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The End of a Worthy Career

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 05:55:19 GMT

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Thabo Mbeki is no longer the president of

South Africa

. He has resigned his post following immense pressure from within the ANC the party he has led for over ten years. History will offer mixed reactions to the career of Mbeki. Many will praise him for his contributions but many others will critisise him for his perceived failures particularly on the issues of HIV/Aids and the violence that is scourge of many South African cities.

Another major criticism that will be leveled is that he failed to address the gap between rich and poor along racial lines. It must be said that there is now a burgeoning black middle class where there never was before but the gap between the haves and have nots has increased very significantly. Unfortunately the majority of those languishing in poverty are still black.

The resignation comes days after a high court judge suggested that Mr. Mbeki may have interfered in a corruption case against his rival, ANC leader Jacob Zuma.

The decision to call for Mr. Mbeki’s early resignation was taken at a meeting of the ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC).

The ANC’s Secretary General Gwede Mantashe said this was not punishment for Mr. Mbeki, adding that the president would be given the chance to continue his role as mediator in Zimbabwe.

During his term he failed to convince the trade unions and the poorest South Africans that the government has acted in their interest - providing space for Mr. Zuma to mobilise a powerful constituency. In this way it was in a way his own political naiveté that led to his downfall. As with all political careers, history will take different views of the career of Thabo Mbeki. Now is not the time for recrimination. Mbeki should be praised for his contribution to politics not only in South Africa but also to the struggle all over Africa. Thank you Thabo Mbeki for the positive things you did and for the positive things you tried to do.

“Man is by nature a political animal.”

Aristotle

WHAT’S ON: Osuofia: One of Nollywood’s finest comedians

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 05:05:40 GMT

Friday, July 18, 2008

Nkem Owoh popularly called Osuofia, is one of the gifted actors in the Nigerian home video sector. He is most popular for his interpretation of roles, a talent which has endeared him to the hearts of many people both locally and abroad. He still remains one of Nigeria’s greatest comedians ever in recent years.

According to him, while tracing his career to his primary and secondary school days as well as the university and youth service year, he recalled how he eventually got a job at WACO Engineering Co, where he was sacked and left stranded for quite sometime. But he soon rose from this depth to become a force to reckon with in the Nigerian home video sector.

Background

He was born in Udi, Enugu State and attended his primary and secondary education in Nsukka. For his tertiary education, he had a stint with the University of Ilorin and later IMT Enugu, where he graduated as an Electrical Engineer after which he proceeded on his national youth service in Ogun State. However, he had a stint with television shortly before joining IMT. He was at both the NTA and Channel 8 in Enugu.

Acting career

"I know I have always had this acting talent in me, but it was the television that really inspired me. I was so popular in my primary school days for my performances during what we call ‘The Anniversary’. I am not sure it is still being done today because some of those things stopped after the civil war. During the period of the anniversary, I always took part in almost all the entertaining activities holding during the festivities. In fact, in my secondary school days, I was invited to the University of Nigeria Theatre Group. One of the performances was Vengeance of Haba by Chiko Ozuo. It was produced in the early 1970s and since then, I have never looked back".

Why acting and not engineering

"My dad wanted me to study Medicine, because he himself was into Pharmacy. But I preferred engineering. But somehow, something kept bothering me and I felt I should give it some attention. The lure went on and on such that even while studying Engineering, I was still very active in the acting circuit, particularly for the television and radio. I am an engineer by certificate, but an artiste by practice. I never can tell, events may force me to dust my certificate one day and soon something big can come up, not necessarily in form of employment, but may be through political appointment that requires the candidate to have knowledge of the issues in that sector. So I cannot rule out the possibility of my returning to practice Electrical Engineering in future".

WACO

"I worked for WACO Engineering immediately after my youth service and after working for just about one year during the era of belt-tightening policy by the Federal Government, WACO, just like other business outfits in the country then, needed to lay off some of her work-force and naturally without any parameter decided to lay off those of us that were new in the company. After losing my job, I tried to get a teaching job in an institution of higher learning or even a secondary school, but this did not work out.

