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The Samba Boys of Brazil were completely humbled by a fantastic German side at the Estadio Mineirão in Belo Horizonte on Tuesday with a historic 7 – 1 demolition.

No one would have predicted that the game, which started out as a pulsating affair would end up terribly lopsided. Just 11 minutes after Mexican referee Marco Rodríguez blew the opening whistle the Germans started a feast of goals with Thomas Müller, Miroslav Klose, Toni Kroos and Sami Khedira finding the back of the net five times before half time.

 A second half brace from Andre Schürrle sealed the deal, humbling the five-time champions in a most remarkable semi final game.  A 90th minute strike by Oscar gave Brazil their only consolation, marking the first time since 1975 that Brazil would lose a match in Estadio Mineirão.

Neymar injured and Thiago Silva suspended, Brazil head coach Luiz Felipe Scolari had to make some tweaks to his 4-2-3-1 and opted to have Dante fill in for Silva and Bernard for Neymar. Júlio César took his normal place in goal and was shielded by a back line of Marcelo, Dante, David Luiz and Maicon. Fernandinho and Luis Gustavo slotted in as holding midfielders while Hulk, Oscar and Bernard lined up as attacking midfielders in support of lone striker Fred.

Germany head coach Joachim Löw's 4-3-3 saw Manuel Neuer start in goal and Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng, Benedikt Höwedes and Philipp Lahm in defense. Bastian Schweinsteiger, Khedira and Kroos composed the three-man midfield while up front it was Mesut Özil, Müller and Klose.

The match started both teams pushing forward but soon enough Germany would strike first with a Müller goal in the 11th minute. A corner kick was looped in and somehow, the Brazilian defense failed to account for Müller who was all alone at the back post and the Bayern man had all the time in the world to club in a shot past Júlio César.

Klose became the all-time World Cup leading scorer in history just 12 minutes into the game, when he netted his 16th World Cup goal. Müller laid off a perfect ball for Klose whose initial shot was blocked by Júlio César but the Lazio man would not be denied on the follow-up and it was 2-0 to Germany.

The die Mannschaft struck three more times in speedy succession. Lahm crossed from the right for Kroos who hammered in a shot to make it 3-0 in the 24th minute. The home fans, already feeling dumbfounded by what they were witnessing, may have well packed up their things and left in the 26th minute as Kroos tallied again after a horrendous giveaway from Fernandinho who was stripped by Khedira who then set up Kroos for the fourth.

The whole scene devolved into an outright humiliation in the 29th minute when a Hummels challenge on Luiz gave Khedira the ball and after a smart touch from Özil, the Real Madrid man fired in to make the score5-0. The first half only lasted 45 minutes but it must have felt like an eternity for the Seleção who were confused from top to bottom and left the pitch with their heads hung to an avalanche of jeers and whistles from their home fans.

Desperate to save face, Brazil attacked to start the second half and had a good chance through Oscar in the 52nd minute only to see Neuer make the requisite save. A minute later Neuer stood tall again when he denied Paulinho twice form point-blank range, further evidence that it was simply not to be Brazil's night at any point during the 90 minutes.

After that initial push from Brazil, Germany regained control and Müller nearly completed the set in the 61st minute only to see Júlio César barely tip away the shot over the crossbar. Brazil's abysmal defending continued and the lack of any type of marking resulted in Germany's sixth in the 69th minute when Lahm easily crossed for substitute Andre Schürrle who had acres of time and space to sweep in his shot to make it 6-0. The Chelsea man then scored his second in the 79th to complete the dismantling when he hit a shot from the left that ricocheted off the crossbar into the net.

Tuesday night's dismantling of the Samba Boys is the most dominating performance in any World Cup semi-final history.

 

If Nigeria does not reinstate the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari before Tuesday,  the country may be risking being suspended, the apex football regulating body, FIFA has indicated.

Maigari and other NFF leaders were sacked from office as a result of a court ruling on Friday, while Maigari was also arrested on returning from the World Cup on the same day.

"FIFA has taken note of the detention of NFF President Aminu Maigari carried out by representatives of the Department of the State Security Service," a FIFA statement read.

An Abuja High Court had on Thursday served a restraining order on the NFF leaders. The court had ordered the sports ministry to appointed one of its own officials to run the federation.

The face-off between NFF and the government followed Nigeria's exit from the ongoing Brazil 2014 World Cup.

Nigeria had played a goalless draw with Iran in their first game, they had gone on to win their second group game with a lone goal over World Cup debutant, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the country had lost its final group game 3-2 to Argentina, qualifying for the next round with 4points. However, Nigeria's world cup campaign was cut short with a 2-0 loss to France in the round of 16.

The country's coach Stephen Keshi had resigned after the game citing unfair working condition occasioned by the NFF as one of the reasons for his resignation.

FIFA had written to NFF "expressing great concern over different actions taken by Nigerian public authorities," over the removal of the federation's leaders.

FIFA had also stated that it would not recognise an NFF election meeting reportedly billed for Abuja on Saturday.

The football governing body had said an official football congress scheduled for 26th August and "only decisions and persons elected then will be considered legitimate."

In 2010, Nigeria's government had reacted aggressively after the country's national team, Super Eagles did not progress beyond the group stage in South Africa.  The nation's president, Goodluck Jonathan had threatened to shut down the national team for two years before FIFA intervened.

FIFA rules protect its 209 member federations from government interference, and a suspension bars teams and officials from taking part in international matches and meetings.

The national team's next competitive matches are 2015 African Cup of Nations qualifiers in September.

 

Following Nigeria's second round exit from the ongoing Brazil 2014 World Cup after a 2-0 loss to France,  Super Eagles handler, Coach Stephen Keshi has resigned his appointment as the country's chief coach.

Keshi disclosed his intention to journalists after the Eagles match in Brasilia on Monday, stating that it was time to move on.

“I have to go back to my family and face fresh challenges,” said Keshi.

Super Eagles Captain, most capped Joseph Yobo also declared that he was stepping out of the national team after winning 100 caps.

“I think I should give the younger ones the opportunity to forge ahead. I have nothing new to offer,” the Norwich City defender said.

Nigeria was beaten 2 – 0 by France in their round of 16 match at the ongoing as the quarter final qualification continues to elude the African champions. Cameroon, Senegal and Ghana have all  made it to the quarter finals in 1990, 2002 and 2010 respectively.

It has been rumoured that South African Football Association (SAFA) was on Keshi's trail, but SAFA has denied wooing the Big Boss.

Keshi did not disclose his next move.

When the country’s senior national team the Super Eagles take on the Les Bleu of France as the French side are nicknamed on Monday in Brasilia in one of the Round of 16 games at the on-going World Cup, any likely loss to the French side should have the blames pinned on the shoulders of the bunch of racketeers we have in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) led by Aminu Maigari as well as some of their lackeys in the Nigerian sports media circle.

