England’s unexpected rise reaches World Cup semifinals, and its fans’ chorus grows louder

This victory means that England have reached the last four for the first time since Italia ’90, and ensures that hey will play two more games in Russia – either the third-place play-off or in the World Cup final.

SAMARA, Russia — Curiously, unfittingly, they numbered relatively few. Somehow, after 28 years and all the fecklessness and all the nuttiness and the can’t-make-it-up human frailty around the England national soccer team, the England fans present Saturday formed but a wee bloc among the 39,991 in a widely neutral Samara Arena.

Way out here where the Volga and the Samara rivers meet and the Kazakh border sits just over yonder, those fans seemed to summon the bottoms of their lungs when, in the second minute of stoppage time, they again had something to sing.

“God save our gracious Queen!

“Long live our noble Queen!

“God save the Queen!” 

As they contorted their voices for that funny thing they do, simulating the musical lilt that follows those lyrics, they would not and should not have worried that England’s 2-0 win over Sweden may have ranked among the most forgettable matches of Russia’s rambunctious World Cup. It would not and should not have caused them a jot of moderation that the path to England’s first World Cup semifinal since 1990 hadn’t been cluttered with any titans. As they boomed their a cappella as much as they could, maybe they sang for the droves at home who avoided traveling to Russia because of one misgiving or another.

Those aged enough had followed some outlandish shenanigans through the 28 years until Gareth Southgate, a 47-year-old former England player given to a competent look with a vest and tie, became the third England manager to reach a World Cup final four, following upon Sir Alf Ramsey (who won in 1966) and Sir Bobby Robson (1990).

They had seen 13 England managers, three of those interim, since the 3-2 comeback win over Cameroon in the 1990 World Cup quarterfinals in Naples. They had seen the damnedest lunacy: a manager (justly) sacked for saying disabled people are repaying sins from past lives, a manager tricked by a “fake sheikh” who turned out to be a reporter, a manager ridiculed after his final night on the job because he unfathomably had stood on the sideline using an umbrella.

They had seen Southgate get the job in fall 2016 only because the previous manager, Sam Allardyce, was caught on camera after managing for 67 days and one match talking about doing some rascally deals with business executives who turned out to be . . . reporters.

“It’s an incredible privilege to be the England manager anyway” — let alone in the World Cup semifinals, Southgate would say.

On they sang in the stands, and thanks for the reminder.

As they got to the lyric that calls for the word “victorious,” many singers surely could recite all this: England, the birthplace of the game, the home to its most revered league, didn’t make the 1994 World Cup, lost to Argentina on penalties in the 1998 round of 16, lost to Brazil in the 2002 quarterfinals, lost to Portugal on penalties in the 2006 quarterfinals, lost to Germany in the 2010 round of 16, went meekly and dismally after group play in 2014 and saw the coming and fizzling of a generation allegedly great along the way.

It lost to Iceland at Euro 2016, enabling England’s zesty array of chroniclers of the English game to note that Iceland’s population did not quite match that of Sheffield or Leeds.

Now the English souls who made it all the way out here by conquering or ignoring fears of Russian fan violence similar to that at Euro 2016 — or the distance or the paucity of flights or the cost or the Russia-Britain strife after the poisoning of Russian citizens within England — knew what they saw. They saw an England team that had weathered penalties against Colombia and turned up superior to Sweden. They saw a discernible difference in quality.

They saw defender Harry Maguire’s first goal with the national team on his commanding header off a corner in the 30th minute and 22-year-old Dele Alli’s header off Jesse Lingard’s swell cross in the 59th. They saw a goalkeeper, Everton’s Jordan Pickford, make enough athletic saves to get called man of the match.

They saw togetherness where there used to be cliques, so that Pickford said, “We know our ability, and it’s all about our togetherness, and I feel like if our togetherness is there as it always is, we control what’s on the pitch.” They had the manager of a rugged quarterfinalist, Sweden’s Janne Andersson, saying, “Sometimes your opponent is better,” calling England “heavy, forceful, well organized” and saying, “They don’t give a lot of openings. I believe they will be perfectly able to go all the way.”