Later I started getting calls from a particular group luring me to come and be part of a particular television production. Unfortunately, I stopped fraternising with drama as soon as I joined WACO. They sacked me because they were trying to protect themselves and they were putting me in a fix. But that was the way God wanted the whole thing to go in order for me to reach His desired goal for my life. I cannot be grateful to those that sacked me, afterall the fact that Judas was instrumental to the death of Jesus Christ doesn’t make him (Judas) a good man although the Bible had already said that somebody must betray Christ. I thank God that today I have so many people under my employ and a legion of trainees under my tutelage" .

From Enugu to Lagos

"I was still acting as a stringer on television when NTA Enugu came up and I was invited to do something for the station and along the line, The New Masquerade was re-launched and I joined the crew. At a time, I was the sole-script writer for the series and once in a while I created a character for myself within the play, this is the reason for some of the brief appearances I made in the now rested TV comedy. Within that same period,the late Ken Saro-Wiwa came up with Bassey and Company.

He made me the production Manager. This particular offer was very engaging, because I was given an official car, a house, an office and all other required conveniences that aided my job. This was in Enugu although we had our main office in Port Harcourt. At a stage, I was the script editor of Bassey and Company. People did not take note of these.

It was when I came to limelight that some went back down the memory lane to discover that I have been around for sometime. After leaving the East in 1990 when Bassey and Company was rested, I moved over to Lagos. In Lagos, I was also very active in the scripting of Memorial Hospital, I did a lot of writing and acting but most of the time. I operated behind the camera. It was this period also that the serene town of Badagry spurred my creative instinct to write one of my earliest gifts to the Nigerian home-video industry. Taboo. Later, I was instrumental to the creation and scripting of a number of programmes on NTA Lagos, then. Although I am not a trained writer, but because I had this strong passion for anything creative, I was able to write well enough to become one of NTA’s approved script writers.

How did you became a comedian?

"I have always been known for serious roles in most plays that I take part in and those that know me very well see me more as a business minded actor and practitioner that may never have anything to do with comedy. In 1987, I was given my own programme slot called ‘Star Comedian Corner’ by the Anambra State Television (ATV). I accepted the challenge, and went deeper into my person to explore the hidden comical aspects of me. So I went on from one comedy to the other until I was in total control of the goal or let’s say the challenges I have initially set out for myself. Whenever I show some of my early plays where I played serious roles, I always doubt if anyone can say that I wasn’t good enough playing those roles as I am known to play the comic roles today".

"Apart from my acting career, I am also very much involved in the business aspect of showbiz. I have my own production outfit which I must say has been developing in the last seven years. My editing studio too was installed three years ago. I have cameras that I hire out both for high-tech movie productions and coverage of social functions.

I also have a film school where I train writers, actors and other talents in the profession. I have a branch office in Enugu where I sell accessories for film productions. I am thoroughly a show-businessman because I also anchor occasions as the MC in addition to organising shows and what I am trying to do in the long run is to be in tandem with some of my colleagues that have broken into the international market".

Why was he Ban by the marketers

"I think it was a kind of misunderstanding, since people in the sector usually misunderstand certain positions. I give the marketers kudos ( marketers ,with reservation). Marketing is a different ball game from what they are doing. But if they choose to be called by that name it is fine by me, but mere distributorship cannot encompass the true meaning of marketing. In fact, the issue of distributors sitting down in the market and waiting for the buyer to come and pick up the movies they require is not a good way of distribution. Despite all this short comings, I still give them kudos because they were the first to take the risk of plunging their funds into the movie video sector even when uncertainty was prevalent.

But I can say that this unnecessary show of power has not helped anybody at the end of the day. Let us check how much sales they have made since the ban, no doubt their action has affected the industry quite negatively, they are losing and the affected too artistes are losing. But I can assure you that for some of us in this business, it is going to end on a very positive note in terms of us breaking into the international arena as world class artistes that we really are.

So at the end of the day, if I now decide to charge my clients only in dollars based on the reality of the time, it is then that the marketers would realize that the Nigeria artiste is still very poorly paid. As much as I hate to use the word banned, it becomes quite imperative to state that the arrogance that I was accused of is based on my insistence that no matter the circumstances, I will not shoot on any set that will not shoot for at least two weeks with eight working hours expended each day. I insist that there must be a mini discussion of a production before we embark on any shooting and some producers and directors see the above as arrogance".

