NFF denies shortchanging Flamingoes

The Nigeria Football Federation director of competitions, Dr Mohammed Sanusi has defended the meager sum paid to Nigeria’s Under-17 women team, Flamingoes for the two-week sojourn in camp.

The players were asked home for a week on Monday from the side camp in Abuja and were given varying sum of money ranging from N6, 000 – N10, 000 depending on the destination of the individual player.

The players were said to have openly grumbled upon receipt of the paltry sum after two-week stay in camp.

It was in the course of the side stay in camp that they secured ticket for the 2014 Fifa Under-17 World Cup holding in Costa Rica without kicking a ball following their challengers, South Sudan withdrawal from the biennial global football showpiece race.

Sanusi said the players two-week stay in camp was considered to be an open camp as such not eligible or entitled for any camp allowance as the money expanded on them was transportation fare back to their various homes.

“NFF does not pay allowance to players in an open camp or trial the money given the players was their fare back to their homes.

“None of them has been selected rather the coach invited them with the hope of picking those that will meet his requirement.

“It’s then that those who made the cut will subsequently enjoy the privilege of camp allowance once invited to camp.

“Right now the players just ended their open camp exercise and that’s why they were asked home to so that the successful ones among them will reconvene in week’s time for the start of preparations for the World Cup campaign,” Sanusi said to supersport.com.

Falconets, too, suffered similar fate as they were handed a paltry $1000 upon return from Freetown, Sierra Leone where they battled the side opponents for a place in the upcoming 2014 Fifa Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada.

Falcons were not better treated during the run in for the two-match friendly with the Japanese women side in Japan as they were paid $7000 instead of the mandatory $100000.

Devils come down hard on El-Zaher

Egyptian club Al Ahly have suspended promising striker Ahmed Abd El-Zaher and put him on transfer list for making four-fingered hand signal in support of Egypt’s deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi while celebrating his 78th goal against Orlando Pirates in the Caf Champions League return leg final on Sunday.

The 28-year-old, who joined Ahly from ENPPI last January, has apologised for the controversy caused by his action, saying he only intended to show solidarity with one of his friends who died when security forces crushed the Rabaa camp on August 14.

El-Zaher has also been pulled out of the squad to play next month's Fifa Club World Cup in Morocco.

“In light of the club's principles, its firm rejection of mixing politics with sports, its adherence to the regulations of FIFA, and the player's confession that he had made a mistake and that he would accept any punishment, the club has decided the following:

"Suspending the player and banning him from next month's Club World Cup, depriving him of the Champions League triumph rewards and putting him up for sale in the January transfer window,” Ahly said in a statement.

World Cup trophy returns to SA

The Fifa World Cup trophy will return to South Africa for the first time in almost four years as part of a global tour.

This tour will see the biggest prize in world football take on 88 countries in 267 days.

South Africans caught their last glimpse of the magnificent 18-carat gold sculpture when it was being held aloft by victorious Spain at the conclusion of the 2010 Fifa World Cup at Soccer City in Johannesburg.

But now it will return from 1 – 3 December 2013 on its way to its final destination, Brazil for the next global showpiece tournament that gets underway in June next year.

Dignitaries from across South Africa will welcome the trophy in a true Brazilian style ceremony on the 1st of December 2013 at the Lanseria Airport, Johannesburg.

Samba dancers and the 2014 Fifa World Cup Mascot, Fuleco are expected to add to the excitement.

South Africans will have a chance to see and be seen with one of sport’s greatest emblem at the Southgate Shopping Centre in Johannesburg from the 2nd December - 3rd December from 11:00 to 19:00 each day.

Fans will also have an opportunity to have souvenir photos of themselves taken with the word’s trophy, view a special hologram animation showcasing memorable moments of the Fifa World Cup, participate in interactive displays and enjoy other entertainment.

The tour will no doubt bring back special memories for fans of the magnificent finals held in South Africa in 2010, the first time ever the World Cup has been staged on the African continent.

The 2010 Fifa World Cup provided South Africa with the ultimate football party and the country’s citizens came together in the spirit of nation-building.

The sight of the trophy will forever evoke those memories and put a smile on the face of all South Africans, who will be delighted to see the prize back in their country.

The trophy itself is the second to be handed to winners of the Fifa World Cup. The original prize was named the Jules Rimet Trophy after the French football administrator who is credited with developing the concept of the World Cup tournament.

That was given to the Brazilian Football Confederation to keep after the country won its third World Cup title in 1970.

A new trophy was commissioned and after a total of 53 designs were submitted to Fifa by experts from seven countries, the final choice was the work of Italian artist Silvio Gazzaniga.

"The lines spring out from the base, rising in spirals, stretching out to receive the world. From the remarkable dynamic tensions of the compact body of the sculpture raise the figures of two athletes at the stirring moment of victory,” Gazzaniga said of his work.

The new trophy is 36 cm high, made of solid 18-carat gold and weighs 6175 grams. The base contains two layers of semi-precious malachite while the bottom side of the Trophy bears the engraved year and name of each Fifa World Cup winner since 1974.

The Fifa World Cup Trophy Tour was developed through an exclusive partnership between Fifa and Coca-Cola, one of Fifa’s longest-standing partners.

The total distance covered during The Tour will be 149 576.78-kilometres. In other words, more than three times the circumference of earth!

