AFRICA :NEWS,CULTURE, CHINA/AFRICA/WORLD

PARIS - Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o is so angry at criticism by former great Roger Milla that he is threatening to walk out on his teammates before the World Cup

(Samuel Eto’o of Cameroon National Soccer team, left, controls the ball during a training session, in St-Gratien, outside Paris, France, Friday, May 28, 2010. (AP Photo/Jacques Brinon)

Milla, who thrilled fans with some dazzling goals and quirky celebrations in helping Cameroon reach the 1990 World Cup quarterfinals, claimed Eto’o “still hasn’t brought anything to our national team” when meeting reporters Friday.

Eto’o is Cameroon’s all-time leading scorer and has won the Champions League three times — twice with Barcelona and last week with Inter Milan.

“Is it worth me going to the World Cup? I still have a few days left to think, but I will see if it’s important for me to participate because I don’t need this (criticism) in my career,” Eto’o said on Canal Plus television late Friday. “It’s always just before the (major) tournaments that the old geezers wake up. What’s Milla done? He hasn’t won the World Cup, they played in the quarterfinals.”

Milla was 38 when he scored four goals in the 1990 World Cup, dancing around the corner flag after each one with a big grin in the days when goal celebrations were not commonplace.

Milla also scored in the 1994 World Cup — Cameroon’s consolation goal after getting thrashed 6-1 by Russia — to become the tournament’s oldest scorer.

Eto’o said he respects Milla as a player, but he was helped by having better players around him in 1990.

“They had one of the best teams with great players in every department. It’s not because they became famous at 40, that they can start talking,” Eto’o said. “You end up asking yourself: Are these my people? Are these really my people?”

Milla’s 28 goals in 102 games is well below Eto’o’s 44 in 94 games for Cameroon, and Eto’o is also the African Cup of Nations all-time leading scorer.

Milla’s modest club career took him to Monaco, Bastia, Saint-Etienne and Montpellier where he scored regularly but did not have the success Eto’o has enjoyed.

In a prolific time with Barcelona, Eto’o scored 108 league goals in 145 games and won the Spanish league title and was also La Liga’s top scorer.

Eto’o scored far fewer goals for Inter this season, but showed versatility by adapting his game to play in a more defensive, wide role out on the right under coach Jose Mourinho.

Inter also won the league title and the Italian Cup, with Eto’o performing well in the Champions League.

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Q&A with Roger Milla

Canadian journalist Anjali Nayar met up with Roger Milla a couple days after he played a friendly between former players from Cameroon’s World Cup teams, in celebration of the country’s 50th anniversary of Independence.

Here’s the interview:

Nayar: You played in the friendly a few days ago - what was it like being with all your former teammates again after so many years?

Milla: It was a pleasure to be together once again. We hadn’t played together since [the World Cup in Italy in] 1990. It was nice that we could come together and relive the best moments from that World Cup.

Nayar: How did the crowd react? What did you feel from the pitch?

Milla: The crowd was really enjoying themselves. It was just like being back in Italy in 1990. The crowd was encouraging us the whole game, calling out the names of the players - it was great. We would love to do this again from time to time.

Nayar: You were one of the first players from African to hit global recognition and bring attention to African football. So for you, what does it mean to have the World Cup, the world’s top football event, on your continent?

Milla: It’s the consecration of African football. We never used to talk about African football at the highest level. Today we are organizing the World Cup in Africa. It shows that in the last 50 years [since independence] the African continent has worked and progressed great deal. So it’s absolutely fitting that today we are able to host an event like the World Cup in Africa.

Nayar: How do you think this World Cup [being in Africa] will help raise the profile of African players?

Milla: Many African players are already well-known, and other African players, through this World Cup, will also become known. We have six African countries involved in this year’s Cup and in those six countries, there are some really great players. We hope that these players will not only play well for their country but also to represent the African continent [to raise the profile of African players] in the future.

Nayar: Has a lot changed in Cameroonian football since you first donned the Cameroonian jersey?

Milla: Many things have changed in Cameroon [since I started my career]. The situation for players has improved because when we were playing there wasn’t any infrastructure; we received almost no compensation to play. Now systems are in place so the players today can play freely and afford to live, to buy the equipment they need. Cameroon has put a lot of effort in to make sure that players are compensated every time they win.

Nayar: On paper, teams like Ivory Coast win with their big players like Didier Drogba. But in most competitions Cameroon comes out on top. Why do you think that is?

