We are now in better position to beat Cameroon, says Eguavoen…See full details

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Former player and coach of Nigeria's national football team Austin Eguavoen. / AFP PHOTO / PIUS UTOMI EKPEI

Austin Eguavoen, a former coach of the Super Eagles, has said that the Eagles are now in a better position to beat the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, the current African champions, in their World Cup qualifiers in August.

Like Eguavoen, another ex-player of the Super Eagles, Edema Fuludu, shared similar opinion, when they spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Monday.

The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon on Sunday defeated the Pharaohs of Egypt 2-1 to record its fifth AFCON title, after triumphs in 1984, 1988, 2000 and 2002. The victory, however, seemed to pose a nightmare to soccer fans as the Eagles would confront the Lions in a double-header, for Russia 2018 qualifiers in August.

Currently Nigeria is leading Cameroon with four points. Both ex-internationals said the Lions, being the African champions, would make the Nigeria national team to be better prepared for the August clash.

Eguavoen said he remained upbeat about Eagles chances in the August clash in spite of Cameroon’s emergence as African champion, adding that Nigerians have nothing to worry about.

He, however, said that he was not surprised at the victory of the Indomitable Lions that lifted the AFCON trophy in Gabon. “The victory will give them serious boost no doubt, but it will also make our players not to relax, but be better prepared for the August match.

“Cameroon will be coming here with all their arsenals, including those who didn’t participate in Gabon, but we have a good team with a blend of young and experienced players that will beat the African champion.

“The worst case scenario is for us to beat them here and get an away draw, ” Eguavoen said. On his part, Fuludu, who said no doubt that the Lions are a good team, stressed that the Eagles were capable of getting a good result from them.

According to him, “It would have been better that the match is played next month as Cameroon will still be basking in the euphoria of the AFCON victory to take us for granted.

“But this notwithstanding, we still have time to prepare and we will be better prepared now that our opponent are champions of Africa.

“We have the players and experienced coaching crew to get a better result from the matches; both home and away with Cameroon.’’ NAN reports that the Super Eagles top the group with six points, followed by Cameroon with two points from two matches.

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‘Half a million’ attend anti-government protests in Romania…Read full details

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An estimated half-million Romanians took to the street in another night of protests Sunday, with many calling on the government to quit even after it scrapped the corruption legislation that sparked the week of public outrage.

Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu stood firm, however, saying his government, which has barely been in office a month, “has a responsibility to the people who voted for us” and would not resign.

The last six nights of noisy protests thronging cities and towns around the country have been the biggest outpouring of public anger since the toppling and summary execution of communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989.

The object of public anger is an emergency decree passed on Tuesday night which critics at home and abroad feared marked an alarming retreat in the battle against corruption, long the scourge of the EU’s second-poorest country.

Grindeanu’s cabinet earlier on Sunday repealed the decree, but this failed to assuage protesters, many of them chanting “Resign! Resign!” as they waved flags, brandished signs and blew whistles and plastic horns in the national colours.

“They are corrupt. We want justice… The government will still try something (with the decree),” said Emma, 24, one of between 200,000 and 300,000 people media estimated had gathered at Victory Square in downtown Bucharest

“They are liars and bad people,” said her friend Nicole, 25. “The government has to fall… We are going to come back here every night.”

The government decree, which had been scheduled to enter into force on February 10, was to make abuse of power a crime only punishable by jail if the sums involved exceeded 200,000 lei (44,000 euros, $47,500).

The government still also aims, via a separate decree to be reviewed by parliament, to free some 2,500 people from prison serving sentences of less than five years.

Grindeanu’s Social Democrats (PSD) have argued the measures were meant to bring penal law into line with the constitution and reduce overcrowding in prisons.

But critics see the moves as a brazenly transparent attempt to let off the many PSD officials and lawmakers who have been ensnared in a major anti-corruption drive of recent years.

That push saw almost 2,000 people convicted for abuse of power between 2014 and 2016, and a serving prime minister, five ministers, 16 lawmakers and five senators go on trial.

– Dark forces –
Critics say that one beneficiary — although he himself denied this — would be Liviu Dragnea, the powerful head of the PSD who helped the party win a resounding election victory only in December.

Dragnea is already barred from serving in government because of a conviction for voter fraud, and he is currently on trial for alleged abuse of power. He denies wrongdoing.

On Sunday a defiant Dragnea accused unspecified shadowy forces of instigating the demonstrations.

“The organisation of these protests and their scale show that this is a political gathering. Who is organising this? Hard to say but I hope that the state institutions have this information,” he said.

“I reproach myself for not having understood that this is a much better organised plan than a simple spontaneous movement,” he told the channel Romania TV.

But demonstrator Laura Fatu said that people simply wanted an end to corruption.

“Our money, our forests… and future are being stolen. We have had enough,” she told AFP.

“It is obvious that society is becoming unified. We are together… People are coming from other cities to Bucharest in order to change things,” said Matei, another protestor.

“We are ready to make Romania a clean country, for our children and for our future.”

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