Nigeria U-17 World Cup in doubt

Nigeria may be forced to quit as hosts of the 2009 Under-17 World Cup, after the country’s government said it cannot afford to provide the money needed to stage the competition. The Nigerian government decided that the $30 million required was not seen as a priority.Nigeria President Umaru Yar’Adua told his cabinet that he is not convinced that hosting the tournament in November of next year will help develop the country’s sports. “It is clear that hosting the competition, as prestigious as it may appear, is not a priority of government and the president has made it clear he would not fund any project that is not a priority,” a government official said. Yar’Adua said Nigeria faced more pressing budgetary needs and told the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the tournament to turn to the private sector for most of its funding.

Nigerian officials, including Sports Minister Hassan Gimba, are already in Zurich to discuss the hosting of the biennial tournament with FIFA. Fifa had praised Nigeria’s preparations for the tournament in June after its last inspection visit. However, the issue of funding had not been in doubt at the time. LOC official Tijani Ahmed Shuaibu said his organisation would discuss the budget with FIFA. “Most international competitions run on money from private companies with the government only providing the infrastructure like stadiums. Nigeria’s case should not be different,” said Shuaibu.

64 African immigrants arrested in Cameroon

Sixty-four immigrants allegedly on transit to several African countries have been intercepted and detained by immigration officials in the town of Kumba in Cameroon. The immigrants include forty-three Malians, fifteen Guineans, four Benin nationals, two Togolese and two from Burkina Faso.Sources say the immigrants were targeting a number of African countries in search of greener pastures and chose Cameroon as their route. Some were allegedly bound for Namibia, Congo, Angola, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.The immigrants arrived at the Cameroon border town of Mamfe, they hired a car to Kumba where they were to take another car for Douala and undertake another journey to their respective destinations. Unfortunately for them, they were arrested in Kumba. Most of the immigrants, whose ages range from 20 to 45 years, are reported to have their passports and visas for their respective destinations.

Veterans threaten Tsvangirai

Zimbabwe’s militant war veterans threatened to take action against opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and urged Robert Mugabe to form a government without him. The MDC leader was stalling a power-sharing, which has hit deadlock over cabinet posts, Jabulani Sibanda chairman of the group said.“He is leaving the people of Zimbabwe with one option: to take action,” he told the official Herald newspaper. “If he behaves the way he is behaving, this nation will take action to defend itself from him.”The MDC, which has accused the war veterans of attacking its supporters, said Tsvangirai could boycott power-sharing talks next week and that fresh elections may be needed to break the political impasse.

Tsvangirai and Mugabe have clashed over the allocation of powerful ministries, threatening a September 15 deal which Zimbabweans hoped would help the once prosperous country recover from a devastating economic meltdown.Mugabe’s ZANU-PF says Tsvangirai, set to become prime minister under the deal, is stalling. But Tsvangirai accuses the president of negotiating in bad faith and trying to seize the lion’s share of key ministries while sidelining the MDC.

Tsvangirai’s frustration with weeks of fruitless talks boiled over on Monday when he refused to attend an emergency Southern African Development Community summit in Swaziland meant to break the deadlock, citing passport issues.The summit has been moved to October 27 in Harare.The MDC says pro-Mugabe war veterans brutally attacked its supporters in the run up to the June 27 presidential run-off, which Mugabe won after Tsvangirai dropped out in protest over the violence.