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Your Excellency, my
desire is to be part of the solution to this generation and never to be
part of the problems. This is one of the reasons why I chose to
concentrate on sports development and not sports promotion —
especially in the way and manner promotion of sports is handled in this
part of the world. I must admit that it is not a popular choice, simply
because most of those responsible for developing sports at the
grassroots are not adequately aware of the socioeconomic, educational,
political, health, cultural and rehabilitation benefits that the
general public, especially millions of young Lagosians, can enjoy from
genuine sports developmental programmes.

This is not only a
travesty, but very unfortunate and unacceptable, more so when this
greatly blessed state is presently being governed by an active
supporter of sports, and undoubtedly one of the very few
football-playing governors in Nigeria today.

But need we blame
anyone for this shortcoming? No! We are faced, in Nigeria, with massive
sociopolitical and economic problems and challenges, so much so that
the quest for “stomach matters” and other mundane societal issues have
totally beclouded our vision to appreciate the truth that grassroots
sports development is the sine qua non for any form of sports
promotion. For instance, instead of thinking of the social benefits of
grassroots sports development, or ways by which sports and education
can be positively exploited, environmental risks and psychological
burdens have become major challenges and threats to the society at
large.

Modern-day children
and teenagers have experienced and are still experiencing rapid changes
in the condition of growing up. This is a process which has become far
more accelerated than previous generations. These changed conditions,
not only offer new opportunities for children and teenagers, but also a
new variety of burdens and threats, which we parents, were not exposed
to. Particularly for adolescents, there are many new physical,
emotional, social and spiritual pressures, accompanied by the fears of
failure.

Your Excellency,
this is the scenario in Lagos State right now and unfortunately, this
is what most of those responsible for grassroots sports development are
either absolutely ignorant, or have intentionally decided to ignore
what is required hence, the nonchalant attitude exhibited, to the
detriment of our beloved children, who are expected to be holistically
prepared for future leadership roles, using the nonthreatening platform
of sports.

Fear of failure

The fear of failure
is, however, more intensely felt by parents – especially in Lagos
State, than the children, teenagers and youth of this state, because of
numerous social and often times in Nigeria, spiritual implications
like, “How do we handle these young ones already exposed to social
vices?” or “Why should my own children not succeed – whatever the
success benchmark is?”.

Talk about success
in sports and the quest for a career in sports, may have to do with the
viability sports commands in the state. You know very well, Your
Excellency, that an organism or organization or structure that does not
grow, will eventually become extinct.

Coupled with this
fact of life is the truth that there should always be a
natural/successional pyramid that has a base (foundation) and of course
an apex. Every human being, no matter the social status, has plans to
progress in life. This is why students, will employ very uncanny and
unwholesome means to pass examinations, so as to be promoted or
admitted into schools. Public servants will falsify anything
falsifiable, to get what they want, e.g., promotion, but I must own up
to the fact that there are some very credible servants amongst them.
Politicians seek recognition, dominion and promotion. The chairperson
of any local government council desires to move from the LGA to the
state, the Senate and to the presidency.

Africa’s last
representative at the World Cup, Cote D’Ivoire, will today go into
action when they confront Portugal at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in
Port Elizabeth.

The two sides are
expected to battle it out for the right to qualify in second place for
the round of 16 from Group G – dubbed by many as the “Group of Death”.
World Cup favourites and five time champion Brazil is expected to lead
the group.

Not a sure bet

The fitness of the
Ivorian skipper Didier Drogba remains suspect ahead of this crunch tie
as there have been conflicting reports on his availability for the game
or otherwise.

The Chelsea hit-man
is likely to miss out after breaking his arm during a friendly match
against Japan just days before the start of the World Cup.

Though Drogba is
said to have resumed training after having surgery on his arm,
Elephants head coach, Sven Goran Eriksson has hinted that he has made
contingency plans in case his leading marksman – who scored 37 goals
for Chelsea in all competitions last season – is not fully fit.

Should he be unfit,
CSKA Moscow striker Seydou Doumbia, who replaced him in the friendly
against Japan, is likely to start against the much fancied Portuguese.

Favourable record

Though the two
sides have never met before at any level, the Elephants have a
favourable record against UEFA nations, having chalked up five wins and
four losses in 14 matches.

The showdown with
Portugal is their second meeting against European opposition on the
African continent since the Elephants’ 1-0 victory over Switzerland in
Abidjan on December 2, 1983.

The Ronaldo factor

So much is expected
from the world’s most expensive footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo. Plagued
with injuries during the qualifiers, the Real Madrid star played
onlyseven of Portugal’s 12 matches – and he failed to score. The
playmaker hasn’t scored for the national team since a 1-0 win over
Finland in February 2009, however he netted 33 goals for Real Madrid
(in all competitions) this season.

