Sonny Side of Sports

Gyan Dedicates Goal To Ghana’s Fans

It’s been almost nine months since Asamoah Gyan cried on the pitch after missing a penalty shot against Uruguay that would have sent “The Black Stars” of Ghana into the semifinals of the World Cup football tournament in South Africa.  In the words of Ghana Soccernet, “all was forgiven” at London’s Wembley Stadium March 29th when Gyan scored the equalizer against England in a high-profile international friendly. 

London has a vibrant Ghanaian community, and Ghanaian fans made their presence felt at the Ghana-England friendly.  After the match, Gyan said, “I dedicate this goal to the fans because they have been waiting for this game for so long and finally it happens and I scored an important goal for Ghana – something historic.”

Gyan and Ghana made history at last year’s World Cup, becoming the third African side to reach the quarterfinals.  Gyan played a big role in Ghana’s World Cup success, leading the team’s attack with three goals, the most of any African player.  At the club level, Asamoah Gyan has been finding the net for Sunderland in the English Premier League.  As of March 30th, the Ghanaian striker had nine goals, tieing him for fifth place in the league scoring charts.

Kenya & Ethiopia: World Cross Country Champs

The neighboring countries of Kenya and Ethiopia have dominated the IAAF World Cross Country Championships over the past decade, and the most recent edition in Spain was no exception. Kenya captured gold medals in both the men’s and women’s junior races, and won another gold when Vivian Cheruiyot won the women’s senior race, contested over eight kilometers.  Ethiopia won gold in the men’s 12-kilometer senior race, with Imana Merga hitting the tape first.  Check out my video coverage of the victories by Imana Merga and Vivian Cheruiyot:

Taking a look at the final medal tally in Spain, of the 12 medals at stake, Kenya won seven, Ethiopia three, Uganda one and the USA one. And here’s a Sonny Side of Sports salute for American distance runner Shalane Flanagan, who won a bronze medal in the women’s senior race. Flanagan was the first non-African born medalist in the event since 2004.

Following Festus Ezeli During March Madness

One of the African players I’ll be following during the NCAA men’s college basketball championship tournament is Festus Ezeli, a 21-year-old center for Vanderbilt University who is from Benin City, Nigeria.  The muscular Ezeli was recently named the most improved player in men’s college basketball by Sports Illustrated magazine.

Ezeli’s rise to national basketball prominence has been rocky and certainly not forecast by his younger days in Benin City.  Festus never picked up a basketball in Nigeria and did not compete in organized athletics.  He learned the game after coming to the United States in 2004 to live with his uncle Emeka Ndulue, a pediatrician.

Ezeli once had aspirations to be a medical doctor, like his uncle, but the junior (third-year player) center has switched his major at Vanderbilt to economics – a field that should help him in contract negotiations if he makes it to the professional ranks in the National Basketball Association.

One of Ezeli’s teammates, guard Chris Meriwether, grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, where Vanderbilt University is located.  His advice to youngsters: “With hard work and a positive attitude, anything is possible.”  Meriwether says Ezeli’s hard work and positive attitude has helped Vanderbilt get seeded 5th in the Southwest region in “March Madness,” the nickname for the popular, single-elimination basketball tournament.

Festus Ezeli and Vanderbilt (23-10) play their opening game March 17th against Richmond (27-7) in Denver, Colorado.

Shaka Ssali Remembers David Otti

David Otti

My VOA colleague Shaka Ssali recently paid tribute to one of his fellow-Ugandans, veteran football player and coach David Otti, who died March 3, 2011, in the capital, Kampala, after a long battle with diabetes. Otti was 71.

During his Straight Talk Africa show, Shaka described Otti as “one of the most decorated persons in Ugandan football history, perhaps best remembered as one of the most successful coaches in Ugandan football.”  But Otti’s soccer expertise was not limited to only Uganda.  He also coached clubs in Kenya, Somalia, and Rwanda.

David Otti’s career dates back to the 1960’s, when he played for “The Cranes,” Uganda’s national football team, as both a defender and a midfielder.

Otti’s body was laid to rest this week in his ancestral home in Gulu, in northern Uganda.  Officials there announced that an annual soccer tournament will be established in honor of David Otti, open to all Ugandan football clubs.