African Football

[Corzioli]

Originally Posted by Arsene

Some people think he's age chat. From what I seen he looks 17 and I personally dont think he is. What do you think.......are we dealing with uncle Kanu/Martin situation here?

The age-cheating thing is not a problem peculiar to Nigerian or African football. I mean, just after Falcao signed for Monaco...remember that incident with his age?? And that was just his birth certificate, not even a scan. Yes. Falcao of all people. It happens EVERYWHERE. A lot of players today have their real age and their 'football age'. The football age is around 2-5 years off. I mean, a LOT of players.

Unfortunately once a Nigerian or African is caught up in such a scandal, the fingers pointing are NUMEROUS, as compared with others. Esp. when that individual is part of a team that just distinguished itself in a competition.

It's the way the world is and I'm not complaining.

Chrisantus was an OBVIOUS age cheat. Kelz OTOH is nothing more than 16. Your scouts should easily verify that from multiple credible sources.

Kanu and Martins? Papilo was an icon for your club. Obafemi was a hardcore striker. No question about their ages because they started petering out at around the normal time for strikers and forwards (mid-30s).

Um there's a correction here..Kanu is legit but Obafemi? Naah..the articles say he's 29 but I'm sure he's like 33 or so. Had to clarify that.

[Corzioli]

Originally Posted by Jivara

I think this is a reflection of many national teams around the world especially in many developing countries.

I've seen Nigeria's match vs Ethiopia I think you guys are lucky to have such an easy draw but the team needs to improve significantly if they are to leave a good impression at the World Cup.

Agree so so much with this esp. the part in boldface.

[kingWizard]

Originally Posted by Corzioli

Woooah, what a handful waiting for me in this thread..ok ok ok.

Ummm..are you like REALLY Ghanian? Like Charlie Ghanian? (that's the easiest test, better not fail it ) If you are, that's real interesting ..over the last 3 years since I joined I've seen just a handful of Africans active here..me, Fifi, Great Kalu, neutral, SBW..there are a number of them who bailed out to the other continents and I refuse to call them Africans you better be domiciled in Accra or I kick yo ass off this sacred thread.

oga make unna believe me, I be Ghananian tru tru.

Born Ghanaian and currently residing in Accra so there's really no need for you to wear your boot out. Hopefully I'll soon get to make the acquaintances of all those 'true' Africans you mentioned above. If they're still active that is.

And as for your little test, even all these West Africans (particularly Nigerians. in your face.) who like to pretend they're Ghanaian just so they can participate of our rich history and hopefully our very very distant great future would pass it easily. So I will go a step further and say that even though Charlie is what has nationwide acclaim, in many parts of the country Jack is pretty popular too.

Originally Posted by Corzioli

Your argument is invalid and I'm sure it would've had a different tone had Ghana won. Y'all Nigeria haters: Cameroon, Ghana and South Africa. Esp. South Africa y'all always get mad when we win and give them excuses. I was going to cite Pippo's Alleivi Nazionale side. Those boys are so young, all u17. Yet, we and every Calcio team represented in the groups of that youth league play with so much TACTICAL AWARENESS. Just watch one of the games to be sure. It's not a Sunday League thing or a five-aside meet. These lads (from the U17 World Cup) are well-paid professionals playing in the reserve teams of their respective clubs. Some of the local-based players feature already for the first team clubs (in the Nigerian premier league and other first tier leagues elsewhere). If you did see any of the games you'll see some of the strategies on display. It's not simply a case of "meh. Please ref drop the goddamn ball so me and my mates can bully the other team to submission with our physical and aerobic attributes."