Then they saw a young team in infectious group hugs, jumping up and down together, dancing in front of the fans. Said Southgate: “We’ve come to this point because the collective has been so strong,” seeing “a young team, really maturing before our eyes,” while knowing “that in years to come they’re going to be stronger, but today was a huge opportunity for us.”

The singers saw something that looked very much like a clear identity, a willing young captain in Harry Kane, who won’t reach 25 until later this month, and a welcome dose of character, of which Southgate said, “And when you’re away for however long we’ve been away, I’ve lost track, that can be really important.”

Twenty-eight years, it was, so much absurdity and futility leading way out here, to a World Cup for which England bid years ago but did not get, all the way to smallish section of singers who accomplished some volume — “Long to reign over us.” — and then yielded eventually to stadium speakers, which played the Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love.” Really.

— Chuck Culpepper

In-game updates

Alli comes out

Alli’s day is done in the 75th minute, though he tries to waste time by dawdling and turning his back to the technical area when Fabian Delph comes to take him off. Cheeky.

Almost, Sweden

Viktor Claesson makes a beautiful run into the box but Pickford dives right and gets a hand on the ball for another great save.

Goal, England! 

A wide-open Dele Alli sends in a brilliant header to put England up 2-0 off Jesse Lingard’s assist.

♦ Culled from the Washington Post

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Houston prepares for Super Bowl 2017’s week of events

Sunday, Feb. 5, at 5:30 p.m. the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons will be playing in the 2017 Super Bowl at NRG Stadium in Houston. These teams will be going head to head in hopes that one of them will receive the National Football League’s Vince Lombardi trophy. Even though Houston’s beloved Texans did not make the cut, Houston gets the honor of hosting the week-long celebration of Super Bowl 2017. Tickets to the game range from $4,000 to $16,674…each.

For some, getting tickets to the Super Bowl is a breeze; they won’t even flinch when making the purchase. But most of us, especially college students who live life on a budget, will have to be content with attending Super Bowl parties and events instead of the big game. If buying tickets to the Super Bowl is not on the list of to-do items, then I suggest going out to Houston’s week of Super Bowl parties and events that won’t break the bank!

One of the many events Houston will be hosting is The NFL Experience which will be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center from Jan. 28, until the Sunday of the Super Bowl. The NFL Experience will give fans a chance to meet and receive autographs from NFL football players. There will be youth football clinics, games for all ages and an opportunity to run a 40-yard dash against NFL players on LED screens. Tickets for children 12 and under are $25 while they are $35 for adults.

There will be numerous parties to choose from during the week of Super Bowl 2017. For those seeking more of a nightclub atmosphere, I recommend Club Nomadic, located in the Washington Avenue arts District. This is a collapsible, three-story club that was built specifically for the Super Bowl. Bruno Mars will be performing Friday, Feb. 3, and Taylor Swift will be performing Saturday, Feb. 4.

Houston also welcomes Super Bowl fans to its 13th annual ESPN party event Friday, Feb. 3. The ESPN party will be in a warehouse by the Arts District in downtown, Fergie and DJ Khaled will be entertaining the crowd throughout the fun-filled night.

Remember the amount of traffic that Houston puts out, and then triple it, and consider taking the METRO bus or Uber to get to these events. There will be more than 140,000 people traveling to Houston during the week of Super Bowl, which means security will be on high alert. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) posted tips to keep everyone safe during Houston’s week of Super Bowl events. The most important tip is to have a designated driver because a blood alcohol concentration of .08 will land you in jail. NHTSA also suggests that fans find a ride from the many organizations in Houston that are available.

The METRO buses will be expanding their services starting Saturday, Jan. 28. There will be shuttles traveling from The Galleria to downtown Houston and to NRG Stadium. The Houston Super Bowl Host Committee CEO Sallie Sargent put out a statement for the locals telling them to “leave your car at home, park and ride, take Metro, take the bus, and you’ll have a good, enjoyable time.” The Houston Super Bowl Host Committee has also partnered with Uber and will provide a pickup and drop-off zone around Super Bowl LIVE Welcome Center on Rusk Street.

