International Football

ROHR, OSHOALA MAKE CAF AWARDS SHORT LIST

Published

6 years ago

November 27, 2017

BY FOLAKE OKEGBENLE.

The number of Nigerians jostling to be honoured at the CAF/Aiteo Award in Accra on January 4 next year has increased by two in individual categories and another two in teams’ category as CAF on Monday released the nominees for the other categories. Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala and Super Eagles’ manager are among the latest hoping to win individual awards while the Super Eagles and Falconets are jostling for teams’ awards.

Super Eagles’ coach, Gernot Rohr has been nominated along with four others for the award for the Coach of the Year. Contesting the award with him are Hector Cuper of Egypt, Hugo Broos of Cameroon, L’Hussein Amoutta of Wydad Athletic Club of Morocco and Mihayo Kazembe of DR Congo’s TP Mazembe.

This is a loaded category as virtually all the nominees are eminently qualified. Nigeria’s Rohr had a smooth sail with his Super Eagles in what was perceived as Group of Death in the FIFA World Cup qualifying series, becoming the first team to pick a ticket even with a match to spare and never lost a match in the heavily loaded group.

Cameroon’s coach, Hugo Broos came into reckoning for leading the team to win the Africa Cup of Nations earlier in the year while L’Hussein Amoutta of WAC of Morocco led his team to win the CAF Champions League just as Mihayo Kazembe of TP Mazembe did at the weekend, winning the CAF Confederation Cup.

Asisat Osoala of the Super Falcons looks head above all the other four contenders for the Women’s Player of the year.

Contesting with the Nigeria and Dalian Quanjian top scorer are: Chrestina Kgatlana of South Africa and UWC Ladies, Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene of Cameroon and Rossyanka, Rutendo Makore of Zimbabwe and Black Rhinos as well as Tabitha Chawinga of Malawi and Kvarnsvedens.

Similarly, the Super Falconets, the U-20 women’s team Nigeria is nominated for the Women’s National Team of the Year. Contesting for the award with the Nigerian team are: Ghana U-20, Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

World Cup-bound Super eagles are shortlisted for the National Team of the Year Award. Also nominated are: Cameroon, Egypt, Mali U-17 and Zimbabwe U-20.

The winners will be decided by votes from the members of the CAF Technical & Development Committee, CAF Media Experts Panel and Independent Media and TV Consultants.

But for the Referee of the Year Award, only members of the CAF Referees’ Committee will elect the winner.

THE FULL LIST OF THE LATEST NOMINEES:

Women’s Player of the Year

Asisat Shoal (Nigeria & Dalian Quanjian)

Chrestina Kgatlana (South Africa & UWC Ladies)

Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene(Cameroon & Rossyanka)

Rutendo Makore (Zimbabwe & Black Rhinos)

Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi & Kvarnsvedens)

Women’s National Team of the Year

Ghana U-20

Kenya

Nigeria U-20

South Africa

Zimbabwe

Coach of the Year

Gernot Rohr (Nigeria)

Hector Cuper (Egypt)

Hugo Broos (Cameroon)

L’Hussein Amoutta (Wydad Athletic Club)

Mihayo Kazembe (TP Mazembe)

National Team of the Year

Cameroon

Egypt

Mali U-17

Nigeria

Zambia U-20

Club of the Year

Al Ahly

Mbabane Swallows

SuperSport United

TP Mazembe

Wydad Athletic Club

Youth Player of the Year

Eric Ayiah (Ghana & Charity Stars)

Krepin Diatta (Senegal &Sarpsborg)

Luther Singh (South Africa & Braga)

Patson Daka (Zambia & Liefering)

Salam Giddou (Mali & Guidars)

Referee of the Year

Bamlak Tessema (Ethiopia)

Ghead Grisha (Egypt)

Janny Sikazwe (Zambia)

Malang Diedhiou (Senegal)

Mehdi Abid Charef (Algeria)

Papa Bakary Gassama (Gambia)

International Football

Grudgingly, Eto’o accepts new Cameroon coach Brys, but fails to attend ceremony

Published

3 weeks ago

April 9, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Cameroon’s new coach Marc Brys penned a contract on Monday but the Belgian’s appointment by the government remains contentious as the football federation did not attend the signing ceremony.

Brys has been handed a 2-1/2-year contract by Cameroon’s sports ministry but the federation (FECAFOOT) was conspicuous by its absence at the event in Yaounde.

Last week, FECAFOOT criticised the unilateral decision of sports minister Narcisse Mouelle Kombito to appoint the 61-year-old Brys, who has no prior experience as a national team coach and has not previously worked on the African continent.

FECAFOOT president Samuel Eto’o issued a statement on Monday, excusing himself from the unveiling event.

“We thank you for inviting us to the ceremony. Following this, we inform you of the fact that we received the letter two hours before the said ceremony,” wrote Eto’o.

“Unfortunately, we are busy organising the funeral of our late Dad, and for this reason we will not be able to attend presence at the ceremony.”

His father’s funeral is to be held at the weekend.

Eto’o balked at Brys’ appointment and is now in a deepening standoff with the minister.

In Cameroon, the government has long paid the salary of the national team coach and therefore held powerful sway over FECAFOOT’s affairs, even if such state interference is frowned upon by world football’s governing body FIFA.