Milla: Well football isn’t played on a piece of paper - the game is between players on the field. Cameroon is stronger because it’s a country of conquerors, of winners. Cameroon’s players aren’t necessarily very technical, but that when they play, they play to win. Cameroonian players (currently more than Ivory Coast) really want to please the public. But the competition isn’t just about pleasing people; it’ s also about scoring goals and going the furthest possible. So that’s the difference between Ivory Coast and Cameroon.

Nayar: Since I’ve been here, I’ve really noticed that Cameroonians are crazy about football. I’m told that football is more important that politics - that if the Lions [the national side] win a big game, the politicians could change the constitution and people probably wouldn’t notice.

Milla: It’s true that in Cameroon, football is our leading political party. When the Lions play, all the stores shut and everyone comes together to watch the game. The politics stop, everyone is united and everyone is speaking the same language. But as soon as the game ends, people re-start their lives again, people start insulting one another again.

Here in Cameroon, football is our leading political party. It’s football alone that that unites us, it’s football alone that brings us good things - football is the window into our country - so we don’t mess around with it.

Nayar: Cameroon is a tiny country - how does it find a team that can perform so well on the international stage? I’ve heard football academies are more numerous than universities in Cameroon - is this the national strategy?

Milla: It’s not just because the football academies that Cameroon does well in the game. Cameroon is a football country - children are born playing football. Some of the young people who want to improve their game end up going to a football academy they can. But they are already born into the game. When a small child starts playing around with the ball, we can already see if he can play or not.

Nayar: You’ve had a great and long football career - is there anything that has stood out as your best/favourite moment?

Milla: The best moments for me were the World Cup events that I played in. There are terrific players around the world that have never had the chance to participate in a world cup [aside: you can't play in a world cup if your country team never qualifies]. So to play in a World Cup, especially for an African, is really something.

Nayar: How do today’s top players, like Samuel Eto’o, look at you?

Milla: They look up to me with admiration for all that I did - I don’t think there is another word that I could use. They admire and appreciate what I did just like I appreciate what they are doing today.

Nayar: You advanced to the quarter-finals at the 1990 World Cup in Italy - the furthest any African country. What do you hope for this year’s team - do you think they could do it again? Could they even win?

Milla: Well before you win, you need to have to have really good team discipline and really talented players participating in the Cup. So taking into account these things, Cameroon has its chances of winning some games.

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast — One hundred lucky Ivory Coast fans are heading to the World Cup in South Africa on an all-expenses paid trip to watch their team.

The country’s national supporters club, the National Elephants Supporters Committee, drew the 100 names at random from their membership, and began telephoning the winners immediately to organize their visas and plane tickets.

“Their plane ticket, hotel, meals, transportation will all be taken care of,” Elephants fan club media officer Kassoum Diakite said. “The only thing they’ll need is a passport and a vaccination card.”

The fans will join an official delegation of 500 people heading to South Africa ahead of Ivory Coast’s first match, against Portugal on June 15 in Port Elizabeth. The trip also includes tickets to the other group games, against Brazil in Johannesburg and North Korea in Nelspruit.

“We’d love to stay longer, but we’re only staying for the first three games,” Diakite said. “If the Elephants make it through, it will be really hard to leave.”

Anyone with a US$4 membership was included in the draw, touted as a way to thank ordinary fans who would never be able to afford the trip to the World Cup. A local tour operator is offering a similar trip for about $4,000.

Fans will be given orange polo shirts, jackets and hats to keep them warm in the stadiums, Diakite said, as winter temperatures in South Africa may be a shock for Ivorians used to a warmer climate.

In addition to the winners, the delegation will also include members of the Ivorian Football Federation and soccer clubs from across the country, Diakite said.

The Elephants fan club originally wanted to send 2,000 people — matching the number going from neighbouring Ghana — but was unable to get government funding.

“We pushed hard, but the political situation in Ivory Coast meant that we weren’t a priority,” Elephants fan club spokesman Pierre N’Gore. “In the end we went ahead and sent as many people as we could afford.”

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BANKING ON VICTORY: A strong World Cup by the Netherlands will help boost the country’s ailing economy, Dutch bank ING said.

The bank, which sponsors the national team, said factors ranging from increased alcohol sales to families staying in the Netherlands for vacations so they can watch the tournament on television will deliver an economic boost.

