The Nigerian Falconets celebrates the first goal

A second-half equaliser from Alina Garciamendez booked Mexico a place in the quarter-finals as Group C winners by virtue of goals scored, with opponents Nigeria also making it through to the knockout stages following their 1-1 draw in Bochum today.

The Mexicans will meet the second placed side from Group D in Dresden, while Nigeria await the winners of the same section in Augsburg. However, England and Japan, who made up the section, must travel home.

In the early stages of an entertaining game, Nigeria had more of the ball but failed to create any clear cut changes, largely due to the tenacious pressing of the Mexicans, who forced their opponents into making several errors.

However, the Africans took the lead with their first real chance of the game. Cecilia Santiago did well to turn Amarachi Okoronkwo’s shot out for a corner and from the resulting set-piece, Ebere Orji struck from close range after Esther Sunday headed Helen Ukaonu’s cross into her path.

Mexico had a good chance to equalizer when Stephany Majoy found herself unmarked in the box with just the goalkeeper to beat, but slipped at the crucial moment and the chance went begging.

At the other end, Nigeria almost doubled their advantage when Orji’s cross from the left wing looped over Santiago and clipped the far post.

Most of Mexico’s attacking impetus came from Charlyn Corral, but she found herself to be frustrated by a resolute defensive display from the Nigerians, who had two players trying to mark her when she found herself in possession.

But she almost found a way through on the stroke of half-time when her corner was headed towards goal by Nayeli Rangel, who forced Alaba Jonathan into a smart save.

The two most dangerous players for either side, Corral and Orji were both replaced at half-time, which interrupted both teams’ flow and consequently few chances were created after the restart.

In the 73rd minute, Mexico substitute Natalia Gomez Junico had a decent chance to equalise with a header from close range, but her effort sailed over the crossbar. However, five minutes later, parity was restored when Natalia Garcia’s header from a corner found Garciamendez who controlled the ball with her chest and hammered a right-footed volley into the net from close range.

It was a goal which completely changed the outcome of the game and the group, leaping the Mexicans from third to first, with Japan, who defeated England 3-1 in the section’s other game missing out on qualification by a single point.

Nigeria coach Ndem Egan, said after the match: “It was a very interesting match, and tactically a very good one. We had to keep our focus and try to play to our full potential.

“If you never make any mistakes, then there would be no goals, which is why we stepped up the pressure and took a few risks. Before the tournament I knew full well that we would have a tough time of it here.”

“My team will continue to work hard and look for new challenges, because without them, there can be no success. Ebere Orji came off at half time as she had picked up a slight injury. It looked like it was muscle-related, and she’ll be available for the next game,” he added.

FIFA

FIFA Development Director, Thierry Regenass said professional management of the game in Africa was often lacking and needed to be improved if soccer was to grow.

“Professionalism is an essential aspect to create the basis for the future,” he told a news briefing in Johannesburg.

“We need to invest in not infrastructure but grassroots, youth and professional leagues. This is our objective over the next years because it is through this aspect we will have vibrant national teams.”

Africa’s first hosting of the World Cup finals has failed to deliver expected improvement in the competitiveness of its representatives at the finals.

Ghana is the only one of the six African sides to progress past the first round at the tournament in South Africa.

FIFA said it had spent a total of $39 million on building artificial turf fields in 48 countries with three more still to be completed. It said it had also spent a further $14.5 million on training and equipment for African countries in a special development programme, first implemented in 2006.

Each African country also receives an annual grant of $250,000 from FIFA but Regenass said some diverse sources of income were needed if the African game was to grow.

“In Africa, there are usually two sources of income. The government puts money into the national team and FIFA with its financial assistance programme. There needs to be diversified sources of income to develop African football.

“There is a strong need for a better youth championships and for the national leagues, which are the heartbeat of football in Africa,” he said.

(Reuters/NAN)

Nigerian fan hold aloft the Naija banner

Nigerian football enthusiasts on Wednesday expressed great expectations on Thursday’s 2010 World Cup Group Two game between the Super Eagles and Greece in Bloemfontein, South Africa.

Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, a cross-section of Nigerians said they expected the Eagles not to only win the game but also win with a heavy scoreline.

According to them, the big win will enhance the team’s chances of qualification for the second round, ahead of South Korea, their group foes whom they are scheduled to meet on June 22 at Durban.

NAN reports that the Eagles had lost 0-1 to Argentina last Saturday in their opening match while the Greeks lost 0-2 to South Korea in their corresponding game.

