Elderson Echiejile Joins FC Monaco

Elderson Echiejile (25), the former FC Sporting Braga and Nigeria international has just joined the high spending French Ligue 1 club Monaco.
The contract he signed will keep him at the club for four and half years.

Echiejiele who is not a strenger to the French Ligue 1, played for Rennes for three seasons before he moved to the Portuguese club - Sporting Braga.

After signing the contract, he said to the club's website. ''I am very happy and proud - Monaco is one of the best clubs in Europe.''

Elderson Echiejile (being presented to the media)

''They have a great reputation in Africa since George Weah played here.''
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He also mentioned that there were fellow Nigerians who had played for the club ...''great Nigerian players who have worn the Monaco jersey, like Lukman Haruna and Victor Ikpeba.''

Elderson promised to do his best to help the club succeed in their quest.

Two of the players he mentioned won the African footballer of the year. In the case of George Weah, he not only won the African footballer of the year three times, but he happened to be the only African footballer, that had won Fifa footballer of the year. Victor Ikpeba won the African footballer of the year in 1997.

CAF: African Footballer Of The Year Award

The mercurial and tantalizing Man City midfielder and Ivory Coast international, Yaha Toure (31), has just been crowned the 2013 African footballer of the year, for the third successive year.

John Mikel Obi (26), of Chelsea and Nigeria international came second while his former team-mate Didier Drogba (35) who now plays for Galatasaray and Ivory Coast and has won the award twice before came third.

The African based player of the year award was won by Mohamed Aboutrika (35) of Al Ahly of Egypt.




Coach Stephen Keshi

Kelechi Iheanacho (17), of Nigeria who won last November Fifa Under 17 World Cup with the Nigerian Golden Eaglets and was the MVP of the tournament, won the CAF most promising young talent award.

The African Coach of the year was won by the Nigeria's Super Eagles coach, Stephen Okechukwu keshi.
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The national team of the year was won by the Nigeria football team, - the Super Eagles who triumphed at last year's African Cup of Nations.

Also the national youth team of the year went to Nigeria's victorious Golden Eaglets, who set a new FIFA Under 17 World Cup record, by being the only country in the world, that has won the tournament four times.

The African club of the year went to Al Ahly of Egypt who won the champions league for the 8th time.

Jordan Ayew Goes On Loan To Sochaux

Jordan Ayew (22), the Olympique Marseille and Ghanian international midfielder, has just joined FC Sochaux on loan, for the rest of the season.
Sochaux is currently at the bottom part of the Ligue 1 table.

The player is very unhappy at Marseille, because he is not getting enough play time, except play mostly as a substitute. He has decided to go on a loan so that he can get enough quality play time, to improve his chances of going to the World Cup with Ghana.

Jordan's senior brother Andre is also playing for Marseille, though he is currently injured. He had knee operation last month, from the injury he sustained during Ghana's last match against Egypt, in Cairo for the World Cup qualification.

Jordan Ayew is one of the playing sons of Ghana football legend, Abdi Pele Ayew, who also played for Olympique Marseille.
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Abdi Pele's other son Abdul Rahim Ayew (25), who used to play in Belgium for FC Lierse recently moved back to Ghana and joined the top team there - Asante Kotoko.

Kanu Christmas Gifts To Four Children

The former skipper of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, Nwankwo Kanu, has given four families a wonderful christmas gifts and brought great joy in their homes, when he sponsored the surgeries of four children with heart defects to India.

The highly gifted and skillful former striker made announcement, that his heart foundation - (The Kanu Heart Foundation) has sent four kids with heart defects to India for surgeries and asked everyone to join in prayers for successful operations.

''We send four people to India as a christmas gift from Kanu Heart Foundation, please let everyone pray for them for successful operation. They left on the 26th December,'' Kanu said.

Nwankwo Kanu

Nwankwo Kanu himself had heart operation in 1996 in USA, to correct a heart defect after he had played a major role in helping Nigeria, that same year to win Olympic gold in Atlanta.
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After his operation which enabled him to continue his amazing football career, he established the heart foundation to help less priviledged children with heart defects.

Since then he has been sending children with heart problems to heart specialist hospitals for surgeries. According to media report, apart from sending children to hospitals, he has the goal to build five specialist heart hospitals in Africa.