“The better the Dutch do, the better it is for the economy,” senior ING economist Charles Kalshoven said.

The ING estimates that Dutch fans will spend more than 60 million euros (C$77.2 million) on orange “fan articles,” the colour of the national team.

It’s not all good news for the country’s productivity. ING estimates that one in nine people are planning to watch World Cup matches at work.

“If 11 per cent of Dutch employees is doing something other than working during a match, that quickly adds up to 1.5 million lost work hours,” the bank said.

On the upside, nearly one in four employees believe the tournament will improve the atmosphere at their place of work.

And while booze and TV dinner sales are expected to soar, the Dutch could have an interesting way of shedding any extra weight: ING said 18 per cent of them would be prepared to live on a diet of bread and water for six days if it meant the two-time runner-up Netherlands could finally shake off its title of best team never to have won the World Cup.

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THE ALMOST BRAZILIAN: With his name and knack for goals, Gervinho sounds like the latest Brazilian export to the world stage. But the young Ivory Coast striker says he is pure African.

Gervinho, who scored 13 goals for French club Lille last season, speaks no Portuguese and has never been to Brazil. Kouassi Gervais Yao said he got the nickname from a Brazilian coach who trained him at Ivory Coast’s top academy for footballing talents.

Gervinho considered it an honour.

“I really like it,” said Gervinho, who turns 23 on Thursday.

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BEER ME: Brazil’s government slashed import tariffs slapped on beer cans to avoid shortages of the beverage during the World Cup in South Africa.

The Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade said import tariffs levied on aluminum cans used by the local beer industry will be temporarily reduced from 16 per cent to two per cent.

The state news service Agencia Brasil said that the ministry decided to reduce the tariffs to prevent shortages because local can manufacturers are operating to full capacity and consumption is expected to rise by at least 15 per cent during the Wold Cup.

Also, the Central Bank said that when Brazil’s national team takes to the field, banks will be allowed to reduce working hours so that their employees can watch the games.

Whenever Brazil plays, banks will attend to the public during four hours instead of the normal six. Depending on the hour of a game, banks will either let their employees go home early or close before the game and reopen after the match.

Copyright © 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

International soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo would like to drop kick Vanity Fair magazine from mid-field after discoveriong that he was paired on the magazine’s cover with Chelsea striker Didier Drogba. Christiano apparently thinks he alone deserved the cover.

The magazine’s feature about the World Cup played up the beefcake angle of the tournament and Christiano was one of several players featured in the Annie Leibovitz shoot.

The two were photographed separately and then combined in a joint pose through the magic of digital retouching.

Cristiano’s Madrid teammate Kaká (Brazil) and Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy/USA) appear on the inside photo spread.

Sulley Muntari (Inter Milan/Ghana), Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan/Cameroon), Pato (A.C Milan/Brazil), Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus [Turin]/Italy), Dejan Stankovic (Inter Milan/Serbia), Carlton Cole (West Ham United/England), and Michael Ballack (Chelsea/Germany) are also featured.

But the Real Madrid stud was furious when he saw himself sharing the cover, according to The New York Post, which sniffed out the story.

Not only are Ronaldo and Didier fierce rivals — they face each other June 15 — but there is also the question of, well, vanity.

Ronaldo is arguably the best player in the world and earns $30 million a year, more than any other soccer player. In short, he is a certified superstar.

“Ronaldo is freaking out,” the source told The Post. “He says he wants to sue Vanity Fair for using his image to promote the issue everywhere.

“Even though this is pretty standard practice in the magazine world, he and his managers insist only they have control of his image and where it can be used.

“What really upset Ronaldo was that, having stripped off to his underpants for the shoot in Madrid, he didn’t envisage sharing the cover with another player photographed in Milan.”

Ex-girlfriend Nereida Gallardo told Britain’s News of the World in 2008 that Cristiano, who was recently linked to Kim Kardashian, is very vain.

“He likes his body to be smooth all over and would even use a hair-removal cream. His house is full of mirrors so he’s always walking around glancing at himself,” she said.

But he does pack a kick, not to mention crazy abs.

The 2010 World Cup kicks off in South Africa June 11.

Accra, May 26, GNA - Mr Kofi Akpabli, a freelance journalist left Accra on Tuesday to Kampala, Uganda for the CNN Multichoice African Journalists Award programme.

