African Soccer - My Missing Memories

I wonder why I woke up this morning with the feeling that I was missing something.

By the time I was getting through breakfast, the name of Emmanuel Maradas popped up in my head.

Mr. Maradas is a FIFA Media heavyweight these days, but in his former job he was the editor of the now rested African Soccer Magazine.

The only relic of that by-gone era is this link to what used to be the website.

What I am missing is the collection of that Magazine that I built up from my under graduate days at Ife. I hope it's still where I left it in the store at my parent's home in Nigeria. The only thing is I really doubt it.

I'm looking for anyone who is willing to part with old issues of African Soccer Magazine - please leave a comment here if you know of any.

What is your Nigerian Age?

While watching the Liverpool v. Inter game on Tuesday with a friend, he reminisced about what could have been if he took to playing football rather than study for a university degree. During that conversation the idea of him still considering the football option came up, all he needed to do was shave off a decade from his actual 28 years of age.
Everton Football Club's manager, David Moyes has now voiced what many have always thought but wouldn't say.
That many Nigerian and African footballers are actually older than they claim to be.
Moyes had this to say about his striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni -
"What people don't appreciate is that he’s only 25, albeit a Nigerian 25, and so if that is his age he’s still got a good few years ahead of him,"
This same allegation has come up before and something tells me it won't go away quietly.

Is Kanoute the Winner? Or is Drogba just a whiner?

CAF awarded the African Footballer of the Year 2007 to Mali and Sevilla striker - Freddie Kanoute (first from left). But the runner up and 2006 winner - Didier Drogba has cried foul. Is this a case of sour grapes? Or is there any truth in his allegation?


He can lay all this to rest if he leads the Ivory Coast team which he captains to lift the Nations Cup. That will be the best reply possible.
photo credit - Reuters

Jose Mourinho: Lessons from a Sacking

Caveat: This post is about much more than football- read it to the end to see why.
Unusually, I read the story of Jose's departure from Chelsea rather late at 10.15am today.
My immediate instinct in typical Arsenal fan fashion was to taunt some of my friends who were Chelsea fans. And I tried my best, with the help of my keyboard and google compose page to put some spiteful words together. Here's what I wrote:
Dear Chelsea fan,
It is with great JOY that I send my condolences to you on the loss of the best thing that has ever happened to your football club.
The departure of 'El Special One' from Stamford Bridge in the early hours of this morning is without doubt a moment of significant proportions that will reverberate for a long time.
Without a doubt Jose had a big-mouth, big-head and big ego...but he helped to give your team of some 'big for nothings' a sense of direction never seen before and am afriad unlikely to be seen again.
The lesser mortals ( eg John Terry and Roman) that he's left behind will soon see the folly of their action when you guys struggle to make it beyond the group stages of the Champions League and come home empty handed this season.
To Avram 'who the hell is that' Grant - welcome to infamy!

Regards,
Ashaye
on behalf of the Returning Kings of London

As if that wasn't enough- I sent another one:

Dear Chelski Fan,
You guys waited for 50 years to smell d premiership and just because the guy drew a game - u send him away? What a bunch of tossers!
In any case, the tributes for the best thing to ever happen to your club are coming in in their droves...
Here's one that just went out on one of the office speakers.
After this song, Can we pls stand up for a moment of silence to mark the passing away of the glory days of Chelski!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBniDRCcciI

But the first response I got from Ayobami Oladejo- one of the recipients of my 'spite', put the whole episode into a better and more relevant perspective. Here's the gist of what he said:

... for a man to walk out of his job and leave with 10 Million Pounds - it is no mean feat and to say that this same man will soon get another club. How many of us can boast of that? .... All the same, it is a lesson to us all - know your job well, say your mind, enjoy yourself and when you refuse to take nonsense - you will have the last laugh!

Real food for thought I hear you say.

So long Jose, see you in another dug-out soon!

PhotoCredit: www.soccerword.com