Cranes foes Benin opts to change name
Oct 09, 2008
PANTHERS are one of several species of large cats found mostly in Latin America. They are not necessarily black, but they all have sharp dangerous canine as Ugandans might discover at Namboole Stadium on Sunday if Benin indeed emulate their new ‘nickname.’
By Fred Kaweesi
SUNDAY
Uganda v Benin 4pm
Angola v Niger 5pm
PANTHERS are one of several species of large cats found mostly in Latin America. They are not necessarily black, but they all have sharp dangerous canine as Ugandans might discover at Namboole Stadium on Sunday if Benin indeed emulate their new ‘nickname.’
The Benin sports ministry has decided the name squirrel is no longer befitting of their status as an emerging powerhouse in African football.
On the evidence of their performances, that included the 4-1 humiliating win over the Cranes, Benin sports minister Ganiou Soglo has suggested a more fearsome name — the “Emerging Panthers.â€
“We were asked about it last year in parliament by lawmakers and they reproached us for making national teams bear the name of an animal which runs off when it is afraid,†Soglo said.
The Squirrels tag was coined in the 1960s —apparently because it evoked a small animal which can climb high. “We are going to suggest to the government the name ‘Emerging Panthers’,†he added.
Benin’s previous ‘squirrel’ nickname may not necessary strike fear, but it has not hampered the team’s performances on the pitch.
We don’t need ‘juju’
The West Africans, who arrived in the country on Wednesday night, are one of a few teams to have already made sure of their place in the last round of qualifying for the 2010 World and Africa Cup of Nations.
And that, according to their officials, without using witchcraft (juju) that has been associated with the West African country down the years. Juju is an official religion practiced by over 70% of the country’s population.
Uganda’s humiliating loss to Benin last June was reported to have owed much more to forces of nature than just football errors.
“The atmosphere in the stadium was weird. There were so many witchdoctors around the turf, the stadium was extremely windy, with thunderstorms and yet there wasn’t rain,†claimed Cranes goalkeeper Denis Onyango after the 4-1 defeat.
Benin football association team manager Alhaji Ely Tetteh reasoned: “If it was that (juju) we would be qualifying for every World Cup. It’s true people practice it and believe that it works but not me.â€
“We have not come with any of the people that practice that. We have come for football.â€
‘Lousy Hotel’
Benin abandoned the 3-star accommodation that FUFA had arranged for them at Regency Hotel, and opted to ignore a memorandum of understanding, and book themselves into a $110 (sh0.2m) per-room four-star Metropole Hotel.
“The Hotel wasn’t good. We couldn’t stay in a place like that, so we decided to move. It is comfortable HERE and we are enjoying ourselves,†Tetteh added.
SUNDAY
Uganda v Benin 4pm
Angola v Niger 5pm
PANTHERS are one of several species of large cats found mostly in Latin America. They are not necessarily black, but they all have sharp dangerous canine as Ugandans might discover at Namboole Stadium on Sunday if Benin indeed emulate their new ‘nickname.’
The Benin sports ministry has decided the name squirrel is no longer befitting of their status as an emerging powerhouse in African football.
On the evidence of their performances, that included the 4-1 humiliating win over the Cranes, Benin sports minister Ganiou Soglo has suggested a more fearsome name — the “Emerging Panthers.â€
“We were asked about it last year in parliament by lawmakers and they reproached us for making national teams bear the name of an animal which runs off when it is afraid,†Soglo said.
The Squirrels tag was coined in the 1960s —apparently because it evoked a small animal which can climb high. “We are going to suggest to the government the name ‘Emerging Panthers’,†he added.
Benin’s previous ‘squirrel’ nickname may not necessary strike fear, but it has not hampered the team’s performances on the pitch.
We don’t need ‘juju’
The West Africans, who arrived in the country on Wednesday night, are one of a few teams to have already made sure of their place in the last round of qualifying for the 2010 World and Africa Cup of Nations.
And that, according to their officials, without using witchcraft (juju) that has been associated with the West African country down the years. Juju is an official religion practiced by over 70% of the country’s population.
Uganda’s humiliating loss to Benin last June was reported to have owed much more to forces of nature than just football errors.
“The atmosphere in the stadium was weird. There were so many witchdoctors around the turf, the stadium was extremely windy, with thunderstorms and yet there wasn’t rain,†claimed Cranes goalkeeper Denis Onyango after the 4-1 defeat.
Benin football association team manager Alhaji Ely Tetteh reasoned: “If it was that (juju) we would be qualifying for every World Cup. It’s true people practice it and believe that it works but not me.â€
“We have not come with any of the people that practice that. We have come for football.â€
‘Lousy Hotel’
Benin abandoned the 3-star accommodation that FUFA had arranged for them at Regency Hotel, and opted to ignore a memorandum of understanding, and book themselves into a $110 (sh0.2m) per-room four-star Metropole Hotel.
“The Hotel wasn’t good. We couldn’t stay in a place like that, so we decided to move. It is comfortable HERE and we are enjoying ourselves,†Tetteh added.