"We must learn to follow universal standards if the international market is ever to take us seriously. I am not the type of artist that will be running from one location to the other and so I demanded for some level of sanity because I was coming from the old NTA style where things were planned and artistes were camped for a while before recording commenced . I know one or two producers in the past who allowed some suggestions from the artistes and at the end of the day, they were the better for it.

The way some of the producers see the actor is very strange. For most of them, we are making our money, but of what use is money if after you have made the money you suddenly drop dead or fall so ill that most of what you have is plunged back into medical bills? Those people at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) who insisted that a working person should put in a total of eight hours a day must have a tangible reason for doing so. Personally, my physician has warned me to take things easy and it is important I obey such medical advice".

"Right now in this sector, we don’t have a policy, neither do we have the necessary structures to protect what we produce. For me, these are more important issues than the unnecessary bickering here and there. If the Federal Government is sincere, it should quicken the process of putting into legislation some kind of policy to guide and protect the profession.If we have the right policy, we may not need to be fighting over the little things that we as an industry make for now because by then, the true potentials of the industry will emerge. It would also checkmate some greedy artistes and directors that are so brazenly absurd, many of who actually collect three scripts at the same time and thereby create problems for the producers".

Osuofia in London

"Being part of the production was very fulfilling for me. It was an interesting experience because it was a cross-cultural production in which we explored the culture of the white man to see where we have agreements and where we disagree. It was such a production that is far from demeaning to the African sensibility; those who say they have become so European in their own ways that it becomes extremely difficult for them to even appreciate the fact that in Osuofia’s home land, to capture a pigeon and prepare it in a pot of soup is the rule and so, if he finds himself in a land where such a rule becomes an exception, he deserves our sympathy and not condemnation. So despite all his clowning, Osuofia in the midst of murky dangerous waters ferried back his late brother’s money into Nigeria. The movie showed once again, like in Wole Soyinka’s Lion and the Jewel, that most often, native intelligence has a way of surpassing book-knowledge. With this in mind, I want to advise people to see the movie again and they w
ill be very proud that Osuofia went to London.

Reaction of Europeans

"When I was playing with them, I was like a God in their midst. People rushed to get me seat wherever I went. Even the European artistes on set exclaimed aloud that ‘Oh! my God, this is a very big actor from Africa, when am I going to be like him?’ The people on the streets too were so thrilled to see us and all that has shown that it is only when you go outside Nigeria that you get to know the kind of mileage Nollywood has brought in for this country".

Political functions

"Because of the level of insincerity on the part of government officials to themselves and the very terrible way they choose to deal with the Nigerian people, I have had to turn down many invitations to come and entertain during government functions right from the Presidency to the local government.

I have refused to do anything for them. I am a personal friend to some people in government but I won’t entertain them. It is a way of showing my displeasure to those in power that I am not impressed with the high level of misrule in the land. The government is not doing what they should be doing for Nollywood. Look, we are not begging them for money, all we want are relevant policies to help protect our profession and investments.

We have a government, yet people come here and steal our sweats by way of copyright infringements. Until such a time when I am sure that our government can safe guard this industry, I won’t be happy with them and until such a time when they become socially responsible and responsive, I will not touch their contract and this is my own social responsibility and contract with the Nigeria people".

Impact today and the future

I see myself as an instrument of progress, because if I simply align myself to the side of the government or even my co-travelers in this industry, there will be absolute peace and movie producers would taunt me as the best available, but because I have my eyes not only on the gains of the moment, that is why I am totally dedicated to the development of this industry. If God wills it that I am going to succeed in making a positive impact, especially on the next generation of movie practitioners, then no man can take that away".

Most embarrassing moments

"Where do I start from? Because it has not been once or twice but many times over. A lot of embarrassing things happen in this industry, it happens during production, when I to get my money or during post productions. Embarrassment crop up at any of these stages probably because I lack some knowledge or some other person lacks some knowledge. It is even embarrassing for someone to come and tell me that Osuofia in London demeans Africa but I take it with maturity, because that is where their own level of interpretation ends".

Author: by Sheriff Janko

Edi Sonko on the move

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 03:45:58 GMT

Thursday, July 10, 2008

English League One club, Tranmere Rovers, have signed Gambian international winger Edrissa Sonko on a one-year deal, Observer Sports can reveal.

