Nigeria Content Online

After
emerging as one of the few teams that secured away victories in the
last round of matches in the CAF Champions League, players and
officials of Enyimba FC of Aba are confident that they can get a second
victory over their opponents – Saint Michel du Ouenze from Congo, in
today’s Champions League tie.

In what could be
dubbed a battle of Champions in Brazzaville a fortnight ago, the Aba
Elephants; Nigeria Premier League defending Champions defeated the
reigning Congolese league winners by a lone goal courtesy of a
beautiful strike from Nnemeka Anyanwu in the first half.

With the return leg
billed for the Enyimba International Stadium today, Coach Okey Emordi
says victory is the only thing on his team’s mind again.

“I think we have
done the major part of the work which is to go to Brazzaville to get a
decent result. It is now left to us to finish the job we started by
consolidating on the earlier victory in this Sunday’s return leg game,”
he said.

No complacency

Emordi, a former
CAF Coach of the Year, says his team will be approaching today’s game
with all the seriousness it deserves and would not be complacent
because of the advantage they currently enjoy.

“Yes we are
confident but we will not be complacent, you know in football, it is
not over until the final whistle, they will also fancy their chances
that if we can come over to get a victory in their backyard then they
can do the same thing too but we must not allow that,” he stated.

Emordi continued,
“We are working really hard irrespective of the first leg result. In
fact, we have put that behind us as we look forward to today’s game.”
Already, the Peoples Elephants look to be getting back in their stride
after the defending league champions started the 2010/11 Nigeria
Premier League (NPL) on a shaky note. The team has won its last two
matches in the local league, the latest being a 3-0 drubbing of Kwara
United at today’s match venue, the Enyimba International Stadium.

Emordi said after
the match against Kwara United that the best is yet to come from his
team which emerged as back to back champions in the continent’s biggest
club competition in 2003 and 2004.

Congolese looking for an upset

Coach Massamba
Clemente, Saint Michel du Ouenze’s gaffer knows that his team faces a
tough challenge to get a positive result in Aba today. His job is on
the line following his club management’s threat that he either wins
today’s tie or risk being sacked. The Portuguese coach who is unwilling
to accept defeat remains optimistic of pulling a surprise in Aba.

“We failed to take
advantage of scoring opportunities that were presented to us in the
first leg but we will not give up. We can work to pull a victory in
Nigeria. I know it’s difficult but not impossible,” he argued. The
first leg result could have been different if Saint Michel du Ouenze
had scored from an early minute penalty that was wasted.

Daniel Igali, a former Olympic champion and the technical adviser of
the Nigerian wrestling team, talks to Ifeanyi Ibeh about the team’s
trip to India. Excerpt:

Which wrestlers are in India?

The team is
comprised of four female and four male wrestlers, all competing in
freestyle event. We also have two technical officials, Damian Ohaike,
the technical director of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation and Tony
Obaka. The male wrestlers are Boaz Isaak (60kg), Opukiri Agala (74kg),
Adibo Dick (84kg) and Sinivie Boltic, 2010 Commonwealth champion at
96kg. The female wrestlers on the team are Lovina Odohi (55kg),
Blessing Oborodudu (63kg), Hannah Reuben (67kg) and world championship
bronze medallist Ifeoma Ihaenacho (72kg).

What is the purpose of their trip overseas and for how long will they be out of the country?

They are in India
for an international tournament in Jalandhar, Punjab from the 9th-12th
of February 2011. They will be gone for about three weeks as we have
also arranged for them to be on a training programme with the Indian
team for two weeks after the tournament. They are expected back in the
country on March 1, 2011.

They will compete
but also have ample time to train with some other international teams
for about three weeks. The Indian Wrestling Federation has been so
magnanimous to help in the way of air tickets and room and board for
the period the Nigeria wrestling team is in India.

What about you, when will you be joining your wards?

