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 Former Wimbledon player, John Fashanu, and four other ex-Super Eagles internationals, Taribo West, Austin Eguavoen, Mutiu Adepoju and Peterside Idah, have joined the growing list of football analysts contracted by Optima Sports Management International (OSMI) for the 2014 FIFA World Cup coverage.

OSMI, the exclusive 2014 FIFA World Cup terrestrial broadcast rights owners for the Nigerian territory, contracted Seyi Olofinjana a few weeks ago for the same purpose.

Fashanu, a striker, who had a thriving career in England spanning 1978 and 1995, won the 1988 FA Cup with Wimbledon and also featured for other clubs like: Norwich City, Miramar Rangers, Lincoln City, Crystal Palace, Millwall and Aston Villa.

West, a combative defender, won the French league and two French Cup titles with Auxerre before winning the EUFA Cup with Inter Milan in 1998. Other teams he played for include AC Milan, Derby County, Pertizan Belgrade, Kaiserslautern, among others. He had a total of 41 caps for the Super Eagles.

Eguavoen, a defender and former Super Eagles Coach, was a member of the Nigeria squad that qualified for the country's first-ever World Cup in 1994, and won the African Nations Cup in the same year. He played for ACB of Lagos, Genk, Kortrijk, among others and played for the national team 53 times. As a coach, he has managed clubs like Sharks, Enyimba, COD United and Bendel Insurance.

Adepoju, popularly known as “The Headmaster” due to his exceptional heading ability, had most of his career in Spain with Real Madrid, Real Sociedad and Real Santander. Before his foreign career, the attacking midfielder featured for Shooting Stars and Julius Berger on the domestic scene, while in a national team career that spanned 12 years, he donned the Super Eagles shirt 54 times.

Idah, a goalkeeper, had a flourishing career in Nigeria with various clubs like Sharks and Rangers before moving to South Africa where he played for Moroka Swallows. A TV pundit and pastor, Idah also won caps for the Super Eagles and worked as the team’s Media Coordinator.

Speaking on the star-studded crew, OSMI’s Managing Director, Mr. Kunle Falodun, said the desire to deliver a world-class broadcast coverage for the Nigerian audience was responsible for the quality of the crew.

He said: “We are pleased to announce the signing on of these football analysts who are household names in Nigeria. The depth of their football knowledge is amazing while the clarity of their thoughts and delivery is inspiring. We are excited that they are going to enrich the quality of our output for the World Cup broadcast. The overall goal of this is to deliver an unforgettable World Cup experience to Nigerians.”

Aside the analysts, OSMI has also appointed tested sports broadcasters and journalists that will serve as presenters of different ancillary shows during the World Cup. They include Paul Bassey, Tayo Balogun, Aisha Falode, Tunde Orebiyi, Temisan Okomi and Feyi Ogunduyile, among others.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.

ionyclaret@gmail.com

https://www.codewit.com

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Coach Vicente del Bosque appears uneasy with Spain being considered one of the favourites to win the World Cup.
La Roja enter the tournament with pedigree, as they top the FIFA rankings, in addition to being the defending world and European champions.

Del Bosque, however, is wary of placing undue pressure on his charges as they prepare for their Group B opener against 2010 finalists Netherlands on Friday.

"It will be on the field where things will make themselves known. We believe we've worked hard to get things right but football is what, in the end, shows whether things have been done right or not,” Del Bosque told Marca.

“Everything that has happened to us in the last four years is down to the fact that we won [the 2010 World Cup].
"From the idea of being favourites, it is best to turn away, and it is my experience in football that tells me this. A World Cup final is far too big of an event to start sticking these kinds of labels on to.

“Obviously, Brazil are playing at home and are a great team; all the same, the pressure they are going to be under is huge, a lot more than in the Confederations Cup.”

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.

ionyclaret@gmail.com

https://www.codewit.com

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Cross River State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, and former Nigerian track & field queen, Mary Onyali-Omagbemi, were yesterday unanimous in their opinions that the involvement of Corporate Nigeria in sports sponsorship will help drive the growth of the sector.

Speaking at a stakeholders forum in Lagos yesterday to help attract sponsors from Corporate Nigeria for the19th National Sports Festival tagged the Centenary Games to be staged in Calabar in November, Imoke, said that the games promises to be the best in the country’s history.

