This is not about President Yar'adua's person. I am sure he is a good man and also mean well for Nigeria in his actions. However, he seems unable to attend to national needs for certain reasons - some of these seem obvious. If this tournament turns out to be a big embarrassment, and it is looking very likely, then Yar'adua must go in 2011.

The dreams of 140 million people have been delayed enough! Enough is enough!

[size=14pt]Nigeria: FIFA U-17 World Cup Scare - How Adamu Saved Nigeria From Embarrassment [/size]
Abdulrahman Tonga
2 October 2009

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Kaduna: But for the timely intervention of Nigeria's FIFA and CAF executive member Dr Amos Adamu after some critical members of the executive committee of world's football governing body had perfected plans by circulating text messages to kick against Nigeria's quest with going ahead to host the championship only few weeks away, FIFA would have embarrassed the country by withdrawing the hosting right.

Shortly before the meeting that held in Brazil Tuesday and Wednesday between FIFA executive members, some anti-Nigeria members who are disturbed by the state of unpreparedness of some major facilities for the championship had lobbied other influential members through text messages on taking a position not to allow Nigeria continue with the hosting. They had proposed that Mexico be on stand by in the event of the possible last minute withdrawal. According to the plan, all FIFA would have to do is to adjust the calendar for a month or two to allow Mexico perfect her plans.

But Nigeria's Dr Amos Adamu getting wind of the plan swung to action and frustrated the plan on the grounds that as a Nigerian he would never be at the FIFA executive and allow his country to be rubbished before the entire world.

Adamu muscled round other members and killed the idea before it was brought up convincing them that Nigeria would not disappoint the confidence put on them by FIFA. Most of them not convinced requested that Dr Adamu must make a personal pledge where he then had to stake his executive membership as a sign of seriousness and commitment to the realization of the U-17 dream.

On the disturbing news why the event a major media tournament but experiencing poor publicity even in Nigeria and worse outside the country with most committees set up crying over being starved of funds to properly package the event to the delight of FIFA, Adamu was able to convince them that it is due to the budgetary procedures associated with the release of funds that has brought about the delay.

Meanwhile Sports Minister and Chairman National Sports Commission (NSC), Engr. Mohammed Sani Ndanusa assured Nigerians not to panic as the country is on course in the hosting of the FIFA U-17 World Cup come October 24 to November 15 2009.

Ndanusa Wednesday after news broke that FIFA is contemplating withdrawing the hosting right held a closed door meeting with the LOC's officials led by the Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive, Mainasara Illo. After the meeting, the minister agreed there are few challenges in some of the venues but added that it would be accomplished well ahead of the tournament.



[size=14pt]UAE slams Nigeria facilities [/size] 
By Oluwashina Okeleji
BBC Sport, Lagos 



UAE is threatening to withdraw from the Under-17 World Cup
The team manager of the United Arab Emirates team Jamal Hassan has launched a savage attack on the facilities for the Fifa Under-17 World Cup in the northern Nigerian city of Kano.

United Arab Emirates (UAE) are due to be based there in Group E alongside Malawi, Spain and the USA.

Hassan threatened to withdraw his team from the tournament if the Gwagwarawa and Bayero University training pitches are not completely revamped.

"How do they expect my youthful players to come and train on a pitch without grass?" he told Punch newspaper in Nigeria.

"They want us to train on the field which cannot accommodate even a five-a-side game. This is horrible; I have never seen a thing like this all my life in football.

"Even the doping room is only comparable to a detention centre, there are no excuses, and we cannot stay here."

Even though facilities in Kano have come under severe criticism from the local media, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) in the city insist they are on track to be perfect hosts to the teams in Group E.


They want us to train on the field which cannot accommodate even a five-a-side game


Emeka Odikpo, a spokesman for the 2009 Under-17 LOC defended the work being done on their facilities.

"We have challenges in Kano but some of these exaggerated condemnations are unfounded," Odikpo told BBC Sport on Friday.

"The training pitches are a major concern but there is ongoing work there to make things ready because we want them to be graced by, and appreciated by teams coming here.

"They (UAE) cannot pull out because it is a Fifa-organised tournament, besides Fifa looked at Kano and pronounced it fit to stage the tournament.

"Things that need to be done are minor which can be fixed in matter of hours and not days.

"We will, of course, seek to address any concerns raised by the UAE officials and hope to work it out to reach a satisfactory conclusion for all."

Earlier in the week, Fifa vice-president Jack Warner raised fresh concerns over Nigeria's preparations for their hosting of October's Under-17 World Cup.

Warner says organisers of the Under-17 World Cup in Nigeria should use Egypt's preparations for the under-20 event as a catalyst to help them get ready.

Football's world governing body at one stage threatened to move the tournament from Nigeria because of organisational difficulties.


[size=14pt]Nigeria: Fifa Delays Decision On 2009 U-17 World Cup Host [/size]
Orkula Shaagee
1 October 2009

World soccer governing body, FIFA yesterday delayed taking a final decision on whether Nigeria's right to host the 20099 FIFA U-17 World Cup is revoked or retained, even as it received reports on preparations for the biennial soccer fiesta.

The Executive Committee of the global soccer ruling body met in Rio de Janeiro Brazil on Wednesday and was to announce the withdrawal of the hosting right to Nigeria over poor preparations.

Before the meeting in Brazil, FIFA wrote its Executive Committee members, among who are Nigeria's Amos Adamu expressing its dismay over the choice of Nigeria as the host of the cadet World Cup this month.

Trustsports had gathered from a competent source that FIFA also detailed Mexico to be on the standby in the event of a final withdrawal of the hosting right from Nigeria.

But Wednesday's meeting ended without FIFA making formal pronouncement on the matter, it confirmed receiving updates on preparations for it.

It was learnt that FIFA considered the proximity of the kick off date for the U-17 World Cup for not revoking the hosting right from Nigeria; hence the commencement date cannot be shifted from October 24.

According to FIFA on its website "The Executive Committee received reports about the 2009 FIFA competitions, including the successful FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009 and the ongoing FIFA U-20 World Cup Egypt 2009, which kicked off on 24 September.

"Updates were given on the several forthcoming 2009 competitions (FIFA U-17 World Cup Nigeria 2009, FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Dubai 2009 and FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2009)".

Efforts to get confirmation from the Nigeria 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup LOC Chief Executive Officer, Mainasara Illo of its General Manager Media, Emeka Odikpo proved as they cannot be reached on phone.

So that thread in sports section was not a fake message . In short Bleep nigeria