This is not providing a ready made excuse for the Super Eagles and their technical crew led by Stephen Keshi not to get their plans right and assume they wouldn’t be criticised were they to lose to France (whom I consider every inch beatable), but surely the NFF, Sports Ministry and by extension the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration would take a lot of bashing. You may wonder what has Jonathan got to do with the Super Eagles, well his government oversees every aspect of our nation and the Eagles are not left out. Thus for the Super Eagles to be trending all over the internet about their boycott of training last Thursday ahead of their game on Monday due to non-payment of their World Cup appearance fees is totally unacceptable and a big dent to our country’s image with all the blame lying on the NFF and indeed the Nigerian government’s shoulders.

Paying the Super Eagles bonuses or match fees for their games against Iran, Bosnia, and Argentina is totally different from paying them appearance fees. The NFF claim they paid the Eagles $5,000 each for their draw, as well as loss against Iran and Argentina respectively, while paying them $10,000 for their win against Bosnia. In essence, each player of the team has received $20,000 each for their group stage matches as match fees or bonus. This however, is totally different from appearance fees at the world cup. Every ardent sport follower know that players participating in major competitions e.g say tennis players at the Wimbledon Grand Slam are entitled to a standard appearance fee which is different from their prize money should they advance past each round.

What the Super Eagles players are asking for is that they be paid 30% of what the NFF gets from FIFA as prize money for each stage of the competition. That to me is even a bit on the low side as I would recommend each player gets at least $100,000 as appearance fee for representing Nigeria in the group stages alone. As it stands Nigeria through the NFF are to get $8 million for participating in the group stages of the World cup just like the other 31 participating teams. This is aside from the $1.5 million already given to the NFF by FIFA to prepare the team. For getting to the Round of 16 the NFF gets another $9 million whether the Eagles lose to France or not (see FIFA prize money breakdown for each teams : http://www.tsmplug.com/football/prize-money-fifa-world-cup-2014/ ) , so why would there be any argument or hanky-panky in paying these players their entitled rights? Are these NFF racketeers mad or something?

That we have to hold countless meetings with the players while the competition had already started is a big shame on the country. In 2012 before the European Nations cup, the English national team knew they were going to earn £100,000 if they won the Euros months before the tourney and it was incentivised for each stage they got too. The French team were expecting £290,000 for a trophy win, while the Germans were promised £250,000. These figures were different from the match bonus, in fact the Germans waived their group stage match bonuses for Euro 2012 due to the hefty appearance fees they were promised. For the World Cup in 2014, the terms for the appearance fees of the Three Lions of England were settled in January, a clear six months before the competition. Its easy to say that is England, but they also have an uneasy relationship with their players over appearance fees and thus they started negotiations many months before the competition between the FA and the players’ representatives. It resolved that each England player would get £350,000 each for winning the tournament and it was heavily incentivised for progressing through the group stage and this is different from what they get as match bonus for each games they play which the players usually give to charity as the appearance fee is way bigger than their match bonuses.

For the racketeers at the NFF this is too much for them to comprehend and they would do anything to sully the image of the players so as to escape with the money when FIFA pays them. Their allies in the sport media in Nigeria are even worse, as its a shame reading or listening to a sports journalist in the country who should know better defending the NFF. I listened to one the other day who has spent years as a football writer in a well known football magazine in the country and he was defending the indefensible. He practically argued that the Eagles were only entitled to match bonuses and not an appearance fee. I would like to ask such a person, what are the NFF going to do with over $17 million prize money($8 million for group stage and $9million for Round of 16) the Eagles players have helped them earn at the World Cup so far? Is it justifiable for the NFF racketeers to keep all of that money and not pay an appearance fee for the main protagonists (the players and technical crew)? The story is that in the past when the players weren’t aware of their rights, the NFF used to collect such monies from FIFA after the World Cup and deny receipt of it, sharing some of the bounty with sports editors so as to hush up the story.

Well not any more, times have changed and everyone is more enlightened including FIFA who know how corrupt some of these FA’s are. Its sad for anyone to blame Ghanaian or Cameroonian players for fighting for their rights. These agreements should be in place well before the World Cup, and not during. Ghanaian player John Boye was seen kissing his $100,000 appearance fee and I don’t blame him one bit as its his right. He’s a professional sports person and deserves to be paid his appearance fee for appearing for Ghana at the World Cup, that has nothing to do with patriotism or lack of it. So for the Eagles to boycott training has nothing to do with lack of patriotism, they just don’t trust these NFF racketeers and their spin doctors in the Nigerian sports media.

NFF’s Technical committee head Chris Green in the defence of the federation criticised the players for their request, saying it was an unreasonable request as they cannot be paid now and they have agreed with them that they would get it after FIFA must have paid the money. He also said the NFF is expecting FIFA to deduct our feeding, accommodation and transport expenses at the World Cup from the prize money. He further said: “In 2010, FIFA eventually gave us $6.4m out of the $8m grant. This time, we cannot get up to that because we are playing more games here in Brazil and the logistics of travelling here are so huge”. To understand how these NFF racketeers work, the question to ask them is what have you done with the N880 million released by the Federal Government out of the N1.4 billion the NFF budgeted for the World Cup? If accommodation, feeding and logistics are going to be checked out of our prize money (standing at the moment at a huge $17million) by FIFA, then why not pay the players their appearance fees from the monies released to them already by the FG? These NFF racketeers led by Aminu Maigari are plain looters and this racket has been going on for decades at the federation even before this present administration.

In any case FIFA’s secretary-general Jerome Valcke has waded into the appearance fee row threatening African teams including Nigeria describing it as sad, he said: "The players have the right to receive their money but it would be much easier to do this by bank transfer. The fact that the money (for Ghana) came in cash is also sad because I was ready to sign a letter, as long as I had a copy of the agreement between the national association and the players, that the money would be paid by Fifa by bank transfer into their personal accounts." Valcke further added that something needs to be done. "At future World Cups we will ask the national associations to provide us with their agreements with their players to make sure that this kind of episode does not happen again," he said (see full story on: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28065553 ). So in essence, the Super Eagles players can take their agreements with the NFF to FIFA and ensure they are paid their rightful appearance fees. If the NFF racketeers try dodging payment, they should report them to FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) through their representatives, as this stupid injustice and lack of common-sense must not be allowed to continue.

Come Monday though if issues are not sensibly resolved , when the Eagles file out they may just be playing against the NFF racketeers rather than France and we all know what the result may be. If you don’t know rewind to France 1998, when the Eagles were beating black and blue by Denmark in a Round of 16 tie, a match preceded by arguments between the players and NFA over bonuses and appearance fees.

Ola’ Idowu a Management Consultant and Researcher writes in from the UK.

 

Having been found guilty of biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini in Tuesday's World Cup clash in Natal Uruguay's striker Luis Suarez has on Thursday been banned from all soccer-related activity for four months.