“It presents a unique opportunity to chart a new era for Nigerian sports. For the first time, elite athletes will be taking part in the festival. We want this game to represent a new beginning for Nigerian sports. We want to give equal opportunity of fairness, an event devoid of the use of drugs.

“The game is very important to the developments of our youths, hence we are soliciting for the support of corporate Nigeria. We have invested significantly in this games by providing infastructure. We have estimated that we will be spending about N8 billion to host a first-class event.

“We have provided tracks at the stadium and new facilities at the state’s university. We want to organise an event that can meet international standard,” Imoke assured the captains of industries represented at the event.

On his part, the NSC boss, Elegbeleye, said “our task is to offer the best platform for our youths to discover their talents. We hope to use the festival to consolidate on our achievements at the African Youth Games in Gaborone, Botswana where we won a record 40 medals to surpass all previous appearances.

He tasked Corporate Nigeria to support sports development not only as a corporate responsibility, but as an empowerment of the youths.

“Governments invest heavily in sports, so corporate bodies must take up the challenge as well. Whatever you do for sports will be supported by the government through task incentives.”

In her own remarks, Onyali-Omagbemi, said “ The festival is being thrown open to give opportunity to all athletes to compete. If we shut out our athletes, other countries will grab them. It is sad to see our children born in the diasporas compete for other countries because we did not give the opportunities to come and be part of us here. Corporate bodies must therefore support our athletes so that they can become future medalists.”

Business moguls led by Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Tunde Folawiyo and Chairman of the governing board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Senator Bassey Ewah Henshaw were inducted as patrons of the Centenary Games scheduled to hold between Novemver 27 and December 7.

Over 15,000 athletes are expected to participate in 28 sports at the sports fiesta.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.

ionyclaret@gmail.com

https://www.codewit.com

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It has been reveal that Super Eagles players, led by skipper Joseph Yobo and Mikel Obi have met with the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to demand an appearance fee for the World Cup.

This is outside the match bonus, which starts at $10,000-a-man for a first round match win, announced for the players for Brazil 2014.

“The players led by Yobo and Mikel met with NFF president Aminu Maigari and some of his officials to demand for their own share of the cash FIFA will pay the country for at least featuring in the first round of the World Cup,” a top source informed AfricanFootball.com

Nigeria will already earn more than $9 million for qualification and participation in the first round of the 2014 World Cup and they will get more if they reach the knockout stages of the competition.

For the World Cup warm-ups against Scotland, Greece and USA, each player received an appearance fee of $3,000.

Fellow World Cup finalists Ghana are on an appearance fee of $75,000-a-man for the 23 players who made the final cut to Brazil 2014.

It would be recalled that a row over such a fee derailed the Super Eagles at the 1998 World Cup in France as players and officials were locked in lengthy meetings to resolve the impasse.

Most recently, another pay row almost caused the country to miss out on the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil, before the Presidency intervened to avoid an international embarrassment.

This has led to the introduction of a code of conduct for the Eagles.

The squad are due in Sao Paolo, Brazil tomorrow.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.

ionyclaret@gmail.com

https://www.codewit.com

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WHEN Nigeria qualified for the World Cup, for the first time in 1994, it was in the midst of the crisis that attended the June 12 presidential election of the previous year. Street protests were building up; the country was torn in shreds along belief and unbelief.

The only thing that appeared intact was the Nigerian team that harboured players across the various divides that were contending for power. The picture is slightly distorted 20 years after.

The crisis in the North East might not be of the dimensions of June 12, the protests may be more peaceful, but the contentions for power, maybe positions, are as strong as they were 20 years ago.

Like in 1994, as the Eagles make their fifth World Cup outing in 20 years, they appear to be the unifying factor again. Crowds are taking up their places in viewing centres to cheer the national team, to hold on to the shreds of hope that it could have its best World Cup ever.

Unlike in 1994, viewing centres may be deserted this year. The fear of the unknown has made them places to avoid in Nigeria’s current crisis. Away from the fears of crisis are the trepidations about the chances of the Nigerian team.

They have persisted through the years. A new cloud is called match-fixing; it was unassociated with the Nigerian until now.

Let us stick to the exciting beginning of our World Cup sojourn. Strongman Sani Abacha was in power in 1994. Players as well as officials dreaded the possibilities of annoying him by not doing well.

The 1994 Africa Nations Cup was in the kitty; Abacha’s ambitions grew, though he did not redeem promises he made to the team for winning the Nations Cup. The decent performance in 1994 was against the background of the un-illustrious record of African champions at the World Cup.