Mr Akpabli, the only Ghanaian journalist short listed among the finalists for 2010 Competition submitted articles published by the Daily Graphic on Ghanaian cuisine and traditional houses of Northern Ghana. A release issued by Mr Akpabli and copied to Ghana News Agency, said the winners would be announced at an Award Ceremony and Gala Evening in Kampala on Saturday, May 29.

This year the competition received entries from 975 journalists from 40 countries throughout the continent, including French and Portuguese speaking Africa. While in Kampala, Mr Akpabli would join 26 other contestants from 15 countries.

The finalists programme includes workshops, media forum, and networking meetings.

Commenting on this year’s event, Tony Maddox, Executive Vice-President and Managing Director of CNN International said: “As CNN encourages, promotes and recognises excellence in journalism at all levels, we are particularly pleased to be able to support journalists who represent our future.” Mr Akpabli has been a freelance journalist since 2001. His special areas include tourism, culture and the environment. His news commentaries have also been broadcasted by Ghana Broadcasting Corporation. In September 2007, Akpabli won an environmental award and was invited to UN Headquarters, New York to cover the non-governmental organisation Summit on climate change. In March 2002, his feature article on the socio-cultural importance of the Baobab tree in Northern Ghana received an award from the International Federation of Environmental Journalists. Mr Akpabli is a graduate of School of Communication Studies, University of Ghana, Legon. TIM KAMUZU BANDA

NICE, France — France on Monday bids to shore up its dwindling clout in Africa at a summit designed to launch a renewal of Franco-African ties and enlist big business in development.(Photo :French President Nicolas Sarkozy (R) welcomes Namibian President Hifikepunye Lucas Pohamba)

President Nicolas Sarkozy will play host to 38 African leaders in the Riviera city of Nice, hoping to put his stamp on a gathering that has been a fixture of French diplomacy in Africa for nearly three decades.

The 25th Africa-France summit is Sarkozy’s first since taking office in 2007 and reflects France’s shift away from its traditional west African allies toward engagement with the continent as a whole.

Among the heavy hitters at the high-level talks will be South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma, who travelled to Nice just weeks before the opening of the World Cup, and Nigeria’s Goodluck Jonathan, sworn in this month.

In a first, 80 French business leaders including top bosses at oil giant Total and nuclear behemoth Areva are taking part in summit talks along with 150 heads of African companies.

The push on the economic front comes as France has taken a back seat to China, Africa’s biggest trade partner, which has injected billions over the past decade to tap into raw materials needed to fuel its hungry economy.

“The competition is coming from China and India,” Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade said in an interview with Le Parisien newspaper at the weekend.

“Their products are cheap, good quality and it’s much easier to sign contracts with them.”

French business leaders are expected to unveil plans for a new solar power project in Africa, a social responsibility charter and private equity funds for African firms.

Underscoring France’s desire to engage with African powers, Sarkozy will have a working lunch with Zuma on Monday before the summit opening and also meet separately with Jonathan, who has been in office for less than a month.

The French president has done away with the traditional dinner of leaders from francophone west Africa and whittled down the three-day summit into a 24-hour affair.

Giving Africa a strong voice in world governance will be a key topic on the summit agenda as France prepares to take the helm of the Group of Eight and Group of 20 club of rich economies next year.

On Tuesday, Ethiopia’s Meles Zenawi chairs a round-table discussion on climate and development with a view to cementing a united Africa stance ahead of a key meeting in Cancun, Mexico later this year.

French development minister Alain Joyandet has described the Nice gathering as “the summit of renewal, a sort of launch of a new era.”

“Nice illustrates that change is underway,” said Stephen Smith, author of “A Post-Colonial Journey: The New Franco-African World”.

“The future belongs to lucrative trade with all African countries and no longer to aid for a few historical friends,” he said.

Rights group Survie has criticised the summit for turning a blind eye to corruption, human rights and the pillaging of resources that continue to plague Africa.

Two African leaders failed to make the guest list for Nice: Sudan’s President Omar al-Beshir, who is wanted by an international court for war crimes in Darfur, and Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, still under an EU travel ban.

The summit venue was changed from the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to Nice to spare Egypt the embarrassment of having to leave a leader of Sudan, a neighbouring state, out in the cold.

Most of France’s allies in west Africa are turning up, with the exception of Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo, who is on poor terms with Paris over his country’s ongoing political crisis.

There was a sign of a warming of ties between France and Algeria when President Abdelaziz Bouteflika finally agreed to attend the Nice summit.

Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved.