The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sports

  • Keshi: Dike not ripe for AFCON

    Keshi: Dike not ripe for AFCON

    Super Eagles’ surprise exclusion Bright Dike is not yet mature to feature for Nigeria in the forthcoming African Cup of Nations in South Africa, head coach Stephen Keshi has said, as one of the reasons for leaving the 21-year-old out of his AFCON squad.

    Dike was among the final five players dropped from the Eagles’ 23-man AFCON list released by Keshi in Faro, Portugal on Wednesday night.

    The Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer star’s omission from the Eagles’ list has generated lots of sympathy from football-loving Nigerians who were of the view that the impact of the America-born Nigerian footballer, most especially his performance during Nigeria’s match against Catalonia, should have earned him a place in South Africa.

    But Keshi saw Dike as a future player for the national team while he kept faith with the players that won the AFCON ticket for the nation.

    The team’s media officer, Ben Alaiya, quoting Keshi, said: “Bright Dike is a young player. He is still 21 years, which is his true age. Dike is a future player for the national team. He played for Nigeria in the friendly game against Venezuela and the game against Catalonia. We just want to give him more time to mature.”

    Alaiya added: “Maybe Keshi is keeping faith with the players that qualified us for the Nations Cup. Keshi personally addressed all the five players dropped from the squad and told them that they were part and parcel of the team. He said if he had his way he would have gone to South Africa with all of them. The World Cup qualifiers will start in March. Whether Keshi is in charge of the team then or not, Dike will be definitely be part of the Eagles squad.”

  • Gyan ‘will not take penalty’

    Gyan ‘will not take penalty’

    Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan has revealed he will not take a penalty during normal play in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

    The 27-year-old missed a spot-kick that would have put Ghana in the semi-finals of World Cup 2010 and again in the semi-finals of last year’s Nations Cup. After suffering abuse from fans, which led him to take an international break, Gyan does not want to step up again. “I have decided not to take a penalty for the national team,” he said.

    “Most of the biggest players have missed penalties – Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona – all great players. On a bad day it can happen.

    “But I said some months back that I wouldn’t take another penalty. Before my Mum died [in November] she told me not to take penalties any more.”

    Two years ago Gyan failed to convert a penalty against Uruguay at the end of extra-time in their World Cup quarter-final, which would have won the game and made them the first African side to reach the last four in the history of the competition.

    Then in February he again missed from the spot in his country’s Nations Cup semi-final against Zambia, who went on to win 1-0 and then beat Ivory Coast in the final.

    Later that month Gyan said: “It’s been very hard for me mentally, to miss two important successive penalties for my country.

    “I never fully recovered from the 2010 World Cup and now the 2012 [Africa Cup of Nations].”

    Gyan returned from his self-imposed exile in August, and in October he was given the responsibility of replacing John Mensah as the Black Stars captain.

    While he is “thrilled” to be leading from the front, he will not be at the head of the queue to take another spot-kick when the action once the tournament kicks off on 19 January.

    But he hinted that would dig deep to show leadership in a penalty-shoot-out, saying “if I’ve been chosen to take one then why not.”

    As for Ghana’s chances of lifting the trophy come the final on 10 February, Gyan is careful not to make any bold statements.

    “It’s been over 10 years since we won a cup and sometimes it is a bit frustrating,” he said. “All the Ghanaians are expecting a cup back home and that can put a bit of pressure on the players.

    “But we know how to do our job. We have played in Europe and on the biggest stages in the world. We have to focus, make sure we qualify from the group stages and then we can think about winning the cup.”

    Ghana kick off their campaign against the Democratic Republic of Congo on 20 January and will also face Mali and Niger in Group B.

  • Osaze, Lukaku commend coach

    Osaze, Lukaku commend coach

    Out-of-favour Super Eagle Peter Osaze Odemwingie and his West Brom team mate Romelu Lukaku have heaped praises on head coach Steve Clarke for his visionary efforts in building a strong team that can now challenge for continental competitions.

    WBA are playing as a side well-tuned to their style throughout with energetic forwards Shane Long and Peter Odemwingie offering mobility along the front line. Right from the outset Odemwingie said he was impressed with Clarke’s outlook, emboldened by the Scot’s drive to look upwards in the league rather than prioritise mere survival.

    “When I heard his ambitions for the season it was pleasing. He worked under big-name coaches so we knew he couldn’t be affected by those big-name coaches who want to win things. He said the goal was to build on our organisation and to almost double the number of passes that we make in every game. That was one of the targets. That helps you recover faster and create more chances,” Osaze stated.

    Romelu Lukaku, a 19-year-old loanee from Chelsea who has been a superb addition to the side providing a daunting and powerful focal point for their attack is also feeling the benefits of working under Clarke.