Mr Mayo Adeyemi, a development research analyst, told NAN that nothing short of a big win will do much good to the Eagles’ campaign.

“At this level of the game, teams always grab their chances as they come and that opportunity has come for the Eagles.

“They have improved lately with every game and on the strength of that game against Argentina on Saturday, I expect them to improve this time around against the Greeks.

“The Eagles need to beat the Greeks with a good margin that will help them to stay ahead of the Koreans on the table,” he told NAN from Lagos.

Yaya Umaru, a footballer with FC Abuja, a National League club side, told NAN that he was optimistic that the Eagles would beat Greece by two goals to nil.

“Though they (the Eagles) lost their previous game against Argentina and the damage has already been done, I don’t expect them to do anything apart from winning by at least two goals to nil,” he said.

Samuel Edeh, another Abuja-based football enthusiast, also said he was basing his optimism on the Eagles’ performance in their game last Saturday.

“With their performance against Argentina, I believe they will beat Greece 2-0.

“ I think tomorrow’s match is going to be a very good one because the team is now very much organised.

“The way they played against Argentina was very good and the present coach (Mr Lars Lagerback) is doing his best at the moment.

“If you take a look back at the match they played last Saturday, you will discover that it is different from what they played at the Africa Nations Cup in Angola,” he said.

Ezekiel Joshua, an Abuja-based Youth Corps member, was also optimistic that Nigeria would beat Greece with a two-goal margin based on what he described as their impressive performance against Argentina.

“I see us (Nigeria) winning that match with at least a two-goal margin because we played impressively against Argentina and I am sure that if we meet again, we will beat them,’’ he said.

Malam Isah Ahmadu, a school teacher in Zaria, said he was sure history was going to repeat itself against the European side, recalling that the Eagles beat Greece 2-0 in 1994.

“We have done it before and that was in the U.S. at the 1994 World Cup finals.

“ If you look at the fact that the Eagles played well in their last match, you have to believe that.

“There is nothing that can stop us from being optimistic that a win will come our way on Thursday,” he said.

Hajiya Rahmatu Kabir, a housewife and football enthusiast based in Bwari, a suburb of Abuja, told NAN she was also sure of victory against Greece on Thursday.

“ I believe our Super Eagles will win. I am confident of that,” she said, supporting her contention by pointing at recent changes in the team’s performance.

“It is clear that since Lagerback took over, there has been an improvement in the team’s performance and I believe such an improvement will push them further against Greece,” she added.

Another Abuja-based youth corps member, Adesina Adetokunbo, predicted a 2-1 win for the Eagles, saying he was hinging his prediction on the fact that the team had been doing well so far.

“I am expecting Nigeria to win 2-1 because of what they displayed in their last match.

“Moreover, we all know that it is when people don’t expect much from the Eagles that they perform so well,” he said.

NAN reports that the Eagles, who have no point from one match just like the Greeks, are placed third on the group’s table ahead of the European side.

A win on Thursday will still place them ahead of the Greeks and keep them in good positioning for their final group game on June 22 against present group leaders, South Korea.(NAN)

The Nigeria Football Supporters’ Club is grooming trumpeters to join in cheering the Super Eagles to victory in their match against Greece in Bloemfontein on June 17.

The President of the club, Dr Rafiu Ladipo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Johannesburg on Tuesday that many of the club’s instrumentalists were stranded in Nigeria.

He said that the situation had compelled the club to recruit instrumentalists in South Africa.

“We will be there (Bloemfontein) in full force and we are not deterred by the challenges which many of our members are facing in getting their visas,” he said.

Ladipo said that only 22 members of the club arrived in South Africa in the first batch, forcing other club members not to take part in the cheering the Super Eagles in the match against Argentina.

“We have lost tickets worth over N1 million for the Argentina match as they remained with the South African High Commission which required them to process visas for our members.

“We are never discouraged, as we have been doing it for years and we won’t get distracted.

“By the grace of God, the Super Eagles will come out victorious. We will raise as many supporters as we can for them,” he said.

Ladipo stressed that that the club had always risen to them occasion when faced with such challenges.

“As citizens of the most populous country in Africa, we won’t get distracted,” he stated.

Bloemfontein is about five hours drive from Johannesburg where the Super Eagles played their first match against Argentina on June 12.

Nigeria needs a win over Greece to be in a better position to qualify for the next round of the 2010 World Cup.

The Super Eagles lost their first match 0-1 to Argentina.

