The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sports

  • Anichebe ‘exceptional’ says Moyes

    Anichebe ‘exceptional’ says Moyes

    Everton manager David Moyes has showered praise on his Nigeria forward Victor Anichebe, describing his display at Swansea as “exceptional”.

    Anichebe, who came off bench last weekend to help Everton recorded a 2-2 draw against Newcastle United, scored the opening goal as they ended Swansea’s unbeaten home record courtesy of a 3-0 bashing of the Swans on Saturday.

    “We’ve been telling Victor Anichebe for years he is capable, he needs to have a little bit more self-confidence and self-belief. He is getting some goals and if he starts believing in himself, he will score more, he could have maybe had two or three today,” Moyes told BBC Sport.

    “He is doing a good job, he’s a good player and if he concentrates, he’s got a good future.”

    Moyes said he is delighted the big Nigeria striker has always delivered when called upon.

    “What you need when players do go out are players to step in and do the job and Victor Anichebe stepped in and if you keep playing like that then you’re a threat in every game,” the Everton manager remarked.

    “The supporters will soon get behind him if his performances continue to be like that.”

  • NATIONAL LEAGUE CAMPAIGN: Tornadoes hand players

    NATIONAL LEAGUE CAMPAIGN: Tornadoes hand players

    Fresh from the pain of relegation and determined to begin on a clean slate, the management of Niger Tornadoes has ordered players still interested in playing for the side to report to camp latest Sunday or seek succour elsewhere.

    The Abdullahi Abdul Paiko-led management also announced that it had fixed a crucial meeting for Tuesday to study the technical report submitted by coach Justin Tenger, and detemine the way forward for the Minna-based side that finished 17th on 48 points from 36 matches just before bowing out of the Nigeria Premeir League.

    The management had a few weeks ago directed Tenger to submit his report on the team’s overall performance in the league and eventual relegation. Spokesman of the side, Suleiman Isah confirmed in a chat with SportingLife that the report had been received, adding that the action to be taken will be based on findings in the technical report after the Tuesday meeting.

    “Tuesday’s meeting is to study the technical report submitted by the Coach. He had been asked to submit the report weeks back and he has just submitted it. Changes that will be made will be dependent on that report.

    “As for the players they have been told to report to camp latest Sunday and those who fail to report should not regard themselves as members of the new team,” he said.

  • No Shootinag pain for Ajiboye

    No Shootinag pain for Ajiboye

    Shooting Stars goal keeper, Dele Ajiboye has told futaa.com he has no regrets over the just-concluded Nigeria Premier League season.

    Ajiboye who joined the Oluyole Warriors after his sojourn in Spain, said not winning any silverware in the concluded sesaon was not enough to reason sulk but a call to work harder in the coming days.

    “Everybody cannot win, but I think we still did well as a team in Shooting Stars; we started quite slowly before we started getting it right. For me, last season is gone, I am only looking ahead for a better performance in the coming season and by God’s grace, I hope to do well for my team,” the former Flying Eagles ace told futaa.com.

    Ajiboye has been the subject of transfer speculations with some reports already linking him with Enugu Rangers; a move, if it finally sees the light of day, that could see him feature in the prestigious CAF Champions League next season.

  • Flamingoes can still top their group — NFF

    Flamingoes can still top their group — NFF

    The General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation, (NFF) Barrister Musa Amadu has assured that the Flamingoes are capable of topping Group A in the ongoing FIFA U- 17 Women’s World Cup in Azerbaijan despite playing a pulsating 1-1 draw against Canada in their first group match on Saturday.

    “It was an average result. I don’t have any fear whatsoever as regards the abilities of the team although we lost some scoring chances. We showed clearly in the match that we are a better team than the Canadians.

    “We will correct the mistakes we observed in the first match against Canada in the second group match against the host team Azerbaijan. This is a match we must win convincingly knowing full well that the host team are just cutting their teeth in this level”, the NFF Scribe told SportingLife yesterday.

