Its two fierce rival local teams Roma and Lazio are perennial under achievers on the European big stage. AS Roma, the more adventurous of the two got a big heartbreak in the best of its attempts at the hands of non other than Liverpool FC in the 1983 European Cup (as the Uefa Champions league was then known) right before their fans in the eternal city. That was the only time any team from Rome made the final till date. Roma had its hide skinned by one of tomorrow’s finalists, Man United on several occasions in the past two seasons taking beatings on aggregate scores of 8-1, 5-1 etc. This year, its hopes were again painfully dashed by an unconvincing Arsenal on penalties in Rome’s Olympic Stadium, venue of tomorrow’s final. There is more to Rome than meets the eye. I think the city, its atmosphere, the crowd and history conspire to end great games tragically, on penalty shoot outs it seems.

This is the third final of the Champion league to be played in Rome and the previous two ended in 1-1 ties which were subsequently settled on penalty shoot out. As an example, Liverpool beat Roma in the 1983 final on penalty shootout after extra-time. Juventus also defeated Ajax 4-2 on penalties after they were tied 1-1 after extra time. Interestingly this year, Arsenal beat Roma in the second round knockout stage on penalty shootout in the same Stadio Olympico, also after extra time. Will tomorrow’s final between Man United and Barcelona be any different? Perhaps not. Though both finalists are great attacking sides playing breathtaking football at contrasting pace, Barcelona especially and everything else points to a decisive win, what with the almost 100 goals scored by the trio of Henry, Eto’o and messi. Goals will be scored by both teams no doubt but I venture to predict it will end in a 2-2 draw and be settled after injury time on penalty shootout. Barcelona should win the shoot out as I think Ronaldo, Rooney and Berbatov will miss their kick while only Eto’o is suspect for Barcelona. This verdict is my gut feeling as I believe Barcelona’s defence and its not so spectacular goalkeeper will cheaply give two goals which I expect Henry and Messi to redeem for Barcelona.

The keeper and a casual defence are Barcelona’s Archiles heel and I think Man United whose star players Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez it is conceded, finally have come of age, will exploit this to the fullest. The real bother for me in the Barcelona team is Eto’o who appears to have lost his terrific scoring boots towards the close of the season. Without doubt Iniesta, Henry, Messi, Xavi will be too much for even a strong Man United defence to handle on the night, I am not impressed with Samuel Eto’o’s form in front of goal lately. He was disappointing at the semi – final stage last season and has suddenly gone cold this term at the same stage. He not only failed to score against Chelsea both at Camp Nou and Stanford Bridge, he never looked dangerous, which makes the situation appalling. The man seems to have lost his nerves because he has not been scoring freely too in the league like he did earlier in the season. He just however, could be the difference if Barcelona is to beat Man United in regulation time. He is quick, has lethal shots and possesses a great quick turn as John Terry will testify when he swiftly and deftly rounded the defender in a second half confrontation at Camp Nou. He failed to beat Cech with the goal gaping at him though.

If Eto’o joins the party then I venture to say Barcelona will win 4-2, as Eto’o, Henry, Messi and Iniesta will score goals as they will be too quick and swift for poor Ferdinand, the weakest of the terrific four in the heart of Man United defence: Vidic, Evra and Rafael/Oshea. Overall, I give this game to the team that scores first and I hope it is not Man United. Barcelona, always full of brilliant performers, doesn’t always live up to their potential in cup finals though. But when you consider that no team has successfully defended the trophy since AC Milan last did in 1988/1989 and 1989/1990 seasons before the competition was renamed UEFA Champions League, then its safe to bet that Barcelona will win as after all, history has a nasty habit of repeating itself.

Franco Olasite.

So Barcelona, by hook or by crook, has made it into the final and given the neutral, a final to savour.  Manchester United vs. Barcelona, games like this, have made the Champions League what it is.

For a tournament to crown the best team in Europe, the Final match never lives up to the hype; such is the pressure that both sides are under.  Often times, before the final became the preserve of teams from the cash-rich Premier League, one team would freeze like a deer in the headlights, Valencia’s magnificent run in the 2000 Champions League was crisply and brutally ended by Real Madrid as was Monaco’s by Porto in 2004 (both matches ended 3-0).  Sometimes it falls to both teams to stink the place up- Milan and Juventus in 2003, case in point. And for those who say I don’t appreciate good defensive, tactical Italian style football, would you watch that match again?  Even Milan fans would be hard pushed to reply in the affirmative.  I would refer to the worst final in my living memory, Red Star Belgrade vs. Olympique Marseille from 1991, but this was before the Champions League era.

