Nigerian Football Federation should stay clear from the victorious Dream Team VI

Successes have lots of friends but failures have enemies and that is the story of Samson Siasia and his Dream team VI. I find it very funny and ridiculous that the NFF is trying to take the glory for the success story of this young lads when we know the role the FA played from inception. The NFF failed to pay these boys their allowances and owed the coaching crew and not minding that, the team still forged on to bring success to the country.I must commend the patriotic spirit of the coaching crew and the team in general.I said it before and I am saying it again, it is high time the NFF books are looked into because they don't function as a business minded organization. The same money they don't have now came out after the team won the trophy and we saw some of the officials flying from Nigeria to Senegal and back to Nigeria again just to join the podium celebration. Questions should be asked and answers provided, what would have been the fate of Siasia if the team failed to win? Will this money be paid if we did not win? How did the NFF get the money so quickly after the noise made by soccer loving Nigerians? Is this process the best practice around the World? What is the assurance that this would not repeat itself again? What happens to other teams that are yet to get their money? What about the coaches being owned? Even though we won the competition we still need the FA to account for their actions because the tax payer needs to know what the money collected by the NFF is used for. Going forward the system needs to be changed and those who failed to perform their jobs professionally be shown the way out as the embarrassment is not right for this country.Therefore someone should tell the NFF to put their house in order and not claim the glory of Samson Siasia and the lads.

Aston Villa downward slide in the Premiership

Aston Villa FC, one of the most respected clubs in the premiership is going through the most difficult season. Even with the appointment of a new coach Remi Garde, the club is yet to find its feet. The fact remains that the management needs to do a lot to keep the club in the premiership at the end of the season. A quality of players being bought and the current  team needs a total change as the fortune of the club has been dwindling for the past 5 seasons. This season they are currently bottom of the log and the loss to Arsenal has put more spanner to the works. It will be a sad story if VILLA PARK fails to host premiership matches next season as the club and management will loose a lot both on and off the pitch.

Michel Platini dreams of becoming FIFA President dashed by CAS

The dream of suspended UEFA president Michel Platini of becoming the next FIFA president has been dashed by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS). With the decision of CAS, this has finally put to rest the eligibility of Michel Platini. This is another chapter in the sad story of football officials that are directly or indirectly linked to the FIFA drama. It is my believe that many lessons will be learnt from this as justice must always prevail. For Michel Platini, this is a time for him to reflect on all his actions and dealings in both UEFA and FIFA.

Nigerian Football Federation and failed commitments

Money has always being the main reason why problems persist in our football. The Nigerian Football Federation has failed to meet up with its obligation as regards payment and settlements of debts for work done. The current situation in which our players and coaches are being owned salaries and allowance is a sad one. Just recently the NFF board took his members for a training and workshop in the United Kingdom and we all know that lots of money would have being spent with some members enjoying fat allowances. What is quite shameful is that some of our coaches are being owed for months and even years and nothing is said or done about it. I hope the NFF board knows that the players and coaches do have families to take care of. The question one needs to ask is this is the NFF broke? was there no allocation for players and coaches wages? where are the grants and other income coming in from CAF and FIFA? I think it is his time the NFF books are audited and checked by reputable audit firms and forensic experts and if need be invite the EFCC. What the NFF should be thinking of is how to depart from their old ways they are used to and embrace change because a worker deserves his wages. I am of the opinion that the coaches and players association should unite to fight this injustice. The NFF cannot continue to run our football without following laid down policies and procedures as football is a global brand. With all these issues I don't think the private sector or any would be investor will be willing and ready to do business with the NFF. Accountability should be the watchword and going forward the current board must be made to fall in line,enough of sentiments and lets face reality.

English Premier League Clubs and the Champions League

Looking at the performance of the English club in the Champions League this season, a lot is still desired. The round of sixteen might be a tough not to crack as bookmakers favourite still remains the Spanish and German clubs. Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City  will know who their next opponents is by 14^th of December 2015 and even though the clubs are not favourite, no one should rule them out as the coaches in question for the clubs Jose Mourinho, Arsene Wenger and Manuel Pellegrini are all experienced coach who on a good day can all spring surprises. Even though Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich remains the bookmaker’s favourites, no one should rule out the English clubs

Tax Issues involving Barcelona Players

Lionel Messi, Neymar da Silva Santos and now Javier Mascherano are some of Barcelona players that have Tax related issues. The image of Barcelona FC as a club is in doubt as football followers feels there is more than meets the eyes. Recently the club was given a provisional suspension for signing under aged players and this affected their transfer signing over the summer as player signed Arda Turan can only feature from the next transfer window. All these point to the fact that Barcelona has questions to answer. Even though Barcelona is doing well on the field, but off the pitch a lot of controversies rocks the club. There is the need for the football body to place a searchlight on the club as the club need to go through the integrity test for we sports fans to see or feel there is no cover up in the actions of the club.

