The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sports

  • Elephants’ coach wary of Nigeria

    Elephants’ coach wary of Nigeria

    HEAD coach of the Ivorian national team, Sabri Lamouchi, has taken the time to preview his side’s quarter final match against Nigeria at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

    Cote d’Ivoire’s Elephants will come up against Nigeria’s Super Eagles in the stand-out tie of the last eight at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg today.

    Lamouchi acknowledges that his wards are the favourites but also knows they can be surprised by a dangerous Nigerian side that has yet to lose a game in the competition.

    “We have no room for error, especially as we have in front of us a good team in Nigeria. The smallest error can cost us dearly,” Lamouchi said.

    The 41-year-old tactician is blessed with arguably the most gifted squad in the competition, with bookmakers installing the Elephants with the firm toga of runaway favourites for the title.

    Wins over Togo and Tunisia and a 2-2 draw against Algeria during qualification, and top spot from the group stages, had already put the Elephants in fine fettle ahead of Sunday’s clash against the Super Eagles.

    Lamouchi is, however, stressing the need for his charges to keep their feet firmly on the ground as the competition enters into the knockout stages.

  • Enyeama ready to rumble with Elephants

    Enyeama ready to rumble with Elephants

    SUPER Eagles goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama has said that the Eagles will give everything on Sunday to beat Elephant of Cote d’Ivoire in one of the Africa Cup of Nations slated for the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg.

    The Apoel Tel Aviv goal tender, who admitted that Eagles are in for a difficult challenge on Sunday, added that the Ivoirian are beatable if Nigerian side put up a good fight during the match.

    Enyeama stated that Cote d’Ivoire favourite tag won’t play any role when both face each other today.

    “Cote d’Ivoire are the best team in this championship and you can’t take that away from them. They are stars studded team, half of their team are playing in the English Premier League while the rest of the team are playing in the best team in Europe. They are the favourite but what I know is that stars don’t play football. We will attack them like elephants on Sunday,” Enyeama stated.

    Enyeama had made some superb saves in the ongoing campaign that have helped Eagles to remain in the championship, visibly among them was the late minute save he made during the game against Ethiopia.

    “I don’t really know how significant the save was. Maybe it would have been 1-1 or 2-1, you never know. I just thank God for the save. I don’t know how significant the save was because there is no reply to see it. Let thank God and move up from there. Our concern now is the game against Cote d’Ivoire and we are very focused for the match.”

  • Maigari predicts tough duel against Cote d’Ivoire

    Maigari predicts tough duel against Cote d’Ivoire

    PRESIDENT of the Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, has referred to Sunday’s quarter final showdown between the Super Eagles and the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire in Rustenburg as ‘final before final’.

    The NFF supremo was gearing up the Nigerian squad ahead of the big duel which headlines the weekend’s last eight pairings, with host South Africa the only non-West African nation involved.

    Nigeria won the Cup of Nations in 1980 and 1994 while Cote d’Ivoire lifted their only title after a marathon penalty shoot-out triumph over neighbours, Ghana, in Senegal in 1992.

    “The match you are playing on Sunday (today) against the Ivorians is the ‘final before final’ of the championship, as you may have been reading in most of the pre-match previews, analyses and commentaries. So, you have to play it like you are playing the final match.

    “Our country is one of the biggest and most respected football-playing nations of the world. At every opportunity, we must fully underscore this fact. We are a powerful nation, on and off the field.”

    Nigeria take on Cote d’Ivoire on Sunday in one of the quarter final matches of the 29th Africa Cup of Nations, starting from 4pm Nigeria time at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Stadium in Rustenburg.

    Maigari added: “I am very happy that there are no injuries in camp, and also that Coach Keshi has assured that there is capable replacement for Fegor Ogude

  • Keshi: I’ll be proud of Eagles

    Keshi: I’ll be proud of Eagles

    HEAD Coach of the Super Eagles, Stephen Keshi, has declared that whatever the outcome of the quarter final match against Cote d’Ivoire in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations, his wards will be encouraged to hold their heads high.