He was also been banned from nine international matches and he is required to pay a fine of 82,000 euros.

The ban was proclaimed in a FIFA statement released on Thursday.

The statement read:

The player Luis Suarez is to be suspended for nine official matches. The first match of this suspension is to be served in the upcoming FIFA World Cup fixture between Colombia and Uruguay on 28th June 2014. The remaining match suspensions shall be served in Uruguay's next FIFA World Cup match(es), as long as the team (remains in the competition), and/or in the representative team's subsequent official matches.

The player Luis Suarez is banned from taking part in any kind of football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) for a period of four months. A stadium ban is pronounced against the player Luis Suarez in accordance with article 21 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code as follows:

The player Luis Suarez is prohibited from entering the confines of any stadium during the period of the ban.

The player Luis Suarez is prohibited from entering the confines of any stadium in which the representative team of Uruguay is playing while he has to serve the nine-match suspension. The player Luis Suarez is ordered to pay a fine in the amount of 100,000 Swiss Francs.

Claudio Sulser, the chairman of the FIFA disciplinary committee, said the panel had taken into account all the factors in the case. It means Suarez will miss the rest of the World Cup and the start of the new Premier League season with Liverpool.

 

A word is good for the wise, a touch is good for an antelope and a repeated shouting coupled with a big stick appears not enough for self imposed ‘sports administrators’ in Nigeria. Readers should note that those so-called administrators are really clueless about sports or management because they were appointed to such roles based on their political affiliation and ‘money’. Its’ with great sadness to confirm the failed mark this writer gave the former sports dictator also known as the NSC Chairman. This is because in less than a year that he returned the same incompetent people to develop sports in Nigeria, the country’s team in various sports will find difficulty qualifying for any international competition from this year forward.

High Performance Ineptitude (Athletics)

Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi, the former Chairman of NSC claimed he was using the President of Nigeria transformation agenda for sports in bringing two illegal aliens to Nigeria named Eric Campbell and Angela Taylor without complying with the Federal Procurement rules for aliens or contracts. He established a Centre for those individuals to work (if you called it that) by converting the country’s only doping centre for such use without the legislature’s approval. This author and others disagreed with Mr. Abdullahi based on his motives, the background of such people and the cost issues. Fortunately, President Goodluck Jonathan dismissed Mr. Abdullahi but leaves those unlawful acts intact, including the High Performance Centre and those illegal aliens to continue.

Looking at the performance of those two illegal aliens, so far, some potential members of this year’s team were sent to the USA to train and compete. Unfortunately a former 10.1second runner is at present struggling to run 10.5seconds and the others exhibited the same declining performances. Few other athletes that were warehoused in mosquito-infested NSDC slave camp in Abuja did not do well either while the two illegal aliens enjoy robust salaries and five-star accommodation.

Illegal Aliens Galore

As if these shenanigans were not enough, the AFN Dictator Solomon Ogba, now imported more illegal aliens like Mark Jelks, Dominique Duncan, Nicole Denby, Mozavous Edwards, Tyron Akins, and others to rubbish the country’s sovereignty in sports with formerly banned athletes for using illegal drugs. Mr. Danagogo are you aware of these illegal aliens, some of whom are druggist gutting our athletics and if so, are you aware of diplomatic row that may ensue? And the last question is whether you are cognizant that some of the country’s selected males 100metres team members will struggle to beat Jamaican female stars even at the Commonwealth Games later next month?

Now, this author asks this question again, did Eric Campbell and Angie Taylor (illegal aliens) deliver any benefit to Nigeria? Is Nigeria sovereignty at the discretion of Solomon Ogba? If not, Mr. Danagogo you must act or you must go! The Presidency will receive a copy of this article.

Status on Commonwealth Games

As to Boxing, weightlifting, wrestling and few other sports that Nigeria will likely send a team, there is no doubt that the country will likely return with few medals but in athletics except for the importation of illegal aliens (mercenaries), the country is simply wasting funds. The sad story to this is the fact that Solomon Ogba at no time ever considers the impact of his action on development of local youth in sports. This is an exemplary incompetence and enough understanding to move sports development back to NSC as an autonomous entity while disengaging any further involvement with AFN or the two illegal aliens.

 Once again, it is a defeatist attitude of former Dictator Abdullahi to import illegal aliens to destroy sports development that is being implemented and of course it hasn’t worked and the dictator was sacked, so why does Nigeria continue this sorry episode in the nation’s goal to recover lost glory. Mr. Danagogo take note, take action or you must go.

I rest

Dr. Rashid A. Balogun, CPA, LLB(Hons.), LLM(London)

Stephen Keshi, coach of the Nigerian national soccer team, Monday, released the list of the 23 players to represent the country at Brazil 2014 World Cup.

The list includes three goalkeepers, eight defenders, eight midfielders and ten strikers.

Full List:

Goalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama, Austin Ejide, Chigozie Agbim

Defenders: Joseph Yobo, Elderson Echiejile, Juwon Oshaniwa, Godfrey Oboabona, Azubuike Egwuekwe, Kenneth Omeruo, Efe Ambrose, Kunle Odunlami

Midfielders: John Mikel Obi, Ogenyi Onazi, Ramon Azeez, Michael Uchebo, Reuben Gabriel

Strikers: Osaze Odemwingie, Ahmed Musa, Shola Ameobi, Emmanuel Emenike, Babatunde Michael, Victor Moses, Uche Nwofor.

Moving up two spots from the last ranking of the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA), Nigeria is now 45th in the world with 620 points against its previous 616 points.

Released on FIFA’s website on Thursday, the ranking placed Nigeria 6th in Africa, displacing Tunisia to the 7th position it earlier occupied.

Ahead of Nigeria in the African countries’ ranking are Ivory Coast, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana and Cape Verde with 830, 798, 795, 713 and 665 points respectively.

Meanwhile Ivory Coast, ranked first in Africa, was ranked 21st in the world, Egypt ranked 24th, Algeria maintained the 25th position, while Ghana and Cape Verde dropped to 38th and 42nd position in the world respectively.

Spain retained its first position in the world with 1,460 points, followed by Germany with 1,340, Portugal with 1,245, Colombia with 1,186 and Uruguay with 1,181 points pushing Argentina from3rd to 6th.

Next FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking will be published on 8th May.

The Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) has barred Spanish football club, Barcelona from selling or buying players over the next two transfer windows.

The development is especially a huge blow to the goalkeeping department, as first-choice keeper, Victor Valdes has announced his decision to walk away on a free transfer when his contract expires at the end of the season, while the deal for his heir apparent, Borussia Monchengladbach’s Marc-Andre Stegen, has only been agreed in principle. It is likely that the deal will no longer go ahead, courtesy of the ban.