Since the Champions League started there have been three so called dream finals- Barcelona vs. AC Milan in 1994; Juventus vs. Real Madrid in 1998 and perhaps arguably, Arsenal vs. Barcelona in 2006.
In 1994, the final pit Johan Cryuff’s Dream Team with Romario and Stoichkov against Fabio Capello’s AC Milan, most of whom had spent most of the previous five years dominating Europe.  Going in Barcelona were slight favourites, but the form book was ripped up and before the hour the match was over.  Milan trashed Barca 4-0 in one of the greatest performances in the European Cup.

In 1998, it was a far closer game between Juventus, who reached their third final and Real Madrid.  It was a poor game with Predrag Mijatovic’s late goal taking the tie for Real for their 7th title.
In 2006, it was the time for Arsenal and Barcelona.  Given Arsenal’s lack of European pedigree, some people might wonder why this is classed as a dream final.  Well, because it was a match between two sides committed to attacking, progressive football.  It would be a feast of football.  Again it didn’t live up to expectations, although it was certainly more exciting than the game eight years previous.  The match had many chances but in the end Barca prevailed 2-1.

Now, we finally see the two best teams in Europe this year take on each other for the biggest prize.  It’s a dream Final, and let’s hope the general play makes it worthy of the name, worthy of the occasion.   May the best team win!  For once, that team can surely say they are truly the best in Europe.

Ted Phido

Last season was the first time we really witnessed waiting till the final day of the season to see who wins the title, Man U of course. The recent feats (seemingly impossible prior to the match by popular belief) of Liverpool and Fulham drubbing Man U has spectacularly opened up the league to be won by any of Man U, Liverpool, Chelsea or even if only crazily, by Arsenal. It has been a most interesting and captivating season for the English top flight league so far. Liverpool emerged from the shadows of its ghostly premiership past, tossing aside its underachieving toga in the league and finally gave the viewing audience and fans all over the world something to relish or think about. In similar fashion, Aston Villa gave Arsenal a scare for the final Uefa Champions league spot holding firmly onto it until recent poor form made them lose it. Overall arguably, the fans and audience the world over, were treated to the best or memorable games ever to have been played in the English Premier league since its inception.

Chelsea and Arsenal, two formidable teams may not be at their best though, nonetheless, they no doubt threw in some great performances to wet the great game’s fans appetite. To the point at hand now, who wins the Premier league trophy come May, Man U or Liverpool? The guess is that Man U or Liverpool it is. A consensus of pundits’ opinion though emphatically gives it to Man U. I would beg to differ on this. I recall that the same pundits had awarded the trophy to Man U no less than a month or so ago, hinging it on the facts that the team had a seven point lead and traditionally finish strong, had the best defence in the league and is impenetrable with the solid partnership of Vidic and Ferdinand; not to forget the ageless heroics of reliable Edwin Vander Ser.

In the lead to the tearing apart of the theater of dreams by a resurgent and confident Liverpool side intent on reviving its faint title hopes, no one but a few optimists (Liverpool fans) thought or believed Man U could or would be beaten at Old Trafford. The rest now is history. Man U severely received a lesson and bagged dangerous suspension for the player in the heart of its defensive solidity. I was therefore appalled when prior to last weekend’s defeat at Fulham, the boring pundits maintained that Man U would bounce back as the Liverpool defeat was no more than just a blip, that the team would get it right. Did it? No. A set of analysts actually tagged the Liverpool defeat as “Liverpool delayed the inevitable”, really? Man U in its next match got whipped by an average Fulham team which needed points to chase European qualification and so on the night, was fantastic, coming from a team that has conceded back to back defeats to Man U and shipped in a total 7 goals against Man U.

Still the pundits believe that Man U will win the league, I wonder how? I believe that a crisis of confidence is on at Old Trafford as the two back to back defeats, the first in about four years is causing and will indeed cause the team serious loss of confidence at a critical stage of the season. Even if it is not publicly acknowledged, it is clear that Sir Alex Ferguson is undergoing a nervous shock which has no doubt spread through the team. Otherwise, how do one explain the goal line ball handling by a seasoned and experienced Paul Scholes, or Rooney’s childish tantrums? Nervousness of course. Also, I think the pundits appear the more scared of Man U not winning the trophy than Man U itself. Firstly, what effect does anyone expect a drubbing (1-4) at home, to have on a seemingly perfect team (if you believe the pundits that is) to a title rival? Man U isn’t invincible as we have seen.

