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Nduka Ugbade,
former Nigerian international and coach of the MFM Ikeja team of the
ongoing Mountain of Fire Ministries (MFM) Cup, is sure his players have
the ability to emerge champions at the end of the tournament.

Ugbade’s team
booked a semi-final ticket yesterday after defeating MFM Ojo 6-5 via
penalties after the game had ended 0-0 at full time.

“It was a tough
encounter but thank God we won in the end. I am happy with the
performance of my players and I believe that they are capable of
winning the tournament barring any unfortunate development,” Ugbade
said.

He praised Daniel
Olukoya, pastor in charge of MFM and sponsor of the tournament for
bankrolling the event, noting that it is good way of using football to
reposition African youth for God.

Other quarter-final
matches were played yesterday with defending champions, MFM
headquarters joining Ugbade’s team in the last four. They beat MFM Kano
3-0.

Fidelis Ilechukwu, coach of the team said the ability of his boys to listen to instructions gave them victory.

The other two
quarter- final, which involved MFM Kwara and MFM Ijaiye as well as the
one involving MFM Benin and MFM Ejigbo were still on as at the time of
writing. The Olukayo is in its fifth edition.

Japan’s new coach
Alberto Zaccheroni swept into Tokyo on Tuesday, asking to be called
‘Zac’ and promising a lasting legacy from his reign.

“First we have to
finish in the top three at (next year’s) Asian Cup,” the 57-year-old
Italian told reporters after being unveiled as Japan’s sixth foreign
manager.

“When my Japan
adventure comes to an end I want the fans to have great memories of
Zaccheroni’s samurai.” The former AC Milan and Juventus coach brought a
breathe of fresh air to his first news conference after taking over the
Blue Samurai from World Cup coach Takeshi Okada.

“You can call me
Zac,” said Zaccheroni. “But I am okay with any nicknames the Japanese
fans have for me.” Japan Football Association (JFA) president Junji
Ogura predicted the Italian would lead Japan to the quarter-finals of
the next World Cup in Brazil.

“I expect him to get the Blue Samurai to the last eight in 2014,” Ogura said in a statement.

“He has vast experience and is a real tactician of the game. I expect him to get Japan to play an attacking style of soccer.”

Zaccheroni’s Samurai

The JFA did not
reveal details of Zaccheroni’s contract but it is understood he has
signed a two-year deal with an option for another two years.

Zaccheroni, who led
AC Milan to the Serie A title in 1999, said: “I jumped at the
opportunity when the JFA came with their offer.” He praised the work of
predecessor Okada, who led Japan to the last 16 of the World Cup in
South Africa.

“Okada-san did a
fantastic job,” said Zaccheroni. “He left a great foundation in place.”
Zaccheroni will watch Saturday’s home friendly against Paraguay in
Yokohama from the stands as he is still waiting for a work permit.

“Coaching a
national team was the only challenge left for me,” said Zaccheroni,
whose first game in charge is expected to be the October 8 friendly
with Argentina in Saitama.

“Now I have the
opportunity.” JFA technical director Hiromi Hara said Zaccheroni’s lack
of experience outside of Japan would not be a factor.

“His motivation and passion will make up for that,” said Hara. “It’s a life’s ambition for him to coach a national team.”

The chances of the
Nigeria U-19 cricket team getting one of the two available tickets to
the U-19 World Cup grew slimmer yesterday as they were beaten by Zambia
with three wickets. Zambia scored 178 for nine in 50 overs and the
Nigerian reply was a mere 115 for 10 also in 50 overs. The Zambian team
had lost its two earlier matches.

The weakest link in
the Nigerian team was bowler Melvin Bwalya, who bowled out Rotimi
Adesanya and Oluwaseun Adeboro in successive innings for a total of 16
runs. James Chukwu came on to try and lift the team but his partnership
was again cut short by Bwalya who caught out Behani for just 10 runs.
At this point it was 81 for 6 with 15 overs left. Mumba Chanda caught
Olusola Anyia for nine balls and the Nigerian batsmen were falling like
ninepins. Chukwu was also caught by the deadly Chanda for 23 runs from
33 balls. With the top batsmen out of the crease at 99 for 8 with 10
overs remaining, Nigeria’s chances were gone.

