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Nigeria’s Super Falcons yesterday defeated defending champions Equatorial Guinea’s Nzalang Nacional 4-2 to win the 7th African Women’s Championship, in South Africa.

It was the 6th time Nigeria will be emerging as champions of Africa and the win served as sweet revenge for the Super Falcons, who had lost out at the semi final stage of the 2008 tournament to the Nzalang Nacional.

Perpetua Nkwocha shot Nigeria into the lead in the first half to score her 11th goal of the tournament. But it wasn’t until the second half that the game came alive with both sides thrilling spectators to an incredible display of attacking football with five goals arriving in the final half-hour of the game - one from the head of Nigeria’s Ugochi Oparanozie, and four by the Equatoguineans, including two own goals.

The second half

The Nzalang Nacional started out the stronger of both sides after the half-time break with their most dangerous player Salimata Simpore doing her best to trouble the Nigerian backline, but Osinachi Ohale, and Rita Chikwelu who had to abandon her responsibilities in the Super Falcons midfield ensured that the threat posed by the 23-year-old forward was nullified. Simpore got past her markers on one occasion, in the 57th minute, only to shoot over the Nigerian crossbar.

Two minutes later, Oparanozie, put through on goal by Stella Mbachu, got the better of her marker only for her shot to be parried out for a corner kick by the Nacional’s Brazilian-born goalkeeper Mirian.

From the resultant corner kick, Oparanozie came close to extending Nigeria’s lead but her header from four yards out went over the bar.

Paying the price

The Nigerians were to eventually rue those misses when Caroline Conceicao headed home a corner kick, in the 63rd minute to draw the Equatoguineans level. In the process, the Brazilian-born central defender received a blow from the Nigerian goalkeeper, Precious Dede, and she had to be taken off the pitch for treatment.

The equalizer served as a wake-up call for the Super Falcons and raided the Nzalang Nacional’s backline in search of the winning goal. The pressure paid off in the 76th minute when Oparanozie rose higher than every other person in the penalty area to nod Nigeria back into the lead, with her third goal of the tournament.

Three minutes later, Ghislaine Nke scored an own goal from a cross by Mbacu to make it 3-1.

The Nzalang Nacional however responded almost immediately with an 82nd minute goal by Jade Boho Sayo, who was actually a member of the Spanish team that won the 2004 UEFA Women’s Under-19 Championship in Finland. She scored the opening goal of Spain’s 2-1 win over the Germans in that 2004 final....

But a dazzling run down the right flank, right after the restart, resulted in yet another own goal by the Equatoguineans, this time by Conceicao, who side footed a cross by Mbachu past her goalkeeper.

No frayed nerves

“We were not worried,” said Nkwocha in response to a question about the attempted comeback by the Equatoguineans. “I was not worried because we remained focused all through. We had our targets, which were to qualify for the World Cup and to win the tournament so we were always confident of winning,” added the Swedish-based player who ended up as the tourney’s leading scorer.

She however fell short of the 15 goals that had been set for her by her teammates.

“I tried my best to score because I said I was going to score 15 goals,” said Nkwocha before adding: “Actually my friends did, but at least I tried by scoring more than half of it.” Mbachu said she is convinced that Nkwocha did her best.

“You can see that she tried to do it,” she said. “Anytime she is on the pitch she gives us confidence. We have so much faith in her and she didn’t disappoint.”

Apart from Nkwocha’s top scorer award, Nigeria also won the Fair Play Trophy while Mbachu was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. And there was none more pleased about it all than the team’s coach Eucharia Uche, herself a former Falcon player.

“I’m really happy about it all,” said an elated Uche. “I’m really glad that almost all the awards here are for Nigerians.”

The next task for the Super Falcons is to get ready for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, which has been scheduled to take place between June 26 and July 17 in Germany. They have never made it past the quarter finals of the World Cup...

Ejiro Henry, a 19-year old cocaine trafficker, currently standing trial for his involvement in the illicit trade, has been arrested again for peddling hard drugs.

Mr Henry, who was apprehended the second time on his way to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at the Murtala Muhammed Airport 2, was found with 167 wraps of powdery material that the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) confirmed as cocaine, weighing 2.45kg. “The suspect was first arrested on May 25, for allegedly ingesting 73 wraps of substances that tested positive to cocaine weighing 1.285kg during screening of Alitalia passengers to Italy,” said Mitchell Ofoyeju, spokesperson for the agency. He also added that the suspect was subsequently charged to court and granted bail on September 6. According to him, the agency confiscated the international passport of the smuggler at the time and documented his Italian resident permit for safe keeping.

Premeditated action

Mr Ofoyeju explained that the cocaine was found in a polythene bag inside the suspect’s luggage, adding that he was equally in possession of a valid Air France ticket, with which he intends to “immediately” travel to Italy the same day. “Also in his possession was another international passport, as well as an Italian resident permit, as the travel document recovered from him in May is still in the custody of the agency,” he said.

The suspect, in a statement from the anti-narcotics agency, blamed his involvement in illicit trade this time on the devil, as he explained that his first attempt was as a result of his financial difficulties. “I actually needed money to settle my bills when I was first arrested but I cannot explain this one; I think it is the devil,” he said..