School Sports Development and catch them young Program

There was a time in this country where school sports was the driving force in grassroots development for our sports. Every school invested in sports development with inter and intra sports competitions being organized .The private sector were fully involved and the result was champions bring groomed and made that helped to define our nation’s sports. Over the years this aspect of our sports development have been neglected and the result is the fall in standards and our inability to participate in international competitions effectively. Our school fields and compounds have been converted to other structures and functions. Many schools don’t partake in inter house sports activities with the excuse of trying to meet up with the school curriculum calendar. The government has majority of the blame as these schools under their initial owners the missionaries always gave school sports a priority. Also Educational inspectors don’t consider the facilities intending schools applying for government licence do possess and plans they have for school sports before licence is granted. In the western world a child’s talent is discovered from home and nurtured to fruition through school sport and that is why they are champions. For the country to bring back its lost glory, we need to re-visit school sports and we must inculcate the school sports into the educational curriculum of our children.

Federal Government Budget for Sports

The sports industry has grown to the point that Government alone cannot fund. Every year the government makes provision in the annual budget for sports and each year the sports federations are complaining. The reason for this recurring decimal of low funds is based on lack of not involving the private sector. Truly speaking, with the way funds are managed by the government, it will be difficult for the private sector to come on board. One of the factors for low patronage of the private sector is lack of accountability in sports. The bureaucratic bottle necks is not helping matters as it take time for policies to develop and implemented. The amount being spent is low compared to the output expected and the result is few talents discovered with the country only participate in few competitions. The sports federations are over dependent on government with some of the sports administrators failing to keep their campaign promises of financial independence. The federal budget for sports cannot be more than what it is presently as other sectors of the economy cannot be neglected therefore the success of our sports development rest squarely in the hands of the private sector. Sports like football takes a large chunk of sports budget and it is still not enough. Our sports administrators need to look inwards and think outside the box on ways to win over the private sector in sports.

Sunday Oliseh and the repositioning of our National Team

I have read newspapers, listened to television stations and followed comments on social media on issues relating to our national team coach Sunday Oliseh as it relates to the Super Eagles. One thing is certain there is a problem with our national team and these problem started after the departure of Clemens Westerhof and Bonfrere Johannes Franciscus "Jo". The philosophy introduced by both men who happened to be Dutch guided our football and made us to be 5th in the world as at 1994. Today Nigeria is 66 in the world and 14 in Africa and the so called small countries have overtaken us. Sunday Oliseh happened to be a student of both coaches and with what he plans to do, we the fans have to be patient. For us to get to the top we need a lot of seriousness and sacrifices and we need objectivity in our criticism. This is not the time to point accusing fingers or that the coach is not experienced enough because our position today is very embarrassing. Truth must be told the coach has a lot of work to do and the NFF must give him the necessary support. I personally feel that a lot of work needs to be done to get the best legs for all positions in the team both through our local or foreign leagues. Quality friendly matches must be organized and all players given the opportunity to showcase their skills. I know the time might be short for the coach to make drastic changes but he could utilize every FIFA fee window to put his strategies and plans to test and perfection. Sentiments should be kept aside and players current form and performance employed. The downward trend of our football need to stop and I hope enough time is given for the coach to make changes after all he has played in some of the best leagues in the world in which he worked with great coaches. This is the time to put all the experience gathered into use so Sunday Oliseh my coach its time to work the ball is in your court.

Need to introduce STREET SPORTS

One of the ways of getting raw talents is through Street Sports. The best place to develop raw talents and to catch them young is from the grassroots and street sports offers these opportunities. Most of the great sports personalities such as Pele, Maradona, Messi, Ronaldo, Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, Mike Tyson just to mention a few all started from the streets by just playing the sports they like and today they are household names and world champions. Street sports can be seen as an avenue to reduce poverty, unemployment and insecurity in the environment and if properly managed could fetch good revenue for both the individuals and government. In the western world it has worked and the result is there for everyone to see.In our case,it is left for the Ministry of Youth and Sports to set up policies and work out modalities to achieve set goals. As we know,corporate sponsors will be interested if the program is well marketed, managed, packaged and accounted for as these could be a way for the corporate sponsors and private sectors contributing to their Corporate Social Responsibilities. A public and private partnership is needed and when this is done our country will be better off.

Aruna Quadri and other PING PONG players are not to be blamed

When people say Aruna Quadri and other professional table tennis players like Funke Oshonaike did not perform well in the ITTF International Table Tennis Circuit for the year 2015,I keep wondering why this statement.The truth of the matter lies on the fact that Aruna Quadri  and the rest of our players to the best of my knowledge have been doing their best to put Nigeria in the ITTF world map while the NTTF just wait and see with some official criticizing them. If we are asking for a change in every facet of our lives including sports then we must tell ourselves the truth. Now we need answers to this questions, Did the NTTF bother to find out the problems our table tennis professionals faced while playing abroad? How many competitions did we get sponsorship and support from the NTTF? What has happened to the catch them young program that existed in our primary and secondary schools? Can't the NTTF get credible sponsors for competitions while they wait for the yearly Asoju Oba Table Tennis Competition sponsored by the late Chief Molade Okoya Thomas? Why do our NTTF officials find it easy to release funds for themselves but difficult to our table tennis players? When was the last time talents were discovered and nurtured?When election comes they will canvass for votes but what is their achievements? Egypt is still dominating the sports so what are their plans to change status? These are questions and hard facts that needs answers so please don't go blame the wrong people because those who are at fault know themselves.

Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua a loss to Nigeria.

Even though Great Britain was our colonial masters, I must confess that the way we loose our athletes is quite embarrassing. For a while now our so called sports administrators are more concerned with politics and what they and their families will get from the national cake than the success story of our athletes. Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua is just one of the boxers that will carry and put British boxing in the world map at the expense of Nigeria. The same problem that affected football where we lost our players to other nation is spreading like a virus to other sports. The reason for this problem is based on the type of sports administrators we have that has failed to put the necessary infrastructures, human financial and material resources and logistics in place for our sports men and women. Tomorrow when we hear Anthony Joshua as he is popularly called as the World Boxing Champion, we should remember that Anthony is no more a Nigerian but a Briton and this new identity was made easier thanks to the sports administration we have in our country.

Lack of funds in Nigerian basketball

The Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) is going through some financial challenges as it relates to the management of our basketball. The loss of First Bank and Dolphins basketball teams our female representatives in FIBA Africa club competition has once again highlighted the need for more competitions and sponsorship. There is the need to bring on board more corporate sponsors and for our teams to attract foreign players to boost our international participation and credentials. Basketball is one of the most popular game after football in this country and with proper marketing and packaging more sponsors will be brought in and with foreign partnership, the game will grow. At this point it will not be wrong for our NBBF officials to learn from the NBA and other leading leagues in Europe and SouthAmerica.

Manchester United a club currently facing challenges

Manchester United FC as a club is having some challenges which if not managed could destroy their season. The Coach Louis Van Gaal is at loggerheads with some of the fans and Ex-players such as Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand who see him as trying to change the football philosophy of the club. Some of the players are not happy with the coach based on his coaching style and the way he sold some of their players such as Angel De Maria, Robin Van Persie and Nani. The club management are making matters worse by their silence and this is not good for the club. The club exist from the Champions League has created the rift again and even though the club will play in the Europa League, the fans and the club faithful knows that Manchester United standard is dropping and something needs to be done urgently.

Paris Saint-Germaine FC the club on the rise

 

 
 
Paris Saint Germaine FC is a club on the rise and their performance proves this. Ever since the acquisition of 70% majority share in the club by the Qatar Sports Investment headed by Nasser Al-Kheliafi, the club has continued to expand and has acquired players of high repute such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Angel Di Maria, David Luis, Thiago Silva and Edinson Cavani. The clubs goal is to compete financially with clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and Chelsea and with the way the club is structured the goal will be achieved. The club for the past three seasons have won all available titles in France and what has eluded the club is the prestigious UEFA Champions league. The coach Laurent Blanc has his work cut out and with the steady progress the club is getting, it is a matter of time the goal will be achieved.

Arsenal walking on the cliff for the last 16 of the Champions League

 

Arsenal FC is having the toughest season in their 17 years Champions League campaign in which they have always made it to the last 16. The club standing in their way is the Greek club Olympiacos FC who have performed exceedingly well this season being joint tops with Bayern Munich. The odds do not favour Arsenal as Olympiacos won the same Arsenal team when they came calling at the Emirate stadium. Arsenal FC being a club of surprises should not be ruled out as they have always proved everyone wrong when we least expect. What is needed is for the coach to select the right set of players which could be difficult based on the injury problems being faced by the club.

The William sisters (Venus and Serena) dominates female Tennis

The William sisters have dominated the WTA Circuit for more than a decade and age is not slowing them down. The younger Serena ended the year as world number one while Venus who has been out of the world 20 for a while now due to injury ended the year as world number seven. The secret of their success lies with their father and coach Richard Williams and mother Oracene Price who both spend time and money to see them through. At their current age of 35 years for Venus and Serena who is 34 years they still dominate the sport. Venus is the oldest player to be within the top 10 in the modern era while Serena is the oldest world number one at her current age. The year 2016 is around the corner and looking at the pace they are going, who will stop them from not  being the dominant force in female tennis.

Contract signing by Nigerian players

Many of our young players have fallen into the trap of signing contracts they cannot explain. The reason for this mistake lies in the inability of the players to get proper advice before putting pen to paper. Many of our young stars who performed well at youth competitions such as the Golden Eaglets and the Flying Eagles have signed SLAVE CONTRACTS and as a result cannot reach the summit of their footballing career. Due to the greed of agents most of them end up signing for lesser known leagues all in the name of playing abroad. The football regulating body should establish a department that will handle all transfers with emphasis made to take care of the future of our young ones. The young players themselves should use the opportunity when created to their advantage and ensure that they get the best deals. The older players too should offer professional football advice to these younger ones especially information about countries and club with developmental programs. The believe is that when this actions are taken, our players will be in safe hands and can be monitored and called upon for national assignments.