The team will play Sierra Leone today, and only a win can keep it in the top division.

Uganda riding high

The Ugandan U-19
team, winners of the 2009 ICC Africa U19 CWCQ, continued winning in
this year’s qualifier with another assured victory over Sierra Leone,
who they restricted to a paltry 72 for 10.

The Uganda bowling
attack for the third day bowled their opposition out for under a
hundred. The prize bowler for Uganda was Faruk Ochimi with four Sierra
Leonean wickets for 17 runs.

The Sierra Leonean attack hardly troubled the Ugandans, who knocked their opponents off in 30 overs.

Monday matches

At the Wanderers Oval in Windhoek, the Namibian U-19 team had comprehensively beat neighbours Zambia.

Stephan Baard was
the pick of the Namibian bowlers with 4 for 35 in six overs as Zambia
made 158 all out. The run chase began in earnest with Namibia breaking
at lunch with 80 for 1. They passed the target score in the 32nd over
with seven wickets in hand, with Justin Baard making 45.

Cricket powerhouse, Kenya was given a run for their money but they
eventually overcame Sierra Leone by 20 runs and remain unbeaten in the
three matches played.

Seven-times major
winner Venus Williams is choosing to accentuate the positives in her
return to competition at the U.S. Open after sitting out two months
with a left knee injury.

Thrilled to be back
on centre stage inside Arthur Ashe Stadium for her first test since the
Wimbledon quarter-finals, Williams dispatched Italy’s Roberta Vinci 6-4
6-1 as the curtain went up on night action at the Open.

“This is the event
to come to, you know, New York, the opening night of the U.S. Open,”
the 30-year-old Williams told reporters. “It’s really an honour. I love
doing it. I’ve had the opportunity on a lot of occasions. Everyone’s
watching.” Williams treated the opening night crowd to some of her
trademark power, belting 10 aces, and a lacy black party dress with
fringe on the bottom that befit the occasion.

Rustiness

While her look was picture-perfect, Williams was not sure her preparation would prove first rate.

“Not having played
any matches wasn’t ideal,” she admitted. “Obviously, practice is so
much different from a match. I felt like I was hitting well in
practice, but to translate into a match is something completely
different.

“But I think I
handled it well and I’m just looking to build momentum going to the
next matches.” Williams tried to focus on the positives.

“I guess my only
advantage would be that I’m hopefully mentally a lot fresher and
physically, hopefully, a lot fresher than maybe my opponents who played
all summer,” she said.

“You know, I’ve got
to try to look at it in a positive way and bank on my experience. That
helps a lot because I’ve had a lot of winning experience,” the twice
U.S. champion said.

Williams said she
regretted the absence of her sister and doubles partner, world number
one Serena Williams, who had to skip the Open because of a foot injury.

She said she loves
to play doubles with her sister and would have been sorely tempted to
join forces with her in Flushing Meadows, especially after they came up
short together at Wimbledon, even though it would have been hard on her
knee.

Even that disappointment was turned into a positive. Asked if it
would be better for her knee that she is not playing doubles at the
Open, Williams replied with a smile: “Absolutely.”

Roger Federer, like
a father asked to rate his children, does not like playing favourites
when it comes to dissecting his most spectacular shots on the tennis
court.

The Swiss added
another gem to his extraordinary collection with a between-the-legs,
back-to-the-net winner that left opponent Brian Dabul dumbfounded and
delighted the centre court crowd in his first round victory at the U.S.
Open on Monday.

Last year, the
five-time U.S. Open winner uncorked a similar shot that whizzed by
Serbian Novak Djokovic standing at the net and gave Federer match point
in their semi-final.

“What do you
think?” Federer told reporters when asked whether Monday’s shot was
better than the 2009 missile that was dubbed ‘shot of the century’ by
scribes around the world.

ESPN TV, which was
broadcasting the match in the United States, promoted a snap poll of
viewers. Fifty-nine percent voted in favour of the new shot. Federer
was not so sure.