Super Bowl 2017 in Houston will bring much more than just football and fans to the area. More than 30 charitable activities have offered their services for the week of Super Bowl. These charities include the NFL Play 60 Kids’ Day At NFL Experience, Houston Habitat For Humanity Superbuild, and Super Bowl Legacy Grant Event. So, get out and support the community; enjoy the parties and events during Super Bowl week.

♦ Signal’s mobile journalism team

Super Bowl 2017: The Complete Guide to Events and Parties

DJ Khaled, Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars

From a custom multilevel space built for ESPN to Taylor Swift performing for DirecTV Now, here’s what’s happening at the hottest bashes — three of which will feature DJ Khaled — happening around the big game in Houston.

Hollywood is hitting Houston for Super Bowl LI.

Before Tom Brady and Matt Ryan face off and Lady Gaga takes the stage for the much anticipated halftime show, there’s a slew of parties and performances happening off the field.

Taylor Swift will perform for DirecTV Now’s Super Saturday Night, Bruno Mars sold out tickets to his show at Club Nomadic in less than a minute, The Chainsmokers and Sam Hunt will perform at the same club the night before that, and DJ Khaled is party hopping and performing all weekend long.

Below is The Hollywood Reporter‘s full guide to all of the hottest happenings for Super Bowl weekend.

Thursday, Feb. 2

EA Sports Bowl
Club Nomadic, 2121 Edwards St, 7p.m.

The 2-month-old, 62,500-square-foot nightclub will first transform into a Madden and FIFA ’17 tournament and then, Billboard chart-toppers The Chainsmokers and country star Sam Hunt will perform.

TAO Group Takeover
Spire, 1720 Main St., Feb. 2-5

Joining forces with upscale hospitality team The Cle Group, the TAO Group will be hosting a weekendlong takeover. DJ Carnage is taking over Thursday Night and RL Grime on Friday, and the Playboy Party will take over Spire on Saturday with a special performance by Flo Rida.

Friday, Feb. 3

Art After Dark
Club Nomadic, 2121 Edwards St, 9 p.m.

Super Bowl 50 headliner Bruno Mars stars in this sold-out gig at Club Nomadic, also featuring DJ Khaled. The night is hosted by PepsiCo’s new premium bottled water, LIFEWTR.

Club Nomadic
Club Nomadic

Planet New Era
Vrsi, 820 Holman St., 9p.m.

Rapper Bun-B will host the New Era Cap event at Houston hotspot Vrsi, which will feature performances by 2Chainz, Migos, Lil Uzi Vert and Will Smith’s son Trey, otherwise known as DJ Ace. Khloe Kardashian’s ex James Harden of the Houston Rockets is expected to be there, as is the Chicago Bulls’ Dwyane Wade.

The Barstool Party
Rich’s Houston, 2401 San Jacinto St., 9p.m.

Barstool Sports is throwing a bash with performances by Ja Rule, Ashantie, Mike Stud and more.

ESPN the Party

10 p.m.

The invite-only party takes off at a 65,000-square-foot warehouse outside of Houston’s downtown arts district. For the 12th consecutive year, Tony Schubert of Event Eleven will design and produce the annual bash, transforming the warehouse into a multilevel, interactive party with over 1,000 LED tubes and moving lights, a live muralist and photo booth. Last year, Nick Jonas took the stage and this year Fergie and DJ Khaled are partnering up to get the party weekend started.

ESPN the Party 2017 Rendering
ESPN the Party 2017 Rendering

Saturday, Feb. 4

30th Annual Leigh Steinberg Super Bowl Party
Hughes Manor, 12 p.m. 

Presented by BBVA Compass, sports agent Leigh Steinberg will return to Super Bowl weekend to host his annual charity event. Past attendees have included George Clooney, Oliver Stone, Gabrielle Union and Jay Leno. This year Cuba Gooding Jr., David Arquette and 2Chainz are expected to attend.

The Giving Back Fund’s Big Game Big Give
Private Home of Michael and Lisa Holthouse, 6:30 p.m.

Josh Brolin hosts and David Schwimmer emcees at the annual benefit ($1.6 million was raised in 2016) at the estate of Michael and Lisa Holthouse. Tickets are $3,000, but 100 percent tax deductible. For the first time ever there will be a celebrity poker tournament afterparty hosted by Jamie Gold and Michael Phelps. Rob Riggle will emcee and Common will perform at the afterparty.