(NAN)

Nigeria landed at the newly-constructed King Shaka International Airport in Durban on Wednesday to start their preparations in the coastal city, where they should experience a warmer climate than the rest of South Africa. Nigeria coach Lars Lagerback is aware of the bumps in the road that lies ahead, but he said he is relishing the challenge of leading the Super Eagles in their bid to soar to the heights at the world’s showpiece football event.

“First of all, I feel very privileged to be here and to be part of this World Cup – the first World Cup in Africa,” Lagerback told FIFA.com upon the team arrival today. “We are looking forward to what we hope will be a good tournament. The few weeks [of being in charge of the team] have been wonderful for me. The players attitudes have been great, and the spirits are high. We have had great preparations.”

A lot was expected from Nigeria at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations in Angola – an event earlier this year that was seen as a dress rehearsal for African teams preparing for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Despite never seeming to be at their best, they finished third – a result that subsequently led to coach Shaibu Amodu being demoted from his job. Such is the pressure that comes with coaching the Super Eagles. Since then, a lot has changed.

Experienced coach Lars Lagerback was picked to take the coaching hot seat, one of the trickiest in Africa, just months before the World Cup finals. The former Sweden boss now has the weight of Nigeria’s expectations on his shoulders, and he is aware of the task that lies ahead in the valleys of South Africa. A team that commands a huge following within South Africa and on the African continent at large, Nigeria will face tough opposition during the tournament. They will come up against Argentina in their World Cup opener at Ellis Park in Johannesburg in what should be their test of character. They will then face former European Champions, Greece in Mangaung/Bloemfontein before their final Group B match against Korea Republic.

“We have a very tough group, the quality of the opposition is very good, and what I know is that all the teams want to win” said Lagerback. “But the Super Eagles are ready to take on the world’s best. We know there are high expectations, especially from our fans. If we give our 100 per cent, we can beat any team. But I am happy with everything so far.”

FIFA.COM

Super Eagles Vincent Enyeama, Sanni Kaita and Chidi Ordiah are all named in the 23-man World Cup team.

Super Eagles striking duo Ike Uche and Victor Anichebe were the most notable names to miss out on Nigeria’s 23-man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.

New Nigeria boss Lars Lagerback dropped seven players in his final cut today with Peter Utaka, Onyekachi Apam, Brown Ideye and domestically-based duo Bassey Akpan and Terna Suswan also missing out.

Real Zaragoza striker Uche had been struggling with a knee injury while Everton’s Anichebe was overlooked in favour of fellow English-based strikers Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Nwankwo Kanu and John Utaka.

Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi was included despite missing the end of the season with a knee injury.

Nigeria begin their FIFA World Cup finals campaign against Argentina in Johannesburg on 12 June, and will also play Greece and South Korea in Group B.

Nigeria’s 23-man FIFA World Cup squad:

Goal Keepers:

• Vincent Enyeama (Hapoel Tel Aviv),
• Dele Aiyenugba (Bnei Yehuda),
• Austin Ejide (Hapoel Petach Tikvah);

Defenders:

• Taye Taiwo (Marseille),
• Elderson Echiejile (Rennes),
• Chidi Odiah (CSKA Moscow),
• Joseph Yobo (Everton),
• Ayodele Adeleye (Sparta Rotterdam),
• Rabiu Afolabi (Salzburg),
• Danny Shittu (Bolton);

Midfielders:

• Kalu Uche (Almeria),
• Dickson Etuhu (Fulham),
• John Mikel Obi (Chelsea),
• Sani Kaita (Alaniya),
• Haruna Lukman (Monaco),
• Yusuf Ayila (Dynamo Kiev);

Attackers:

• Yakubu Aiyegbeni (Everton),
• Nwankwo Kanu (Portsmouth),
• Obafemi Martins (Wolfsburg),
• John Utaka (Portsmouth),
• Victor Obinna Nsofor (Malaga),
• Osaze Odemwingie (Lokomotiv Moscow),
• Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi (Hoffenheim).

PA/FIFA.COM

Quantum ‘cryptography’, which in layman’s terms refers to anything which is written in secret code, is a new method of communication security that provides an ultra-high communication security solution, through the encoding of data within quantum particles. A person who therefore tries to tap into the information feed, is first required to break the established laws of quantum mechanics to intercept the information without being noticed.

“This is the first public global event to use such a quantum based encryption solution,” said Professor Francesco Petruccione of the University of KwaZulu Natal’s (UKZN) Centre for Quantum Technology, a research group – comprising mainly academics and post-graduate students – which has led the project in partnership with the city of Durban.

“The project will provide a high-level security system along the optical fibre communication link between the stadium and the Joint Operations Centre during the World Cup,” explained Professor Petruccione. “To achieve this we use quantum mechanical methods to distribute ultra secure encryption keys.”

