The Village Square - Sports

Angola 2010: Its, Nigeria vs Egypt at Nations cup

Big-K — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:09:01 GMT

Breaking News:

Group A: Angola, Malawi, Algeria, Mali
Group B: CIV, Burkina, Togo, Ghana
Group C: Egypt, Mozambique, Benin, Nigeria
Group D: Cameroon, Gabon, Zambia, Tunisia

na Mozambique I fear pass for our group

Group B is surely the group of death

Ireland Calls for a replay

Big-K — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:20:07 GMT

And I dont blame them. Thirry Henry should be ashamed

YouTube- Thierry Henry, France vs Irlande

Quote:

Outraged Ireland calls for replay of match after Thierry Henry's handball sends France to World Cup

BY Matt Marrone
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Thursday, November 19th 2009, 12:34 PM

Bonaventure/Getty
French forward Thierry Henry (shown playing during Wednesday night's match) admits to handball that has all of Ireland outraged.

Hey ref, there's a reason they call it "football."

Swedish referee Martin Hansson did his best impression of a Major League Baseball umpire Wednesday night, missing Thierry Henry's obvious handball on the playoff-winning goal, sending France to the World Cup and sending all of Ireland - not to mention the rest of the sports world - into a frenzy.
On Thursday, the Irish soccer association lodged an official complaint with FIFA - asking for a replay of the match.

"If that result remains, it reinforces the view that if you cheat you will win," said Irish Justice Minister Dermot Ahern.

In replays, Henry clearly uses his arm and then his left hand to keep the ball from spinning out of bounds, then kicks it to William Gallas, who heads it into the goal to notch a 1-1 overtime tie at Stade de France that gave les Bleus the lead in goal differential in the two-game playoff.

"He almost caught it and walked into the net with it," said outraged Ireland captain Robbie Keane.

The handball, which helped France advance to next year's World Cup finals in South Africa, was so blatant even Henry couldn't help but admit to it after the game.

"Yes, there is handball, but I am not the referee," Henry said. "I'm in the box, there are two defenders in front of me. The ball bounced off my hand, the referee did not see it and I played on.

"It doesn't change anything to the fact that I'm happy we have qualified."
An admission of guilt wasn't good enough for Ireland - and some, like Irish lawmaker Joe McHugh, are calling on France to volunteer a rematch regardless of FIFA's decision.

"Throughout the country today there is an air of bitterness. We were beaten unfairly and there is general disgust in France, too," McHugh said.

"Friends of mine who attended last night's game phoned me this morning from a cafe in Paris to report that the French people are ashamed and do not regard this as an honest victory."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/mo...#ixzz0XL3D8bQY

Raymond Domenech: France's Shuaibu Amoudu

Bunch17 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:19:32 GMT

I am watching the second leg play off match between Ireland and France in which the French are so far ahead. I can't help notice the similarity between Raymond Domenech and Shuaibu Amoudu.

The very talented French whose players are first team regulars in the best clubs in the world, are being totally out classed by the Irish team made up largely squad team members of some premiership teams and regulars in the lower leagues.

While Shuaibu relies on babalawo's etc (apologies Ewuro) Domenech relies on the horoscopes.

So many similarities, but he would get France to the world cup but unlike in Nigeria, the entire French country has turned against him.

Algeria Qualifies!!!!!

Bunch17 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:27:57 GMT

After all the fracas last weekend when several Algerian players where injured in Cairo, I can't help but support Algeria. FIFA bottled it. They should have kicked out Egypt and awarded Algeria 3 points and 2 goals.

Anyway, I hope the Algerians do what FIFA were too scared to do, send the Egypt crashing out!

Time to Upgrade Naija's jerseys

Big-K — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:05:53 GMT

Folks,

Does anyone agree that Nigeria's soccer jerseys look drab, boring, and listless? Compare what we have now to the beauty we used to prosecute 1994 World Cup - made by the same Adidas. To compound matters, what Adidas is advertising as our 2010 jersey is equally boring.

Anyway some CE guys have started a petition against our World Cup Jersey and maybe a few thousand signatures will stop adidas from treating us like crap!

Here's the link to the petition:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/newjersey/

[/quote]

Boxing: Only One Pacquiao

Auspicious — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:31:50 GMT

+

Quick Question:

What happened to the Mayweather fellow who beat the crap outta Brit Ricky Hatton?

Anyway, yesterday, Pacman from Phillipines went to war and, again, proved his mettle.

I don't normally follow boxing (last I saw was the braggart Mayweather finishing off Hatton),

But if Pacman remains in the picture, I might join the fray of the lovers of the sport of boxing again! :)

Auspicious.