Taste of the NFL
University of Houston, 4800 Calhoun Rd., 7 p.m.

The University of Houston hosts this event to fight hunger where NFL teams partner with chefs from across the country to prepare tastings and pour wine for 3,000.

The MAXIM Party
Smart Financial Centre at Sugarland, 8 p.m.

It’s a three-fer for DJ Khaled, who’ll perform at Smart Financial Centre along with Travis Scott for the likes of Anthony Anderson and Chace Crawford. The party is presented by Thomas J. Henry and produced by Karma International.

Bootsy Bellows Big Game Pop-Up
Vrsi, 820 Holman St., 9 p.m.

Vrsi will be the spot for another party. This one will be hosted by rapper G-Eazy with Falcons fan Justin Bieber, Patriots fan Kellan Lutz as well as Drake, Katy Perry, Alyssa Milano, Tobey Maguire, and Kendall and Kylie Jenner expected to attend.

Super Saturday Night
Club Nomadic, 2121 Edwards St., 11 p.m.

Chrissy Teigen and Michael Strahan are among those slated to watch Taylor Swift at the DirecTV Now event at Club Nomadic presented by AT&T.

Sunday, Feb. 5

On Location Experiences Pre-Game Party
NRG Center

On Location Experiences is hosting a preparty with performances from Lady Antebellum, O.A.R and Tyler Farr.

In Los Angeles . . .

Sunday, Feb. 5 

The Bungalow Super Bowl Parties
The Bungalow Santa Monica and The Bungalow Huntington Beach, 12 p.m.

The Bungalow’s two outposts in Santa Monica and Huntington Beach will be hosting viewing parties for those not making the trek to Houston. Those looking to party can purchase a table and receive seven “house beers” in Santa Monica. There will also be jalapeno poppers, stadium nachos, cheeseburgers and hot wings cooked up by Chef Yousef Ghalaini. In Huntington Beach there will be fish sliders, Ahi poke nachos and the Bungalow’s famous tacos.

Where are you partying this weekend? Are you hosting your own viewing party? Did you book a trip to Houston? Who are you rooting for on game day? Sound off in the comments section below.

Spectacular – Watch Aretha Franklin perform national anthem before Lions-Vikings Thanksgiving Day game

Legendary singer Aretha Franklin has reached a status in her career where she can do no wrong. The Queen of Soul has a career spanning six decades. She’s won 20 Grammy Awards. Has a Kennedy Center Honor. And was granted the Presidential Medal of Freedom. So when Aretha Franklin wants to sing a 5-minute version of the National Anthem, Aretha Franklin sings a 5-minute version of the National Anthem.

She did just that on Thanksgiving too — performing “The Star-Spangled Banner” before Thursday’s Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings game at Ford Field. Wearing a grey fur coat and a knit Detroit Lions hat, Franklin sat behind a grand piano — which she played throughout the song. She took fans to church in the heartfelt performance — slowing down the song and hanging on nearly every word. (The “flag was still there” — for at least 12 seconds, for example).

Franklin is an icon to the city of Detroit — where the sound of Motown was born. So it was no surprise that the crowd at Ford Field were especially in love with Franklin’s National Anthem — breaking into thunderous applause throughout the performance.

But the Internet had a field day of their own with her rendition. “Thankful Aretha Franklin doesn’t sing the Anthem when I pitch,” wrote Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher James Taillon. “Pretty sure I would have to go back to the pen and warm back up #pipesthough.”

Moses, Mikel both score as Nigeria take care of business against Algeria in World Cup qualifying

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Today’s performance from Victor Moses in Nigeria’s 3-1 win over Algeria should put to rest any bit of consternation surrounding his commitment (or lack thereof) to the national team left over from the last international break.

The Chelsea wing-back, deployed in his more traditional winger role alongside Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi and Manchester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho in attack, took advantage of being a bit closer to goal by scoring twice and winning Twitter’s consensus for Man of the Match.  From the first minute to the last (check out his almost successful attempt to replicate Hazard’s second goal against Everton in the 7th minute!), Moses was full of running, drive, and determination — continuing his great form for Chelsea for the Super Eagles.

