Sports

Blatter Seeks African Support Over Election

Published

14 years ago

June 1, 2011

As uncertainty trails the FIFA presidential election scheduled for today in Zurich, FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, has been seeking the backing of African nations to ensure that today’s FIFA presidential election goes ahead as planned.

English Football Association chairman David Bernstein has called for FIFA to postpone its vote scheduled for today.

Blatter is the only candidate running after Mohamed Bin Hammam’s withdrawal.

The FA needs the backing of 75% of the world’s 208 football associations for the motion to be approved.

Blatter addressed African delegates, who will be at today’s congress, at their hotel in Zurich yesterday morning.

It appeared to be a pre-emptive strike at those seeking a postponement as he sought the African support to ensure the polls would go ahead as planned even before the FA announced their intentions.

However, one country that will not be backing Blatter is Liberia, whose FA President Musa Bility publicly declared he would have voted for Bin Hammam..

Bility told Tidesports that he would be backing the English proposal so time could be made for an alternative candidate to step forward for the credibility of football.

He also added that he thought that many other African countries would support the English FA.

But it seems that the English FA has not had the chance to talk to many delegates about their proposal.

“We have not had a chance to sit down and discuss the matter with the English or even to read their statement,” said Kirsten Nematandani, president of the South African Football Association.

“Maybe they will still seek to engage with us before the Congress starts.”

Earlier this month, the Confederation of African Football said it would be backing Blatter for re-election.

However, the individual football associations across the continent are free to vote as they please.

Sports

Sports: 2nd Edition Of Inter-Tribal Tourney Kick-starts In Mbiama

Published

16 seconds ago

February 5, 2025

The Tide

A total of nine clubs are slugging it out in the 2nd edition of HRH Otovie Smith Sylvanus’s inter-tribal football tournament taking place at the Mbiama community township stadium, Ahoada-West Local Government Area of Rivers State.

In the opening tourney which kicked-off last Sunday, host community side, Mbiama FC beat rival Hausa FC 1-0.

The Tide Sports reports that Mbiama FC secured the first goal of the tourney through an own goal conceived by the goal keeper of the rival Hausa FC, Dahiru Saed in the first 34 minutes of the game.

However, the rival Hausa FC staged a reinforced comeback in the second half through their forward, Muhammed, Muhammed with jersey no.16 finding the back of the net with an equalizer.

Speaking to The Tide Sports an elated Mbiama paramount ruler and sponsor of the tournament, HRH Otovie Smith Sylvanus said the essence of the mundial was to foster unity and cohesion amongst various tribes and ethnic nationalities in the community.

He commended spectators and all sports enthusiasts for gracing the opening ceremony of the tournament, pledging his continued desire to use sports as a means of empowerment to curb youth restiveness, crime and criminality in and around the community.

Also Speaking, Director of sports, Mbiama community, who also doubles as Manager, Ahoada-West FC, Mr Brown Egbo said the tourney apart from its unifying factors also serves as an avenue for scouting and recruiting football stars.

Highpoints of the opening ceremony was the unveiling of jersey no.10, specially procured for ex-Green Eagles midfielder, Mr Jossy Donbraye, credited to have scored the first goal in 1974 championship in the Cameroons.

Meanwhile, in other first bouts decided at the Mbiama township stadium last week, Akwa-Cross FC and Edo FC ended in 3-3 draw, Engenni FC -0 Igbo united FC -0, Delta Flames FC-0 Yoruba FC-2, Ijaw FC-1 Edo FC-4.

The first game of the tourney’s 2nd week also saw Igbo united FC playing 1-1 draw with Akwa-Cross FC., While the 2nd game of the 2nd week between Yoruba FC and host community side, Mbiama FC ended 2-1 in favour of the Oduduwa boys.

By Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Sports

CAF Postpones CHAN To August

Published

3 weeks ago

January 15, 2025

The Tide

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced the postponement of the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN), originally scheduled for February 1, in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, to August 2025.
The decision followed recommendations from CAF’s technical and infrastructure experts, who reported that more time is needed to bring the facilities in the host nations up to the required standards for a successful tournament.
CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe, in a statement on yesterday, January 14, 2025, expressed appreciation to the presidents of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda for their support.
He emphasised that the postponement is intended to ensure adequate planning and infrastructure readiness for the competition.
“I would like to express my deep gratitude to President William Ruto of Kenya, President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania and President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda for their leadership, commitment and the good progress that has been made in building and upgrading the stadiums, training fields, hotels, hospitals and other infrastructure and facilities in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda for hosting a successful TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda 2024.
“I am impressed with the ongoing construction and renovations of the football infrastructure and facilities in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. I am confident that the stadiums, training fields, hotels, hospitals and other infrastructure and facilities will be at the requisite CAF standards for hosting, in August 2025, a very successful TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (“CHAN”) Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda 2024″, he said.
However, the exact date for the completion was not disclosed but the CHAN 2024 Draw is scheduled for Wednesday 15 January, 2025 at the iconic Kenyatta International Conventional Centre, Nairobi.

Sports

Chelle Sure To Qualify For 2026 W’Cup

Published

3 weeks ago

January 15, 2025

The Tide

New Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has expressed his desire to lead Nigeria to the ‘pinnacle of world football’ starting with the ticket to the 2026 World Cup as he takes the reign of the three-time African champions.
Chelle was unveiled on Monday at a brief ceremony at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja by the Nigeria Football Federation, one week after his announcement as the 37th coach of the Super Eagles.
He was handed a two-year deal with an option to extend if he gets the 2026 FIFA World Cup ticket.
Since his appointment last week, the NFF has constantly hammered the coach’s task of leading Nigeria to the tournament which will be played in the USA, Canada and Mexico despite the precarious situation of the Eagles in the qualifying series.
After four rounds of matches in the series, Nigeria are fifth in Group C with just three points having only drawn three and lost one.
To avert the danger of missing out on a consecutive FIFA World Cup, the Eagles must win all their six remaining matches in the group or even hope for favourable results in other ties – a task Chelle fronted at his unveiling.
Asked if he would take responsibility at the end of the qualifying campaign, the ex-Mali coach said, “If you want to be a great coach, you need to take some risks, you need to make some sacrifices.
“I want to be in the history. The first thing, I need to talk to the players. I will be a big brother. It is my prayer that we are going to the World Cup.
“I want to thank my agent, the NFF, the NSC and indeed all Nigerians for this big opportunity. Coaching the Super Eagles of Nigeria is an amazing job; I do not take this appointment for granted. I am elated and will do my utmost best.”
For most of the reactions that have trailed his appointment, the rallying point was his enterprising and attacking style with the Mali national team at the AFCON, which he emphasised he would be bringing to Nigeria.
“Football is about scoring goals, so I favour an attacking style. I know the expectations of Nigerians and I will settle down and work diligently with assistants towards the goal of qualifying the Super Eagles for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”
The 47-year-old also relished his long-time dream of getting the Super Eagles job, having been a fan of the Nigerian national team in his boyhood.
“Nigeria’s team is more than a team. When I was young, this was my favourite team. I owned a shirt; I watched all the games at the World Cup in France. I was in Marseille and it was my team.
“From this very moment, I am already hard at work. My goal is clear: to restore the Super Eagles to the pinnacle of world football, where they truly belong. This will require hard work, discipline, and a strategy that is both ambitious and realistic. I will rely on the exceptional talent of our players, whether they play at home or abroad, and build a team that reflects the unity, strength, and excellence of Nigeria,” the coach added in a social media post.
Chelle, who took Mali’s Aiglons within breathing distance of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals, left his job at top Algerian side MC Oran – 1989 African Champions’ Cup finalists – to team up with the Super Eagles.