Nigeria Content Online

Ebere Orji

In serious contention to be the best player at this championships, Orji has pace, trickery and power to boot. She has had a hand in all the six goals scored by her team. She has scored two and created four. If Nigeria is to win today, she must come to the party with the support of Desire Oparanozie.

Alexandra Popp

No introductions needed here for the top goal scorer of the 2010 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Popp has scored an amazing nine goals in five matches, two goals ahead of JI So Yun in second place on the goal-scorers chart. She is very reliant on a deadly left foot and she is comfortable playing alone or in tandem with Svenja Huth.

Despite being the
second youngest squad to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after Ghana,
the Falconets have been described by a member of the FIFA Technical
Study Group (TSG) as the most physically superior team to the
championships in Germany.

Now after making
the finals, the odds are definitely more than they were against the
USA, as some analysts believe that this 2010 German side is the best
ever and with the scoring prowess of Alexandra Popp, the team is
virtually unbeatable. The Falconets will beg to disagree and no one can
write off this Nigerian team as they are set to create history today.

One thing they will
have to rely on today against noticeably bigger opponents will be their
physical strength. April Heinrichs, the TSG member said on fifa.com:
“They are physically superior to any team in the tournament and they
are really sold on their roles and their commitment to that role.”

The Falconets have
also shown that they will possess the ball but the only drawback to
their excellent play in Germany has been the number of chances that
have been frittered away. In all their five matches, they have scored
just six goals and conceded four but the margin should have been higher
and that is something Coach Adat Egan must have worked on in training
ahead of today’s final. Against a ruthless German team that has amassed
an amazing 18 goals in their five matches; they have to be more
decisive in front of goal with Desire Oparanozie told to be composed
when she is in scoring positions.

The Falconets have
had the tendency to concede goals in this competition but the good part
is that they have not conceded more than one in any match so far and
stopped (with the help of the cross bar) Colombia scoring in the semi
final match on Thursday.

Long road to glory

Henrietta Ukaigwe,
journalist and founder of Female football Interest Group (FFIG), a
non-governmental organisation dedicated to the development of the
women’s game in Nigeria, believes the Falconets can triumph over
Germany.

“They have come
this far and are not likely to falter at this stage. They just need to
stay calm and not be fazed by the pedigree of the Germans. Granted that
the Europeans have been impressive in this tournament, our girls too
have not been conceding too many goals,” Ukaigwe said.

John Zaki, a former
member of the Female Football Development Committee of the Nigeria
Football Federation (NFF) is doubly sure that the Falconets will beat
the German side if they can only be prepared well physically. “Once the
girls are properly fit, there won’t be any problem against Germany.
They may have scored more goals but the game against Nigeria will be
very different. I know this is our chance and by God’s grace, we will
bring that Cup to Nigeria.”

Heinrichs is also
impressed at the transition of the team from being weak technically to
being more adept. “We have been extremely impressed with the speed,
agility and quickness of the players in this tournament. Overall the
physical qualities and psychological maturation is higher here than we
have seen at previous youth World Cups. So the players are making that
transition from girlhood to woman-hood much quicker and we are seeing
players here who will soon step up to the senior level.

Jegede abandons team

The leader of the
Nigerian delegation to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, Bola Jegede, it
has been revealed may have abandoned the team in Germany to take care
of matters that are closer to her heart-remaining in the new board of
the Nigeria Football Federation. A long time supporter of women’s
football in Nigeria and also a female club proprietor called Jegede
Babes, the bulky administrator did not quite believe that the Falconets
will stay a long time in Germany.

This is reflected
in the fact that she missed the first two group matches of the team and
perhaps not believing the Falconets will stay long in the tournament,
returned home on Monday after Nigeria’s elimination of defending
champions, United States in the quarter-final to woo female football
club owners to give her the group’s sole ticket on the NFF board when
elections take place later this month.

After Nigeria edged
Colombia in the semi-final on Thursday to book a final ticket, Jegede
scrambled to return to Germany on Friday night. Her action has rankled
football faithful back home.

Macbeth Esesobor,
proprietor of Macbeth Queens, Lagos believes it was the wrong step to
take. “Though I did not see her, it was confirmed that she came back to
solidify her electoral position into the new board of the NFF. It was
wrong for her to have done that as she is looked upon as the mother of
the team. Her presence though will not have been sorely missed as the
First Lady, Patience Jonathan, is with the team in Germany.”

The Falconets can step up

She believes that most of the players in the Nigerian set-up can become players for the senior national team, the Falcons.

