Video: Butt grab could lead to lashing for Iranian soccer players

By Paul Canning

Two Iranian soccer players who used "inappropriate" behavior to celebrate during a nationally televised game on Saturday may face lashings and imprisonment.

Iranian media have been up in arms over the celebratory scene captured on camera after a Persepolis goal, ending the team's losing streak, in which one player touched the others' buttocks.

The Washington Post reported that the action could be construed as a violation of public chastity, punishable by two months in prison and a public 74-strike lashing, taking place in the same soccer arena where the situation occurred.

Iranian media reported that Perspolis chairman Mohammad Royanian fined one player $194,000 and the other $230,000, who was also fired.

Royanian also criticized the Iranian football federation as well as the head of the Iranian Pro League for hyping the 'unpleasant incident 'in front of news media representatives.

A judiciary official has called for the two men to be flogged and imprisoned.

Members of the National Soccer Team, however, have issued a statement in support of their colleagues, insisting that the affair was not intentional.

Both players have also issued public statements saying they committed no indecency, and all the negative interpretations of the scene are misunderstandings.

Former national team player Mehdi Mahdavikia said Iranian media were making a big deal out of the incident.

“When I was playing in Germany, such things happened all the time,” he said.

Watch what happened:

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FIFA to investigate homophobic Nigerian women's football coach

No lesbians here

By Paul Canning

The Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) say they have opened an investigation into homophobic comments made by Nigerian football coach Eucharia Uche.

In June we reported how Coach Uche, the former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) technical assistant Sir James Peters, and the NFF's Chief Media Officer, Ademola Olajire, had all bragged to a Nigerian newspaper about driving lesbians out of the women's team.

"When I was drafted to work with the Falcons last year, I decamped some of the players, not because they were not good players, but because they were lesbians. It did not go down well with some of the players because we made sure that neither the 'husband' nor the 'wife' made the team,” Peters said.

"We have seen the result of our efforts and I can tell you that lesbianism is now a thing of the past in the camp of the Super Falcons [the team's nickname]," said Uche.

The controversy over the banning of lesbians from Nigeria's women's football team dominated coverage of their bid for the World Cup in Germany in June.

Uche told media covering the Cup that it was all a misunderstanding, saying "I'm sorry that such a situation has arisen. I've never made such statements."

Speaking to German television channel ARD during the Cup, Tatjana Haenni, FIFA's head of women's competitions, said that "FIFA is against all forms of discrimination." Haenni said FIFA would be talking to Uche about her comments and reminding the coach of the governing bodies statutes.

The investigation is promised in a letter from FIFA 5 September to the International Association of Gay and Lesbian Football (Iglfa), the Federation of Gay Games and the campaigning organisation AllOut.org.

Andre Banks of Allout.org, who led a campaign for action against homophobia in women's football which generated a 46,000 petition and protests during the Women's World Cup in Germany, said they were ""excited to see FIFA take a first, critical step."

"By launching an immediate probe into coach Uche's homophobic statements, the international governing body of soccer is sending a clear and important message: homophobia has no place in football, on or off the field."

FIFA has earlier been heavily criticised for awarding the Men's Word Cup to Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal.

Last month a leading French activist urged the French government and French Football Federation to seek "a specific intervention" with 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar "so that this country decriminalise homosexuality and put an end to discrimination suffered by people living with AIDS."

Related articles

• France urged to protest Qatar's World Cup over homophobia, HIV/Aids discrimination (madikazemi.blogspot.com)
• FIFA targeted after news of ban on lesbian football players (madikazemi.blogspot.com)
• Nigeria's women's football team 'bans lesbians', FIFA criticised (madikazemi.blogspot.com) 
• Video: Protest continues on Nigerian football homophobia (madikazemi.blogspot.com)

France urged to protest Qatar's World Cup over homophobia, HIV/Aids discrimination

Via: Yagg

Openly gay and HIV+ prominent French politican and writer Jean-Luc Romero has called on the French government, France's Football Federation and world football body FIFA to seek "a specific intervention" with 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar "so that this country decriminalise homosexuality and put an end to discrimination suffered by people living with AIDS."

"The problem," said Romero, "is that this country has been designated to host the football World Cup in 2022. In practice, this means that any homosexual could be stopped! While sport and football is supposed to convey the values ​​of tolerance, the choice of such a country to host a major sporting event is serious," he said.

In Qatar, homosexuality is punishable by five years in prison and 90 lashes, according to Romero. He pointed out that the purchase of one of France's leading football clubs, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), in July by a Qatari investment group had raised considerable disquiet over a possible threat to its existing "excellent" partnership with a gay football supporters association. The club had signed a partnership with the association to fight against homophobia and discrimination in football in 2008.

"The leaders of international football does not seem to care," says Romero. Yagg notes that FIFA leader Sepp Blatter when asked about the issue of the criminalisation of homosexuality in Qatar has said:

"I think they [gays] should refrain from sexual activity. "

Romero notes that because of visa restrictions Qatar is "forbidden territory for people with HIV. To 33 million people living with AIDS in 2011!"