The 28-year-old forward, who can play on either wing or in the centre of midfield, joined Walsall last summer and made 37 appearances before the club opted not to renew his contract at the end of the season.

Speaking on the Tranmere website, Sonko stated: "I had the choice of three or four clubs but I saw Tranmere as a progressive and ambitious club. I think my speed and directness will add pace to the team."

Tranmere manager Ronnie Moore said: "I'm delighted to sign Edrissa, he's a talented player. He has bags of pace and the tricks to beat a defender, he's played across Europe and at international level."

Sonko began his career at Real de Banjul, before moving to Belgian first division side Anderlecht in 1999. He moved to Dutch side Roda JC in 2000 before having a short spell at Greek side Xanthi in 2007.

Sonko, who scored 7 goals in his 14 international appearances for Gambia, is hoping to make his debut in Tranmere Rovers’ Saturday friendly against Liverpool.

Author: by Nanama Keita

Star Profile: Azziz Corr Nyang - Assiriska (Sweden)

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 04:08:39 GMT

Friday, June 06, 2008

Personal informations

Full name: Azziz Corr Nyang

Date of birth: 27 August 1984

Place of birth: Banjul

Playing position: Forward

Previous clubs: GPA FC, Lindingo, Djurdgardens

Present club: Assiriska

Azziz Corr Nyang is a Gambian professional who currently plies his route with the Swedish second division side, Assiriska. Born in Banjul on August 27, 1984, the talented and pacy young mid-fielder started his football career at the Banjul nawettan league. He played for Ngoyan and Flamingo at the nawettan level before switching to the divisional level, where he starred for Gambia Ports Authority in 1998.

Azziz Corr turned professional in 2001, when he signed for the Swedish side, Lindingo. He went ahead to net a record 21 goals in his first and only season with Lindingo, before teaming up with his relative and fellow Gambia international, Pa Dembo Touray, at Djurdgardens - a first division one club in the Scandinavian nation.

Azziz Corr spent four successful seasons with Djurdgardens leading the team to win two league titles, one FA Cup title and a rare appearance in the UEFA Champions League qualifier competition.

In 2007, Azziz Corr Nyang signed for Assiriska, a division two club, which also grabbed the signature of his fellow Gambian Lamin Conateh in the same year.

Azziz became the only Gambian player to bag a brace in his debut international match, when he scored two goals in Gambia’s 6-0 win over Lesotho during the 2004 Nations Cup qualifier campaign.

Author: DO

Star profile: Pa Saikou Kujabi SV Reid (Austria)

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 04:23:55 GMT

Thursday, June 05, 2008

Born in Serrekunda on December 10, 1986, solid defender Pa Saikou Kujabi attended Seventh-Days Adventist Education Centre primary School and Greater Banjul Middle school respectively.

He played in the school’s football team while in primary school and appeared in Nawettan tournaments for Serrekunda East and the surrounding.

Being an outstanding and consistent player, the Gambian international started his divisional career with first division side, Hawks Football Club.

His mesmeric performance with the Banjul club earned him a place in the Austrian third division club, Grazer AK, in 2005. After two years of active football, the crafted wing-back moved to the first division side, SV Reid, in the Austrian T-Mobile Bundesliga in July 2007.

Pa Saikou was among the few players who played in all six games for The Gambia during the 2008 Nations Cup qualifying rounds and maintained a consistent performance.

Roberto Carlos, as he is fondly called by his comrades, is a player who has always maintained consistency in his performance, making him a regular player in both SV Reid and Scorpions squad.

Author: DO

STAR PROFILE Okocha - Nigeria’s soccer icon

Fri, 30 May 2008 04:37:08 GMT

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Friday, May 30, 2008

Jay Jay Okocha - so good they named him twice. This was the attitude of Bolton fans towards the gifted Nigerian after the skilful midfielder played the lead role in securing the Trotters Barclaycard Premiership status in his debut season at the club.

After a slow start to his Bolton career Okocha came into his own in the second half of the season, thrilling crowds with his tricks and pleasing Sam Allardyce with his match winning performances.

Bolton's Player of the Season had many memorable moments throughout the 2002/03 campaign, but his most important contribution was the winning goal against relegation rival's West Ham at the Reebok.