“You think this one
was better? I don’t know,” he said. “Obviously the importance of last
year’s was probably a little bit more important. So obviously that has
a little bit of an impact, too.

Big push

“In terms of
difficulty maybe this one was harder, because I had the feeling I had
to run a longer distance and I was further back somehow.

“I had to really
give the last big push at the end.” Federer said when he turned, he
could not tell that his shot found the mark.

“Obviously the
crowd gave me the answer, which was kind of good. The ovation was
fantastic. Crowds went wild. Yeah, you could see on my reaction I
couldn’t believe it.” Federer, winner of a record 16 grand slam events,
said that after 10 years on the professional circuit there were plenty
of shots on his highlight reel.

“I know on YouTube, there are guys that are putting together best shots of me,” he said.

On the question of
trick shots, Federer was asked about the stir created by footage taken
for a TV commercial that shows him knocking a can off someone’s head
that won a huge number of hits but has raised questions about its
authenticity.

“One thing I tell you, that the shots on centre court in front of
22,000 people is a bit more difficult than what I did at the…
commercial,” Federer added. “That was just having a bit more fun.”

For Nigeria’s U-17
women’s team, the Flamingoes to excel at the FIFA U-17 World Cup, which
begins in Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday, the ladies need to be
motivated.

Joy Etim, former assistant coach of the Super Falcons, said this is what guarantees a splendid performance.

“You know you
cannot expect people to do well if they are not encouraged in what they
do. Passion is good but motivation will encourage people to make a
better effort,” she said.

The newly elected
President of Nigeria Football Federation, Aminu Maigari, had said at
the weekend that the federation will give the Flamingoes enough
attention as they represent the future of Nigeria. But Etim is
sceptical about his promise.

“It is not enough that we make promises to the girls; we must also back it up with action,” she said.

“You know they have
heard a lot of these promises but you know this man (Maigari) is new,
we practically know next to nothing about him. Since he has promised to
do his best, let us wait and see. If at the end of the day he does not
do what he is supposed to do, then we can talk but now, I will like us
to wait and see before we react”.

More female coaches

The former Falcons assistant coach also called on the NFF to employ more female coaches for our national teams.

“It is a man that
is in charge of the present U-17 whereas we have trained women coaches
who are without work after they graduate from the National Institute
for Sports,” she explained.

The FIFA U-17 Women
World Cup started two years ago and Nigeria was the first African team
to qualify but they did not reach they knockout stage after losing to
England and recording a draw against Brazil.

In this year’s
edition, the Flamingoes were drawn in Group A with newcomers and host,
Trinidad and Tobago; Chile; and Korea DPR, who are currently the title
holders.

Team coach, Peter Dedevbo is hoping for a good start in the first match against Korea DPR on Sunday.

The Flamingoes, who travelled to Florida, USA last week for a
training tour before heading to Trinidad and Tobago for the tournament,
hope to better their performance in 2008. Ghana and South Africa,
Africa’s other representatives at the World Cup which will last from
September 5-25, were drawn in Groups D and B respectively.

Pakistan’s top
crime investigative agency will send a team to Britain this week to
probe corruption allegations against some of the country’s cricket
players, a senior official said on Tuesday.

Investigations by
British police and the International Cricket Council (ICC) are already
underway into a newspaper report alleging three Pakistan players had
been bribed to fix incidents in last week’s fourth test against England.

London police have
confiscated the mobile phones of test captain Salman Butt as well as
pace bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, and the trio – plus
wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal – have been questioned at the team’s hotel.

A senior official
at the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Karachi told Reuters the
three-member team was likely to leave for London on Wednesday and
planned to meet British police and players.

President Asif Ali
Zardari, who is the patron of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has
also sought reports from Pakistani officials in London, according to
his official spokesman.

“The President is
in touch with the High Commissioner in London and has asked for reports
on the issue,” Farhatullah Babar told Reuters.

The Pakistan team
arrived in Taunton in west England on Monday to play a warm-up game for
two Twenty20 internationals and a five-match one-day series against
England, which starts on Sunday.

PCB chairman Ijaz Butt said the players being investigated will not be suspended without proof of wrongdoing, however.