Jurgen Klopp and the resurgence of Liverpool FC

 

Liverpool has always being the club with history based on their triumph in England and Europe. Over the years, the club have failed to replicate their success in the present era and these has given clubs like Manchester United and Chelsea dominance in the Barclays EPL. Recently the removal of Brendan Rogers and appointment to Jurgen Klopp has led to the club steadily improving on its performance. The German tactician has been very impressive with the clubs that pundits have started having a second opinion about Liverpool FC this season. The philosophy he has brought to the club has left fans saying that the glory days are back but can this be true? Jurgen Klopp did his magic at Borussia Dortmund turning average players into world stars, is that revolution starting again at Liverpool. The same players Brendan could not turn around during the early part of the season are the same players getting the results. One fact that is clear is Liverpool will finish well this season which will make the club more dominant next season. Even though the season is almost half way, their performance on the league table does not mean they still cant challenge for the title. If the bookmakers rule out Liverpool then they will be committing a great sin in football based on their present form.

Pierre-Emerick Aubamayang current African best striker

          

For the current season in world football no African player can match the performance of the Gabonese international and Borusia Dortmund player Pierre-Emerick Aubamayang. The young lad remains the best parting gift given by Jurgen Klopp to his successor Thomas Tuchel. For the current season he remains the most lethal striker in world football especially in the Germans Bundesliga. There is no doubt he is a strong contender for the African Footballer of the Year. The story of Pierre remains a food for thought for footballers who wish to be at the top.It is very clear that his value will be on the rise next season. Even though he might not be at the level of Messi and Ronaldo the future is really bright for him.

Licester City (The Foxes) giant Killers of the Barclays EPL

 

 

  The surprise team of the season in the Barclays Premier League must be Leicester City FC (The Foxes). Under his manager Claudio Ranieri, the club has been flying. The club with a modest budget has produced a team that is giving other premiership club a run for their money. As at today they top the premiership with the season going half way. Who said there might not be an upset this season with Chelsea having its worst season and Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and United having an inconsistent season. Even though they might be written off as title contenders, with the performance of Jamie Vardy and his team mates, the bookmakers might be getting worried.

Lewis Hamilton the Formula one Champion

The 2015 champion of the formula one season is Lewis Hamilton. The young lad proved to every one this season that he has what it takes to be number one. Even with the opposition he got from the two German rivals of Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel, he still triumph and with that setting a new British record and winning his third world title. One thing is certain, his relationship with his team mate is still not cordial and not minding the difference they both have to get along. The year 2016 will be a different year looking at the way Nico Rosberg finished the season and Sebastian Vettel getting better with his Ferrari group. One thing is certain the three men will remain the top contenders for the crown next year.   

The trial begins for Oscar Pistorius

It is no more news that the verdict given to Oscar Pistorius has been overturned and he is now facing a murder case in respect to his killing of Reeva Steenkamp. The new verdict is a welcome relieve for the Steenkamp family who watched helplessly as Oscar was given an early probation while their daughter remained six feet under. Oscar only knows what truly happened in the death of Reeva and it is a matter of time before the truth is revealed. We only hope justice is only delayed but not denied. The evidence is quite clear for the followers of the case and if truly more precaution was taken, Reeva might not have been shot dead. As the new case begins the world wait to see the fate of Oscar. A life was taken with a family being in grief for a long while. A valentines day turned into to a black day for both the Pistorius and Steenkamp families.We only hope that the right thing is done for Reeva Steenkamp to truly rest in peace.

Long Term Financial Investments for our Sports Men and Women

It is a thing of joy for every athlete to retire with the sense of accomplishment  in the field of sports.In the case of Nigeria, this is not the same as some of our sports ambassadors standard of leaving is low resulting to some leaving from hand to mouth. The reason for this plight is the lack of investment opportunities which would have matured on retirement. The government too have a share in the blame as no feasible structure exist in form of policy to cater for their needs and to achieve this. The establishment of a separate welfare schemes for sports men and women are needed as some sports men and women end up retiring at an early age due to injuries and unforeseen eventualities. Education which is very vital is not existing to some of them as events have shown that lack of proper management of funds due to financial recklessness is responsible for the dwindling fortunes of some of our sports men and women. The financial sector should go into partnership with our sports associations to help in managing this funds and the benefits of investing in the schemes made open to them. Insurance companies, Banks and other financial institutions should look into ways of encouraging financial stability and independence for our sports ambassadors and government should contribute to the scheme. The era of our sports men being neglected until their cases reach a bad state should be avoided and every machinery put in place to encourage financial stability. Our sports men should have a well represented association that could have their patrons and matrons from the private sector. One important fact that should not be forgotten is that of proper accountability of funds and resources. These must be done regularly and claims settled as at when due. Sportsmen deserved to be appreciated both in their active and retirement days.

