U-17 WWC: Flamingos Lose 2-0 To USA In Quarter-finals
Nigeria’s Flamingos have crashed out of the FIFA U-17 women’s World Cup in Dominican Republic, after losing 2-0 to the USA In the quarter-finals on Saturday.
Goals in each half from Kennedy Fuller and Kimmie Ascanio secured the win for the Americans.
Fuller gave USA the lead with two minutes left in the first half before Ascanio added the second goal.
The win for the Americans was a revenge for their ouster against the Flamingos at this same stage in the 2022 edition in India.
The Flamingos shocked the Americans as they edged them on penalty shootout to reach the semi-finals and go on to finish third.
In the group stage, the Nigerian team finished top after wins against New Zealand, Ecuador and Dominican Republic.
For the USA, they lost 3-1 to champions Spain but won their second and third games to progress into the quarter-finals.
Friendly: Ajibade’s Brace Earns Super Falcons Win Against Algeria
A first half brace from Rasheedat Ajibade earned Nigeria’s Super Falcons a 2-0 win against Algeria, in Saturday’s friendly game played inside Remo stadium, in Ikenne, Ogun State.
Ajibade opened the scoring in the 24th minute as she ran on to a long range pass from midfield and lobbed the Algerian keeper who rushed out of her area.
Then in two minutes of added time in the first half Ajibade got her second goal as he volleyed into the top corner from outside the box.
It is the first of two friendly games between the Falcons and their Algerian counterparts.
Both teams will meet again on Tuesday, October 29 inside the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, in Lagos.
bixton: I won't be surprised that just as we are complaining about how Libya treated our players badly thats how the Libyans will be telling their people on social media how Nigerians treated them badly as well.....
But in all of these what has CAF as an institution done about all these issues and what did the Nigerian government do as well to ensure it does not continue?
That's reverse gamesmanship. North African teams often pretend to their fans that they have been maltreated abroad, so that their fans will descend angrily on the visiting team during the second leg.
They tried to do it to Enyimba, but Enyimba reported them to CAF, they did it to Mamelodi Sundowns and they did it to the Super Eagles.
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Soludo has approved the proposal by organized labour to ensure that the Minimum Take-Home for a worker (after all deductions, including tax and Union dues) is at least N70,000 per month ( the gross salary could range from N78,000 to N84,000).
In addition, Soludo has considered the plight of our pensioners.
He also approved a monthly, non-taxable cash award of N10,000 to our pensioners (in addition to their monthly pension).
In Anambra, we care deeply for the welfare of our workers, including the new 8,115 teachers and other 3,300 workers employed since we assumed office barely 30 months ago.
North Africans are notorious for their gamesmanship.
Mamelodi Sundowns accuse Wydad Casablanca of gamesmanship
Yusuf Variava 21 Sept 2017
Masandawana are clearly not pleased by the way the club have been treated in Morocco
Mamelodi Sundowns' preparations for the second leg of the Caf Champions League quarterfinal encounter has been hampered by Wydad Casablanca's relentless shenanigans.
Masandawana arrived in Rabat earlier this week, but have been sent from pillar to post in search of a suitable training venue after their hosts failed to provide one, but after spending the whole of Wednesday looking for a venue, the Brazilians are finally able to begin their preparations ahead of the crunch encounter.
Sundowns officials have not been pleased with Wydad's gamesmanship and it was previously reported that management had written a strongly worded letter to the South African Football Association (Safa) expressing their displeasure and pleading with Caf to help.
“They have been messing around‚” Sundowns spokesman Thulani Thuswa told Times Media on Thursday.
“They didn’t provide us with a training pitch and we had to look for one ourselves. Yesterday (on Wednesday) we drove all around Rabat the whole day looking for a pitch. Eventually we found one – at the Stade du FUS‚ which is the old pitch that used to be used by FUS Rabat. On our first day here (Tuesday) we didn’t train. We even told Wydad that if they could not provide us a pitch we had an option to train at the old FUS Rabat pitch‚ but they said‚ ‘No‚ no‚ you can’t because the lights don’t work there’,” he explained.
