The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sports

  • League Cup win: Moses hails Chelsea never-say-die attitude

    League Cup win: Moses hails Chelsea never-say-die attitude

    Super Eagles and Chelsea forward Victor Moses has paid tribute to the Blues’ supporters after Wednesday night’s League Cup win over Manchester United.

    The West London outfit forced the game into extra time following a thrilling contest, which ended 5-4 to the Blues at Stamford Bridge.

    The Nigeria international tweeted: “Brilliant game last night, fans were amazing, great to get the win and go through to quarter finals. Never say die attitude.”

    Chelsea will take on Leeds United in the final eight of the competition.

  • Chelsea hand over Mikel evidence

    Chelsea hand over Mikel evidence

    UEFA Champions League defending champions, CHELSEA have provided the English FA with a dossier of statements to support the allegation that referee Mark Clattenburg directed “inappropriate language” of a racial nature at Super Eagles midfielder, John Obi Mikel, but dropped their complaint

    regarding Juan Mata due to insufficient evidence.

    Players and officials have had a series of interviews with external legal counsel since their 3-2 league defeat by Manchester United and, with that process completed, Chelsea confirmed their complaint in relation to Mikel.

    Signed witness statements — from Mikel and Ramires among others — were forwarded to the FA who, along with the Metropolitan Police, will now investigate the allegation. They will seek interviews with all relevant witnesses, including Mikel, Clattenburg and his team of officials, and will also request available video footage.

    Clattenburg has made no public comment beyond welcoming the chance to establish the facts but is known to vehemently deny the allegation against him.

  • Eagles get new kits

    Eagles get new kits

    Top Nigeria officials are in Europe to approve a new set of kits the Eagles will wear at next year’s AFCON.

    President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Aminu Maigari, and the chairman of the technical Committee, Chris Green, will meet with Eagles’ kit sponsors adidas on a totally new set of kits for the national team.

    “The federation would love to use a totally new design of jersey for AFCON and they have gone to discuss it,” a top official informed MTNFootball.com

    “The kit sponsors already have designs on ground and all they have to do is to see the one that’s suitable and the one that will best portray Nigeria very well.”

    The top officials are expected back in the country on Saturday.

  • NFF stops Keshi’s car house

    NFF stops Keshi’s car house

    Saucity of funds has forced the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to postpone the proposed presentation of an official car and accommodation to Super Eagles Head Coach Stephen Keshi one year after he was employed. The presentation, according to the Federation, was to have been held on Tuesday.

    SportingLife checks at the Glass House secretariat of the NFF revealed that the Federation had planned to present the car to the former international who has fulfilled part of his contractual agreement with the Federation by qualifying Nigeria for January’s Africa Nations Cup in South Africa, while the football federation is yet to fulfill its own part of the agreement. The Federation is to provide Keshi with a car befitting his status as the Head Coach of the senior male football team of the most populous black nation in the world, and a choice accommodation in Abuja.

    SportingLife’s source in the Federation, disclosed: “We had to postpone the presentation of the car for now, because of lack of funds. We want to give our Head Coach the best, and that is exactly what is delaying us.”

    “We want to give him a car that befits his status. We also want him to choose from the houses we have identified the one he would like before we formalise the processes of acquiring the house.

    “I want to tell you with all sincerity, that Stephen Keshi is a patriot to the core. The interest of the country is very paramount to him, and he has never at any time put us under any type of pressure over these things. We really appreciate his understanding, and promise that we will not fail him.” the source, who is a big gun at the helm of affairs in the NFF, said.

    Meanwhile, Coach Stephen Keshi has decided not to allow the issue to distract him in his quest to make Nigerians happy in the round-leather-game. When contacted recently, the Big Boss said: “I am not sleeping outside, I always move around whenever I want to, though these things are necessary, but that is not my ultimate now. My ultimate is how to make Nigerians happy, and return the Super Eagles to winning ways again. Every other thing can come later.”

  • Yusuf tipped to replace Ogunbote

    Yusuf tipped to replace Ogunbote

    Ex-Pillars coach Salisu Yusuf has emerged as the first name to take over at Sunshine Stars after Gbenga Ogunbote sensationally resigned.

    Ogunbote quit his post after he led the Akure to the semi-final of this year’s CAF Champions League.

    He was also in charge when the club reached the last four of last year’s CAF Confederation Cup.

    He cited contractual breaches by Sunshine as well as challenges on and off the pitch for his decision to throw in the towel.

    Former Eagles assistant coach Yusuf has long been linked with Sunshine.

    The Ex-FC Taraba coach has become the pretty bride in the off-season as he is also on the radar of Enyimba and newly promoted Nasarawa United.

    The Zaria-born coach won Nigeria Premier League title with Kano Pillars 2008. He has also worked at Lobi Stars.

  • 2013 AFCON: Cape Verde friendly for Eagles

    2013 AFCON: Cape Verde friendly for Eagles

    Nigeria have opened discussions with shock 2013 AFCON finalists Cape Verde over a warm-up game before the tournament in South Africa.

    Officials told MTNFootball.com that this game would prepare both teams for the Nations Cup.

    “We have opened discussion with several countries with Cape Verde on top of the list,” the top official said.

    “We want the Eagles to play a top African opponent before the Nations Cup. You already are aware that Angola have indicated interest to play us before the tournament. The friendly is planned for Portugal as both countries would be camping in Faro.”

    Both Nigeria and Cape Verde have yet to clash at full international level.

