The Nation Newspaper

Tag: AFCON

  • Eagles showed they are true AFCON champions — Amokachi

    Eagles showed they are true AFCON champions — Amokachi

    Daniel Amokachi has said that the Super Eagles proved why they are African champions after the team came from behind to beat Ethiopia 2-1 in the 2014 World Cup play-off as Emmanuel Emenike scored a brace.

    The Super Eagles assistant coach in a post-match chat informed: “It was a tough game, with the massive support from the Ethiopian fans.

    “The pressure we had in the first half gave us a bit of a scare but in the second half, we showed we are the African champions after going down by a goal, scoring the equalizer and winner in less than 20 minutes.

    “But it’s not over yet as we still have another 90 minutes to play in Nigeria and then we can really celebrate.”

  • Keshi: CHAN, AFCON Elephants are same

    Keshi: CHAN, AFCON Elephants are same

    The home-based Ivorian football team are same in style with the Ivorian Star sturded team.Super Eagles Coach Stephen Keshi has declared.

    Speaking to futaa.com in the aftermath of Saturday’s 4-1 victory over the home based Ivorian national football team, the Big Boss opined that there is barely any difference in style between the team gunning for qualification in the Africa Nations Championships and that which featured at the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa earlier in the year.

    “It’s the same thing. Keshi simply offered when asked if there are marked differences in style between the team he ousted at the 2013 AFCON and the one he defeated in Kaduna.”

    It will be recalled that the Super Eagles sent the star studded Ivorian team packing in the quarter finals of the Nations Cup in South Africa courtesy of a winning strike from Sunday Mba who also played a vital role in the latest victory in Kaduna.

     

  • Jonathan hosts F/Eagles, Eaglets Tuesday

    Jonathan hosts F/Eagles, Eaglets Tuesday

    President Goodluck Jonathan will on Tuesday host the country’s U-17 and U-20 teams, officials told MTNFootball.com.

    The Golden Eaglets lost in the final of the African U-17 Championship in Morocco, while the Flying Eagles placed third at the African Youth Championship in Algeria.

    The Eaglets lost on penalties to Cote d’Ivoire after final scores stood at 1-1 in the championship final in Marrakech.

    The U-20s defeated Mali 2-1 in a third-placed match to avenge a 1-0 loss to their West African rivals.

    Both teams have qualified for their respective World Cups and Nigeria can boast of a special record of having medals in Africa at full international, U-20 and U-17 levels in one calendar year.

    Top government and sports ministry officials have been locked in talks over the presidential reception.

    A top official informed MTNFootball.com: “The President will receive the teams on Tuesday at Aso Rock.

    “All arrangements in this regard have been finalised.”

    However, the Flying Eagles would be honoured in absentia as the team is currently in Germany on a training tour ahead of the U-20 World Cup in Turkey next month.

    Interestingly Nigeria won the 2011 African Youth Championship in South Africa.

    President Jonathan rewarded the Super Eagles with national honours, cash and plots of land when the team won a third Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa in February.

     

  • NFF should encourage indigenous coaches – Adeagbo

    NFF should encourage indigenous coaches – Adeagbo

    Isaac Adeagbo, the Chairman, Nigeria Football Coaches Association, Lagos Chapter, on Thursday urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to keep encouraging indigenous coaches by engaging them in national assignments.

    Adeagbo made the appeal in Lagos, during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    He advised that the NFF to keep employing local coaches to train the national teams, saying that such opportunities would make the coaches to aspire to the level of national coaches.

    “Encouraging coaches to desire the accomplishment of being a coach for the national team was not an end in itself, but the enabling environment should be provided to enable them to be able to develop themselves.

    “ I have to give glory to God that the indigenous coaches are now being recognised by the NFF as competent hands to handle national teams.

    “And surprisingly, it was an indigenous coach that broke the 19 year-jinx of not winning the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which goes to show our competence.

    “However, more is yet to be done like providing an environment where the take-home packages of coaches will be valuable,” he said.

    The NFCA chairman also advised his colleagues to work with diligence and integrity, in order to ensure that only true talents were groomed into limelight.

    “We are duty bound as coaches to ensure that we do our jobs with a high sense of responsibility, for it falls on us to groom players for the national teams.

    “Especially when it comes to age grade teams, so as to avoid aiding and abetting age cheats, because of monetary gain,” Adeagbo added.

