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Nigeria: Match-Fixing Scandal Threatens Dream Team's Olympic Preparations
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Daily Trust (Abuja)
27 April 2008
Posted to the web 28 April 2008
Patrick Andrew
Dream Team 1V chief coach, Samson Siasia is in a fix. His plans to set on a smooth sail to Beijing where he hopes to take the team on a roller coaster ride for the repeat of Atlanta '96 feat may have come under serious threat on account of match-fixing scandal in Malaysia.
Siasia had secured the consent of the NFA to participate in an 8-Nation tournament meant to sharpen the reflexes of the team ahead of the Beijing duel where Nigeria will do battle in Group B with Holland, Japan, and the USA.
But Malaysian football authorities are considering scrapping the international tournament due to alleged match-fixing by local players. Khairy Jamaluddin, deputy president of the Football Association of Malaysia, has warned officials may cancel the Inter-Continental Cup Under-23 scheduled for next month. Nigeria, Ghana, Malaysia, Argentina, Australia,Croatia, Irag and Ireland are expected to participate. Of the lot, only Nigeria, Australia and Argentina will be contending Beijing Olympic soccer gold in August.
Siasia, who was in China for the draws last week and expressed confidence his team would give good account of itself at the fiesta, had hoped to use the tournament to build up before proceeding to Portugal for another friendly duel as part of his final phase of preparations for the Games.
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The former U-20 coach, who took the Flying Eagles to win silver losing narrowly to Argentina 0-2, in 2005, has always harped on concrete preparations to keep the team in proper shape and frame of mind to face the task in Beijing. He would therefore wish that the tournament holds, because it offers him the chance to test some of the new players particularly the over-aged ones he has extended invitation to. The International Olympics Committee allows each participating nation in the finals the use of three over-aged players.
Siasia has submitted the names of eight over-aged players including Vincent Enyeama, Yobo Joseph, Osazie Odemwingie,Yusuf Ayinla, Danny Shittu, Ike Uche, and Austin Ejide.
However, the Malaysian football authorities are concerned more about the bad image the match-fixing scandal might have on their federation than the likely corporate clouts derivable from the tournament. "The nation's image will be tarnished if any of the national players are hauled up by the authorities during this international tournament," Jumalludin was quoted to have said.
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