    He also believed that with the support given to the team so far by the Federation the Flamingoes are capable of going far in the competition. “We have given and are giving all the necessary support to the team out there in Azerbaijan for the Flamingoes to top the group which I am very sure we could”, Amadu assured.

    Flamingoes lost clear cut chances at goal against Canada especially in the first half of the first group match on Saturday and had to come back from a goal down to end the game in 1-1. Colombia defeated the host team 3-0 in the second match to top the group.

  • Manu: Eaglets set to face Guinea

    Manu: Eaglets set to face Guinea

    The coach of wave-making Golden Eaglets, Manu Garba (MFR), believed his wards would be ready to take on their second round opponents in the elimination matches towards a place at the 2013 African Under-17 Youth Championship to be held in Morocco.

    West African side, Guinea are yet to kick a ball in the qualifiers after getting a draw into the second round on account of their presence at the last African Championships in 2009. Nigeria on the other hand, had missed out on qualifications for both the 2009 and 2011 editions in Algeria and Rwanda respectively.

    But Garba has enthused that the Nigerian team is ready to take on any team following the manner his wards steamrolled Junior Menas of Niger with a 10-1 aggregate score line in the first round.

    “With all modesty, we are ready to take on any team and we don’t mind if it is Niger or Spain,” the usually reserved Garba said matter-of-factly. “In football, there are three areas to measure performance and those are composure, commitment and concentration. We are proud that these boys have these attributes and they can only get better.

    “Whatever the situation is, we have told them never to lose concentration and we are happy that they were not carried away even when they were comfortably leading with four goals against Niger,” he explained, adding that the team is yet to reach its limit.

    “We rested some of the players today against Niger so that we can see what others can do. Above all, we don’t have a first or second team in this Golden Eaglets and this sort of give us the confidence that whoever gets the nod to play would represent the country well,” he noted.

    The Golden Eaglets are expected to play Guinea at home on October 14 with the reverse fixtures in Conakry two weeks later. “We shall be ready for Guinea because our preparations for the upcoming matches are well on course,” Manu stated.

    Meanwhile, the Golden Eaglets have been given a three days recess in order for the players to loosen up after a strenuous training regimen.

    “Work and play should go hand-in-hand and we want the players to relax so that they can be refreshed when we commence training again,” an official of the team volunteered.

  • Enyimba’s Okoye sure of stay

    Enyimba forward Onyekachi Okoye believes he will be retained by the club folloing his performance in the last season.

    Reports from the Aba base of the two-time African champions League winners indicate that there will be massive clearance of players as a result of the team’s failure to pick any of the continental slots for next season but the former Lobi and Akwa United player told futaa.com that he is willing to stay with the six-time Nigerian champions for next season.

    “If I have to rate myself I will say I scored six out of 10 and this is because I was out for almost three months due to injury. I really want to prove to the club that they did not make a mistake by signing me and hopefully I will still be with them next season,” he told futaa.com.

    The winger scored five goals for the People’s Elephants who ended the season in fourth.

  • Efe Ambrose thrilled by Celtic debut

    Efe Ambrose thrilled by Celtic debut

    Super Eagles central back and Celtic new import Efe Ambrose has expressed delight over his debut for the Scottish side at the weekend

    Ambrose, who got his work permit in time to make the bench for his side on Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League tie against Benfica, played his first game for Celtic in a 2-0 win over Dundee United when he was thrown into the fray in the 86th minute as substitute for Scott Brown.

    The former Ashdod and Kaduna United ace hopes for more appearances even as he predicted that his sojourn in Glasgow will be fruitful.

    He said, “I am happy with my debut and look forward to playing more games and achieving a lot with a great team like Celtic,” the Nigeria international said.

    His compatriot Rabiu Ibrahim was an unused substitute.