According to FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee, Barcelona was found guilty of breaching the rules relating to acquisition of under-age players. Spanish Football Association (RFEF) was also found guilty of allowing such illegal deals.

In addition to the ban and the ultimatum to regularise the deals involving 10 underage players acquired by the club within 90 days, FIFA also slammed a fine of $509,000 on the La Liga giants.

Coming less than 24 hours after the club’s 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final first leg, the sanction was announced in a statement released by FIFA after an investigation that began in 2013.

“The Disciplinary Committee regarded the infringements as serious and decided to sanction the club with a transfer ban at both national and international level for two complete and consecutive transfer periods,” the FIFA statement read.

On its part, the Spanish Football Federation was ordered to pay a fine of $563,698 for its role in the deal. FIFA also gave them one year to modify the rules concerning international transfers concerning minors.

FIFA’s rule on the matter is that a player must be 18 years old to be transferred, except in special cases where the minor’s parents relocates, the relocation takes place within the European Union if a player is aged between 16 and 18, or the player’s home is less than 50km from the national border being crossed.

But on looking into Barcelona’s transfer activities between 2009 and 2013, the club was caught by FIFA’s web-based Transfer Matching System, which became mandatory for all international transfers of professional male footballers in October 2010.

Earlier in February 2013, FIFA had banned six Barcelona youth team players ― Lee Seung-Woo, Paik Seung-Ho and Jang Gyeol-Hee from South Korea, Patrice Sousia of Cameroon, France’s Theo Chendri and Bobby Adekanye, a Nigerian-Dutch teenager ― from competitive games.

A similar woe had befallen English Premiere League’s Chelsea Football Club in 2010 when FIFA banned the club from transfer deals over the signing of French youngster Gael Kakuta. The ruling was later overturned after Chelsea reached an agreement with the player’s former club Lens.

 

Can any human being be certain when a goat gets angry? No, it’s not about instigating such observation rather it is about how the animal deals with everyday bondage its’ been subjected to. Bondage living is a situation whereby an individual has no control over his or her liberty because others predetermine it, arguably a slave mentality coupled with useless and meaningless human rights enshrined in a country’s constitution. This writer asks what the effective value of human rights is when societal necessaries diminish such rights.

An average athlete has freedom of liberty, right to free speech and association but in order to eat or provide for his family, the National Sports Commission (NSC) and Sports federation habitually invites athletes to a slave camp where those fundamental rights are thrown away. Is this not bondage or enslavement? Is this not gross violation of the constitution? Carrots and sticks analogy or bribery metaphor does not explain the magnitude of these atrocities that continues unabated. This must stop.

Sports governance begins with leadership with qualities of a true leader not an imposed perambulator. The followers must predetermine a true leader; he must be an individual with extremely high leadership qualities including a strong academic and working experience related to such endeavor. In Nigeria however, this is a fantasy or dream right out of academic folklore because such view of leadership is tantamount to treasonable offence when advocated and that explains why people considers it bravery for any individual to challenge several rotten agenda.

 In recent days, sports commands brief mention in the media simply because the country’s football is in hiatus and the politics of the day are so sexy for the media. Examples include Sanusi imbroglio, Boko Haram finger pointing, PDP implosion, APC calculations, Okonjo-Iweala resignation or not.

These issues are simply preventing and impeding coverage about sports, although, Angie Taylor, the American hired recently, noted that she did not come to Nigeria with magic wand to reverse the rotten trend about Nigeria’s sports. The question that ought to have been asked, what does she brings to the table that cannot be handled by others including Nigerians at about $200,000 salary while athletes are gagged and caged at slave camp in Abuja for about 50cents per day? Is this right? Angie’s got freedom of speech while the country’s athletes are simply muscled like a pitbull. It must be noted that athletes are not really forced to be enslaved rather they arrived there as a way out of poverty that is preventing them in achieving greater heights in their chosen past times.

Sports Minister Bolaji Abdullahi on his part continues to be out of limelight due to precarious political situation that he finds himself. Of course he is currently in lame duck position without any political card to play and more importantly, Mr. President has been assertive these days than usual following Mr. Sanusi imbroglio. As to sports federations, they are all trying to reposition themselves based on this writer’s suggestion on what sports governance is all about and of course, they lacked such mandate based on their governing instruments.

 Way forward

Athletes ought to be catered for - wherever and whenever. Slave (athletes) camps and rules of gagging athletes must be abolished rather it’s the officials that ought to be gagged for making senseless and discriminatory utterances, specifically, favoring a specific state over others contrary to the country’s constitution. ONE NIGERIA I was told and that’s still valid as at now.

I rest.

Dr. Rashid A. Balogun, CPA, LLB(Hons), LLM(London)

Human rights lawyer, Festus Keyamo has described reports of plans by the National Football Federation (NFF) to hire a foreign technical assistant for the Super Eagles ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup as unpatriotic, untenable, illogical and consequently unacceptable to Nigerians.

In a statement released on Tuesday, he argued that Nigerians cannot be swayed or fooled by the reported decision of the NFF that Stephen Keshi will remain the Head Coach of the Super Eagles while the foreigner will merely assist him. Describing the move as nothing but a smoke screen to execute the hidden agenda of the NFF, he listed a number of reasons.

“When Lars Lagerback was brought in as a technical adviser five months to our 2010 World Cup preparation, he did nothing but to break up the bond the team had created, lowered the morale of the indigenous coaches and players (who never worked with him) and that led to our disastrous outing at the World Cup in South Africa”, he said.

“In addition to that, the issues of corruption surrounding the hiring of his services have not been properly addressed till today. After initially negotiating the sum of $500,000 with Lars Lagerback (i.e $100,000per month for 5 months), the bill overnight jumped to $1.5Million(for three months) with Nigeria even paying his taxes. Those who did that damage to the country were never brought to book and the issue was swept under the carpet. Now, it is obvious that certain corrupt characters want to cash in again on the issue of a foreign technical adviser.

“The state of our football before Stephen Keshi and his crew took over was that we even failed to qualify for the 2012 Nations’ Cup and the team was in disarray. Sponsors abandoned the team. Now, nearly two years later, we have won the Nations’ Cup, qualified for the World Cup, took bronze at CHAN, and raised a bunch of local boys that can easily walk into the main Super Eagles. If that is not progress, then I don’t know the definition of progress. Now, the sponsors are back and Nigerians are again watching their team with some hope. Instead of encouraging the coaching crew, the imposition of a foreigner in their midst will lower their morale, blunt their patriotism and kill the spirit in the team. This should never be allowed to happen”.

Keyam punctured NFF’s position that the CHAN Eagles could not break down 10-man Black Stars of Ghana as very puerile, saying examples abound all over the world where 10-man team reverts to defensive roles and frustrates the opposing team.

