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Uche Okafor’s Death Shocks Nigeria Football Federation

Uche Okafor (left) was part of Nigeria's 1994 and 1998 World Cup squads

Nyarko Benso

The death of Uche Okafor on Thursday shocks the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Okafor’s body was found in his Texas apartment by his wife.

Mr. Uche Okafor served Nigeria national team with distinction.

Uche Okafor, 43, was in the Super Eagles for almost a decade, and was a key member of the squad when Nigeria won their second African Cup of Nations title, in Tunisia in 1994.

Okafor represented Nigeria at two World Cups.

He was in the Super Eagles squad at the 1994 World Cup in the United States – Nigeria’s first appearance in the global tournament.

He also played at the 1998 World Cup in France when Nigeria reached the second round.

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African U20 Draw Complete

The next generation of Ghana players want to emulate their 2009 double winning colleagues.
The next generation of Ghana players want to emulate their 2009 double winning colleagues.

Defending champions Ghana have been paired with Nigeria, Cameroon and Gambia in the draw for the upcoming African U20 championship in March.

Hosts Libya are in the other group, along with Mali, Egypt and Lesotho.

The tournament takes place from 18 March to 1 April and the four semi-finalists will qualify for the U20 World Cup later in 2011.

Ghana are also defending World champions and the Black Satellites are determined to hold on to both crowns.

“It’s very important for us,” coach Orlando Wellington told the BBC before the draw was made.

“It’s a big challenge for me and the players – we have to work very hard to go to the World Cup. It’s not easy but financially and physically we are prepared.”

Wellington insisted that his crop of youngsters have even more potential than their double-winning predecessors.

“When you talk about technique this team is far ahead of the past champions,” he told the BBC’s African sports programme Fast Track.

“These people are tactically and technically [more] sound than the other team. The others play more aggressively but this team can play very good football.”

The four teams in each group will meet in a round robin format, with group winners and runners-up progressing to the semi-finals – and a place at the World Cup in Colombia in July.

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Thanks, but no thanks

Former France captain Marcel Desailly has withdrawn from the race to coach World Cup quarter-finalists Ghana.

Marcel DesaillyDesailly, who was born in the West African country, was part of a five-man shortlist drawn up by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for the vacant post.

Ghana are looking for a successor to the Serbian Milovan Rajevac.

But the long drawn out global search process seems to have frustrated the ex-Chelsea defender Desailly, 42.

“I have formally withdrawn my interest to be the head coach of the Black Stars following my initial interest over three months ago,” the 1998 World Cup winner said.

“Since declaring my interest I have had to put all my personal and business obligations on hold waiting for the outcome of this opportunity, be it positive or negative.

“I have still not received any form of official communication with regards to my interest. I understand that it is the internal processes pertaining to the appointment.

“However, this lengthy time in which there has been no official communication has left me with no option but to re-engage myself with commitments which I had earlier set aside for the potential job.”

Desailly’s decision to pull out of the race leaves just three candidates for the job after Turkish coach Can Vanli was axed from the shortlist.

Serbian Goran Stevanovic, ex-Portugal boss Humberto Coelho and local coach Herbert Addo will now vie for the post.

Desailly was hoping his hugely impressive playing career and ties with the country could help him clinch the post.

He won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 with France, ended his playing career in 2006 after spells with Marseille, AC Milan and Chelsea.

Despite his impressive playing record, he has yet to try his hand at coaching.

Rajevac opted not to extend his contract in September, ending a two-year stint during which he steered Ghana to the final of the 2010 African Cup of Nations and the last eight of the World Cup in South Africa.

The GFA said it will announce an appointment before the end of the year

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South Africa Siphiwe Tshabalala Robbed at Gunpoint

Ed Aarons
Bafana Bafana midfielder Siphiwe Tshabalala has become the latest high profile player to fall victim of South Africa’s notoriously high crime-rates.
The 26-year-old escaped unhurt as armed robbers stormed into his house and made off with cell-phones and wallets.
Tshabalala, who scored the opening goal of the 2010 World Cup, was held at gun point as the raid took place.
But it could have been a lot worse for the Kaizer Chiefs star, who told his club’s website that the intruders had recognised him.
“My manager had sent someone to my house to collect my portraits,” Tshabalala said.
“As the gentleman was coming through the door, a heavily armed man came in pointing guns at us. I was with my two cousins and my friend when this happened.
“When they realised that it was my house, they left after only taking phones and wallets,” he added.
Tshabalala has been out of action since last month after he picked up a hip injury against Sierra Leone in a qualifier for the 2012 African Nations Cup.
He was linked with moves to Europe after his World Cup exploits but stayed with Chiefs after signing a new deal.
The left-winger is not the first high-profile Bafana star to be hit by crime – Orlando Pirates international Benson Mhlongo was kidnapped by carjackers back in August and was also recently arrested for carrying an unlicensed firearm.
Meanwhile it has also emerged that the house of Ghanaian players Andre and Jordan Ayew was robbed while they where away for Marseille’s Champions League match in Slovakia.
An investigation has been launched in Marseille after their villa was broken into.
Police said the criminals stole hi-fi equipment, jewelry and expensive watches and also damaged household electrical goods.
The Ayew brothers where in Zilina during the robbery, which occurred Wednesday night with Marseille beating the Slovakian team 7-0.
Ed Aarons
BBC Sport, Johannesburg
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Ghana FA Rejects Government Request on Abedi Pele

Nyarko Benso
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has rejected a request by government to present Abedi Pele as a candidate for a Caf executive committee position.
The GFA has reported the latest development to football’s world governing body, Fifa and Caf.
The GFA chose its president Kwesi Nyantakyi three months ago to contest next year’s elections.
Nyantakyi filed his nomination papers and has been confirmed by Caf to contest the post.
But in a dramatic twist of events, the Ministry of Sports wrote to ask the GFA to name the ex-Ghana captain for the position.
But a stern reply from the GFA, signed by all the 22 members of its executive committee, told Sports Minister Akua Sena Dansua that her directive will not be carried out.
“The executive committee of the Ghana Football Association finds this latest twist as unfortunate and clearly confusing,” the statement signed by the general secretary of the Ghana FA Kofi Nsiah read.
“We write to inform you that the Executive Commitee of this FA is unable to act or take any further action on your request.”
Making its case on the independence of football associations from governmental interference, the GFA quoted Article 18 of the Caf statutes to buttress its point.
“The decision of the GFA is in pursuant of Caf statutes that state that names of candidates for membership of Caf and Fifa executive committees shall be submitted by the relevant national associations,” the statement added.
Under Fifa rules, national football associations must not be subject to government control.
Similar actions by the governments in Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Kenya have resulted in bans from international football.
Ghana’s last executive committee member was the late Sam Okyere but it has been more than two decades since.
Abedi Pele lost in his bid to get on the committee in 2004 when he lost to the Nigerian Amos Adamu.
The latest directive is likely to increase growing tensions between the Youth and Sports Ministry and the GFA over what executives of the football association feel is undue interference from government in the way they run their affairs.
Thursday, 11 November 2010
BBC Sports
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