The system will make it virtually impossible for hackers to tap into communication between the two points via telephone, email and video links.

Information conveyed through optical fibre links is very often not encrypted, and therefore vulnerable to tapping, using equipment readily available via the internet, Professor Petruccione pointed out.

The Premier of KwaZulu Natal Mr. Zweli Mkhize congratulated the UKZN Centre for Quantum Technology for what he called ‘a remarkable innovation.’ “I was shown the importance of how this technology would be used to secure information. We are quite excited that we are seeing this innovation being implemented in our own stadium,” he said.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor of UKZN, Professor Rob Slotow said that the university was pleased that it could make a contribution to the running of the World Cup. “Especially in this, the most spectacular stadium in South Africa,” he added.

The tickets will be made available to the general public in a week’s time, on 15 April 2010, when the fifth and final ticketing sales phase kicks off. This will coincide with the opening of the FIFA World Cup ticketing centres in all nine Host Cities and the start of the over-the-counter sales.

“For this last phase, we have made a big effort to assist football fans by introducing various additional means to purchase a ticket,” emphasised Jérôme Valcke. “We are commited to facilitating the process for all fans and giving them this last chance to attend the matches and experience the excitement of this first World Cup in Africa.”

In all, 500,000 tickets for 63 matches (including all Host Cities and all knock-out matches except the final) will be made available.

Five different sales channels will be operating during this fifth and final sales phase, which will run from next Thursday (15 April 2010) to the last day of the tournament (11 July 2010):

* 11 ticketing centres across the Host Cities (exact addresses and details can be found attached and on FIFA.com), open seven days a week from 9.00 until 18.00 local time;

* Approx. 600 FNB branches nationwide, open five days a week from 9.00 on 15 April; the process is new: you can order tickets, make payment and get ticket confirmation immediately; the actual tickets need to be collected at the FIFA ticketing centres or Shoprite/Checkers sales points;

* The official tournament website www.FIFA.com, starting from 18.00 on 15 April;

* The call centre hotline (tel. (within South Africa): 083 123 2010; tel. (international): 0041445832010), starting from 18.00 on 15 April and open seven days a week from 8.00 until 22.00;

* 18 Shoprite/Checkers sales points (addresses attached and on FIFA.com), starting from 9.00 on 19 April and open seven days a week;

“We are excited about these new initiatives, which make the process much easier for everyone. We have always said that it is important that we make this World Cup more accessible to the people and with the over-the-counter sales, we believe this measure is consistent with the needs of the fans,” said Danny Jordaan.

Fans applying at the ticketing centres will be required to display ID and pay by credit card or cash.

A total of 240,000 tickets were sold in the fourth phase, 85% of which went to South African residents. Overall, 2.2 million tickets have been sold for the tournament.

The special version of the company’s MultiNet map database includes all roads in South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland, as well as accurate details covering the nine host cities in South Africa. It is the map fans need to find everything they want, from restaurants, hotels and bars to the fastest routes around regulated traffic zones near event locations.

Danny Grobben, general manager, Tele Atlas South Africa, said: “The special map release allows our navigation and local search partners to deliver solutions for an enjoyable, hassle-free World Cup experience. With Tele Atlas content as the foundation, mobile and in car navigation products will help people avoid temporary road closures, find the best walking route to stadiums and see just where they are using Tele Atlas 3D landmarks or detailed Tele Atlas 2D city maps.

“Our addition of Tele Atlas Voice Maps enables speech recognition technologies on navigation devices and provides better voice output.”

To help developers create applications in time for the competition, Mandali Khalesi, senior product manager at Tele Atlas explained: “Tele Atlas plans to offer special World Cup Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Using these standard web interfaces, developers can access the freshest maps and dynamic content to create and deliver navigation and local search applications for the World Cup. With our APIs, developers can build the best apps that help their web and mobile end users find whatever they need during the competition.”

Tele Atlas is the only map company offering complete coverage of the street network in South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland, including more than 700,000 kilometers of roads and 240,000 points of interest (POIs). The special World Cup version adds 12,000 kilometers of new roads with speed restriction, signpost and lane information. It also offers World Cup soccer specific information such as:

* Fan park POIs, areas where people gather to support specific teams with big screens and special events

* Park and Ride, car parking points around the stadiums where fans can take public transport to and from the stadium gates

* Security check zones, specific places around stadium entrances where security checks will take place

* Stadium gate information and pedestrian routes

* Regulated traffic zones to show temporary closures during competition

For the first time, the new MultiNet release also contains more than 50 3D landmarks and landmark icons of important buildings and stadiums across the host cities, helping visitors to see exactly where they are and to easily find services.