“Then we went to train there yesterday and the lights worked fine. Our advance party even arrived two days before the team‚ and in that time, they could also not find a pitch available,” he added.
“But we believe that Morocco does not have a very good relationship with SA. Apparently, it stems back to SA winning the right to host the 2010 World Cup. And also‚ gamesmanship is a big thing here. The bus they gave us was sh*t – it was a grey, old, stinky bus. So, we’ve got another one at our own expense,” he lamented.
According to reports, there is suspicion that Wydad had called several officials around Rabat asking them not to avail training venues.
“The official reason the Moroccans have given us is that the national team has not been doing well because of poor pitches‚ and that they need to preserve all the pitches for the national team‚” Thuswa said.
“The thing is‚ when they came to SA‚ we treated them really well. We gave them police escorts‚ we had (Sundowns official) Alex Shakoane and drivers stationed permanently with them to attend to their needs. Here we have had no police escorts," he continued.
"We have this guy who drives our van with our kit in‚ Ashraf‚ and he’s the one who shows us where to go.”
Despite all the uncertainty created, Thuswa maintains that the players are in good spirits and that the adversity could motivate Sundowns players even further.
“I believe so‚ because I have seen that in all the countries that treat us like this‚ we come out victorious,” he expressed.
“The players are not affected at all. When we can’t find a pitch they go and do match analysis‚ and there’s a gym and a pool at the hotel. So, people use their time constructively,” he concluded.
The North Africans are notorious for their gamesmanship. They do the same thing to everybody, even to fellow North Africans.
This is what they did to Bafana Bafana.
Libya continues to play hide and seek with increasingly frustrated Bafana Bafana
21 February 2019 - 14:06 By Marc Strydom
As expected‚ Libya have delayed announcing the venue – Tunisia or Egypt – for their must-win final 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier against Bafana Bafana until the very last day on Friday.
The SA Football Association (Safa) have been frustrated in their efforts to prepare early logistically in terms of travel‚ a hotel and training facilities for the qualifier on the weekend of March 22 to 24‚ where Bafana need a draw to reach Egypt 2019.
The match will be played at one of neighbouring Egypt or Tunisia because of a Fifa ban on playing in Libya due to the insecure security situation in the country.
And in a move that smacks of gamesmanship by the Libyans they have still not revealed the venue to Safa as Friday’s deadline approaches.
“No‚ no we are still waiting. Of course‚ Libya cannot play in Libya because of the unstable conditions‚” Safa president Danny Jordaan said on Wednesday.
“They always had a choice either to play in Tunisia or to play in Egypt. And they have not told us.”
Jordaan would not be drawn on whether he felt this was down to gamesmanship by the Libyans.
“Well‚ for us‚ we should concentrate on getting our team together and winning this match.
"The fortunate part is that most of our players who have had long-term injuries are back‚” the president said.
Safa had intended to send Bafana team manager Barney Kujane on a fact-finding mission to establish a suitable hotel‚ training facility and travel arrangements for the match well ahead of time at the beginning of this month‚ but were not able to.
Libya have played their two home games in Group E in Cairo‚ Egypt and Sfax‚ Tunisia.
Nigeria have qualified for Afcon 2019 as Group E leaders with 10 points‚ with Seychelles left to play at home.
South Africa are on nine points‚ and Libya seven. Bafana need a draw to qualify‚ and Libya a win.
The Afcon finals will be held in Egypt in June and July. Original hosts Cameroon were stripped of the competition over readiness issues.
Not many pundits are expecting anything significant from the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) when the Africa soccer ruling body meets to decide on the hostage-taking of the Nigerian contingent who ought to have played the return leg of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations against Libya in Benghazi on Tuesday. Not with the overwhelming evidence against the Libyans. In fact, CAF must carry its cross in this matter for approving a war-torn country to host its premium competition – the Africa Cup of Nations. This decision defies all logic. I digress!
