RACISM: FIFA And UEFA Can Do More

Russian football again has come into focus as issues of racism reared its ugly head during the week after Ghanaian midfielder, Emmanuel Frimpong got his matching orders for making an obscene gesture at a group of fans who apparently racially abused him during a game while playing for his club UFA.

Frimpong who was slapped with a two match ban by the Russian FA (RFU) afterwards, vented his frustration on twitter calling the Russian FA's failure to sanction Spartak Moscow as well a 'joke'. The RFU had claimed that their investigations showed no evidence of any racist abuse against Frimpong. The question now is, is it logical for a player to react in Frimpong's manner if he wasn't provoked?

Zenit St Petersburg manager, Andre Villas Boas, has sort of given a new twist to the debate on racism in football by stating that the racism problem in Russia is at par with what is obtainable in England. Judging from his utterance, it appears that he is not aware of the magnitude of the problem in Russia or he is in denial. Or how else can one explain why throughout his stay in England he never complained of racism? Mind you, that is not to say that there isn't racism in England. What this means is that if England's racism problems are as bad as Russia's, then AVB would have spoken out like he has been forced to do now in Russia. His comments however, are in contradiction to what his star player, Hulk has said.

Hulk has said that he gets racially abused in nearly every game he plays and has learnt to more or less develop a thick skin. Unfortunately, it appears there are more black players like Frimpong who have low tolerance for vitriol than Hulk. Hulk's club, Zenit has sections of fans who have openly come out to say that they don't want black players in their team. According to them, they are not being racist, it's just their tradition. Well, segregation and racism are close relatives if you ask me.

World football governing body, FIFA, has said they will call on the Russian FA to provide details on the incident but it is doubtful if this inquiry will yield the desired results which are stiff sanctions for clubs or fans who are caught racially abusing black players.

UEFA has taken steps to curbing racism with sanctions such as closing stadia or parts of stadia of teams whose fans have chosen not to keep their prejudice to themselves. But football's governing bodies UEFA and FIFA can do more in this regard.

FIFA and UEFA should begin to sanction FAs that fail to clamp down on racist behaviour of clubs' fans within their control so that they will be forced to take the problem of racism seriously. UEFA should also consider having independent observers in stadiums that have a track record of racist chantings so that no FA can claim it lacks evidence.

Merely acknowledging the problem like Russian FA officials love doing is not enough. Turning a blind eye to overt racism is even worse.

Russia which is billed to host the next World Cup in 2018 may not be under any pressure of losing the hosting right of the  World Cup inspite of the corruption scandals rocking FIFA but calls are being made on UEFA to boycott the World Cup. This is not taking into cognisance the fact that African players who are usually the target of racist abuse by Russian and other East European teams can also pull out of the World Cup to spite Russia. 

The Russian FA will do well to take these threats seriously and try to do more than just talking and take firm action in keeping the problem of racism down to the barest minimum within its stadiums.

Loyalty And Respect Are Dying Virtues In Football

We have apparently come to the end of two transfer sagas involving the exit of Real Madrid legend, Iker Casillas, and Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling as Casillas and Sterling are set to sign for FC Porto and Manchester City FC respectively. Sterling was snapped up by City for 49 million pounds while Casillas' deal with Porto is nearing conclusion.

However, the manner in which both players are parting ways with their former employers is a stark reminder of how brutal and ruthless the modern game has become.

Player loyalty is no longer fashionable. It's  all about getting the best deal possible not minding the fact that, had the club not put faith in the player when he was a nobody in the first place, he would not be in a position to hold the club to ransom.

Sadly, the clubs are getting in on the act as well. Clubs use a player and as soon as there is a hint of a decline in performance they discard the player in a heart beat. The years of service and sacrifice by the player is quickly forgotten.

The fans are not left out either. Depending on how messy the transfer of a star player to a rival team or any other team for that matter is, boos and jeers will be unleashed on the player whenever the star player comes to town. In some extreme cases, fans go ahead to issue death threats and even subject the player to all kinds of abuse.