Among the landmarks are all of the stadiums where matches will be played: Peter Mokaba Stadium, Mbombela Stadium, Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Ellis Park Stadium, Free State Stadium, Durban Stadium, Nelson Mandela Stadium, Green Point Stadium, Loftus Versfeld Stadium and Soccer City Stadium.

To see sample images of these landmarks, go to www.teleatlaspresskit.com.

Also included in this product release are Tele Atlas Advanced City Models of Johannesburg, Cape Town Pretoria and other metropolitan areas, offering three-dimensional representations of cities that dramatically raise the clarity and reality of screen images within in-car and portable navigation systems and mobile devices.

World soccer legend Edson Arantes Do Nascimento, aka "King Pele''

World soccer legend Edson Arantes Do Nascimento, aka “King Pele”, has said that African teams have improved in their football and can spring surprises at the South Africa 2010 World Cup.

Pele said this in Johannesburg on Tuesday as he recalled Nigeria’s ousting of Brazil in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, U.S., reports the Southern Africa correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Nigeria’s Super Eagles have romped into the first World Cup on African soil.

“Some years ago, I talked about the improvement of the African teams. Unfortunately, they showed their improvement in the Olympics against Brazil when they beat us.

“It’s difficult to say what will happen this year, but maybe we will see a surprise.

“African teams have tough groups, but if they qualify for the knockout stage, there’ll certainly be a surprise,” Pele said on FIFA.com.

The soccer legend said, however, that he was hopeful that Brazil would get to the final of the competition as 10 was his lucky number and the tournament was being held in 2010.

Pele said he was happy that Africa was hosting the World Cup, and noted that it was well deserved.

German Franz Beckenbauer also spoke of his great expectation from African teams.

“I’m confident that an African team can reach the semi-finals,” he was quoted as saying.

“Ghana are strong, Côte d’Ivoire are strong and the South Africans have home advantage.

“It will be an African World Cup and I’m really looking forward to it because it’s going to be very colourful and very entertaining,” Beckenbauer said.

Regarding the soccer fiesta, Cameroon’s Roger Milla said: “In Africa, we are so happy to have received this World Cup — we could not believe we would get it.

Every time I come to Zurich, I thank (FIFA) President Sepp Blatter for that.”

Bobby Charlton, who inspired England to the world crown in 1966, said he was sure that the FIFA World Cup would be a major success.

“I’ve been to South Africa a lot of times and people will enjoy it down there.

“I’m extremely happy that I will go to this year’s World Cup. As always, I hope that England will do well,” he said.

Mexico’s Hugo Sanchez spoke in the same vein: “I’m very happy for Africa. The continent had to wait so many years for this occasion.

“To have South Africa hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup is not only very good for football but also for the whole African continent.”

Blatter said with 122 days to the tournament that he remained convinced that it would be “a very successful one”.

(NAN)

Referees for the 2010 FIFA World Cup

The International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) says it will conduct the final assessment of the 30 referees it has named for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa in May.

A statement by FIFA said the selection was made at a meeting of the Referees Committees held in Zurich under the chairmanship of Spain’s Ángel María Villar Llon.

The 30 referees from 28 countries will take part in a training seminar in March as part of their preparations for the Mundial.

The statement said the selection was the implementation of a comprehensive programme aimed at ensuring the referees were at their peak before the World Cup kicks off on June 11.

FIFA said the selection process began with an initial group of 54 referees from all over the world in 2007 when the FIFA Executive Committee decided to create a Refereeing Assistance Programme (RAP).

“One of the key objectives was to prepare this group of prospective referees for the 2010 FIFA World Cup,” it said.

The soccer ruling body said its Refereeing Department – headed by Spanish former international referee José Maria García-Aranda – was responsible for coordinating and organising all of the activities involving the candidate referees.

“The RAP working group, a team of international experts in the fields of refereeing technique, fitness and psychology was set up by FIFA to monitor and analyse all of the information on the candidate referees, involving those responsible for refereeing in each confederation,” it said.

FIFA said the latest technology has been implemented in the preparation of the referees both within practical training, and interactive sessions.

“Theoretical tests undertaken exclusively in English – which has been the lingua franca for FIFAs referees for many years to ensure appropriate knowledge of the Laws of the Game, the regulations for FIFA competitions and the directives of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) were also a regular feature during the last three years,” it added.

(NAN)