₦airaland Forum

Logins2125:
I'm always confused about China and Hong Kong, please someone should enlighten me if the two are different countries!

Three arrested in Hong Kong for ‘insulting’ Chinese anthem at World Cup qualifier

Police say spectators ‘turned their backs toward the pitch and did not stand for the playing of the national anthem’

Fri 7 Jun 2024

Three people have been arrested for turning their backs and remaining seated when China’s national anthem was played prior to Hong Kong’s home World Cup qualifier against Iran, police have said.

Football spectators in Hong Kong used to boo the Chinese anthem as a show of political discontent, but the government banned the practice in 2020 as part of a wider crackdown after huge democracy protests in the city.

At Hong Kong Stadium on Thursday, police said, two men and a woman were arrested because they “turned their backs toward the pitch and did not stand for the playing of the national anthem”.

“Police stressed that anyone who publicly and intentionally insults the national anthem in any way commits a crime,” a police statement said.

The three arrested were between the ages of 18 and 31. If convicted they face up to three years in jail and a fine of HK$50,000 (£5,000/US$6,400).

Hong Kong’s hopes of reaching the next stage of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup were already over and they went on to lose the game to Iran 4-2.

Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China but competes in its own name in many international sports, including football.

During the politically tumultuous 2010s, the Hong Kong team became a vessel for civic pride and occasionally anti-government sentiment.

At the time, the Chinese national anthem was routinely drowned out by boos before Hong Kong matches, enraging local and mainland officials.

Soon after Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong in 2020, the finance hub passed a separate local law criminalising insults towards the anthem.

mikeapollo:
What you said about Edward Ansah is not correct! It is not true!

Edward Ansah actually played for Leventis United of Ibadan for many years in the early 1980s before he moved to Iwuanyanwu Nationale.
At a time, he was the best goalkeeper in Nigeria.

There were many Ghanaian players that came to the Nigerian league at that time and some of them actually played for the Green Eagles of Nigeria e.g. Leotis Boateng, John Benson etc.
Ansah could not play for Nigeria because he had already played for a Ghana national team before he came to Nigeria.
There were some Nigerians that also played for Ghana e.g. the Kayode Brother (i.e. Dan Kayode and Ben Kayode) but they were born and grew up in Ghana).
Even Ibrahim Sunday, the first winner of African Footballer of The Year award (in 1970), played for Ghana but it is rumoured that his grand parents originally migrated from Nigeria to Ghana.

naptu2:
Stephen Keshi, the Big Bros

Stephen Keshi's nickname was the Big Boss, but you can also call him the Big Bross.

Although African players have always played in Europe, Stephen Keshi led the modern exodus of Nigerian players to Europe in the mid-1980s. He thereafter developed the habit of taking care of younger players that moved to Europe after him.

Whenever they had match free days, Nigerian players from all over Europe would go to Keshi's house in Belgium and Keshi's wife would cook Nigerian food and they would eat.

It was a lonely life for many Nigerian players in Europe back then, when there weren't that many African players there and these visits helped them overcome the loneliness.

Keshi would give them advice, they would talk and spend time together.

Nii Odartey Lamptey

This assistance was not limited to Nigerian players.

Ghana won the 1991 Under 17 World Cup in Italy (when Nigeria was still banned) and an incredible talent was discovered in that team. He was Odartey Lamptey. People made all kinds of predictions about him. They said that he would become the best player in the world, that he would be better than Abedi Pele, etc. Odartey Lamptey won the golden ball at that world cup, the same world cup that featured many players that would go on to be superstars.


The Ghanaian Government knew that they had discovered a gem and they made a regulation that banned Odartey Lamptey from playing outside Ghana. They didn't want him to go to Europe or to play in any other country (it was a different era back then). In fact, they seized his passport.


This order reminded me of the issue with Edward Ansah. Ansah was Ghana's number 1 goalkeeper and he was one of the best goalkeepers in Africa. But he played for Iwuanyanwu Nationale of Owerri!

Ansah had played for Iwuanyanwu for a while and I cannot remember what ignited the controversy, but there was a huge outcry in Ghana that it was unnaceptable for their first choice goalkeeper to play in the Nigerian League (the league of their rivals). They had a fundraising in Ghana and raised funds to buy out Ansah's contract at Iwuanyanwu.

That's what came to my mind when the Ghanaian Government banned Odartey Lamptey from playing outside Ghana. But then came Stephen Keshi to the rescue.


Keshi smuggled Odartey Lamptey out of Ghana and brought him to Nigeria. He then got him a Nigerian passport with which he travelled to Belgium.

Before anybody knew what was happening, it was announced that Odartey Lamptey had joined Anderlecht (Keshi was the captain of Anderlecht). The rule was changed in Belgium to enable him to sign for Anderlecht even though he was just 16.