Sir Alex Chapman Ferguson the Master Tactician

There is no doubt the most successful manager in the history of Manchester United still remains Sir Alex Ferguson. Fergie as he is nicknamed has produced so many talents who have all gone to become great coaches. Coaches such as Gary Neville and his brother Phil, Steve Bruce, Mark Hughes, Paul Ince, Laurent Blanc, Ryan Giggs have all passed through this great teacher and legend. Great players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Andrew Cole,Eric Cantona, Bryan Robson just to mention a few had their careers well defined under his pragmatic teaching. It is on record that Alex kept Manchester City and Liverpool at bay during his coaching career in Manchester United and his departure led to the struggles the club is currently facing. No one understands the philosophy of attacking football like him and he remains the longest serving manager in both Manchester United and the EPL as a whole. Sir Alex Ferguson record is quite impressive as the roll call is unbelievable----13 Premier Leagues, 5 FA Cups, 4 League Cups, 10 FA Community Shield, 1 Cup Winners Cup, 1 UEFA Super Cup, 2 UEFA Champions League, 1 Intercontinental Cup, 1 FIFA World Club Cup. With all these achievements, it will be very difficult for any manager in the Premiership to surpass. On of the greatest attributes of Sir Alex is his ability to spot talents and nurture them into success and even though he has his critics no one can sweep his achievements under the carpet.

The Rot in FIFA

Everyday the world wakes up with more news of arrests in FIFA. The truth of the matter is that FIFA needs total cleansing and this must start from the top. The findings in FIFA currently is just a scratch on the surface and more revelation is expected. The question football fans should be asking is what is responsible for this action that has brought the sports to its lowest ebb? The answer rest on the enormous power given to the executives, long tenures in office, secrecy of their actions and lack of proper accountability by the body. Elected executives become lords over the federation and dictates how funds are shared and diverted. People like Sepp Blatter, Jerome Valcke and Michel Platini don't have the moral right to work in FIFA as their actions will send more negative vibes and signals to the already over heated polity. Jack Warner and the likes should be banned from all football competitions and Platini should resign his appointment in UEFA with immediate effect without waiting for the provisional suspension to be reviewed. I believe that with the revelation of Doping in Russia Athletics Federation and Russia's bidding process for the 2018 world cup, there is still the need to review the hosting rights and if found guilty, the right country must be given the hosting right. This measure should be applied to Qatar as something is definitely not right about their bidding process for 2022 world cup. Corruption is now the order of the day in FIFA and I hope the next congress that will elect a new president must define a new part and road map to correct all these problems. Even in Africa Isa Hayatou has overstayed his welcome as CAF president and even though he is the current acting FIFA president, the reform must start from him(charity must start from home). The case of FIFA is like an individual that needs deliverance and if nothing is done more havoc will be committed.

Corruption in Nigerian Sports.

Corruption has being the bane of Nigerian Sports and every rational person knows this. Our sports has failed to develop because it is always business as usual for the people in authority. The problem of corruption starts from the selection stage down to the final decision making process. Individuals merit are not considered but which sports personality settles better. No wonder everyone wants to be in the corridor of power but using that same power for the well being of the country is never the factor instead views, policies and white papers are swept under the carpet. Corruption is the Virus killing every facet of sports and the results are our dismal performance in competitions. Lately the situation has gotten worse that people who are meant to stand and stop this menace just turn the blind eye away from the issues. The result is the frequent crisis rocking our sports bodies which have brought serious embarrassment to the country. Lately sports men and women are being owed their benefits/entitlements, sports facilities are being compromised, no accountability of money given by corporate organizations and even the government. Bureaucratic bottleneck helps to stifle and destroy the system and the result is our sports men and women going out to represent other countries. The funds released by government are never enough and never get to the sports men and women on time and even when is done, many of the funds are always missing and never accounted for. Our sports men and women who have retired live below the poverty line and they are not allowed to express themselves and even take care of their families. The female folks are the worst heat as they have to do some unethical/ unprofessional actions just to have their way or for the officials to get them noticed and select them. Some Sporting Associations are moribund in nature with the lesser sports lacking in recognition.We have seen corrupt officials putting their family members in teams meant to travel all in order to earn some special allowance . The question in everyones lips now is how long will this problem steer on Nigeria's face ? I think it is high time we put square pegs in square holes and get the right people for the job. Government interference should be limited and if possible eliminated with sports managed in a professional way. Those who are involved know themselves enough of this rubbish as the gap between us and the developed countries where sports is well managed and transformed into a way of life and business is getting wider daily.

The world of Golf without Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods have been plagued with injuries for a while now and his rating has dropped tremendously. The latest setback has made the world to miss one of the greatest golfers of our generation. The 39 year old Tiger with 14 majors  honors to his name is currently working hard to return to the sports he loves and made him famous. One thing is certain no one should rule him out as he once went down in the perking order to the position above 100 in the world ranking but later came back to become world number one once again before the injury crisis returned. The world of golf will not be complete without Tiger Woods and this latest injury setback we hope should not deny the world the golf talent he possess.

Andrew Murray and Britain success in Davies Cup

The slogan "A Tree does not make a Forest" does not hold all the time and this was evident in the performance of Andy Murray. Great Britain over a long time have being an under achieving country in world sports and even though the origin of some of these sports can be traced to their roots, they failed to dominate. The success of Andy Murray and other tennis stars which included his brother in their triumph in Belgium helped to achieve the long 79 years wait for the Davies Cup crown. Andy proved all wrong by helping Great Britain win the Gold medal at the London 2012 olympics and this 28 year old world number 2 Scot have always risen to the occasion. The win could serve as a tonic in reviving the countries tennis slump over the years and boost Andy's performance in January Australian Open.