“Nigeria has three
to five players, if not more, who are as good as their full national
team players. As the game develops the players are older and older at
this level and more mature at this level. Teams are not picking a 16 or
17-year-old because they don’t have any 20-year-olds but because the 16
or 17-year-olds are good enough.”

The TSG also noted
that the Nigerian team play a passing game that can be used to
frustrate the Germans, if they are denied the ball over long periods
and they will also not be able to hurt the Falconets.

“Nigeria can also
be direct but with dynamism. The reliance on possession reflects the
psychological maturity and also indicates the preparation the teams
have gone through before they arrive at the tournament and in that
regard we are pleased because we are seeing some pretty fine football
here. And the players have been rewarded for their excellent football.”

The question will be whether the team’s pretty approach to playing can hurt the host, Germany today in Bielefeld.

What can be surmised from the tournament so far is that this
Nigerian team is better than the previous ones because they are more
technically aware than their predecessors. The TSG agrees, “Nigeria is
the best team I have seen from that country in ten years of watching
them at world events. They have all the classic qualities of Nigerian
teams: great tackling and physical presence and unbelievable speed but
they are more disciplined as well.”

Introducing goalline technology at
soccer stadiums would prove a cheaper, as reliable aid to referees than
UEFA’s method of two additional assistants, according to manufacturers.

UEFA will expanded the use of five
referees to some Champions League matches and European Championship
qualifiers this season after a successful trial in the Europa League,
but German company Cairos Technologies feel their solution should be
used.

“You need to pay a referee each time
for each match and two more referees, that is more expensive than
having goalline technology,” Cairos sales director Mario Hanus told
Reuters on the sidelines of the Soccerex Asian forum in Singapore this
week.

UEFA officials were not immediately available for comment.

Following Frank Lampard’s disallowed
effort for England in their World Cup second round defeat by Germany in
South Africa last month there has been much talk at the forum, and in
the sport, about using technology.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter apologised
to England after the match and the Swiss said the topic of goalline
technology would be discussed by soccer law-makers the International
Football Association Board (IFAB).

However, last week IFAB, which consists
of one representative from each of the four British associations and
four from FIFA, left the topic off their agenda which Hanus said was
frustrating.

“It was a little surprising for us (the
rejection) as we have had so many voices around asking for the
technology, players referees some of the club managers etc.

“The Bundesliga, I believe,

would be ready to introduce it.
Referees all around the globe say ‘please we are the ones who are
blamed if we take the wrong decision’,” Hanus said.

Technology is working

The next
opportunity for IFAB to discuss the matter of goalline technology will
be at their business meeting in October, with law-changing unable to
happen until after their annual meeting in March.

“(A few years ago)
they (IFAB) asked us to change a few things and we did that and it
worked and then the decision was against (it) although we had done
those changes.

“We were not expecting it to be introduced worldwide in all stadia but at least in a first league or something.

“There is actually nothing we think that needs to be done but if there was, we are here, we are open to talk.”

Hanus also rejected
concerns about the chip-in-ball technology failing at key moments
perhaps due to a power outage, saying it was as reliable as any referee.

“If there is no
power in the stadium there will be no floodlights and there will be no
match so I would say that is not scaring us.

“The two additional referees can be stuck with an airplane that
cannot fly because of volcano ash, there is no 100 percent guarantee in
life,” Hanus said, referring to the Icelandic ash cloud that downed
much of Europe’s airspace in April.

Nigeria’s U-20 women’s team, the Falconets today play Germany in the final of the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Theirs has been a
fairy tale; the story of the rejected stone becoming the chief
cornerstone. Not many Nigerians knew when the ladies left Nigeria for
the tournament. It was near total blackout even in the media. For the
few Nigerians that were aware of their departure, they couldn’t be
bothered whether they were going to Mars of Jupiter.

But as things have
turned out, the young ladies have made good. Against all expectation
even among some women’s football coaches, they have made it to the
final of the tournament.

Whatever happens
today in Germany Captain Joy Jegede and her team mates have etched
their names in the record books as the first Nigerian women’s team to
qualify for the final of a FIFA World Cup.

As is always the
case, success has many fathers in Nigeria. The Nigerian government has
sent an official delegation to Germany to “cheer” the girls to victory.
I was apprehensive when, before the semi-final match against Colombia,
I heard that a “high-powered” delegation had stormed the World Cup.

The normal scenario
of overdressed government officials lecturing the ladies on the finer
points of patriotism came flooding my mind and I feared the Falconets
will be put under intense pressure by their presence. Thankfully, God
intervened and we eked out a 1-0 victory to fly into today’s final.

