Sports
Leventis miss Africa Cup
For the second consecutive year, another Egyptian soccer team has won the African Cup.Last year Zamalek of Egypt beat IICC Shooting Stars of Ibadan in the African Cup of Champions Club final and this year defending champions Ahly National defeated Leventis United of Ibadan in the African Cup of Cup Winners final.
Although Leventis improved on IICC's last year's record by winning the second leg encounter 1-0, they had to bow out on 2-1 goals aggregate having lost the first leg final 0-2 three weeks ago in Cairo. It was a day of tears for the Leventis boys and some of their supporters. There was no way they could have scored as many as three goals against the Ahly boys. The Egyptians played a tactical game and showed they were a more mature side.
Sports jokes
Sports journalists are a special breed. When they start to file out jokes, there can't be any dull moment. At the press conference organised by the NFA for CAF's president, Ydnekatchew Tessema, the flash lights from the clicking camera's became almost unbearable that someone had to volunteer. "Make una no make Tessema catch Apollo with these Camera flashes. It is enough".World Cup as Tessema sees it
If anyone feels strongly on FIFA's low appreciation of soccer in the continent, he is Tessema, the bespectacled CAF boss who dis- closed he has problems with hearing. The soccer administrator echoed with disgust how FIFA allows Great Britain to have four representations in the World Cup finals whereas it has only one in the Olympics. Tessema again looked at the painful and unjustifiable exit of Australia, recounting how the country struggled in the Oceania group to qualify only to lose later to Scotland in a bogus play-off. "It is unfair", he repeated.He also finds the words to hit at FIFA's controlled draws in the World Cup finals. "Unfortunately the big teams are not allowed to play one another. They are never in the same group. FIFA's toss is directed but that of CAF's is done without any consideration." This, he explains, accounts for the pitching of Morocco, Algeria, Zambia and Cameroon in the Nations Cup group B.
Black Africa are tops
If we consider the state of under-development in the continent and the lack of necessary soccer structures and reconcile these difficulties with the results gathered in the game, there is no doubt, Tessema says, that "Africa is doing better than Europe".That is not all. If it takes Cameroun almost 11 days to travel to Lesotho and play a match and yet none of the CAF's regular competitions, has been laden with hitches, "we have to be proud" adds Tessema who is counting on a superb performance by Morocco and Algeria in next year's World Cup finals to ask for a third continental berth.
Tessema had a lot of interesting statements to make. On the Super Cup involving the winners of the Champions Club Cup and Cup Winners Cup, he said: "The Super Cup, I believe, has no significance. No country wants to risk the loss of all the gains it has made in a competition in one match. Everything is possible in one match".
On the superiority of North African soccer to that of black Africa, he says: "I don't think Maghrebin football is superior to black African football. At club level, the statistics show that black Africa is on top".
NHA invites 16 officials
The Nigerian Hockey Association (NHA) has invited 16 technical officials from the country to officiate during the 6th National Sports Festival scheduled for llorin, Kwara State, from December 12 to 22. According to the association, all the invited officials were to report in Ilorin on December 11 for briefing. The invited officials include Remi Alo (Lagos), Bright Darko (Oyo), Tunde Adeyemi (Kwara), Francis Atanda (Lagos), A. O. Ojo (Lagos)a, Bello Adogie (SP) (Oyo), Tunde Popoola (Lagos) and Donatus Spencer (Kaduna).Others are Dr. T. E. Ekpeyong (Oyo), A. G. Aliyu (Niger), Tosin Ogunmeyela (Ondo), J. Bido (Kaduna), Captain Uwaifo (Bendell) E. E. Nkune, Mrs V. O. Adesanya and Mrs L. Adewusi, all from National Sports Commission.
The New Gate Fees
The Ghana Ministry of Youth and Sports has approved new gate fees for football matches at first division league centres.The rates are (Accra) C150, C100, C50 and C30 for local matches and C300, C150, C100 and C50 for international matches.
In Kumasi, the local matches will attract fees of C250, C150, C80 and C50 while the international matches will cost C400, C300, C120 and C50.
The fees for Cape Coast and Sekondi are C100, C80 and C30 while Obuasi, Tema, Nkawkaw, Tamale and Techiman will attract C80 flat fee.
Kotoko draw again
Ghana Asante Kotoko held Gabon's national squad to a 0-0 draw in a friendly match played Earlier last week the touring Ghanaian team in Libreville. drew 0-0 with the Gabonese league champions FC-105.Hearts draw in Accra
Accra Hearts of Oak were held to a 1-1 draw by Tema-based Arnold Warriors in their third week national league played at the Accra Sports Stadium. It was Arnold Warriors who shot into the lead as early as the seventh minute with a classic goal.Hearts however, pressed and earned a corner kick in the 17th minute which was nicely saved by the Warriors' goalie. The wasted another in the 30th minute and from then on the two sides missed a lot of scoring chances. However in the 39th minute, Razak equalised for Hearts with a ground shot which left the Warrior' goalie stranded.
Africa can't host Olympic games
Sir Adetokunbo Ademola, Nigeria's outgoing member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said in Lagos that it was not likely than an African country could host the Olympic Games during his lifetime.Sir Adetokunbo a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, said that the hosting of the games was very competitive, adding "we do not have the money or organisation and we are nowhere in terms of facilities".
He suggested, however, that African countries could host IOC meetings which, he said, was also an achievement though also expensive.
Sir Adetokunbo said that the Nigerian Olympic Committee should be independent of the National Sports Commission (NSC) as a first step toward the development of sports in the country.
THE LEAGUE TABLE
HOME AWAYTEAMS P W D L F A P W D L F A Pts
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KOTOKO 1 1 0 0 5 0 1 0 1 0
ZEBI F/C 1 1 0 0 1 0 2 0
HASAACAS 1 1 0 0 3 0 2 0 1 1
ELEVEN WISE 2 1 0 1 2 3 1 0 1 0 0 0 3
ARNOLD 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 1 1 2
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DWARFS 2020111001052
REAL UNITED 10113 3 000 0001
HOLY STARS 1010221001011
OLYMPICS 1 0 01011010331
