2022 AWCONQ: Lady Elephant's threat is the beginning of wisdom for the NFF

      

The threat posed by the Lady Elephant of Cote d'ivoire is real and NFF has started taking proactive steps towards securing a place for Super Falcons of Nigeria in the 2022 Africa Women Cup Of Nations (AWCON) and the 2023 FIFA Women World Cup. 

           

The Super Falcons rounded off a 9-day training camp on Tuesday 30th November 2021 at Abuja.  

The first of such camp since Randy Waldrum takes over as the coach of the team over a year ago, an exercise the American coach describes as a marvellous experience as it's a rare opportunity to truly assess the players. 

"I am happy we had this training camp as we were able to see the home-based players and the overseas-based, and everyone bonded very well. 

“We will look to have periodic campings like this to be able to put forward the best of Nigeria women players for matches and championships at any time,” Waldrum told the NFF media. 

This is coming after the coach's first two International games against the Black Queens of Ghana in the first round of 2023 Africa Women Cup Of Nations ( AWCON) qualifiers. 

It was a scary 180 minutes as the Super Falcons struggled to break down the Ghanaians in Lagos and laboured to an unconvincing 2-0 victory and the Super Falcons lost the second leg in Accra by 1-0 but qualified by 2-1 on aggregate in October. 

The team's performance on both occasions wasn't good enough and it confirms that the dominance of the Super Falcons on the continent is fast becoming a thing of the past. 

This is a fact the NFF knows and part of the measures in arresting the downward slide of the team is the introduction of the periodic training camps as the team cannot afford not to defend the 2019 AWCON title won in Ghana two years ago. 

Standing between this dream is the Lady Elephants of Cote d'Ivoire as both countries will square up in March next year for a place in place in the competition. 

The General Secretary of the NFF, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, knows the threat posed by the Ivorians hence the need for the camping exercise. 

" We are aware of the challenge that Cote d’Ivoire will pose when we confront them for a place at next year’s Women AFCON. We need players who are committed and are proud to dorn the country’s colours and will strive to deliver no matter the circumstances". 

The Ivorians threat is real, as they stopped the Super Falcons from participating at the 2020 Olympic Games and the manner with which the Lady Elephants despatched the Niger Republic in the first round of the 2022 AWCON qualifier scoring 20 goals in 180 minutes.  

No doubt this camp is desirable and timely as its importance cannot be overstated as the task ahead is far beyond just two-legged AWCON qualifiers against Cote'd'ivoire as the 2022 AWCON will also determine the countries that will represent Africa at the 2023 FIFA Women World Cup. 

Hence the threat posed by the Ivorians cannot be overemphasised and camping the team is a good step to ensuring the Super Falcons scale the hurdle, kudos to the NFF for being proactive.

FALCONS WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THE TRAINING CAMP:

Goalkeepers: Onyinyechukwu Okeke (Bayelsa Queens); Ibubeleye Whyte (Rivers Angels); Uchenna Chukwu (Nasarawa Amazons)

Defenders: Onome Ebi (Minsk FC, Belarus); Maureen Okpala (Nasarawa Amazons); Patricia George (SC Sand, Germany); Ashley Plumptre (Leicester City, England); Miracle Joseph (Bayelsa Queens); Joy Duru (Nasarawa Amazons); Nicole Payne (West Virginia University, USA); Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash, USA); Glory Edet (Bayelsa Queens); Akudo Ogbonna (Edo Queens)

Midfielders: Adekite Dada (Watford FC, England); Peace Efih (Kiryat Gat, Israel); Yetunde Aluko (WFC Ramat Hasharon, Israel); Amanda Mbadinuju (Bayelsa Queens); Goodness Onyebuchi (Edo Queens); Grace Igboamalu (Bayelsa Queens); Toni Oyedupe Payne (Sevilla FC, Spain); Regina Otu (Minsk FC, Belarus); Christy Ucheibe (FC Sevilla, Spain)

Forwards: Rasheedat Ajibade (Atletico Madrid, Spain); Esther Okoronkwo (AS Saint Etienne, France); Mary-Ann Ezenagu (Rivers Angels); Anam Imo (Pitea IF, Sweden); Vivian Ikechukwu (Rivers Angels); Gift Monday (FC Robo); Juliet Bassey (Bayelsa Queens); Chinonyerem Macleans (Gonirk Leczna (Poland)  

Ballon d’Or 2021: Results as Lionel Messi beats Lewy by just 33 votes

Lionel Messi beat Robert Lewandowski to the 2021 Ballon d’Or title by just 33 points after football figures the world over cast their vote for the globe’s best player.