The selfishness of Bola Jegede

It is sad to note
though that while the ladies were sweating it out on the field, their
‘mother’, Bola Jegede, a member of the board of the NFF, decided to
abandon them at a critical moment of their participation in the
tournament. Jegede, who missed their first two games because she was in
Nigeria perfecting strategies for success in the forthcoming NFF
elections, left Germany on Monday, the day after our Falconets beat the
United States of America in the quarter-final. She probably felt that
having surpassed their previous performance, of a quarter-final placing
at the last three editions of the tournament, the girls had reached the
end of the road.

And so, to Nigeria
she came – to host members of the Female Football Club Owners
Association in Lagos. After the Falconets booked a place in the final
she made frantic efforts to return to Germany.

Jegede’s behaviour encapsulates the problem with football administration in Nigeria.

It is a story of
selfishness and insensitivity to the plight of women’s footballers.
Jegede has been associated with the women’s game for a long time being
herself at one time owner of one of the most outstanding women’s clubs
(Jegede Babes) of its era. While it may be right to say she has
contributed in a way to moving the game to a certain level, the point
must be made that in the last few years particularly during her time on
this present board of the federation, she has been unable to properly
represent the interests of women’s football on the board.

It is instructive
to note that it is with Jegede’s acquiescence that the NFF has treated
female footballers as second class citizens. I stand to be corrected
but I do not think it is anywhere on record that she has cried out
against this injustice.

Again, since 2002
when Pepsi, sponsors of the women’s football league pulled out, the
women’s game at all levels has been without sponsorship. One of the
reasons an individual gets on the board of any sports federation is to
influence the development of that sport. If after four years on the
board and there is nothing tangible to show for it then it is pointless
attempting to get back on it.

I ask the question, what precisely is Jegede hoping to accomplish on
the board this time around that she couldn’t do in the last four years?
If she cannot care for the well being of the players whose interest she
is supposed to protecting then why bother? The answer it seems to me is
that like practically every member of the NFF board under the deposed
Sani Lulu, her overriding interest is personal. A place on the board is
licence to travel around the global for competitions and rub shoulders
with those who matter in world football. That footballers play under
the most appalling conditions is an issue for which Jegede and her ilk
care nothing for.

Action continued at
the U-13 football tournament with BRF Football Academy trashing 3 Stars
Football Club by 4-0. Influential to their success was the indomitable
Hakeem Oladele who was the talisman for the team. Currently, he stands
alone as the highest goal scorer in the competition. After his
hat-trick on Tuesday, he scored two more goals in their defeat of 3
Stars FC to bring his goal tally to five.

The BRF Football
Academy have been the best team in this tournament, showing themselves
to be consistent winners. They have won all the three matches they
played. The youngsters were brimming with excitement for the
opportunity given them to be able to showcase the talent they have. In
a second match decided on Thursday, Tuesday’s losers, Sunshine FC, made
a comeback to form by beating their opponents, Loveworld FC 3-0. This
would be a confidence booster for them since they have lost in their
last two matches.

According to the
protocol officer of Global Sports Limited, Anthony Azuka, they have
been encouraged by the enthusiasm of the boys. “Their turn up has
really encouraged us and to see the way they play, it is unbelievable.
It shows that there is talent yet untapped in this country.”

The boys show
promise, but they still need to improve on the way they play their free
kicks, corner kicks, and their throw-ins. Quarter final matches would
be decided on Friday. The final match will be played on the Astroturf
of the National Stadium by 3pm.

Nigeria’s U-20 women’s team made history on Thursday when they
beat Colombia 1-0 to book a final date with hosts, Germany on Sunday.

The Falconets, playing in white, got off the starting blocks
early and were quickly on the score sheet.

A long punt from captain, Joy Jegede, took a wicked bounce and
hit the cross bar leaving Ebere Orji with an open goal and Nigeria had scored
the fastest goal in Germany timed at 1:29 seconds. Thereafter, the Colombians
tried to play their passing game but most times were hassled by the duo of
Cecilia Nku and Amarachi Okoronkwo supported by Rebecca Orji who played the
perfect foil for her two attacking midfielders.

The Colombians had a chance to get the equaliser in the 17th
minute off a corner kick as Natalia Gaitan’s shot cum cross is finally cleared
by Okoronkwo. The South Americans were then left with the only option of
shooting from far and Yorely Rincon almost surprised Alaba Jonathan in goal for
the Falconets. The referee was forced to make a decision in favour of Colombia
in the 30th minute when Desire Oparanozie seemed to have been tripped on the
way to goal.