We have seen it already. Peter Cech's move to Arsenal didn't go down well with Chelsea fans despite having the blessing of Roman Abramovich. Cech, after serving Chelsea for 11 years impeccably was branded a snake by disgruntled Chelsea fans and was even sent death threats.

Pray, what was Cech supposed to do? He lost his position due to no fault of his aside that he was on the wrong side of 30. He didn't go about lamenting to the media about the unfairness of Jose Mourinho's decision to place him on the bench as Thibaut Courtois' understudy.

And as he rightly stated, at this stage of his career, he needs to be playing regularly. So, a move to Chelsea's London rivals Arsenal, makes a lot of sense where he would be number 1.

Reports already have it that Raheem Sterling has been issued death threats already and the police are currently investigating the sources.

This is all coming as a result of Sterling's insistence on leaving Liverpool for a team that will be more competitive than Liverpool for titles. However, the manner in which he has rebelled and forced a move is unjustified and so it becomes understandable why Liverpool supporters are upset.

With the benefit of hindsight, it would have made more sense for Sterling to stall in signing a new contract and hand over a transfer request at the end of the season while acting professionally all the while instead of giving that BBC interview during the past season and then skipping out of pre-season training.

At the very worst, Liverpool would have had to sell him without any pressure from him next year when he would have one year left on his contract to the highest bidder. But Sterling as has become the trend in modern day football has acted unprofessionally in order to force a move to another club forgetting how he started out as a Liverpool player.

Casillas' scenario at Madrid is the direct opposite of  that of Sterling's at Liverpool. After serving Real Madrid for 25 years, 8 of which was at youth level, he is being practically forced out of the club with 2 years left on his contract. 

The fans again were also involved in his forced exit out of the club. He was jeered and booed many times by sections of Madrid fans through out the course of last season. This was no way to treat a hero and captain of the club. A player who has won 5 La Liga titles and 3 Champions league trophies with Madrid.

But his running battle with Florentino Perez, who often has the final say when he has disputes with club icons, was one that would only end this way because of his rapid decline in form. Make no mistake, Casillas is still a decent goalie, but he deserves better than this.

Reports have it that, the official Real Madrid twitter account unfollowed Iker Casillas a few hours after it was announced that he would be joining FC Porto. As insignificant as this seems, it speaks volumes about the lack of respect the Real Madrid establishment has for Iker Casillas.

The only reason the Casillas situation has been ugly is because money is involved. Casillas has been widely reported to have  insisted that a full compensation for the termination of his contract be paid before  he moves on. Madrid's reluctance to do so is what has made this transfer saga stink.

Now, a compromise has been reached in these 2 case scenarios. Casillas can now say his goodbyes and enter a new phase of his career with FC Porto while Sterling now has his 'dream move' to Manchester City. He now has his chance to challenge for trophies at a 'big club' and of course, make more money than he would have ever dreamed of. 

Fair to say however, that loyalty and respect is a dying attitude and value between clubs, players and fans in present day football because of the allure of monetary gain and glory.

After Keshi's Controversial Exit, Who Should Replace Him?

The axe which had been dangling over the head of Stephen Keshi for a while finally landed on him over the weekend when the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced that they were parting company with him due to a 'lack of commitment' on his part to attain the objectives of the Federation as was set out when he was employed.

It was plain the marriage between Keshi and the NFF was one of convenience and as soon as they felt he was dispensable, they cut him loose. The constant battles between Keshi and the NFF was one that turned into a circus show. We should not be surprised though, if there is another twist in the drama as things continue to unravel.

There are hints that Keshi could go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to challenge his sacking. If he wins, he could be forced back into a job where his services are no longer wanted. What it means is that the frosty relationship between both parties could get more nasty as the NFF could seek to do all it can to undermine the Big Boss while carrying out his duties.

It is weird though, that barely 3 months of taking charge of the Super Eagles, a disciplinary committee has been able to get enough facts to reach a conclusion that Keshi was not committed to his job and thus, recommend his sack. 