Any heightened dispute risks a potential ban from international competition for Cameroon, one of the heavyweights of African football.

FECAFOOT held an emergency meeting on Saturday and asked Eto’o to propose an alternative coach for the national team.

Earlier on the weekend, the minister had defended the appointment, saying he had acted in accordance with national and international regulations.

In a letter to FECAFOOT, Kombi said his ministry’s appointment of coaching staff “in no way affects the autonomy of FECAFOOT and does not violate any of the ‘supranational regulations”.

He said FECAFOOT had suggested three candidates to the ministry but their salary demands ranged between 1.5 million euros and 2.5 million euros ($1.63 million and $2.71 million) per year.

“These are excessive amounts never paid to any coach in the history of the Indomitable Lions,” Kombi said.

-Reuters

International Football

Cameroon FA to propose national coach after emergency meeting –

Published

3 weeks ago

April 6, 2024

Kunle Solaja

BREAKING! Turmoil In Cameroon Federation Over Naming Of New National Coach Brys -

Cameroon’s football federation (FECAFOOT) held an emergency meeting on Saturday and asked its president to propose an alternative coach for the national team, deepening a standoff with the sports ministry.

FECAFOOT on Wednesday accused the ministry of unilaterally appointing Belgian Marc Brys as coach and other staff to manage the Indomitable Lions, who are five-times African champions.

The dispute risks a potential ban from international competition as world soccer’s governing body FIFA has strict rules against government interference in national federations.

In a statement, FECAFOOT said its emergency committee had met on Saturday and unanimously confirmed that the federation had not been involved in the appointments in alleged contravention of regulations.

As a result, it asked its president Samuel Eto’o to propose a national coach and other management staff for the national side within 72 hours.

Responding to a request for comment, a spokesperson for the ministry said the result of the FECAFOOT meeting was “an appeal. It is not yet a decision.”

On Friday, Sports Minister Narcisse Mouelle Kombi wrote to FECAFOOT to defend the coaching appointments, which he said were in accordance with national and international rules.

In a letter seen by Reuters, Kombi said the ministry’s move “in no way affects the autonomy of FECAFOOT and does not violate any of the ‘supranational regulations’.”

A spokesperson for the ministry confirmed the authenticity of the letter.

Kombi’s letter also said the salaries requested by three candidates earlier proposed by the federation for the position of coach ranged between 1.5 million euros ($1.6 million) and 2.5 million euros per year.

“These are excessive amounts never paid to any coach in the history of the Indomitable Lions,” Kombi said.

FECAFOOT did not respond to a request for comment on the letter.

-Reuters

RELATED STORIES:

BREAKING! Turmoil in Cameroon federation over naming of new national coach Brys. https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/2024/04/03/breaking-turmoil-in-cameroon-federation-over-naming-of-new-national-coach-brys/

Soccer Cameroon appoint Brys as new head coach https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/2024/04/03/soccer-cameroon-appoint-brys-as-new-head-coach/

International Football

National team and club-mate Owolabi commiserates with grief-stricken Odegbami –

Published

3 weeks ago

April 4, 2024

Kunle Solaja

National team and club-mate Owolabi commiserates with grief-stricken Odegbami -

Powerful left-wing back in his playing days, Felix Owolabi has expressed great grief over the loss of a son of former teammate, Segun Odegbami.

Both Felix Owolabi and Odegbami share common traits as the earliest tertiary institution footballers featuring for clubs and the national team.

While Odegbami was a mechanical engineering student at The Ibadan Polytechnic, Owolabi was an undergraduate at the University of Lagos.

Both were players of the then rampaging IICC Shooting Stars and the Africa Cup of Nations winning team of 1980. The crucial goals that won the cup for Nigeria were scored by the duo.

While Owolabi’s goal against Morocco sent Nigeria to the Africa Cup of Nations final match for the first time, Odegbami’s two goals in the final against Algeria put a stamp of definity to Nigeria’s victory before another club-mate Muda Lawal put in the third.

“We have come a long way”, remarked Owolabi in a message to the Sports Village Square Thursday morning.

“I have just arrived from Morocco on a national assignment trying to adjust and deal with the extreme and gruelling hot weather here in Nigeria when I got the sad news of the sudden death of the son of my dear brother and senior colleague Dr Olusegun Odegbami.

“Hearing the death of Oluwagbeminiyi Omo Odegbami, I paused for a moment and did not know what to say.

“All the media both print and electronics carried it as a breaking news.

“And that was when it dawned on me that I had to call ‘Big Sheg’ as he is fondly called by me.

“His authoritative confirmation about it dealt a blow on me and put me total darkness.What would have happened to this our vibrant and such an enterprising Oluwagbeminiyi?

“Why would death be so so wicked to suddenly take this gentleman away from us without notice. Going on a journey that he will need not to look at anybody, an eternal journey till Christ come.

“My heart and that of my entire family are with you and the rest of the family”, remarked Owolabi.

“It is well. I pray that God grant him eternal rest. I pray also that the almighty God grant you the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. Today the death of Oluwagbeminiyi has made me to believe and conclude that death is real and it is universal