Pundits have hinged their reservations on previous incidents involving North African teams. Nigeria’s flag bearer to one of CAF’s inter-club competitions Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt saw hell in Libya in 2022. Yes, Libya. In fact, in Benghazi.
According to a report by sportration.com, in a story titled: ‘Black night for African football as Rivers United FC are attacked in Libya’: ”Rivers United FC reported on arrival at the Benghazi airport for the second leg of their CAF Confederation Cup playoff round fixtures against Al Nasr in Benghazi on Wednesday 9, 2022, there were no police escorts nor were there security personnel to usher the visiting team into the city. So, Rivers United had to make do with their well-thought-out arrangement beforehand.
”Not even a provision for transportation was made by the hosts, Al Nasr Benghazi as the Nigerians were told in clear terms that they would have to pay for the luxury being provided by their hosts.
‘’The antics reached a crescendo when Rivers United’s privately arranged training session at a secret facility on Monday, October 31, was disrupted after the managers of the facility were intimidated by irate Al Nasr fans to switch off the floodlights at the facility and attacked the team with bottles and stones.”
Rivers United held a healthy 5-0 advantage from the first leg in Port Harcourt played November 2, 2022.
Back to the show of shame in Libya at the Al Abraq Airport, the Tunisian air officer who piloted the Value Jet aircraft from Kano described what happened whilst he was airborne as hostage-taking adding that: “The flight plan was to land in Benghazi as our destination and we got the approval from the Libyan authorities to land there, but unfortunately when we were at a close distance, we were told to divert to another airport which was about 300km away from our destination.
”It was far and towards the east and not a part of our coordinates. It is something that’s not good because, in aviation, we have our flight plan and calculate the amount of fuel that’ll take us through so we have to avoid issues like this because it could hamper our safety.
”When we were about to land in Benghazi, they told us no, citing it was an order from the highest authority in aviation, we cannot hide anything. I asked them at least eight times but they repeated the same thing, saying we cannot land there. Thank God we made it safely and we landed safely. We have all the evidence and they’re well documented,” the Tunisian aeronaut explained.
What is clear from the scenario created by the pilot is that we had a potential air crash in our hands, God forbid, if the pilot wasn’t an experienced one. What manner of hospitality would we have had, if the truth must be told? What plausible reason would the Libyans have advanced to convince people that what they did by diverting the aircraft from its original plan to the rustic Al Abraq Airport without landing instruments was in good faith?
The basic rule for hosts in soccer competitions starts before, during, and after the game. So, if Libyans could endanger the Nigerian contingent’s lives with their doublespeak to the pilot, is anyone surprised that these wicked souls allowed distinguished Nigerians to sleep in the mosquito-infested lounge? The Libyans didn’t want the game to hold by keeping the Nigerians hostage for 20 hours whilst subjecting them to a despicable setting and inhuman surroundings on empty stomachs with no food to eat nor water to quench their thirst.
As if to justify their acts of wickedness, the Libyans have released videos of what happened at the Port Harcourt Airport as if their captain didn’t apologise for such a disinformation prelude to the game which they lost. It is important to remind the Libyans that arriving in Port Harcourt instead of Uyo isn’t any big deal or an infraction of the rules. Uyo isn’t an international airport. Port Harcourt is. The Libyans are cheaply holding onto a straw with this excuse. After all, we provided the security architecture that took them to Uyo from the Garden City.
The needless media propaganda that the Libyans embraced in social media amounted to an afterthought having read the global condemnation of their atrocious acts. Football, like other sports, unites nations not otherwise. After all, they refused the Nigerian contingent into their country when they sought to enter to make their private bookings. Come to think of it, people who didn’t want the Nigerian contingent to use the Benghazi Airport were almost insisting that the team must pass through the Benghazi Airport to exit. But Nigeria refused to pass through that route. They returned to Nigeria through the Al Abaq Airport arrival route. It was obvious that they had sinister motives in everything they did.