He looked set to become a cult hero amongst the fans, and if he wasn't then he most certainly is now. The Nigerian helped Bolton to one of their most successful seasons ever during the 2003/04 campaign and captained Nigeria to the semi-final of the African Nations Cup - missing a large and important chunk of the Trotters' season to do so.

Allardyce pulled off a considerable coup during summer 2002 when he convinced Paris St Germain midfielder and Nigeria World Cup star, Okocha, to drop his excessive wage demands and join Bolton Wanderers to fulfil his dream of playing in the Barclaycard Premiership.

Okocha brings the sort of exciting, international creative force that Reebok stadium crowds first saw towards the end of the 2001/02 season with Youri Djorkaef, and big things are expected of him from Allardyce and the rest of the coaching staff.

Okocha was playing football at the age of just 16 for his first club, Rangers international of Enugu, before a chance encounter whilst on holiday in Germany launched his international career. Okocha tried out for fourth division club Borussia Neunkirchen and they snapped him up.

In 1992 Okocha began his ascent in the German league, joining first division club Eintracht Frankfurt and signing professional terms. It was at Frankfurt that he first began to excite German crowds with his dazzling dribbling skills and drew the attention of European agents.

A £1million move to Turkish outfit Fenerbahce was the result in 1996 and Okocha helped his new side to the league title in his first season, but just two seasons later he was on the move again in a staggering £10million switch to Paris St. Germain, making him the most expensive Nigerian footballer ever.

After seeing out his contract with the French giants Okocha was available on a free transfer - hence the rumoured £3.3million-a-year wages he was rumoured to be demanding. It is testament to Allardyce's negotiation skills that he was able to convince the midfielder to drop his high demands and join the Barclaycard Premiership outfit.

In the 2004/05 season - his third for the Trotters - he made 33 appearances and scored 7 goals, including two in the first game of the season - a 4-1 victory against Charlton.

As if to prove his talent, Okocha was honoured with the BBC's African Player of the Year award (for the second successive year).

However, Okocha himself was critical of his form, which he called inconsistent in a season where he did not feature for Nigeria. He will want to prove to himself, more than anyone else, that he still has the talent to steer his team to success as the Wanderers embark upon a UEFA cup season in 2005/06.

Biograpgy

Augustine Azuka "Jay-Jay" Okocha (born August 14, 1973 in Enugu) is a Nigerian football midfielder, currently playing for Hull City. He was well known for being one of the best dribblers in the world at his prime.

Career

Before signing with the English Premier League club Bolton Wanderers (where fans wore t-shirts that bore the legend "Jay Jay. So Good They Named Him Twice"), Okocha played for Paris Saint-Germain, Fenerbahçe, and Eintracht Frankfurt.

During his time at Bolton, he managed to help them avoid relegation in the 2002-03 season, where after a 2-1 victory over Middlesbrough, he and Sam Allardyce famously danced on the pitch celebrating their survival in the top-flight of English football. In 2002 he was offered to Everton, however manager Walter Smith decided to sign David Ginola instead, as his salary would be heavily subsidised by Aston Villa.

He was regularly selected for the Nigeria national football team from 1993 until 2006. He was also captain of the Super Eagles when he retired from international football at the 2006 African Cup of Nations.

In 1993, while playing for Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany, he scored one of the most memorable goals in Bundesliga History. In a match against Karlsruhe, he dribbled through the entire defence of the team (beating some players twice) before scoring against goalkeeper Oliver Kahn. The goal was eventually voted 1993 Goal of the Year.

Okocha has played at the 1994, 1998 (where he was named in the official team of the tournament), and 2002 FIFA World Cup finals and many African Nations Cup tournaments. He was also a member of the Nigerian team that won the golden medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the only member of the 1994 national team that is still an active professional.

In 2004 he released a DVD called "Superskills with Jay-Jay Okocha" where he teaches children at a football school the most difficult tricks in football.

Okocha signed for Hull City on a one-year deal on 4th September 2007. He claims that God told him to sign for Hull. He stated that Hull City will be his last club, causing speculation that he will retire at the end of the 2007-08 season, bringing an end to his illustrious career. Hull manager Phil Brown is currently trying to persuade him to stay on for another year: "That's Jay-Jay's decision but if I can persuade him otherwise, and if I feel it's right to, then I'll have that conversation with him." Following Hull City's promotion to the Premiership, Okocha has stated that he would like to stay on for another season.