I had planned to
make my way to Jalandhar for the International tournament, but current
events have stopped me from making the trip to India. However, I will
be completely involved by way of monitoring and offering professional
advice throughout their stay in India. We have a couple of experienced
and competent coaches with the team in India.

At a time when funding appears difficult to come by, how was the team able to secure the finance to prosecute the trip?

The Indian wrestling team bankrolled about 80 per cent of the trip.

The National Sports
Commission took care of the rest. We remain very grateful to the Indian
Wrestling Federation and the National Sports Commission. I must make
particular mention of the President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation
(Austin Edeze) and the Director General of the National Sports
Commission (Patrick Ekeji) who were instrumental in making this trip
happen.

What about
your home state, Bayelsa. They have been synonymous with the
sponsorship of wrestling events these past couple of years. What is it
about the Bayelsa State government and wrestling?

The Bayelsa state
government loves wrestling and recently bankrolled a two-week training
camp for the team before their departure to India. The Bayelsa State
governor (Timipre Sylva) has stated in unambiguous terms that he owes
no one any apology for supporting wrestling, which is Bayelsa’s highest
export to the rest of Nigeria. Bayelsa State has produced 53 African
gold medals and 18 individual African champions in wrestling. No wonder
the Governor is a staunch supporter of wrestling.

With the All Africa Games fast approaching, how do you rate Nigeria’s chances in wrestling?

Right now,
wrestling is not on the programme of the Africa Games. I suspect it
will get rectified eventually as there are too many powerful countries
in Africa that garner lots of gold medals from wrestling.

However, I won’t be
able to comment on the preparedness of the Nigerian team and our
chances until wrestling is reinstated in the All African Games
programme.

Apart from the All
Africa Games, the Olympic Games are just around the corner. What
programmes have you lined up to prepare the wrestlers for London 2012?

I have drawn up a
program which suggests that the athletes that are targeted to go to
London should compete about 12 times before the Olympics next year. We
have so far not started off badly. Having two tournaments under our
belt in February is a good way to go. I hope we can also keep pace with
the program we have lined up for the National Sports Commission.

Are there any wrestlers Nigerians and the watching world should look out for ahead of the London Games?

I have a couple of athletes that I think will spring surprises in London, however, for team cohesion, I will not mention names.

Do you think Nigeria will finally get to win a wrestling gold at the London Games?

I can’t be specific
about the medal but my aim is for Nigeria wrestling to win a medal in
London 2012 as I have between 3-4 athletes who can win a medal at the
Olympics on a good day.

What about our heroes – the duo who were injured and had to be operated on after the Commonwealth Games in India?

Amas Daniel who
lost two teeth and had an umbilical cord operation is fully recovered
and starts training by the middle of this month.

Helen Okus who had
a neck reconstruction surgery still needs six weeks to two months
before she will be fit enough to train. My gratitude goes to the
National Sports Commission, the medical staff and Ekeji for ensuring
that the athletes who put life and limb on the line for the country are
cared for when they in turn need their country to come to their aid. I
keep telling them to die on the mat for Nigeria and get a national
burial if they could. It is therefore gratifying to see that we have a
re-born National Sports Commission that takes the welfare of athletes
as top priority.

You
recently got your party’s nomination ticket for a seat in the House of
Representatives but as much as some people are glad to see a former
athlete vying for political office, there are those who feel you will
be distracted from the sport you and possibly neglect it, or what do
you think?

I would not want
any supporter of wrestling to have any fears that I will disengage from
the national wrestling team when I am voted as a House of Assembly
member in May. I fully intend to stay very much plugged in throughout
my four years in the House of Assembly, which is if I am lucky to be so
elected. I plan to give as much attention to the goal of producing
world and Olympic medals in wrestling in the next quadrennial.

True
Christians believe in the existence of demons, which labour round the
clock to deprive the believer of happiness here on earth and also to
deny him a place in Heaven.

