Lebanon confirmed for Copa Lagos

Lebanon is the latest nation expected to take part in the 2012 Copa Lagos, supersport.com can report.

The Cedars are the third team to confirm their participation in the four-nation beach soccer tournament in Lagos after Argentina and Nigeria.

A statement from the organisers read: "Lebanon or The Cedars as they are also known have been confirmed as the third team to participate in the 2nd edition of Copa Lagos. Lebanon will make history by becoming the first Middle Eastern representatives at Copa Lagos on the 14th of December.

"The Cedars are an up and coming team in the world of Beach Soccer. They are famed for their exciting approach to the game and have featured in many thrilling encounters."

The Lebanese recently finished fourth at the Asian Beach Games with their star man, Haitham Fattal ending up as the tournament's leading scorer with 11 goals.

Kinetic Sports CEO, Samson Adamu, who heads the organisation of Copa Lagos, explained the choice of Lebanon.

“We wanted to invite Lebanon because they have been training and performing very well this year. We believe fans of Copa Lagos will enjoy watching Lebanon play as they are an exciting team. We also wanted to acknowledge the Lebanese community in Nigeria by giving them an opportunity to watch their team,” said Adamu.

However, the identity of the fourth team that will take part in this year's edition of the Copa Lagos remains unknown.

But it is believed that a European nation is likely to take up the fourth spot to complete the quartet for the beach soccer tournament in Lagos.

Nigeria's Super Sand Eagles are the defending champions of Copa Lagos, which holds between December 14 and 16 this year.

Lone Star to play Niger’s Menas on October 8

 Ahead of the 2013 Cup of African Nations (CAN) qualifier against the Super Eagles of Nigeria on October 13 in Calabar, Lone Star of Liberia is set to take on the Menas of Niger in an international friendly, we can authoritatively confirm.

Newsblitzz gathered that the match will be played in Niamey on Monday, October 8 and Lone Star will depart its Ghana camping site on Sunday, October 7 after a four-day training at the Red Bull Academy for the game and return immediately after the game to resume training on Tuesday for the crucial game against the Super Eagles on Saturday, October 13, 2012 in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.

Sources within the Liberia FA confirmed that the association is working towards signing the pact for the friendly match with the West African country.

According to local media reports in Monrovia, there are indications that ‘Lone Star may honor the international friendly if all the variables are accepted such as for the rescheduling of the game for Monday, October 8, 2012.’

The match will be played at night in order to avoid the natural heat of the Western Africa state.

Meanwhile, Liberians have hailed CAF’s appointment of six game officials for the Calabar clash. Local media in the country is awash with reports that the appointments were to avoid cheating in the game.

South African referee, Daneil Bennet has been selected to serve as “Center Referee” while Marwa Range Aden of Kenya will serve as assistant first referee. Zekhele Siwela (also of South Africa) is the second assistant referee while Victor Gomes, yet another South African official will serve as reserve referee.

Mouucharafou Anjorin of Benin Republic will serve as the first match commissioner while CAF has also appointed an additional official for the match in the person of Mbengue Abel of Cameroon.

It was gathered that the choice of these officials were due to Liberia FA’s complaints to CAF about the manner of officiating of Malian Referee Norman Coulibaly in the first leg that ended 2-2 in Monrovia.

FIFA, NFF confirms Nigeria-Venezuela friendly

NFF president, Aminu Maigari

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed that the Super Eagles will take on its Venezuelan counterpart called La Vinotinto (The Burgundy) in an international friendly match.  

The NFF made this disclosure just as Nigerians were beginning to worry that the team was not playing enough friendly matches. The match, which will be played on November 14, is however coming up after the team’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Lone Star of Liberia on October 13.

Unlike previous encounters that never really happened, this match appears sealed as even the international football body, FIFA has been notified of the game and it has added it to its calendar.

The match is slated to be played in Miami, Florida in the United States of America. But it would be recalled that a match once confirmed by FIFA and even initially the NFF against the Angolan national football team was cancelled under controversial circumstances.

The match against Venezuela is expected to help the Nigerian team tune up for the Nations Cup in South Africa next year should the team qualify ahead of Liberia on October 13 among other things. Both teams have never met in a grade ‘A’ friendly match such as this one.

The Eagles last match against a South American side like La Vinotinto was against Peru’s La Blanquirroja (The White and Red) in Lima. 