Indeed, sports lawyer and Enugu Rangers International FC’s General Manager, Barrister Amobi Ezeaku, wrote in Wednesday’s edition of Sportinglife that: ”The Regulations are in place to accord protection to the rights of visiting teams, ensuring that they can travel, enter, and compete without facing unnecessary barriers.
”The lack of support from the Libyan Football Federation constitutes a violation of these regulatory standards, which are meant to foster a conducive environment for international matches.
”The repercussions of this oversight extend beyond mere logistics; they impact the reputation of both the Super Eagles and Nigerian football (I am sure you saw all the pictures trending online. Pictures of our top stars sleeping at the airport, stranded for long hours). There is an urgent need for CAF to uphold the regulations and ensure that all member associations adhere to their commitments,” Amobi Ezeaku wrote.
It must be stated here as captured by Ezeaku, ” More troubles could be in the coffers for the Libyan Football Federation because: ‘The host association that does not provide to the visiting team and the designated match officials all the facilities mentioned in the present regulations, shall reimburse all the expenses without prejudice to the sanctions that the Organizing Committee may impose upon it subsequently’.”
CAF has assembled a disciplinary committee to address the incident, which includes members such as Jane Njeri Onyango of Kenya (Vice-President); South Africa’s Norman Arendse, Mohamed Mostafa El-mashta of Egypt, and other representatives from Chad, Lesotho, Niger, Uganda, and Sierra Leone.
Interestingly, Nigeria’s own Justice Roli Daibo Harriman serves as the president of CAF’s Appeal Board, with Cape Verde’s Faustino Varela Monteiro as vice president.
CAF issued a statement on Monday, condemning the situation and vowing to hold accountable those responsible for the mistreatment of the Nigerian team.
“CAF views the disturbing and unacceptable experiences of the Nigerian National Football Team (Super Eagles) at an airport in Libya in a severe light,” the statement read.
Enyimba were to play against Al Ittihad of Libya in 2021. They wrote to the Libyans and CAF to find out the venue of the match, but they got no response. They got Libyan visas for their players and crew, even though they had not been told the venue of the match.
The Libyans waited till the last minute before announcing that the match would be in Tunisia.
Enyimba then made arrangements to go to Tunisia. They flew to Morocco, but were denied clearance to enter Tunisia because the Tunisians said that they had to have taken the COVID-19 vaccine before they could enter Tunisia. They provided evidence that they had been tested, but the Tunisians still refused to allow them enter.
Enyimba had to sleep at the airport in Morocco and CAF eventually postponed the game.
The Libyans did the same thing to South Africa in 2019. They waited till the last minute before informing them of the venue of their match.
Caf Confederation Cup: Al Ittihad vs Enyimba game postponed
Taiye Taiwo 28 Nov 2021
The Nigerian giants will have to wait for a later date to face the Libyan club after they were restricted from entering Tunisia
Enyimba have announced the postponement of their Caf Confederation Cup play-off fixture against Al Ittihad after they were denied access into Tunisia due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The Nigeria Professional Football League club disclosed on Saturday that they were not allowed to enter Monastir, a day before the crucial first-leg fixture.
Finidi George’s men now need to wait for an urgent conclusion from Caf’s Interclub Committee for the new venue of the match as the second-leg outing will go ahead as planned in Nigeria on December 5.
“The Confederation of African Football has postponed the Confederation Cup playoff first leg fixture between Al Ittihad and Enyimba FC,” read a statement on Enyimba’s website.
“The fixture was initially scheduled for Sunday, November 28 at the Stade Mustapha Ben Jannet in Monastir, Tunisia; but Enyimba were denied access to Tunisia as a result of strict Covid-19 travel restrictions in the country.
“Consequently, Caf, through a correspondence have announced their decision to choose a new date and venue for the fixture.
“The match will not take place tomorrow, the 28th of November 2021, as scheduled and will be postponed.
