It was just recently, a statement was released by the federal crown court in Abuja on the 21st of January, stating that the Nigerian football federations were being disbanded from football, “The Nigerian football federation (NFF) and Premier League (NPL) will be dissolved.”

Recent competitions haven’t been kind to Nigeria, especially big tournaments such as the World Cup. Their last two saw them knocked out in the group stages in 2010 and 2002.

The ‘Super Eagles’ have been crowned African champions twice both in 1980 and 1994, and their uncharacteristic failure to not qualify for the African nations cup in 2012 was the first time since 1986.

Many will be very much surprised to not see Nigeria in this month’s African Nations Cup, and the national side only have themselves to blame, the 2-2 Guinea draw on the 8th of October, in Abuja was enough to ensure Nigeria did not cement their place in the tournament.

The former Nigerian coach Samson Siasia, was suggested to have many fall outs with the first team players, which one could easily link to being one of the problems for West African side. His recent spat came with West Bromwich Albion forward Peter Odemwingie, which led to Odemwingie not being part of his squad.

However, it could be argued that the ego’s of many of the first team players have not helped the progress of Nigeria as a football nation, the likes of Chelsea’s John Obi Mikel have fallen off dramatically throughout the course of last year for club and country, which has left many critics wondering where the future lies for them.

In all fairness, it would be cruel to suggest that the NFF are not trying to rectify the situation, the new appointment of Stephen Keshi has at least indicated for the mean time Nigeria expect drastic changes to be made within the next coming years.

Keshi was the captain of the last Nigerian side to win the African Nations Cup in 1994, and will know what it takes to make sure Nigeria are right back in it next year. His Job specification is quite simple, qualify for the African Nations Cup in South Africa 2013 and ensure his team makes the quarter-finals in Brazil for the World Cup 2014.

The future is not all doom and gloom for Keshi’s men, he’ll be pleased to know he has a lot of talent he can work with, in the next few years. Inter Milan’s Joel Obi is just one of those many talents, the 21 year old is highly rated by the Nigerian camp and although he hasn’t featured a lot for the Italian outfit, his versatility in the midfield is very much admired.

Another player to watch out for is the 18 year old Ahmed Musa, a young winger plying his trade in Russia for CSKA Moscow, the lighting quick winger is known for his hard work and determination on the field, standing at 5ft 7 the young speed demon is well equipped to trouble wingers on both flanks.

A few strikers to watch out for are Emmanuel Emenike, 24, who has scored eight goals in 11 games for Fernabache, Ideye Brown, 23, has scored 10 in 18 games for Dynamo Kyiv and Anthony Ujah has scored 27 in 36 games last season for Lillestrom.

The Nigerian side will be hoping a merge of hot prospects and talent will be enough to get them back into the AFCON next year. The manager knows the task at hand won’t be easy but he brings with him experience in abundance, whether his winning mentality can rub off on his current squad remains to be seen.

It will be a shame to not see the Super Eagles in this year’s AFCON but I’m pretty sure a fresh start a long with a new direction will ensure them a part in South Africa next year.

@Rantisamz

Stamford Bridge in March last year offered its regular exhibition of Champions’ League knockout football as Chelsea welcomed back Jose Mourinho, who slipped away at the end of an expertly masterminded Inter victory without celebrating, as promised, in view of the fans who once worshipped him and would undoubtedly love the chance to do so again. Despite the customary Mourinho sub-plot escalation, the global audience wasn’t salivating at the Portuguese coach’s wisdom in its entirety, as over 4,000 miles away in East Africa, Kenya’s burgeoning legion of football followers were patiently anticipating a far more poignant appearance.

With five minutes remaining, and a 3-1 Inter lead seemingly enough to send the Italians through to the quarter-finals, Mourinho removed Wesley Sneijder, and replaced the Dutch forward with Nairobi-born Macdonald Mariga, the first Kenyan representative in the history of the Champions’ League. Mariga’s story isn’t all together unfamiliar, although it has been revealed this year that the midfielder earns $1.3million a year, the most of any East African player by a distance. But what encouraged Mariga’s journey from his agricultural background in Nakuru, playing in front of a diminutive crowd for Kenya’s national military team, to securing the attention of hundreds of millions of spectators from all corners of the globe, not to mention sharing occupational residency with Samuel Eto’o and Didier Drogba?