What led the NFF to set up this committee? Or was it in place already before news broke that Keshi's name turned up in a list of candidates applying for the Ivory Coast job? And if it was set up after the news broke, then shouldn't we be suspicious that he is being fired for perceived disloyalty to the NFF rather than for lack of commitment?

Anyone with half a brain knows that the time frame with which Keshi has been in charge since he was re-appointed as Super Eagles Coach in April is not enough to reach such a conclusion since there was no major act of misconduct on Keshi's part. Apparently, Keshi's misdemeanours in the last African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers have been revisited and Keshi, without the protection of the powers that be in the Presidency any longer may have suffered some form of payback.

Have we heard the last of this NFF-Keshi  saga? Don't bet on it.

Meanwhile, the NFF quickly announced the appointment of Shaibu Amodu as interim coach pending the appointment of a permanent replacement for Keshi. The next set of AFCON qualifiers come up in September. Nigeria will be taking on Tanzania away from home. Knowing the NFF's antecedents, a permanent replacement for Keshi will not be coming any time soon.

Who are the potential suitors to replace Stephen Keshi on a permanent basis? We should note however, that Nigeria at this point in time lacks top coaches with the clout of Keshi. We do have a few we can recycle however.

The logical replacement for Keshi may be one of Daniel Amokachi, Augustine Eguavoen, Christian Chukwu, Sunday Oliseh or Samson Siasia. With the exception of Oliseh, all have had stints with the Super Eagles as manager with varying degrees of failure and success. Siasia is in charge of the Olympic team currently and might not wish to have any distractions as he would want to prepare adequately and focus on qualifying for the  Olympics in Rio next year. Unless of course, the NFF elect to 'promote' him.

Amokachi was Keshi's assistant in the glory days of Keshi's reign and could be one of the favourites for the job. However, apart from being Keshi's assistant, It's difficult to see what Amokachi brings to the table. Could be more of the same from the Keshi era. A more of the same we hardly need.

Christian Chukwu and Augustine Eguavoen failed to take the Super Eagles to new heights after leading the Super Eagles to creditable bronze medals at the  AFCON finals in 2004 and 2006 respectively. 

Chukwu was sacked for failing to lead Nigeria to the World Cup finals in Germany in 2006 while Eguavoen who was Chukwu's replacement, although led Nigeria to third place at the AFCON finals in 2006, was also fired after a string of poor results after taking over from Berti Vogts who was shown the exit door for over seeing one of Nigeria's most dismal performances in AFCON finals history.

Sunday Oliseh could be the breath of fresh air Nigeria football needs but his inexperience at this level could prove costly even though he has a UEFA Pro licence. Nigeria cannot afford to miss out on another AFCON tournament for a consecutive time. 

Will the NFF be willing to take a gamble on Oliseh as recent reports suggest? Or will they go for a foreign manager as Bonfrere Jo advised? Whatever their decision is, they need to get this right so that we can move on. We don't play Egypt until next year. It's more than enough time for them to sort out this mess.

Edwin Okon's Dismissal Comes As No Surprise

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have announced the sacking of Super Falcons coach, Edwin Okon, after the Super Falcons failed to qualify from their group in the ongoing FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada after disappointing defeats to Australia and the United States. 

Okon will be replaced by his assistant, Christopher Danjuma who takes over on an interim basis until a permanent replacement is found. Danjuma will be in charge of the Olympics qualifier match between the Super Falcons and Equitorial Guinea.

In as much as Okon should be commended for guiding the Nigeria women's team to victory at the African Women's Championship in Namibia last year, he showed at the Women's World Cup that he was way out of his depth.

He failed to get his team's defence organised in all their group games with opposing teams exploiting their defensive naivety at will especially from set plays. 2 of Sweden's 3 goals in the Super Falcons opening game came from 'schoolgirl' defending during set plays.

He also failed to get the best out of a Nigerian attack which was feared by not a few teams in the tournament. The attack which showed a lot of promise in the first game after forcing Sweden to a 3-3 draw was toothless in their remaining matches against Australia and the USA.