There were strong performances from others as well, including 21-year-old midfield dynamo Oghenekaro Etebo, whom we might remember from this summer’s Olympics, and of course captain Mikel John Obi, who also managed to score thanks to some hilarious defending from the visitors.  Not even Mikel believed that he was onside, but he definitely was.

Chelsea loanee Kenneth Omeruo played as well, getting just over an hour at right back, which is not his best position.  Algeria were perhaps unlucky to not score more than just the one goal, but with both defenses capable of conceding at any moment, their finishing lacked the cutting edge of Nigeria’s.

After a couple years of mixed results and upheaval at the football federation, which saw them fail to qualify for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, Nigeria seem to have righted the ship and are looking good at the moment to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.  It’s a long way to go still of course, but they already have a four-point lead at the top of the qualifying group after just two games.

 

Tiger Woods Unveils New ‘TGR’ Brand for Next Career Chapter

Tiger Woods may have delayed his return to competition on the course, but that hasn’t stopped him from making moves off the course.

The 14-time major winner unveiled TGR on Monday, a new enterprise that “unites Tiger’s businesses within a single brand that reflects his vast experience in philanthropy, design, performance, partnerships, events and hospitality.”

The rebranding not only marks a shift away from the TW logo that has accompanied Woods’ business ventures for years but also, according to Woods, signals the beginning of a second chapter in Woods’ career as an athlete and a businessman.

“As I work toward returning to the sport I love, I’m also taking the next step in what I like to call Chapter 2: my evolution as a competitor off the course,” Woods wrote on his website. “I’ve spent nearly two years developing TGR with my team. And this is what we are about: the pursuit of excellence beyond all limits. I approach everything I do with a mindset to be the absolute best. The method I follow to get there is inspired by precision, with the end goal of elevating standards and the status quo. And I’m always striving for the kind of mastery that naturally results from focus and a willingness to keep learning.”

Woods’ current ventures include the Tiger Woods Foundation, whose name will not change; TGR Live, a non-profit events company that manages three PGA Tour tournaments and two events benefitting the foundation; TGR Design, a golf course design firm with several projects in development around the world; and The Woods Jupiter, a restaurant in Jupiter, Fla.

According to Fast Company, Woods will serve as chairman of the new company and plans to announce several new business projects in the coming months aimed at redefining his image beyond the golf course.

“I believe this is just the beginning,” Woods wrote. “As I enter this next chapter with TGR, I’m committed to building a legacy that goes beyond just me.”

Foreign players with Dynamo Soccer Team learn English at Houston Community College

Houston Dynamo players Agustín Garcia Iñiguez and Mauro Manotas take a Workplace English course at the Houston Sports Park, their training facility. The course is offered by The Corporate College at HCC through a partnership with the Dynamo.
Houston Dynamo players Agustín Garcia Iñiguez and Mauro Manotas take a Workplace English course at the Houston Sports Park, their training facility. The course is offered by The Corporate College at HCC through a partnership with the Dynamo.

A big part of winning for any soccer team comes down to the camaraderie between the players, but for many Houston Dynamo teammates there is another factor that, at times, unites them- a language barrier.

Dynamo Defender Agustín Garcia Iñiguez is from Spain and Forward Mauro Manotas is from Colombia. For both, adjusting to a new life in the United States can be a challenge.

“It is very difficult for me to speak English, but I am trying,” said Iñiguez, also known as Agus.

That’s where The Corporate College at Houston Community College (HCC) comes into play by offering a Workplace English course through a partnership with the Dynamo.

“We help them practice their English; not just with reading, but with the speaking component as well to make them understandable to others,” said Veronica Trujillo, HCC corporate trainer. “We focus on what they deal with in their daily life and try to make it fun.”

The soccer stars wrapped up the first 62-hour, customized course at the Houston Sports Park, where they train. Both Agus and Manotas enjoyed the small, more personalized feel to the class which at the most, had six students. Because the classes are customized to fit the needs of the customer, allowances were made to accommodate changes in the schedule.