Each nation was represented in the voting by the national team’s manager, captain, and a leading sports journalist nominated by the country’s association. They selected a top three with three points for the winner, two for second place, and one for third.

It led to Messi being awarded 613 points ahead of the 580 claimed by Lewandowski - a thin winning margin but by no means the smallest claimed by the Argentine superstar.

Messi beat Virgil van Dijk to the 2019 gong by just seven points while Kevin Keegan and Alfredo Di Stefano share the closest near-misses, finishing runner-up in 1972 and 1956 respectively while just three points behind - under previous voting systems.

Finishing third in Monday’s ceremony was Jorginho, who scored 460 points.

Karim Benzema came home fourth with 239 points ahead of Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante on 186.

Cristiano Ronaldo beat Mohamed Salah to sixth place and almost took Kante too, finishing on 178 points. Salah earned 121 points to Kevin De Bruyne’s 73, with 58 for Kylian Mbappe and 36 for tenth-placed Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Outside the top ten were Erling Haaland (33), Romelu Lukaku and Giorgio Chiellini - both with 26 but the Belgian officially ahead due to the weighting of his votes.

Leonardo Bonucci (18), Raheem Sterling (10), Neymar (nine), Luis Suarez, Simon Kjaer (both eight), Mason Mount and Riyad Mahrez (both seven) completed the top 20.

Bruno Fernandes and Lautaro Martinez (both six) shared 21st place ahead of Harry Kane (four), Pedri (three), Phil Foden (two) and the trio of Nicolo Barella, Ruben Dias and Gerard Moreno who all took home a single point.

Cesar Azpilicueta and Luka Modric did not receive any votes and finished tied for 29th.

Culled: The Standard 

Ballon D'or: Lewandowski stands between Lionel Messi's seventh heaven

Robert Lewandowski is the leading favourite to win the 2021 Balon D'or, the first of his career but he has to deal with Lionel Messi's brilliant 2021 exploits in the Argentina shirt as the PSG forward might have done just enough during the 2021 Copa America to win the golden ball award for the seventh time.  

The year 2021 is significant in Lionel Messi's career as he won the first international trophy after several attempts.  

He helped Argentina to end a 28 years wait for an international trophy, a feat Messi described as "the best given all that it cost."

And many considered Messi's performance good enough for the " crazy"  seventh Ballon d'Or.

"If the Ballon d'Or were to arrive, it would be extraordinary for what it would mean to win one more. The seventh would be crazy." Messi told the Catalan Daily Sports ahead of the 2021 award. 

The competition was just for three weeks during the summer but the Argentine put up a performance that would have a lifetime effect on the continent as he scooped all the individual awards. 

He won the MVP as well as the highest goal scorer award alongside breaking the international trophy duck for Argentina despite a filled trophy cabinet for Barcelona. 

He also had a decent personal output with the Blaugrana in the Laliga winning the King's Cup as well as the highest goal scorer award for the 8th consecutive season, before he finally bowed out of the Catalonia club in a record-breaking move to France.  

Though he is yet to hit his best of form since he joined Paris St Germain in the summer, he has nothing to prove in Paris hence not under any pressure to lift the team as the team is loaded with stars to win the French Ligue 1 title once again. 

 

Lionel Messi performance will be judged with the UEFA Champions League, where he has scored four goals already and is still in the race to win the trophy in 2022, with PSG the first in their history.  

But Robert Lewandowski is the uncrowned winner for the 2020 award which the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic didn't allow to hold. 

The Polish international striker has done everything possible football-wise in 2020 with no player so close to rivalling him but the organiser decided not just to hold the award.

 

The 2020 FIFA best needs to keep his 2020 form and probably better it in 2021 to be counted among the winners of the prestigious award.  

He did just that. His 53 goals in the calendar year is a feat that shows he has not slowed down a bit from where he left off in 2020. 