These demons are of
categories corresponding to power and influence. In Ephesians 6:12 Paul
the apostle helps us identify these demons who are Satan’s agents in
his quest for world dominance.

Satan at the head
of the kingdom, has next to him the principalities who are followed by
powers and then by rulers of darkness of this world and finally by
spiritual wickedness in high places.

The rulers of
darkness of this wicked world comprise the fallen angels as well as
humans who have pledged themselves to Satan. Their activities are
centred on and carried out on earth.

Spiritual
wickedness in high places constitutes the fourth realm in the hierarchy
of the Satanic Kingdom. They are the foot soldiers stationed in the
second Heaven to defend Satan’s kingdom and anyone in opposition to it.
They attack anything that comes from God and are assigned to hinder the
blessings of God upon his children.

I have taken time
to outline the structure of the satanic kingdom because after deep and
careful reflection on the state of Nigerian sports and its failure over
the years to realise its potential, I have come to the conclusion that
it is being held captive by the activities of these demons outlined
above.

If you do a
thorough assessment of some of the individuals who have over the years
superintended or still superintend over it, the army of junior cadre
employees, athletes, sports journalists who have reported goings on
there and a few other individuals associated with it one way or
another, you will come to the inescapable conclusion that sport in this
country is truly in the maw of the Satanic kingdom.

Demons in control

Who are the
principalities in Nigerian sports and how do they operate? These are
men who over time have come to see Nigerian sports as a field to be
plundered. They occupy the highest reaches of Nigerian sports either at
the National Sports Commission (NSC), the Nigeria Olympic Committee
(NOC) or the various sports federations and use their positions as
platforms for self-promotion and self-aggrandisement. One of the ways
they do it is by wriggling themselves into international sporting
associations from which they grow in influence without a corresponding
gain for the country that provided the spring board.

One of these
principalities was toppled a few years ago from the sports ministry and
only last year faced further shame when his misdeeds were exposed for
the world to see.

Another member of
this group occupied a sensitive position in the sports ministry and was
only removed in 2009. The same fellow has been the head of a sports
federation in Nigeria for 18 years. That particular federation is dead
to all intents and purposes but the man himself has continued to worm
his way into global sports bodies.

At a time in
Nigeria he was head of Nigeria’s Olympic movement as well as a director
in the sports ministry in addition to holding down his job as boss of a
national sports federation. There are others. One of them is currently
doing his third term as head of a sports federation, which is going
comatose from inactivity. He was also at one time Nigeria’s minister of
sports and currently occupies a high ranking position in Nigeria’s
Olympic movement.

Another principality

There is also
another principality well known to Nigerians. He is a former head of
Nigeria’s most popular sports federation, his act of hubris in
disdaining popular opinion and endangered Nigeria’s chances at a famous
global competition which cost him his job and to some measure, his
freedom.

Among the powers
are those individuals in Nigerian sports who are sufficiently high up
in the hierarchy of the sports federations but are not the actual
bosses. However, they wield influence, which affects the fortunes of
Nigerian sports. Like the powers in the Satanic kingdom, they love to
be worshipped and fawned over. Thus you will see them luxuriating in
titles such as ‘chairman of chairmen’, ‘skippo’ etc. One of these men
about two years ago came out of his office and berated men and women
who spend their money funding the sport, catering for athletes and took
offence that such ‘wretched people’ should sully his office with their
presence.

Among the rulers of
darkness of this wicked world are those individuals in Nigerian sports
establishment who have chosen to tag along with their bosses in the
destruction of sports in the country. They comprise those clerks,
auditors and other employees who help the principalities and powers of
Nigerian sports to doctor the books and cover up their crimes against
the Nigerian people.

