Category: Sports

A Quarterfinal spot, revenge and bragging rights are riding on today’s AFCON Group C showdown between Nigeria and Zambia in Nelspruit.

Both teams were pegged back by less fancied teams in their opening AFCON group openers – defending champions Zambia were stunned by an exciting Ethiopia side, while the Super Eagles were also cancelled out at the death by Burkina Faso.

The result is that Group C is very wide open as all four teams are on equal footing, but today’s results would give a clearer picture in the race for places to the knockout stage of this tournament that has already produced a number of surprises.

Even before the first ball was kicked at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, Zambia coach Herve Renard fueled the growing rivalry between the two teams when he said he was not impressed with the Eagles against debutants Cape Verde in a warm-up game in Portugal.

Was Renard playing mind games? Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi, who celebrated his 51st birthday on Wednesday, said he is not interested and that scores will have to be settled on the pitch from 4pm Nigerian time.

Incidentally, Keshi recorded his first win as Eagles coach against the Chipolopolo in November 2011 in a friendly played in the northern Nigeria city of Kaduna. Goals by the Uche brothers, Kalu and Ikechukwu, lifted the Eagles above a team that will go on to surprise everyone to win the Nations Cup in Gabon three months later.

But even in defeat, Zambia were the more cohesive team and outplayed their hosts for most periods with playmaker Rainford Kalaba running the show.

Zambia also enjoyed more possession when they were eliminated by Nigeria at the quarterfinals of the 2010 Nations Cup in Angola after a penalty shootout.

Other notable clashes between these teams were the 1994 final in Tunisia, which Nigeria won 2-1 to claim their second Nations Cup trophy, as well as a 2-0 win over the Zambians in the 1990 tournament in Algeria.

Zambia stopped Nigeria from featuring at the 1986 Nations Cup in Egypt and also trounced the Super Eagles 3-0 at the 1982 AFCON in Libya.

Overall, the teams have met 16 times at full international level with both claiming victory in five games, while six matches ended in a draw. While Zambia have kept a low profile in the run-in to this clash, Nigeria have had a few things to say about this match-up.

Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi was the man of the match against Burkina Faso and he said he’s already looking beyond this game as he believes Nigeria could go all the way to claim their third trophy in South Africa.

“We may have drawn our first game, but we need to settle down and forget it and concentrate, and I can see us smiling home with the trophy at the end of the day,” Mikel predicted.

Goalkeeper Austin Ejide said they expects a tough game from the champions.

“It’s not going to be an easy game for us, but we are preparing very hard for it. The team spirit is very high and we know the demands ahead because a win would do us a lot of good,” he told MTNFootball.com.

Super Eagles Head Coach, Stephen Keshi says the team is calm and ready for today’s crunch battle against defending champions, Chipolopolo of Zambia at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.

Speaking at the pre-match media briefing at the team’s Ingwenyama Sports Resort in Nelspruit on Thursday afternoon, Keshi said he foresees a difficult game but was sure that his wards will come out better at the end of the encounter. “Yes, we are playing against the defending champions and we know they are very good but we also know our potentials and we are sure to come clean at the end of the day.

In company of team skipper, Joseph Yobo, Keshi praised the output of the team in the last game against Burkina Faso and again pleaded with Nigerians to give his youthful side time to blossom. “Yes, we have millions of coaches in Nigeria but they must understand that every national team that has achieved took time to build and they must give this Super Eagles side time to grow”, he said.

Keshi also spoke about his former play-mate in Belgium who is now the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ), President, Kalusha Bwalya, declaring that he has had a wonderful relationship with him over the years and do hope to have a good handshake with him at the end of today’s game no matter where the result goes. “We played together in Belgium, while I was in Anderletch, he was in Club Brugges and we were like brothers, up to the 1994 finals in Tunisia. It does not mean we don’t kick ourselves on the pitch, so on Friday our players will kick themselves and we will do the handshakes”.

Skipper Joseph Yobo, said he would not talk much about the boast by the Zambian side that they will take Nigeria to the cleaners. “We shall see when we get to the pitch tomorrow”, he declared.

Super Eagles captain, Joseph Yobo has shaken off the errors which led to the stalemate recorded by his side in the first game against Burkina Faso on Monday, saying he is ready to stop the Zambians.

Adding his voice to that of his coach, Stephen Keshi, the Fenerbache of Turkey defender said the team has resolved to build on its weakness to scoop the three points at stake against a dreaded Zambian team to make the last match against Ethiopia much more earsier.

“There are reports that I am injured. I have since overcome the ankle injury and I am fully fit for the encounter,” he said.

“Zambia is a very strong side and we have great respect for them, but we also know the expectations back home and hope not to disappoint,” he said.

Yobo said the Eagles have trained hard enough to go past the first round of the competition and go all the way to the finals. He added that that is what the team has resolved to do in the field of play today.

West Brom striker Peter Osaze Odemwingie will not be allowed to leave in January, according to the club’s sporting and technical director.

The Baggies are believed to have rejected a two million pound offer from QPR for the Nigerian, but West Brom sporting and technical director Richard Garlick has hinted that bids would have to be substantial in order to be considered.

“Last summer there were supposedly players leaving but we kept hold of most of them,” Garlick told Sky Sports News.

“We don’t have to sell any of our players. It’s only on our terms. It’s well documented about Peter. We had an offer and we don’t intend to sell any of our players.

“When an offer comes in, we speak to the player out of courtesy. We’ve had that chat with Peter and he knows the situation.”

Garlick also revealed that the Baggies are unlikely to add to the squad before the end of the transfer window.

“We’re happy with the squad we’ve got and there are no immediate plans to bring anyone in,” he continued.

“If an opportunity presents itself, then we will look at that, but we’re looking more towards the summer.”