The 33-year old striker consistency in the last three years shows he gets better with age and the sentiment is rife for his glorious Bayern Munich and Bundesliga career need a personal award to crown the feats as he gets better and better every passing season. 

Winning the  2021 Balon D'or might just be a cool compensation for his efforts of the last three seasons and the 2020 miss when he deserved it all alone.

"'Lewy' has to win the golden ball Monday when you see the way he is playing at the moment," Mueller said of a player who has already scored 25 times in 20 appearances this season. 

Other players in the mix are Jorginho of Italy and Chelsea, the midfielder who won the European Player of the year after helping Italy to win the Euro and guiding Chelsea to the UEFA Champions League trophy in 2021.  

He is a real threat to coming from behind to scoop the award off Lewy or Messi but historically it's been a tough one for a defensive midfielder to win the award as strikers are always first considered by the voting experts.  

As the time ticks and the countdown to Monday,29 November 2021 continues, will Lewandowski 2020 performance be compensated for or Lionel Messi's Copa America brilliance be appreciated with the award for the seventh time?

SportsFlames Name Police DIG Moses Jitoboh As Sports Man Of The Year

Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of South-East and South-South, Moses Jitoboh has received the Command Secondary School and SportsFlames Sports Man Of The Year Award.

Jitoboh a member of the 1987 Set received the award on Saturday in Lagos after his secondary school classmates defeated the 1984 Set (their seniors) 3-0 in a novelty football match played at the Legacy Pitch of the National Stadium in Surulere Lagos.

According to DIG Jitoboh after receiving the Award at the Legacy Pitch inside National Stadium Surulere, he expressed joy and excitement.

In his words," I'm delighted and honoured to have received this award. The only way I can show my appreciation to the organizers of this award is to do more for sports with which I have a passion.

" Anything that is done for the promotion of sports is never small. We plan to upgrade the Command Secondary School football pitch. We are working on it and at the right time, works should commence on it."

The DIG thinks that the youths can use the Police Force as a platform to achieve their dreams in Sports.

" Recall I was a former national basketball player,  I slammed and dunked at the highest level in Nigeria as I was the captain of the Police Team. Sports drives me and not just me but my family. My two kids are in the United States playing basketball.  

" I was also formerly in charge of Police Sports, if you look at the different sports in Nigeria, you will find an athlete (male or female) who is in the force and have gone ahead to win laurels for the country.

As regards the 1987 Set, who have gone four novelty matches unbeaten, "One unique thing about the 1987 Set is the camaraderie amongst ourselves and sure a few present for the novelty match have come from far as Europe and America. I flew into Lagos from Abuja and others from Port-Harcourt not just for the game but to see ourselves.

" The meeting is not just about sports, which of course is the unifying factor, life and helping ourselves to greatness."

Captain of the winning 1987 Set, Femi Barry after the game said: "Our team was and still the only side that has played in the quarter-final round of the Lagos Principals Cup, losing to MBHS at the Onikan Stadium (now Mobolaji Johnson Arena).

" The previous novelty matches we have played were against our juniors, while this is first against our seniors. We were too fit for them, Dele Awoshika, Eniola and I scored. In the second half, we were just doing the passing. I think we have to pause our play as any set that wants to play against the 87 Set must go four games unbeaten before they think of challenging us, as we are true champions.

Reacting to the 3-0 defeat, David who led the 84 Set teams out said, "I knew we will lose as when I saw them, the 87 Set team looked fit unlike us. Some of us were meeting ourselves again for teams 30 or 35 years. The novelty game was fun, I used to be the captain of the school football team, did not pursue a career in football as I chose to do God's work." 

Also, Managing Partner  Sportflames Communications and Football Events Consultant to Command Secondary School Ipaja, 

Olawale Olatoye said: " It's a well-deserving award to DIG Moses Jitoboh who has contributed to sports in Nigeria as a former boss of Police Sports.

" Sportflames objectives is to always encourage and support exceptional personalities, put smiles on faces by contributing to sports Development, we love giving back to the industry by appreciating and embracing hard work with massive efforts, not in competition with anyone, just doing what we love to do."