The aforementioned experienced contrasting emotions that night not least due to the result, but also since Drogba was dismissed for an unnecessary assault on Thiago Motta following Eto’o’s match-winner. Nevertheless, both had already cemented their statuses in their home continent as both athletic and political icons long before Mariga confirmed his place amongst his country’s most admired sporting paladins. The strikers are hailed as much for their charitable endowments as for their celebrity, with Drogba immortalized in the Ivory Coast for effectively ending five years of civil war, but how did either achieve such influential prominence having emerged from the humblest of beginnings? Youth academies have naturally played a significant role in exporting the continent’s precocious talents for the opportunities of greater exposure playing in Europe’s wealthier leagues, but their structure and organization is far more complex than the development facilities Premier League fans are used to. On the surface, this process appears to assist young Africans in the pursuit of their footballing ambitions, but the reality is far more brutal, and the coordination of several academies is only serving to harm the future of football in Africa.

Since the turn of the millennium, European fans, and particularly those who follow Premier League clubs, have witnessed a sudden infiltration of Ivorian talent, principally attributed to the MimoSifcom Academy near the country’s largest city, Abidjan. MimoSifcom is the official development facility of ASEC Mimosas, perhaps the Ivory Coast’s most famous footballing institution, and represents one of the few academies which demonstrate an authentically-African philosophy. The academy was one of the first structures of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa when founded in 1994, and its extant values mirror those of its European counterparts in that MimoSifcom provide hopeful thirteen to 17 year-olds with an academic as well as footballing education. The idea, as with any academy of this nature, is to promote promising candidates in to the Mimosas first-team, but with the mid-term intention to export the most gifted individuals to Europe in order to recover the costs of training young players and to sustain a steady flow of replacements for the successful graduates.

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There are reports in the Metro that West Brom striker Peter Odemwingie has become a summer transfer target for Tottenham. This is partly due to his performance against Spurs at the weekend in which Odemwingie scored his 13^th Premier League goal of the season.

Odemwingie arrived at West Brom in the summer from Lokomotiv Moscow for a fee of just £2.5m. The Nigerian international has suggested his future remains in England, but the dream of playing in the Champions League is one possible lure.

Odemwingie told Fifa.com “You never know what’s round the corner in football but all I can say right now is that I’m very happy here at West Brom.” But the desire to play in Europe is clear and Odemwingie went on to state “My hope is that, if we stay up, we can start raising our objectives and look at reaching the top half and qualifying for Europe.”

West Brom manager Roy Hodgson has guided the club to the 40 point mark and nearly secured their place in the Premier League for another season. The player’s desire to play at a bigger club could pave the way for a move to North London.

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Goalkeeper: Edwin Van Der Sar.
Seems to be having his best season in his final season. Admittedly not the most overworked keeper in the division, but a season of few mistakes and some crucuial saves sees him get the nod. One of a number of big holes that Alex Ferguson will soon have to fill.

Left Back: Leighton Baines.
An underwhelming season for some of the big-name left backs. Ashley Cole and Patrice Evra have hardly set the world alight, also making plenty of headlines off the field for all the wrong reasons. Baines though has been a model of consistency in a team that had a difficult season, and has shown himself to be a great crosser of the ball, and all-round striker of the ball. Inevitably will be linked to other clubs over the summer having notched 11 assists so far this season. Newcastle fans might argue Jose Enrique is even better though.

Central Defence: Vincent Kompany.
Mark Hughes had his uses. Bought from Hamburg for a mere £6m in 2008, he should be on all shortlists for player of the year. Hampered slightly by injury last season, he has come of age this season, and should be an integral part of what could be a very exciting Belgian national team over the next decade or so.A cool, calm, collected and classy defender, surely a future Manchester City captain, and a great ambassador for the club off the pitch too.

Central Defence: Nemanja Vidic.
Once more a rock in the centre of defence for Manchester United, an even more vital cog now that Rio Ferdinand’s back is slowly getting the better of him. Tough and uncomprimising, with the added ability to get away with fouls, a bonus for any manager! You know the rest….

Right Back: Bacary Sagna.
No outstanding candidates that I could think of in this position. Was tempted to plump for a rejuvinated Stephen Carr, but not seen quite enough of him to be sure. Arsenal‘s defence  is regularly criticised, but the blame surely lies more centrally, and they haven’t conceded quite as many as some might think. Solid season, gets up and down the pitch, compliments the midfield and attack well, athletic, not done much wrong from what I have seen.