“The greatest teams in the world have lost to 10-man defensive teams, for example Barcelona (at its peak) did not get the required two goals against Inter Milan in the semi-finals of the Champions’ League in 2010 despite playing nearly 70 minutes against a 10-man Inter Milan side”, he added.

“A third-place finish for the CHAN team hurriedly assembled six weeks to the tournament is not a bad result, considering the fact that the other leagues in Africa are even better organized than the Nigerian Premier League. Stephen Keshi, the head coach, has said it repeatedly that he does not need a foreign technical adviser.

“Since Keshi is supposed to remain the head of the team, what is the use imposing a technical adviser on him that he is not prepared to consult? Is that not the waste of public funds? All over the world, managers of teams are allowed to choose their back room staff. Stephen Keshi has said if he needs an assistant, it will be Sylvanus Okpala. So, why not bury the hatchet with Sylvanus Okpala for the good of the team? Are we going to allow ego wars to destroy the Super Eagles? Again, from where will the money come to fund the foreign adviser, when the NFF complain it had no money to even pay the local assistant, Sylvanus Okpala?

“This decision cannot just stand. I am appealing to all well-meaning Nigerians, sport enthusiasts, patriots and the sports community in Nigeria to oppose this decision. This is the same attitude of the NFF that led to the unjust dropping of Shaibu Amodu, who twice qualified Nigeria for the World Cup, but was not allowed to lead the team to the Mundial. We cannot continue to destroy our own because of corruption.

“The plain truth is that the decision of the NFF is borne out of corruption and the need to cut Keshi down to size. The NFF is allowing selfishness to destroy our football. If the decision is not rescinded, I will be reaching out to anti-corruption groups and the sports community to march on [to] the Glass House in Abuja”.

The Minister of Sports Dr. Tammy Danagogo has waded into the brewing crisis between the Super Eagles and the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over the world football governing body's $8 million allocation to the federation.

The players had protested to the NFF Chairman Alhaji Aminu Maigari, in the United States (US) demanding their own share of the money and threatened that should the federation refuse to pay them the money they were not going to play in the opening match of the FIFA 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

But it was gathered that the NFF claimed that they have only received $1 million from FIFA out of the $8 million with which they have been organising friendly matches and pre-world cup preparations. It was also gathered that in addition to the FIFA $1 million, the Federal Government gave the NFF N850 million out of the N1.4 billion total budget for the tournament.

In a meeting held between Danagogo and Maigari, at the Maksoud Plaza Hotel, Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Monday evening, the minister charged the NNF boss to negotiate with the team to be able to reach an agreement so that the players' morale would be boosted during the tournament.

The minister was of the view that the welfare of the team should be paramount during the tournament adding that if they are not treated well and made happy, they may just go into the tournament and perform badly.

“They are the reasons why Nigeria is participating in the tournament and we should do everything within our powers to ensure that we do our best for the team," Maigari said.

He pledged to also personally appeal to the players to put the interests of the nation first during the tournament.

Meanwhile, Dr. Danagogo and Alhaji Maigari would be on ground to receive the Super Eagles team on arrival from Miami, United States (US), in Sao Paulo, on Tuesday by 8.30pm local time.

The team is expected to fly aboard an American Airline flight from the Miami International Airport and land at the Guarulhos International Airport, Sao Paulo.

On arrival, the team is expected to drive by road to their training ground in Campinas, about an hour from Sao Paulo.

The Super Eagles will play Iran in its World Cup opening match on June 16 before playing Bosnia-Herzegovina, June 21 and Argentina June 26.

I am Aisha Falode, Mother of 19 year old Toba Falode. I’m giving the following statement as fact in the unfortunate death of my son. Oluwadamilola Oloruntoba Falode, who was a student of SAE Institute, Dubai in the UAE admitted to study Audio Production in October, 2013 and resided on the 17th floor of Manchester Towers, Dubai Marina. In the early hours of the 15thof February, 2014, I received a call from the security guard at my son’s apartment block informing me that something serious had just happened to my son, Toba. I then immediately called his close friend, Nick Allison, a South African, who then informed me that my Toba had passed on from falling from the balcony of his 17th floor apartment.

Upon hearing this, I made various frantic calls to Toba’s pastor (his guardian in Dubai), to go to the scene. After which I was informed that the police had arrested all those at the scene and also taken the body of my son away. Four family members then proceeded to retrieve my son’s body and also met with the Deputy Director of the Jebel Ali police station, who read out the preliminary report to the family and mentioned Faisal’s name which was mysteriously missing in the report that was later given to the family.

 The summary of the police report is as follows:

a. That they confirmed that Toba died in the morning of the 15th of February 2014 at approximately 4am.

 b.That they indicated that this occurred around the premises of Toba’s apartment, the Manchester Tower, Dubai Marina.

 c.That they confirmed that there were 5 other people with him at the time of his death - (4) four boys and 1 girl - a Nigerian, a French Canadian national, a South African and  a Saudi national. The girl is British.

 d. That close to the time of the accident, Toba was on the balcony of his flat with his alleged girlfriend.

 e.That Toba was sitting on the railing of his balcony with his feet off the floor and that he was swinging in this position backward and forward.

 f.That his girlfriend was still there with him, and was warning him to be careful.

 g.That she later went inside the flat and shortly after, they all noticed that Toba was no longer sitting on the railings or on the balcony, and must have fallen down from the balcony railings.

 h.That his friends all rushed down and found him lying dead in front of the apartment block.

 i.That they then called the Police who took charge of things.

j.That all statements of the witnesses as described above were similar and that they were all interviewed separately.

k.That forensic evidence including the examination of Toba’s body at autopsy did not reveal anything to contradict this version of events.

l.That there were no injuries on Toba’s body inconsistent with a fall from a great height as the cause of his death.

m.That there was no evidence of bruising or other injury to indicate anything else could be blamed as the cause of his death.

n.That based on their findings, they decided therefore not to conduct a full internal autopsy.

o.That if from their investigations they had even the slightest indication of anything other than this version of events they would definitely have conducted an autopsy.

However, because of the various inconsistencies in the Police Report given to my family, and because I know the apartment layout very well and my motherly intuition I knew something was not right. So I decided to investigate further by myself accompanied by a family member and my family lawyer Mr. Festus Keyamo.

We travelled to Dubai in April and met with some of my son’s friends who were present in the apartment on that fateful day.

The summary of the accounts of these friends were totally different from what the police report indicated and revealed a weak attempt by the authorities in Dubai to hide facts that pointed to the fact that my poor son was murdered.

This account, the friends (witnesses) in question volunteered to give as written statements to me.