As an Example, the exciting and seemingly unbeatable Barcelona team drew one and lost two consecutive matches to Real Betis, Espanyol and Athletico Madrid in that order in the space of three weeks. In short for three straight weeks, Barcelona drew one and lost two top flight matches allowing the seemingly dead title challenge from Real Madrid tagging twelve points behind, to be revived as Madrid capitalized to win back eight points cutting the points deficit to four points at the time.

The simple lesson in this is that Man U has pressed the panic button and I don’t expect it to clear immediately until after about three more games if they can get straight wins. Anything less will definitely see Liverpool eclipse them for good. I don’t think Chelsea has any strength left in them for a fight, they are good for third though. We also shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that every team in the league now are playing for something. To avoid relegation or to take European places. Those teams will fight and play Man U with more conviction than they’ve mustered for years just because they are engaged in chasing immortality (to be remembered for something…) The best way now appears to contribute by ending Man U’s title dreams this season, in the course of their chasing glory of just staying alive.

Franco Olasite.

What baffles me is that just a few years after we hosted the World Youth Championship, the infrastructures used then have become desolate with several of them vandalized.

The absolute disregard for maintenance of existing properties have become a way of life in the Nigerian society and no matter how much we spend building new facilities in the country, it just turns out a big waste (Have any of you recently been to the National Stadium in Lagos?).

Nigerians are always excited when any of their national teams play, and they give this love and excitement to only the team garbed on green and white. This one-sided team support would not doubt affect the attendance at games that do not involve Nigerian teams.

More importantly, most tournaments succeed when the host team advances to at least the quarterfinal stage of that tourney. Unfortunately for Nigeria however, the NFF seem set to ensure we don’t get that far. It is still unclear if we really do have a team for the tournament, after coach Alphonsus Dike humiliated the Nation by taking those over-aged individuals to lose to a less fancied Beninoise side.

After that embarrassment we have heard little about the Nigerian team or its technical bench, making it very hard to see any reason why they would perform better than they did against the “struggling” neighbour.

I really find it hard to believe that everything would be put in place properly before the tournament starts. There are some ignorant individuals who are of the opinion that Nigeria would perform “Magic” and turn things around just before the games begin, this is a fool’s belief and it is the certain road towards irredeemable failure.

Awenlimobor Sylvester

The much talked about tactical incompetence of Amodu Shauibu was also on full parade as a bunch of over-paid and under-motivated boys almost made the infamous Ladan Bosso’s U-20 team (Bosso still has the top honors for tactical incompetence, and I won’t take it away from him) seem like World Champions after they played out what could easily be described as the most embarrassing 90 minutes of soccer in recent years.

The game itself was something of a lullaby and the few spectators who had churned out their hard earned cash to enter into the stadium (considering the present global economic situation) must have felt cheated. (A night at the Cinema watching Johnny Bravo or any other cartoon would have made more sense).

The most pathetic part of the whole scenario is the fact that the team Amodu put on that pitch at Milwall was undoubtedly Nigeria’s strongest force, who we all are hoping would take us to the next world cup! Need I say that at this point I can’t see that team getting us to South Africa? The Tunisians would really be counting themselves in after watching their biggest opponents play out their “best”.

The same uncoordinated tactical balderdash that characterized Berti Vogt’s African Nations Cup team, which was also the hallmark of Ladan Bosso’s “young-team” (Take a look at Edile for Christ sake!) was all too evident in Amodu’s special collection of over-pampered stars.

Many soccer pundits might want to blame the flaccid attitude of the players on the fact that it was just a friendly encounter, “why should they play out their heart for a meaningless game?” That ignorant submission quickly becomes discredited when you take a look at the England-Spain encounter or the Brazil-Italy game, both “meaningless games”.

It is still amazing that we do not see reasons to bring in a “natural” central offensive midfielder into the Nigerian senior team. Why do we keep forcing Mikel into a position that has been washed out of his system? Mikel has lost the ability (if he ever had it) to play the role Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha played for us for several years.

There is a certain Rabiu Ibrahim that can comfortably handle that position, but due to the Nigerian mentality that is so prevalent on Amodu’s technical team, they want him to “mature” first before he enters the National team. How old was Kaka when he started playing for the Brazilian national team? What of Pato, Rooney, Owen? The list is endless. A good coach knows who he wants, a bereft one wants who he knows.

It is quite co-incidental that just a day after that better-forgotten encounter against “the Musicians from the Caribbean” the nation slumped down the FIFA rankings from a questionable 17^th position to a more understandable 23^rd place (A position that FIFA might have to reconsider after watching that shallow exhibition between one of Africa’s erstwhile power-house against the minnows from the Caribbean).