The last category

The last group of
demons in Nigerian sports Spiritual wickedness in high places is one
that is of particular interest to me because among them are found
members of my constituency, the sporting media. Like their counterparts
in the Satanic kingdom, some members of this category have like Faust,
sold their souls to the principalities and powers of Nigerian sports.
These individuals instead of being watchdogs and exposing the
malfeasance choking sports in the country sing praises of the
principalities and powers. They encourage them by massaging their ego
and shouting down any of their colleagues who dare to stand up for the
truth. This category of demons more than anything else makes it
impossible for genuine change to take place in sports in this country
because if they played their true role of watchdogs, a new lease of
life would surely come.

There, you have it, my thoughts on the malfeasance killing sports in
Nigeria. Anyone is free to disagree with me but you ask yourself, why
despite the shouting by the few decent members of the media and former
athletes, things haven’t changed.

The
“noisy neighbours” have been generally a bit quieter in recent weeks
and should Manchester United beat Manchester City at Old Trafford on
Saturday (12.45GMT), their title claims will be just about silenced.

United lost their
first league game of the season last week to bottom club, Wolverhampton
Wanderers; but with Arsenal drawing, and Chelsea losing, their position
at the top of the Premier League was barely affected. City produced a
3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion but they remain in third place on 49
points, one behind Arsenal and five behind United having played a game
more than the top two. Since Ferguson made his “noisy neighbours”
comment in September 2009, in the wake of United’s last-gasp 4-3 league
win, City have continued to invest heavily in their playing squad but
are still somewhat on the outside looking up.

Most successful

City’s wait for a
first title since 1968 looks certain to go on for at least another year
while United are closing in on a record 19th – the tally Ferguson has
long targeted to “knock Liverpool off their perch” as the country’s
most successful club in its domestic league. United still have to play
Chelsea home and away, and visit Arsenal; so the title is far from in
the bag, but three points on Saturday brings it a little closer. “It’s
a terrific game for us now,” Ferguson told MUTV. “It’s a massive game
that we’ve got to look forward to. Unfortunately we have got
international matches in midweek which in my view is crazy, but we have
to get on with it. We have got plenty of players who will not be
involved in internationals and will play. The ones that travel we have
to give consideration to the fact that they have been travelling before
they play at lunchtime on Saturday.”

Wayne Rooney,
starting to look more like the player who tore up the league a year
ago, came through unscathed from his 45 minutes’ duty in England’s 2-1
win in Denmark, but Ferguson will wait nervously by the phone for any
other negative reports. City, of course, face similar demands on their
multinational squad, though Carlos Tevez should be fresh having been
left out of Argentina’s game against Portugal in Geneva because of
“attitude problems.”

Other matches

After their
remarkable 2-1 win over United last week, Wolves could hardly have had
a tougher follow-up game than an away to Arsenal. Having blown a 4-0
first-half lead to draw 4-4 at Newcastle United last week Arsene
Wenger’s team are unlikely to be anything like as generous a second
time.

Chelsea are not in
action until Monday when they visit Fulham, giving Tottenham the chance
to climb three points ahead of them into fourth place if they can win
at Sunderland.

Sixth-placed Liverpool, on a run of four wins and four clean sheets,
have a good chance of making it five of both at home to Wigan Athletic.
Should they do so, the team who were 12th and three points above the
relegation zone when Kenny Dalglish took over just a month ago, could
move within three points of Chelsea.

The
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday, began the
interrogation of former Nigeria Premier League boss, Oyuiki Obaseki,
and five others alleged to have been involved in a sponsorship scam
totalling over three billion naira.

Femi Babafemi,
spokesperson for the agency, confirmed that the officials were in the
organisation’s office in Abuja to defend themselves of the allegation
levelled against them, and added that the accused officials have been
granted temporary reprieve via an administrative bail. “They were in
our office today on our invitation to come over to answer to
allegations levelled against them,” he said. “The investigations will
definitely continue but for now they have been given administrative
bail. They will be required to return for questioning once they are
needed.”