Marketing (Merchandising) in Nigerian Football

Nigeria being a sports loving country has never taken the population we have into consideration in making sports decision. Over the years we have relied only on Federal Government to give us the needed financial resources to implement our sports programs. We have a population of almost 200 million people with the sporting population being in the region of 60 million. Even with this staggering number we fail to make it count. Sports remains a money spinning venture in Europe and other parts of the world but we fail to tap into it. Recently Manchester City owners sold 13% of their shares to a Chinese Consortium firm with the figures being in the range of more than 200 million pounds which was the same amount that was used to buy the club in 2009. The value of the club is more than 2 billion pounds and this is the same with clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Arsenal. Our football clubs, Age grade competitions and the National team have not felt the impact of financial break through and this is due to the lack of a functional marketing team. A simple merchandise model aimed at selling what the football industry has will provide the necessary funds we lack. Football marketing such as sale of clubs jerseys, sponsorship of stadiums and home training grounds, sponsorship of jerseys, branding club offices clubs through sponsorship, signing beneficial arrangements and contracts with Blue Chip companies, transport companies and airlines, inviting ex-internationals and making them Brand Ambassadors, Organizing competitions with other clubs outside the country, signing sponsorship deals for Financial and philanthropic purpose and rendering proper accounts on how these funds are spent. Nigeria is yet to scratch the surface because if we do, then we would realize that football is big business and does not require funds from the government to operate.

Sports and Nation Building

The development of any nation lies it the potentials and development of its human capital. The workforce of any country are the major players and catalyst in the achievement of the goals and stated objectives it embarks upon and executes. Nigeria as a country is not different with a work force of more than 50 million people it is quite evident that something is needed to keep that population busy and add to the bottomline. In a country facing Micro and Macro Economic meltdown in respect to inflation, unemployment, low per capital income, high rate of crime and other vices, there is the need to develop quickly a rapid solution to solve these pressing difficulties with their impending problems and SPORTS remains the veritable tool in achieving this. Sports has remained the only factor that has helped to unite the country over the years.Right from the grassroots level, individuals with potentials are identified and groomed and with proper training and a good transition program, they are given the opportunity to be independent. In developed countries of the world sports is used to contribute to the Gross Domestic Product of the country and that shows how serious sports is taken. Sports and Hospitality business goes hand-in-hand and no wonder countries like Brazil have turned their beaches and hotels to a tourist site for Football, Volleyball and other sports encouraging their youths to get involved. The United States,United kingdom, France Germany, Cuba and other nations have all embarked upon developmental program that gives individuals and students the opportunity to get scholarships based on sports. Individuals and Corporate organizations have sponsored and established foundation or endowment funds all geared towards raising the standard of living of their people and the community where they resides. Nigeria has failed to build a SPORTS POLICY in every facet of our youths wellbeing and the result is the rush of our young men and women to represent other countries were their potentials will be seen and well rewarded. In the same light our schools are being neglected and not inculcated to any master plan the government might have for sports development. We have many sports administrators but their impacts are not felt. The questions we need to ask is Why have we failed to make much impacts in competitions such as the Olympics, Commonwealth, All African Games and other competitions we engage in? what is the benefits for our sports men and women? Do we have any Insurance Cover or Mutual Fund policy our sports personalities could fall back on after retirement? What happen to our sports men and women that did not achieve greatness?What has happened to the few sports personalities we have achieved over the years? When was the last time sports added to our GDP and GNP? have we any master plan for sports development for our youths?Do we use sports to promote our tourist attractions scattered all over the country? Do we have the capacity to manage the few success in sports? What does the future hold for our youths ? these are some of the questions I hope solutions will be found soon as it relates to our sports development. Nigeria needs to develop and our youths remain the tonic we need to achieve this. Don't you think it is high time sports is given its proper place in the country?

Year 2015 belong to Novak Djokovic

The year 2015 will go down in Tennis history as the year the World Number One Novak Djokovic made a year of his own. He started by winning 3 out of the 4 grand slam title only losing the Rolland Garros title that has eluded him over the years. The price money he made is quite astonishing and non of his compatriots came close to challenging him as he defeated all that came his way. Novak story is one of patience as even though he played second fiddle to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, he kept working on his game. even though Roger and Rafael have more grand slam title than he has, it is a matter of time before he catches them based on the form he has shown in the last three years. The likes of Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka have a lot to do to get to his level especially Stan who denied him the French Open crown. Ever since he made tennis great Boris Boom Boom Becker his coach ,there has being a tremendous change in his game.He now plays tennis for fun and with the Australian Open coming up in January, Novak remains the book makers choice. From every indication and the points gathered this year, it will be very difficult to upstage him from his current position. The result of his superlative form is that other players will end up doing catch ups.