Huh? Haters? Ghana hate on Nigeria? More like the other way round bro.
But seriously I just think what you might perceive as hate is just a result of strong rivalries. South Africa have the Dstv platform so when they make their critical analysis it seems like their hating on others. I know that sentiment exists in Ghana and the Ivory Coast too. But in 2010 the South African people showed that they were ready to get behind whatever African team was playing. Of course there's always been a slight tension between SA and Naija since the Mandela thing and the CAN withdrawal in '96. As for Cameroun and Ghana I think its down to normal regional rivalries. Ghana and Nigeria being the closest English speaking countries in West Africa, we're like brothers so it's only natural that we have a little sibling rivalry. Cameroun of course are your territorial neighbours and your rises to prominence in the African game occurred at about the same time so its only natural that there be a rivalry.

That said, I feel I should point out that Ghana is ahead of Nigeria in botth head to head matches, and trophies won on the African continent so to be honest the hating is usually coming from your side.

And as you probably know we have won the u-17 twice in the past and we celebrated, but we realized over time that success at u-17 did not necessarily translate into senior level success.

As far as the Allievi being tactically sound. I haven't seen anything of them but I don't doubt that they are tactically sound. What I was saying was that, in comparison to senior players, lower age level players are at a low level in terms of tactical play and strategy implementation. Implying that these things improve dramatically with age and experience. Obviously we disagree on that.

I'm however curious to know since you also don't seem to subscribe to the notion that West Africans succeed at age level competitions because they age cheat, what you think the reason is why West African countries, Nigeria, Ghana, and even Burkina Faso and Gambia have had success at lower age levels but not been able to transfer it into senior success.

Originally Posted by Corzioli

And you shouldn't even be propagating the racist trope that African players are more physically advantaged than others. It sounds normal superficially but on later consideration, you know it really is racist. It goes way back to the pseudoscientific anthropologic descriptions of Negroes in the 18th uptil the mid-20th century. You know, microcephalic with strong appendages. You get the drift. NVM though. You pick any caucasian and black at random now and there's a 80-20 chance that caucasian would beat up and overcome the black in a mock fight to test raw strength. And possibly in a 10-kilometre run to test raw aerobic build. It's true. We don't have any advantages whatsoever. It's the mental thing that the prejudiced anthropologists of then placed at the back of our minds. There's no evolutionary advantage to back up that racist theory, if I even believe in macroevolution to start with. Micro-, yes. Macro-, uh uh.

The only thing I can say in my defence is that I do feel like I'm stronger and more athletic than most other people and I don't find it offfensive if other people point it out/notice it too. But I know what you are saying, and it did feel wrong even whilst I was typing it, so I apologize and take it back.

But while the way I said it may have left a sour taste in the mouth, the fact is that European football clubs do have a preference for (African) players with
superior athletic ability and you could say that, that has somehow led to the typical West African player who is developed with European football in mind, being strong and athletic. That better?

Originally Posted by Corzioli

I'd say Taiwo Awoniyi has the best potential.

My first pick was Awoniyi too, but given my theory and the fact that Awoniyi is more reliant on physical attributes I think I'd go with Kelechi for now.

[Ashish]

http://www.espnfc.us/cameroon/story/...-thrown-object

RIP

[Dawn]

Originally Posted by Ashish

http://www.espnfc.us/cameroon/story/...-thrown-object

RIP

R.I.P

[Sod-Lod]

Senzo Meyiwa: South Africa’s football captain shot dead
National team’s goalkeeper killed after armed men broke into the house where he was staying, say police



The captain of South Africa’s national football team was fatally shot when armed men broke into the house where he was staying, police said.

Goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa was killed around 8pm Sunday after two gunmen entered a house in Vosloorus township, near Johannesburg, while an accomplice waited outside, the national police force said on its Twitter account.

The three assailants then fled on foot, according to the police service, which offered a reward of nearly 153,000 rands (£8,700) for information leading to arrests in the case.

Police said there were seven people in the house during the attack, and that the shooting followed an altercation. Authorities said they would do everything possible to find the killers.

South Africa has a high rate of violent crime, but it was not immediately clear whether the house where Meyiwa was staying was targeted by thieves or gunmen with another motive. Solomon Makgale, a police spokesman, declined to comment, referring Associated Press to updates on the police Twitter account.

Meyiwa’s club, Orlando Pirates, said in a statement that it “has learned with sadness about the untimely death of our number one goalkeeper and current captain Senzo Meyiwa”.

“This is a sad loss whichever way you look at it to Senzo’s family, his extended family, Orlando Pirates and to the nation,” the chairman, Irvin Khoza, said.

Meyiwa, 27, was South Africa’s captain in its four qualifiers for the African Cup of Nations this year, including its last game, a 0-0 draw with Democratic Republic of Congo on 15 October. He played for the Pirates on Saturday in a 4-1 win over Ajax Cape Town.

It was the second death to hit the nation’s sports world in three days, as former 800m world champion runner Mbulaeni Mulaudzi was killed in a car crash on Friday. At the time, the president, Jacob Zuma, said “the nation has lost a true hero”.

Early on Monday local time, the youth league of South Africa’s ruling party sent condolences to the families of Meyiwa and Mulaudzi, saying “their premature passing is indeed a great loss to the country and sporting nation”.

Meyiwa’s international team-mate Dean Furman, who plays for Doncaster Rovers, tweeted: “Beyond devastated at the loss of our captain & friend Senzo Meyiwa. thoughts & prayers are with his family & friends at this terrible time.”

Darren Keet, a fellow goalkeeper who plays for Belgian club KV Kortrijk and the national side, offered his deepest condolences to Meyiwa’s family and friends.
He wrote: “Deeply saddening to hear this news about our captain and friend”, adding that Meyiwa would be “missed, but never forgotten”. He said Meyiwa’s killing was sad for South Africa.

[GreatKalu]

AFCON 2015 on the horizon ... unfortunately our unusual political instability is mirroring the usual managerial instability of Zambian football. I think we're in trouble pitted up against Cape Verde, Tunisia and most importantly DRC.

RSA also up against Senegal, Algeria and Ghana with Ivory Coast and Camerooon favorites against Guinea and Mali.

Defending champs Nigeria failed to make it.

[Jivara]

Ridiculous penalty given to Equatorial Guinea in injury time vs Tunisia. The free kick that gave them the lead was beautiful though. This game still reeks of corruption, Tunisia were much better throughout the match.

[milanicious]

That was a disgrace , one of the worst PK calls I have ever seen and the FK call was wrong as well.

[Jivara]

Yes, it was robbery all through. The ref even ended the game before ET injury time despite a fight breaking out just before that. When Eq. Guinea took the lead he kept giving. Them fouls to kill the tempo.

It's a shame because this Tunisian team is really good.

[milanicious]

I think this same referee was the one officiating Senegal vs Algeria , he didn't give a clear pk to Senegal after the player's shirt was torn from being pulled and even gave him a yellow for changing the shirt.

The tournament is just regressing , it used to have better games with better teams.

Egypt and Nigeria didn't qualify , Cameroon and Senegal didn't make it out of the group stages , it tells the whole story.

[Jivara]

African referees are horrible. You can even see it at the club level. The way they infuriate players with their incompetence makes me wonder how they come out alive from the stadium. Watching African football is like watching a European match in the 1980s. Some really clear calls are ignored and the match just turns into mayhem.

[Jivara]

About this particular referee, the Tunisians are saying this is his last year as a professional referee (he is 45 years old). So it's very likely that he accepted a bribe since you cannot really harm his refereeing career anymore.

[milanicious]

African club competitions are on another level of bad refereeing , this goal decided a semi-final

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N7v6WrrRjA

[joyrider]

bump

[milanicious]

Fucking Barry , pretended to be injured through the PK's and in the end scored the winner

Ghana have only themselves to blame , they were leading 2-0 in the PK's

Gyan and Gervinho getting subbed out in the last minute of ET as they missed decisive penalties in the past.

Poor Gervinho couldn't even watch the PK's

[joyrider]

Congrats Hugo Brood and Cameroon