Flamingoes train under floodlights for France

Flamingoes coach, Peter Dedevbo

National female U17 team, Flamingoes trained under floodlights on Tuesday in Azerbaijan as Coach Peter Dedevbo intensified the team’s training ahead of the crucial quarterfinal tie against its French counterpart at the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup.  

Dedevbo, we gathered decided to prepare the team for a battle late into the night on Thursday by resorting to training the girls under the floodlights. The team’s training session was naturally held between 4 and 6pm Azerbaijani time, but the coach opted for a 6 to 8pm session that would involve the girls training under floodlights.

The match itself would be kicked off at 4pm Nigerian time; that is 7pm Azerbaijani time. The team also took time on Tuesday to watch the tapes of the match between them and the Colombians last Saturday as Coach Dedevbo tries to sharpen the team’s attack for the French.

Dedevbo said confidently that by the time he is true with the squad, it would be able to successfully convert four out of every five chances it gets against the French team on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Nigerian girls may have to face their Ghanaian counterparts in the semifinals of the championship should they triumph over France and Ghana does the same over its opponents on Thursday, Japan.

This would imply that only one African representative will make it to the final. The Ghanaians are making this far in the championship for the first time.  

Lone Star to get N46.5m for victory over Eagles

Liberia president, Elen Johnson-Sirleaf

Super Eagles of Nigeria’s opponents in the second leg of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, Lone Star of Liberia has been offered a whopping US$300,000 (about N46.5million) for it to defeat the Nigerian side at home in Calabar, Cross River State. 

According to reports from sources in Liberia, the team was offered part of this highly motivating incentive over the weekend by none other than President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf who is desperate to see the team overcome Nigeria’s Eagles and make it to the country’s third Nations Cup.

Johnson-Sirleaf, who had earlier given the team US$80,000 for winning two international friendly matches on home soil against the Flames of Malawi the Black Stars of Ghana and drawing 2-2 with the Eagles on Saturday, September 9 in Monrovia, has now offered the team US$150,000.

The Lone Star Mobilization Committee has also promised to give Coach Kaetu Smith’s boys additional US$150,000 for either a win or an above 2-2 draw as well, totaling N46.5million. All of these do not include the team’s appearance fees.

A local media quoted Flomo as saying: “This is an official statement. The Chief Patron of Sports President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and the Lone Star Mobilization Committee has each promised to give US$150,000 to the team, totaling US$300,000 for either a win or an above 2-2 draw to qualify Liberia to the 2013 African Cup of Nations in South Africa.”

Contrary to reports that the team has already arrived in Ghana, we can authoritatively confirm that the team is yet to depart Monrovia. Indeed, President Johnson-Sirleaf will have a banquet for the team before its departure. It is at this event that she will promise another huge sum of money (apart from the initially mentioned US$150,000) to be used for training, purchasing of equipment and camping in Ghana. 

Nigerian golfers, 116 others battle for Abu Dhabi GOLF CITIZEN Open title

England's Stephen Dodd topped the leaderboard after the first round on Sunday in Abu Dhabi. Photo by MENAgolftour.com

Nigerian quartet of Okparaku Maduafor, Samuel Agbeyegbe, Francis Isuku and Emeka Obi have joined 116 other professionals on the MENA Golf Tour in Dubai to battle for the Abu Dhabi Golf Citizen Open that teed off on Monday, October 1 at the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club.

The quartet missed the cut in the $50,000 prize money Dubai Creek and Yacht Club Open, the first tourney in a series of six tourneys that make up the Tour.

Oparaku scored a 13 over par 155 after the first two rounds to drop out of the money zone while Obi Emeka amassed a total of 21 over par 163 after two rounds to drop out of the final 40 for the last round.

Agbeyegbe, on his part, scored a 16 over par 158 after the first two rounds while Francis Isuku finished with a 17 over par 159 after the first two rounds.

The four golfers that are looking forward to a better game after late arrival and tough Dubai heat zapped their energies on the first Tourney are however not having it any better.

The quartet did not fair any better after first round of play on Sunday. Okparaku finished with a 14 over par 86 while Francis Isuku finished with 7 over par 79 Samuel Agbeyegbe amassed a 16 over par 88 while Emeka Obi ended round one with 9 over par 81.

England's Stephen Dodd led the leaderboard after first round with 6 under par 66.

Organizers believe that ‘quicker greens and shifting desert winds will hold the key to scoring good numbers’ when the second tourney on the MENA Golf Tour gets under way.

"The course is set up nicely at 7,300 yards from Gold Tees and the greens will be running a bit fast, about 10.5 to 11 on the stimpmeter," said Paul Booth, director of Club Operations.

