PUMAFootball has a chat with Eboué of Ivory Coast & Arsenal

Posted by PUMA Football, February 24, 2010, 5:06pm

PUMAFootball: Can Arsenal win this year?

EBOUÉ: Yes, why not? I think so, I really think when you play football if you don’t believe in yourself it’s not worth playing. I believe that with the team we have if we continue to dig deep and continue to play like we are doing at the moment, I think we could win it.

PUMAFootball: But, do you think that it could be said that Chelsea and Man. United are the strongest?

EBOUÉ: Yes, you know, it’s always like that but I can tell you that the English championship is very strange. If you lose a match, perhaps you will drop down the league; and if you win one match you could be in the top ten. It’s a championship, which is at the moment very volatile and I personally think that there is every possibility we can win it.

PUMAFootball: And what is your opinion of Arsène Wenger; you’ve been working with him for some time now.

EBOUÉ: Ah! You know, me, personally, I feel at ease with him, because now I this will be my sixth year I have been with him, so, I know him very well. Well, he’s a good man. He has helped me. I am on the same wavelength as him and, then, when I have problems, he is always there for me and I think that he is an honest man. If he likes something, he tells you directly and he’s someone, who also loves his players, he loves us a lot, because he is always there for us, at difficult times, he’s always there for us and me, frankly I am happy to be with him, you know.

PUMAFootball: Do you think Arsène Wenger’s plans to invest and use young players are working for the club at this moment?

EBOUÉ: This is what Arsène Wenger does, he isn’t stupid, he is someone who really likes the young lads and, me, I think that each to his own. Everyone has their own way of seeing things. Perhaps there are certain people who say that there are too many youngsters in the team. Yes, effectively, there are too many young lads in the team, but, we have been playing together for years now and we know each other very, very well and I, I never go against what he chooses.

The Pharaohs Rule Africa. Again.

Posted by PUMA Football, February 1, 2010, 3:55pm

The result was never really in doubt but it was a lot of fun getting here. Egypt beat Ghana 1-0 in the final to secure a record-breaking third Africa Cup of Nations trophy in a row.

Although the Black Stars raised more than a few eyebrows with their dominating performance tonight, the Pharaohs always had another gear and wily manager Shehata another trick up his sleeve. It was his timely decision to bring on substitute Mohame Gedo that won him the game.

Before the match, Mohamed Zidan told PUMAFootball he felt just one mistake would decide the result. And he was right. In the 85th minute, Gedo dashed into Ghana’s box, played a neat one-two with Zizou and smashed the ball into the far corner.
There was just enough time for Ghana to have one last close call. A last gasp free-kick saw seven Black Stars pile into the area in the hope of forcing the draw. But it wasn’t to be. Nevertheless, the team is clearly bursting with young talent and are an exciting prospect for FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

No one could come close to Egypt though. Throughout CAN 2010 they were the best team by far. The only side to win every one of their games, they scored 15 goals and conceded only two. The fact that this team will now go down in history is a fitting tribute, not just to their winning mentality, but to the thrilling football they’ve played - as Zidan also showed on his head (!) - with equal skill and love.
Of course, Egypt haven’t been the only stars of the tournament. Angola would have been nothing without the fans. And they too raised their game for the final. Just getting to our seats in the stadium today, PUMAFootball encountered a plethora of nutters: the ‘Angolan pope’ who insisted on blessing all and sundry with a stale bread roll, two Pharaohs with pyramids on their heads and, lastly, a goat wearing sunglasses.

Of course, having seen what we have over the last month, this kind of silliness was to be expected, but even we were surprised when two spacemen jet-packed into the stadium with the trophy. A fitting end, we think, to a tournament that has been truly out of this world.

Love Equals Football

Posted by PUMA Football, January 31, 2010, 12:03pm

Whatever the result in the final, Egypt star Mohamed Zidan has already won one title: the Africa Cup of Nation’s greatest haircut. Even the remarkable centre-parting and hair band of the Ivory Coast’s Gervinho didn’t come close to this ‘do’.

The extrovert Pharaohs striker summed up the passion of this incredible tournament, and of the beautiful game itself, by having the message ‘love equals football’ shaved into his hair before the final match.
When Zizou decided to make this statement, he invited PUMAFootball over to witness the historic hairdo in the making in his Luanda hotel room.

To the beats of Biggie Smalls booming out of a pair of speakers, local barber Quinzinho set about the Borussia Dortmund man’s head with a fresh razor blade.
Halfway through the job, Zidan’s team-mate and best friend, goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary turned up and seemed to find the whole thing very amusing, mopping tears of laughter from his eyes with his giant hands as he left the room. Twenty minutes and just a couple of yelps of pain from Zidan later and the job was complete.


“Very cool,” declared the king of the Pharaohs inspecting his reflection in the mirror. We had to agree, the dude looked pretty fly. But what does it mean?

“It’s pretty simple,” explained Zidan. “Football is all about love. And I love football.”

Amen to that. Amen to that.

Zidan Sings (And Swims) When He’s Winning

Posted by PUMA Football, January 29, 2010, 6:42pm

He may be a natural on the pitch but when it comes to singing in the pool, Egypt’s star striker Mohamed Zidan definitely hasn’t got talent.

When PUMAFootball arrived at the team hotel at 1:30 am following the Pharaohs 4-0 demolition of Algeria in the quarterfinals, we were greeted by a terrible racket. Was a cat being strangled somewhere? No, it’s just the sound of Zizou crooning along to his favorite traditional national tunes while splashing about in the water.