In attack, the Nigerian’s side’s forays were breaking down at
the feet of Esther Sunday, who was trying to forage for goals single-handedly.
She was removed from the action by Coach Adat Egan in the 37th minute and
replaced by Charity Adule.

Colombia pile on the
pressure

The second half started in the same way as the first half ended.
The Colombians were straight into the attack and won a corner kick fifty
seconds into the second stanza. Nigeria’s first chance in the second half
almost materialises when Desire Oparanozie bulldozed her way down the right
flank to earn a corner kick. The ensuing corner kick almost resulted in the second
goal as it causes panic in the Colombian box.

An excellent two-woman move between Charity Adule and Ebere Orji
opened up the Colombian defence to give Adule a chance to shoot on goal but she
shot wide. Yorely Rincon continued her shooting practise but she marginally
missed the mark. By the 65th minute, the Falconets were starting to show signs
of tiredness; may be because of the extra time and penalties they went through
before dislodging the might of the USA in the quarter finals.

Coach Egan made a change by bringing on Soo Adekwagh to replace Amarachi
Okoronkwo, who had apparently run herself into the ground. Katerin Castro had
come in for the Colombians and was a handful for the centre back duo of Joy
Jegede and Osinachi Ohale, who did a wonderful job of shackling the strapping
Colombian attacker. Jonathan made a diving save to her right in the 72nd minute
to preserve the fragile lead of the Nigerians.

Play was then concentrated in the Nigerian half as the Colombians went all
out in search of the equaliser. They almost had it in the 79th minute when
Rincon’s 25metre shot crashed against the cross-bar, letting off the Falconets
for the umpteenth time. Nigeria should have killed off the game as a contest in
the 85th minute saw Orji volleying her shot over the bar after being set up by
her strike partner, Oparanozie.

The Falconets were at the receiving end for the remainder of the match but
held on to claim a famous victory and send the Nigerians at home and in the
stadium into scenes of delirium.

The Falconets have landed in the finals and will face the might of the
Germans on Sunday.

The maiden edition of the Lagos International Youth Cup gets underway today at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere.

Four teams will be
competing in the week-long tournament meant for Under-20 players. They
are FC Utrecht from the Netherlands, Supersport United from South
Africa, Ghanaian club side Liberty Professional FC and Team Lagos FC.

The U-20 sides of
Spanish La Liga side Valencia and Italian Serie A outfit Genoa, were
earlier billed to be part of the tournament but according to the Lagos
State commissioner for sports, Ademola Adeniji-Adele, both sides had to
pull out of the tourney citing security concerns.

Adeniji-Adele said
the tournament was the state government’s own way of giving the youth
in the Lagos Junior League international exposure and to continue the
administration’s policy of bringing youth development to the grassroots.

He also said that
they wanted the tourney to be an annual event for teams from all over
the world, adding that: “Over time we want people to know that they can
come here and pick tomorrow’s stars.”

No security concerns

Asked about the state of security in the state, Adeniji-Adele said, “the state is very secure.

“We don’t have to
bring in the army for this tournament, the police is up to the task.
The Lagos state Sports Council hopes that as from next year more clubs
would be participating.” The Lagos team would be made up of the top
players from the Lagos Junior League, which is made up of secondary
school students. The tournament will be on a round-robin basis with all
the participating teams playing one another. Three points will be
awarded for a win, one point for a draw and none for a loss. In
addition to these, a point will be awarded for every goal scored which
is one way the organisers hope to encourage the participating teams to
be more adventurous going forward.

Free access for students

Action won’t
however get underway until Tuesday, August 3 when two games are
scheduled to take place at the Teslim Balogun Stadium. To watch the
tournament people are to pay 100 naira for the open stands and 200
naira for the covered stands. Free access will however be given to
school children who come to the venue in their school uniforms.

Also, the
tournament’s organisers, the Lagos State Ministry of Youth, Sports and
Social Development are partnering with satellite TV broadcasters
Supersport to broadcast the games live. Local stations will also be
showing the tourney.

One of the clubs
involved in the Youth Cup, Liberty Professional FC from Ghana, has over
the years churned out many illustrious footballers. Prominent among
those who came through the ranks are Michael Essien, Asamoah Gyan and
Sulley Muntari who are all key players in the Black Stars.

Just last year, the
club made it all the way to the semi-finals of the WAFU Cup and this
year won the Liberty Youth Championship. Some of the players from their
squad expected to shine in Lagos include Stephen Odai Kwaku, who is a
goalkeeper and also a member of the One Goal Project which seeks
education for all. Other players to watch out for are Dennis Akwesi
Osei, a midfielder and Isaac Sackey, a defender.