He argues that "values" football "should override financial interests."

"If [French Sports Minister] Chantal Jouanno and Sepp Blatter do not intervene, they will validate the fact that economic development is paramount, that discrimination is acceptable when the financial stakes are high and therefore the World Cup is not really a feast for all! In their own way - that of those who want to keep their hands clean - they justify homophobic hatred and violence."

Update, 25 September: French club Paris Saint-Germain has renewed its partnership with the LGBT football association Paris Foot Gay (PFG).

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Video: Protest continues on Nigerian football homophobia

Source: guddi1108



A flashmob was held in Frankfurt, Germany yesterday before the opening whistle of the FIFA Women’s World Cup semi-final calling "loudly against discrimination" in protest at the banning of lesbians from Nigeria's women's football team.

The controversy began with a report in a Nigerian newspaper which was subsequently covered by the New York Times. In the report Nigeria Coach Eucharia Uche, the former NFF technical assistant Sir James Peters, and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)'s Chief Media Officer, Ademola Olajire, had all bragged to a Nigerian newspaper about driving lesbians out of the women's team.

45,000 people have signed a petition organised by allout.org. They say that FIFA has dodged the reports of homophobia in the Nigerian team with a bland statement broadly denouncing "discrimination" without mentioning homophobia explicitly or the specific allegations against Nigeria's coach.

Before leaving Germany Uche denied making the statements she'd been reported as making.

Nigeria coach: 'I never said I banned lesbians'

No lesbians here

By Paul Canning

The controversy over the banning of lesbians from Nigeria's women's football team is dominating coverage of their bid for World Cup in Germany.

Today they face the German World Champions and are expected to lose and hence be out of the Cup.

The controversy began with a report in a Nigerian newspaper which was subsequently covered by the New York Times. In the report Nigeria Coach Eucharia Uche, the former NFF technical assistant Sir James Peters, and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)'s Chief Media Officer, Ademola Olajire, had all bragged to a Nigerian newspaper about driving lesbians out of the women's team.

In Germany, Uche has said that she cannot understand the fuss over her remarks. "What has this got to do with the World Cup," she told the German broadcaster ARD.

After Nigeria lost their opening game 1-0 to France on Sunday, Uche repeated her remarks that she had acted to remove any lesbians from the team, known as the Super Falcons.

Then on Wednesday she claimed it was a misunderstanding, saying "I'm sorry that such a situation has arisen. I've never made such statements."

World football body FIFA has been the subject of a campaign on the issue of the Nigerian lesbian ban. allout.org which is coordinating the campaign today reported that 35,000 petitions had gone to the organisation.

The campaign is asking FIFA president Joseph 'Seph' Blatter to:

"Play by FIFAs own rules, and investigate the harassment and termination of players “suspected” of being gay. Blatter needs to condemn this blatant discrimination, as well as make moves to include sexual orientation and gender identity into FIFA’s anti-discrimination policy."

Speaking to German television channel ARD, Tatjana Haenni, FIFA's head of women's competitions, said that "FIFA is against all forms of discrimination." Haenni said FIFA will be talking to Uche about her comments and reminding the coach of the governing bodies statutes.

After initially refusing comment the German Football Federation issued the following statement yesterday:

"Our association resolutely combats any kind of discrimination. This also includes the fight against homophobia. The current issue around the coach of the Nigerian national team certainly requires further discussion. But this can only be done by the tournament host, which is FIFA."

Nigerian exiled activist Rev. Rowland Jide Maccauley, who has supported the campaign, warned, however, in comments to the Associated Press, that homosexuality was perceived in Nigeria as 'western decadence' and therefore it was important that African gay voices are heard. Any 'knee-jerk outcry from the West' was not always helpful, he said.

"We tell our European friends:.... Support us, but go with us on the small steps. Recognise our concerns Discuss with us before you act on our behalf"

Discussion in German media about the Nigeria scandal has also focused on how the World Champion German team includes a number of lesbian and bisexual women whose presence arouses little interest. However six years ago they became the focus of tabloid interest after a 'love triangle' between players Inka Grings, Linda Bresonik and coach Holger Fach was exposed.

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FIFA targeted after news of ban on lesbian football players

By Paul Canning

The International Gay and Lesbian Football Association (IGLFA), the Federation of Gay Games (FGG) with AllOut.org, a community of 500,000 people in every country in the world, have launched a campaign calling on football's governing body FIFA to pull out the "red card" on a homophobic witch-hunt of the Nigerian women's football team.

The campaign calls on FIFA to live up to its own ethics guidelines, and publicly condemn the systematic homophobic discrimination by the Nigerian soccer league.

