Joseph Yobo’s Brother Released by Kidnappers

About two weeks ago, I wrote a story about the kidnapping of Norum Yobo, the brother of Everton’s solid center back Joseph Yobo, and how incidents like that involving high-profile African players and their families have become too all-too-common in recent times. While the situation obviously didn’t look too good at the time, the good news was that more often than not, the situation was resolved peacefully — and that’s a relative term — as long as the ransom was paid.

I’m happy to report that Norum was released last night and is back safely with his family, all according to Joseph’s personal manager, John Ola Shittu. Shittu confirmed to kickoffnigeria.com that after spending 12 days in captivity, the majority of which were spent without the two friends who were taken at gunpoint as well, Norum is OK, at least physically. He declined to elaborate on the presumed ransom demand made by the kidnappers and how much of it was paid, but there was no reason for him to do so.

Shittu did, however, release a brief statement:

“On behalf of Joseph and the family, I want to say a big thank you to Everton Football Club. They were very supportive in every way possible, especially the chairman (Bill Kenwright), who was calling on a daily basis to find out how things were progressing.

Joseph is very happy to see (Norum), but he is still down emotionally, still shaken. Right now, he just wants to get himself emotionally ready enough to get set for pre-season training.”

At the end of the day, as much passion as we have for it and as much time as we dedicate to it, soccer is a game. There are more important things to worry about than Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer gossip or whether Samuel Eto’O will play in Uzbekistan this season. When it comes down to it, those are really only trivial topics and aren’t worth as much publicity as they get. No one I know in the media spent much time at all talking about Norum Yobo and the problems that continue to plague Africa, and this was only one of many life-or-death situations that go on daily and monthly and yearly on that continent.

I’m glad that the Yobo family has now been reunited, and hopefully Joseph, Norum, and Albert (the older brother) can go on with their lives in as normal a fashion as possible. Like I said, this was just one crisis and it’s great that it was averted, and hopefully it can serve to illuminate the ugly underbelly of Africa that much more. We appreciate the terrific talent of African players in Europe, especially in the Premier League, but tend to ignore their backgrounds and the places in which they grew up, and we can’t continue to do that.

Joseph Yobo's Brother Kidnapped in Nigeria

Anyone who follows the Premiership or any other top domestic league in Europe, especially Ligue 1 in France, knows the talent level and importance of African players. They're coming to Europe in greater numbers than ever before and are making huge impacts with their clubs. I could name an all-African XI right now that I'd be willing to take over any other collection of players in the world for one game.

For all of the positives associated with African players, however, there are far too many downsides and the real shame of it is that these negatives have nothing to do with soccer, at least not on the field itself.

I highlighted Watford midfielder Al Bangura and his quest to remain in the UK when a permanent work permit question was raised last winter. He was, for all intents and purposes, smuggled out of Africa and into France by a man who wanted to make Bangura a male prostitute. Bangura was literally in danger of losing his life if he had been forced to return to his native Sierra Leone because of his personal background, with his father having been a member of the Poro Secret Society. Fortunately, things worked out for the best and he was allowed to stay in England, but he would've been in a grave situation had that not been the case.

Bangura's case is just one of the many that successful players from his continent deal with. Conditions in Africa are so poor in so many countries and we hear and read far too often about players' family members being held for a considerable ransom or even killed, in some instances. Players are extorted for money through gunmen or semi-militant organizations who threaten violence or some other form of intimidation on the families.

Corruption is prevalent throughout Africa and it's seemingly a never-ending cycle: money is being spent to set up modern infrastructure in cities and to provide things like better health care and even life's basic necessities like food and water, but that money is winding up in the wrong hands and nothing is ever improved. Because of this, countries and charitable organizations are hesitant to spend more money to help Africa, which further limits progress, and even when they do spend it, once again, it's not going where it should. Africa has plenty of natural resources -- oil being chief among them -- but instead of being used to better the conditions of vast impoverished regions, profits are going directly into the control of already-rich individuals who wield power and influence.

There is very little stability, either political or economical, in Africa. Civil wars are currently raging in several countries, including Chad, Sudan, and Somalia, and countless others have ended only within the past 10-15 years.

Joseph Yobo was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria and is one of Everton's two starting center backs. He is the vice-captain of his club and of the Nigerian national team, for which he's appeared 59 times, including in the 2002 World Cup and the 2008 African Cup of Nations, since making his debut in 2001. His older brother, Albert Yobo, has also represented his country. There's a youth soccer tournament named after Albert, who assists Joseph in the running of the Joseph Yobo Charity Foundation, which helps under-privleged kids in Nigeria and has handed out well over 300 scholarships for kids anywhere between elementary and university level. Joseph has also started a soccer academy in southeast Nigeria and runs camps in Lagos.

