Lamptey who awarded the home side a spot-kick in the 43rd minute of the match in Polokwane on November 12 as the South African club beat Senegal 2-1 was found guilty of “unlawfully influencing match results”. Senegalese players protested his decision to award a wrong penalty given for handball against Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly.
He was banned by The Confederation of African Football (CAF) for three months.
“Further information concerning the South Africa v Senegal match in question will be provided once the decision becomes final and binding, FIFA follows a zero-tolerance policy on match manipulation and is committed to protecting the integrity of football.
“As a result, FIFA will continue with its ongoing efforts to combat match manipulation through a variety of initiatives, which include the monitoring of international betting and a confidential reporting system with a dedicated integrity hotline and e-mail address.” a FIFA statement read.
4 Reasons Why Wenger Should Leave ~ By: Temitope Bolarinwa
Why #WengerOut
The 29th round of matches is upon us and there are a lot of new things happening in the English premier league except in the red part of North London. As usual the rounds of 16 matches of the UEFA champions’ league have passed and Arsenal will play no further part. Arsenal did not win the League Cup (Capital One Cup) and have not yet won that since Wenger took over reigns in 1996. Arsenal FC unseated Manchester United in 6th Position; 19 points behind league leaders Chelsea albeit with a game in hand and 6 points behind 4th placed Liverpool FC. Although Arsenal still has hopes alive in the F.A. Cup, the club has Manchester City awaiting them in the semi-final fixture with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspurs in the other semi final fixture. This situation makes the hope of silverware very bleak for the gunners this season leaving many fans to believe that the best the club can achieve this season is a top four finish to guarantee champions league football next season. Many of the club supporters are now very weary of this reality making them to bring back a now becoming familiar chant of #WengerOut.
While the man at the helm may have steered the club through really challenging times, many of the supporters of the club think that enough is enough and that both parties would be better if parted. Here are four reasons why the opinion of most fans 10-2 be correct.
- Wenger plays every team the same way: Whether it is Lincoln or Barcelona, Preston or Chelsea; whether the other team has 3 at the back or is playing a high pressing game, Arsenal under Wenger always set out with the same game play. The dynamics of the modern game does not give any club the luxury of getting a lot of success approaching every game the same way. The modern game has a name and change is that name, if you don’t change quickly enough, you are beaten. Managers who have tasted success more recently have simply understood this and give each game what it takes and not simply use a one approach fits all. The days Arsenal enjoyed a lot of success and very evidently had a more competitive squad, they fell short again and again by approaching every opposition with the same style of play.
2. All good things really have an end: You have to pick a time to leave and if you did not take your bow when the ovation is loudest, you have to take the walk even if it is without any ovation. At 21 years on the job, he is very easily the longest serving football manager in the world. When the salt has lost its taste, it’s really time to look for another seasoning.
3. Wenger has nothing new to offer: After 20 years of trying, we can tell that Wenger cannot win the champions league and the league cup with Arsenal. He has achieved the same level of success with various types and calibre of players, so we can tell it is not about how good the players are or are not, this is simply the best Wenger can produce and we have seen it all. It is injustice to all for a person who can no longer offer anything new to continue at a job when new methods and new victories is a constant expectation.
4. Wenger is no longer the shrewd man he was in the transfer market: I am trying really hard to remember the last shrewd business Wenger made in the transfer market, the way he has managed the club in the last 5 years at least, we have continuously seen youngsters prefer other rival clubs to coming to Arsenal. Without any name calling, Arsenal has missed out on a lot of potential stars for the future and the youngsters that have settled with Arsenal recently have not been outstanding. Apart from aptly signing Cech from Chelsea, there has not been that masterstroke he once had in transfer business. He even passed on the buyback clause Arsenal had on Cesc Fabregas with the resultant that Fabregas literally assisted Chelsea to the league at Arsenal’s expense. Transfer business is one highlight of Wenger’s success story and even that is gone, so #WengerOut.
With Wenger’s inability to cross the last sixteen of the champions’ league for many years now, inability to deliver the premiership even losing to Leicester city in 2016, poor transfer market dealings, tactical deficiency that makes his team approach every game with the same tactics and practically showing nothing new from his sleeves; it is time to kiss the professor goodbye. Hopefully in a new role in another football establishment, he can find success. Please #WengerOut.