  • AFCON SCANDAL NFF SHORT- CHANGES EAGLES ASSISTANT COACHES

    AFCON SCANDAL NFF SHORT- CHANGES EAGLES ASSISTANT COACHES

    •$116,000 deducted from bonuses 

    SUPER EAGLES Assistant Coaches, Sylvanus Okpalla and Valerie Hounandinou, both members of the technical crew whose Nations Cup efforts were crowned with glory, have been short-changed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

    SportingLife gathered from an impeccable source on Monday that 58,000USD which translates into N9.197m was deducted from each of the coach’s entitlements by the federation right from the very first match played by Nigeria at the tournament. The development is coming 11 days after the bonuses of the 23 players and officials owed for defeating Burkina Faso 1-0 in the final match of the Nations Cup were settled.

    Each player received 25,000 dollars ($20,000 for the Nations Cup and $5,000 for the draw against Kenya).

    Four assistants make up the technical crew with Stephen Keshi the Chief Coach. Curiously the bonuses of first Assistant Coach, Daniel Amokachi and goalkeeper trainer, Ike Shorunmu were not touched. It was alleged that the issue led to a shouting match between the Director General, of the National Sports Commission (NSC) Patrick Ekeji and NFF President Aminu Maigari.

    ”People are beginning to ask questions. Till date, NFF has not been able to say why the bonuses of the coaches were tampered with. Instead they are attributing the interest of NSC to ethnic reasons,” said our source. “Okay why did they not touch that of Amokachi and Shorunmu? Is it because the other coaches are reserved and would not make noise. It is not fair,” queried the source.

    When contacted, NFF Spokesman, Ademola Olajire, said: “I know nothing about it. Contrary to widely-held assumption that the N750m NFF used to execute the competition was a special budget, it is understood that the said amount was actually 50 per cent of their total budget for 2013.”

    In 2012 NFF had presented a budget of N4.8 billion to the Federal Government but it was slashed to N1.4bn.

     

  • Eagles parade AFCON 2013 trophy

    Eagles parade AFCON 2013 trophy

     Thank Cross River Governor, fans too

     

    The Super Eagles on Saturday paraded the 2013 AFCON trophy to the fans at the U.J.Esuene stadium moments after their 1-1 with Kenya’s Harambee Stars alongside a banner thanking the government and people of Cross River State for their show of love and support during the qualifiers for the Africa’s soccer fiesta where they emerged victorious.

    “From the Super Eagles of Nigeria to his Excellency Governor Liyel Imoke and the good people of Cross River state,” the message in the banner read in part.

    Interestingly, the players led by skipper Vincent Enyeama paraded round the stadium with the coveted trophy while observing a lap of honour that drew applause from the scanty fans left after most had left for their various homes.

    Nigeria it will be recalled defeated Burkina Faso 1-0 in the final of the AFCON to replace Zambia as the African champions for the next two years.

  • Oliech praises Nigeria on AFCON triumph

    Oliech praises Nigeria on AFCON triumph

    Harambee Stars captain Dennis Oliech who plies his trade for Ajaccio in France has warned the Super Eagles of Nigeria against underrating them despite them being the African champions last month.

    Oliech praised Nigeria for winning the recently concluded Africa Cup of Nations but stated that it will not be an easy ride against Harambee Stars whom for many years the Super Eagles have trampled on.

    Oliech who will be leading the attack for Kenya added that though Stars will be going to the match as underdogs but it would be detrimental for the Super Eagles to underrate the Kenyans.

    “Everyone is looking forward to our match with African champions Nigeria and I believe all the pundits have given us the underdog tag which will act to our advantage. I personally was happy for Nigeria when they won the African title but would like to warn them that it will be a different ball game when we clash with them on Saturday as it will be a do or die affair for us,” Oliech told supersport.com.

    “We have a young team but I believe anything is possible in football and as long as we play as a team and focus on the goal ahead of us then we might cause an upset to prove everybody who has written us off wrong. I am personally psyched ahead of the big match and my wish is to score goals for my country despite the big challenge ahead of us.”

    “We all know Nigeria have some big name players but what is important is that only eleven players will play for each side and as long as we are determined then we might upset the form book and break this jinx where Nigeria has always beaten us,” Oliech added.

    He has been in good form for his club Ajaccio since moving from Auxerre who were relegated to French Ligue 2. Oliech’s chequered career as seen him as the all time scorer for Harambee Stars since playing on his debut in 2003.

  • Emenike faults NFF, Keshi for abandoning him

    Emenike faults NFF, Keshi for abandoning him

    African Nations Cup star, Emmanuel Emenike has lashed out at Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi for using and dumping him after his long-term hamstring injury.