The Nigerian Football Federation (a confused bunch of political jobbers who do not have the interest of the country at heart) have always found ways to inflict upon us their self serving interests, whereby they select coaches for the various National teams not on merit, but more on what they believe they would gain financially from having the coach on board. There is no other explanation as to why we should be suffering the double tragedy of Ladan Bosso and Amodu Shuaibu at the same time. Will we ever learn anything in this country?

I want to clearly state here that Mr. Amodu and his technical bench of trial-and-error individuals will not take Nigeria to the World Cup, and if they are left alone the damage to our beloved National team (yeah, I still love the team), would be so much that the nation’s football might relapse into a comatose state for a couple of years.

Awenlimobor Sylvester

 

Late coach Yemi Tella would still be writhing in extreme pain inside his grave as his spirit watched the mangling that the “cattle-rearer” has done to his team.

 

The South African U-20 team just showed how technically bankrupt this fellow called “Bosso” really is.

 

There had been several clamour from well-meaning Nigerians (yours truly one of them) calling on the Nigerian Football Federation (Another sore point in the Nigerian Soccer ambience) to stop Ladan Bosso from associating with the Yemi Tella (May his gentle soul rest in peace) tutored team. The team had been brought up under the best possible disciplinary environment, they were tactically grounded under the late lecturer and only needed time to emerge as a strong force in the global soccer scene, unfortunately for Nigeria however, the great man departed this world, but more unfortunately for us we let them come under Ladan Bosso.

 

The team could still have been on course for greatness had the NFF taken pain to ensure that they shield the team from lacklustre individuals who still believe football is a game of “race”.

 

The South African U-20 team made that once-glorious team from Nigeria (surely I am not proud saying this now) look like a hastily assembled secondary school team from one of the interior local Villages in Kebbi state (Apologies to Kebbi State, but I have to ensure the picture is made lucid).

 

There was perfect incoherence amongst all the departments of the team (A trademark of Ladan Bosso) and there were a few players that ought to have been strolling on the streets of Kigali rather than being in that team.

 

Ladan Bosso looked like a helpless fugitive on the sideline, I actually felt sorry for him at a point. Not the pity one shows to an individual in lack or despair, but that you show to one who brags of his illiteracy in public.

 

Like every other of his kind in the soccer scene (the unfortunate hockey-umpire who thinks he is a soccer coach), his substitutions were very suspicious and smelt of “National quota system”.

 

For example, I don’t think “Mr. I-should-have-been-fighting-sumo-wrestling” had any business on that pitch (not like any of our demoralized boys did anyway), neither did the goal-scorer himself……..or wait a minute! They all should have been on the pitch of play, but that semi-retarded herdsman just did not know that it was a game of soccer, so he arranged the players like they were set for a game of polo. That must explain why they were scattered on the pitch, unable to connect with each other, and galloping instead of running!…..That really must explain it!

 

I feel so distraught now, not that we lost the match to our arch-rivals, South Africa or that the NFF did not heed the well intended advise of several Nigerians to drop this man like a bad habit, or that we might not be making it to the World Youth Championship in Egypt BUT the fact that a perfectly good bunch of future glory-getters for Nigeria have been blown up into pieces.

 

Right now I believe that the team is in a state of shock and disbelief, a terrible thing to do to a good fit.

 

Tears and vituperations really would not undo the vile done now, it would not even change the scoreline (Had the NFF not been blinded with their selfish intent, none of these would have happened), but it is now time to re-align these boys along the path of Soccer (Yes soccer and not “Dembe”)

 

They have to be re-educated about the philosophy guiding football, they have to be washed clean of Ladan Bosso’s leisure ride into stagnation. Let us not le these boys rot away like those he took to Canada.

 

 

 

Awenlimobor Sylvester

 

This decision has fully exposed the hollow-mindedness that the body possesses; their vain quest for selfish glorification at the expense of patriotism has also come to the fore.

 

When professionalism and merit are thrown out of the window and in their place nepotism, greed and selfishness become the yardstick for recruiting people into our various senior national teams, the country is bound to fail. This is a fact that cannot be contested, it is as solid as saying the sun will rise tomorrow!

 

A brief look back into history will show that all the period Nigeria (Super Eagles) has ever achieved any form of glory either in the continent or in the globe; it has always been with a coach that had discipline. The lack of it (Discipline) has ensured that Nigeria has gone years without achieving any form of worthwhile glory. Save Yemi Tella (May his gentle soul rest in peace) and Samson Siasia, there is no discipline-instilling coach in this country anymore.

 

Is it Christian Chukwu? A man that was afraid of his players? A man that lost the right to select his starting team to his Captain? A man that was being controlled like a puppet by the NFA? Definitely not Christian Chukwu! Most definitely not!