Personal life

His Igbo name, Azuka, means "Your backers are your strength". Okocha is married to Nkechi, who is also a Nigerian, and they have two children together - Daniella and AJ. He also holds Turkish citizenship, his Turkish name being Muhammad Yavuz. A few years ago Okocha invested a great deal of money in a Nigerian bank, the defunct Societe Generale Bank which ended in bankruptcy.

Honours

He is a member of the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers selected by Pelé in conjunction with FIFA's centenary celebrations. He was also the BBC African footballer of the year (2003 and 2004).

Personal information

Full name:   Augustine Azuka Okocha

Date of birth:    August 14, 1973 (age 34)

Place of birth:   Enugu, Nigeria

Height:          1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)

Playing position:   Attacking midfielder

Current club:   Hull City

Number:       44

Youth clubs:    Enugu Rangers

Senior clubs1

Years       Club

1990–1992

1992–1996

1996–1998

1998–2002

2002–2006

2006–2007

2007–   Borussia Neunkirchen

Eintracht Frankfurt

Fenerbahçe

Paris Saint-Germain

Bolton Wanderers

Qatar SC

Hull City

National team:

1993–2006   Nigeria

Author: DO

Star Profile : Pele, the greatest soccer player ever!

Thu, 29 May 2008 03:44:57 GMT

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Thursday, May 29, 2008

Biography

Pele was the greatest soccer player ever, scoring over 1200 goals in a glittering career that also brought World Cup and World Club Championships. The biography of Pele is a tough act to follow for any modern world cup players!

When soccer fans talk about the greatest player of all time you will debate the skills of Pele, Maradona, Best and some other soccer legends but can anyone match the amazing biography of Pele ? Pele scored an amazing 1281 goals in a career that covered 1360 games ! That is nearly an average of one goal per game !

History of Pele

Pele was a nickname from childhood as the Brazilian soccer star's real name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento, the nickname originated from school. Pele was born in Tres Coracoes in Brazil, in a family that loved soccer, his father being himself a player for Fluminese (his father was known as Dondinho). In this sporty atmosphere, the young Pele learned to enjoy the game, despite the poverty he grew up in. After forming up a "shoeless team" with his street kids, Pele and his team participated in a youth tournament, with Pele ending up as top goal scorer.

The family's situation was even harder when his father had to quit playing soccer professionally due to a knee injury. Thus, for young Pele, soccer was what he regarded as the only way out of poverty and he started training daily, but since he had no money to buy a real ball, he used a stuffed sock instead.

He was immediately noticed by former Brazilian international Waldemar de Brito, who called him to the youth squad of Baquinho, whom he trained and, for the first time, offered Pele money to play soccer.

During his year at the club's youth team, Pele managed to win the championship after a dazzling performance: 148 goals in just 33 matches.

Pele was the youngest player ever to win a soccer world cup winners medal when Brazil won the 1958 world cup as a 17 year old. Pele scored 2 goals in the world cup final at the age of 17, an achievement that is unlikely to be matched ever in world cup history.

Pele was brought up in a poor part of Brazil and was guided by his father who was also a professional soccer player, his father once scored five headed goals in the one match!. Pele played for Santos of Brazil and was part of the winning 1962 and 1963 Inter Continental championship winning squad (World Club Championship).

Pele was also part of the 1962 world cup winning squad but injury hampered his appearances and this was also the case in the 1966 England world cup as some brutal tactics put him out of the tournament and Brazil also failed to retain their trophy.

Early Career

At just 15 years of age, Pele was bought by Brazil giants Santos, where he would later team up with some of Brazil's finest players of that era and future World Cup winners, such as Zito, Pepe or Coutinho.

Just one year later after he joined Santos, he became the youngest player to start in the Brazilian first division at age 16 and even more incredibly, he became league top scorer at the end of the season! Talk about starting with the right foot.

As it was not yet the era of Brazilian players running for European careers, Pele remained at Santos for almost 20 years, time in which he scored (read carefully) 1087 goals in 1120 matches. Even if you're not that good at maths, I'm sure you can acknowledge that as an astonishing goal per match ratio.

