Sports
Blatter Warns Africa Over W/Cup Slots
FIFA boss Sepp Blatter says African countries must improve if they want their World Cup slots to be increased.
Six countries represented Africa at last year’s World Cup because South Africa hosted the tournament.
But the continent’s places at the World Cup will revert to five for the 2014 finals in Brazil.
This has sparked calls by some African countries for the continent’s places to be increased in future events.
But the head of the world governing body says Africa will have to work hard to have the allocation of places increased.
“All of the FIFA member countries have equal voting rights, but when it comes to the World Cup, which is the only income of FIFA, our executive committee agrees that those confederations that have the best football should have more representatives,” Blatter said in Harare.
“There are no more small national teams, everyone can beat everyone, but it’s up to Africa to prove that they deserve more [World Cup places].”
“For the future it depends on the results of African teams in the World Cup.”
Africa’s performance in 2010, where of the continent’s contenders only Ghana made it out of the quarter-finals, is the farthest an African country has gone in the World Cup.
Cameroon and Senegal also reached the same stage in 1990 and 2002 respectively.
Fifa announced in March that there will be no change in the number of qualification slots allocated to each continent at the 2014 World Cup.
The decision means that Asia keeps 4.5 places, Oceania half a place, Africa five, Concacaf 3.5 and Europe 13.
South America remain with 4.5 while Brazil qualify automatically as hosts of the 32-team tournament, as South Africa did in 2010.
In another development, FIFA President Sepp Blatter says that anyone found guilty of match-fixing in the scandal that has shaken Zimbabwean football will be given life bans.
National team players including captain Method Mwanjali told a Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA inquiry that they were paid to lose games on a tour of Asia in 2009.
FIFA anti-corruption officials will visit Zimbabwe soon to meet with ZIFA officials and the police to conclude their enquiries into the case.
Blatter was speaking on a short visit to Harare as he travelled to Durban for an International Olympic Committee meeting.
“We cannot intervene at the first stage, we must let the jurisdictional organisation of the different states [take action] and when these people are condemned and found guilty then we will suspend them for life,” he said.
“Then they will never come back to football – being officials or being players, they will be banned for life.”
Testimonies given by players to the inquiry allege that ZIFA officials worked together with Singaporean Wilson Raj Perumal to lose matches against Syria and Thailand.
A second inquiry looked at earlier tours made to Asia by Zimbabwe where they also lost to lower-ranked nations.
Port Harcourt the capital city of Rivers State will be at the centre stage in Nigeria as Port Harcourt Arsenal Community will hold her maiden edition of Football Fans Fiesta (FFF).
The Fiesta scheduled to hold on the 13th December, 2025, at Eddiz wine bar GRA, promises to be all football fans carnival in the State , as there will be a lot of fanfares.
The Coordinator of Port Harcourt Arsenal Community (PHAC), Ugochukwu Oputa has said that the forthcoming Football Fans Fiesta was basically to promote peace, unity and love among football fans in irrespective of the cub.
He stated that sports is a catalyst to bring peace, love and Unity in any given society, hence the occasion was initiated.
Oputa said this in an interview with sports journalists in Port Harcourt yesterday, saying that arrangements are on top gear for a successful programme.
” This event is for all football fans irrespective of your club. It is basically to promote peace, love and Unity among fans.
“It is like stating the obvious that football is the catalyst of peace and unity in the world. So the Port Harcourt Arsenal Community want to use this avenue to bring people together and foster friendship.
“There is no gate fee, but it is expected to put on jersey of your club as to make the event look unique” Oputa said.
The Coordinator used the forum to advice football fans in the world to love one another, and equally urged fans that will attend the occasion to be of good conduct and behaviour.
Tonye Orabere
Consistent with its project execution routine, Dunamis-Icon Limited, Project Consultants of the Niger Delta Games, has concluded the first phase of physical inspection and evaluation of facilities for the event, 24 hours after the presentation of the hosting right to Edo State was performed.
The project management team was guided round select facilty locations in Benin City by Desmond Amadin Enabulele, Executive Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, and the team leader, Sir Itiako Ikpokpo expressed satisfaction with the sports infrastructure assets of the host.
“Edo is a ready-made choice based on all the factors that are necessary to host this kind of big event. We are expecting over 3000 athletes coaches, alongside journalists and technical officials, with an approximate number of people outside spectators in the range of 5000. So, we need facilities that work for the games itself”, Ikpokpo explained.
He commended the Edo State Government for the good state of facilities at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, and promised that the state will be assisted with the renovation of some of the facilities as may be necessary to ensure good competition experience for the athletes.
“I have been to the iconic Ogbe Stadium and must commend the Edo State Government for maintaining the facilities there. We are also considering taking some events to the University of Benin, so that people in that part of the city can also feel and enjoy the fun. Where need be, we will also see how to assist the state and the University of Benin to add value to some of the sporting facilities”.
Dunamis Icon Limited is the franchise rights owner to the games conceived and designed to provide a platform for unity and integration, and identifying and grooming talented youths from the region into national and international stars.
The NDDC as the flagship interventionist agency for the nine states that make up the region, is the prime sponsor of the games as part of their strategic focus on youth engagement and human capital development.
The inspection tour began at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, after a brief meeting with Enabulele and the Sports Commission team at his office.
Areas inspected include the stadium’s main bowl, the tartan track, the state box, the VIP lounges and other key areas like the ceremonial room, the media studio and other indoor facilities.
Other facility locations assessed are the Wire Road Sports Centre being listed to host basketball and volleyball games, the University of Benin Sports Complex, and the Etete Sports Centre.
In the entourage of Dunamis-Icon were the Project Director, Mr Fred Edoreh; Director of Facilities and Equipment, Dr Emmanuel Ochuko Igbigbisie; the head of Communications, Harry Iwuala; Head of Transport and Logistics, Israel Umueri Afoke. Others are Theresa Ineke, Head of Secretariat, Godwin Enakhena, the Head of Scouting, Mr. Edi Lawani, the Head of Culture Affairs and Entertainment and Elder Siegha Porbeni of the Technical Department.
The Edo Sports Commission Chairman was also supported by Hon. Frank Ilaboya and Mrs Sabina Chikere, Executive Directors, with Mr Baldwin Bazuaye (MON) also in the company.
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