“We are so pleased to have a role in helping players realize their goal of speaking English; not only at work, but also during everyday activities,” said Jennifer Holmes, director, The Corporate College at HCC. “When we conducted our initial language assessments, we most often heard, ‘I just want to order from the menu in a restaurant in English’.”

That’s exactly some of what they learned, along with how to communicate with their bosses, teammates, and with the media.

“The commitment from Houston Community College and this partnership has been essential because HCC instructors have been able to come here and work with our players on site,” said Matt Jordan, Dynamo General Manger/Vice President. “It’s been a wonderful partnership and we are so appreciative of it.”

Jordan added that the goal of the program is not only to help the players integrate within the city and the team; but to also carry this experience with HCC as English speakers long after they hang up their cleats.

“I can now speak with my teammates and coaches. I need language not only to play soccer but for my life after soccer,” said Agus.

The Corporate College at HCC structures a program for companies and organizations by adjusting to their needs and schedules of their associates.  Just like Garcia Iñiguez and Manotas, the language tools they receive are essential to their future success on and off the field.

To learn about training opportunities through the Corporate College at HCC, visit hccs.edu/corporate-college.

Nigeria’s coach opens up on Olympic ordeal, say he done with the job – Vanguard

“My next step is that I am done with Nigeria for now. You can’t keep going to a place where they don’t appreciate you. It does not worth it,” (Siasia).

Coach of the National U-23 team, Samson Siasia is certainly not new to Nigerian football. His latest foray where he led the team to win Nigeria’s only medal at the just concluded Rio 2016 Olympic Games was not the first time the former Super Eagles striker will be on the saddle. Before now he had coached the same team to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games where he won the silver medal after another silver medal in Under 20 World Cup in Holland. In this last assignment for the Rio Olympics, the sports minister Solomon Dalung called him names for taking the team to Atlanta for preparation. Before then the same minister publicly condemned him for dropping some players who played in the African Championship in Senegal. The minister wanted all those who played in Senegal to be in Rio their fitness level or injuries notwithstanding. The Nigeria Football Federation owed him salaries running up to five months. He never got the support he needed from the ministry to the federation.

In this interview with Correspondent Jude Opara, Siasia speaks on his future in Nigeria and many more. Excerpts.

Welcome from Rio Olympics. How does it feel?

It feels good because the end justifies the means. We wanted the gold but we are still happy with the bronze because it made Nigerians happy. The minister accused you of child trafficking for taking the team to Atlanta without his knowledge or consent. How can I take a national team out of the country without their knowledge of the NFF and the Sports Ministry? I really don’t know were that was coming from. We had the plan to travel from Atlanta to Brazil on the 29th of July. But the agent who was handling that did not get us the chartered flight or pay for our tickets, but nothing actually happened and that was when I, on my own, decided to contact an agent, Greg. But the guy said he would not do anything until he saw that the money was paid into his account. After three days, the guy said he was no longer interested and even told other operators not to deal with us that we were not a serious people.

Back to the camp in Atlanta. How was it?

The first 10 days was like a hell because we had to struggle to pay for hotel accommodation and feeding because the person, Bunmi, who opted to assist us did not get the necessary support he expected. But after the fist 10 days the Ministry came through the NFF and paid for our bills. But we were stranded in Atlanta because the money they said they paid to one Poopola for us to travel never came and nobody has heard anything about it.

What was your level of communication with the both the NFF and the Ministry while in Atlanta?

No, nobody called me from the ministry. The Minister was dealing with Mikel may be because he was the captain of the Olympic team. But when we had the plane issue, the Vice President called and I spoke with him like two times, the Finance Minister called and indeed the first person to call was the Minister for Information, Lai Mohammed.

I must say he did a nice job to see how to solve our problem because I think the President heard about our plight and instructed that they should find a way to solver the problem. They were, I believe, embarrassed because the issue was even on CNN every time. However, the chartered flight thing never worked out because the guy they were discussing with called me and we tried to see how to arrange the fight but there was no money sent to him and so it didn’t work out too.

sports minister Solomon Dalung
Sports Minister Solomon Dalung

So the option we had was to arrive Rio the very day we were to play and that could have resulted in a walk-over of our team. We had a chartered 36-seater flight that was to take us to arrive Rio by 2 o’clock while our game was at 9 o’clock. But the players were afraid of that flight because it was very small and when we got to the airport, Delta called thought the same Bunmi guy. In fact, they were supposed to partner with Delta but I don’t know what happened. When they heard of our plight they called him to offer a big plane to fly us the next day so as to arrive five hours before the match.