Zaire, African champions 40 years ago, took a 9-1 bashing from Yugoslavia at the World Cup in Germany, partially blamed on the Zairean coach being Yugoslav. African champions 1978 (Ghana), 1982 (Ghana), 1986 (Egypt), 1990 (Algeria), did not qualify for the World Cup in those years.

Eagles, the next World Cup-bound African champions since Zaire’s debacle, were minutes away from glory against Italian when the tables turned. Like South Korea’s coach Lee said after his team’s 2-0 loss to Belgium at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, “If not for those two goals, it would have been a draw”.

The circumstances in 1998 were drearier. The Eagles were winging into France when news of Abacha’s death started seeping out of Abuja. The uncertainties were obvious.

A new government that the players did not know was coming to terms with running Nigeria. Days after, Moshood Abiola died; he was a known motivator to the team. He had helped most of the players personally. A celebrated victory over Spain was the highlight of the outing. The Eagles could not beat the second round bogie.

Korea in 2002 marked the beginning of collapsing performances. No game won, signaling the decline that culminated in the team not qualifying for the 2006 World Cup. There was no political crisis, but the Nigeria Football Association threw out the coach who qualified the team.

South Africa 2010 met the Eagles at their worst. They almost did not qualify and two years earlier, they posted their worst Nations Cup record since 1982, when they were ejected in the earlier rounds in Libya. It was little surprise that they did not win any game. The team was in transition.

The Eagles today do not have the cohesion of 1994. They manage to win games. All they need to excel at the World Cup is to win games; few would remember how they played if they bring the trophy home.

A key factor is coach Stephen Okechukwu Keshi whose future is tied to Brazil 2014. His cognomen, Big Boss, says it all. He has won as player and coach in Africa, against odds, particularly as a coach.

His relevance in post-2014 football depends on Brazil 2014. He has generated hope for Nigerian football fans, but these are fans whose appetite for more almost bothers on greed.

Keshi can push his rejuvenation of the Eagles to new heights, if he realises that he is the one to blame if things go wrong. The applauds would be entirely his, if he wins, as we saw at the 2013 Nations Cup.

Nigerians have a right to hope for good results, even the Cup. As they say in Zimbabwe, football is a round object; it could go in any direction.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.

ionyclaret@gmail.com

https://www.codewit.com

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The gold medal winning feat at the Atlanta ’96 Olympic Games was good for Nigeria but what followed marked the beginning of the plunge Nigeria’s football took after the era of Clemens Westerhof.

The boys who won in Atlanta became so popular that they felt the Atlanta team (Under 23 players with three senior players) should hold sway in the Eagles. They had their way.

Phillip Troyussier had done a great job, qualifying Nigeria to the World Cup. But as it has always been with Nigerians, they mistake their passion for the game for knowledge of the game.

The sports ministry felt that Troussier was no world class coach and the Football Association, unfortunately, reasoned with them.

Troussier was disengaged and Bora Militinovic hired few months to the World Cup finals in France. His record of three World Cup appearances impressed those who hired him.

But little did they take into consideration the fact that Milutinovic did not qualify those teams to the World Cup finals. Mexico in 1986 and USA in 1994 were hosts and did not have to play qualifying matches and Costa Rica in Italia 1990 fired the coach that qualified them to the World Cup and engaged him.

And by the time he led Nigeria to France ’98 World Cup, he was appearing in his fourth World Cup without the rigours of qualifying games which would have put his competence to test.

Bora was a jolly good fellow but he was certainly overrated in terms of managerial and technical abilities.

He fell to the politics some players played and stuck to the Olympic team when some other players could have made a lot of difference. Again, moving Mutiu Adepoju to the right back position when the guy was the engine of the Nigerian midfield killed the team against Denmark who mauled Nigeria 4-1 to send us out of the tournament in the second round.

The team could not match the resilience and flair of USA ’94 squad although the 3-2 victory against Spain was a classic spectacle and it remains memorable.

France ’98 Squad.

Rufai

Oparaku

Babayaro

Kanu

Okechukwu

George, Finidi

Adepoju

Yekini

Okocha

Lawal

Okpara

Babangida

Amokachi

Oliseh

Okafor

Eguavoen

Oruma

Iroha

Ikpeba

Okpara

Baruwa

Coach Clemens Westerhof

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.

ionyclaret@gmail.com

https://www.codewit.com

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The downward trend in Nigeria’s football continued at the Japan/Korea 2002 World Cup.