These and his poor tactics convinced the NFF to show him the exit door. Okon can't have too many complaints since fellow rivals, Cameroun in their first appearance at the Women's Wold Cup, exceeded expectations to qualify from their group. 

Nigeria has never gone beyond the quarter finals of the Women's World Cup, a feat it last achieved in 1999. In Africa, Nigeria has been dominant but at the world stage, where it really counts, the Super Falcons have fallen short.

One of the reasons for this persistent failure at the top level is the tactical incompetence of the Nigerian coaches who have been in charge of the Super Falcons over the years. 

The Falcons teams which have always represented Nigeria at the World Cup have rarely been poor technically but talent alone does not win you tournaments. Talent can help a team win against inferior opposition but it might not be enough when they are up against equal or superior teams.

Nigeria has to find a solution to the ineptitude of its football coaches since the hiring of foreign coaches remain out of the question for Nigeria especially in female football.

It appears that most Nigerian coaches are content with mediocrity and are not willing to update their knowledge on the current trends of the modern game. They need to invest in themselves and stop depending on the NFF to sponsor them to coaching courses.

We hope that the Super Falcons will bounce back from their early ouster from the World Cup in Canada and qualify for the Olympics in Brazil next year and do better than previous showings in the female soccer event.

Keshi's Link With Ivory Coast Job A Distraction Nigeria Does Not Need

A few days ago, the Ivory Coast Football Federation (FIF) on their website short listed 59 candidates who have applied for the vacant position of Head Coach of Les Elephants. The list is expected to be trimmed down to 3 and then the final 3 will be interviewed.

However, the appearance of Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi's name on that list is causing no small stir in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). The FIF, probably perceiving a controversy brewing up, took down the page that published the potential candidates for the vacant job on their website.

It hasn't however, escaped the NFF's attention and their Spokesman, Ademola Olajire, stated that the NFF will be opening a full investigation into the matter to ascertain whether Keshi actually applied for the job or not.

It would be recalled that Keshi signed a two year contract with the NFF in April thus, making his inclusion on that 59 Man list bizarre. NFF president, Amaju Pinnick and other stakeholders of the game must have come to the conclusion that this application is a show of disrespect to Nigeria and potentially, a breach of contract. 

The NFF spokesman, being quoted on the BBC sport website went on to say that there will be no hasty decision on this issue and that an official statement by the NFF will be made after they would have consulted with the FIF.

As expected, Stephen Keshi has denied applying for the job. In an interview with completesportsnigeria.com, he denied any interest in the Ivory Coast job but suggested that his agent may have applied for the job long before he secured his new deal with the NFF.

Stephen Keshi's agent, Barrister Ado, however, appeared to contradict the Big Boss' comments. According to the Premium Times, he stated exclusively that he is Keshi's official agent and didn't apply for the job Herve Renard has made vacant. He categorically stated that only he could have submitted an application if Keshi was interested which he did not.

 He went on to suggest that freelance agents may have independently applied for the job in the hopes of cashing on the clout of Keshi if the deal pulls through.

A big question though, if Keshi is not interested in the vacant position of Coach of the Ivory Coast national team, then why would he say that his agent, Barrister Ado may have applied for it before he became Super Eagles coach since Barrister Ado made it very clear he did not apply for the job? Note, Barrister Ado didn't say he applied for the job before Keshi got employed by the NFF.

Does it mean that Barrister Ado applies for any job available on behalf of his client without due consultation with his client whether it was a job his client would like to take on if application turns out to be a successful one? 

Is Keshi also insinuating that when his agent applies for jobs on his behalf, his agent does not inform him on what jobs he has applied for? Big questions.

The answers might be provided at the outcome of the investigation by the NFF which could be revealed in the coming days when they make their official statement.

What are the possible implications for the Super Eagles if it turns out an agent, official or freelance applied for the Ivory Coast job with or without Keshi's consent assuming the application was made after Keshi became chief Coach of the Super Eagles?

Depending on the terms spelt out in the contract, there could be disciplinary measures ranging from a sack to less stiffer penalties such as a fine or even a   suspension that could be imposed on Keshi if found guilty.