On Wednesday we reported how Coach Eucharia Uche, the former NFF technical assistant Sir James Peters, and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)'s Chief Media Officer, Ademola Olajire, had all bragged to a Nigerian newspaper about driving lesbians out of the women's team.

"When I was drafted to work with the Falcons last year, I decamped some of the players, not because they were not good players, but because they were lesbians. It did not go down well with some of the players because we made sure that neither the 'husband' nor the 'wife' made the team,” Peters said.

"We have seen the result of our efforts and I can tell you that lesbianism is now a thing of the past in the camp of the Super Falcons [the team's nickname]," said Uche

The campaign is asking FIFA president Joseph 'Seph' Blatter to:

"Play by FIFAs own rules, and investigate the harassment and termination of players “suspected” of being gay. Blatter needs to condemn this blatant discrimination, as well as make moves to include sexual orientation and gender identity into FIFA’s anti-discrimination policy."

“FIFA has a truly admirable track record of challenging racism and discrimination,” says Andre Banks, co-founder of AllOut.org.

“Now it’s time to bring soccer in to the 21st century. FIFA can use its hard-earned moral authority to make sure that homophobia also no longer has a place on the playing field.”

"Like anyone else, LGBT people have the right to participate in sport without fear of discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity," says Mr Rowland Jide Macaulay, Co-Chair of Pan Africa ILGA (International Lesbian & Gay Association).

"We condemn the action of the Nigerian Football Association in its attempt to bring hatred to the passionate games of football."

FIFA has run a global “Say No to Racism” campaign and in its mission statement states a desire to use the game in, “overcoming social and cultural obstacles for women with the ultimate aim of improving women’s standing in society.”

“Sport can be, must be, a power for good. We must make sure that every athlete has the right to be part of sport’s mission for a better world, regardless of sex, race, religion or sexual orientation,” says Klaus Heusslein, Co-President of IGLFA.

“The right to participate in sport is a human right, a right for everybody, for all Nigerians, for all women, for all whomever they love.”

“The truest values of sport are those of sport for all. This means sport in which everyone is welcome and everyone is safe, whatever their sexual identity and sexual orientation,” says Emy Ritt, co-president of the FGG.

“The actions of the Nigerian team are contrary to our values of participation, inclusion and personal best for all, which should be the values of FIFA and sportspeople everywhere.”

FIFA has earlier been heavily criticised for awarding the Men's Word Cup to Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal.

The Women’s World Cup competition opens this weekend with a kick-off game between Nigeria and France, followed by a Nigeria vs Germany game 30 June.

• Take action here

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Nigeria's women's football team 'bans lesbians', FIFA criticised

Eucharia Uche receiving a gift from FIFA Competitions Manager, Oliver Vogt. Image by Getty Images via @daylife

By Paul Canning

The Nigerian women's football team, the Falcons, has expelled a number of lesbians, according to a report in a Nigerian newspaper.

The news has been reported in Germany, where the Nigerian team is to meet the German team in a FIFA Women's World Cup game 30 June.

Nigerian newspaper Sun News reports that Coach Eucharia Uche told Daily Sunsports last weekend that "lesbianism could be counted as a thing of the past among [the Nigerian women's team]".

"Yes, lesbianism used to be a big problem in the team, but since I took over as the chief coach of Falcons, I think the problem has been dealt with. Lucky, some of the girls played with me and they know my dos and don'ts. They know that I cannot tolerate such a nasty practice. In fact, lesbianism does not currently exist in Falcons' camp and nobody discusses it."

"The players have come to know God now unlike what we had in the past. Most of them lived in ignorance, but now, they have realised the truth through proper counselling."

"We now have a bunch of players that are thirsty for the things of God and with that, they are now more committed and devoted to their games, knowing that football can attract fame, fortune and joy to their hearts quite unlike lesbianism that can ruin them. The Christians among them now go to church and on our own, we periodically organise non-denominational prayer sessions."

"We have seen the result of our efforts and I can tell you that lesbianism is now a thing of the past in the camp of the Super Falcons."

Uche "shocked" her audience at a event in 2009 'First Seminar on Women Football in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects' shortly before she was hired "with the startling admittance that some of the country's female players often times indulged in lesbian practices."

“It's a worrisome experience that some of our players indulge in lesbianism. Some of them go as far as renting rooms in hotels around the team's campsite where they go to satisfy their orgy," Uche said.

“A good number of them even bring their male friends into the camp. It's a serious development that has been detrimental to the team's growth and performance."

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)'s Chief Media Officer, Ademola Olajire, has previously denounced "women sleeping with their fellow women as love birds".

“We all know of these vices because lesbianism has become a thing of common knowledge that the female footballers no more hide it among themselves. However, those who indulge in the nasty act had promised to stop it and the NFF is putting measures in place to ensure that they keep to their promises,” Olajire said.

The former NFF technical assistant Sir James Peters, told The Sun News:

"Having coached female teams in the US, I have an in-depth knowledge about how lesbians operate."

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