Summary of account as follows:

a.That sometime in December, 2013, the said Faisal Aldakmary Al-Nasser stormed the apartment of my deceased son Oloruntoba Falode and ordered Miss Olivia Melanie Richards Evans (his supposed girlfriend) out of Toba’s apartment, accusing her of having an affair with Toba.

b.That a fight was to have ensued from this confrontation, but for the intervention of other mutual friends. Since then, there was no love lost between Toba and Faisal Aldakmary Al-Nasser.

c.That in the evening of the 14th of February, 2014, Toba, together with his friends, namely, Ebele Oladeji Onwugbufor,

Nick Allison and Joachim Senteni went to a club in Dubai known as M Deck, Media 1 Hotel, Media City.

d.That at the club, they met the said Faisal Aldakmary Al-Nasser and Miss Olivia Melanie Richards Evans who were also at the club.

e.That again an argument started at the Club concerning Olivia, and shortly after this, Faisal and Olivia left the Club.

f.That shortly after the two left the club, Toba and his friends also left the club.

g.On their return to Toba’s apartment, Toba, Nick and Deji were shocked and surprised to find Faisal and Olivia outside Toba’s Apartment door, waiting and Olivia was crying hysterically and appeared frightened while Faisal, however appeared calm, with a determined look on his face.

h.That after they all went into the apartment,  after which Toba, Faisal and Miss Olivia Melanie Richards Evans entered his room “to sort things out”.

i.That shortly after, the three of them exited the room and moved on to the balcony of the apartment on the 17th floor.

j.That there were signs of serious argument coming from the balcony with raised voices and flaying hands by faisal visible through the glass door of the balcony.

k.That after about twenty seconds Faisal and Olivia came back into the room and announced that Toba had fallen off the railings. However, Faisal had blood splattered all over his shirt and he had bloody knuckles. There was also a noticeable cut on his finger.

l.That at this point they all rushed downstairs to see Toba’s dead body lying meters away from the building (approximately 12 to 15 meters).

m.That the position of my Toba’s body (which can still be verified today) was not consistent with someone falling from the balcony (in which case the body would be much closer to the building) but was consistent with someone that was violently pushed from the balcony.

n.That the police arrived thereafter and arrested all of them to the station.

o.That before and during the journey to the station, Faisal kept repeating to the hearing of everyone that the maximum punishment for him would be twenty-five (25) years in jail and that the other boys should not worry. Meanwhile, Olivia remained hysterical.

p.That at the station, Faisal and Olivia were kept away from the rest and were interviewed separately, whereas the other three were kept in a separate room and interviewed separately.

q.The witnesses were clear that the above account was what was narrated and written as statements at the police station, A vital piece of information deliberately omitted in the Police Report which did not make any reference to the presence of Faisal or Miss Olivia Melanie Richards Evans on the balcony when Toba allegedly fell.

r.That Faisal was released without taking the blood stained T-shirt from him as should have been done in any investigative matter.

I am appealing to my Government that I have done much more than I should do as a grieving mother who was left with no option but to start investigating my own son’s murder by myself. I implore the Nigerian Government to prevail on the authorities in Dubai to re-open the investigation into the murder of my son Toba Falode and to bring to book Mr. Faisal Aldakmary Al-Nasser and Miss Olivia Melanie Richards Evans both of whom murdered him in cold blood.

The loss of a son is not what any parent should have to suffer, let alone a brutal murder. I do not wish this on any one because the pain is not only excruciating but almost unbearable.

JUSTICE MUST PREVAIL NOT ONLY FOR MY DEAR TOBA, BUT ALSO IN HONOUR OF THE MEMORY OF ALL THE OTHER YOUNG LIVES THAT HAVE BEEN CUT SHORT BRUTALLY. IF NO ONE ACTS EVERYONE IS AT RISK OF THIS UNFATHOMABLE PAIN.

I am asking for justice for my son and prayers from everyone that God in his infinite mercy gives my family and I the strength to bear this great loss.

THANK YOU.

AISHA FALODE.

Let a sleeping dog ‘lie’ without disturbance is a metaphor that sometimes show how weak an individual is in terms of confronting issues that are personal to him. Is NSC a sleeping dog? Should we let NSC lay motionless because of a Giant (really puppet) at the helm? I was informed of new Sports Minister or Chairman of NSC that was recently appointed without any commissioner named to the commission he is to lead. I will say again that this appointment of Chairman and lack of appointment of commission members simply suggests that the country missed road again. The country got the chance to right the wrong but choose mediocrity once again and at that one could only expect garbage and lots of scandals based on ineptitude and deliberate affront to common sense.

Recent Scandal

Such garbage and scandalous action occurred within days of Danagogo’s appointment by the former Sports Minister favorite pal heading the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), with biggest blunder that vibrated locally and internationally. This loud uproar is AFN creation of its own Gestapo Empire where AFN is the prosecutor, judge and the enforcer of its own rule. Imagine this, AFN created a panel made up individuals lacking legal skills, medical skills, IAAF rules skills and formerly fired Saudi Arabia ineffective Coach to rule on issues concerning doping violations without any verifiable evidence. Without going in further details as this writer is aware of multi-billion Naira lawsuit pending, but it is safe to say:

1. The constituted panel is not independent of the accuser (AFN) and in fact have grudges that can be alleged as pay back to the accused individuals;

2. Eric Campbell and Dr. Ken Anugweje dissociated themselves from the panel resolve stating that they were pressured;

3. An individual was banned because the kangaroo panel said “it was not impossible for food supplement to be laced with banned substance”;

4. Femi Ayorinde does not have legal training or lab skills to identify banned agents, as this is medical law specialty not bachelor of surgery credential.

Clearly, AFN showed lack of leadership. Certain people are being finger-pointed and others been hidden from public scrutiny from doping offences. Panelists are afraid of lawsuits and now dissociating themselves from the panel conclusions and of course Eric Campbell can be sued in Georgia, USA for defaming his fellow citizen abroad. Mr. Campbell, there will not be jungle justice in Georgia rather your pockets and future earnings will pay for damages especially your cool $200,000 salary in Nigeria and any property you owned.

Furthermore, liberty or right to earn a living comes with unflinching exercise of such rights and only the judicial branch can rely on rules that may violate such rights but with one proviso and that is that it was proven beyond reasonable doubt that such person committed an offence. Can it be said that a parent feeding a child food purchased in supermarket can be banned because its’ not impossible for the food to be laced with banned substance. Well, only in AFN world of ineptitude and mediocrity can that happen.

Moving on, Commonwelth Games will be CommonWaste from all indications and it seems too late now to re-engineer the country’s preparation but this is not to take away our athletes’ efforts toward excellent performances. To do well will be a tall order that is so tall, but not impossible because miracle does happen, however.

Looking forward

Come 2015 there will be new people in charge of sports but its’ clear those imposed on athletes now are on path of destruction to pave way for the same mediocrity to continue.

NSC tampered with legislative creation of a Doping Centre by converting such federally Gazette property into High performance Centre without a legislative mandate to do so. Predecessor Minister brought in two individuals from abroad without satisfying Nigeria’s Procurement Act that Mr. Lamido Sanusi was accused of and this illegally hired individual sat on a panel that acted contrary to Nigeria’s constitution.

