Sports
Angola 2010: LOC, Mali Trade Words Over Training Shambles
Africa Cup of Nations organisers have blamed the Algeria team for farcical scenes at a training ground in Luanda on Friday when competition rivals Mali were refused access to training facilities.
Algeria turned up at the Escoqueirus Stadium in Luanda and gained immediate entry on Friday afternoon, but waiting reporters were astonished when, a quarter of an hour later, the Mali team bus rounded a corner and parked outside the stadium.
Mali players, including Real Madrid midfielder and national team captain Mahamadou Diarra and 2007 African Footballer of the Year Frederic Kanoute, were made to wait in the coach for over half an hour, before being told they could enter the ground.
But the situation took a bizarre turn when the stadium’s security officers refused to let them in as Algeria continued preparing for their final first-round match against Angola on Monday in blissful ignorance inside.
Utter confusion then reigned, as Diarra and some of his fellow team-mates attempted to gain access by clambering through an open window.
Over by the securely locked main gate Kanoute and Mali’s Nigerian coach Stephen Keshi attempted to talk their way in, but to no avail.
After over an hour, and as dusk fell, a furious Keshi led his charges back to the team bus to return to their hotel having missed a vital chance to prepare for their last group match against Malawi in Cabinda on Monday.
Keshi, who won the Africa Cup of Nations as a player in the 1990s, told Tidesports source. “I’m fed up. How could this happen, to get the boys in a bus and travel to a ground and be told you can’t train? I don’t know whose fault it is…”
Barcelona midfielder Seydou Keita was also furious at the shambles, saying defiantly: “They can do what they like, but we’re still going to qualify (for the quarter-finals).”
Diarra was so annoyed he refused to make any comment as he joined his team-mates for the hour-long journey back to the hotel to get ready for the flight to Cabinda yesterday.
Later, the local Africa Cup of Nations organising committee (LOC) said that Algeria had been at fault, and not them.
LOC media officer Virgilio Santos explained: “This mix-up had nothing to do with us. What happened was this: Mali were supposed to travel to Cabinda Friday but delayed their trip until yesterday.
“Algeria were supposed to train at the stadium until 1700, but when they saw the Mali team turn up they decided to make life difficult for Mali and they didn’t leave the pitch until 1815, which made Mali angry.”
Mali, on one point in Group A after a draw with the hosts and a 1-0 loss to Algeria, face a game against Malawi that they must win if they are to have any hope of making it into the last eight.
They are making their sixth appearance in the competition, with their highest placing coming in 1972 when they finished runners-up.
This is not the first time a competing team at the 2010 Nations Cup has fallen foul of a training ground blunder.
Malawi coach Kinnah Phiri was left fuming when his side were unable to train for two days before Thursday’s game against hosts Angola, which they lost 2-0.
“Three times we went onto a pitch but we found that there were others there,” he said. “They were asked to leave but they refused. We have not trained for two days.”
He said he had written a letter of protest to the competition’s organisers.
Wiyakara community in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State at the weekend celebrated the founder of the community, Yakara Kuteh, with a football match.
The football match saw Wiyakara All Stars lock horns with Khana All Stars.
Speaking with newsmen after the football match, the Chief of Wiyakara community in Khana Local Government Area, Chief Daate Benson Gbenenwikpo, expressed joy over the football match.
According to him, every country celebrates their Independence Day, adding that likewise they are also celebrating the one who founded their community, Yakara Kuteh.
By: Kiadum Edookor
School of Environmental studies has emerged overall winners of the just concluded 2026 Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic (CEAPOLY)sports competition.
School of Business Administration on the other hand lifted the football trophies of the competition for both the male and female categories
According to results made available to newsmen during the final of the competition, School of Environmental studies won nine gold, one bronze and three silver medals to win the competition, they were followed by School of Sciences , which got five gold ,six silver and five bronze medals , while school of information and Communication came third with four gold,three silver and a bronze.
Also school of Business Administration came fourth with three gold, five silver and seven bronze, school of Engineering won the fifth place with two gold, two silver and three bronze, school of legal studies, one gold, three silver and five bronzes while school of financial studies came last with no gold,four silver and three bronze Meanwhile the Rector of The Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic Dr Moses Neebe has rated the competition high
Neebe who was represented by the Deputy Rector, Academics, Dr Alapuye Eleki described the competition as one of the best organized so far by the institution.
He said this was made possible by the inclusion of all sporting events, stressing that the situation gave students of the polytechnic the opportunity to showcase their sporting talents.
The Rector also commended the students and officials for their mature behaviour through out the duration of the competition
It would be recalled that the Rector, while declaring opened the competition had announced the expansion of the expansion of the competition with the inclusion of athletic events in the competition.
Neebe also said because of the changes , the competition will also be known as f “Rector’s Sports Competition instead of to Rector’s cup.
He said this was necessary to enable students of the institution showcase and development their talents in all round of sports as well as enable the school to raise a team for key sports competition in the country especially the forthcoming Nigerian polytechnic games coming up next year.
He described it as first of it’s kind in the history of the polytechnic
“The first of its kind, for the first time we are participating in all the sports and basic things. The purpose of doing this is to increase participation, before now it used to be only football lovers but football, though the king of all sports is not the only sport, there are other sports and students with skills in this other sports have been left out previously so this year we decided to carry everyone along.
“Either you’re a participant in one game or sports or the other or you are a lover and admirer of another game or sports and this is why we decided to do it this way.
“And for the first time too we are extending this for a period of two weeks, previously it used to be one week now it is two weeks.
“The reason is because we want everybody not only to watch but to come out and show your own skill in tht game or sport that you love so much”
The Rector said the change will also enable the polytechnic to put together a formidable team for the forthcoming Nigeria Polytechnic Games
“Our concern is that at the end of this competition we should be able to put one or two things together that will participate in this year’s Nigeria Polytechnic Games.
“This year’s Nigeria Polytechnic Games has been scheduled to hold at the Federal Polytechnic Bida sometime early next year and so from the participants here please coaches and officers of the ministry of youth and sports present, help us to identify the talents”
He said the institution’s annual competition has produced some talented sportsmen and women some of who are playing abroad and advised the students to take the event very seriously.
“I am proud to say that one or two members of this competition in the past are playing their football overseas, the ones that I know. And so, from those of you here today, and those that will play later, put in your best.
“Please, the name of the game is fair play. It is not a do-or-die thing. It is a competition, but not a war, not a competition of war. So, please play as friends, put in your best, show your skill, at the end, we’ll be proud of you.
“Whether you win or you lose, we are all one family. Thank you, thank you” he said
Also speaking the Director of Sports, Captain Elechi Amadi polytechnic,Dr Daye Barango described the inclusion of all sporting activities in the competition as a welcome development.
Barango said it would provide opportunities for students to develop their talents in all the sports”There is going to be changes, because this year we included athletics.”There is going to be 100 meters,200 metres,400 metres 800 metres 1500 meters
” We are also going to have javelin,discus and short put
“All these are in preparation for us to get our athletes for next year’s NIPOGA. We hope that from this year,we can get good athletes that will represent the school “
Barango said the school, a few years ago also introduced basketball volleyball and table tennis, adding “but this year is different because we have included athletes
“We are going to be better than what we had last year or previous years especially as we have new games coming in ,new sports coming in and the athletics”,he said.
By: John Bibor
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