Mali suspended from international football
World football body, FIFA on Friday in Zurich suspended all of Mali’s football clubs from international competitions, after the country’s sports minister, Housseini Amion Guindo sacked the executive committee of its football federation and FEMAFOOT (the Malian FA) and appointed a provisional committee mandated to run the association.
FIFA maintained that its member FAs must be able to manage their affairs independently without government interference adding that “The suspension will be lifted once ministerial decisions are nullified and the executive committee of FEMAFOOT and its president, Boubacar Baba Diarra, is reinstated.”
Until the issue is resolved, Mali who currently sit at the 61st position on the FIFA world Rankings will not be able to feature in the World Cup qualifiers and other football events.
The Champions League Quarter Final Draw Is Out!
The Full quarter final #UCLdraw has been released and we must say, they are epic clashes.
Spanish club, Atletico Madrid will face reigning Champions of England, Leicester. Two European heavyweights, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid met in 10 knockout ties, and won five each. Borussia Dortmund will take on Monaco while La Liga giants, Barcelona will battle with out with Juventus.
Interesting ties.
Olajumoke releases beautiful photos as she celebrates 1 year of stardom.
Olajumoke Orisaguna, the lady whose meteoric rise from obscurity to stardom shook the country to its core a year ago has released new lovely photos to celebrate her one year in stardom. Recall that the beautiful bread seller was discovered by ace photographer, TY Bello during a photoshoot for UK-based singer, Tinie Tempah.
The model recently declared her intention to venture into the make-believe world.
Photo by Phillip Trimnell.
Ahmad Ahmad is the new CAF president
Ahmad Ahmad of Madagascar has emerged the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
He beat Issa Hayatou who presided over Africa’s football ruling body for 29 years. While Ahmad garnered a total of 34 votes, the Cameroonian pulled 20 votes at an election which took place today at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Hayatou’s loss will see him leave his positions as president in Africa, FIFA vice president and a member of its ruling council. Those positions will be taken over by the President
Stephanie Linus’ Foundation carries out 35 repairs of VVF patients in Kebbi State
The Extended Hands Foundation, a non-governmental organization with sponsorship from NNPC/SNEPCo has completed the successful repair of 35 Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) patients in Kebbi State. The pool effort took place at the Ministry of Women Affairs & Social Development VVF Center in Gesse, Birin-Kebbi and received the co-operation of the Kebbi State Government.
Led by the founder Stephanie Linus, the Extended Hands Foundation team was received by the Governor of the state Dr Abubakar Bagudu and the First Lady Dr Zainab Bagudu. They both paid visits to the women at the VVF Center, showing their support for the cause.
All the repairs have been completed successfully and the women are recovering well.
Stephanie Linus, who spent some time with the women at the VVF Center during the course of the exercise, expressed her appreciation to the sponsors of the pool effort – NNPC/SNEPCo for investing in this cause. She also added that this was the second time the foundation was carrying out such an exercise in Kebbi state.
The team of medical staff was led by Dr Sa’ad Idris, a seasoned VVF Surgeon and former Commissioner for Health in Zamfara State with over 20 years experience in the field. He was assisted by Dr Abubakar Bawa, and other doctors and nurses at the VVF Center.
Against the backdrop of her Child Bride and Fistula advocacy movie, DRY, Stephanie Linus has been taking the message of restoration and hope to real women suffering from VVF. This pool effort goes a long way to show that DRY is more than just a movie, but a tool for touching the lives of women actually living with this condition.
Messi raises awareness to end conflict in Syria
Barcelona FC star, Lionel Messi is heartbroken by the plight of Syrians and has taken to his social media account to call the world’s attention to the crisis in the Middle East.
The Argentine who has over 88 million fans on Facebook implored the world to call for the end of conflict in the region.
“A war day is too much. The children of Syria have been subjected to violence and cruelty for SIX years in a conflict that holds them hostage. As a father and as a UNICEF’s Ambassador I am heartbroken. Add your voice to UNICEF to demand the end of the war.” He wrote
The Appalling State of Nigerian Airports |By: Tony Ogunlowo
From the 8th of March the Nnamdi Azikwe International airport, in Abuja, Nigeria’s second busiest airport will close for approximately six weeks for repairs. It is to enable the authorities carry out essential maintenance work on the facilities and pot-holed runway. Julius Berger, contracted to do the job, are ready and have promised to have it ready in time.