    The central defender had to settle for only a place on the bench in the Champions League group tie at home against Benfica on Wednesday because he was late in rejoining the team as he pursued his work permit in Israel.

    “It is a good one that I was selected for the Champions League game. I wanted to play the game but I joined the team a bit late to start due to processing of my work permit,” Ambrose informed MTNFootball.com

  • SPARTAK MOSCOW 3-1 ROSTOV: Emenike hits brace

    Super Eagles forward and Spartak Moscow striker Emmanuel Emenike was the toast of fans as he fired the side to an emphatic 3-1 home victory over visiting Rostov on Sunday

    The former Fernabahce ace left no one in doubt that he had overcome the recent 3-2 defeat to Barcelona at the Nou Camp in the Champions League when he shot Spartak into the lead in the 27th minute. Teammate and Brazilian import Ari Da Silva Ferreira increased the tally in the 64th minute. Emenike then returned with a bang in the 71st minute for the third goal before Rostov got a consolation goal in barely two minutes to the end of the encounter through Florent Sinama Pongolle.

    Spatark Moscow are currently on the 6th position in the 16-team Russia Premier League with 16 points in nine matches, five points away from league leaders CSKA moscow with 21 points in nine matches. Rostov’s defeat Sunday further compound the side’s woes on 12th position with nine points in nine matches.

    Emenike, who saw 90 minutes of action, enjoyed assists from teammates José Manuel and home boy Pavel Yakovlev respectively to achieve Sunday’s feat.

    Compatriot and former Super Eagles defender Isaac Okoronkwo, who recently returned from injury, was in full action for Rostov putting up a good show, but his effort could not prevent the side from defeat.

  • Niger’s coach salute Eaglets

    Junior Menas of Niger’s coach Soumaila Tiemogo has given the Golden Eaglets a resounding applause following his side comprehensive 10-1 aggregate loss to the Nigerians in the 2013 African Under-17 Youth Championship qualifier.

    The Nigerien youngsters were handed a 4-1 defeat in Niamey with a further 6-0 defeat at the weekend in Calabar. Tiemogo, who recently led his side to win the 2012 Airtel Rising Stars Tournament in Nairobi, said his boys gave a good account of themselves against a better team.

    “I think we played well over the two legs but we met a well-organised team,” Tiemogo said through an interpreter. “The Nigerian team simply outclassed us and I think there is nothing to be ashamed of because we were beaten by a very good team.”

    It would be recalled that Suleymanu Kabirou, the Junior Menas’ captain, had raised the alarm that it would be an uphill task for them to avenge their 4-1 loss against the formidable Nigerian lads.

    “We were shocked with the good handling of the ball by the Golden Eaglets,” Kabirou reportedly said after the first leg game in Niamey.” It was as if we were watching football on a playstation machine.”

    Similar view was expressed by coach Tiemogo after the second leg 6-0 loss. He refrained from picking any single player as the best amongst the Golden Eaglets, saying that the strength of the Nigerians lie in the fact that they play as a team with a very strong mentality.

    “Football has gone beyond individuals, though I saw some good players on the Nigerian side, what impressed me most are their collective style of play. They are a good team that simply outclassed us,” he added.

  • Heartland’s De Kruiff dreams Super Eagles job

    DutchMAN Ludewijk de Kruff has revealed a desire to manage the Super Eagles of Nigeria. The former Heartland coach, who has been linked with a few clubs after the close of the season, said he is not ruling out working with the Nigeria senior national team in future.

    “Of course, that is the aim of every coach. To manage a good side like Nigeria and as an ambitious coach, I won’t rule that out,” he said when asked if he ever thought of coaching Nigeria at any time of his career. “If it comes, fine, and if it doesn’t, no problem.”

    De Kruiff managed Heartland of Owerri to Federation Cup success but fell out of favour with the management of the Premier League side which led to his exit from the club midway into the concluded season.

    He was reported to have been contacted by Warri Wolves but a deal could not be reached owing to his high wage demand.