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Good and Bad News for Boxing: Only One Pacquiao
By Howard Chua-Eoan / Las Vegas
Sunday, November 15, 2009 | LINK

Manny Pacquiao battles it out with Miguel Cotto during their WBO welterweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada November 14, 2009

When the sixth round ended, Manny Pacquiao did a half-pirouette toward his corner, raised his eyebrows like a happy emoticon and beamed a smile that couldn't be hidden by all the blood in his mouthpiece. Everyone who saw it knew that he knew, at that very moment, that he was going to win the fight. Not that his partisans had any doubt. The MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas roared like never before. "Let's Go Manny!" reverberated again and again as they demanded that their champion finish off his opponent and win glory for the Philippines.

The 12-round welterweight battle between Pacquiao and Miguel Angel Cotto of Puerto Rico had been one of the most anticipated in recent boxing history, a sport that has been in short supply of anticipation lately. And it did not disappoint, what with the momentum the zero-to-hero legend of Pacquiao. Indeed, Cotto, the reigning welterweight champion, was pegged as the 5-1 underdog two days before the fight; but he came in with the power everyone expected him to deliver. Most unofficial scorers gave him the first round.

But he was still up against Pacquiao, the phenom from the Philippines, who had risen through several weight classes in boxing to win six different titles in as many divisions. At the end of the night, Pacquiao had his seventh. After the referee stopped the fight in the 55th second of the 12th and final round, Pacquiao became the new welterweight champion of boxing by TKO. He had knocked down Cotto in the third and fourth rounds, even as the Puerto Rican had traded tough blows to the head and body with him throughout the early going. By the end of the sixth, however, after Pacquiao's punches came at him from unexpected places, Cotto saw his power diminish, his defenses came down and his face became the recipient of so many blows that his handsome face was unrecognizably swollen by the time the fight was over. Cotto spent the last couple of rounds dancing away from Pacquiao who at times simply dropped his arms in frustration that no fight was going on

Nevertheless, the ferocity of most of the fight lived up to its promise, with Cotto valiantly persevering into the final round even though his corner had advised throwing in the towel at the end of the 11th. It was a celebration for Vegas, which saw large community of immigrant Filipinos buoyed by hundreds who had flown in from the Philippines to cheer their champ. The city had already been abuzz with Pacquiao's presence the week before. But Pacman, as he is called by his fans, was a cross-over hit too. In the world capital of gambling, almost everyone, from cab drivers to bartenders to street people, was talking about the big fight — and why Pacquiao was going to take it. "I know I'm Puerto Rican," said one woman on the plane over from New York, "But I love the Pacman." The rowdy rivalry between the two island peoples (appropriately abbreviated P.R. vs. R.P., Puerto Rico versus the Republic of the Philippines) did its fair share to rev up excitement in a town that is used to ethnic marketing (note the billboards for visiting superstars from South Korea, north Africa and Israel, alongside those of Bette Midler and Carrot Top). On fight night, national flags were worn as athletic costumes, though the big money men were still accompanied by towering escorts in body-tight metallic lam� and slave-ankle stilettos. Some traditions never change.

The fight has boxing fans hungry for more — which is good news for the sport's promoters. The trouble, however, is that they only have one Manny Pacquiao to go around. The roster of exciting talent is very thin. The two matches before the main event in Vegas had interesting names in them (Julio Cesar Ch�vez Jr., son of the famous Mexican fighter, was in one; Yuri Foreman, a Belarussian-born Israeli boxer now living in Brooklyn, was in another) but they were anemic — and not just in comparison to the electric battle between Cotto and Pacquiao. For now, the Filipino fighter says he is going to spend time with his family. He is also probably going to try his hand at politics again. So boxing, besieged by the continuing rise of Mixed Martial Arts, may need more saviors quickly.
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Festus Onigbinde: The Best Ever Indigenous Coach

Bunch17 — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:46:17 GMT

I have had the unfortunate experience of trying to discuss with Nigerians who were not old enough to remember when Nigeria won the Nations Cup in 1980. Those who were not old enough to remember the days of a vibrant Nigerian football league. Whenever I mention the name Festus Onigbinde as the best ever indigenous coach we have ever had, they look at me with a look of disbelief.

I will be the first to admit, that if a team that plays attractive football is what you want for a national team, Festus Onigbinde is not your man. He is no Arsene Wenger but rather the Nigerian equivalent of Jose Mourinho. He may not be successful with a team full of talent, but when you want efficiency, Onigbinde is your man.

Like Mourinho, he is not fund of skillful players. He would rather have a player noted for his work rate and effectiveness, a team player in short. This was why he rated the less skillful Muda Lawal far ahead of the far more skillful Christian Madu. ( A player who could be described as "less mobile version" of JJ Okocha.)

His Water Corporation team was for several years very difficult to beat though they did not play beautiful football. It is often said that the team would have national and African honours if the standards of refereeing in Nigeria and Africa were higher.

His modus operandi was to build from the back. He got a reliable goal keeper, a back four and a midfield made up of players with high work rate and a poacher for his striker. It was this same system that would have earned him a Cup of Nations Honour if not for incompetent refereeing decision.