A more relaxed scene you couldn’t imagine. The kitman offers us chocolates as Zidan climbs up out of the pool. “Now we take a breather,” he explains toweling himself off, “because that game was so important to us. It was a revenge game.” Revenge of course because it was bitter rivals Algeria who denied Egypt the chance to play in the World Cup in South Africa. “This was a fire game,” he adds, a mischievous gleam in his eye. It certainly was. The match began with the two sets of fans lighting flares but that was just the start of the fireworks. With the thumping bass drum and giant red and black flags of the Egyptians on our right and the relentless chanting and bouncing of the green and white bedecked Algerians on our left, we felt like we were witnessing two historic armies preparing to meet on the battlefield.


And on the pitch it certainly was war. For the first 40 minutes, the two sides probed for an opening and then a mistake by the Algerian defense allowed the onslaught to begin. One converted penalty and a sending off later and the Desert Foxes carefully laid plans were wrecked. Their brave flowing football that had seen off tournament favorites Ivory Coast was now replaced with recklessness and desperation.

During the warm up, a group of Egypt players had demonstrated the deftness of their passing game with a game of piggy in the middle - the two players in the center couldn’t get near the ball, so quick and clever were their team-mates’ touch. Now Algeria were receiving the same treatment and they weren’t liking it one bit. It didn’t take long for frustration to set in and by the end of the game they had only eight men left on the pitch. Meanwhile the Egypt team including goal scorer Zidan were celebrating a famous 4-0 victory and their passage into the final against Ghana.

Now history beckons. Success for Egypt against the West Africans and they’ll be crowned Cup of Nations winners for the third time in a row. Now that certainly is something worth singing about. Even if it is out of tune.

Egypt Plus Algeria Equals Love

Posted by PUMA Football, January 28, 2010, 12:36pm

DING! DING! It’s Round 2010 of the everlasting football feud between Egypt and Algeria. And as the two North African giants prepare to go toe-to-toe this evening in the semi-final of the Africa Cup of Nations, each side is desperate to get the upper hand.

This morning 100 fez-festooned, flag waving, trumpet blowing Egypt fans arrived from Cairo and PUMAFootball was there to greet them. Then, just a couple of hours later, a far bigger plane landed and soon the tarmac was awash with two to three hundred boisterous Algerian fans singing their new national anthem ‘One, two, three, vive Algerie’ until the less-than-amused Angolan police squeezed them into the airport. In terms of sheer noise, enthusiasm and silly green top hats, it was a resounding victory for the Desert Foxes. The fixture between the two teams has a bloody vein of violence running through it that dates back to a match in 1989 known as ‘The Hate Match’ because of the riots that followed. Last year, trouble erupted again as Algeria seized a place at the 2010 World Cup in Sudan at the expense of their Egyptian rivals.

Just to add a little chili to the pot, Egypt are now on course for a record-breaking third back-to-back Cup of Nations. Algeria, on the other hand, have the chance to be gleeful party poopers. Speaking exclusively to PUMAFootball, Pharoahs star striker Mohamed Zidan, summed it up dramatically last night when he said: “If we win against Algeria we get our honor back. If not, we die.”

So the stakes are high. Very high. But all the fans PUMAFootball spoke to this morning made it clear that the battle should only be fought on the pitch. Egyptian film director Hazen Said, who still bore scars on his hands and wrists from their last clash, had a simple message of peace for his rivals: “Our message to Algerians is good luck. What happens in Sudan mustn’t happen again. We’re all Arab. We’re Egyptians, you’re Algerians. We’re the same. Egypt plus Algeria equals love.”

Here’s hoping...

Say hello to the Angolan Ronaldinho

Posted by PUMA Football, January 28, 2010, 11:23am

Stepping out of his fire engine red jeep in his red loafers and red jeans, you can’t miss Luanda’s local hero, Gil Gomes. Wherever he goes, everyone wants to shake his hand, say hello and take his picture.

One of 11 brothers and sisters, he made his name as a flamboyant striker who wore the number 10 for Benfica and Portugal. With his trademark crimson clothes, gel wet jerry curls and easy smile he has the air of an Angolan Ronaldinho – although with far better teeth – and the people of Luanda love him for it.

As a talented eight-year-old, Gil was offered the chance to play football in Portugal. He even played for the national team. His proudest moment? Winning the Under-21 World Championships with Portugal in front of 120,000 people. He still can’t help grinning when you mention it.

Today, Gil keeps his memories in a self-made museum in his old ramshackle neighborhood of Prenda. It’s easy to spot: his name, ‘Gil G’, is carved in red wrought iron above the entrance. Inside is a treasure trove celebrating his career packed full of trophies, players’ shirts and giant photos on the walls of him with friends in the game like Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho and Eusebio.

Now 37, he splits his time between his home city where he organizes youth football tournaments and Manchester where he coaches at Manchester United’s academy. Both his sons, Rico (16) and Angel (9), are budding stars for the Red Devils.

Gil may have come a long way from the dirt pitch where he first began playing over three decades ago, but the Angolan star still only has to look out of the door to see it. Out there, in the dust and the sunshine, kids chase a football in the boots and shirts Gil bought for them. Perhaps they’re dreaming of one day being like their idol.

He's back!!

Posted by PUMA Football, January 27, 2010, 7:27pm

HA! We told you we'd keep an eye open for this gentleman. Making their way to the semifinals surely excuses a full-grown man to celebrate the Black Stars achievement by dancing like a nut case wrapped in the Ghana flag on the streets. Right?

