As you are reading this, the World Under-17 championship is grinding to a close. Whether we like it or not, it will go down on record that we hosted. Leave all this argument of hosting well or not. We are hosting and it is going on, iced by the gradual success of the Eaglets.
A friend called me early Friday to discuss the ongoing FIFA U-17 competition. He has just been told how in the attempt to disinfect a pitch, mosquito flit was sprayed on it and the grass turned brown immediately!
I could not stop laughing. He said it was not a laughing matter and asked what we were doing about it.
I doff my hat for technology. For advancement in communication science. It is that technology that made it possible for me to get out of Nigeria on Wednesday, destination Lubumbashi, via South Africa.
By Paul Bassey
For the benefit of my rising band of readers let me repeat the fact that this column usually goes in on Friday sometimes as early as noon.
What this means and sadly too is that I will not be in a position to discuss the decisive CAF Champions league return leg cracker between Kano [...]
Wednesday, I was a member of a panel put together by Vanguard Newspapers to discuss the way forward for Nigeria football.
Big Brother: Your Excellency, Big Brother has noticed the dwindling fortunes of Nigerian sports and Big Brother wants to find out your opinion on this.
Gov Fashola: Big Brother, I am aware, but it is not as bad as some of us portray it.
Big Brother: Gov what gives you this hope?
By Paul Bassey
Events of the last three weeks, including two editorial pieces on our sports, coming as it were from two top newspapers – Guardian and The Sun – have set me thinking on the future of sports in this country, the most recent being the reelection bid of the outgoing President of the Nigeria [...]
September 6 was a terrible day in the history of Nigeria football. It was a day confidence was buried alive and a buried “hope” was exhumed, becoming a bride courted by Nigerians from Maiduguri to Uyo. September 6, our World Cup qualification was put in dire straits, to say the least.
Bonuses and Allowances – This is a no-go area. In fact you may have to pay this money in advance for players to know how serious you are. If, for whatever reason, things are not going too well at half time, it is from this budget that members of the PTF are expected to draw from when they run into the dressing room to increase the bonus from $10,000 to $20,000 each.
As you are reading this the World Athletics Championship would have come to an end. At the time of going to press, Nigeria had no hope of getting into any final, not to talk of winning a medal of any metal, colour or shade.