Suffice it to say that Joseph and his family have a fairly high profile in Nigeria, to say the least. It should come as no surprise, then, when you read that Joseph and Albert's younger brother, Norum Yobo, was kidnapped at gunpoint along with two others early this morning as they were returning from a party. The other two, Ifeanyi Nwa and Barry C Lakara, have already been released, but Yobo has not (surprise, surprise). So far, no one has claimed responsbility and no ransom demands have been made.

This is exactly the problem facing soccer players in Africa. It's a catch-22 situation: they desperately want to escape and make it in Europe or elsewhere, and earn a living they'd never be able to achieve if they stay in Africa. Soccer is their key to a good life, but if they have too much success, they and their families can be exploited simply as a bi-product of their talents and abilities. There's really no way for these players to win. They can't stay in Africa because conditions there are so poor and their potential goes unrealized, but it's hard for them to go abroad because they're leaving their families and potentially putting them in danger in the process.

According to the Yahoo! article in which I found this story, kidnappings in common in the West African nation, particularly in the oil-rich Niger River delta region where this incident also took place, but most of them end peacefully after the ransom payment. However, deaths and injuries have occurred when security forces confront the kidnappers.

Obviously we all hope that Norum Yobo is returned alive and well by whomever seized him out of the car, and that the person or persons responsible are dealt with appropriately.

African Cup of Nations Recap--Quarterfinals (Day 1)

The quarterfinal round of the 2008 African Cup of Nations opened in style today as Ghana snatched a 2-1 victory over their fierce West African rivals, Nigeria, through an 83rd minute goal from former MLS star Junior Agogo. Portsmouth midfielder Sulley Muntari threaded a low, left-footed shot/cross across the six-yard box to leave the easiest of tap-ins for Agogo, whose second goal of the tournament proved to be the winner for the host nation.

Ghana had been playing with 10 men since the 60th minute, when captain John Mensah was sent off for a professional foul on Nigeria's Peter Odemwingie, who had broken in nearly alone on goal. There was very little contact but as Mensah was the last man back and prevented a clear goal-scoring opportunity, the match referee had little choice but to show the red card.

Nigeria went ahead 1-0 on a PK from Everton striker Yakubu, but a powerful header from versatile Chelsea stalwart Michael Essien levelled the match nearly right on halftime. The Super Eagles almost equalized in the game's dying minutes; they puffed and puffed but in the end, they couldn't blow the Ghana house down.

There were Premiership players galore in this game as four started the match for Ghana (Essien, Muntari, Paintsil, and Kingson), and four started for Nigeria as well (Yobo, Etuhu, Obi Mikel, and Yakubu).

Ghana will now play the winner of tomorrow's Tunisia-Cameroon match on Thursday in the semifinals, while Nigeria exit the African Cup of Nations before the semifinal round for the first time in five tournaments.

In today's second match, Ivory Coast cruised to a 5-0 victory over Guinea, who were playing without their captain and best player in Pascal Feindouno. My pre-tournament pick to win it all made things look easy as two Chelsea players, Salomon Kalou and Didier Drogba, combined for three goals in the victory. Les Éléphants scored four times in the last 20 minutes of the game to put the match well and truly away, but this was no contest from the opening kickoff.

Five Premiership players (Kalou, Drogba, Meite, Zokora, and Eboue) featured for the winners today, who move on to face the winner of tomorrow's match between Egypt and Angola.

I got both of my predictions for today's games correct and so I'm feeling it, I'm feeling lucky. I'll go with the high-flying Cameroon side, led by Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o, to win against Tunisia. In the only real surprise pick of the round, I'm also going to go with Angola to knock off the defending champions, Egypt.

African Cup of Nations Recap--Day 10

Disgruntled Chelsea striker Didier Drogba scored just nine minutes in and two second half goals were added insurance for Ivory Coast yesterday as Les Éléphants, my pre-tournament pick to win the whole thing, cruised to a 3-0 win over Mali. Mali came into this game knowing they really needed a result because Nigeria was playing the lightweight of the group, Benin, but they just looked overmatched at times. When Fredi Kanoute was substituted for Momo Sissoko in the 46th minute, you just knew the match was over. The victory capped a perfect group stage for Ivory Coast with three wins in as many matches and more importantly, allowed them to avoid Group A winner Ghana in the quarterfinals.

Nigeria knew exactly what they needed to do yesterday: beat Benin. The Super Eagles had to take care of business there and then hope Ivory Coast would beat Mali, and everything went according to plan if you're rooting for Nigeria. Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel scored once on a header and then set up Yakubu in the 86th minute to seal the deal for Nigeria, who overcame a lackluster first half performance to win the game 2-0. Amazingly enough, those two goals were the first two scored by Nigeria all tournament, even though they have pretty impressive attacking talent on the roster, including three legitimate 10-12 goals-a-season guys in Kanu, Obafemi Martins, and Yakubu.