The other five
officials in the agency’s net are: the disputed chairman of the Nigeria
Premier League, Davidson Owumi; the league’s former executive
secretary, Al-Hassan Yakmut; the vice-chairman, Shehu Gusau; board
member, Joe Amene; and Total Promotions’ Chief Executive, Niyi Alonge.
It is alleged that the television rights for the league was sold for N3
billion between 2006 and 2010 to a South African company, but only
about N436 million was received by the league.

Hope for justice

Hyke Igbokwe, a
Lagos-based lawyer, who petitioned the anti-graft organization on the
above matter, said he is confident that the agency will do a thorough
job. “I know the EFCC as an investigative organisation that has done so
well in fighting out corruption and financial crimes in the country
even though we know that they are sometimes impeded by some societal
Nigerian factor,” he said. “This particular case affects the soul of
Nigerian football and I don’t expect anything less from the EFFC than a
thorough job to bring all the culprits to book. Just like they did to
people like Cecilia Ibru and brought them to book, they should also go
the whole hog.”

While the investigations continue, the league clubs are the worst
hit as they continue to grapple with lack of funds, a situation that
has seen most clubs owing their players several months’ wages.

The
“noisy neighbours” have been generally a bit quieter in recent weeks
and should Manchester United beat Manchester City at Old Trafford on
Saturday (12.45GMT), their title claims will be just about silenced.

United lost their
first league game of the season last week to bottom club, Wolverhampton
Wanderers; but with Arsenal drawing, and Chelsea losing, their position
at the top of the Premier League was barely affected. City produced a
3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion but they remain in third place on 49
points, one behind Arsenal and five behind United having played a game
more than the top two. Since Ferguson made his “noisy neighbours”
comment in September 2009, in the wake of United’s last-gasp 4-3 league
win, City have continued to invest heavily in their playing squad but
are still somewhat on the outside looking up.

Most successful

City’s wait for a
first title since 1968 looks certain to go on for at least another year
while United are closing in on a record 19th – the tally Ferguson has
long targeted to “knock Liverpool off their perch” as the country’s
most successful club in its domestic league. United still have to play
Chelsea home and away, and visit Arsenal; so the title is far from in
the bag, but three points on Saturday brings it a little closer. “It’s
a terrific game for us now,” Ferguson told MUTV. “It’s a massive game
that we’ve got to look forward to. Unfortunately we have got
international matches in midweek which in my view is crazy, but we have
to get on with it. We have got plenty of players who will not be
involved in internationals and will play. The ones that travel we have
to give consideration to the fact that they have been travelling before
they play at lunchtime on Saturday.”

Wayne Rooney,
starting to look more like the player who tore up the league a year
ago, came through unscathed from his 45 minutes’ duty in England’s 2-1
win in Denmark, but Ferguson will wait nervously by the phone for any
other negative reports. City, of course, face similar demands on their
multinational squad, though Carlos Tevez should be fresh having been
left out of Argentina’s game against Portugal in Geneva because of
“attitude problems.”

Other matches

After their
remarkable 2-1 win over United last week, Wolves could hardly have had
a tougher follow-up game than an away to Arsenal. Having blown a 4-0
first-half lead to draw 4-4 at Newcastle United last week Arsene
Wenger’s team are unlikely to be anything like as generous a second
time.

Chelsea are not in
action until Monday when they visit Fulham, giving Tottenham the chance
to climb three points ahead of them into fourth place if they can win
at Sunderland.

Sixth-placed Liverpool, on a run of four wins and four clean sheets,
have a good chance of making it five of both at home to Wigan Athletic.
Should they do so, the team who were 12th and three points above the
relegation zone when Kenny Dalglish took over just a month ago, could
move within three points of Chelsea.