Indeed we were already at the airport to fly that small plane which was paid for by a friend of mine, but when the players heard that Delta was coming, they insisted that we should watt for it. In fact they were almost dying out of fear. When I called Mikel to tell him about the development, he said ‘I beg, please let us wait for tomorrow for the bigger plane which is safer and better’.

All the players were happy and excited that we were not going to fly that small plane and perhaps that is the reason they came out to play the way they did with all their mind. Indeed Delta did a great job. Even when the CBN 46 came to the hotel, we refused to tell them about our problems because it was about Nigeria, even though every thing was already in the public domain. Talking to them would not have changed anything.

Now Delta said the cost of flying us was about $250,000 dollars but that they were not charging us. They said if we had it the money could be paid to any charity organization of mine or Mikel but we have not seen anything and that appears like another fraud. We took pictures with Delta to promote them and thank them for their support. I am telling you what actually happened.

We are still waiting to see where the money that was meant for us to fly to Brazil has gone to. Nobody has said anything. The federal government sent the money to the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) and the NOC said they sent the money to the airline in Florida which up till now they have not received anything, even the airline is planning to sue them for breach of contract because they were supposed to pay some money to them even if they were to cancel the arrangement. That is even another issue.

We don’t even know how they are going to settle that. The Minister categorically said he never knew where you were and that you were engaging in human trafficking, is that true? (Laughs) I don’t know what he was talking about. When I first heard about human trafficking and such stuff, I was angry because the Minister knew that we were going to Atlanta. If not that they stole my phone, I would have shown to you his text message to me before we travelled. That day the U-20 defeated us 3-2 in our last warm-up match, the Minister sent me a text that I should come so that we can chat but when I went they said he went to the Villa. He knew exactly what was going on because there was no way he would not know because the Olympic team is statutorily under his control, it is his baby and that has been the way it is. So I don’t understand why he should say I was engaging in child trafficking.

How did you feel about that statement?

As I said before I felt very bad but later I didn’t want it to bother me because I know it is not true and I had other more important things to worry about than such comments. Would you say that yours trip to Atlanta has been justified? Yes because they say that the end justifies the means and if not for that it would have been very annoying because after working very hard for two years without anything to show for it would have been disastrous. It would have been a waste of time and effort. I am happy because in spite of all that we went through both here at home and in Atlanta, this is the only team that won a medal for the country. It felt so good when the Nigerian team was called alongside the Brazilian and German national teams with the Nigerian flag hoisted there, that is what we were talking about, putting Nigeria where so many other countries didn’t have the chance to be and that is why I say that these boys need to be commended for what they did. This is something that money cannot even buy.

What did you really play for?

We didn’t play for money and in fact there was even no money to play for. So what I told the boys was to ensure they played for their country and for their pride and future so that they could get better clubs because that is the only thing to point to motivate them, given our situation.What was it like in camp?We were on and off the camp for two years with only two training jerseys. You know everything was just wrong from the beginning.

The only good thing from this camp is the fact that the boys really came out to play and Mikel showed character and leadership among the younger boys. We worked together to ensure that we got something out of them. It appears that the team has been disbanded because there was no official reception and send forth of the team, so what is the next thing for Samson Siasia? Personally, I was not really surprised that they did not welcome us because most of them were actually waiting and praying for us to fail but we disappointed them by winning that medal.

But most sports loving Nigerians who were not on the saddle came out on their own and they were the ones that really appreciated what we did. Look at this way, if things were done properly, they should have at least informed the Lagos State government that the Olympic team was arriving so that they could welcome us on behalf of the government but nobody told them anything. There was no connection from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) or the Ministry of Sports. They knew we were coming. It was only one staff of the ministry that was sent to take us to hotel.

What is your next step with the national team?