PUMAFootball Would Love To Be Friends With You

Posted by PUMA Football, January 27, 2010, 2:45pm

Just a brief mention here – to makes matters more fun PUMAFootball is now also on Twitter and Facebook: http://twitter.com/pumafootball and http://www.facebook.com/#/PUMAfootball – to receive the latest updates as they happen – and the chance to chat away and connect with more passionate football fans around the globe.

Treat Eto’o like a baby and he becomes a lion

Posted by PUMA Football, January 27, 2010, 2:18pm

Samuel Eto’o, Roger Milla, Venus Williams and now... PUMA Football. Yes, we’ve just joined the stellar list of names that the Cameroon team’s physio Daniel Tcky has pummelled into submission.

We thought it would be fun, even relaxing, but the reality is that Daniel is used to massaging far tougher bodies than our puny frame. So instead of gently falling asleep on the treatment table we feel like we’re being operated on without anaesthetic.

Deep muscle massage is just one of the methods used to keep the Lions Indomitable. PUMA Foootball was relatively lucky on our try though; we could have been forced into the ice bath. Apparently, Samuel Eto’o won’t play without one. “It eliminates the waste products of metabolism and makes him feels refreshed like a new person,” explains Daniel.

Veteran defender Rigobert Song on the other hand prefers a less intense preparation with an hour long stretch the night before the game. That must help those creaking bones, eh Rigo? Meanwhile, his young nephew Alex Song simply refuses any kind of massage: “We’re yet to convince him of the benefits,” laughs Daniel, “he feels it’s for old people”.

But the support this calming character gives his Cameroon players is not just physical, it’s psychological too.. “If a player feels bad on the field, you treat him like a baby. It works. You treat a baby gently and he stops crying. And when you give him love and encouragement, you see him change,” says Daniel. “Then he becomes a lion.”

A Chat with Samuel Eto’o of Cameroon and Inter Milan

Posted by PUMA Football, January 26, 2010, 3:29pm

PUMAFootball: You've played in Spain, now Italy, what does it mean to come back to Africa and hear the fans cheer for you?

ETO’O: It is an honor for me to play all the time in African stadia. I believe that my dearest … dearest dream is always to return. Every time I go away, I tell myself “Samuel, when will you come back?” And every time I come back, I really enjoy it. Yesterday, despite the fact we lost, you can see that, here, where I live in Africa, people are proud to see me again. I can use the occasion to tell the spectators that I have to thank them for their welcome yesterday in the stadium. And, yesterday, I couldn’t score, I tried to do my best but that depends on how you see it; I hope we will be luckier on Sunday. I hope I’ll score and I hope that I’ll be able to put my teammates in better positions so that they can score.

PUMAFootball: How does the captaincy affect the way you play the game?

ETO’O: For a few years now, I’ve been captain of this team. Now, the coach just wants me to wear the armband during the match, but I used to be captain and I see the match in the same way: I am always positive and I try to do my best for my team-mates so that we are all the best, because life is like that, football, is an education. And we have the opportunity to pass things on to the younger ones so that they can do the same tomorrow.

PUMAFootball: You're wearing the Africa Unity kit. How important is a United Africa?

ETO’O: By wearing this shirt, we are all united, we are all African, before we are from Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ghana etc. And I hope that this spirit will continue into the World Cup, because in our World Cup an African country needs to progress as far as possible, to be able to win the cup or Africa. I would like it to be Cameroon; it could be another African country, because I am African before I am Cameroonian.

PUMAFootball: How would you describe your relationship with José Mourinho?

ETO’O : Yesterday I saw, before the start of the match he was encouraging me and I sent him a text to tell him that I knew that he watches matches, even in the Eighth Division. We have a very, very good relationship and I really need that after all the problems I have had, as regards to my departure from Barcelona. I’ve found someone: a big brother, a coach and a friend… We talk, we exchange views and there you are.

PUMAFootball: How important is his inside knowledge about Chelsea going to be?

ETO’O : I can’t say!

PUMAFootball: You’ve played in Spain; you've played in Italy, have you considered coming to play in the Premiere League?

ETO’O: I had the opportunity to sign for an English club in the summer, but I preferred to go to Italy and especially to Inter, because they had the coach I wanted and a President who really wanted me, although the English club, the chairman wanted me and the coach, I never dreamed of it and what’s more, I really like it at Inter but the future is sometimes full of surprises.

For full interview, visit PUMAFootball on Facebook.

Black Stars Lose the Pot

Posted by PUMA Football, January 25, 2010, 2:44pm

“I do not have juju! Only God has juju!”

Ghana superfan Samuel Aggrey is not happy. He claims the Angolan police smashed his ceremonial pot following the Black Stars’ victory over Burkina Faso because they suspected him of being a witch doctor. PUMAFootball arranged to meet the man Ghanaians call ‘Obuor’ or ‘Stone’ to find out the truth.

In twilight, with the light failing and no electricity, the rundown former Ghana embassy makes a perfectly creepy location to meet the Africa Cup of Nations most controversial star. During the games, as he dances around the stands with a crazed leer on his scarlet red Easter Island sized-face, it’s easy to see why anyone would believe this character is capable of black magic.

Here, stripped of his body paint and without his trademark pot, the 36-year-old appears bonier and more fragile. Yet still there’s something other worldly about him as he talks about God, Ghana and, of course, those accusations.