Great Organization, Magnificent Facility; Alexander Otasowie Praises Gymnastics Federation, Philip Shaibu

This is World Class Suspended Gymnasium":Board Member Gymnastics Africa Eulogies Edo State Government On Facility

As part of its manifesto in repositioning Nigeria Gymnastics sphere, the Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria under the leadership of Prince Kelvin Erhunwmunse is currently on Day 5 of its week training, exposure of athletes, coaches and judges of the game as well as Gymnastics camp for West Africa countries ongoing at the ultra-modern gymnastics gym of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City of Edo State. 

The week-long camp, the first of its kind in West Africa, has seen the presence of FYG experts from Egypt train coaches, judges and technical instructors from about seven countries in Africa.

Amongst participants at the week-long camp is a former gymnast and an administrator, Alexander Otasowie who couldn't hide but registers his excitement on this landmark. 

"I started gymnastics from this State and I'm happy to be here not just for the fact that I'm a gymnast, but for the fact that my state is pioneering this for the country and this is something I take pleasure in."

"I also want to thank the president of the Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria who since he came on board as president has changed things. Himself being a gymnast is aiming to improve coaches, athletes and judges in the just concluded Level 1 course, a move to have a proper database to push the entire Gymnastics Federation forward."

"Nobody has ever believed this can happen in Nigeria, even the west African countries are amazed at what they have seen."

The excited Otasowie however heap praises on the Edo state government for putting in place the world-class gymnastics suspended gym.

"For the facility, this is the best we have in central West Africa and one of the best in another part of Africa. I'm a member of the UOG, the highest body for Africa and Edo state is pulling the whole of Africa and the whole world is monitoring. I'm amazed that this is happening in Nigeria."

"Now we are having this for the first time, bringing together the entire zone in West Africa. A big appreciation to the Government-Governor Obaseki and Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu for putting in place this structure to help raise more gymnasts who train with modern facilities."

"More completions, more games would be coming and now that the international bodies have seen it, it's a clear indication that we can stage as many competitions here."

"The very recent commissioning we had in the world was in Germany, 2019, this is exactly what's there-suspended gymnastics gym-which look impossible, which means that way happened in Germany is happening here. Not only Edo is benefiting from this or the whole country, but West Africa is also benefiting from it and Africa is happy to showcase this as one of the best they have."

"For Edo state, it's good and as a federation, we can see that it's one of the best and we are happy to have the best. This is the best place you can have the national team train, no other place in Nigeria has this facility," Otasowie added.

It's scary ending, protests but no surprises as CAF FIFA 2022 World Cup qualifiers enter a playoff

It's nervy endings and two protests as CAF FIFA 2022 World Cup qualification series enter the playoff with no upsets as all the ten countries that qualify lived up to pre-competition ratings. 

Nigeria, Senegal, Morrocco, Ghana, Cameroon, Congo Dr, Algeria, Egypt, Mali, and Tunisia left in the race, which started in August 2021 with all the 54 FIFA-affiliated football associations from CAF. 

There is no notable absentee from the list of qualified teams as Nine out of the remaining ten teams are in the top 10 brackets of Africa football based on the  FIFA ranking for November. 

Probably the only missing name in the top 10 rankings is Ivory Coast but they find themselves in the same group with Cameroon, of which Cameroon eliminated the Ivorians on the final day in Yaounde as the group winner needed just a victory to make it to the playoffs. 

The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon needed Karl Toko Ekambi 21st minute goal to wade off all pressures mounted by Sebastian Haller, Nicholas Pepe, Aboubacar Sangare, etc to ensure a place in the playoffs. 

The Super Eagles of Nigeria also survived a scare from the Blue Sharks of Cape Verde, as the Super Eagles played 90 minutes of lustreless football to hold on to a 1-1 draw which guarantee the needed one point which is enough to keep their track in the race to Qatar.

The current African Champions Algeria were pushed to the limit by Burkina Faso as the Burkinababe came back twice and very close to causing one of the biggest upsets of the last day in the 2022 World Cup qualifier. 

But nearly wasn't enough as the Algerians held their nerve and ended the game on 2-2 which is enough for passage to the playoff and keep their unbeaten record of 33 games on the bounce since 2019. 

Tunisia was levelled on points with Equatorial Guinea going into the final day and needed victory to qualify. 