"The players will have to hit their approach shots in the right place on the undulating greens if they aim to do well. You never know what will happen in golf, but the course will provide a fair all-round test for the players.

"If the desert winds get up, which happens so often, they could affect the scoring," said Booth, adding: “We look forward to seeing an absorbing battle in the next three days since the field looks pretty strong.”

Zane Scotland, the winner of the Dubai Creek Golf Open, the opening event on this year's Tour, on Wednesday spearheaded the strong field of 120 golfers. The former European Tour player was hoping to consolidate his lead on the Order of Merit when he teed off at 10.08am Sunday.

The 30-year-old Englishman has good memories of the course to motivate him. He shot rounds of 69, 72 and 67 to seal a thrilling win here in the inaugural edition of the tour last year. His final round 67 is still the official course record.

"It feels good coming back to a venue where you have enjoyed some success. This is a new tournament and a new start. Let's see how things unfold," said Scotland, who can expect a stiff competition from the likes of Stephen Dood of Wales, Moroccan duo of Faycal Serghini and Younes El Hassani and Pakistan's Mohammed Munir and Aadil Jehangir.

"The course is in superb conditions. You have got to hit some good shots to reach the greens in regulations. The greens are a bit fast. At the end of the day if it turns to be a sort of putting competition I won't be surprised," said Serghini, who shot back-to-back rounds of 70 last week for a middle-of-the-pack finish on 215.

The Abu Dhabi Golf Citizen has attracted a full field of 120 players compared to last year's 72, the rise in number amply reflecting on the tour's and the event's popularity.

Apart from Isuku, Agbeyegbe, Maduafor and Emeka, of the 116 players left, 26 are amateurs which include Morocco's Ahmed Marjan, the winner of last year's Order of Merit title, and Michael Harradine, who finished second in last week's Dubai Creek Open.

Reuben, Idris out as Eagles begin training for Liberia

.And Liberia FA postpones camping till Wednesday

Super Eagles on Monday began full preparations for the second leg of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against the Lone Star of Liberia with a training session at the training pitch of the Abuja National Stadium.

The team that comprised of only locally based players led by Warri Wolves goalkeeper, Chigozie Agbim were taken through training routines by Coach Stephen Keshi and his assistants.

Spokesman for the team, Ben Alaiya admitted that as at Monday morning, not all the players were in camp even though Sunday that was given as deadline. He reiterated that the resumption date for the foreign-based players remains Monday, October 8.

"As expected all the players invited save for the Sunshine Stars duo of Izu Azuka and Solomon Kwambe, beat the Sunday evening deadline and were part of the training session at the training pitch of the Abuja National Stadium,"Alaiya said in a press statement.

Alaiya also revealed that the duo of Gabriel Reuben and his Kano Pillars teammate, Papa Idris have not recovered well enough to be part of the team that will confront Liberia on October 13. Reuben suffered a groin injury during the finals of the Federations Cup in Lagos, while Idris has been battling a nagging knee injury, which has slowed down the usually racy central defender.

The two have since left camp and are to be replaced by Heartland’s Kalu Orji and Stanley Okoronkwo of Sharks FC of Port Harcourt.

“It was a painful decision to let the two players go, but we have to look at the future of the players and the fact that we will need the two of them at the South Africa 2013 Nations Cup, that is why we have said we should give them more time to go and get themselves healed. After the game against Liberia, they should be back in the team,” head coach Stephen Keshi explained.

The team is expected to depart for Calabra, Cross River State sometime next week ahead of the match. A total of 23 homebased players were invited by Coach Keshi for camping.

Meanwhile, Super Eagles opponents, Lone Star did not have it so good. The team's camp expected to open on Sunday at the Red Bull Academy in Ghana has now been postponed to Wednesday, October 3.

Both coach of the team Kaetu Smith and its spokesperson, Henry Boyd Flomo confirmed this over the weekend. The 24-man delegation comprised of about 12 local and four foreign based (Indonesia) players and eight technical and support staff will now leave for Ghana on Wednesday.

Newsblitzz gathered that no actual reason was given by the LFA for the postponement, but sources in Monrovia claim an impeccable source close to the LFA said the postponement was a “nominal delay” by the Association and the Lone Star Mobilization Committee to conclude plans before Sunday.

Also, the camping schedule has now been reduced to 7 days as against the initial 11-day programme planned by Coach Smith and the LFA.