My next step is that I am done with Nigeria for now. You can’t keep going to a place where they don’t appreciate you. It does not worth it. Sometimes it is not about the money but the approach. They seem not to appreciate the sacrifices. I know how much I have sacrificed since the team began camping two years ago. How can you keep going to people who don’t appreciate you? It does not make sense, so I am done for now. I have to go somewhere else where they will appreciate what I have done and what I can do and pay me the respect that I deserve. But many Nigerians out there still appreciate you.

My next step is that I am done with Nigeria for now. You can’t keep going to a place where they don’t appreciate you. It does not worth it.

I know and that is why I keep coming to do the dirty jobs for them because of my numerous fans out there but I can’t just continue because those fans are not the policy makers. How can you keep toiling for five months without even your salary? Nothing has changed in the last two years. It has been from bad to worse, so we must sit down and do something about the structure of Nigerian football and by extension sports in general. It doesn’t worth it to work with the people running sports now in Nigeria.

From the Federation to the sports ministry. They don’t have it and will not give what they don’t have. It feels bad.

It is like you already have somewhere in mind?

No, I don’t have any place in mind. I just have to go an d rest for two months and while I am resting, I will not be the one looking for where to go. There are people who will be doing that. But for me I am done with Nigeria until things change. Imagine any time they have a problem, they will call on me to come and help but they will use me and later dump me.

I have not started any team of the Super Eagles from the beginning, not even one time. I want to thank them very very much. Even before I returned from the Olympics, the only car they gave me, they took it away from my wife. That is just awesome. That is not how to treat someone who was out there seeking glory for the nation. Let them eat their national team.

Are you saying you will never come to work for Nigeria again?

No not now, I will not change my mind when the same people are there doing the same thing over and over again. If the right people come on board tomorrow then I may reconsider my position because I am also a Nigerian but truly, I will no longer work with these people. We are out of the AFCON, U-20 and U-17 teams have all crashed out, what hope do we have to qualify for the 2018 World Cup? I wish the country well, but before we talk of qualifying we must do the right thing.

When we don’t do the right thing and still want to qualify, then it does not work that way. Yes we pray, but other countries also pray and God is a fair God and I believe God will most likely answer the prayer of the person who has worked and prayed. To succeed you must plan and if you don’t plan in any human endeavour, you have planed to fail. But they have hired a new Coach and that is the first step towards succeeding Well they have hired a coach, I wish them well but what time does he have to even know the players he intends to work with? I sincerely pray that he qualifies us for the World Cup.

But there is this talk out there that the reason they usually go for foreign coaches is because you Nigerian coaches always collect money to invite players to camp or collect money from players.

That is cheep blackmail. No coach who knows his onion will take money and take people who will not assist him to deliver in a championship. We have seen players like Kelechi Iheanacho graduate from the cadet team. If they were taking money how could you discover such good players who are doing well outside? Probably, they usually run for foreign coaches because those are the ones that may give them cuts from their salary, it is a cheep propaganda to destroy Nigerian coaches. If they want to go for the foreign coaches, let them just do that. Some of them that came before what happened to them?

They ran away but we are here grounded because this is our country. We want to do everything to see her succeed. Even good or bad, we will return here because it is our country, that’s it. If they think we are taking money to recruit these players, what money do these players even have to give to any coach? Mention one of them. Most of them are from poor families. But their agents do payIf the agents succeed in bribing any coach to take a player who is not good enough, then that coach does not know what he is doing and he is not worthy to be called a coach because there is no amount of money that will make a bad player to become a good player. How much can a coach get out of these players and their agents?

Again it is two folds, the only reason that a coach may accept to take money is when they don’t pay him for months, and he has pressing problems, even as I insist it is not a good reason. That brings us to the issue of corruption. If you are working and they don’t pay you, that is also corruption on their part. So they are the architect of all these problems and if they have seen one coach that has taken money, have they confronted him with the player he was said to have collected money from? If they have the fact let them challenge the coach that this player said you took money or that you didn’t play him because he didn’t pay you. If you take such money, you are putting yourself in a lot of problem because if the player is not good he will affect your team and game plan, also if you don’t play him he will talk because he has proof that you took money from him. To me I will never take money to play any player.

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