf Resort in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

According to the organisers, the tournament will feature over 120 Chief Executive officers from top corporations in Nigeria, and is expected to tee off on Friday October 22 and end on Sunday, October 24, 2010.

Ben Oranusi, the NEGIT President, who disclosed this, said the tournament has been designed as a world-class golf competition to showcase the immense potentials of the Ibom Golf course.

Oranusi added that the tournament will also provide a perfect opportunity for leading businessmen and public officials with strong passion for the game to network, and have fun in the spirit for which golf is globally known for.

“With the golf facility at the Le Meridian Hotel & Golf Resort in Uyo and tremendous positive response that we have received so far, we are confident that NEGIT will tee off in style and then go ahead to grow into a golf tournament of repute all over the world,” Oranusi said.

Thrice in a year

The tournament has been conceived to hold three times a year and top public official have also indicated interest to attend.

Oranusi said President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to declare the event open.

The tournament is also expected to have in attendance, Godswill Akpabio, Governor of Akwa Ibom State; the Senate President, David Mark; the Governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola; Okwesileze Nwodo, the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party; and Olusola Lawson, President, Professional Golfers Association of Nigeria.

According to Charles O’Tudor, Principal Consultant, ADSTRAT BMC, Brand consultants to NEGIT, the Ibom Golf Course is one of the most serene golfing environments in the West African sub-region.

“This will be an opportunity for NEGIT to give back to golfers while also providing them the opportunity to compete with their contemporaries who share the same passion for the game in an atmosphere of intense business networking” he said.

With top notch corporate players, governors, top government officials, and politicians scheduled to participate, NEGIT 2010 promises to compete with the best internationally.

Liverpool will get their regular break from the domestic troubles when they visit Napoli in the Europa League Thursday while holders Atletico Madrid look for a first group stage win when they host Rosenborg.

Liverpool, who are in the Premier League relegation zone and have been stuck in the middle of an ownership battle, have found some relief in the Europa League where they have won five and drawn one of their six games, including qualifying ties.

They top Group K with four points, although Thursday’s match will be by far their toughest test so far with Napoli fourth in Serie A and Uruguay forward Edinson Cavani in prolific form.

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson, who led Fulham to the final last season, has seemed far more comfortable in Europe and is hoping Thursday’s game can provide the springboard for out-of-sorts Spain striker Fernando Torres.

“He was vilified by all and sundry both in this country and Spain during the World Cup,” said Hodgson.

“I think mentally he’s a little bit low about that, I understand that, and the only thing that can pick him up is playing well and scoring some goals.”

“I thought he played well (in a 2-0 defeat) against Everton Sunday and was a constant thorn in their defence. Even at the end when he did set up a goal chance for himself, Tim Howard made a great save.

“If that had gone in, who knows, maybe that would have been the catalyst for him to start believing in himself again.”

Napoli hit back from three goals down to draw 3-3 at Steaua Bucharest in their last outing.

Other fixtures

Atletico have taken only one point from their first two games in Group B and are bottom while Rosenborg, unbeaten in their last 28 Norwegian league matches, have three. Bayer Leverkusen top the group with four points and face a trip to Aris Salonika who have three points.

Atletico expect to have Argentina forward Sergio Aguero back from injury.

Poland’s Lech Poznan, surprise leaders of Group A, hope to continue their impressive run when they visit Manchester City while former European champions Juventus visit Salzburg in the same group.

Several teams have undergone coaching changes recently.

VfB Stuttgart, top of Group H with maximum points but bottom of the Bundesliga, parted with Christian Gross last week and will be playing their second match under Jens Keller when they host Getafe.

Dynamo Kiev visit AZ Alkmaar in Group E looking to bounce back from the shock 2-0 defeat to Moldova’s Sheriff Tiraspol which prompted Valeri Gazzaev to resign at the end of last month. He has been replaced by Oleg Luzhny.

PAOK Salonika coach Pavlos Dermitzakis quit Saturday after only three months in charge and his former assistant Mikos Havos will be in charge for the visit to Villarreal in Group D.

Nigerian defender Danny Shittu looks set to revive his dwindling football fortune after he agreed to pitch tents with English Championship outfit, Millwall.

Shittu has been a free agent ever since he agreed to leave Premier League side Bolton Wanderers at the end of August.

The 30 year-old was linked with a host of club sides in Europe, most notably clubs from the Scottish Premier League, as well as the Middle East, but has now accepted an offer to join Millwall.

The deal is expected to initially last for three months and Shittu is expected to put pen to paper on Friday at The Den – home ground of the London based club side fondly referred to as the Lions by their fans.

Shittu is also looking forward to playing for the club where he will be reunited with Millwall manager Kenny Jackett, who had previously managed Shittu during his time at Queens Park Rangers.

“This move ticks all the right boxes for me,” Shittu told the club’s official website.

“I’m excited to be coming here and I hope to help Millwall push up the table.

“I know a bit about the club from friends who are supporters and everything I’ve heard has been positive.” Tough task ahead

Shittu will be coming into a Millwall side that is currently occupying the 12th position on the 24-team Championship table after 12 rounds of matches that has seen them winning just four games.

Three teams will be promoted from the Championship to the Premier League at the end of the season but only the top two finishers are guaranteed automatic promotion to the top flight.

The Lions last featured in the English top flight division in the 1989/1990 season and have since then languished in various tiers of the English league.

They however reached the 2004 FA Cup final only to lose to Manchester United. But as United had already qualified for the UEFA Champions League that season, Millwall qualified to play in the UEFA Cup the following season and played in Europe for the first time in their history.

They’ve also reached the FA Cup semi-finals on three separate occasions, in 1900, 1903 and 1937.

A list of notable players who have played for Millwall includes Nigerian-born former England international John Fashanu, Australians Lucas Neill and Tim Cahill, Irishman Tony Cascarino, current Blackburn Rovers manager Sam Allardyce, as well as former England international Teddy Sheringham, who was last year inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arrested Davidson Owumi, Chairman of the Nigeria Premier League board, over allegations of corrupt practices while he was in charge at Rangers International Football Club, Enugu.

Owumi was picked up from the NPL’s board meeting in Abuja and will be taken to Enugu today to respond to a petition filed by Ray Nnaji, a former member of the board of the NPL.

Femi Babafemi, Public Relations Officer of the EFFC, said the inability to get a flight to Enugu led to the delay in taking Owumi there yesterday.

“I can confirm that he was arrested and it is for cases of fraud and award of fictitious contract,” Babafemi said.

When asked if Owumi committed the alleged fraud as chairman of Premier League Club, Rangers International or as a member of the former NPL board headed by Oyuiki Obaseki, Babafemi said: “It cuts across board but more of Rangers because the case is being handled by our Enugu office”.

Not guilty

Initial efforts to get Owumi to comment on the matter were unsuccessful but the NPL Chairman was later quoted by SuperSports.com, a sports news website, to have said he is innocent of the allegations against him.

“I don’t have anything to hide. I am open to any probe. I have heard people say I used money from Enugu Rangers to build my house and I laugh at that because the records are there. Also, I can say I have not got any contract from government or anywhere,” he said.

Foster Chime, the Media Officer of Rangers, said he was surprised by the development noting that the arrest could not have been as a result of Owumi’s activities in Rangers.

“Rangers is owned and run by the Enugu State government and so any issue of misappropriation or foul play should be pointed out by them, which for now has not been done. Even Owumi has left the club for quite a while so I wonder why now,” he said.

However Babefemi said the commission need not wait for the Enugu Sate government before it acts.

According to him, once sufficient information is received on any corrupt practise, the EFFC can swing to action.

More in the net

Owumi’s current travail is the latest instalment in a short tenure pockmarked by controversy since being elected earlier this year.

He joins the list of football officials being investigated by the EFFC. Sani Lulu, former President of the Nigeria Football Federation along with former vice-president, Amanze Uchegbulam; Taiwo Ogunjobi, former head of the federation’s technical committee; and Bolaji Ojo-Oba, its former Secretary General are also answering charges of corruption and abuse of office while they were in charge of the Nigeria FA.

The EFCC has also waded into the cash-for-vote allegations brought against FIFA executive Amos Adamu by setting up a panel to investigate the matter.

The new NPL season is expected to kick off on Saturday after several postponements and it is not clear whether the latest development will have any impact on it.