As an alternative all flights are being re-routed to Kaduna, a small regional airport, about two hundred kilometres away. To try and minimize disruption the government is providing free shuttle buses to and fro with armed police presence along the way as notorious armed robbers and kidnappers are known to prowl the route.
There are currently twenty-six airports in the country ranging from small regional ones to the much bigger international ones such as MMIA in Lagos. Under the auspices of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) a great many of these airports have been allowed to fall into a state of disrepair over the years. It’s not uncommon for these airports to have uncompleted structures, gaping holes in their runways, non-existent sanitary and passenger facilities, constant power failure and security issues. Some airports, like the one in Port Harcourt, are just glorified ramshackle motor parks complete with agberos and other unsavoury characters. Like with most other things in Nigeria there is a lack of constant maintenance. You can’t just close an international airport for six weeks to repair it, maintenance and refurbishment should be an ongoing concern 24/7, 365 days a year. Can you imagine the uproar if Heathrow airport in London or JFK in New York had to close for six weeks? Millions of passengers pass through these terminals every year, not to talk of freight. They don’t even close on Christmas day and they have a dedicated maintenance team that keeps the facilities and runways up to scratch round the clock.
But not in Nigeria, Lagos MMIA and Abuja airports are amongst the worst 10 airports in Africa and the disgrace-of-an-airport in Port Harcourt has been voted the world’s worst one.
You can’t just build an airport and forget about it, expecting it to self-repair itself when the need arises. The FAAN and successive governments have shown a total disregard for the upkeep of the airports. Many airports have uncompleted and abandoned structures, such as Yakubu Gowon or Port Harcourt airports, due to lack of adequate funds to complete the projects( – which could have been allocated and subsequently pilfered ?) putting both planes and passengers at great risk. Pilots are forever complaining about having to negotiate pot-holes on runways and in December 2013 a Saudi Arabian cargo plane damaged its undercarriage landing on a runway in Abuja.
All this is in addition to frequent power cuts which have seen not-so-friendly staff trying to get people on to flights using flashlights. The lack of power also affects navigational aids which are crucial to planes taking off and landing – and that’s if the landing aids are installed in the first place! There’s even been a case where passengers have been forced to use a step ladder to disembark from a plane because portable stairs were not available! Imagine some airports, in the 21st century, still using tents as check-in halls? Disgraceful!
On a rather embarrassing note whenever there is harmattan or bad weather over Lagos MMIA flights are diverted to Cotonu, next door, because they have better facilities and navigational aids – and the power doesn’t go! Better facilities, better runway, better navigational aids because the government of a miniscule country called Republic of Benin know the importance of maintaining an airport. In Nigeria, however, more important is the allocation of funds from the budget for the maintenance of the airport which will subsequently disappear into someone’s bank account and no work will be done.
Even the security around the airports is laughable: herders are known to take their cattle to graze on the grassy fields in between runways and armed robbers sometimes try to hijack planes taxiing.
Over fifteen million passengers use Nigerian airports every year and all these people expect these gateways into the country to be pleasant, well-maintained and safe. Using an airport in Nigeria is like catching a bus at the Mile Two bus stop with its non-existent shelters, area boys and agberos ready to prance on you, pot-holed dusty roads and that’s not to talk about the buses themselves which are death-traps on wheels.
The first impression anyone gets when visiting a new country is when they disembark at the airport. And if your airport is full of bolekaja personnel, appalling facilities and services and uncompleted buildings with bandits and herders roaming freely around you are not painting a positive picture of the country. No wonder Nigerian airports are bottom of the list on most travel websites.
Tony blogs at http://www.archangel641. blogspot.co.uk
Real Madrid to open their first soccer school in England.
Top Spanish club, Real Madrid have disclosed their plans to open their first soccer school in the British Isles. This project is a part of a partnership with a school in Croydon, South London.
The Real Madrid Foundation said in a statement, ‘The aim of the project is to support children and young people by offering them activities to develop their skills, both in sports and relational and social integration.” The school will be targeted at economically and socially disadvantaged youths between the ages of eight and 11
The project is a partnership between the Foundation, The Cedars and Football for Unity, a non-profit pro-football organisation, as well as the Kinetic Foundation, a Croydon sports charity. The school will be opened by Club legend, Emilio Butragueno on March 22.