World champion Usain Bolt will start as the favourite to be named 2009 World Male Athlete of the Year at the annual ceremony in Monte Carlo later this month.

AS the zero hour approaches swiftly for the win or burst 2010 World Cup cracker against the Harambee Stars of Kenya tomorrow, CSKA of Moscow striker, Osaze Odemwingie, has asked his teammates to raise their game if they expect to win.

Etoile du Sahel striker Emeka Opara has turned down the chance to join top Egyptian club Ismaily after they insisted he undergo a trial, the player’s agent said.

Ghana qualified for their first FIFA World Cup four years ago, coming from behind in a group that included South Africa to snatch top place. For the 2010 finals, they qualified without any notable problems, much to the delight of highly-rated striker Asamoah Gyan.

The cold war between the Presidential Task Force, PTF, and the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, may have finally been buried as the PTF has cancelled the idea of chartering an aircraft with NFF chartering theirs, too.

Mozambican Mambas head coach, Maart Nooij, has urged the Super Eagles to defeat Kenya on Saturday, promising to repay them by beating the visiting Carthage Lions of Tunisia.

It is just two days to the end of 13th edition of the FIFA Under 17 World Cup but the storm is getting thicker for AIT, incidentally for the services the television company under Daar Communications provided for Nigeria.

Chief coach of the Golden Eaglets, John Obuh, has assured that the team will be returning to Abuja tomorrow with a ticket to the final of the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup by beating Spain in today’s semi-final showdown in Lagos.

Coach of the high riding national Under-17 team, the Golden Eaglets, John Obuh, has been recommended to take over the grooming of the national Under-21 team at the end of his present assignment in the on-going FIFA Under-17 World Cup. The recommendation is coming ahead of the Eaglets semi-final game against Spain even as the boys will all be elevated to same cadre with him.

When the draws for the final phase of the African qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup was announced pitting the Super Eagles against Tunisia, Mozambique and Kenya, most football followers in Nigeria heaved a sigh of relief.