Now, AFN is destroying personalities that are relevant to the country’s success in the past and years to come because of its alleged likely hidden agenda to destroy athletics in the future and must be stopped immediately. Danagogo take note, take action or you must go. God help, Nigeria.

I rest

Dr. Rashid A. Balogun, CPA, LLB(Hons.), LLM(London)

The Super Eagles of Nigeria will not begin their final preparations for the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup until 26th May 2014, as most of the team’s players would still be involved with their clubs until then.

According to Ademola Olajire, the assistant director of communications of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the players will be busy with their clubs until the middle of May, after which the team can then begin serious preparation for the tournament.

“The players are expected to arrive at the team’s camp in the U.S. on 26th May 2014, two days to the international friendly with Scotland”, he revealed.

“Right now, the players are still committed to club activities until the second week of May when most the leagues in Europe will end. The players will have about two weeks’ rest period before the deadline for arrival in camp”.

He also spoke on the intensity of competition for places in the team, saying the players understand that they have to do their all to impress Coach Stephen Keshi or miss out on the plane to Brazil.

Still on the World Cup, club managers in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) have urged Keshi to spend time watching matches in the domestic league in order to discover more players.

“Talented players abound in the league and can still be identified if Keshi adequately monitors the competition”, Chairman of Enyimba International FC of Aba, Mr. Felix Anyansi-Agwu said.

“We have good players in the league with what Nigeria did at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in South Africa last January”.

Similarly, General Manager of Rangers International FC of Enugu, Mr Paul Ozor urged Keshi to scout for more home-based players, who could be placed on standby ahead of preparations for the World Cup.

“The players that were taken to the 2014 CHAN were not the best the country could produce”, Ozor said. “The World Cup is a different ball game. It is where the country’s best players will be needed”.

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday approved the release of N50m to the Nigerian Football Supporters Club in order to motivate them to participate at the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup.

He announced the approval on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa during his decoration as Grand Patron of the Supporters’ Club, which held just before the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Jonathan praised members of the Supporters’ Club for their support to the national teams, saying the money will motivate the supporters to further support the team in Brazil.

“We need to encourage you to go to Brazil. We will give you a token. We will start with N50 million and we will talk to some of our senior boys to support you”, he said.

He dedicated his decoration as Grand Patron to all members of his cabinet and all Nigerians of goodwill, and also pledged that being a keen supporter of all sports, he would be with the team and the supporters in Brazil.

President-General of the Nigeria Football Supporters’ Club Worldwide, Dr. Rafiu Ladipo revealed plans of the club to travel to Brazil with 1,000 members, and also joined the campaign for team coach, Stephen Keshi to have free hands over the composition of the technical staff.

“Our plan is to go with 1,000 supporters to the World Cup. Five hundred will go from Nigeria while the remaining 500 will come from other countries”, he said, adding that the Eagles would qualify for the semi-finals at least, with the support of everyone.

“Steven Keshi has done very well, but he still needs two or three people to help him read the game because he cannot see everything by himself”, he said. “But nobody should force down anybody on him. He should be allowed to make his decision”.

The International Federation of Football History and Statistics has rated the Nigerian football league, known as the Globacom Premier League, as the fourth strongest league on the continent for 2013.

It also rated the Spanish La Liga as the best in the world during the same period under review.

The Tunisian league was rated Africa’s best, followed by those of Egypt, Morocco and then Nigeria. Mali, South Africa, Algeria, Angola, Cameroon and Ghanaian held the other spots in the top ten.

Despite the loss of their two most powerful clubs in the semi-final of the year’s UEFA Champions League, La Liga was still voted the strongest league, while the English Premier League is ranked second. The German Bundesliga, which has the two finalists of the 2013 UEFA Champions Leagues in Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, was rated third best, beating off the Italian Serie A and the Brazilian league to fourth and fifth respectively.

 

The Federal Government's delegation to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil is expected to arrive at Sao-Paulo, Brazil for the opening ceremony of the tournament billed for 12th June.

Headed by Senate President David Mark, the Delegation is expected to arrive at the Guarulhos International Airport, Sao Paulo, Brazil, at about 5pm local time on Wednesday.

Other members of the delegation are Sen. Liyel Imoke, governor of Cross River State; Alhaji Ibrahim Shehu Shema, governor of Katsina State; Sen. Adamu Ibrahim Gumba, Chairman Senate committee on Sports; Hon. Godfrey Ali Gaiya, Chairman House Committee on Sports; Alhaji Bala Mohammed, minister of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT); Chief Nyesome Wike, minister of state education; Mr. Edem Duke, minister of culture and tourism and Mrs. Viola Nnwuleri, minister of state 1 foreign affairs.

The delegation is expected to visit the team in Campinas, on Thursday morning before Nigeria's first group match against Iran, on 12th June in Curitiba.

The minister of sports Dr. Tamuno Danagogo, the Nigerian Ambassador to Brazil H. E. Vincent A. Okoedion, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials and other embassy officials will be on ground to receive the delegation.

 

Just four days to the 10th May deadline for the submission of final list of players selected to represent their countries at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Super Eagles chief coach Stephen Keshi, has released his 30-man list.

Keshi released the list on Tuesday, after a three-hour meeting with the Nigeria Football Federation Technical Committee at the Glass House in Abuja.

Names on the list are:

Ahmed Musa, Shola Ameobi, Victor Moses, Emanuel Emenike, Victor Nsofor, Osaze Odemwingie, Michael Babatunde, Nnamdi Oduamadi and Nwofor Uche in the attack.

John Mikel Obi, Ogenyi Onazi, Ramon Azeez, Ejike Uzoenyi (Rangers Int’l), Sunday Mba, Gabriel Rueben, Nosa Igiebor, Joel Obi, and Michael Uchebo in the midfield.

Elderson Echiejile, Juwon Oshaniwa, Efe Ambrose, Godfrey Oboabona, Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves), Kenneth Omeruo, Joseph Yobo and  Kunle Odunlami (Sunshine Stars) in defence.

Vincent Enyeama, Austin Ejide, Chigozie Agbim (Gombe Utd), Daniel Akpeyi (Warri Wolves) in goal.

Keshi disclosed that all the players on the list would resume in camp by 26th May where the final 23 will be selected and made public by 2nd June. 

The leadership of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has expressed disappointment over a statement of Super Eagles Chief Coach, Stephen Keshi that the wives of the players would be allowed to go with their husbands to Brazil for the FIFA World Cup competition.

According to a representative of the NFF who spoke anonymously to journalists, the issue had earlier been discussed and agreed upon, that wives accompanying the players would only mean distraction to them.

“There was a meeting of which Keshi was part where it was stated that having the wives with the players will be a distraction, hence it should not be approved”, the NFF official said.