    Emenike top scored for champions Nigeria at the Nations Cup in South Africa, but suffered a hamstring injury against Mali which has already sidelined him for about four weeks now.

    He was therefore left out of next weekend’s World Cup qualifier at home against Kenya.

    He told MTNFootball.com he is disgusted not to have received even a phone call from Keshi or any official from the Nigeria Football Federation since he rejoined his Russian club Spartak Moscow.

    “I must be honest with you, I have not been treated well by the coach and the NFF because they ignored me so soon, so fast,” he lamented.

    “Nobody from the NFF and the coach had called to ask me about my injury. I am bitter about this. It is unfair and I can tell you that is why some players don’t come to give their best for the national team.”

    “When a player gets injured on national duty, I think the country’s football authority and coach ought to keep in touch to let him know he is loved and cared for.

    “I am not a use-and-dump player. I will not act as one at all because my club career is very much important to me than anything.”

    He added: “Look at a player like (Victor) Anichebe (Everton striker was injured while on national team duty last year), no one cared about him and you think he will come to national team to give his best.

    “I am not worried about that but I just need to tell them it’s unfair. It is not everything that is money, but a call just to show you care could change someone’s problem at a particular time.”

    Emenike told MTNFootball.com that this is in sharp contrast to his Russian club Spartak Moscow, who has done everything to get him back playing again.

    “I must give kudos to my club for taking good care of me even though I didn’t get the injury while playing for them,” he said.

    “I can’t wait to return to my best form. I feel like playing and banging in the goals for my club right now.

    “I am happy with my rehabilitation and I will start joggling soon and I believe I will respond well because I have missed the game so much.”

  • I danced ‘Azonto’ when Eagles won Afcon – Babatunde

    I danced ‘Azonto’ when Eagles won Afcon – Babatunde

    Cherishes playing alongside Ideye, Omeruo, Onazi in Eagles

     

    Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih attacking midfielder Michael Babatunde has told SportingLife he is already in high heavens after hearing the news of his call to the Super Eagles for the 2014 World Cup qualifying match against the Harambee Stars of Kenya slated for the UJ Esuene Stadium, Calabar on March 23rd, 2013.

    “When I heard the news of my call-up I was surprised and started shouting and praising God and Coach Stephen Keshi for giving me this very rare opportunity to exhibit my God given football talent. I am not the only good player in Nigeria but the coach just gave me this wonderful opportunity to come and prove my worth in the team. I can assure you that I won’t disappoint him,” Babatunde popularly known as Little Messi in the Ukrainian Premier League told SportingLife from his base in Ukraine.

    He also vowed to settle in quickly in the team like his friends Brown Ideye, Kenneth Omeruo and Onazi Ogenyi.

    “What makes me happy is the fact that I have friends in the team which help me a lot to settle down quickly. I played alongside Omeruo and Onazi in the Golden Eaglets of 2009 and Brown Ideye is my very close friend in Ukraine. These three players have already assured me that they will help me in all the way they can to make me enjoy the team.

    “I was also informed about the fatherly nature of the Chief Coach and other coaches in the team who are my fathers and I believe I won’t disappoint them. The senior players in the team I was told are great people from the skipper and this will definitely make me comfortable in the team,” Babatunde disclosed.

    The player who has since returned to the first team of Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih after an injury scare has posted series of impressive performances in the club since his full recovery and has promised to show Kenya the stuff he is made of when the Eagles confront Kenya in the match slated for Calabar in a fortnight.

    “Kenya won’t stop us in Calabar by the grace of God. The team is capable of doing Nigeria proud like we did in South Africa recently. I was a proud Nigerian in far away Turkey where we were doing our (Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih) pre-season. Every time we won a match in South Africa come and see me dancing ‘Azonto’ to the admiration of my teammates who watched me with awe and jealousy. I was a proud Nigerian in Turkey then,” the former Heartland Football Club of Owerri star disclosed.

  • Mba inspired NPL stars – Ayo Saka

    Mba inspired NPL stars – Ayo Saka

    Super Eagles invitee, Ayo Saka, has said Sunday Mba’s African Nations Cup heroics have given “fresh hopes” to players in the domestic league.

    Mba from the Nigeria league scored championship-defining goals including the championship winner against Burkina Faso.

    “What Mba achieved in South Africa has given players in the local league fresh hope,” Saka told MTNFootball.com

    “’Big Boss’ Stephen Keshi has given us a chance in his team and we will not disappoint him.”

    Enyimba midfielder Saka has already been capped at full international and Olympic levels and he said he will make the squad for the 2014 World Cup qualifier against Kenya on March 23.

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