RandaFooty: Everything Nigerian football, home and abroad

The 2012 edition of the Africa cup of Nations Has come and gone with Zambia, emerging champions and deservedly so, the penalty shootout victory over Ivory Coast was a perfect climax for football purists like me and gave me a reason to believe that good football does pay. The elements surrounding the final game made for a well written script, and Zambia, delivered, the spirits of the departed souls of the class of 1993 were with the team as they went into the final game, Congratulations to the Chipolopolo as they savor their maiden AFCON title even as I wished and hoped it was our beloved Super Eagles that did us proud just like Captain Christopher Katongo and his team-mates did Zambia, please don’t remind me, yes Nigeria didn’t qualify, and this piece is more about the way forward for Nigeria than who won the 2012 edition. What are the lessons Nigeria can learn from Zambia’s success? Is there anything for us to point to and wish we should work on?

Nigeria has a massive population of 150 million people, blessed with human and natural resources that have the potential of putting the country on a world map, but the reverse is the case. Football has been worst hit because of the lack of professionalism and accountability in the way the game is run in the Country. Instances of corruption and maladministration has bedeviled this sleeping giant who once rose to fifth in FIFA rankings in 1994 after a superb tournament by the Super Eagles which culminated to its second round elimination by the Azzuris. Since then the game has continued to retrogress to an alarming level. Technocrats are being discarded for political appointees who know little or nothing about the game, and are just interested in lining their pockets with dollars from foreign trips and estacodes, leaving the game to continue to suffer neglect and deterioration, stories of officials flying their girlfriends and concubines with government cash are rife

Match fixing ruling, more questions than answers   By China 'ikwerreman' Acheru. On Wednesday, February 8, 2012, Leye Adepoju read out the judgment of the Nigeria Football Federation Disciplinary Committee. The committee was inaugurated in September 2011 after Lobi Stars vice-chairman caught referees on the eve of a league game between his side, Lobi Stars and Sunshine Stars, in the official vehicle of his opponents on the day. (In pic above: Mike Idoko) In a document signed by Tunde Adegbirigbe, the secretary of the NFF’s disciplinary committee, referees Chrisantus Okoro and C.I.D. Duruma were banned for five years from all football activities. Manager of Dolphins, Stanley Eguma and chairman of the Rivers State Referees Council, Ere Dokubo were also banned from taking part in any football activity for five years. Devine Benjamin; the coordinator of Sunshine Stars who was driving the vehicle with the referees was also banned five years from taking part in f

MALTA Jersey Name Pos Full Name Team Chukunyere FW WF Ndubisi Chukunyere Hibernian Uzeh MF DM Edafe Uzeh Hibernian Abubakar FW Abubakar Bello Osagie Qormi Etim GK Ini Etim Akpan Sliema Wa Temile MF Omonige Temile Valletta MOLDOVA Name Pos Full Name Team Adaramola MF Julius Adaramola Olimpia B Ogada DF Jude Ogada Olimpia B Ogoazi MF David Ogoazi Olimpia B Somide FW Oluwawunmi Somide Olimpia B Oyinloye MF Shola Adewum Oyinloye FC Nistru CYPRUS Name Pos Full Name Team Rasheed Alabi