Amodu Shuaibu and Stephen Keshi had qualified Nigeria for the World Cup, a feat that was slipping until the FA sacked Bonfrere Jo who had lost to the likes of Liberia and Sierra Lone before he was sacked. Amodu and Keshi were brought in for a rescue mission.

They qualified Nigeria for the World Cup. But afte the 2002 Nations Cup in Mali where they lost to Senegal in the semifinal they were sacked.

Again, the sports ministry was at the centre of the crisis that started in Mali when they had issues with players’ flight tickets refunds and bonuses.

The result was the disengagement of Amodu and Keshi few months to the World Cup. Chief Adegboye Onigbinde was engaged.

If t was bad that Amodu and Keshi had to go, it was worse that some players like Sunday Oliseh and Finidi George were sacrificed in the politics that engulfed the team.

About three months to the World Cup Onigbinde, in his first outing, a friendly against Paraguay in London, was introducing himself to the players and asking each player to introduce himself.

In his first training, he had asked defenders, midfielders and attackers to stay in groups, a way to identify them. He probably was doing the right thing but it was just three months to the World Cup; certainly, the wrong time for a coach to be mastering the players he was taking to the World Cup.

Nigeria was the loser. The team failed badly, losing two matches and drawing one against England who didn’t need to win to move on the to the next stage.

The Eagles in Japan/Korea World Cup were not as good as the ones who played in France ’98.

They had been reduced in strength and quality by the absence of the likes of Oliseh and Finidi George who were still in top shape at the time. The dirty politics that schemed them out of the team only punished Nigeria.

Shorunmu
Yobo
Babayaro
Kanu
Okoronkwo
West
Ikedia
Adepoju
Ogbeche
Okocha
Lawal
Ejide
Afolabi
Udeze
Justice
Sodje
Aghahowa
Akwuegbu
Ejiofor
Obiorah
Utaka
Enyeama
Opabunmi
Coach : Adegboye Onigbinde

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.

ionyclaret@gmail.com

https://www.codewit.com

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BUENOS AIRES  (AFP) – Lionel Messi and his fellow Argentinian World Cup squad members were subjected to an unexpected anti-doping test on Tuesday, a day after the squad convened for the start of a training camp in the Buenos Aires suburbs.

According to Argentine sports channel TyC Sports, six FIFA-appointed doctors were sent to the team’s training base in Ezeiza, where players were forced to train inside due to the cold, foggy conditions.

Midfielders Fernando Gago and Ever Banega trained separately from the rest of the squad with the pair still working their way back from injury.

Meanwhile Angel Di Maria, who helped Real Madrid win the Champions League final on Saturday, touched down Tuesday in Buenos Aires before taking a private jet to his hometown Rosario. He is scheduled to join the group at the end of the week.

Two-time world champions Argentina, who haven’t been past the quarter-finals since the 1990 World Cup, will play debutants Bosnia in their Group F opener on June 15.

The South Americans have also been drawn alongside Iran and African Cup of Nations champions Nigeria.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.

ionyclaret@gmail.com

https://www.codewit.com

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Golden Eaglets Coach and one time African Footballer of the Year Emmanuel Amuneke has warned the Super Eagles against showing too much respect to Argentina to the detriment of their other World Cup Group F foes.

African champions Nigeria are drawn against Iran, Bosnia and Argentina in the first round of Brazil 2014.

“My only fear is when we start to disrespect our opponents,” Amuneke told AfricanFootball.com

“We are giving too much priority to Argentina when we should have it in mind that Iran and Bosnia have also qualified for the World Cup and they have some good players.”

The U17 World Cup-winning coach also stated that he was not surprised by Stephen Keshi’s 30-man squad.

“I’m not surprised by the list,” he said.

“When you look at the beginning from qualification time, Keshi had invited a lot of people. Since it’s an on-going thing and Keshi was new to the job and he was trying to build a strong team and now they have the opportunity to be at the World Cup.

“All what we can do is to pray for the team and wish them all the best.”

“Also we hope our players that would be picked for the World Cup would realise how important it is to give their best at the Mundial,” added Amuneke, who featured at the 1994 World Cup

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.

ionyclaret@gmail.com

https://www.codewit.com

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