    AFCON debutants Cape Verde, who sensationally eliminated four-time champions Cameroon, are in Group A along with hosts South Africa, Angola and Morocco. The West African islanders open the 2013 AFCON on January 19 in Johannesburg against Bafana.

    The Eagles, on the other hand, are in Group B with Zambia, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia. This proposed game is expected to be the Eagles’ final warm up match for the Nations Cup.

    Nigeria’s Nations Cup training camp will open in the second week of December in Faro, Portugal.

  • Kwara Utd storm Shagamu

    Kwara Utd storm Shagamu

    NPL side, Kwara United will on Sunday commence two-week pre-season closed camping at Shagamu, Ogun State.

    The closed camping exercise will afford the new manager, Samson Unuanel opportunity to examine the players available for the 2012/2013 league season.

    Supersport.com learnt that the team will engage local sides in tune-up matches which will assist Unuanel to decide the players to be laid off. Forty three players will be involved in the exercise made of 23 old and 20 new players.

    An official of the side, Ola Ajide said the exercise is to put the Afonja Warriors in good shape for the planned kick off of the new season on Saturday, December 1.

    “Everything being equal we’ll move into a two-week closed camping in Shagamu on Sunday and the team will play warm-up matches with selected sides. The exercise will give the new manager ample time to examine the players and decide on those to be asked to go.

    “Kwara United want to hit it big next season and won’t leave any stone unturned to realising their target.

    “The new technical adviser is alive to his mandate and want to make an indelible mark come next season. He has the support of everybody,” Ajide said to supersport.com.

  • NOVEMBER 14 friendly: Keshi gives Euro Eagles three conditions

    NOVEMBER 14 friendly: Keshi gives Euro Eagles three conditions

    NFF scribe Musa Amadu has revealed to SportingLife that the friendly match between the Super Eagles and their Venezuelan counterparts will still go ahead on November 14 despite the Hurricane Sandy that is rocking the United States of America.

    The match is slated for Miami, Florida. In an exclusive interview, Amadu said: ‘ I don’t think anything would stop the match for now. All the agreements have been signed by the parties involved, and they are looking forward to the encounter which we will use to prepare the Nigerians for the Africa Nations Cup holding in South Africa.”

    Amadu expressed optimism that the Hurricane Sandy would have subsided before then.

    It would be recalled that the three major New York Airports have been closed since Monday as result of the natural disaster. The hurricane swept through the East Coast of United States, leaving scores of people dead, and millions without power.

  • Clattenburg ABUSE Saga: Ref allegedly called Mikel ‘monkey’

    Clattenburg ABUSE Saga: Ref allegedly called Mikel ‘monkey’

    TWO Chelsea players say they heard race-row referee Mark Clattenburg call Blues’ star John Obi Mikel a “monkey”.

    It is understood the pair made the claim to teammates in the dressing room after Sunday’s explosive clash with Manchester United.

    Clattenburg vehemently denies making any racist jibe and is confident he will be cleared by match officials, who heard his every word through a microphone headset.

    A source said Tuesday night: “He said nothing of the sort — and he will fight this all the way.”

    Clattenburg, 37, is also accused of calling Chelsea midfielder Juan Mata a “Spanish t***” during the West London side’s 3-2 defeat. The referee denies making racist comments — and believes his innocence will be proved by the linesmen and fourth match official.

    They will have heard every word he spoke during the game through the headset all referees wear. A source said: “There’s always a lot of noise on the pitch and the players could easily have misheard.”

    Clattenburg now faces a police investigation as well as FA inquiry. He has the full backing of fellow referees amid claims that bitter Chelsea stars “ganged up” on him.

    TV viewers saw an angry protest by Chelsea players after Clattenburg sent off defender Branislav Ivanovic and striker Fernando Torres.

    An inquiry was launched into the racism claims by the FA after Chelsea lodged an official complaint. Clattenburg will not be officiating at a match this weekend.

    The FA had hoped to bring the row to a swift end after the John Terry racism row dragged on. But the scene was set for another lengthy wrangle Tuesday after the Metropolitan Police announced it was also launching an inquiry.

    They decided to act after the Society of Black Lawyers made an official complaint.

  • Ex-Lagos boxers warned to stay away

    The Lagos State Amateur Boxing Association (LSABA) has warned its boxers who defected to other participating states for the ongoing National Sports Festival (NSF), not to return to its fold.

    Wasiu Bisiriyu, the Head Coach of the association handed down this warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.

    The visibly irritated coach told NAN that he had spotted about four of his former boxers, vying for medals in the colours of other participating states in the ongoing sports fiesta. Bisiriyu, however, refused to disclose the names of the boxers who are said to have benefitted immensely from the state government’s largesse.

    He added that the boxers were regular faces at the monthly “Saturday Boxing Show’’ programme, and also featured in the “Ibile Games’’ before they defected.

    “Four of my boxers who were poached by other states, are here representing some other states, after benefiting from the allowances of the state government. Any boxer who got poached by other states, should not bother to come back to Lagos again, they did the same thing at the last sports; and should not bother to come back,’’he warned.

    Bisiriyu urged the National Sports Commission (NSC) to expedite action on poaching, to restore the credibility of the NSF. The coach boasted that his squad for the festival would defeat any boxer from other states, adding that out of his 10 male boxers, six had already qualified for the quarter finals.

    “I am confident that my boxers will excel; because they are all in good form and will win perform better than they did in Port Harcourt,’’he said.

    NAN reports that Team Lagos is being represented by 16 boxers, 10 male and six female pugilists.