Nigerian striker, Obinna Nsofor,
believes that Coach Samson Siasia is capable of transforming the Super
Eagles into a world-class team and in the process secure qualification
for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

Siasia prosecuted his first match as
Super Eagles head coach in Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Sierra Leone at the
Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos. The new coach also handed debut caps to
Joel Obi, Michael Odibe, and Nigerian Premier League top scorer, Ekigho
Ehiosun, who capped a memorable debut with a well executed goal. Nsofor
didn’t get to play as he was carrying a slight knock but he is pleased
with the start the Super Eagles have made under Siasia. “There is a new
atmosphere, a new backroom staff, new players and a new manager. This
is a fresh start for all of us,” said Nsofor on the official website of
football’s world body, FIFA. “Siasia is one of the best coaches I have
worked under, and he has already proved himself by getting to the
finals of both the U-20 World Cup in Holland in 2005 and the Beijing
Olympics in 2008.”

Confidence and fan’s boos

Wednesday’s win
over the Leone Stars was however sullied by Lagos fans booing the team;
a behaviour that was described as a ‘Lagos template’.

Akeem Akinwale, a
sociologist said: “Lagos is a place where everything goes. And the
culture of respect for those in authority or government has been eroded
over time. It is a modernised way of living but it does not mean that
it is the best way to go. The fans were expecting more from the players
and even though were leading 2-0 wanted more goals but when they did
not get it, they displayed their frustration by booing the team.”
However, the same fans lined up to praise the players when they were
leaving in the team bus afterwards.

Going forward

Siasia declared
himself satisfied with the first outing. “They did well overall,” he
said. “The bottom line is winning and we won. I never expected an easy
game and the Sierra Leoneans did give a good account of themselves. We
will look at where we made mistakes and do the necessary changes.”

The 2-1 win will
give Siasia a framework to prepare for the bigger test coming up at the
end of March when Nigeria play hosts to Ethiopia in a crucial Africa
Cup of Nations qualifier. The Eagles presently trail Guinea by three
points in Group B but still have four games to remedy the situation and
secure the group’s automatic qualification slot for the tournament. And
Nsofor is optimistic that the Super Eagles, under Siasia, will qualify
for the continental championship Nigeria last won back in 1994.

“I strongly believe that we will qualify because we still have four
matches to play,” said the striker who is currently on loan at West Ham
United from Inter Milan in Italy. “We will make sure that when we play
the other games against Guinea at home and the remaining home and away
matches against Madagascar and Ethiopia, we will win very well. I am
confident we will win these matches to reach the Nations Cup.”

The
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday, began the
interrogation of former Nigeria Premier League boss, Oyuiki Obaseki,
and five others alleged to have been involved in a sponsorship scam
totalling over three billion naira.

Femi Babafemi,
spokesperson for the agency, confirmed that the officials were in the
organisation’s office in Abuja to defend themselves of the allegation
levelled against them, and added that the accused officials have been
granted temporary reprieve via an administrative bail. “They were in
our office today on our invitation to come over to answer to
allegations levelled against them,” he said. “The investigations will
definitely continue but for now they have been given administrative
bail. They will be required to return for questioning once they are
needed.”

The other five
officials in the agency’s net are: the disputed chairman of the Nigeria
Premier League, Davidson Owumi; the league’s former executive
secretary, Al-Hassan Yakmut; the vice-chairman, Shehu Gusau; board
member, Joe Amene; and Total Promotions’ Chief Executive, Niyi Alonge.
It is alleged that the television rights for the league was sold for N3
billion between 2006 and 2010 to a South African company, but only
about N436 million was received by the league.

Hope for justice

Hyke Igbokwe, a
Lagos-based lawyer, who petitioned the anti-graft organization on the
above matter, said he is confident that the agency will do a thorough
job. “I know the EFCC as an investigative organisation that has done so
well in fighting out corruption and financial crimes in the country
even though we know that they are sometimes impeded by some societal
Nigerian factor,” he said. “This particular case affects the soul of
Nigerian football and I don’t expect anything less from the EFFC than a
thorough job to bring all the culprits to book. Just like they did to
people like Cecilia Ibru and brought them to book, they should also go
the whole hog.”

While the investigations continue, the league clubs are the worst
hit as they continue to grapple with lack of funds, a situation that
has seen most clubs owing their players several months’ wages.