    He said, so far, the players have impressed in all standards considering the time they’ve had together, adding that whatever happens after this time he will still be proud of them.

    “Cote d’Ivoire has a very strong squad and they are very experienced. They have been together for a long time now but that does not count most of the time in football.

    “We are not intimidated; the mood in camp is good, the players are focused and we are looking forward to the match,” Keshi said.

    He denied any form of pressure from his employers, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), but admitted that the only pressure he has is to achieve the personal target he has set for himself.

    “There are no pressure whatsoever from the NFF. The only pressure I have now is the Stephen Keshi-pressure. I have my personal goals that I want to achieve and if you call that pressure, then it is pressure,” he said.

  • Super Eagles to offer big test for Elephants

    Super Eagles to offer big test for Elephants

    Africa Cup of Nations 2013 favourites, Cote d’Ivoire, face their first big test against Nigeria today at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg in the quarterfinals of the continental competition.

    The team qualified for the second round of the tournament after their second Group D match, following two successive wins against Togo and Tunisia.

    A draw against Algeria followed and the Elephants now meet up with one of Africa’s football greats to fight for a place in the semis.

    But for the Selefanto national team coach, Sabri Lamouchi, the discourse remains the same ahead of this crucial clash, given that the only alternative to qualification is a return trip home.

    “As much as we don’t fear anyone, we don’t underestimate anyone either,” stated the French-Tunisian tactician at a press conference.

    “There is a sense of the collective, solidarity, a passion to win that is important. That is what we have to hold on to. Our goal of six finals remains steadfast.

    “Now, it’s Nigeria and we have to go and get this win to remain in the competition. It won’t be easy, but we have the players necessary to go and secure this victory on our way to continental glory,” stated Salomon Kalou.

    While Sabri Lamouchi will have his whole team available for selection, the Nigerian national coach, Stephen Keshi, will be missing midfielder Fegor Ogude, who was awarded two yellow cards in the group phase.

    Nigeria finished second in Group C at the end of the group phase, qualifying for the quarterfinals of the AFCON 2013 by beating Ethiopia 2-0, after being held to a draw by both Burkina Faso and Zambia.

    In their five past Africa Cup clashes, the two teams have each won twice, with one draw between them, but the Elephants dominated in their two most recent matches, winning 1-0 in both the AFCON 2006 semi final and during the group phase of the 2008 edition.

  • Paul Put plots Adebayor downfall

    BURKINA Faso coach, Paul Put, is plotting a foil to the Emmanuel Adebayor juggernaut in Sunday’s quarterfinal at Mbombela, reports MTNFootball.com

    Put stated that they were expecting a tough game against Togo who are in inspired mood following the recent return from self-imposed exile of their talismanic captain and striker.

    “And you know it is always a difficult game because the style of Togo is very hot, in duals they have a lot physical players,” Put said.

    “In Emmanuel Adebayor you know they have somebody who is very smart.

    “He has a lot of experience, maturity and technically he has everything.

    “And it is up to us to find a key against Togo.”

    Adebayor, who has scored one goal in the competition, is the architect of Togo’s debut quarterfinal appearance.

    Meanwhile, Togo and Burkina Faso are chasing a historic Africa Cup semi-final appearance.

    Togo, despite qualifying for the 2006 World Cup, have never advanced to the Africa Cup quarterfinals, until 2013 in South Africa.

    Burkina Faso on the other hand are pushing for their first semi-final appearance after reaching the last eight for the first time in 1998.

  • Togo, Burkina Faso chase history

    TODAY’S Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal clash in Nelspruit offers the chance for two of the continent’s minnows to write a new page in their respective histories.

    Burkina Faso have only once progressed beyond the group stages of the continental showpiece when they finished fourth on home soil in 1998. On seven other occasions they were eliminated in the group stages.

    Togo’s record is even less impressive the Sparrow Hawks have played in six AFCON finals, but have never made it beyond the first round.