When it comes to the World Cup, Ronaldo has just a goal to his name
– from the 2006 World Cup.With winger Nani out of the World Cup due to
a bruised collarbone, Portugal may need the 2008 FIFA World Player of
the Year more than ever if it is going to live up to the expectations
of a title contender.

Cameroon had only
managed a draw from three previous meetings against Japan, but they
failed to improve on that on Monday as they slumped to a 1-0 loss to
the Samurai Blue.

The Indomitable
Lions, who were anything but indomitable on the day, failed to qualify
four years ago and crashed out of the three previous finals at the
group stages, while the Japanese went out in the group stages four
years ago, having reached the last 16 as co-hosts in 2002.

Much was expected
from the Indomitable Lions prior to the match, but in a surprisingly
uninteresting game in Bloemfontein, they lacked the will to overcome
the Asians and a solitary goal followed by a disciplined rearguard
action saw the Japanese upset the odds to claim a famous win.

It however, took 38
minutes for the first shot on target to arrive, as Japanese keeper,
Eiji Kawashima, gathered a tame shot from Enoh Eyong.

But almost
immediately, Japan broke the deadlock as a deep Daisuke Matsui cross
from the right, ran over a couple of Cameroonian defenders, and onto
the path of Keisuke Honda who collected at the far post and coolly
slotted a left-foot shot past the onrushing Hamidou Souleymanou.

Second half

The second half got
off to a lively start, with Samuel Eto’o, who had been virtually
anonymous before the break, evading three defenders before carving out
a good chance for team-mate Eric Choupo-Moting, whose shot drifted
narrowly wide of the far post.

Cameroon coach,
Paul Le Guen, brought on all three substitutes to try and shake things
up, but the closest they came to unlocking the Japanese defence was a
superb long-range effort from Stephane Mbia, which cannoned back off
the crossbar with the goalkeeper well beaten.

Shinji Okazaki then
had a chance to put the game beyond the Cameroonians, but he was
flagged offside as his powerful effort hit the post.

Monday’s loss was
the first time the Indomitable Lions would be losing an opening match
at the World Cup. For the Japanese, the win means they have now claimed
their first ever victory on foreign soil at a World Cup finals, and
take second place in the group behind the Netherlands, who defeated the
Danes 2-0 earlier in the day.

Vuvuzelas will not
be banned from the World Cup despite the fearsome din the plastic
trumpets make inside and outside the stadiums, organisers said on
Monday.

“Vuvuzelas are here
to stay and will never be banned,” said Rich Mkhondo, a spokesman for
the local World Cup organising committee. “People love the vuvuzelas
around the world. Only a minority are against vuvuzelas. There has
never been a consideration to ban vuvuzelas.”

Mkhondo was
reacting to a BBC report that the chief organiser, Danny Jordaan, had
not ruled out banning the most talked about instrument in this World
Cup. Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk has banned them from his team’s
training sessions.

A thriving industry

The plastic
vuvuzela trumpet has been controversial since the Confederations Cup
last year, a World Cup dress rehearsal, when several players complained
they could not communicate through the din, which sounds like a herd of
charging elephants. FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, rejected calls for
them to be banned, saying they are as typical of South African football
as bongo drums or chants in other countries.

“Look at them as
part of our culture in South Africa to celebrate the 2010 FIFA World
Cup. As our guests please embrace our culture, please embrace the way
we celebrate,” said Mkhondo. He added that vuvuzelas were also being
used by fans from other countries, a view backed up by the enormous
extra demand seen by vuvuzela outlets across South Africa.

“It seems like the
bad publicity has been good for us,” said Brandon Bernado, owner of the
vuvuzela.co.za web site and a factory he said could churn out at least
10,000 of the instruments every day. “We’re completely sold out. Every
time we manufacture more, the next morning by nine we’re sold out,” he
told Reuters.

The vuvuzela
industry is worth 50 million rand in South Africa and Europe, according
to Cape Town-based Neil van Schalkwyk, who developed the vuvuzela seven
years ago.

The Super Eagles
may have lost their opening match of the World Cup on Saturday to
Argentina, but they are still receiving plaudits for their performance
in the encounter that saw them limiting the Argentines to just one goal.

Latest to join in
the bandwagon is the Nigerian Sports Minister, Ibrahim Bio, who
commended the side for their spirited display against the two-time
world champions.