If the the NFF deems that the ultimate price has to be paid by Keshi then Nigeria's African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers preparations will be disrupted. A caretaker or new manager would have to be sought which could affect the team's concentration and performance adversely.

The last AFCON qualifiers fiasco when Keshi was the caretaker manager is still fresh in our memories. The crisis that might crop up if the NFF investigations turn out to be negative is the last thing we need at this time.

Super Eagles Off To A Good Start But Not Yet Uhuru

The Super Eagles over the weekend defeated 'minnows' Chad Republic 2-0 in Kaduna to give Nigeria a perfect start in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON ) qualifiers. Nigeria who missed out on the last edition held in Equitorial Guinea will be hoping to win the sole ticket for their group which also comprises of Egypt and Tanzania in the next tournament which will be held in Gabon in 2017.

The result was respectable, however, the performance on the field of play was less than Super from the Nigerian side. The Chadians surprisingly didn't come to pack the bus and actually gave the new look Nigerian defence some worries. After they had gone a goal down though, they did their best to contain Nigeria so as not to lose by a large margin.

Goal keeper Vincent Enyeama, was called into action a few times in the first half to make important saves. Enyeama, as usual, was composed and commanding throughout the match.

Leon Balogun, who earned his third cap on the day was made to fill in at right back. He was not comfortable since his natural position is at centre back. He made quite a few errors especially in the first half when the Chadians pressed very quickly.

Again, the right back position continues to remain a thorn in Stephen Keshi's flesh. He is yet to find a natural right back that will slot into that position with ease let alone a natural cover for the first choice right back. A stronger opposition such as Egypt might fancy their chances building their attacks from that wing.

William Troost-Ekong made his debut for the Super Eagles and partnered Kenneth Omeruo in central defence. The defence looked shaky initially because of the high pressing of the Chadians but Ekong eventually settled and gave a decent performance. He is currently a free agent and he willl be hoping that his call up to the Super Eagles will put him in good stead in getting a new club. With more games, he should form a good understanding with Omeruo.

Kingsley Madu, a former youth international, made his debut at left back and was quite impressive especially in the second half when the Eagles were in the ascendancy. In contrast to the right back position, Nigeria is not lacking in quality left backs. But his emergence can only be good for the Super Eagles.

In midfield, Stephen Keshi went for two holding midfielders in Ogenyi Onazi and debutant, Anderson Esiti to shield the defence. Anderson and Onazi who eventually got sent off in the latter stages of the match didn't do too badly. We would expect however, that their discipline and concentration levels will be raised when Egypt comes calling because on a few occasions, Onazi's concentration was suspect and it led to the Nigerian defence being exposed in the first half.

Babatunde Michael was very mobile in the the first half but the creativity which Keshi would have loved him to exhibit was missing and as a result, Rabiu Ibrahim came on in his place and his introduction yielded the impact Keshi would have desired.

Gbolahan Salami, who was deployed on the wing and who seems to be a favourite of Stephen Keshi, probably because of his work rate, got the opening goal. The execution was quite impressive. Fans will be hoping that they will see more of this sort of display from him in subsequent qualifying matches.

In attack, Aaron Samuel who was the lone striker, had a bad day at the office and his substitution came as no surprise. And of course, Odion Ighalo, his replacement made a better contribution to the Super Eagles' cause than him. 

it was Ighalo who carved out the opening for Salami to score the curtain raiser and It was also he who scored the penalty to give Nigeria a second goal and quash any hopes Chad had in getting a positive result from this game.

This victory no doubt is a good one for Nigeria but it is glaring that there is still work to be done. The team still needs a dependable striker. Whether Rabiu Ibrahim or Babatunde Michael become the creative elements our midfield desperately needs is still to be seen. Our fruitless search whether Keshi realises it or not for a quality right back continues.

The team is in transition and so Nigerians will need lots of patience as there will inevitably be bumps on the road as Keshi tries to rebuild his squad and get Nigeria back to the pinnacle of African football.