    Togo coach, Didier Six, saw his team squeeze through to the last eight after a tension-filled 1-1 draw with Tunisia. Having already exceeded expectations, the Frenchman said on Saturday there was no reason his men could not aim higher.

    “I told the players that they had already written an important page of history for Togolese football, but there is still some room to write more and that we should play it 100 percent,” Six said.

    “All the work done in the last 15 months is starting to pay off.”

    Six also saw the tournament as an opportunity for his players to market themselves and earn moves to Europe’s bigger clubs.

  • Wakaso double takes Ghana to semis

    A second half penalty and a runaway goal from substitute Wakaso Mubarak helped favourites Ghana beat a resilient Cape Verde Islands side 2-0 in their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON quarterfinal match at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium yesterday.

    Tournament debutants Cape Verde looked to have the better of the more fancied Black Stars for much of the game, and in particular the first half. Ghana, however, were able to weather a storm of Cape Verde attacks to keep the sides level.

    Cape Verde looked confident on the ball and attacked as a team, while Ghana were nervous and lacking in creativity.

    Ghana’s lack of initiative mattered little when the game-changing moment came in the 52nd minute when a penalty was awarded to the four-time AFCON champions. Mubarak stepped up and converted to make it 1-0.

    Mubarak doubled his tally in second half injury time, when he caught Cape Verde on the break as they threw everyone forward. He ran from the halfway line and slotted into an open goal to secure the 2-0 victory and vault his team into the last four.

  • Yobo targets victory against Elephants

    SUPER Eagles captain, Joseph Yobo, has said the quarter final match of the Africa Cup of Nations against Cote d’Ivoire today in Rustenburg, South Africa is another game of football between two strong rivals.

    Cote d’Ivoire had defeated the Super Eagles in the semi final of the 2008 AFCON and it’s widely believed that this is an opportunity to avenge the painful defeat suffered in the hands of the Elephants in Ghana, but Yobo has refrained from such.

    “There’s nothing like payback time in football,” said the Fenerbahce of Turkey defender. “We just need to look forward to winning the match. It is one game at a time. It is true that they defeated us in 2008 in the semi final but that is in the past now.

    “Yes, this is my sixth AFCON I have played, and with a stronger Nigerian team and we didn’t win it. I want to win the Nations Cup to crown my career,” Yobo noted.

    The former Everton of England defender said it will be unfair for anyone to tag the Eagles as underdogs, adding the team deserves some respect having qualified for the quarter finals.

    Said he: “I think it will be disrespectful for anyone to think we are the underdogs in this encounter. The Elephants are beatable, after all. Don’t forget that they lost in the final of the last edition and the defending champions Zambia are already out.

    “We know that the expectations back home are high; while few think we can win, majority think we are not good enough. Everybody is entitled to their opinion, but the answer will be provided on Sunday after the match,” he added.

  • Oboabona dismisses Drogba, Gervinho

    GODFREY Oboabona said that his growing confidence will help him to tackle former Chelsea deadly striker Didier Drogba in a quarter final clashes against Cote d’Ivoire today.

    The 22-year-old central defender who has proved much of his potentials at 2013 Nations cup with good understanding with his pairing partners.

    “We are expecting tough battle against Cote d’Ivoire,” said Oboabona.”We will be competing against Africa best players with the like of Yaya Toure, Didier Drogba, Gervinho and others.

    “We are already setting our focus on the game and only the better team will scale through.”

    Oboabona further said he’s aware of most tough challenges waiting to stop Drogba and Gervinho.

    “Firstly, it will be a great one for me to challenge those highly rated stars in Ivoirian team. They have the experience; they play in good league and best team in Europe just like our players. I am not afraid of them because I tackle most of our defenders in training and that will really help me on Sunday.”

    “I don’t fear Drogba or Gervinho but I will respect them and give them the fight. It will be great to stop such players, they are key players and it will be a dream for me to achieve my mission.”