“The new venue and date of the match will be announced soon after consultation with Caf Interclub Committee.
“Kindly note that the return leg will be played as scheduled on the 5th of December in Nigeria.”
The Peoples' Elephants advanced to the play-off round after defeating Senegal's Diambars FC 4-0 on aggregate in the second round of qualification in October.
They are the second Nigerian club in the play-offs, with Rivers United scheduled to play Egypt's Al Masry for their first-leg in Port Harcourt on Sunday.
Both teams are seeking to qualify for the group stage of the Confederation Cup that will commence in 2022.
Meanwhile, the 2021-22 NPFL season will begin on December 17 with Enyimba scheduled to host city rivals Abia Warriors in Aba while champions Akwa United will face Kano Pillars that same day in Uyo.
CAF CL: ‘Al-Ahly fans attacked me in Libya’ — Enyimba goalkeeper Ojo talks tough ahead of second leg
by Jonathan Ledger August 26, 2023
Olorunleke Ojo, the captain and goalkeeper of Enyimba FC, says fans of Al-Ahly Benghazi “hurled firecrackers and bottled water” at him during their CAF Champions League (CAFCL) encounter in Libya.
Enyimba lost 4-3 to the Libyan outfit in the first leg of their preliminary tie last weekend.
In a chat with TheCable, Ojo said the Nigerian club suffered “intimidation” at the hands of Al-Ahly Benghazi fans.
The Super Eagles invitee also blamed stress and fatigue for the team’s uncharacteristic defensive performance against Benghazi.
“I must tell you the truth, we saw a lot in Libya,” he said. “Personally I went through a lot; fans threw firecrackers and bottled water as missiles in my direction during the match.
“Both goalposts were close to where their fans were camped and it was not really easy. Despite the intimidation and other stuff directed at me from the stands, I was able to pull myself together and stand firm.”
The NPFL winner, however, said the team will use the experience as a springboard to victory in the second leg.
Ojo also appealed to fans to recreate the deafening atmosphere — the same way Al-Ahly Benghazi supporters did in Libya — to inspire Enyimba to victory in Aba.
“If we can get one-third of the support from spectators and our fans [on Sunday] the same way [Al-Ahly Benghazi fans] gave their players in Libya, there is no way they will escape defeat here,” he said.
“We saw the support their people gave to them and contributed to their performance. There is nowhere in the world that kind of support is given and you will not give your all, you will not want to disappoint your fans and the people.”
Ojo said the team’s mood is positive, adding that the “Chijioke Mboama-led attack will be on a goal-scoring spree”.
“The mood has been okay, we have put the result behind us and everybody is in a good state of mind, feeling no pressure and ready to go again in the second leg, including our attack. They had a good game in Libya and I pray they carry the same form to the game on Sunday, individually and as a team,” he said.
“We will try to score as many goals as possible; I am looking beyond three goals, we will not stop scoring when we get the first goal.”
Enyimba, two-time CAF Champions League winners, will face Al-Ahly Benghazi in Aba on Sunday.
In 2022 Rivers United defeated Al Nasr Benghazi 5-0 in Nigeria and then flew to Benghazi for the second leg of their CAF Confederation Cup tie.
They got to Libya, but the Libyans had not provided any security or means of transportation for them. They had to hire buses to take them to their hotel.
The Libyans also did not provide any training facility for Rivers United and the Nigerian team had to rent a private sports facility in Benghazi in order to train.
However, Libyan officials went to the private sports facility and ordered them to turn off their floodlights. Rivers United had to train in darkness.
Rivers United Forced To Train In The Dark In Libya (Photo)
pleasureosondu: Rivers United arranged a private training in Libya but Al Nasr Benghazi officials still forced the private operators to turn off the stadium light.
Earlier today, I attended the wedding Fatiha of the daughter of former Governor of Gombe State, Sen. Danjuma Goje, at the National Mosque in Abuja. May Allah bless the marriage of the couple. -AA
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