In addition to the Lagos State government, the Youth Cup is also
sponsored by Access Bank, and the participating teams will be
accommodated at the Island Hotel.

Former Super Eagles captain, Austin Jay-Jay Okocha, will get to
know on Monday whether his aspiration to get into the board of the Nigeria
Football Federation, to represent his home state, Delta, will eventually see
the light of day.

The legendary midfielder, whose career with the Super Eagles
spanned a period of 12 years before his international retirement at the end of
2005, isn’t however alone in the race for the state’s solitary slot, as he has
as a co-contestant in a certain Collins Eselemo.

Asaba is venue

Accordingly, the board of the Delta Football Association, DFA,
has set aside Monday in Asaba to decide between the ex-international, who is a
member of the presidential task force to the last World Cup in South Africa,
and who has been clamouring to serve in the football house since his retirement
from international football, and Eselemo, who would be representing the state in
the forth-coming elections billed for August.

DFA boss, Amaju Pinnick, said the decision to go into voting by
the 12-member board of the DFA was as a result of the fact that two prominent
individuals from Delta have indicated interest in representing the state on the
board of the NFF.

Pinnick then added that for the sake of transparency and
fairness to all the interested parties, the board of the DFA has decided to
meet at its secretariat in the state capital to elect their candidate.

While disclosing that the board will discuss other issues
affecting football in the state and the way forward, Pinnick said both Okocha
and Eselemo are expected to be at the venue to address the board members on
their plans to take the game to the next level if they eventually get into the
board of the NFF.

He further disclosed that the meeting will begin at 10am, while
the elections are expected to commence an hour later.

Ahmed Musa, the
highest goal scorer in the just concluded 2009/2010 Nigeria Premier
League season with a record 18 goals, will miss this year’s edition of
the Super Four competition holding in the south-west Nigerian town of
Ijebu-Ode from August 2-8 due to international engagement with the
Nigerian U-20 team, the Flying Eagles.

Musa, who eclipsed
the 17-goal mark that had stood since 1990, will be travelling with the
Flying Eagles to Conakry, Guinea for the return leg tie of the Africa
U-20 Youth Championship (AYC) qualifying match slated for next weekend.

The Flying Eagles
won the first leg encounter decided last weekend in Abuja 2-0 and will
head to Conakry with the aim of emerging victorious to secure a place
in the next round of qualifiers for the AYC which is scheduled for
early next year in Libya. The tournament in Libya will serve as the
qualifying tournament for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup which comes up
in the South American nation of Colombia.

Musa however
expressed optimism that, the calibre of players in the Kano Pillars
team will go all out to win the Super Four competition despite his
absence as they hope to use the trophy to compensate their teeming fans.

“I know and I believe that my teammates will do a good job and I have confidence in them to win the competition,” he said.

The Super Four
tournament is a competition organised for the top four finishers in the
just concluded league season. This edition will have champions, Enyimba
International, runners-up, Kano pillars alongside Kwara United and
Sunshine Stars.

Meanwhile Musa will
be joining VVV Venlo of Holland immediately after the qualifying match
after agreeing terms with the modest Dutch club.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic
fears his former coach Jose Mourinho will create a Real Madrid team
capable of ending Barcelona’s recent dominance of Spanish soccer.

Ibrahimovic, the
Barcelona striker who endured a patchy first season at the Nou Camp,
played for Mourinho at Inter Milan between 2008 and 2009.

“Mourinho is one of
the best coaches in the world,” Ibrahimovic told reporters on Thursday,
ahead of Barcelona’s pre-season friendly against Norwegian side
Valerenga.

“When he comes to a
new club he will build it up to be a winning machine. It will be
difficult to beat (Real), but we are the best team in the world.”

Barcelona won the Spanish league in 2009 and 2010, and the Champions League in 2009.

Ibrahimovic, the
Sweden international who scored 16 goals in his first season at
Barcelona, said he expects to improve in his second, and that the
arrival of David Villa should not put his place under threat.

He admitted he had
discussed his situation with coach Pep Guardiola after Barcelona bought
Villa, Spain’s top scorer at the World Cup, from Valencia.

“Every time I
change clubs, I think the first year is always the (most) difficult
one, and from all the clubs that I’ve played in, my best first year has
been in Barcelona,” Ibrahimovic said.

“He (Guardiola) says I’m important, and then I take it as I will
play. If you’re not important, you don’t play.” Ibrahimovic said Villa
was one of the world’s best players who would help Barcelona next
season. “With Villa on the team we will be even stronger and have even
better chance to win the Champions League,” he said.