Injury Threatens Shola Ameobi's Eagles Debut

Shola Ameobi's 10-year-wait for his Nigeria debut looks likely to stretch a little longer following a suspected fractured cheekbone he suffered while playing for Newcastle United in Wednesday's 1-0 defeat at Fulham.

Ameobi, who has shouldered most of the Magpies' attack due to the injury-enforced absence of the now departed Andy Carroll, collided with Fulham's Steven Sidwell and had to go off with barely 14 minutes played.

Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia had disclosed the Kogi-born forward's decade-old dream during his interactive session with sports editors on Wednesday.

According to the former Dream Team handler, Ameobi personally told him of his anguish during his trip to Europe late last year to meet with national team players. "When I said I wanted him to play for Nigeria and he said he was willing to I then asked him why he had not all this while.

His response was that no one had approached him to do so! So as things stand, he (Ameobi) will be playing for the Eagles this year," explained Siasia.

Ameobi, who has represented England at Under-21 level, was  due to make his first run-out in this month's friendly in Lagos against Sierra Leone. (CHECK WHEN D MATCH).

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500 Nigerians Return From Egypt

No fewer than 500 Nigerians returned from Egypt early on Thursday and were received by the Foreign Affairs Minister for State Hajia Salamatu Suleiman at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The returnees were made up students, government officials, businessmen and others.

President Goodluck Jonathan had directed the immediate evacuation of Nigerians from Egypt following the political unrest in that country.

Receiving them, Salamatu expressed government's commitment to the protection of its citizens wherever they are across the globe.

Responding on behalf of the returnees, Col. Abdulmumuni Aminu commended the Federal Government for its quick response to the plight of the people, adding that the experience was traumatic for them, following the closure of banks, and other basic amenities.

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Nigerian Becomes Coca Cola CEO

After many decades of successful operation in the Nigerian market, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited has announced the appointment of a Nigerian, Kelvin Balogun as the Company's new Chief Executive Officer effective February 1, 2011.

Kelvin, the first Nigerian to occupy the position, succeeds Islay Rhind, who will be retiring from The Coca-Cola Company.

The new CEO joined the company in October 1999 as Strategic Planning & Business Development Manager. In February 2002 he moved to East Africa where he held positions of increasing responsibility in Kenya, Tanzania and the Horn of Africa before assuming the role of Strategy Director for the Coca-Cola East & Central Africa Business Unit in May 2008 with responsibility for strategy development across 27 countries. Kelvin's last role in East Africa was that of General Manager for the East Africa & Mozambique Franchise, leading Coca-Cola's operations and market development in Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Mozambique.

Reacting to the appointment, President of Coca-Cola North & West Africa Business Unit Curt Ferguson, said "Kelvin is well grounded in the business and has a strong track record of performance. He successfully rebuilt some of the key business drivers for profitable growth in several East and Central African markets. We are confident that he will accelerate the growth momentum that our business has built in Nigeria and will lay a solid framework for sustainable market leadership".

Kelvin began his career in 1989 as a Business Analyst at Accenture in Lagos, and rose to the position of Senior Manager & Head of Strategy Competency. He has an MBA from the Goizueta School of Business at Emory University in Atlanta and a Bachelors degree in Metallurgical & Materials Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife. He is also an alumnus of the Lagos Business School and the Logistics Strategy School at the Cranfield University in the UK.

"I am excited by the opportunity to return home and help shape and drive the Coca-Cola business here" said Kelvin. "Nigeria is a strategic growth market; my colleagues and I will focus on strengthening the fundamentals of the business, deepening the bonds between our brands and our consumers and expanding our market leadership".

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Eagles Drop As Black Stars Rise On FIFA Rankings

Nigeria dropped eight places on the FIFA World rankings for February, which was released yesterday. But Ghana moved up a step to replace Egypt as the top African nation.

Egypt currently engulfed in political tumoil, plummeted from the 10th position to 33rd on the global rankings. There was no movement among the top five. World champions Spain lead the pack followed by Netherlands, Germany, Brazil and Argentina.

The sharp drop by Egypt, Nigeria and others on the African listing was because of their inactivity. Egypt has not played any friendly since their back-to-back win of the Africa Nations Cup, while Nigeria have only played their friendly matches on the pages of newspapers.

The Black Stars ranked 15th thus top the African rankings for the first time since May 2008. Cote' d Ivoire moved five places down to the 26th spot. They are second on the continent. Egypt are third while Nigeria retained the fourth position. Burkina Faso at 41 displaced Algeria from the African top five. The Desert foxes dropped from 36 to 55.

There was brighter news for South Africa who for the first time in five years have climbed four places to occupy 47th position, behind Cameroon and Guinea who are perched at the 43rd and 46th places respectively.

The next Fifa rankings will be released on Wednesday 9 March.

Nigeria's Super Eagles will now tackle Sierra Leone in a friendly next week Wednesday after a proposed game with Guatemala in the United States was called off.

Chairman of the technical committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Chris Green, said the Guatemala match has been cancelled because the match organisers feared incurring a huge loss.

"The organisers were apprehensive of the goings_on in Nigeria as regards a FIFA ban after football matters were again taken back to regular courts," Green said.

Eagles now to play Sierra Leone

There have been huge doubts over the Guatemala game, but the NFF insisted last week that all arrangements for the encounter had been concluded.

Officials have now disclosed Sierra Leone will replace Guatemala on the FIFA friendly day window with the game likely to be played in Lagos.

Media reports suggested that the country's top Euro-based stars have been contacted to rearrange their travel plans and now fly into Nigeria for this match.

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FIFA Decides Adamu's Fate Today

Dr. Amos Adamu will by the end of today know if he still has a future in football, as the Appeals Committee of FIFA sits to decide the fate of the Nigerian official.

Adamu along with fellow FIFA Executive Committee member, Reynald Temarii of Tahiti were both suspended last December after the governing body's Ethics Committee found them guilty following an inquiry into World Cup vote selling allegations levelled against them by British newspaper, The Sunday Times.

Adamu was given a three-year ban from all football related activities, while Temarii got one year.

However, both men, insisting on their innocence, subsequently lodged appeals with FIFA's Appeals Committee, which recently announced that it would be hearing their cases over 48 hours beginning from today.

But Adamu, who arrived Zurich on Monday for the hearing, has been sounding very confident of overcoming what is definitely a defining moment in his long and often controversial career as a top Nigerian sports administrator.

Speaking before leaving the country, Adamu, who is also a member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee, said he expects to get a fair hearing, and ultimately, vindication.

"I don't want to say too much about the appeal but I know I'll get a fair hearing. It is important that I clear my name in this matter and I believe that will be done at the meeting," said Adamu, who is also WAFU President,

The man who will decide Adamu's fate is Bermuda Football Association President, Larry Mussenden, who chairs the Appeals Committee.

If exonerated, Adamu would be cleared to stand for re-election to his FIFA post. The Confederation for African Football has its annual assembly February 23 in Khartoum, Sudan, where it will choose two of its four delegates to the FIFA ruling body.

Apart from Adamu and Temarii's cases, the Appeals Committee will also hear three others. Aloulou, a Tunisian lawyer who chaired FIFA's disputes panel, is challenging a two-year sanction. FIFA referees committee member Amadou Diakite of Mali and Ahongalu Fusimalohi from Tonga were each suspended for three years. Bhamjee got a four-year ban.

A sixth official, Ismail Bhamjee of Botswana, has not appealed his ban.

However, even if their suspensions are upheld, the men can still seek redress at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS); because the Lousanne-based organisation has the power to overturn the Appeal Committee's verdicts.

The hearing will be held at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich.

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