Brazil 1970 World Cup winners

However the 1970 world cup in Mexico will always be a special memory for Pele fans as he inspired Brazil to a famous victory. The 1970 world cup was a festival of football with a Brazil team that was a joy to watch. Even many years on you will still see the famous Pele video clips and goals as he sold the keeper that famous "dummy" and also scored with a brilliant header in the 1970 world cup final against Italy. Pele later went on to confirm that this was a special goal as it was also Brazil's 100th world cup goal.

Pele retired from international football but made a comeback to sign a money spinning contract with the New York Cosmos in the American soccer league. Pele was part of the 1977 championship winning side and the average crowds increased by over 80% in the few years that he graced the American soccer scene.

If you study the biography of Pele and watch Pele video clips and goals you will no doubt agree that he was a soccer genius, he could play with either foot and could spring in the air to score headers despite his small size compared to defenders. Pele was quick, strong and one of the very best goalscorers.

Biography of Pele – 1000th Goal

One of the milestones in the history of Pele was definitely his 1000th goal scored in all competitions. It was both a highly anticipated moment and an emotional one.

On November 19th, 1969 Pele already had scored 999 goals in his career, either for Santos or Brazil's national team. Playing on the Maracana Stadium, Brazil's "cathedral of soccer", against arch-rivals Vasco Da Gama, Pele managed to score from a penalty kick and broke all records standing in front of him.

National Team and Records -

Throughout his 15 years spent at the Brazil national team, Pele managed to break hundreds of records, but we'll just follow up on those that are deemed most important:

• He became the most prolific striker in Brazil's history, with 77 goals in 92 matches.

• Pele, the footballer who used to shine shoes in order to raise money for a real soccer ball, scored 12 goals in different World Cup matches, being beaten only by Ronaldo.

• He is considered by FIFA the most prolific scorer in soccer history, with 1281 goals in 1363 matches in all competitions.

• He is the only player to have won three World Cups (gasp!), although he did not receive a medal for the one in 1962, since he was injured in the final (he played on several other matches throughout the campaign though)

• He is one of the few players to achieve the performance of scoring in two different World Cup finals, sharing this record with Paul Breitner, Vava and Zinedine Zidane.

Author: DO

Ousmane Sembène Films for Development Award

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 04:42:36 GMT

Monday, March 17, 2008

A new film prize at the 2008 Zanzibar International Film Festival for films relating to development policy issues

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH, in cooperation with the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) and Southern Africa Communications for Development (SACOD) will be awarding the Ousmane Sembène Films for Development Award for the first time in 2008. The prize will be awarded to a film that takes a particular look at topics of development cooperation. It carries prize money of US $5,000 and is designed to help the winner in his or her future film-making career. The Festival will be held in Zanzibar/Tanzania from 11–20 July 2008.

The focus of the film selection in 2008 will be on HIV/AIDS, with topics such as gender, the environment and ecology, education and poverty following in the years to come. “HIV/AIDS poses a threat to people and societies throughout the world, particularly in the large majority of African countries, which are home to two-thirds of all people living with HIV. Future development in the countries of Africa depends to a large extent on whether the societies particularly hard hit by HIV manage to cope with this pandemic. That’s why we’re focusing on HIV/AIDS in the first year of the prize,” said Thomas Kirsch-Woik, GTZ expert on HIV/AIDS.

On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), amongst others, GTZ is shaping the German contribution to the global AIDS response and is developing further approaches in the fields of HIV/AIDS prevention. GTZ is also steering the German input to the European hospital-twinning Alliance ESTHER, the aim of which is to improve access to high quality treatment, care and prevention of HIV and AIDS in developing countries. Moreover, GTZ is further developing promising approaches to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV in Kenia and Tanzania .

As an international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations, the federally owned Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH supports the German Government in achieving its development-policy objectives. It provides viable, forwardlooking solutions for political, economic, ecological and social development in a globalised world. Working under difficult conditions, GTZ promotes complex reforms and change processes. Its corporate objective is to improve people’s living conditions on a sustainable basis.