    “I have a head coach who wanted me from the beginning of the season and I have a great rapport with him. He’s not scared to put me on the bench even if I played well in the game before.

    “It’s really good to have a head coach that is challenging me mentally and I like that because great players can always respond to that and hopefully I can be a great player in the future,” Lukaku added.

  • Ahmed Musa begins Afcon 2013 hair-waves

    With the AFCON 2013 championship just around the corner, players have started creating images that will be seen of them in the championship. Many Super Eagles players, if not all, have suddenly rolled out trendy and colourful boots after the naming of the 23-man squad for the championship by the technical crew.

    But the most noticeable of them all is CSKA winger, Ahmed Musa, who has painted his hair purple and light brown ahead of the championship. Musa, came into training on Friday morning looking different, with players and officials rushing to take photographs of the new-look Musa. He was to say that will be the hairstyle that he will wear at the tournament, thus effectively setting the tone for the SA 2013 hair-waves. Many players from different countries are expected to follow suit in the coming days.

    It’s not all about style and panache in the Eagles camp, as some players have chosen to take extra training on their own after the coaching crew finish their own session in order to get extra ready for the championship in South Africa. On Friday after the regular training session, Nosa Igiebor, Elderson Echejile, Obiorah Nwankwo and Kenneth Omeruo remained behind to practice set pieces and work on accurate crosses and shots on their own. An appreciative Assistant Coach, Sylvanus Okpala (MON), was to later join them in the session. “Bros, we just want to get better for the Nations Cup, nothing special”, Igiebor said after the session that lasted over 20minutes.

  • Zambia out to defend the Afcon title

    We are going to South Africa to defend our trophy with the same motivation and determination as we did when we first won it in Gabon,” African champion Zambia coach Herve Renard has said.

    Speaking exclusively to fazfootball.com, Renard said he was looking forward to a great tournament when the 29th edition of Africa’s biggest soccer fiesta gets underway in Johannesburg next week.

    “We are going to the Africa Cup finals to do our best. Our mission is to defend our trophy with the same motivation and determination,” Renard said, adding: “And we believe that with the support we will get from thousands of our fans who will travel, we will have a great tournament,” The ‘Fox’ said.

    Zambia has made South Africa its ‘home training base’. Thousands of Zambians are expected to trek south for the finals running from January 19 to February 10.

    Chipolopolo commence the defence of her title with a January 21 fixture against Ethiopia before taking on Nigeria on the 25th and complete Group C business against Burkina Faso on the 29th.

    The reigning kings of African football will play all their group matches at Mbombela and winning Group C would see Zambia stay in Mbombela for both the quarter-finals and semifinals.

    Chipolopolo take on Norway today at the Levy Mwanawasa in a final warm up match. Zambia has warmed up with games against Angola and Morocco since commencing preparations for AFCON 2013.

  • Eagles sad over Cape Verde draw

    Players and officials of the Super Eagles were not in joyful mood in their training camp in Faro following a barren draw played against Cape Verde at the Algarve Stadium in Portugal.

    Super Eagles media officer, Ben Alaiya said the players and the technical crew were as concerned as other Nigerians, adding that all mistakes noticed during the game against Cape Verde on Wednesday would be corrected.

    “We are not happy here, from the head coach down to the players. We are as concerned as Nigerians. Nobody is happy that Eagles played a barren draw against Cape Verde. The tournament proper has not started, the deed will be corrected. We assure Nigerians and we can only get better,” Alaiya said.

    Alaiya also urged Nigerians not to lose hope in the team, adding that lots of lessons had been learnt from the game.

    “Nigerians should not lose hope in the team. The team will not disappoint the entire nation during the tournament in South Africa. This is the essence of the friendly matches. One or two lessons have been learnt which I believe the technical crew have taken note of. There is no doubt that Eagles will put smiles on the faces of Nigerians in South Africa.”

  • Please let me go

    Super Eagles and Enyimba midfielder Uche Henry has sent a passionate plea to his employers Enyimba Football Club to release him to join his new club, Asteras Tripolis, a first division club in Greece.

    The player, who breezed into the country during the week after he was dropped from the 2013 African Cup of Nations-bound Eagles, expressed disappointment in the Aba-based club that he claimed is owing him N8 million since 2009.

    “I am using this medium to beg Enyimba Football Club to please release me to join my new club Asteras Tripolis of Greece. I have already made up my mind on the matter but Enyimba has refused to release me to the club.

    “I have told them to forget about the N8 million they are owing me for the past four years since 2009 and let me go. I have suffered enough and have contributed my quota to the progress of the club so far. So I don’t see any reason for them to debar my progress. I want to play in Europe like the rest of my colleagues there”, the disappointed light-skinned former Shooting Stars Football Club player told SportingLife in Abuja yesterday.

