The Nation Newspaper

Tag: AfCON qualifier

  • Oliseh returns next week for AFCON qualifier

    Oliseh returns next week for AFCON qualifier

    Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, will return to the country next week, in preparation for September’s 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Tanzania in Dar es Salaam.

    Oliseh, alongside his assistant Jean Francois Loscuito, met the quartet of John Obi Mikel, Victor Moses, Brown Ideye and Victor Anichebe in London as he kick-started his reign as coach of the three-time African champions, Goal reports.

    “Very constructive meeting with Chelsea and Super Eagles’ Victor Moses. The team building continues,” Goal quoted the ex-Juventus midfielder as saying on his Twitter handle after Sunday’s game where Chelsea lost 1-0 to Arsenal in the Community Shield game at Wembley Stadium.

    He also stated that the clash against Tanzania is very crucial as he targets a win in his first game against the Taifa Stars.

    “The match in Dar es Salaam is very, very crucial, not only because it will be my first match as Head Coach, but also because we have no choice other than to win. The three points are important for us to keep up the tempo in our group,” he told the NFF’s website.

    “We are on the same three points with Egypt, though they have scored a goal more. That is why we cannot afford any slip along the way.

    “We will deal first with the match in Tanzania, and then we will start thinking about the CHAN qualifiers with Burkina Faso in October, and then the FIFA World Cup qualifying fixture in November.

    “There is a lot of work. After these matches, we will now start working towards the two AFCON qualifying matches we have with the Pharaohs in March next year.”

     

  • AFCON: Esiti, Mbakogu may get Eagles’ invitation

    AFCON: Esiti, Mbakogu may get Eagles’ invitation

    Estoril midfielder Anderson Esiti and Carpi forward Jerry Mbakogu may be included in the Super Eagles squad for next month’s African Nations Cup qualifier against Chad.

    The home based players invited for the game are already in camp and sl10.ng gathered that Esiti and Mbakogu are two names that have been penciled down by Stephen Keshi for the game.

    The duo are among the list of foreign based players expected to be announced this week for the AFCON qualifier slated for Kaduna.

    Esiti made 16 appearance in the Portuguese league for Estoril and eight in the Europa league where his fine performances has led to talks of a move to French side, Monaco.

    Mbakogu scored 15 goals to help the modest Serie B outfit gain promotion to Italian top flight and he is expected to boost the Eagles forward-line that has been lacking goals of recent.

    The 22-year-old is heavily tipped to depart Carpi, with recent reports suggesting Udinese is leading the chase for his signature when the transfer window opens.

     

  • AFCON: Akpan nursing ‘small injury’

    AFCON: Akpan nursing ‘small injury’

    New Super Eagles call-up, Hope Akpan, is nursing “a small injury” but he hopes to be fit for Saturday’s African Nations Cup qualifier against Sudan.

    “I am nursing a small injury but I hope to be fit for Saturday, “the Reading of England midfielder told africanFootball.com.

    However, the injury has not stopped Akpan from being part of the Eagles training in Abuja.

    Akpan, who is one four fresh call-ups for the matches against Sudan, said he has been most impressed with the spirit in the squad.

    Nigeria has already lost Stoke City winger Victor Moses and Ukraine-based Babatunde Michael to injuries.

    But coach Stephen Keshi has insisted the team will cope with these late withdrawals.

    “We pray that everybody would be in good health because that is very important. We have already lost two players now, I hope that would be the last,” he said.

  • AFCON qualifier: Keshi picks Emenike, Salami in starting XI

    AFCON qualifier: Keshi picks Emenike, Salami in starting XI

    Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, has picked Emmanuel Emenike and Gbolahan Salami in his starting XI for Wednesday’s African Cup of Nations qualifier between South Africa and Nigeria, africanFootball.com reports.

    Both strikers started from the bench against Congo in Calabar at the weekend with Salami scoring Nigeria’s second goal in a 2-3 loss to the East Africans.

    Emenike was sensationally axed for reporting late to training camp, but he injected urgency and purpose when he came in for Uche Nwofor at the start of second half.

    Israel-based Nosa Igiebor, who was also a second-half substitute, will start against Bafana in this crucial AFCON qualifier in Cape Town.

    Altogether, Keshi has made three changes to the team that started against the Congolese on Saturday, with Ramon Azeez, Nnamdi Oduamadi and Nwofor dropping to the substitutes’ bench.

    Nigeria’s starting XI:

    Austin Ejide – Elderson Echiejile, Efe Ambrose, Kenneth Omeruo, Godfrey Oboabona – Ogeny Onazi, Mikel Obi, Nosa Igiebor, Ahmed Musa – Gbolahan Salami, Emmanuel Emenike

     

  • October 13 AfCON qualifier: ‘Eagles ‘ll roast Lone Star in Calabar’

    October 13 AfCON qualifier: ‘Eagles ‘ll roast Lone Star in Calabar’

    Home-based Super Eagles Captain Chigozie Agbim has boasted that nothing would spare the Lone Stars of Liberia from being roasted in Calabar when the two teams meet in the all-important Africa Nations Cup reurn leg qualifying match on 13th October.

    The Wolves of Warri safe hands said: “I don’t think of defeat at all. We have all it takes to win the match. They were very lucky to pull that draw on their home ground, If they could not win in their country, I don’t know what is giving them that confidence that they can do it here in Nigeria. I can assure you that nothing can spare them here in Nigeria. Our boys are charged up; they were not happy with that draw in Monrovia and are very much poised to inflict a high defeat on the Liberians here in the return leg. I don’t see them standing between us and the Nations Cup. We want to be in South Africa next year, and that is the ultimate for most of us now, after that, the World Cup”.

    The former Court of Appeal FC of Abuja goal tender said he was not worried by the invitation of more foreign-based goalkeepers in the team, and that he is ready to learn from them.

    “I am not bothered if more foreign-based goalkeepers are invited to the team. It makes for more competition, and makes me to learn more from the most experienced ones, and from there, better my game. Being in the national team alone is an expereince that cannot be quantified in whatever way. The experience whatsoever, supersedes that of the club, and I am very proud to be a part of it,” he concluded.