Tyson Luke Fury and History

The much anticipated and expected boxing fight between the Champion Vladimir Klitschko and the Challenger Tyson Luke Fury comes up on the 28th of November 2015 at Dusseldorf Germany. The fight has really lived up to the hype it has enjoyed for a while now and the two fighters have been talking. Tyson fury with 24 wins of which 18 is knock out will be fighting the biggest opponent he has ever faced in his career the Big Ukrainian defending champion Vladimir Klitschko who has an impressive record of 64 fights with 53 being knock out and three losses. Tyson Fury backed by his father have said repeatedly that history will be made but everyone one knows how deadly and dominant the Klitschko brothers Vladimir and Vitali have been in the last 10 years of the heavy weight division. Who will win the fight and have the bragging right and who makes history? we cant wait for the bell to start the match.

Golden State Warriors who is the next victim

The NBA is witnessing history as the Golden State Warriors are shattering all records. Their current victim is the LA Leakers who even with Kobe Bryant could not provide any solution to the fire power of the Warriors thereby losing 77-111. The win by Golden state Warriors meant the team has gathered 16 wins in the current season thereby beating the records set by the Hakeem Olajuwon inspired Houston Rockets. Everyone is talking about the performance of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Harrison Barnes and the rest of the team. The question now is who is the next victim and for how long will the winning streak be only time will tell. Looking at the current season the play-off is gradually being made easy and every coach will be worried to play the most in form team at the moment. It seems as if the team is playing the previous season all over again and the land mark points used to win their opponent is alarming. Golden State Warriors is like a moving train and no club will want to be on its way at the moment.

Rio 2016 Olympics and doping in World Atheletics

The Olympics is around the corner and the revelation the world have witnessed recently about Russia sports men and women is alarming. It is quite surprising that the out gone IAAF  Chief Mr Lamine Diack had little or nothing to say about the revelations making people to believe and feel he knew more than what he is saying. Lord Sebastian Coe the current IAAF Chief has a lot to deal with and this extents to the IOC chief Thomas Bach. The cover up in the Russian Athletics Federation should not be swept under the carpet and investigation carried out to see the extent of the nations involvement. The story is a sad one and even though Doping exist, the level it has grown in Russia is alarming. The World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) under the watch of Craig Reedie should extend its searchlight to other countries that have failed to meet the basic requirements needed for its assessments. In the case of Russia, we could say there is a massive cover up by the government with more that 1000 samples of results destroyed. Africa and the rest of the world needs to learn from what is happening to Russia at the moment and take decisive action to keep themselves away from the embarrassment. When the former head of WADA Dick Pound spoke about doping in sports, people never knew the magnitude of what he meant and now Russia stands at the threshold of being banned from the olympics. Many sports athletes and their nation have threatened to boycott the olympics if Russia is represented, therefore both the IAAF and the IOC needs to take a decision quickly on the fate of Russia. The olympic movement need to be free from all the negative publicity it is currently getting and the time to act is now.

Female Football Development in Nigeria

The dwindling fortune in our female football is alarming. The once dreaded super falcons and all our national teams over the years has witnessed a drop in our performance. Countries such as South Africa, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea and recently Cameroun are gradually becoming a force to be reckoned with in female football. The reason for this trend is the neglect of our local league which was the bedrock of our development. It is quite interesting that the Football house worry over the male counterparts funding to the detriment of the female teams and it is still the female teams that brings the nation the glory it deserves. The private sectors are not investing in female football and the government has failed to see the fortunes and employment opportunity it would bring to our younger generation. Sports Women like Chioma Ajunwa, Pepetual Nkwocha, Mercy Akhide, Florence Omagbemi, Maureen Madu, Eucheria Uche,Ann Echiejile just to mention a few all brought glory to this country and the football house have failed to use them as Brand Ambassadors to raise the needed funds for female football. The politics in the Female Football department of the NFF is not helping matters and corporate sponsors such as Pepsi have pulled out of sponsoring competitions. The female league is a shame and the FA cup is just a make up and the injustice meted to our female teams and players still continues. What we fail to recognize is that Nigeria still remains a sleeping giant when it comes to female football and the grassroots potentials have not being fully tapped. Our performance in the World Cup could be better and it is high time we get quality coaches and respected training facilities. I am of the opinion that if 60 percent of what is given to the male team is extended to the female side, the sky will be the limit of female football. The Female Football League need to have an independent body like the League Management Committee and professionals given the opportunity to run the league. Clubs that want to participate should be given guidelines of what is expected of them and a face given to our female football administration. We have failed to qualify for two consecutive olympics in London and Rio and that is a sign of our decline.The next world cup is around the corner and if nothing is done urgently the same result is what we will get, lets put our thinking caps on now.

Real Madrid "El Clasico" Disaster

The playing formation of Rafa Benitez the coach of Real Madrid was faulty and this was evident in the match against Barcelona. The infighting within the team was another factor as players exhibited big EGO. The result is the humiliation suffered by the team and it will take some time for Real Madrid to recover. Luis Enrique once again showed how good he was as a coach and he proved that his team was not built around Lionel Messi. Luis Suarez, Neymar and Andres Iniesta stole the show while the Real Madrid players did not come for the party. The six points gap between the clubs if not checked might hunt the club at the end of the season. We are waiting for the part two of the  El Clasico drama at Nou Camp hoping that the disaster witnessed by Real Madrid will not repeat itself.

