World Cup setback will not stop Eddie Afekafe in his quest
England may have failed to land the 2018 World Cup but no-one could blame Eddie Afekafe after his starring role in the final presentation in Zurich.
Although Afekafe, a social inclusion manager with Manchester City, may have been a surprise choice to address the FIFA delegates alongside Prince William, Prime Minister David Cameron, David Beckham and Andy Anson, he stole the show with a heartfelt speech about how football had changed his life after four years on the dole.
The 26-year-old, who was raised in Whalley Range close to the rough Moss Side area of Manchester, said: 'If anybody had told me four years ago that I'd be here asking FIFA to support England's World Cup bid I'd have thought they were mad. I was unemployed, I was struggling to find any direction in life, to find a job. I grew up in one of the roughest parts of Manchester.
'Loads of the guys I went to school with were in gangs. Many still are. Some even ended up in prison.
'What I got, what they didn't get, was an opportunity and that came from football.' As Afekafe spoke to Sepp Blatter and FIFA's executive, children were playing football in the snow at Medlock Primary School where Eddie has been known to give football coaching sessions just yards from the family home in Ardwick that his mother Elizabeth shares with his 24-year-old brother Stephen.
Elizabeth declined an interview yesterday, as did the man believed to be his father whose private hire taxi remained parked outside the terraced house in nearby Withington where Eddie will return today.
But Elizabeth later issued a statement saying: 'I am so proud of my son. He has been a true ambassador for his country and for Manchester City. As a mum, I was bursting with pride seeing him on that stage in Zurich today.
'He has turned his life around through Manchester City, God and through the work he and the rest of the team do at City. He is now helping others do the same.'
Afekafe's life changed when he went to a job centre in Moss Side and found out about a programme being run by the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service. It was part of the Prince's Trust Football Initiative and helped him find volunteer work with City's Football in the Community programme.
He was given a full-time job at City, first as a play and adventure co-ordinator and then as a social inclusion manager. Bright, articulate and equipped with the life skills to speak to disadvantaged young people like himself, he was also recruited as a young ambassador by the Prince's Trust.
Afekafe was named as the Trust's north-west Young Ambassador of the Year last month, having already won the Inspiring Young People Award from Kickz, another nationwide initiative, which resulted in his appointment as a legacy ambassador for England's World Cup bid.
Dave Coppin, a programme leader for social inclusion at Manchester City, spoke of his pride at seeing the native Mancunian speaking so eloquently on stage in Zurich. Coppin said: 'I first met Eddie in 2006 through the Prince's Trust when he came to Manchester City for a ground tour. I took him around and he said he wanted a job doing this kind of stuff at City.
'He came in for six months and we could see someone who really wanted to make a change. The one thing is he's willing to learn. He's got an infectious character and we could see we had something to work with.
'At first he lacked a bit of direction but he grasped the opportunity with both hands. We gave him the opportunity and I'd like to think he's repaying us a little bit. 'We see 300 hard-to-reach people each week and he's a perfect role model for them. We're immensely proud of Eddie at the club.'
Mike Clinton was the director of sport and Eddie's PE teacher at Oakwood High School – now Chorlton High School – where Afekafe studied between the ages of 11 and 16.
He remembers well the 'affable' youngster who went to the school for six years and is now providing a role model for other under-privileged kids from the area. 'I remember him quite clearly,' said Clinton. 'He was a very pleasant young man and had a great personality.
'Probably his best sport was football and he would always turn up for practice. He was a midfielder but he was quite happy to fit in anywhere.
'There are areas in inner city Manchester where you're subjected to peer pressure and you need a strong individual to chose the right path.
'Many are under a lot of strain to do what the friends and groups they hang around with want to do rather than what they want to do. Hopefully people can look at him and see what can be achieved despite what's going on around you.
'I wouldn't know about the gangs he was involved with but you're very aware of what's going on in the outside world. There's a great deal of pressure on them.
'He's been able to stay focussed and have aims. He's been unemployed but he hasn't lost that drive and discipline which is probably his most rewarding feature.
'He made the choice. He's an individual who people can look up to. He's been under those pressures but he chose the right way to go and hopefully they will follow that.'
The Mail has another article focusing on the Academy
You know Manchester City are not afraid to spend a few bob. They like a star name - quite a few star names, in fact - and they are in a hurry to grab their share of the global market.
Here's some refreshing news from Manchester's Blues: they are taking care of business at home, too. Beyond the pay cheques and the ambition of the first team, City are creating a future of their own. Sheik Mansour's united nations of talent is not the only story emerging from the new regime here.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... ctory.html
David Luiz fuels speculation over Manchester City or Chelsea move
Benfica defender David Luiz has admitted that he doesn’t know where he will be playing in January, increasing speculation of a move to long-term admirers Manchester City or Chelsea.
Manchester City reportedly already bid €32 million for the 23–year-old in the summer, but Benifica chairman Luis Filipe Vieira rejected the offer, saying he would not take any less than the €50 million stipulated in Luiz's termination clause.
Chelsea also expressed an interest in buying the player in the summer, but weren't even prepared to pay in the region of what City were offering.
But with the departure of Ricardo Carvalho and injuries to John Terry and Alex, Chelsea are now said to be willing to splash out on Luiz, who is contracted to Benfica until 2014/2015, and along with Manchester City will be hoping Vieira backs down from his demand.
Luiz has refused to sign a new deal at Benfica, who have been knocked out of the Champions League already this season. According to the Daily Mirror, he admitted that his immediate future is unsure.
Luiz said, “My future, only God knows. I do not know where I will be in January, in the summer or in 2015.
“The rumours from England? I know that and I follow them, but this does not depend on me.
“I refused another renewal because I have a contract until June 2015 and am happy here. I have a clear conscience.
“If it were only a matter of money, I would not be at Benfica. Criticism hurts me but my mission is to work every day.”
Luiz is one of the most promising central defenders in the world. He is strong, fast, intelligent, good in the air and graceful in possession. He has three Brazil caps to his name and has been at Benfica his entire career.
MYSTERY surrounds Israeli footballer Gai Assulin's proposed transfer to Manchester City.
The 19-year-old , pictured, has been reported as signing with the Blues after the Arab-owned club agreed compensation with his previous club Barcelona.
And press reports indicated that Assulin was ready to don the Blues' shirt in a reserve team game against Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday.
However, renowned Israeli agent Pini Zahavi told the Jewish Telegraph yesterday that Assulin had not penned a contract with City.
Mr Zahavi, who represents a number of high-profile players including Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand: "Assulin has not signed for City."
Spanish side Barcelona would be due a settlement should Assulin make the switch to Eastlands, as he had been with the club since he was nine.
Assulin was hailed at the new Lionel Messi at Barcelona, but he fell out with the management and left the club in the summer.
Should he sign for City, he would become the third Israeli to play for them, after Eyal Berkovic and Tal Ben-Haim.
Nobody from City was available to comment when contacted by the Jewish Telegraph.
The Mirror rehashes someone else's bollox from last week and claims it as their own exclusive
Mancini planning January sales at City
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini aims to offload six of Mark Hughes’s signings next month.
Mancini’s position at Eastlands has reportedly been undermined by claims many of the squad he inherited still wanted Hughes in charge.
Hughes, now manager at Fulham, spent more than £120million on new players in 2009 before being sacked a year ago.
But Mancini, the man who replaced him at Eastlands, is determined to move on at least six of Hughes’ loyalists in January after a number of bust-ups.
The Italian has told Joleon Lescott, Wayne Bridge, Shay Given, Roque Santa Cruz, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Emmanuel Adebayor they can leave and have told other clubs of their availability.
That is likely to see City write off another huge chunk of cash to move them on either permanently or on loan.
Hughes spent £22million on Lescott, £12m on Bridge, £6m on Given, £18m on Santa Cruz, £9m on Wright-Phillips and £25m on Adebayor – who have hardly featured in the Premier League this season under Mancini.
In agreeing to pay most of Craig Bellamy’s wages while loaning him to Cardiff, City have shown they are willing to accept big losses.
WAGVENT OF THE DAY
The Daily Mirror's front page headline is 'SOLD' as they ask how oil-rich Russia and Qatar could persuade Fifa to give them the World Cup. The Sun go with 'FIXED' while the Daily Star shouts 'WHAT A FIX', the Daily Mail claims 'THEY LIED' and the Daily Express simply says 'HUMILIATED'.
The Times is slightly more reserved with 'End of the world for England', The Independent claim 'England fear foul play after World Cup humiliation' and the Guardian says 'Russia ends England's dream of hosting 2018 World Cup'.
England have only one friend in the world and he is Cameroon's Issa Hayatou, the lone delegate to vote for their bid and one of the men named in Monday's Panaroma programme. Daily Mirror
All the people who criticised the British media for exposing corruption within Fifa should hang their heads in shame. Daily Mirror
England were left fearing a fix after it emerged they had been told Russia would win the right to stage the World Cup in 2018 some 24 hours before the official announcement. Daily Express
Andy Anson, the chief executive of England's 2018 World Cup bid has accused Fifa voters of lying over who would they vote for and has called the money spent on the technical report as "£3m down the drain" after the "two bids with the worst technical reports [Russia and Qatar] won". The Independent
"They stink, it's all over" and "Fifa bungs Russia the World Cup" is the Sun's take on Thursday's announcement. The bidding process has been branded a fix, with Russian bid chief Alexey Sorokin telling the England team on Wednesday his country had enough votes in the bag. the Sun
"They smiled, shook hands and promised to vote for England... they lied," says the Daily Mail, who call Fifa's voting system as "the great Zurich stitch-up". Daily Mail
Fifa executive committee members have confirmed that the lingering backlash against the British media following explosive corruption allegations counted against England and contributed to the bid team's humiliating defeat in the race to host the 2018 World Cup. the Guardian
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce fears striker Danny Wellbeck's good form could price him out of making his loan from Manchester United into a permanent move. Daily Mirror
West Ham could move for Aston Villa midfielder Steve Sidwell in the January transfer window. talkSPORT
Fulham boss Mark Hughes says Arsenal were still chasing goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer right up until he signed a new contract at Craven Cottage. Daily Mirror
Tottenham midfielder Giovani dos Santos could reject interest from clubs in Mexico to join Italian side Genoa. talkSPORT
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, 33, says he thinks he is getting better with age because of having not started top-level football until the age of 25. The Sun
Scotland U-21 coach Billy Stark is favourite to replace Mark McGhee as Aberdeen manager. Daily Telegraph