On taking over as the Nigerian coach, there were no untouchables, he got rid of the usual suspects including Adokiye and Odegbami and brought in players young, untested players who he felt could fulfill his tactical ideals.

In came Kingsley Paul, Stephen Keshi, Sunday Eboigbe, Yisa Sofoluwe, Ademola Edeshina, Humphrey Edobor, Bala Ali, Chibuzo Ehilegbu, James Etokebe, Ayo Ogunlana, etc. Who are they I hear you mutter. Exactly. With this team he reached the finals of African Cup of Nations.

For his poacher of a striker, he found it in a young man (Rashidi Yekini) playing for an obscure team in the Nigerian Third Division called UNTL Kaduna. His teams where often the most disciplined and tactically astute Nigerian teams, unfortunately, history may judge him based on his last stint as the national team manager.

I am often reminded by football novices on how so so and so is the best coach simply because he has won so so and so. Unfortunately, that argument is flawed as of recent years, their has been a glut of talent in the Nigerian football scene and it did not need to take much for the team to succeed but sadly we always seemed to fall at the first hurdle.

Here is to Festus Onigbinde the man who made a football omelette without eggs.

Good Night!

Kenya v Nigeria - Live Now.

Dapxin — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:04:01 GMT

Lets see what happens.....the road to SA finishes here.

It should be live http://www.iraqgoals.net/ch2.html

or http://www.justin.tv/simaghantv_2

Nigeria v. Korea Soccer live!

Namio — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:33:24 GMT

http://vipcanal.com

Agassi on (CBS) 60 Minutes

Auspicious — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:47:29 GMT

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Very Interesting!

Last Night with Kathy Couric on CBS'S 60 Minutes..

Auspicious.

Three years after Germany 2006, Warner holds on to players� bonuses

Chxta — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:05:08 GMT

After representing their country at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Trinidad and Tobago players are yet to paid allowances
Source

Nigerians missing from FIFA shortlist

Mikky jaga — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:14:01 GMT

Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto'o and Michael Essien are the only Africans named as world football governing body FIFA released a 33-strong shortlist of the best men and women players in the world ahead of the 2009 FIFA Player of the Year Gala. Unsurprisingly, no Nigerian made the shortlist, which is headlined by current holder Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid.

However, Barcelona's Lionel Messi is widely expected to claim the top prize this year.

The women's list has current holder and three-time winner Marta of Brazil, along with former winner Birgit Prinz.

A total of 23 men and 10 women were selected by members of the FIFA Football Committee and the Committee for Women's Football and the FIFA Women's Football World Cup.

The winners will be voted for by coaches and captains of national teams from FIFA's member associations, with the proviso that they may not vote for players from the national team they coach or play for.

FIFA will announce the names of the final five players with the most votes at the beginning of December, with the winner to be unveiled at the 19th FIFA World Player Gala on December 21 in Zurich.

Nominees

Men
Michael Ballack (Germany), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Iker Casillas (Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Diego (Brazil), Didier Drogba (C�te d'Ivoire), Michael Essien (Ghana), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Steven Gerrard (England), Thierry Henry (France), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden), Andr�s Iniesta (Spain), Kak� (Brazil), Frank Lampard (England), Luis Fabiano (Brazil), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Carles Puyol (Spain), Franck Rib�ry (France), Wayne Rooney (England), John Terry (England), Fernando Torres (Spain), David Villa (Spain) and Xavi (Spain).

Women
Nadine Angerer (Germany), Sonia Bompastor (France), Cristiane (Brazil), Inka Grings (Germany), Mana Iwabuchi (Japan), Simone Laudehr (Germany), Marta (Brazil), Birgit Prinz (Germany), Kelly Smith (England) and Abby Wambach (USA).

Nigeria will lift FIFA U-17 World Cup

Mikky jaga — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:32:01 GMT

We�ll lift FIFA U-17 World Cup � Eaglets� Coach
Sports Oct 29, 2009

Golden Eaglets coach, John Obuh has reiterated that his boys would lift the trophy of the U-17 FIFA World Cup. After surviving the scare of Germany before they dramatically came back from 3-0 to end the tie on a 3-3, Obuh said that he was confident that the boys would get it right. �I was shocked but not disappointed.

I know the boys I have put together for this championship. They are good and will definitely deliver at the end. First matches are always very difficult for all teams. They made mistakes but came back gallantly to even scores. That Lion spirit will now see them through. All I still ask from Nigerians is patience. Let them cheer the young players and not boo them�, Obuh pleaded.

Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/10/2...2%80%99-coach/

TENNIS: - WTA Championships Doha 2009

Dapxin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:00:46 GMT

It starts today. These woooomen.....pick ya chooiice

I will be following Serena + Venus and Azarenka in that order.

Venus already lost one game.

Serena's game with Kutznetsova starts right now and its live here
sop://broker9.sopcast.com:3912/77551 (sopcast)

2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup schedule

Dapxin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:41:55 GMT

If you care.
Fixtures are here http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...=world&cc=5739