The Carthage Eagles made no mistake in Rades as they scored three first-half goals against Zambia to erase doubts as they ended the group on top after ninety minutes with the game ended 3-1. 

Equatorial Guinea ended their wild chase of a place in the place off by playing a 1-1  against Mauritania, in Antananarivo.

The Benin Republic also went into their final game against Congo Dr, needing only a point to progress but they left Kinshaha with nothing after losing the match by two goals to nil which is enough for the Congolese to secure their place in the playoffs. 

Ghana also edged South Africa through a disputed penalty in the 35th minute after Leicester City defender Daniel Amartey was adjudged to have been fouled in the box. 

The resultant penalty kick results in 1-0 for the Black Stars which is enough to topple the Bafana Bafana on the head to head and book their place in the final round.

Mali, Egypt, Morrocco and Senegal, all get the job done before the final day and save themselves from the drama of the final day. 

Morocco completed a flawless process in the qualifiers keeping their 100% record of winning all their games by taking Guinea to the cleaners with a 3-0 victory on the final day. 

Egypt also made it a good home ending as they defeated Gabon by 2-1 despite resting the majority of their first-team players having qualified on matchday five with the pulsating 2-2 draw against Angola in Luanda. 

Mali also defeated Uganda by 2-0 while Senegal bests Congo by 1-0 to end the series without losing any of their games. 

Protests 

The Federation of International Football Association has confirmed the protest of South Africa and the Benin republic. 

The South African Football Association, SAFA are praying that their match against Ghana is replayed. 

According to the SAFA, the penalty that decided their game was manipulated by the centre referee Maguette Ndiaye to favour the Black Stars.

FIFA has once ordered a replay between Bafana Bafana and Senegal in the 2018 World Cup qualifier after the referee was found guilty of match manipulation.

Also, the Beninoise Football Federation (FBF) is asking for the ejection of Congo Dr for violations of the rules of the game on substitution per match.

The appeal is about the fact that DR Congo made four substitutions on four separate occasions during Sunday's qualifier. 

Under current Fifa regulations for international games, teams are allowed to make up to five substitutes but only during three substitution windows in the game.  

Whatever decision the world football governing body, FIFA takes won't affect the draws for the playoff which will be held on December 18 2021 with the top 5 ranked teams in the FIFA ranking will be in a pot as the seeded teams and the second pot will have the remaining fine teams. 

The seeded teams are Senegal, Algeria, Morocco, Nigeria and Tunisia. 

The unseeded teams are Cameroon, Ghana, Egypt, Mali and Dr Congo.

'Rohr must go' Nigerians roar on Facebook as Nigeria struggles against Cape Verde in Lagos

Nigerians on Facebook are asking for the sack of the Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr despite picking the needed point to qualify Nigeria to the 2022 FIFA World Cup final round of qualifiers in Africa. 

The Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr was at the centre of attraction on Facebook just after the Super Eagles secured a place in the CAF 2022 FIFA World Cup playoffs after playing a 1-1 draw with Cape Verde on Tuesday (16 November 2021) in Lagos. 

The greater number of people reacting to a poser by the 'Nigeria Football League' page wants the Nigeria Football Federation to sack the Franco-German tactician before the African Cup of Nations in January 2022. 

The poser is asking to know the impression of the page users about the performance of the team after 1-1 draw. 

Lots of the microblogging website users who commented under the thread believed the coach has nothing more to offer the team as he has failed to improve the team since 2017 hence the best alternative is for his employer to sack him now as the Super Eagles deserve a better tactician going forward. 

Coach Gernot Rohr has overseen 53 games for the Super Eagles with an Appearance at the 2018 FIFA World Cup where the team failed to progress out of the group stage. 

He also qualified the team for the 2019 African Cup Of Nations (AFCON )and finished third at the competition. 

He has qualified the country for another AFCON and is on the verge of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup with two more games to go in the playoffs. 

Here are some of the respondent's reactions. 

The Super Eagles topped group C which has Cape Verde, Liberia and the Central Africa Republic with 13 points with victories in four of the six games played, losing one of the games in Lagos and also playing another draw in Lagos.

You can have your say too, Rohr, to go or to stay?