Nigeria squeaked through by the skin of their teeth as they ended up on the same number of points (4) as Mali. The Super Eagles' superior goal differential (+1 > -2)meant they advanced ahead of Mali, who started the tournament in such fine fashion. For Nigeria, an early exit would have been viewed as a huge disappointment and one that surely would have cost German coach Berti Vogts his job.

The quarterfinal bracket, at least as far as Groups A and B are concerned, is now set. Ghana, the winner of Group A and the hosts of the tournament, will play Nigeria in Accra. Ivory Coast, the winner of Group B, will play Guinea in Sekondi. I'm not going to make any predictions yet, but I don't think this second game is going to be very close.

Final Group B Standings (Teams in bold advance):

1. Ivory Coast (9 points, +7 goal differential)
2. Nigeria (4 pts, +1 GD)
3. Mali (4 pts, -2 GD)
4. Benin (0 pots, -6 GD)

Group C finishes group play today and things are still definitely up for grabs. Cameroon plays Sudan and will very likely win that game. If they do, they'll advance, but whether it's as the group winner or group runner-up is to be determined. In the other game, Egypt, the defending champions and current group leader, will contend with a Zambian side that smells a chance to reach the quarterfinals. They can do so by beating Egypt by at least three goals (unlikely), winning while Cameroon does not, or getting a draw while Cameroon loses.

African Cup of Nations Recap--Day 6

Ivory Coast became the first nation to punch their ticket to the quarterfinals of the 2008 African Cup of Nations today after a 4-1 romp over Benin, a game in which Benin needed a 90th minute goal to avoid a shutout and the Toure brothers combined on a nice goal for the winners.

Ivory Coast now need only a draw in their last group match against Mali to win Group B and the game against the runner-up in Group A that comes with it. My pre-tournament favorites are looking good so far and I'm going to stick with them until the very end. They're getting contributions from everywhere right now, not just up top and in the midfield, and I'm not convinced that anyone in this tournament can beat them with the possible exception of Ghana. Chelsea striker Didier Drogba is the captain ahead of some other worthy candidates like Arsenal's Kolo Toure and he scored the opening goal to start the ball rolling today for Ivory Coast.

Mali needed something out of today's game against Nigeria and they got the job done with a 0-0 draw. It was by no means pretty to watch, but if you're a Mali fan, you have to like the position your team is in now with just one group game to go. Yes, it's against Ivory Coast, but with both teams needing only a point to keep their respective places and advance, I can see Mali coming out with a share of the spoils because it suits both teams just fine. Mali was very, very unlucky to not win today's game as an 83rd minute left-footed drive by Seydou Keita came off the crossbar.

Nigeria now need to beat Benin in their last game and hope Ivory Coast beat Mali. The Super Eagles boast a pretty potent front line with Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins and Everton's Yakubu, but somehow have been held scoreless thus far in the tournament. I have no doubts they'll take care of Benin, but as I said before, a draw seems the most likely result in the Ivory Coast-Mali match.

Group B Standings (after two games):

1. Ivory Coast (6 points, +4 goal differential)
2. Mali (4 pts, +1 GD)
3. Nigeria (1 pt, -1 GD)
4. Benin (0 pts, -4 GD)

In tomorrow's action, wins by Zambia against Cameroon and by Egypt against Sudan can seal those countries' places in the last eight. Egypt should get the job done against Sudan with relative ease, but Zambia will really have their hands full with favored Cameroon.

African Cup of Nations Recap--Day 2

The first important game of the 2008 African Cup of Nations took place yesterday and once again, a player who earns his paycheck in the Premiership took center stage. Chelsea striker Salomon Kalou capped a beautiful solo run by coolly slotting the ball past Nigerian goalkeeper Austin Ejide and into the net to give Ivory Coast a critical 1-0 victory. Les Éléphants now have a stranglehold on the group and barring an unforeseen collapse, will advance to the quarterfinals as the winner of Group A. Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins started for Nigeria, as did fellow Premiership players Yakubu, Kanu, John Utaka, Joseph Yobo, and John Obi Mikel, while Kolo Toure, Abdoulaye Meite, Didier Zokora, and Didier Drogba started for Ivory Coast. Martins had a decent shout for a penalty in the 33rd minute, but the referee instead booked him for diving.

Morocco coasted by Namibia 5-1 in front of a near-empty stadium behind a hat trick from Soufiane Alloudi. The reported attendance only numbered around 200, which is an embarrassment for a competitive international game.

Mali recorded a huge, huge 1-0 victory over Benin to cap off yesterday's slate of games. Group B is extremely tough with Ivory Coast and Nigeria at the top, and it was key for Mali to beat Benin to keep their hopes of advancing alive. They'll play Nigeria next and the winner of that game (or Mali if they can get a draw) will be in prime position to move on.

Group C is in action today as Egypt and Cameroon will square off and Sudan and Zambia, the two minnows out of the four, will play. Full details tomorrow, check back during the afternoon.