Pictures are courtesy Goal.com

Liverpool Transfer Policy Moving In Right Direction?

Liverpool have announced the signing of England U-21 and Burnley striker, Danny Ings on a free transfer although it is understood that Liverpool will have to pay some sort of compensation to Burnley ( seems a bit strange ).

This news is coming a few days after  Liverpool signed Manchester City 'Mr Reliable or Dependable', James Milner, also on a free. Milner, 29, with 53 caps for England brings loads of experience coupled with his versatility in any area on the pitch. His experience would be crucial as Liverpool prepares for life without Steven Gerrard.

Brendan Rodgers must be delighted at how he has been able to capture these players swiftly without much of a fight from other clubs. But does the ease at which he snapped both players up give an insight at how their quality is being perceived in the premier league?

The just concluded premier league season ended with disappointment for Liverpool. Liverpool missed out on the Champions League with club Legend Steven Gerrard announcing he was leaving Anfield and Raheem Sterling also refusing  to sign an improved contract with Liverpool, thus, indicating his desire to quit the club.

Brendan Rodgers position as manager of Liverpool was also called into question during the early season bad run and the late season collapse which was magnified by that capitulation at Stoke where they were well beaten. 

Most of the blame for the sloppy performances was attributed to the poor signings by Rodgers and Liverpool since he came on board. Players such as Lazar Markovic, Adam Lallana, Ricky Lambert, Iago Aspas, Mario Balotelli, Fabio Borini, and Dejan Lovren have failed to impress. The jury is still probably out on Alberto Moreno, Joe Allen and Emre Can.

A few have lived up to the billing though. Phillipe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge have been very impressive since joining Liverpool. Simon Mignolet to an extent has also proved a good signing by Rodgers. Rodgers will be hopeful that Ings and Milner who are set to join on July 1, will turn out to be astute signings for the club.

Danny ings ,23, certainly has potential. He scored 11 goals for Burnley last season. With a top side such as Liverpool, you would expect him to develop his game and score more goals. He certainly will be a good back up for Daniel Sturridge who could miss the start of the season. 

If he clicks for Liverpool, then expect Liverpool to improve on their scoring stats. Last season, Liverpool scored 52 goals in the league with their top scorer being Steven Gerrard with 9 goals. This is utterly unacceptable for a club of Liverpool's standing. 

What could befall the likes of Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini? It's unlikely Rodgers will be playing with two strikers regularly, so, if you include Balotelli in the equation, and Divock Origi who is set to return from the loan deal at Lille, it is easy to conclude that one or two of Liverpool's strikers will be surplus to requirements. A move away from Anfield is imminent for the likes of Lambert and Borini after Ings passes his medical on July 1. 

Whether Balotelli will be around before the start or the end of next season is anyone's guess. We expect some drama in that regard.

James Milner on the other hand, will give Rodgers several options. One thing is certain, he will put in a shift for the team. He comes with loads of experience, a winning mentality, and could provide leadership and inspiration for the lads when the going gets tough. 

Milner, one would expect, would be on the starting 11 for Liverpool whenever fit or when not being given a rest. If Liverpool succumb to pressure and sell Raheem Sterling, Milner would probably be given the responsibility of filling the role he would leave behind on the wings. 

Rodgers will be expected to continue the rebuilding of his squad in the coming months. He would need to look at the defence and see areas that need improving. Kolo Toure was given a contract extension. Not sure that is a good idea. Rodgers, however, would be hoping Lovren finally comes good. He was awful last season. Glen Johnson may leave and that means a new full back is needed. Surely, Can's talents are being wasted in the right back position in defence?

Whether the signings of Milner and Ings turn out to be astute ones is left to be seen even though they are hardly world  class. Rodgers knows he has to get his signings right this time. The Fenway Sports Group, owners of Liverpool, have kept faith with him and thus far, have resisted the urge to press the sack button as some potential suitors like Jurgen  Klopp are now unemployed. If results go the way of last season or Liverpool makes a slow start, patience and goodwill might run out very quickly.