Blame the courts

Ahmadu Giade, the Chief Executive of NDLEA, said that the granting of bail to accused persons allow smugglers to go back into the criminal trade. According to him, the next bail trial date for the first charge against the suspect is to come up on November 4, 2010. “Bail encourages long adjournment, thereby prolonging litigation period,” he said. “It also provides a leeway for accused persons to go back into the illegal trade. When they are in detained in prison custody, cases are decided within a short time because they are usually agitated for their cases to be fast tracked.”

Hamza Umar, the Lagos airport commander for the agency, however, commended officials of Federal Airport Authority for detecting the drug and reporting it to the NDLEA, describing the collaboration as healthy for effective security and safety in the country. According to Mr Ofoyeju, preliminary investigations revealed that the accused was adequately prepared for the crime, as the current passport found with him was issued in March before his first arrest. “The new resident permit also suggests that the accused has established contacts in Italy and he will soon be charged to court in connection with the latest arrest while he will be appearing from NDLEA custody in the on-going trial,” he said.

A four-time presidential aspirant, Sarah Jubril, has again declared her intention to run for presidency in 2011, on the platform of the ruling People’s Democratic Party.

She unfolded her plans at a news conference on Thursday, in Abuja, joining three other presidential hopefuls that have already declared interest to contest for the PDP ticket in the next dispensation.

Mrs Jubril joined the likes of former head of state, Ibrahim Babangida; former vice president, Abubarkar Atiku; and the incumbent president, Goodluck Jonathan, who is slated to officially announce his ambition after the Ramadan fast.

Mrs Jubril said she made up her mind to join the race based on the premise for quality economic development and improved citizenry. According to her, most of the crises facing the country resulted from absence of good character in most people occupying public offices in the country and she pledged to address the quality of citizens through an improved system in the family, the communities, professions, economy, politics, governance, infrastructure, and diplomacy.

She also pledged to provide “rescuer-leadership”, to refocus and raise the country from “delayed development to steady wealth and rapid development.”

“Hence, I remain with an unquenchable spirit that I can and with all of us, can re-teach and re-nurture Nigeria back to sanity, orderliness, serenity, peace, and systematic discipline in all sectors..

“The president that Nigeria needs very urgently is the one who can roll up his or her sleeves to teach good character or ethics in the pursuit of excellence in every area of our quest, goals, and vision,” she said.

However, Mrs Jubril stated that the battle of liberation from stagnation, frustrations and mediocrity to celebration of excellence, must be won if Nigeria and Africa must achieve rapid development.

Commenting on zoning, she said the controversial arrangement in PDP was for “political convenience,” adding that there were over 450 ethnic groups in the country which the zoning formula intended to give sense of belonging.

For better for worse

She berated the performance of state governors, saying that majority of them had not in any way addressed the yearnings and aspirations of the electorate and that their interference with the allocations of the local governments was a failure of governance at the grassroots.

According to her, this has made it difficult for the councils to care for their people.

She, however, promised not to pull out of PDP, if she failed at the primaries, saying she would remain steadfast in the party, irrespective of the outcome of the presidential primaries.

This, however, marks the fifth time Mrs. Jubril is joining the race for the highest public service office in Nigeria.

She was an aspirant in the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 1993, which was presumably won by the late Moshood Abiola. She was also an aspirant in 1998 on the platform of PDP, losing to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

In 2003, Mrs. Jibril took her ambition to the Progressive Action Congress (PAC) and later returned to PDP, to jostle for the party’s ticket in 2007. She scored four votes at the convention which was won by late President Umaru Yar’Adua.

Wednesday’s weekly meeting of the Executive Council of the Federation was cancelled at the instance of the Acting President, Goodluck Jonathan, after two delays.

The announcement was made by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ahmed Yayale, who said Mr. Jonathan had been on his feet since the day before, and still had some state matters to attend to.

The meeting was initially shifted from its original 10am to 2pm because of the Acting President’s busy schedule, but it was eventually called off.

The FEC, a meeting of cabinet members and heads of the civil service, sets government policy and spending agenda.

This would have been the 10th session of the cabinet meeting for the year. It is, however, the second to be cancelled since the return of President Umaru Yar’Adua, who returned into the country two weeks ago..

There had been fears that Mr. Jonathan might dissolve the cabinet yesterday, following the recommendation of the Presidential Advisory Council headed by Theophilus Danjuma.

It was also gathered that the Acting President may be fatigued after having a long meeting last night with the president of Sierra Leone, Ernest Ba Koroma and the Prime Minister of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete; continuing this morning with an international conference, both of which held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja.

This may not be out of place, as the Acting President has, for the past two to three weeks, in a bid to cover up lost grounds, increased his working hours to both include Saturday and Sunday.

Waiting on the Acting President

The meetings, which held on Tuesday night, had dragged on till about 11pm and was reconvened on Wednesday, from 9am till about 2pm.

“Attention ministers, the Acting President is just closing, coming from an international conference on Agro Allied Business seminar, coming back to the residence; he is equally engaged with other state duties. So, he has asked me to convey to you that this executive council meeting is cancelled.

Next week, Insha Allah, it will be convened or any day the Acting President deems it fit to reconvene,” Mr. Yayale announced.

Huhuonline.com can disclose that killing along religious lines has commenced in Jos,Plateau State , Nigeria. Over 100 people were murdered in renewed attacks by some suspected militia in Dogo Nahawa in Shen of Jos South Local government area. Sources told that Fulani Militia raided the Du district in Jos South Local government government area, Killing mostly women and children. As result of

unprovoked attacks, the state governor, Jonah Jang, summoned a meeting of security agencies in the state. More to come