“There is a case going on over here with Scotland Yard,” Ijaz told website cricinfo.com.

Fans outraged

“This is only an allegation.

There is still no
charge or proof on that account. So at this stage there will be no
action taken.” The ICC’s anti-corruption unit has been asked to submit
a report on its investigation within the next three days, the world
governing body’s president Sharad Pawar said on Monday.

“We at the ICC are
waiting for definite information from the PCB and our own
anti-corruption unit. We hope to get something in the next two to three
days’ time and that information would lead to appropriate action, if
required,” he said.

Pawar has ruled out the possibility of Pakistan cutting short their tour of England.

On Monday, the
police said they had released on bail a 35-year-old man who had been
arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers following the
report in Britain’s News of the World newspaper.

According to the report, Mazhar Majeed, an agent who claimed to represent 10 Pakistan players including Butt,

said Amir and Asif
had bowled three no-balls between them by pre-arrangement in the fourth
test against England which finished on Sunday.

The report also
cast doubt on the second test between Pakistan and Australia in Sydney
this year when the hosts staged a remarkable comeback to win by 36 runs
after overcoming a 206-run first-innings deficit.

The scandal has
outraged cricket fans in Pakistan and the country’s federal sports
minister, Mir Ijaz Hussain Jakhrani, said the players will be given
“maximum punishment” if allegations against them were proved.

“No one has the
right to play with the dignity, honour of the country,” he told
Reuters. “If the allegations are proved then there could be maximum
punishment.

“It could be lifetime ban, it could be anything, it depends on the allegations.”

The Africa Cup of
Nations qualifying match between Nigeria and Madagascar originally
scheduled for the National Stadium in Abuja will now take place in
Calabar, Cross River State.

Robinson Okosun,
Media officer of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), who disclosed
this yesterday, said the match was moved from Abuja because of the
ongoing ECOWAS youth games taking place at the National Stadium.

“The match will now be taking place at the U. J.Esuene Stadium in Calabar,” Robinson said.

Two states, Kaduna
and Cross River were pencilled down as possible venues for the match,
given the interest shown by them in hosting the encounter. But NFF
officials favoured Calabar.

The federation has
been in dire financial straits since the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC), which is investigating allegations of financial
impropriety against the last board headed by Sani Lulu, had its
accounts frozen in July.

The situation
forced the federation to go begging for funds to organise the last
Federation Cup final, which took place in Kano. It finally reached an
agreement with the Kano State Government, which bankrolled the event to
the tune of N30 million.

It is not yet clear
how much the cross river State government will be making available to
host the match. What is certain is they will be splashing money on the
hosting of the encounter.

Pros flock in

Meanwhile, Eagles
coach, Austin Eguavoen stepped up preparation for the encounter with 21
players in attendance during yesterday’s training session. Eleven of
these were the foreign-based professional most of who started coming
into the country on Sunday. Present at yesterday’s session were
Fulham’s Dickson Etuhu, Obafemi Martins, Michael Eneramo, Vincent
Enyeama, Kalu Uche, Olufemi Ajilore, Solomon Okoronkwo, Stanley Okoro,
Dele Aiyenugba, Chidi Ordiah, and Sam Sodje who was recently linked
with a move to MK Dons in the English premiership.

Robinson revealed
that the team’s assistant captain, Joseph Yobo, who was expected to
wrap up a deal with Turkish side Fernabache yesterday evening after
being initially thought to be close to a deal with West Ham, is
expected to fly in tomorrow along with Mikel Obi, who was reported to
have been threatened by the NFF to forget about future invitations to
the national team if he does not show up for the match against
Madagascar.

Bolton defender,
Danny Shittu is also expected in camp today. The player who was in
Lagos on Monday to promote a football talent programme, which he is
organising along with a sports paper based in Lagos, flew out of the
country immediately to wrap up a deal with an undisclosed club. Shittu,
who has endured a difficult time on the bench at Bolton Wanderers since
his move there in 2008, was said to have two offers on the table.