Firstly, PUMAFootball wonders, what exactly was he doing during that Burkina Faso game when he was spotted sprinkling a mysterious powder into the pot on his head? “I’m just giving the prayer mora like a vim to support the Ghana players,” he explains cryptically in his patois English. “The pot was given to me by my grandmother who died when I was a child. Anywhere I take the pot it is lucky for Ghana people.”

Sounds like black magic to us. Is it? “No! I do not have the power. God has the power. But when you pray to God, God can give to you.”

Aggrey has now faithfully followed the Black Stars around the globe for 17 years. His passport, which includes stamps from places as far flung as Germany, Egypt and Japan, is a testament to his incredible dedication. So why does he do it? “You see I love my country,” he says beating his fist proudly on his chest. “I love the team because me, my heart and my soul is my country.”

When Stars, Lions and Foxes Come Together

Posted by PUMA Football, January 25, 2010, 12:59pm

Black Stars, Indomitable Lions and Desert Foxes all wearing the same colors. Thats unity at its best. Watching Ghana, Cameroon and Algeria all practice in the PUMA Unity Kit in Angola was some seriously good vibes. These guys know how to bring love to football.

Are you ready for Love?

Posted by PUMA Football, January 24, 2010, 12:58pm

This guy definitely is! The Black Stars fans bring the love, the joy, the crazy enthusiasm and relentless passion that makes each game as interesting in the stands as on the pitch. We're gonna keep an eye on this guy and see if we can get him to share a little more Football.

The African Football Food Chain

Posted by PUMA Football, January 22, 2010, 2:00pm

“Come to Portugal,” says the fat man, “and I’ll get you the best of everything.” Sitting in the bar of the Ghana team’s luxurious hotel in Luanda, the injured Michael Essien looks up, listens and smiles politely. He hears this kind of offer from complete strangers a hundred times a day. After all, this is what it means to be a superstar footballer today: the fame, the fortune, the free stuff. And right now in Angola everyone is chasing those shiny baubles.

Up on the roof of the hotel, Essien’s teammates are getting their hair cut. When the barber finishes his work, they check their reflection in the mirror and dream of how they will look on TV when they score the winning goal in the approaching semi-finals. A lucrative move to a European club and then, like Mike, the world will sing their name.

In a restaurant, on Luanda’s fashionable Miami Beach, PUMAFootball meets two gifted young players who exist just slightly below the Black Stars in the game’s food chain. The boys arrived from England six months ago to play professional football in Angola having been spotted by an agent while on trial at Manchester United.

Junior, a Brazilian born 20-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo lookalike, admits he misses his family and friends but says that this was an opportunity too great to turn down. In a broad Yorkshire accent, his mate Igor agrees, playing here in Africa simply gives you an experience you couldn’t get elsewhere. Their plan is to spend a couple of seasons here and then secure a move back to Europe. Neither has given up the dream of playing for Manchester United.

A couple of miles away, on a rusty tin can strewn clay pitch, a gaggle of kids hare after a football. A few wear mismatching boots, others play in socks or just barefoot. Regardless, they tear around with a wild intensity, flying into tackles or leaping into the air to attempt bicycle kicks before landing in the dust. They dream of becoming international stars until the ball squirts under the tyre of a slow moving SUV and, with horrible inevitability, it pops. A simpler metaphor for the dreams of so many footballers you couldn’t wish for but as the Cup of Nations reaches the do or die stage, one or two young players just might become superstars overnight.

Inside the footballers’ fishbowl

Posted by PUMA Football, January 20, 2010, 12:37pm

There are few things in life quite as terrifying as your first day at school. So when PUMAFootball got the chance to ride on the Angola team bus after the Black Antelopes drew 0-0 with Algeria and qualified for the quarterfinals of the African Cup of Nations, all those childhood memories of sweaty-palmed angst came flooding back.

As we climbed the stairs of the bus, nervously clutching our rucksack, PUMAFootball spotted a familiar face: Angola star and former Manchester United prodigy, Manucho. “Congratulations!” we offered enthusiastically, unable to shake the feeling we were the new boy and he was the coolest kid in school. “Con-grat-u-lashons,” responded the giant striker lazily mocking us. OK, that wasn’t quite the open-armed welcome we were hoping for.

Clearly the young forward was tired after the game so we stumbled through the gloom of the bus to see if we could find ourselves a seat. Trying desperately not to trip over one player’s injured and ice-packed leg stuck out in the aisle, PUMAFootball plonked itself down into an empty seat and looked around for friendly faces. Pedro the kitman offered us a reassuring grin, skipper Kali gave us a friendly wink and then, with the coach’s interior lit up by the flashing blue lights of the police convoy, the bus eased out of the stadium towards the team hotel.

How surreal it was to be on the inside of the footballers’ fishbowl, for once looking out rather than struggling to peer in. PUMAFootball could see hundred of fans in the streets cheering the team on yet hermetically sealed behind bullet proof windows we could hear nothing but the coach stereo’s calming samba rhythms. In the front of the bus, the manager Manuel Jose sat alone reading his newspaper, while behind us players laughed, joked and muttered on the phone to their loved ones.
The atmosphere was relaxed but this was certainly no party. Angola clearly don’t see their role at the African Cup of Nations as merely hosts. They intend to win the competition. Next up they face Ghana on Sunday and a victory would see them reach the semi-finals of the tournament for the first time in history. Only then might the players be tempted to get as excited as their fans. Until that point though it’s back to work for team Angola and it’s back to walking for PUMAFootball.