Source: GTZ

Profile: Alhagie Sarr

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 04:17:40 GMT

Friday, March 14, 2008

Alhagie Sarr, is the most successful coach locally in The Gambia. Coach Alhagie Sarr started his coaching career in 1990 with Mass Sosseh FC as a player Coach at the age of 37. He led Mass Sosseh as a player Coach at the age to 37. He led Mass Sosseh as Coach for seven (7) years from 1990 to 1997 and moved to Real De Banjul from 1997 to 1998. During his stay with Mass Sosseh, Coach Alhagie won the FA and he signed for the Blue Boys in 2000 up to 2005.

He led Wallidan to three League titles (2001, 2004 and 2005) including two doubles (2001 and 2004), two FA cups (2001 and 2004) and one Super Cup (2002).

Alhagie Sarr has also some good time in National assignment. From 1996 to 2000, he served as Assistant National Team coach and from 1999 to 2000 as assistant National coach U-20, U-17, U-23 team coach.

He led The Gambia National U-23 team as a full coach to the Zone II Championship held in Guinea Conakry in 2005.

A year later, he was assigned as U-17 team caretaker coach. The team crashed out in the first round of continental competition qualifiers against Senegal.

Coach Sarr led Gambia Ports Authority FC to one National League title (2006), one FA Cup (2007) and one Super Cup (2007).

His first real assignment with the National Senior team was on March 24, 2007 when he was given the mandate to lead the scorpions against Guinea Conakry in Banjul.

He is currently coaching Sea View, a first Division outfit, after having succeeded in securing a lucrative five-year deal with the club this season.

Source: The Point

NUGS 2nd annual congress ends

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 03:54:45 GMT

Thursday, March 06, 2008

The 2nd annual congress of the National Union of Gambia Students (NUGS) ended last Sunday at the Friendship Hotel in Bakau.

The meeting provided a platform for the delegates to address pertinent issues of the organisation. The aim of the congress was among others to address the issue of integration of tertiary institutions with the University of The Gambia.

In his opening remarks on the occasion, Hon. Borry Colley, National Assembly Member for Foni Jarrol, on behalfof the Speaker of the National Assembly and a former teacher advised the students about the importance of discipline in their educational career. According to him, discipline constitutes the secret to success in any endeavour one has taken upon him or herself.

Honourable Colley further highlighted the need for Gambian students to make best use of what he called “the super-power of peace prevaling in the country”, adding that they must explore, research and develop themselves to the highest level of the educational ladder.

For his part, Ebrima Sanneh, president of NUGS, underscored the importance of common goal and purpose among people who are learning together. He then noted that NUGS still remains glued to their objective as stated in their mission statement ‘our objective is to pursue by all possible means the promotion of the general welfare of students by creating a vibrant union that can actively execute duties and responsibilities, participate in academic and socio-cultural issues which are of interest to its members and the nation at large’.

The governing of NUGS, he further said, is characterised by the prevalence of democracy and transparency in the effective execution of its policies.

Elaborating on the challenges the union is faced with, Mr Sanneh said these includes the lack of a national office to properly carry out their duties and responsibilities.

Abdoulie Sallah, secretary of State for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, underscored the importance of holding such a congress, saying the event, apart from being a constitutional requirement, is a forum to exchange ideas at the tertiary level, which would promote cooperation, interaction and understanding among students.

He expressed gratitude to NUGs for awarding Presidnt Jammeh with the Man of the Students Award 2007 in recognition of his tireless efforts in assisting students and in promoting education in The Gambia.

He then applauded President Jammeh for his vision to open the doors of educational opportunities to Gambians and for making education one of his chief priorities. He equally acknowledged the role education plays in the development of any country. “There could be no meaniningful development without education. Equally, it can only be through peace and stability that social and economic development can be realised, SoS Sallah noted.

He then advised the students to be disciplined, respectful and to always consult with elders on decisions affecting their lives, while challenging NUGS to help in encouraging students to embrace research, science and technology as according to him, The Gambia needs a critical mass of scientists, mathematicians and techonlogists to support the realisation of the Silicon valley and the Science Park Initiatives.

It would be recalled that NUGS was established in 2005 by six educational institutions comprising the University of The Gambia, the Gambia College, the Gambia Technical Training Institute, the Management Development Institute, the Gambia Hotel School and the International Business College.

Author: by Ebrima Jatta