African Roundup

Nigeria Sports Minister explains Robson decision

LAGOS (Reuters) -- Sports Minister Musa Mohammed has rejected the appointment of former England captain Bryan Robson as Nigeria's national coach because the country's FA did not follow "due process" in giving Robson the job last month.

"They adopted a fire brigade approach in a matter of national interest and were unable to convince the Minister on how to pay Robson's salary," Charles Chikezie, Mohammed's press secretary, quoted Mohammed as saying.

The minister, he said, was unhappy with a deal the NFA said it had reached with Nigeria's second national carrier Globacom in paying Robson's monthly wage of $50,000 during the six-month contract offered him.

Earlier in the week, the NFA said it would pay Robson $150,000 in advance, representing the first three months of his short-term contract.

But Chikezie, quoting Mohammed, said: "An agreement to that effect was asked for but the NFA could not produce any.

"The minister wanted a guarantee on all issues relating to Robson's salaries, official car and accommodation."

Officials of Globacom, sponsors of the domestic soccer league, immediately denied entering any such deal with the NFA.

"An idea floated during a brainstorming session cannot be a deal and we never said we will pick up the bills of the foreign coach," a Globacom official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters on Thursday.

NATIONS CUP

NFA board member Olu Amadasun, however, said the Robson deal was now on hold until after January's African Nations Cup in Tunisia.

He said local caretaker coach Christian Chukwu will now take the team to the tournament, where Nigeria, winners in 1980 and 1994, are drawn with debutants Benin Republic and former winners Morocco and South Africa in the first round group matches.

Robson had an outstanding playing career with Manchester United and England as captain before becoming manager of English premier league side Middlesbrough. He has been out of coaching since leaving Middlesbrough in 2001.

It is the second time the NFA has been unable to get a foreign soccer coach due to financial constraints.

In 1996, Brazil's 1974 World Cup-winning captain Carlos Alberto Torres was given the job but he returned to Brazil after he had been presented to the Nigerian media in Lagos.

He later complained that the NFA could not give him a guarantee on how they will pay his wages.

Nigerian FA suspends Fashanu from board

LAGOS (Reuters) -- Former England striker John Fashanu has been suspended from his position on the Nigerian Football Association (NFA) board for failing to attend meetings, an NFA official said on Thursday.

"Mr Fashanu is hereby suspended indefinitely for conduct inconsistent with his status as an NFA board member," NFA board spokesman Olu Amadasun, quoting a statement, told Reuters.

"We send him notice of meetings regularly and well ahead of time like we do to all members but Fashanu does not obey," he said.

Amadasun said the NFA still had plans to question Fashanu, who is head of the NFA league committee, about match-fixing allegations made against him earlier this year during a three-day meeting starting on December 5.

Fashanu, 41, who was born in England and has lived there most of his life, holds dual British and Nigerian nationality.

A British Sunday newspaper reported in July that Fashanu had made match-fixing claims to undercover reporters, allegations he has denied.

It is the second time in his career that Fashanu has been embroiled in a match-fixing controversy.

In 1994 during his playing career, Fashanu was accused of conspiring with others to corruptly influence the outcome of matches.

His former Wimbledon team mate Hans Segers, ex-Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Brobbelaar and Malaysian businessman Richard Lim were those accused of working with Fashanu, but all four were eventually acquitted in 1997 after a retrial.

Raja bids to go one better in CAF Cup final

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -- Raja Casablanca play their second successive African club competition final on Saturday when they face Cotonsport in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Cup.

Raja, coached by former French international Henri Michel, host the first leg against a side who are on the brink of winning the Cameroon league.

Cotonsport, who warmed up with a 3-0 thumping of defending champions Canon Yaounde in the league on Monday, also eliminated two north Africans teams on the way to the final.

Raja, who lost last year's African Champions League final to Egypt's Zamalek, hope to include striker Hicham Aboucherouane, who has been given trials by several clubs in Qatar.

Raja have netted 19 goals in four home games in this year's CAF Cup but are up against a defence which has conceded just four goals in eight games en route to the final.

Raja are seeking their fourth continental title, having won the African Champions League in 1989, 1997 and 1999, while Cotonsport have yet to win an African cup trophy.

The second leg of the final is scheduled for November 23 in Garoua, Cameroon.

This is the last CAF Cup. It will be amalgamated next year with the Africa Cup Winners' Cup to make the CAF Confederation Cup.

MADAGASCAR -- Odon Razafintsalama has been appointed as the fourth coach this year for Madagascar's national team, who play in Benin in a 2006 World Cup qualifier on November 16.

Razafintsalama takes over from Auguste Raux, who headed a panel of three coaches appointed for the first leg of the World Cup preliminary round tie against Benin which ended 1-1.

SOUTH AFRICA -- Wits University goalkeeper Wayne Roberts extended his record run of not conceding a goal this season to 998 minutes his team forced a 0-0 draw away at Black Leopards on Wednesday.

Roberts, a former under-23 international, has not conceded a goal in eight league matches and three cup games.

The only goal scored against Roberts was in the first match of the season in the last eight minutes of a 2-1 Super Eight Cup win over Kaizer Chiefs. Wits lie third in the premier league.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO -- Daring Club Motema Pembe won the Congo Cup with a 2-0 win over TP Mazembe Englebert on Sunday.

Bokltaktyo Monzua scored both goals for the Kinshasa-based side. The two clubs had finished top of the group phase of the competition, a new format introduced for the event this year, and had to playoff to decide the cup.

KENYA -- Kenya have arranged a friendly match at home against Burundi on November 11 to warm-up for their World Cup qualifier against Tanzania in Nairobi four days later.

Coach Jacob Mulee has called up back veteran striker Mike Okoth, who plays for Belgian side Huisden-Zolder.

Kenya drew 0-0 away in Tanzania in the first leg of the World Cup preliminary round tie last month.

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