He further stated other issues discussed earlier with Keshi, saying that because NFF agreed with him, not to bring in a foreign physical trainer, he should also respect NFF’s no-wife-in-Brazil stand.

“That particular meeting was when the issue of a foreign fitness trainer was mooted, which Keshi rejected. Mind you, we did not impose the foreigner, we actually asked for his opinion. So, we cannot understand why Keshi would go ahead to say what he said”, the NFF bos added.

Keshi had told the press that allowing the players to take their wives along to the competition would be a big psychological boost to them. He had applauded the idea at a media parley organised by Tom Tom, an official partner of the NFF, last week in Lagos.

But the NFF official argued that Keshi is aware of the financial situation of the federation, that it does not have adequate financial muscle to sponsor players and their spouses, so he should not have flaunted the idea again. It is unclear, though, if the N2 billion approved for the team’s World Cup campaign covers the players’ partners.

In 1994, when Keshi captained the team to the World Cup in United States of America (USA), the spouses of married players were sponsored to the competition by the government. This may be the reason why Keshi, having experienced the benefits of having the players’ wives with them during the competition, is advocating strongly for it again.  

However, the NFF boss revealed that the issue would be resolved at the next meeting with Keshi in Abuja on Monday. 

 

 

A sum of N2.08 billion has been budgeted for the preparation and participation of Super Eagles of Nigeria at the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) said on Monday.

Speaking while defending the federation’s budget before the Federal House of Representatives Committee on Sports, NFF Secretary-General, Musa Amadu explained that a grant of N1. 25bn has been secured from the Federal Government, while the deficit of N829.89m would be sourced from alternative donors.

The budget reveals that each Super Eagle would receive a cumulative $107,500 as winning bonus should the team win the tournament, while Coach Stephen Keshi would receive $215,000.

Each player would get $10,000 for the three matches in the first round, while the head coach would receive double the amount. For the knock-out stages, each player’s pay rises to $12,500 in the Round-of-16, $15,000 in the quarterfinal and $20,000 in the semi-final.

The assistant coaches, team doctor, physiotherapist, welfare officer as well as secretary would receive different amounts as winning bonus, same as the psychologist, media officer, team security officer, match analyst and equipment manager.

Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Sports, Godfrey Gaiya praised NFF for its recent successes in football, and assured of the committee’s cooperation towards raising the needed N800 million.

“I have always assured Nigerians that funding for our football should not be seen as a problem”, he said.

“We have a president that is sensitive to this sector and he has said so time without number that they should make their preparation. You can see that there is a grant for the World Cup outside the NFF’s main budget and that grant is a proposal. The moment we go beyond the round of 16, certainly more money will be given”.

President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday night rewarded members of the bronze-winning Eagles of the 2014 African Nations Championship, at a dinner in Abuja held in their honour.

Jonathan commended the team for raising the nation’s flag with pride t the tournament, and announced a donation of N1m for each players and N1.5m for the coach. The assistant coaches also got N1m each, while other classes of team officials received N500,000 each.

“I am delighted to receive the Super Eagles of Nigeria, who did the nation proud with their brilliant performance at the recently concluded 2014 Orange Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) in South Africa”, the president said.

“The team’s impressive performance adds to a memorable season for Nigerian football, starting with victories at both the 2013 African Cup of Nations and the FIFA Under-17 World Cup competitions.

“I am particularly proud of this team, which, even though they placed 3rd at the championship, exhibited an uncommon degree of resilience, discipline, commitment and patriotism throughout the competition.  This is even more noteworthy considering that this is the first time that Nigeria is qualifying for this particular championship. 

“My dear Super Eagles, I keenly followed your performance from the group stage up to the last third-place match.  I noted that you epitomized the true never-say-die Nigerian spirit, especially in the match against Morocco’s Atlas Lions where you came from a three-goal deficit to win the match against all expectations.

“You may not have won the championship, but you performed gallantly, competed fairly and made all Nigerians proud.  You also produced the tournament’s Most Valuable Player and, today, some of you are being sought after by renowned football clubs around the world.  As the coach has confirmed, some of you may make our team to the FIFA World Cup in June this year. 

Jonathan noted that their exploits at the championship further demonstrated the fact that the efforts being put into rebranding and reinvigorating the Nigerian Football League are yielding positive results.  While admitting that there is still much more work to be done, he observed that it is gratifying to note that, today, the Nigerian league is ranked among the best in Africa. 

“On behalf of all Nigerians, I would like to specially congratulate each and every member of the team for your remarkable achievement.  The glory and honour which you have brought our fatherland is greatly appreciated. You are a credit to Nigeria, your Clubs, and your families”, he continued.

 

“Let me encourage you all to remain committed. To take your game to greater heights, you must not forgo the discipline and all other qualities you displayed and the experience and exposure you have gained from the competition.

“Let me also commend the technical team for their dedication in preparing this team for this commendable result. It is evident that we are reaping the dividends of our investments in the sports sector.  

“The Supporters Club deserves special commendation for the unflagging inspiration they continue to provide our national teams. I will like to seize this opportunity to assure you all that our Administration will continue to give maximum support to our sportsmen and women to enable them optimally realize their potentials for excellence on the international stage

“Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, as a token of our appreciation for the heroic efforts of these gallant patriots, we have decided to reward them as follows: 

i.                   Players                                        -       N1,000,000 each

ii.                Head Coach                                -       N1,500.000

iii.              The 3 Assistant coaches            -       N1,000,000 each

iv.             Team Secretary                          -       N500,000

v.                Team Doctor                               -       N500,000

vi.             Team Physiotherapist                 -       N500,000

vii.           Chief Technical Officer               -       N500,000

viii. Team Coordinator                       -       N500,000

ix.  Team Media Officer                    -       N500,000

x.   Curator                     -       N500,000

  

“Congratulations our Super Eagles. Thank you 

President Goodluck Jonathan (GCFR) has approved the concession of the National Stadium in Lagos.

According to Special Assistant on Media and Strategy to Honourable Minister for Sports, Julius Ogunro, the approval was granted last week.

With the approval, the Honourable Minister of Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi will constitute the Project Steering Committee and the Project Delivery Committee, which will liaise with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to draw up modalities for the concessioning.

The Federal Executive Council set up a committee in September 2012 to look into the mode of maintenance of federal stadia and to develop a sustainable funding framework for sports in general.

That committee in turn set up a technical sub-committee, which would in collaboration with the Bureau of Public and Enterprise (BPE) and Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), recommend the most viable option for the maintenance of the six federal stadia.

The Technical Sub-Committee recommended the involvement of private sector participation in the management and operations of the stadia with concessioning as the preferred and most sustainable approach. It also recommended that the concession of the federal stadia should start with Nation al Stadium, Lagos.

Ogunro also confirmed that further announcements concerning the commencement of the process would be made soon.

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