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The real scary thought is that footballers somehow believe they have a divine right to be able to pursue other careers after football; Vinnie Jones had a lukewarm acting career for example, and it is only a matter of time before we see the release of Andy Reid’s mini skirts.

I thought my Dad dressed bad; scanning through the internet I found some real gems from off and on the pitch that were either cringe worthy, comical or even some that resulted in sending offs. It wouldn’t be the beautiful game without a few fashion faux pas.

Click on Tevez below to see the TOP TEN footy fashion faux pas

Goal celebrations have become a ubiquitous sight in the modern game. With players going to great lengths on the training-ground to perfect their celebrations, it seems right to reward the very best with a spot on our top 10 list of goal celebrations.

10. Finidi George

Finidi George ‘took the piss’ out of Greece quite literally with this unique celebration in the 1994 World Cup. The Nigerian winger capped off a swift counter-attack with a deft chip over the goalkeeper and proceeded to celebrate by imitating a urinating dog by cocking his leg to one side.

9. Jurgen Klinsmann

Klinsmann arrived in England with a reputation as a diver and he played up to this image with his iconic goal celebration of diving head first and sliding along the pitch. His celebration has become so well known that it is referred to as ‘doing a Klinsmann’.

8. Craig Bellamy

Apparently, Craig Bellamy takes his karaoke very seriously. Bellamy didn’t take kindly to John Arne Riise refusing to take part in a team sing-a-long and went all Ellen Woods on the Norwegian and took a nine-iron to Riise’s shins.

Liverpool’s first game after the golf-club incident was against Barcelona in the Champions League and almost inevitably, Bellamy found himself on the score-sheet. He decided to mark the occasion with an imaginary swing of a golf club. In a final act of poetic irony, Bellamy set up Riise for the winning goal as Liverpool won 2-1 at the Nou Camp.

7. Cristiano Lucarelli

We all know that footballers tend to love themselves a bit more than regular folk but Livorno legend Cristiano Lucarelli takes it one step further. After putting Livorno 3-0 up against Piacenza, Lucarelli proceeded to take off his shirt and dry-hump it in what can only be described as one of the most bizarre celebrations ever.

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It does however make you think will an African nation ever be able to win one and what will it take for it to happen? The great Pele incorrectly predicted that an African team would win the World Cup by the end of the 20th Century, despite his incorrect prediction; the African teams have all greatly improved in recent years. Many of them have produced some world class players, but unfortunately they haven’t all been for one team. As a result most African teams seem to have one or two world class players and then the rest are either good or average. If only Africa could play as a continent then they would have a great team that might even possibly be able to win a World Cup.

Here is what a current Africa XI could look like:

Goalkeeper: Vincent Enyeama (Nigeria)

The Nigerian goalkeeper really came to prominence in the World Cup despite the Super Eagles poor showing, he was named as man of the match two of their three games. Enyeama’s form has seen him linked with a move to the Premiership this season and it is hardly surprising, he has been overlooked for some time and perhaps now will get some deserved recognition.

Right Back: Madjid Bougherra (Algeria)

Rangers player Bougherra is very much a ‘footballing defender’, he is very comfortable with the ball at his feet, so much so that he won the award for the Scottish Premier League goal of the season last year. The former Charlton player has been linked with a move to Barcelona following his impressive form in Glasgow for the past two years.

Centre-Back: Kolo Toure (Ivory Coast)

Experienced defender Toure is one of the lynch pins of the Ivory Coast, although he may be inconsistent at time for Manchester City he is a reliable presence for his country. Although he has yet to recapture his Arsenal form at club level remains a top player.

Centre-Back: John Mensah (Ghana)

Former Sunderland loanee Mensah was a rock in defence for Ghana at the World Cup; he was definitely one of the main reasons why the Black Stars reached the quarter-finals. Interestingly statistics show that Sunderland were better in games last season with Mensah in the side than without.

Left Back: Taye Taiwo (Nigeria)

The marauding left back has long been considered the ‘Nigerian Roberto Carlos’, his game is very much based on the legendary Brazilians and also has a powerful left foot; Taiwo has long been admired for his efforts with his club Marseille.

Right Midfield: Mohamed Sissoko (Mali)

Juventus midfielder Sissoko is a tough tackling player who always gives his all, although he may not have had the best of times at Liverpool he has really flourished in Turin and is a firm fans favourite at the club.