Q&A With The Stars Of Africa - minus the Q

Posted by PUMA Football, January 20, 2010, 9:23am

Didier Drogba

I don’t know if we can win the Africa Cup of Nations - I hope so but there are a lot of good teams who will try to stop us.



We had a lot of work to qualify. We were frustrated after the Burkina Faso game as they didn’t attack a lot and tactically they stayed compact. We needed to score one and we didn’t, which forced us to win against Ghana to go through.



The Africa Unity kit is a good thing as its message of a united Africa is very important as you can see by the way we supported Togo.  The kit means that all the African teams can wear one color, which will help bring us together.



It means a lot for an African nation to host the World Cup, as this is the first time. It’s going to be huge. African footballers are improving; there are a lot who now play for big European clubs and who are major players for those teams.

I hope it’s going to be our party and an African team can win it.



When it comes to the World Cup, if we listen to the press then it will be Portugal and Brazil who will qualify not us. But we’ll do our best and see what we can do.


Emmanuel Eboue

Some people say this is our chance to win this Africa Cup of Nation but it’s not going to be easy because when teams play against us they defend very well. That’s why when we played against Burkina Faso it was difficult for us to score.



The fact that there are only three teams in our group also affected the way we played. We don’t feel well after our first draw so we really put ourselves together to win the next game.



I know Essien and Muntari well, in fact I know many of the players but that is the Africa Cup of Nations for you but when you play you have to forget who are your friends.



We are so happy that Drogba has been named African Player of the Year by BBC Sport. I’m proud to know him so well and it makes me very happy that he comes from Africa. When I play against him for Arsenal, Drogba is very difficult to mark. He is so strong and quick and he can score every way. When I play against him he tries his best to score and I try to block him but he’s so strong. I pray God for him because when I joined the Ivory Coast team he helped me settle in... he’s like my brother.



Playing for Ivory Coast is very good now. Not like it was before when everyone played for themselves on the pitch. Now we play together as a team and when we go out we all go together. We are a very close team.



How did I feel when we were drawn in the Group of Death in the World Cup? For us we are happy to play in this World Cup. It doesn’t matter if we play Brazil or Portugal or North Korea, we are just so happy to participate. But some people forget if you qualify for the World Cup it’s not because we gave someone money it’s because we played very well. So why shouldn’t the Ivory Coast win the World Cup. If you play football and don’t believe then you should stop playing.



It will be very significant if an African team actually wins the World Cup. It will show to the world that in Africa we have some good players and some good teams.



For me personally because Puma are my sponsors I feel very good about the Unity Kit. 



We were very sorry about the Togo incident. Togo are close to Ivory Coast and we are like family. I pray for the families for their loss. When I saw my friend Adebayor I feel very sad for him. It makes you think ‘this could have happened to us too’. It makes me feel terrible. I thank God that the players are well but I’m so sorry that they lost two of their teammates.



Can Arsenal win the league? Why not? As I’ve said before if you play football and stop believing you can win you have to stop playing. I’ve been at Arsenal a long time now and I’ve always believed in this team. If we can carry on playing as we are now then we can do it.

Salomon Kalou

For us the Africa Cup of Nations is great preparation for the World Cup as it can help build our confidence as a team. Sure we have a tough group but we have nothing to lose. After all, we have the players and the belief to go far.



With only three teams in our Cup of Nations group it was very difficult. There were just three teams fighting for two places plus Ghana got a rest before the second game. We really had to win the match against Ghana if we wanted to go through. To me, that was the turning point of the group.



The Africa Unity kit is a great thing. It shows the world that Africa can stand as one people. And if teams can help show the way for the rest of Africa then we will have achieved something very valuable. To be part of that is amazing.

Cursed By A Ghanaian Witch Doctor

Posted by PUMA Football, January 19, 2010, 5:40pm

PUMAFootball thinks it may have been hexed by a very scary looking Ghanaian witch doctor. Admittedly, it wasn’t a good time to take his picture. His team had just been trounced 3-1 by an Ivory Coast side that looked like they’d finally decided to win this tournament. If that wasn’t reason enough for his grumpiness, he was being dive-bombed by giant moths and a torrential post match downpour was in grave danger of ruining his red face paint. If there’s one thing that winds up an African shaman it’s having his makeup run.

During the game, this remarkable character - stripped to the waist and painted head to toe in the colours of his national flag - looked incredibly serene. While the rest of the Ghana fans leapt around in frustration, he was statue-still with a large clay pot precariously resting on his head. Not a sound passed his lips throughout the game which, when you consider it, is reasonable enough as balancing pottery for your team is probably a sufficient amount of support.

Not that the Black Stars had the monopoly on nutty fans. Les Elephants quite possibly pipped them in the weirdness stakes thanks to their very own transvestite cum zombie mime artist. Wearing little else apart from a skirt, white body paint, wrap around shades and a pair of bizarre fake boobs, he/it spent the entire match inexplicably vogueing like Madonna.

If you could tear your eyes from the terraces, there was in fact a pretty engrossing game going on down on the pitch. Following their drab goalless start against Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou and Gervinho were now showing why they are rated Africa’s most formidable strike-force. Even after the dismissal of their full-back Emmanuel Eboue, the Ivorians still looked like they had one more man than Ghana. It’s no wonder the Black Stars juju man looked miffed.