Some Nigerians applauded Keshi when the news broke, but some others wanted Keshi to be prosecuted for getting a Nigerian passport for a foreigner. But nobody was going to prosecute Keshi back then, he was like a national treasure at the time.


Lamptey put up some fantastic performances with Anderlecht and the Ghanaian National Team, but everything soon went bad very quickly.


He had 2 or 3 children that died and this affected him emotionally. He got married, but later had problems with his wife. He suffered from terrible racism in Europe. All of these affected his performance on the pitch and his star went out too quickly. Some believe that he was too young when he became a star and that he couldn't cope with the fame.

Odartey Lamptey wept when Keshi died. He said that his father had died.

The tradition continues

Some Super Eagles and Super Falcons players continue the tradition of taking care of younger Nigerian players in Europe.

naptu2:
I wanted a video of the quarter final match between Brazil and Ghana, but it's not on YouTube. I could only find the final (Ghana vs Spain).

Anyway, these are some (club football) goals by Odartey Lamptey.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKoWMNwFq1o?si=XJgTcLkV-C2g1Wlt

toffyz:
Please I have a question, that luxurious bus used to convey the players and staff, how did it get to Nigeria?? Was it through Cargo plane?

Starships4u:
Who delayed them?

Don't be springing up topics that can cause xenophobic reactions,
South Africans are good at it!

naptu2:
Previous thread: Controversy As Bafana Bafana Arrive Port-Harcourt Late
https://www.nairaland.com/8116243/controversy-bafana-bafana-arrive-port-harcourt

fasho01:
Why are the boxes wrapped like that?

I saw the ugly bus they gave you. It's even revealing 😭😭😭

But watch us treat them like some royalty 😉.

🥹🫡We're good people. We won't let them change us

2026 W/C qualifier: ‘You created your own dilemma’ — NFF tells South Africa

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has insisted that the South African delegation has no reason to cry foul after having to stay the night in Port Harcourt on Wednesday after arriving in Nigeria. The team only flew into Uyo on Thursday morning.

NFF’s Protocol Chief, Emmanuel Ayanbunmi, said the South African Football Association informed the NFF that its chartered aircraft would depart South Africa on Wednesday morning by 8 a.m. and land in Lagos to undergo immigration formalities before proceeding to Uyo.

“The problem has nothing to do with the NFF. As at the time they said they were taking off, it took them a further five hours to actually depart from South Africa. We were not informed. We had informed officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service and other relevant agencies in Lagos to expedite action on the formalities for them.

“It was less than two hours to landing that they contacted us to say that the landing right they got was for Port Harcourt International Airport and not the MMA in Lagos. We had to quickly get in touch with officials of NMS and other agencies in Port Harcourt and mobilize people to ensure smooth formalities for them. Having completed all immigration formalities, they wanted to take off for Uyo but were informed that the Obong Victor Attah Airport only operates from sunrise to sunset, and so that was not possible. The NFF immediately mobilized resources for them to comfortably spend the night in Port Harcourt.”

MD-1 training done and dusted! All eyes on the game tomorrow! #BafanaPride #WCQualifiers

Bafana Bafana have finally arrived at their base in Uyo, Nigeria 🇳🇬 #BafanaPride #WCQualifiers 🙏🏽

Flame333:
If you want to prioritize news, news like this should Fall very low in the ladder because so far so good nobody has been talking about the living standard of Nigerians..

Where were we in 2015 and where are we now in terms of improvement in the living standard of the common man

Our triumphant girls, the Edo Queens, winners of the NWFL Super Six Playoffs were given a hero’s welcome as thousands of jubilant fans joined them in a colourful motorcade through major streets of the state capital.

Receiving them at the Government House, I congratulated them for bringing the highly coveted NWFL trophy home – a trophy we have been looking for for 29 years!

To our wonderful girls, and the coaching staff of Edo Queens, you have created history. Your achievement has made an indelible imprint in the hearts of Edo people and in the annals of the state.

Consider the cash reward of ₦1 million for each player and ₦5 million for the coaches as a token of our appreciation for your commendable feat. We will continue to do more to propel you to greater heights and ensure your success on the continental stage.

Nigeria must also be diverted to Kimberly next time they fly to SA. Let them catch a bus to Durban

Give them the same treatment when they come to SA

They’ll never do that. Courteous and civilized ladies and gentlemen of ‘fair play’ will be abused alone. They will always turn the other cheek. They make me furious!!!

You shared this 10 hours ago. Was this shared in real time? I'm just trying to establish where the 8 hours are coming from. You clearly left SA late, so don't try to create an impression that you're being sabotaged.

Flight delayed, but we’re on our way, Nigeria bound.

Bafana Bafana have been on the road for 18 hours and still not at base in Nigeria. The team is currently at Port Harcourt Airport where they cleared customs, awaiting transfer to the hotel, to spend the night. Uyo airport had closed by the time the team was scheduled to take off. #WCQualifiers