MTN SOCCER ACADEMY LAUNCH

In an atmosphere filled with fun and excitement, the MTN Soccer Academy was officially launched at the Academy House at Ridge in Accra recently. In its third season, this year’s Soccer Academy will include brilliant soccer players from Nigeria as well.
Arguably the biggest sports reality show in Ghana and perhaps on the African continent, this talent-hunting programme has certainly come to stay as it has transcended the Ghanaian borders into Nigeria.
The launch which was interlaced with ‘jama’ songs from the Nationwide Supporters Union (NSU) and some choreographed cultural dance, attracted dignitaries like the GCEO of Metro TV, Mr. Talal Fattal, Mr. George Andah of MTN, Hon. Nii Nortey Dua amongst others. Also the logo for this year’s competition dubbed: ‘MTN Soccer Academy, Ghana-Nigeria’ was unveiled.
The MTN Soccer Academy which will be telecast live on both Metro TV in Ghana and Africa Independent Television (AIT) in Nigeria will officially have fourteen footballers with seven each from Ghana and Nigeria inducted into the Academy House in September.
The winner of the show will drive home a new Hyundai Tuscan and a year contract with a local club in Ghana or Nigeria. Also, as part of the many changes to suit the international status of the show this year, the originator Mr. Talal Fattal disclosed at the launch that: “The pitch has been expanded by 50% and there will be a lot of live candid’s this year”. “This year will be one to remember for a very long time”, he added.
With the maiden winner Gideon Baah doing extremely well on the local football terrain and sophomore winner Stephen Sowu now in South Africa with a Cape Town club, the MTN Soccer Academy 2009 will not only be exciting but competitive as well taking into account the thousands of young and aspiring footballers who will throng the registration centres in Accra, Kumasi and Lagos.

2009 CONFEDERATIONS CUP: SOUTH AFRICA LOOKS SET FOR THE WORLD.

After a highly successful World Cup in Germany in 2006, there has always been an enormous pressure on South Africa to raise the bar above what happened three years ago. With the apparent delays in construction of the stadia, the ever-growing crime rate and other protocol related problems, the skeptics grew by the day of whether South Africa can host the FIFA World Cup.
However, if the Confederations Cup, which serves as a dress rehearsal for the World Cup is anything to go by, then all is set for the world to converge and enjoy the Mundial in Africa. Known as the ‘Festival of Champions’, the eighth Confederations Cup held in South Africa served as a befitting prelude to what soccer fans should expect next year.
Even though the four stadia (Coca Cola Park, Loftus Versfeld, Free State Stadium and Royal Bafokeng Stadium) used in the competition also hosted matches during the British and Irish Lions rugby tour simultaneously, the sometimes bad nature of these pitches did not overshadow the football brilliance and surprises displayed by the competitors.
This free-scoring tournament will also go down as one with many surprises. All the odds were against Egypt to beat World Champions Italy. Nobody gave the United States of America any chance of progressing past the group stage going into the last group games and yet they found themselves in the finals. This odyssey by the ‘Stars and Stripes’ country included stinging favourites, Spain, in the semis and nearly causing the biggest upset of the Confederations Cup by going up two goals against Brazil in the finals before the ‘Samba Boys’ came back to win in the dying minutes.
The FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 also offered soccer fans a glimpse of budding stars to look out for at the 2010 World Cup. Brazilian midfielder Felipe Melo announced his presence to the soccer world in grand style at the tournament and compatriot Andre Santos didn’t disappoint either in his first tournament for the Selecao. South Africa had a prospect in left back Tsepo Masilela and American big defender Oguchi Onyewu and his goalkeeper Tim Howard were part of the brightest at the tournament.
Nice football was played at the tournament: Kaka justified his huge price tag and Brazil proved to the world once again that football runs in their blood as they won the competition back-to-back. However, for me, what grabbed the attention and headlines at this tournament were the Vuvuzelas (for the wrong reasons though). This legendary horn synonymous with South African football is a vociferous air horn that reverberates around arenas with rare energy.
Many of the European players who are not accustomed to this kind of noise complained bitterly about its distraction to the players and one of such strong critiques was Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso and called for its ban in the stadia. However, the man who made sure the World Cup is staged in Africa for the first time, FIFA President Sepp Blatter, thinks otherwise. He said, “It’s an African culture and we are in Africa and we have to allow them to practice their culture as much as they want to.”
Attendance at football matches in Africa has been a problem over the years and was one of the strong points of the doubters of whether South Africa can host the World Cup. However, the enthusiastic patronage at the various stadia by local fans, indeed, goes on to say: Africa is ready for the world! Another perennial problem of the African game, power outages, during matches played at night, was a rarity at this tournament and television transmission was also great.
Despite Egypt’s failure to reach the semis and hosts South Africa’s inabilities to play in the final and possibly annex the trophy, chances are brighter for African teams who will be representing at next year’s football festival, to excel. The ‘Festival of Champions’ has stepped up the World Cup fever not only in South Africa but the world at large and I have no doubt in my mind that South Africa will not only make Africa proud but also all those who helped in bringing the World Cup to Africa by staging the FIFA World Cup the African way.