Centre Midfield: Michael Essien (Ghana)

Arguably the best African player in the world right now, Essien is the perfect midfielder. He can tackle, shoot and pass all with great ability; it’s no wonder why he is currently the most expensive African player of all time. Unfortunately Essien didn’t get a chance to show off skills in South Africa as he picked up an injury in the African Cup of Nations which ruled him out.

Centre Midfield: Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast)

The new Manchester City signing has been a great player for Barcelona in the last few years and can consider himself unlucky to have been deemed not part of Pep Guardiola’s plans for next season.

Left Midfield: Seydou Keita (Mali)

A regular in the midfield for Barcelona, a lot of Keita’s work goes un-noticed but he has shown to be a key player for the side at times. The Malian always works tirelessly for the team and covers a lot of distance whenever he plays.

Centre Forward: Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast)

Drogba has shown himself to be one of the most lethal strikers in Europe at Chelsea, the front man is big and powerful and a constant threat for defenders, who have to be at the top of their game to handle him. It’s fair to say he isn’t everybody’s favourite player but love him or hate him, the man is a class act.

Centre Forward: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)

Eto’o has also proved to be one of the best strikers in the world, his blistering pace and fantastic finishing ability have gotten on him so many goals in recent years, a truly fantastic striker.

Do you think that team would be good enough to win the World Cup?

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Click on image to see a gallery of the BEST BABES at the World Cup this summer

Madjid Bougherra (Algeria)

The 27-year-old did very well in the Algerian back-line this summer and was certainly one of Algeria’s better players, who showed all the attributes required to play in the Premier League. The centre-back has great aerial ability, good positional awareness and the ability to get stuck in to opposing attackers. At 6’ 3’’ and built like a tank, Bougherra would most definitely suit the rough and tumble style of the English game and could develop his skills extremely well in the best league in the world. If Bougherra can shut out Wayne Rooney (one of England’s best) then surely he is something special right? The Algerian defender has played in the English league before and will know the competitiveness that comes along with it. However, the defender has never played in the top-flight before, but certainly deserves his chance now. The powerful centre-back is currently contracted to rangers, but his performances this summer and recent statement of yearning to play in the Premier League would have positively alerted many of the clubs within the league. Arsenal and Liverpool are reported to be amongst the favourites for his signature, but many others will be interested in the player’s services this summer as well. The defender could leave the Ibrox Stadium for as little as £5 million, a definite bargain for such a solid centre-back.

Anthony Annan (Ghana)

The tireless midfielder did brilliantly well in the midfield to hold the ranks in this years World Cup finals for Ghana. Annan, who currently plays his club football in Norway for Rosenborg, has been dubbed the new Michael Essien and has also been compared to a younger Claude Makelele by many fans and pundits alike, because of his tidy and calm approach to the game. Annan has great positional sense in the midfield, as well as strength and speed in abundance. He filled the boots of crocked Essien with great assurance and his performances this summer would have no doubt attracted several clubs from around Europe. Having seen the player in the World Cup this summer, the 23-year-old showed enough quality to convince many (including me) that he is creditable to play in the competitive Premier League. Chelsea have in the past shown interest in the player, and maybe, after this years tournament, the Blues may go back in for him. The holding midfielder would do a great job for any top team in the English game and would only cost in the region of £10 million for his services.

Vincent Enyeama (Nigeria)

Even though we only saw 3 games in which the goalkeeper took part in South Africa this summer, Vincent Enyeama did enough to convince many that he is worthy of a shot in the Premier League this season. The Nigerian shot-stopper was arguably one of the best keepers in the tournament and displayed some excellent performances for his country this summer. Enyeama currently plays his club football in the Israeli league for Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC, but will almost certainly be moving on during the summer window. The 27-year-old could do wonders for any Premier League side wanting a solid goalkeeper for the upcoming season. Enyeama has all the right attributes of a good goalkeeper, fine awareness and aerial ability as well as brilliant commandment of his box. At 5’ 11’’ he is also a tall goalkeeper and has the stature required for the physicality of the Premier League. West Ham and Arsenal have already shown an interest, however, many others will no doubt follow, especially with the goalkeeper going at a bargain price of £3-3.5 million.

Continue to page 2 to see the rest of the list

One Keeper to stand out and catch the eye has been Vincent Enyeama, the Nigerian shot stopper who put up a brilliant display in goalkeeping by single handedly keeping Argentina at bay in their first game of the World Cup, Enyeama kept frustrating Lionel Messi who with every chance seemed ready to open his goal account for the world cup only to see Enyeama pull brilliant save after another. Enyeama marshaled a weak Nigerian defence that seemed shaky and also showed good aerial ability during the game, but his shot stopping was most impressive, and so were his reflexes.

In the second game against Greece, Enyeama was again at the fore as his defence kept capitulating in front of him, and with Nigeria down to 10 men, they need Vincent to keep them in the game with a shout. But they eventually took the lead after he seemed to spill the ball after a powerful shot from the edge of the box, giving the oncoming attacker a chance to score into an empty net. Though from replays it did seem that the shot had some sting in it, it would have been difficult to hold onto.Despite this error, he was still very impressive overall.

Enyeama currently plays in Israel for Hapoel Tel Aviv, and has been one of their best players and has been constantly improving. His age at only 27, he’s yet to reach his prime and time may be right for a big team in search for a dependable goalkeeper to move in, for in Enyeama they are getting a really good GK, with great skills and a man who has been showing great leadership too. Once Enyeama returns home after the World Cup, it won’t be surprising to hear him linked to a move away from Israel. He’s a player who deserves to play in the bigger European leagues and one can only imagine that with exposure to a higher level of Football can only be for the better!

In overlooking Enyeama, many clubs might be missing out on a talented GK who can perform well at the top level as his displays so far have shown.

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Vincent Enyeama

It may be strange selecting a player from a side who have lost both their games so far at the World Cup, but goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama has been the man responsible for ensuring that his side have been beaten by respectable scorelines.

The previously unheralded Hapoel Tel Aviv custodian has been in inspired form, pulling off a string of world-class saves during the course of Nigeria’s clashes with Argentina and Greece. Enyeama’s efforts in thwarting Lionel Messi and co lead to him being named Man of the Match despite his side’s eventual defeat. Thankfully, it seems as though Enyeama’s form has not gone unnoticed, with both West Ham United and Arsenal rumoured to be weighing up bids for the Nigerian. At 27, Enyeama is a relative spring chicken in goalkeeping terms, and would be a great buy for either of the London sides looking to secure his signature.

Mesut Ozil

Symbolic of Germany’s youthful squad, Werder Bremen playmaker Mesut Ozil has heavily impressed during his time in South Africa thus far. Against Australia Ozil was mesmeric, bamboozling the opposition with his vision, technique and creativity. Whilst he did not manage to find the net, Ozil played a huge part in several of Germany’s goals against the Socceroos, helping the side to cope with the absence of the talismanic Michael Ballack.

Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool had all been linked with the 21-year-old prior to the start of the tournament, but the playmaker’s performances will surely mean that the trio will face stiff competition for Ozil’s signature this summer.

Alexis Sanchez

Several sources have suggested that Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is preparing a bid for Udinese winger Alexis Sanchez, and it is no surprise given the form that the Chilean has shown so far at the World Cup. Sanchez, was hugely influential in his side’s 1-0 victory over Honduras, impressing the watching world with his tricks, skill and decisive attacking play.

The Chile side garnered much acclaim for their rampant, attacking performance against Honduras, and it seems as though Sanchez exemplifies the style of his side. Sanchez carried this form in to his side’s second game (against Switzerland), and the man dubbed as ‘the new Cristiano Ronaldo’ was unlucky to have a goal ruled out for offside. It looks increasingly unlikely that Sanchez will be plying his trade at Udinese next season.

Eljero Elia

A colleague of mine recently wrote about how Eljero Elia may attract attention at the World Cup this summer, and it seems as though his prophecy has been fulfilled. Despite racking up just 43 minutes of action as a substitute during the Netherlands’ first two games, Elia has managed to impress with his trickery and creativity. During his side’s opening game against Denmark, Elia managed to inject excitement and spark into the game during his cameo, creating the chance which led to Dirk Kuyt scoring the Netherland’s second goal.

The Hamburg winger had a similar impact when brought on during Saturday’s clash with Japan, and only failed to rack up his second assist due to Ibrahim Afellay’s failure to finish when one on one with Japan’s goalkeeper.

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Click image below to see a gallery of the Italian babes at the World Cup: