Sports
Nigeria-Algeria fined for playing "fixed" match
Apart from the surprise elimination of Ghana's Black Stars, the defending champions, in the preliminary rounds of the 14th Africa soccer Cup of Nations, the most dramatic news from the Ivory Coast where the contest took place was a fine of $6,000 each imposed on the national teams of Nigeria and Algeria by the African Football Confederation.Officials of this supreme body on African football were left in no doubt that the match between the two countries had been "fixed".
The result of the match, a goalless draw, enabled the two countries to qualify for the semi-finals stage of the competition.
Algeria which had beaten Ghana 2-0 and Malawi 3-0 and therefore had four points were on a safe berth to qualify from Group 'B', Nigeria which on the other hand had three points from their 2-0 victory over Ghana and 1-1 draw with Malawi needed a win or draw with Algeria to prevent Malawi from catching up with them in case they were able to beat Ghana.
Nigeria's match with Algeria took place before Malawi was scheduled to meet Ghana in a match which the Ghanaians eventually won by a lone goal.
In the other Group 'A', Egypt were unstoppable as they cruised through all their matches. The shock defeat was, however, handed to the host nation Ivory Coast by Cameroon which thus qualified to meet Algeria from Group B while Nigeria met Egypt in the other semi-final
At the time of going to press, officials of the African Football Confederation were scheduled to meet to review the rules governing the contest in the light of the proven 'conspiracy' between Nigeria and Algeria. During the last World Cup competition, it was widely believed that Algeria were cheated out of a place in the semi- finals because of a "fixed" match between West Germany and Austria.
Egypt hosts next contest
Egypt will host the next round of the African Nations Cup tourney. Kenya which also applied was rejected for reasons succinctly put by a delegate to the Abidjan congress of the Supreme Council for sports in Africa.He said "the administration of sports in Kenya is in shambles. Look at what they have done with the All Africa Games which they promised to host but have not been able to do any thing about it. We don't want the Cup of Nations to run into similar difficul- ties."
Nigeria invites tennis stars to camp
The seventh All Africa Table Tennis championships begin in Alexandra, Egypt from March 29 to April 26. Nigeria's preparations towards it involve an invitation to twelve male and nine female stars into a training camp.Topping the list of those invited is the current African men's Single Champion, Sunday Eboh from Kano State and Nigeria’s number one seed Atanda Musa. The list also includes the name of the 19th All Nigeria Closed Champion, Francis Sule, Thomas Ogunrinde, Yomi Bankole, Titus Omatara, Fatai Adeyemo, Bashiru Abiona and Bolaji Niniola.
In the women's lists are the current African women champion, Mrs Esther Joseph, (Ogun State) Miss Niniola Shittu (Lagos) and former African Queen Miss Olawunmi Majekodunmi.
'Ghana Pele' in Germany
Mr Augustine Asante, a former captain of Ghana's Brong Ahafo United, a first division league club has registered for a West German non professional football club, PS V Borussia 02.Mr Asante, who has been resident in Dusseldorf since 1981, was first spotted by Fortuna Dusseldorf, a West German first division club and a former club of Ghana's most re nowned soccer coach, C.K. Gyamfi.
After a year's stint at Dusseldorf he switched to his present club where as a result of very impressive performances, he has been voted for several times, 'player of the week'.
In Ghana Mr Asante, was known as a defence player but in Germany he has transformed into a right winger and is currently dubbed 'Ghana Pele' by the German fans. Also in Dusseldorf, is Ghana's former national and Kotoko goalkeeper, Mohammed Ayomah who has registered for S C Unterbach, another regional non-professional team. Fans who saw him in a match as a substitute goalkeeper were left in no doubt that he is matured for professional rather than amateur football.