In the end, PUMAFootball did manage to get its photograph but fears it’s still paying the price. While the rest of Angola was out partying on Saturday night, we were forced to drill through the lock on our bedroom door after every one of our three keys inexplicably disappeared. We’re not 100 percent sure that black magic is to blame but let’s just say we’re keeping our fingers crossed that Ghana manage to qualify for the quarter-finals on Tuesday.

Angola WIN

Posted by PUMA Football, January 19, 2010, 3:53pm

Despite being considered underdogs and outsiders (hey – the cup is taking place in their country!) The Black Antelopes have already surpassed their competitors. Reaching the quarterfinals has set the whole country emotionally on fire and the atmosphere in Luanda and Angola overall can only be described as complete euphoria. But bear with us! We can expect even more, as coach Manuel Jose say – "We have equaled Angola's previous record in the Africa Cup of Nations and we are ready to kill ourselves to reach the semi-finals, the finals and even win the tournament". PUMAFootball has no idea how we should prepare for something like that, but we are open to suggestions…

ANGOLA! ANGOLA! ANGOLA!

Posted by PUMA Football, January 15, 2010, 6:50pm

“MA-LA-WA-SA-LAM! MA-LA-WA-SA-LAM! MA-LA-WA-SA-LAM!” That was the chant PUMAFootball was yelling at the top of its voice last night as we jumped around in the back of a packed pickup truck. Don’t ask us what it means or whether we’ve got it right, but it made perfect sense yesterday after Angola beat Malawi 2-0 and Lubango exploded into a frenzied and impromptu street party. It was impossible not to get caught up in the euphoria of the wild celebrations which remixed the raucous horn blowing and flag waving of a Brazilian street carnival with the white knuckle rush of a rollercoaster. In a chaotic procession through the city centre, we saw one daredevil dangling off the bottom of a packed lorry and another bouncing up and down on his scooter but nothing quite tops the genius jigging around in his underpants crashing saucepan lids together like cymbals.

One group of kids tumbled onto PUMAFootball’s moving van and together we bellowed their catchy but indecipherable mantra over the din of car horns. As our driver navigated the bumpy roads, we danced, high-fived strangers and repeatedly came close to tumbling on to the tarmac.

Infectious as the Angolans joy was, however, we can’t help thinking their partying is a bit premature. Like PUMAFootball getting the first four lottery numbers correct and rushing out to buy a yacht before hearing the rest of the news. Let’s not forget, the host nation hasn’t qualified for the knockout stages yet; the crunch game on 18 January is against Algeria – a side good enough to qualify for the World Cup, and their star striker, the Crazy Frog lookalike Flavio, could be out with injury.

Perhaps last night’s volcanic release of emotion can be explained by Angola’s kamikaze start against the Malians. The fans were denied the chance to celebrate that night after their team threw away a 4-0 lead, so now it seems they’re determined to make up for it. But maybe there are more deep-seated reasons for this very public outpouring. After having to endure so many years of civil war, government oppression and poverty, the Angolan people could certainly do with something to cheer. And boy, they do it with style. So for the good of this tournament and the people of Angola, PUMAFootball hopes the Black Antelopes go much, much further.

“Hi, I’m Sammy Eto’o. How are you doing?”

Posted by PUMA Football, January 15, 2010, 3:37pm

Over the past few days, PUMAFootball may have developed a bit of a man crush on Cameroon’s legendary No.9. It’s not just that the ever smiling striker bounded over to us at the Indomitable Lions’ training ground in Lubango to say hello, it’s that he introduced himself by name. As if we wouldn’t know who he was! But this charming man hasn’t got just us under his spell; the whole of Africa seems to adore him.

Last Wednesday, in a game that Cameroon somehow managed to lose against minnows Gabon, Eto’o’s talent lit up the Estadio Alto da Chela. Every time he touched the ball, there was more than just a sense of expectation from the Angolan crowd, there was sheer delight. Screams and cheers accompanied his every touch and, although he didn’t manage to score, his delicious technique sent the fans into raptures. Even the ball seemed to love him, performing tricks for him that it refused for others like an obedient dog for his master. The action wasn’t restricted to the pitch though - it was above it too. At one point during the second half, a daredevil helicopter pilot decided the footballers shouldn’t be getting all the attention and so buzzed right over the pitch. Not over the stadium – but right through it. The chopper was so low in fact that it was actually beneath the level of PUMAFootball’s seat. Crazy, irresponsible and quite, quite brilliant. ‘Brilliant’ isn’t a word that could be applied to the stadium announcer however – ‘farcical’ would be a more fitting description. You’d think announcing a player substitution would be a fairly simple gig but not for this joke whose catalogue of blunders included getting the wrong name for one Gabon substitute. Not one but twice. Comically the whole stadium could even hear his superior scolding him over the PA. PUMAFootball suspects there might be a job vacancy at the Estadio Alto da Chela before the next game. Please apply within...

THE ELEPHANTS AND THE BLACK STARS GET READY TO RUMBLE

Posted by PUMA Football, January 14, 2010, 12:01pm

Didier Drogba is not afraid of much and that includes Emmanuel Eboué trying to stab him with a fork. Still that doesn’t deter the mischievous full-back from trying to perforate his significantly bigger team-mate. Despite a sticky start to their Africa Cup of Nations thanks to a 0-0 draw with Burkina Faso, spirits are high in the Côte d'lvoire camp.