 

Or is it Augustine Eguavoen? A man that could not define his role all through his stay with the team? A man that had (still has anyway) a suspicious vacuum in his tactical depth as far as I am concerned? Hell no!  Maybe Keshi, but definitely Not Eguavoen.

 

Is it Amodu Shuaibu? A man that could barely gather enough players to play a grade A friendly match in Columbia a few months back? A man that can not list his career achievements in more than two sentences? This is most definitely not the man for the job! And we all know it, so why do we keep deceiving ourselves?

 

Undoubtedly, the best Nigerian coaches in the last ten years have been Samson Siasia and Yemi Tella, the latter is now deceased leaving only Siasia as the best option for the country.

 

But the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) obviously has other sinister plans and ideas. They hope to crumble our football, probably they would be thinking to themselves…”If Galadima did not die for not taking us to the last World Cup, why should we be afraid?”

 

We are currently at the precipice of another woeful and disastrous World Cup qualifying campaign, the signs are boldly written on the wall, in plain English and yet the NFF can’t see. Their eyes are blinded with fat allowances and bonuses.

 

 

 

 

Awenlimobor Sylvester

This decision has fully exposed the hollow-mindedness that the body possesses; their vain quest for selfish glorification at the expense of patriotism has also come to the fore.

When professionalism and merit are thrown out of the window and in their place nepotism, greed and selfishness become the yardstick for recruiting people into our various senior national teams, the country is bound to fail. This is a fact that cannot be contested, it is as solid as saying the sun will rise tomorrow!

A brief look back into history will show that all the period Nigeria (Super Eagles) has ever achieved any form of glory either in the continent or in the globe; it has always been with a coach that had discipline. The lack of it (Discipline) has ensured that Nigeria has gone years without achieving any form of worthwhile glory. Save Yemi Tella (May his gentle soul rest in peace) and Samson Siasia, there is no discipline-instilling coach in this country anymore.

Is it Christian Chukwu? A man that was afraid of his players? A man that lost the right to select his starting team to his Captain? A man that was being controlled like a puppet by the NFA? Definitely not Christian Chukwu! Most definitely not!
Or is it Augustine Eguavoen? A man that could not define his role all through his stay with the team? A man that had (still has anyway) a suspicious vacuum in his tactical depth as far as I am concerned? Hell no!  Maybe Keshi, but definitely Not Eguavoen.

Is it Amodu Shuaibu? A man that could barely gather enough players to play a grade A friendly match in Columbia a few months back? A man that can not list his career achievements in more than two sentences? This is most definitely not the man for the job! And we all know it, so why do we keep deceiving ourselves?

Undoubtedly, the best Nigerian coaches in the last ten years have been Samson Siasia and Yemi Tella, the latter is now deceased leaving only Siasia as the best option for the country.

But the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) obviously has other sinister plans and ideas. They hope to crumble our football, probably they would be thinking to themselves…”If Galadima did not die for not taking us to the last World Cup, why should we be afraid?”

We are currently at the precipice of another woeful and disastrous World Cup qualifying campaign, the signs are boldly written on the wall, in plain English and yet the NFF can’t see. Their eyes are blinded with fat allowances and bonuses.

Awenlimobor Sylvester

 

Though the Nigerian side won the encounter 1-0 courtesy of a goal by Ganiu Oseni, off a fine cross from Germany-based striker Macaulay Chrisanthus, the display of the team on the day left much to be desired.

 

Who would believe that the large chunk of players that make up this team were two years ago FIFA U-17 World Champions with the late NIS Professor, Yemi Tella? How could they have deteriorated into this mess in so short a period? Well the answer cannot be far-fetched….Ladan Bosso

 

The NFF as usual are setting the ground for catastrophe (something they have become used to), watching as a talented bunch of players go to waste in the hands of a “talent-destroyer”.

 

Whatever happened to the players that Bosso took to Canada two years back? Someone ever asked that question? NO!

 

I think we can stop this cataclysmic process at its infant stage before we kill a perfectly good generation of future Super Eagles players.

 

 

 

Awenlimobor Sylvester

Appeals from several other board members however ensured the “loud-mouthed” tactician retained his job. He was however instructed to keep off the training sessions of the team thereby still putting in doubt his future as head coach.
It would be recalled that two years ago at the World Youth Championship in Canada, after leading his team to a disastrous 4 goal rout in the hands of Chile, Bosso went wild accusing the referee of racism. This bagged him a fine from FIFA and also suspension.

Many soccer pundits have wondered why the NFA bother recycling the coach, especially considering his track record of non-achievements.

Awenlimobor Sylvester