Bio, who also
doubles as chairman of the National Sports Commission, NSC, met with
the players at their Protea Hotel base camp in Richard’s Bay, on Monday
afternoon, and urged them to take heart over the defeat while also
encouraging them to give their very best in their upcoming games
against Greece and South Korea.

“In this spirit, I
urge you to have it in your minds that the government and people of
Nigeria are fully behind you in the campaign and will be looking
forward to your giving your best in the remaining two matches of the
group phase, in order for you to qualify for the knockout round,” said
Bio.

“I believe you can
do it, and I believe you will do it”, added the minister, who was
accompanied on the visit by the other top officials of the NSC,
including former Nigerian defender, Patrick Ekeji, who is now the
Director-General of the NSC.

On ground to
receive Bio and his entourage at the hotel was the Nigeria Football
Federation’s technical committee chairman, Taiwo Ogunjobi, also a
former Nigerian defender, who thanked the minister for coming while
also assuring him that the players are in the right spirit to go all
out and do the country proud in the games against Greece and Korea
Republic.

More praise for Enyeama

Vincent Enyeama was
the primary reason why the Super Eagles were able to limit the
Argentineans to just a solitary goal last Saturday, in a performance
that earned him not just the game’s Man of the Match award, but also a
much deserved recognition by the international media, after years of
being relegated to the background.

The latest plaudits
from the international media arrived in the form of South African
newspaper, The Sowetan, whose Monday described Enyeama as “The man who
stopped Messi in his tracks.” Messi, himself had in his own
commendation for the Super Eagles’ goal tender, whom he described as
“phenomenal”, but excerpts of the story in the newspaper read: “He may
be the Footballer of the Year, but on Saturday at the Ellis Park,
someone else was Man-of-the-Match.

“There was
widespread praise for the stunning goalkeeping of Israel-based Vincent
Enyeama, who pipped Argentine superstar Messi, whose team won 1-0, for
the official Man-of-the-Match honours.

“Enyeama, in goal for Nigeria, stared down the creative Argentines,
making fine saves, four of them from Messi, and almost helped Nigeria
to pull off a draw.”

Nothing short of
victory is expected from five-time champions, Brazil, as they open
their World Cup campaign against the minnows, North Korea.

The Brazilians are
currently ranked number one in the world, while North Korea are 105th
the least position amongst the 32 countries competing at the World Cup.

David and Goliath

On paper there
should be only one outcome from this game, with the evidence in
disparity in pedigree of these two teams. Brazil is the only country to
have taken part in every edition of the global football showpiece with
the South Africa 2010 edition being its 19th appearance. For their
part, Korea DPR are returning to the world stage for the first time
since their debut appearance in 1966.

The Koreans would
however relish their heroics at the 1966 England World Cup where they
shocked the world with a 1-0 win over then two-time world champions
Italy before going out after an epic 5-3 loss to Portugal in the
quarterfinals. Here, they will be hoping to replicate that feat.

Blazing form

Under Dunga, the
South Americans booked their place in South Africa with three games to
spare while Coach Kim Jong-Hun’s side left it until the closing match
to seal qualification with a goalless draw against Saudi Arabia.
Brazil’s build-up has featured five straight friendly wins. Since their
successful defence of last year’s FIFA Confederation World Cup here in
South Africa, they have recorded eight wins in ten matches played. The
Koreans by contrast, were often found wanting in their eleven warm-up
matches, which yielded just two victories.

History

It should be also
noted that Brazil has not lost an opening match in the FIFA World Cup
since 1934, when they were stunned 3-1 by Spain. The Samba Boys have
also kicked off their campaign with a win in the last seven tournaments
from 1982 to 2006. This the first encounter between the sides at senior
level. Brazil and Korea DPR have however squared up twice in the FIFA
U-17 World Cup. On each occasion, the Brazilians have emerged victors.

Brazil has scored
four goals in both of its encounters against Asian sides at the FIFA
World Cup- 4-0 against China in 2002 and 4-1 against Japan in 2006.
With players such as Kaka, Robinho and Luis Fabiano in its fold, the
Brazilians look good enough to cause problems for any defence it
confronts.

Another debut

In the other match
of the day, New Zealand will be up against Slovakia. This is the first
meeting between these two sides at any level. This is only the second
time in their history that Slovakia has come up against an Oceania
team. In 2000 they ground out a 0-0 draw with Australia in Valparaiso,
Chile.

New Zealand makes a return to football’s flagship event following a 28-year absence.

Slovakia on the
other hand, is the only nation appearing at the World Cup for the first
time. The last two European sides to debut at the World Cup each lost
their opening matches-Slovenia in 2002 (3-1 to Spain) and Ukraine in
2006 (4-0 to Spain).