    SportingLife, however discovered that Enyimba wants to capitalise on the growing status of Henry to make money from transfer of the player. But Henry is currently out of contract with the club, a reason why he was demanding for his release papers from the Aba-based club.

    Henry who came back on Monday after he was dropped from the AFCON-bound Super Eagles said he bore no ill will about being dropped from the team.

    “Firstly, I would like to express my appreciation to the Chief Coach (Stephen Keshi) for giving me the chance to exhibit my football talent in the team. I would also say that I am not sad at all that I was dropped from the Super Eagles because I believe I will go back home and work very hard to be ready for the 2014 qualifying matches.

    “I don’t regret being dropped from the team because I was ranked among the best 32 players in the country by making it to Faro, Portugal camp.

    “Nigeria is blessed with so many talented and capable players and I am confident of getting my own chance soonest and when it comes I will grab it with both hands.

    “I sincerely wish the team best of luck and I have the confidence that they would bring the Cup back to Nigeria, ” an optimistic Henry said.

  • Axed Kwambe won’t give up Eagles dream

    Solomon Kwambe has vowed to fight his way back into reckoning with the Super Eagles after he was dropped for the AFCON.

    “It was a great experience but painful not to have made the team to South Africa,” Sunshine full back Kwambe told MTNfootball.com on arrival in Abuja.

    “I was not lucky to be among the 23 but I still give God the glory for seeing me this far. Coming to Portugal was a eye opener. And I still have faith, I may not be the one going to the Nations Cup but you never can say I could be the one to make the world Cup.”

    The former Plateau United star impressed in a friendly against Venezuela, but Nigeria U20 star Kenneth Omeruo was picked ahead of him.

    The Sunshine Stars player revealed that he and Benjamin Francis were the only ones who made the trip back to Nigeria as Daniel Akpeyi was asked to stay back by coach Stephen Keshi.

    “As you can see, only myself and Francis arrived. Akpeyi was asked to stay behind because of the injury to Austin Ejide,” he said.

    Dropped midfielder Raheem Lawal has returned to Turkey, while Bright Dike is still with the team on standby.

  • NPL doesn’t need clubs’ money —Sports Minister

    SPORTS Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi has helped to reduce the tension on Nigeria Premier League (NPL) clubs asked to pay N50 million bench fee by the Interim Management Committee of the NPL before the commencement of 2012/2013 season.

    The Interim management committee led by Nduka Irabor, immediately after their inauguration on the 27th December, 2012 in Abuja, mandated all club sides to pay N50 million as bond fee as a way of ensuring a smooth running of the league.

    To allay the fear of the clubs, who thought the money would be paid to the NPL, the minister has explained that the money which is meant for the players’ signing-on-fees and other welfare of the league players was only demanded for to be in the account of the respective clubs.

    Abdullahi declared: “The NPL does not need their money; what they are demanding is for those clubs to show the interim board that they have at least N50 million in their accounts which will cover for the players’ signing-on-fees.

    “We are growing tired of the issues of players’ welfarism in our league, and this needs to be sanitized.”

  • Friends honour Oyinlola with call-to-bar kitty

    President of the Nigerian Golf Federation and former Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola will be honoured with a day Kitty at the IBB International Golf and Country Club on Sunday to celebrate his being called to bar as a lawyer.

    “We his friends decided to honour him with this kitty coming up on Sunday at the IBB International Golf and Country Club to celebrate his being called to the bar because now he is a Barrister-at-law,” said the Chief Executive Officer of ULO Consultant Limited, Uche Okpuno.

    The celebrant, Oyinlola who spoke to SportingLife in Abuja yesterday gave thanks to the Almighty God for all He had done for him. “One must be grateful to God that one is endowed with some good friends who are ready to associate with one’s success in life. I want to give glory to the Almighty God that having been a successful military officer and a very successful politician, it has pleased God for me to belong to that noble profession called the ‘learned people’ so I will always glorify God till the end of my life”, he disclosed.

    Oyinlola, who is also the Executive Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party, disclosed his passion for golf despite being very good in other sports. “Let me tell you I play virtually all other games. Till I left the Army, I was Army No. 2 in lawn tennis and Armed Forces No. 4. I also played polo and squash for the Army.

    I was the Army Champion in billiards and snooker for several years. But I tell you the only game that at one particular moment will exercise every part of your body is golf, right from your thinking faculty down to your toe is golf. It is one game that you are not competing with anybody but the course layout so you can come and play this game on your own. At a certain stage you will drop your tennis racket and not be strong to play other sports, but it is this golf that you can play till any age. So, you can play this game at age 100 years and above in the morning and in the evening pack your load and go and meet your creator”, Oyinlola summed up.