Justice
Binta Murtala-Nyako of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos yesterday
adjourned hearing on the suit brought before her by Total Promotions
challenging plans by the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) to start a fresh
bidding process for sponsorship rights to the country’s top flight
division.

The suit will now come up for hearing on February 14 at the same venue.

Total Promotions
had represented telecommunication company, MTN in an initial bid
exercise conducted from December 15 to 16, 2010 in Abuja. The company
eventually won the bid with a sponsorship package worth 2.6 billion
naira.

However, an
extraordinary congress of the Nigeria Premier League convened in Abuja
on January 26, ruled that the process that led to the emergence of MTN
as the league’s title sponsor was flawed and subsequently ordered for a
fresh bid process.

The congress also
ruled that the fresh bid process must be conducted not later than two
weeks from the date of their pronouncement. But the ongoing litigation
stalled the move.

Anti-graft agency summons Obaseki

While the court
cases are still pending, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
has summoned six former and current Premier League officials to answer
questions on an alleged sponsorship scam totalling over three billion
naira (about $20 million).

The officials for
questioning include, former NPL boss, Oyuiki Obaseki and the current
chairman, Davidson Owumi. Others invited by the commission are
Al-Hassan Yakmut, the NPL’s former executive secretary; Shehu Gusau,
the NPL’s vice-chairman, as well as Joe Amene and Total Promotions’
chief executive, Niyi Alonge.

“They have been
told to report to the EFCC office in Abuja on Thursday. They are to
answer to allegations of mismanagement of revenue accruing from the
sale of television rights on behalf of the NPL,” said the commission’s
spokesperson, Femi Babafemi.

It is alleged that the television rights for the Premier League were
sold for a total of three billion naira between 2006 and 2010 to a
South African company, but only about 436 million naira or about $3
million was received by the league in all these years.

Tiger Woods will
discover just how far his game has slipped when he joins Lee Westwood
and Martin Kaymer in a mouth-watering matching of golf’s top-ranked
three players in the Dubai Desert Classic starting Thursday.

Woods was overtaken
by Briton Westwood at the end of last year and then the mercurial
26-year-old German Kaymer, the U.S. PGA champion, in January at the
summit of golf’s world rankings.

The American’s
swing as well as his private life fell apart last year following
allegations of multiple infidelities which cost him his marriage and a
chunk of the 2010 season.

Dubai marks Woods’
second tournament of the year and his suspect technique will be right
back under the microscope after he finished 44th last week in the
Farmers Insurance Open after closing rounds of 74 and 75.

Westwood, for one,
cannot wait for the chance to go head to head against a man who had
dominated the sport virtually unchallenged since the late 1990s until
his fall from grace last year, picking up 14 Majors along the way.

Woods has won the Desert Classic twice, in 2006 and 2008.

It is the first time in 17 years that the world’s top three ranked golfers have competed in a regular European Tour tournament.

‘Fantastic draw’

“It’s a fantastic
draw for the tournament and for the people watching,” Westwood told
reporters Tuesday as he looked forward to Thursday’s midday three-ball.

“That’s what people
like to see. Certainly at other events where you draw the three main
champions together in the PGA Championship, that’s always exciting.”
Mohamed Juma Buamain, vice-chairman and CEO of Golf in Dubai, said
ticket sales were up 30 percent compared to last year when Woods
elected not to compete in Dubai following the turmoil that overtook his
private life.

Westwood
leapfrogged past the 35-year-old American to World No. 1 last October
and it is the first occasion that he has since played in the same event
as Kaymer and Woods, let alone the same three-ball.

“Having a player
like Tiger who has dominated the World rankings over the last 15 years
and also the No 1 and No 2, and playing in the same three-ball is great
for the European Tour,” said Westwood.

The Briton himself is not exactly in the best of fettle having
missed his first halfway cut in over a year last week in the Qatar
Masters.