The Trophy Tour began its journey in Rio de Janeiro on 12 September, 2013. Departing from the famous Christ the Redeemer statue, the Fifa World Cup Trophy will travel around the world for nine months before returning to the country that will host the 2014 Fifa World Cup: Brazil.

Hintsa calm ahead of Nigeria

Sudan based midfielder Addis Hintsa is visibly one of Ethiopia's most talented players a fact proved by his impact when he was brought in the second half against Nigeria in Addis Ababa.

However the Al Ahly Shendi playmaker is categorical his team mates have to avoid the same mistakes they made against Nigeria in Calabar especially in the dying minutes of the game but also alluded to the fact that despite respecting the African champions they should not be underrated in Calabar.

"We played brilliant football in Addis but we realize that the same must be accompanied by goals to go past a good side like Nigeria who are not easy. It will be a tough match and no one should expect an easy ride. We maybe the under dogs in this match but Nigeria should expect a good fight at their hands for the entire 90 minutes."

"We have always dreamed of being at the World Cup and though our dreams were dented at home I believe its not over until the fat lady sings," Addis told supersport.com.

Addis is one of the Ethiopian foreign based players have joined the Sudanese team from 2012 league champions Debedit.

Butako upbeat ahead of Nigeria

Walia Ibex leftback Abebaw Butako is upbeat and optimistic ahead of the return match against Nigeria’s Super Eagles will help decide their destiny after years of dreaming about the World Cup.

Abebaw who has played a crucial role in all the qualifiers is hoping for the best but at the same time acknowledged it will be a gruelling encounter playing the African champions in their own backyard.

The soft spoken full back however feels that nothing is impossible as long as "God is on your side. "

"We have been working very hard in training ahead of the return match. I know it will be a tough game playing the African champions in their home soil but football has its own ways and when God is on our side then anything can happen. We have played well throughout the qualifiers and maintain a steady rise this is a proud moment and we can only pray for the best in Calabar."

"We might have lost to Nigeria at home but I always believe with hard work and God on our side we can upset the form book in Nigeria as nothing is impossible," Abebaw told supersport.com.

Abebaw currently plays for St.George in the Ethiopian premier league but has been linked by Turkish teams who have been impressed by his recent form and consistency.

Betting costs Arsenal fan a house

A staunch Arsenal fan in Iganga District in Eastern Uganda is searching for a new home for his family after losing his house in a bet over a game between English clubs Arsenal and Manchester United.

Before the two heavyweights faced off on Sunday n the league, Henry Dhabasani staked his two-roomed house in a bet with a one Rashid Yiga that Arsenal would win the game, the Observer – a Ugandan newspaper reports.

On his part, Yiga staked his new Toyota Premio car and his wife that Manchester United would win.

“The two put their stake in writing, with local leaders and fans witnessing the deed,” the paper further reports.

Dhabasani, married to three wives with five children, fainted at the end of the match on realizing Arsenal had lost the game 1–0.

On Monday, several Manchester United fans stormed Dhabasani’s home and threw him and his family out.

In Megersa Eagles face a true problem

Ethiopia’s Asrat Megersa blocks out the sun when he plays – he has that much of a presence. But that is not what makes him my favourite Ibex. It’s his humility and the way he carries himself under pressure off and on the field.

Against Nigeria in Addis his game was of such quality that at one point Eagles Assistant coach Amokachi sent in directives to stop going down the middle and it was not because of the bumpy pitch. It was because of the enigmatic midfielder.

Even Coach Keshi also had good things to say about the savvy athlete marveling in amazement at the way he could run backwards. I mean we all know Ethiopians can run, but when one of them catches up to one of your strikers while back pedaling, you really have to scratch your head and loosen your collar. As we heard Keshi said one word “choi” which in Nigerian Pidgin loosely translates into ‘wow’!

Megersa is loaded with talent as well as blessed with size. Amazingly at a solid 6 feet 2 he runs on his toes like a ballerina while being as slippery as a spoon of Niter Kibbeh the famous Ethiopian butter. Just ask Zambia’s Sun Tzu and he will tellMegersa’s head is as deadly as a Scud Rocket because he heads down and into unguarded space. Backpagepics

Back from his stay in Israel where he played for Hapoel Ramat HaSharon for a spell, many who scout Ethiopia know that he is one of their top three key players. The danger when you don’t keep him occupied in his half with mop up assignments and as a quasi defender, is that he delivers a properly weighted ball and this is why when he plays further upfront the Ibex mostly tend to win.

And this is what Nigeria must do. Keep him occupied in their half. Mikel must take it to him while getting help from others to block his lane and keep him from acting as a sling shot and giving the Ethiopian attack a sense of purpose. I would even suggest avoiding him totally but Megersa I know will always find the action even if it means running back ward to meet it.

Granted while the Saladin Said versus Godfrey Oboabona one and one remains the match up of the game to watch, how the Eagles deal with Megersa will be just as important and if they stumble come Saturday at 3pm CAT Nigeria will be collectively saying ‘choi’ again. you that the man can be an unmovable force. So will Mikel Obi who as we know is another player one simply can’t separate from the ball unless fouling. In addition, while Asrat born in 1987, may weigh like a sack of yams when on the ground is as light as a feather when in the air and actually knows how to head with purpose and accuracy. This is because he does not close his eyes when meeting the ball and looks for his target while in flight – a rarity today. Rwanda knows first hand that I am not making this up.