Minister of Sports Solomon Dalong

Nigeria has a new sports minister in the person of Mr. Solomon Dalong and the siege and suspense is now over. In my view it is not just having a minister but what kind of minister is he and the legacy he hopes to leave behind in sports.The issue and question now facing the sports fraternity is will this minister be different from the previous ones? Over the years, Nigeria has witnessed the existence of "Minister of Football" and not "Minister of Sports" except in the era of late Ishaya Mark Aku. Will this trend change or continue time will tell and this opinion depends on the policies Mr Solomon Dalong will bring on board. Over the years, other sports have suffered neglect and inferiority complex with athletes potentials never explored. Quite worrisome is that our country men and women are changing nationalities just to have the platform to showcase their God giving talent and if nothing is done soon, we will have brain drain in sports. Come to think of it, Football has only one medal while sports like swimming, boxing, wrestling and weightlifting have medals attach to them. I hope the new minister will see the Economics of Sports by taking advantage of the huge employment opportunities they will provide for our youths. I expect the minister to look into upgrading sports in our school curriculum and catching them young at the grassroots level. The minister has a lot of responsibilities resting on his shoulders and I hope he gets the right hands to assist him in developing our sports industry.

The Re-building process in Super Eagles

The National team of Nigeria popularly known as the Super Eagles has witnessed different building processes over the last 20 years from different coaches such as Amodu Shuaibu, Stephen Keshi, Samson Siasia, Augustine Equaveon and recently Sunday Oliseh. From previous experiences, it is obvious that the building process is more mechanical than scientific as our performance leaves nothing to be desired and has not changed. The sad part of this process is that our local players are used as prototypes and dumped when their so called finished products are ready. It is quite clear looking at  history that Clements Westerhof and Bonfere Jo are truly the coaches that did the real building process and the result is the 1994 Super Eagles team that was ranked 5th in the world because of our brilliant performance. Even after the exit of Clemence Westerhof, Bonfere still continued the tradition and the result is the Atlanta 96 Dream Team that gave the country the second highest title in football after the world cup which is the Olympic Gold Medal. It is also on record that the coaches we just mentioned apart from Amodu Shuaibu all passed through Westerhof and Bonfere as players and the question now is, Why cant the philosophy be passed down? It is becoming a thing of shame that the once dreaded Super Eagles with the fear factor in them is now rubbing shoulders with countries like Swaziland, Cape Verde, Uganda and even Niger, I know the late Rasheed Yekini, Uche Okechukwu, Benedict Iroha, Chidi Nwanu, Michael Emenalo, Efan Ekoku, Teslim Fatusi, Victor Ikpeba, Emmanuel Amuneke  and many other graduates of that set will be very angry and surprised as how events have unfolded. The Glass house is not helping matters and political bottleneck is killing the football. I just hope the current coach will learn from the mistakes made by his predecessors and build a new team as even the so called"DRAWING BOARD"would have been be broken based on so much pressure. It is time the country puts his act together and move our football forward and take its place in the league of footballing nations which is where we belong. The result of our obnoxious building process has led to the fall of the team and FIFA ranking with our players not winning the African Footballer of the Year awards. We need a positive change which must be now, a word is enough for the wise.

Reasons why our success in age grade competition are not transfered to the National team

Nigeria has once again won the Under 17 FIFA world cup for a record 5 times. It is quite a feat achieved by the country and it is worth commending. The country has failed to transit these worthy champions into our senior national team and the reason is based on our lack of adequate planning. Over the years, other countries of the world have developed a youth system that has made the transition possible and these youthful players have gone to represent their countries at the national team level and won laurels. Messi, Figo, Ronaldo, Dida, Angel De Maria, Cesc Fabregas and much more are household names for their countries.The same cannot be said of our players as only few lucky ones such as Kanu Nwankwo, Nduka Ugbade, Jonathan Akpoborie, Celestine Babayaro and Emmanuel Amuneke have been able to get to the pinnacle of their career. The factors responsible for our failure to transit include---- Signing of bad contracts by the players due to lack of proper guidance, placing money far above career, playing for unknown leagues that fail to develop their carers and potentials, failure of the football house to monitor the players efficiently and effectively, poverty, politics and favoritism. If all these vices are not checked, the growth of our youthful players will remain a dream and work in progress.

Chelsea FC and Jose Mourinho

The love and respect existing between the HAPPY ONE and Chelsea is something difficult to explain as even in defeat, the club still believes in their coach. The reason for this fact cannot be overemphasized as Jose Mourinho remains the only person that can get the club out of the current position they occupy. Football followers will agree with me that Chelsea FC still remains a formidable team and with a wave of magic from the coach the club winning ways will be back. For now we just wait and see how this would be done but one thing is certain the club, players and the fans are behind their coach and that is the tonic needed to turn the team around. May 2016 is still far away and it will be to anyones detriment to right the Happy one and Chelsea off in all competitions for the season.