Lagerback doubts Kanu for World Cup squad

Lars Lagerback, the Eagles Technical Adviser, has cast doubt over the inclusion of the team's captain, Nwankwo Kanu, in the World Cup squad as he said that playing time at club level and not the number of caps would determine his selection of players.

Lagerback, who watched the Eagles' Team B training session yesterday, said that he was going to focus on assessing the Team A players through their performances at their respective clubs.

In the company of his Swede assistant, Roland Andersson, Lagerback said he was not going to rely on anyone's advice or records in his assessment of the players.

"I will assess the players on my own. It's not going to be on the basis of what you have done in the past, but what you are doing

currently. So, even if you have 70 caps, you have to be playing regularly," he maintained yesterday.

The former Swedish national team Coach said one advantage towards ensuring success in this regard is that he would establish a good rapport with most of the clubs the Nigerian players are playing for.

"I'll have to have a good rapport with all the players' clubs, and I will regularly be in touch with them and their physical fitness trainers to ascertain their level of fitness. I will not want to take half_fit player to South Africa for the World Cup," he said.

Lagerback explained that the likes of Obinna Nwaneri, Danny Shittu and Nwankwo Kanu would need to seek more club football playing time if they were going to be part of the team to the June 11 to July 11 World Cup finals.

"For now Nwaneri has to get a better club, because he is playing for a club in the United Arab Emirates in a league that is third_rate, while Shittu is not playing regular football at his club for now.

"The same thing goes for Kanu, and he and the other two are not in the right shape to play 90 minutes football.

"They can only play about 20 minutes of football, and we all know that we don't need that at the World Cup, but players who can play for 90 minutes," The Swede dropped.

He said what he needed to instill in his team to excel at the World Cup were good tactics and not the game's techniques at this point in time.

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U.S. to help train police fight terrorism

United States  yesterday disclosed its intention to help train officers of the Nigerian Police on how to combat terrorism and other violent crimes.

The Ambassador of United States of America to Nigeria Ms. Robin Sander, disclosed this when she led five members of the U.S Commission on International Religious Freedom on a courtesy visit to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ogbonna Onovo.

Speaking on the occasion, she expressed the desire of her government to assist the Nigerian Police Force in the training of its personnel in community policing and combat training to contain civil disturbances experienced in certain parts of the country in recent times.

Sanders told the IGP that the US government was "ready to provide equipment/logistics as a way of supporting the Force in combating crime in Nigeria" .

Though she did not give details and the form the assistance would look like, she however said that her home governemnt was unhappy with the level of sensless killings in parts of the country, particularly the north, where she said Nigeria witnessed more violent crimes.

Expressing serious worry with the development, Sanders said she would personally do all within her capacity to bring in other forms of assitance to the police, stressing that effective policing remains one of the core ingredients of democracy.

In his response, Onovo expressed his appreciation to the Ambassador for finding time to visit him in spite of her tight schedules.

Onovo, told the US envoy of the willingness of the Police and the country as a whole to collaborate with the US government in any area of training which is aimed at building the capacity of the officers and men of the Nigerian Police with a view to advancing proactive policing.

He said that with the deep interest shown by US in the areas of crime prevention and control, it will equally help to protect investments by US citizens in the country.

The London Metropolitan Police was the first to offer assistance to the Nigerian Police and had also trained some of its personnel in community Policing, though the policy seem not to be working in the country due to corruption in the force.

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China's trade with Nigeria hits N1.053 Trillion

Mr Rong Yansong, the Economic and Commercial Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, says the trade volume between both countries increased from $3billion in 2006 to $7.24billion in 2008.

The counselor said this in Abuja on Monday while briefing 30 civil servants billed to attend a two-week training conference in China.

Rong said the trade volume, however, dropped to $6.35billion in 2009 because of the global economic meltdown." With the trade volume of $3 billion in 2006, $4 billion in 2007, $7.3 billion in 2008 which dropped to $6.35 billion in 2009, the trade between Nigeria and China still keeps a stable growth," Rong said.

He said China's investment in Nigeria at the end of 2009 was $7.24 billion in sectors such as free trade zone, energy, agriculture, manufacture, mining and infrastructure.

Rong said in appreciation of the increasing trade volume with Nigeria, the Chinese government was constructing four rural primary schools and a hospital in Nigeria.

" We are donating four rural primary schools in Katsina, Kaduna, Ogun states and the FCT.

" We are also constructing and equipping a modern hospital for the benefit of all Nigerians in Abuja," he said.

Rong said the training programme was organised by the Chinese government for Nigerians to acquire some useful technologies and experience from China in the area of free trade zone management.

"We want you to use what you learn from China and help in the development of local industries and businesses in Nigeria after your return," he added.

Also speaking, Mr Greg Onu, the China Desk Officer in the National Planning Commission (NPC), said the training was the fourth to be organised by the Chinese government since 2009.

Onu said that three more important training programmes would be sponsored by China before the end of the year.

"These training programmes are critical to the actualisation of the 7-Point Agenda and Nigeria's Vision 20:2020 and the overall development of the country," he said.

He said the training tagged, "The management of Free Trade Zones in China," was selected because China had managed its free trade zones efficiently and effectively.

Onu said the programmes were in the area of renewable energy, bilateral trade promotion, infrastructure development, anti-poverty policies and development of SMEs.

Responding on behalf of the contingent, Alhaji Hamza Tahir, the team leader and NPC's Director of Legal Services, commended the Chinese government for its capacity building initiatives.

Tahir pledged that members of the group would be law abiding during their stay in China.

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Victor Ikpeba wants mixture of youth and experience in Super Eagles squad

Ex-international, Victor Ikpeba, has urged Super Eagles Coach, Lars Lagerback, not to discard the players that won bronze at the Nations Cup in Angola.

Ikpeba said in an interview that the Swede must ensure he keeps many of the experienced stars, but admitted that he can also strengthen the team with revelations of last year's under-17 and under-20 teams.

"We are well prepared, but more effort has to be put into what they are doing. I think it is fighting time for this generation of Nigerian players.

"They have been condemned, they have been criticised, but it is our support that they need. I believe they have what it takes to do well.

"Now that we are planning for the World Cup, I don't agree that those that were taken to the Nations Cup in Angola should be dropped.

"I think we need a mixture of young players from the Under-17 and Under-20 teams to contribute and provide support for the older players, who we still need in the team," Ikpeba said.

Meanwhile, with Ray Nnaji and Dr. Sam Sam Jaja filing law suits against the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) and Coach Shaibu Amodu on the verge dragging Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to court, NFF General Secretary, Bolaji Ojo-Oba, insisted such moves run foul of world football body, FIFA and its African counterpart, CAF statutes.

Ojo-Oba said that he will review all the legal documents against the NPL on his return to Abuja, but warned that the litigants will not go scot-free.

"It's about the NFF statutes and FIFA statutes. It's about what the statutes say. Anyone who takes football matters to court just has to face it on his own. The federation will look into it.

"When I get to Abuja and the documents are presented to me, I will present it to the board and we will know what to do about it.

"But, I can assure you, they will not go scot-free," the scribe said.

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