They may be the favorites to win the tournament thanks to a team line-up packed with stars from La Liga and the Premier League, but Les Elephants are not letting the pressure get to them. Now that Group B has been reduced from four teams to three following the return home of Togo, however, that game between Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana will prove absolutely crucial for both sides. Kolo Touré was characteristically laid back about the game when PUMAFootball caught up with him inside the compound where the teams are staying in Labungo. “We know they have some good players and we have big respect for Michael Essien,” he says. “Essien is one of the best midfielders in the world but let’s not forget Côte d'Ivoire have good midfielders too with Yaya and Zokora - so we’ll be hard to …” Mid-sentence, however, Kolo is forced to dive for cover as a bombardment of tiny berries rained down on him while the mohicaned Salomon Kalou jogs off giggling. As we said, the Côte d'Ivoire camp is pretty relaxed. The Ghanaian camp also appeared laid back when we were invited to watch them train on Tuesday. PUMAFootball even got to see a sneak preview of striker Asamoah Gyan’s new goal celebration, which Black Stars fans will no doubt be hoping he gets the opportunity to unveil come Friday. The imminent arrival of the superhuman Michael Essien is certainly helping the mood of the Ghana camp, although manager Milovan Rajevac could not guarantee that he would be fit enough to play in that crunch match following his recent return from injury. Nevertheless, his teammates know that just having him on the bench will help give them the edge over their opposition. “Michael Essien is very important to our team,” says left-back Hans Sarpei, “he is the leader of the team and he makes other teams afraid of Ghana..”

There’s zombies on the pitch... They think it’s all over... It is now.

Posted by PUMA Football, January 14, 2010, 9:00am

After Angola vs Mali when the host nation miraculously managed to throw away a 4-0 lead PUMAFootball thought the African Cup of Nations couldn’t get any more unpredictable. Then it did. Michael Jackson moonwalked on to the pitch during Ivory Coast vs Burkina Faso.

OK it may not have been the real King of Pop but to the delight of the fans at the Estadio Chimandela, the Cabinda Wacko Jacko wasn’t Bad. In fact, he and a supporting cast of ghastly ghoul dancers made a damn fine fist of re-enacting the Thriller video during their crazy, unpredictable and yet brilliant half-time performance.

Surprise with a side order of amazement really is the order of the day here in Angola. Behind every door there seems to be something to flabbergast. Take PUMAFootball’s arrival at the game. One wrong turn and we arrived not at our seat but quite bizarrely at pitch side where stumbling into the sunshine, we found ourselves just meters away from The Elephants who were in full flow trying to break down Burkina Faso’s steadfast defense. We must have stood there for a good five minutes wrapped in the action and breathing our hot, excited breath on to the necks of the players on the subs bench before a helpful steward arrived to helpfully show us to our seat.

It was still 0-0 in the opening game of Group B but judging by the reaction of one particular character you would have thought we were watching a goalfest. Barking into his mobile phone in rapid-fire bursts, Ghanaian radio commentator Steve was working up a prodigious sweat, while the rest of us fans could only watch on in admiration. But Steve doesn’t work alone. A tightly knit posse supported him including a dapper toothless gent in a pinstripe suit providing occasional analysis, an enthusiastic Burkina Faso fan who clapped and cheered on demand and last but by no means least, a professional mopper waiting on hand to dab Steve’s sopping brow with a hankie whenever possible.

It was quite a show and the game wasn’t bad either. The stellar cast of the tournament favorites Ivory Coast looked impressive. While credit must be given to Paulo Duarte’s well-drilled Burkino Faso side who managed to deny The Elephants. But for PUMAFootball, for this match at least the real highlight of the game were not the legends on the pitch but the stars in the stands.

Bongo Drumming Ghouls and Dancing Monks

Posted by PUMA Football, January 13, 2010, 8:11pm

Last Saturday, Puma Football attended the opening ceremony and tournament’s first game between the host nation and Mali in the capital city of Luanda. The experience was unforgettable. Acrobats, fireworks and raucous rhythms dazzled and delighted the 40,000 strong crowd but in terms of spectacle nothing quite matched the brilliantly insane fans. All around the concourse of the Cidade Universitaria Stadium, hordes of excited Angolan fans wearing Afro wigs in their team colours of red, black and yellow created an atmosphere we’ve never found anywhere else. Nor are we likely to.

Resembling a bizarre African Glastonbury than a football match, we encountered a troupe of bongo drumming ghouls, some dancing monks and, weirdest of all, three creatures known as mascaras tchokwe who wore all in one woollen body stockings that covered them not just head to toe but over their faces too. In 30 degrees of blistering heat. As we said: weird. The game was equally unpredictable. Four goals up with just 20 minutes gone, the jubilant crowd couldn’t quite believe the start Angola had made to the tournament. Nothing could stop them now and drunk on success the fans chanted for a fifth. Nothing at all. Right? But then the Malians scored a scruffy goal and as time ticked away confidence drained from Angola and into the away side like sand through an egg timer. Mali striker Fredi Kanoute popped up to bag a second and then four minutes of injury time were announced. When Mali scored their third the young Angolan girl standing in front of Puma Football began reading aloud from a prayer book in desperation... but her prayers were to go unanswered and Mali scored a horribly inevitable equaliser. The praying teenager collapsed to the floor. Flavio, Angola’s hat-trick hero burst into tears. This was not the start the host nation had dreamt of but still the African Cup of Nations 2010 has only just begun. There will be plenty more twists and turns before the final whistle on January 31st and that’s probably the only thing about this fantastically unpredictable tournament you can be sure of.