DA VIVA SEW PROJECT FINALE

A concept initiated by former Ghanaian international model, Pearl Amoah Nyamekor, the MTN Da Viva Sew Project came to a thrilling climax at the Mobile Pavilion at the Ghana International Trade Fair Centre in Accra recently.
Living to its billing as the first sewing reality show in Ghana, guests at the grand finale had a lot of fun with the dazzling catwalk skills displayed by the models and the innovative designs paraded on the night.
The show which started about an hour late to its scheduled time was in two categories. The first category was to crown a winner for the MTN Queen of the Runway and a winner for the main category which was the MTN Da Viva Sew Project.
Three finalists of the MTN Queen of the Runway Competition—Babsie, Angela and Nana Yaa—displayed elegant catwalk skills with splendid designs from the guest designers on the night: Pearl Amoah Nyamekor, the Sew Project evictees, Breeze Klodine, Marcelo Carle and Cecilia. Their performances on the runway determined who was crowned the first MTN Queen of the Runway.
The finale which was interlaced with live band music from the Hot Barrels Band and cultural performances from the Kekeli Dance Ensemble had Kweku, Pokua and the dexterous Nana competing for the grand prize—the new VW Suran donated by Universal Motors.
Judged by Marcelo Carle, Albert Johnson and Ghanaian international model, Belinda Baidoo, the three finalists created fifteen designs ranging from collections like casual, maternity, MTN ‘Can Do’, drama and evening wears called the Da Viva Star. Nana made known his intentions of winning the prize early as he ‘sparkled’ the runway with his ‘crazy’ designs which threw the guests into frenzy. Pokua who seemed to have an overwhelming support from the audience did her own thing and Kweku also showed his worth as a finalist with dazzling Ghanaian made designs.
Tall and eloquent Babsie took the prize for face of MTN worth a year’s contract as well as a year’s contract with Da Viva as winner of the MTN Queen of the Runway Competition. Nana won GHC 1,000 by placing second and Angela won GHC 500 by coming third.
Tensed and nervous would be the best words to describe Nana, Kweku and Pokua as the master of ceremonies on the night mentioned the results. Determined by 40% voting from the public, 40% by the judges and 20% by tasks the finalists have performed in the Da Viva Sew Project house, tears of joy and screams of satisfaction greeted the pronouncement of Nana as the first winner of the MTN Da Viva Sew Project Reality Show which won him a VW Suran. Kweku came second and Pokua came third to the disappointment of her numerous fans at the pavilion.
Queen of highlife music, Asabea Cropper, showed she hasn’t lost touch as she wowed guests with a spectacular performance accompanied by the ‘Kente Man’. ‘Dunsin’ also crowned the night with their hit track “Oyeadeyie”.
The Da Viva Sew Project Reality Show is the first of its kind in Ghana and aired on GTV for 13 weeks. Initiated by D&P Holdings owned by Pearl and McDiamond Nyamekor, the show was sponsored by MTN, Da Viva and Universal Motors.