Players in Dickson Etuhu Obafemi Martins Michael Eneramo Vincent
Enyeama Kalu Uche Sam Sodje Obafemi Ajilore Solomon Okoronkwo Stanley
Okoro Dele Aiyenugba Chidi Ordiah

You must be very
familiar with the phrase “a coach is as good as his/her last match
result”. This is especially so in Nigeria, where winning at all costs,
by hook or by crook, is becoming the standard pattern in our sporting
activities. It can be argued that it is so in other parts of the world,
since sports, especially football, has a universal appeal and language.
Yes, this may be correct. The difference may be the level of moral
decadence and utter shamelessness with which we deal with issues
concerning competitions in this part of the globe. Decorum does not
seem to be part of our sports vocabulary. What a shame!

Past performances

We are now becoming
uncomfortable with the results of your recent performances, especially
some very crucial ones that now make you, with all due respects, look
like a tiny start-up, taking on giants.In Nigeria, advantage
increasingly depends on strategic manoeuvres with the highest level of
dexterity, rather than political position.

I am sure that you
also know, more than before, that mediocrity is not only celebrated in
Nigerian sports, it is preferred to professionalism. You must have also
come to realise that lawlessness, ineptitude, absolute disregard and
disrespect for the laws of this country, are being legitimised.

Otherwise, how do
we reconcile the fact that Nigerians are now being made to believe that
the so-called NFF congress and FIFA are more powerful than the Federal
Government? How does anyone explain why the FIFA statues have rendered
our law courts ridiculously nonsensical? The truth is that, honourable
minister, you have lost three games in very quick successions, and
these results have affected your rating terribly.

Repercussions

But what went
wrong? Well, since we are talking sports, permit me to draw from my bag
of Judo experience. Maybe this metaphor will help, if only you will
have time to practise some of the tips.

For instance, how
do you compete with opponents who have size, strength, and history on
their side? Maybe I should warn you never to believe anyone who tells
you that your opponents, the enemies of sports in Nigeria, are
toothless or powerless. A bulldog is a bulldog, just as a snake will
remain a snake – big or small, it is dangerous.

Believe me, your
opponents are not only desperate, they have the size, strength,
history, and most importantly, the money to squander. They are also
experts at fighting without rules. My advice is simple. Please get one
of our Judo masters as a personal coach, and you will discover that
with the core principles of Judo – movement, balance, and leverage, you
can easily turn your opponent’s weight and power to your own advantage.
My coaching instinct tells me to keep the details for ‘security’
reasons.

But then, something
tells me that your opponents have successfully studied your antecedents
as transport minister, discovered your strength and weaknesses, and
bang…bang…bang…

The average
Nigerian athlete is not happy with you, sir. Why postpone the National
Sports Festival? Thousands of these athletes have been training – in
very terrible conditions, and they have been looking forward to the fun
derived from participating in this festival.

Poorly paid coaches
have worked on these athletes. Parents have bought training kits for
their wards, believing that this may be the sports festival that will
provide the platform for their wards to become national champions and
eventually have the opportunity to represent Nigeria at international
competitions. Whoever is responsible for the postponement has not done
any good. The postponement is counter-productive.

Did anyone in the
Sports Commission think of the implications? What happens to the
training regimen put in place by the coaches and trainers? Do athletes
and trainers also “postpone” their training programmes? What happens to
the funds already allocated for the festival? Would this not be another
opportunity for the hawks in Nigerian sports to swoop on?

If the state to
host the festival is not ready, is there no back-up state standing by
to host? Has Abuja not got the required facilities to host? And to
think that February 2011 is the new period being considered, is beyond
reasonable imagination, except this is an indication that there will be
no “operation totality” (sincere apologies to Uncle Aremu) general
elections in January 2011, in Nigeria.

Sincerely, the odds
seem to be against you, sir. By the way, are Nigerians sure that we
will be adequately represented at the forthcoming Commonwealth games?
Is the NOC still in existence in this country?

I wish these thoughts will find an echo in your heart. There is the
urgent need for a review of your strategy. There may be hypocrites and
very obsequious people around you. Please do not forget that this is
Nigeria, where money talks. Watch out for the banana peels. For the
sake of millions of Nigerians praying for you, please, beware!