Posted by PUMA Football, January 13, 2010, 4:26pm

PUMA Football has been working closely with the Togo Football Federation since the tragedy on the Congo/Angola border on January 8. We offer our deepest sympathies to the families affected by this act of violence and to the players, staff and officials of the Togo Football Federation. We hope the Togo spirit and courage will continue to inspire the other African federations now gathered in Angola for the peaceful pursuit of football during and post the 2010 Orange Africa Cup of Nations.

The New Limited Edition V.1.10 Kehinde Wiley Boot Changes the Face of Football

Posted by PUMA Football, November 25, 2009, 12:21pm

What do you get when you pick one of our times most acclaimed and groundbreaking artists; give him a PUMA v.1.10 Boot – and let him unleash his talent on it?

In his second collaboration with PUMA, Kehinde Wiley, with his signature graphic prints inspired by the bold colors of Africa, took the v.1.10 football boot and made it into something extraordinary. Together, the product statements help set the stage for the ongoing PUMA Global Football campaign that is leading up to and through the FIFA World Cup™ 2010 in South Africa. Kehinde Wiley has distinguished himself for his portraits of famous African-Americans depicted in classical poses set against Wiley’s signature graphic backgrounds. These brilliantly colored patterns are featured in the line of apparel, footwear and accessories that he recently designed with PUMA. Embodying the spirit of what it is to be a football player and fan – Wiley consistently brings both intensity and passion to his creations. For all the curious and anticipating fans, calling out, “but when can we see this artwork-gone-boot” (or vice versa) we suggest you keep an extra eye open on PUMA players Samuel Eto’o, John Mensah and Emmanuel Eboué who will all wear this limited edition boot in their UEFA Champions League games, starting December 9th and through their respective league games during the weekend of December 19/20th.  All three players will sign their boots, which will be auctioned off in 2010 at the FIFA World Cup™ to benefit charity. The Limited Edition v.1.10 Kehinde Wiley boot isn’t just another designed football boot. It is a rich merit to Africa and comes in a uniquely numbered edition – so don’t slouch behind and admire it for too long, cause this boot is sure to be a sought-after collector’s item.

CONGRATS GHANA!!!

Posted by PUMA Football, October 17, 2009, 10:22am

On Friday October 16th, Ghana’s Black Satellites defeated Brazil in the final of the FIFA U20 World Cup in Egypt. It is the first time in history that an African team wins this tournament and “A victory for the continent – not just for Ghana” as the celebrated goalie, Daniel Agyiei said.

With trouble leaving the pitch goal-less, Ghana crowned an outstanding performance, scoring a total of 16 goals along the way to the final, with a superb demonstration of solidarity, strength and the, rare but oh so exceptional, we-might-have-one-less-U20-guy-on-the-pitch-but-damn-if-we’re-not-gonna-play-like-real-men-instead attitude for 83 of the 120 minutes of the final to eventually clinch the title on penalties.



As if the World Cup title wasn’t enough, Ghana also come back from Egypt with their trunks full of individual awards as Dominic Adiyiah finished Best Player and Top Scorer (8 goals) of the tournament.

Boosting additional confidence to the whole continent, the Black Satellites have set the tone for the tournament in South Africa as they landed the first ever African victory in the second biggest football tournament worldwide. We’re no psychics but we're already imagining next summer's festivities...

v1.10 National Team Jerseys

Posted by PUMA Football, October 10, 2009, 2:00am

Give it up for the new PUMA v.1.10 playing kit. The new v.1.10 playing kit is here and it brings ‘Confidence to be your fastest’. Going... "huh?" Allow us to elaborate.

Football is a game that evolves faster than fast, and it’s vital for players to keep up and adapt quickly (or at least quicker) and respond to this accelerated pace on the pitch; which is why (drum whirl) the v.1.10 series was developed (cymbal). We don’t want to perplex you, but before it was fast, the v.1.10 it was a sponge. Or magnet – whichever metaphor you see fit are ok. Relentlessly absorbing, it has drawn inspiration and attitude from the African players and teams (we’d like to say the whole continent, but that might be perceived as not specific enough – but it has) to the degree that we’re proud to state that it embodies the African state of mind. With more than a decade-long partnership and collaboration with African football federations, we feel immense joy to inform you that the new PUMA v.1.10 home and away jerseys will be released during both the 2010 African Cup of Nations and the FIFA World Cup by PUMA’s sponsored teams.

The Football is blue.

Posted by PUMA Football, September 25, 2009, 2:10pm

Italy’s victory in 2006 was a display in emotions that could have generated enough vigor to revitalize the mammoths. Last-grasp feats, acts of impulses mixed with pulsating hearts and tears of both joy and sorrow swapping places and spreading from the pitch to the stands quicker than Bolt in sprint marked the first time in company history that a PUMA sponsored team had won the World Cup™.

Forever grateful to be part of the long-standing tradition that is avid Italian football, we all just had to take a breather and reflect for a moment what the h**l just had happened. The decades of history, sweat, and fanfare. Italian victories so delicious and memorable passed on through the generations, orchestrated in a way that even wizards could conduct, and secured within a vibrant, national history that still echoes four years after. The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and PUMA have plans to continue their successful partnership beyond the 2014 World Cup™. PUMA will be the technical sponsor for apparel and equipment to the associated Men’s and Women’s National Teams. With these teams, come the players that bring the PUMA brand to life. Players like Buffon and Camoranesi – individuals who bring personality to the pitch and possess a steadfast nature that takes the team to victory. Together, we’re one big family wearing blue. Some of us have the Italian flag painted across our faces. All of us have the game in our hearts.