The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Amokachi

  • ‘Salami reminds me of Amokachi’

    ‘Salami reminds me of Amokachi’

    Two-time league top scorer, Joe Ashinze, felt Warri Wolves striker, Gbolahan Salami, gave a fine demonstration of both his flair and resilience in Nigeria’s 2-0 victory over Chad in the 2017 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) Qualifiers.

    Salami created anxious moments in the Chadian area and got Nigeria’s curtain-raiser from a powerful shot inside the box.

    Chadian goalkeeper, Mbairamadji Dillah, ensured the Nigerian forward did not increase his tally on match day. “I like Salami’s style of play and I see him as a good striker with potential. Salami reminds me of the forceful style of Jimoh Balogun and Daniel Amokachi.

    “Keshi has to work on him to bring out the best as we continue the AFCON Qualifiers. Salami has justified his presence and deserves to be a regular in the Eagles,” he told supersport.com.

    Ashinze, who played for Stationery Stores, Enugu Rangers and defunct Iwuanyanwu Nationale (now Heartland FC) charged Salami to improve on his calculations and solo moves.

    It is Salami’s third goal for the Super Eagles including one against Congo in the 2015 AFCON qualifiers in Calabar. Interestingly, Salami scored a brace for his club, Warri Wolves, in the CAF Confederation Cup against AC Leopards last week.

  • Amokachi may take over FC Taraba

    Amokachi may take over FC Taraba

    Daniel Amokachi looks set to take over as coach of Nigeria premier league outfit FC Taraba, AfricanFootball.com can report.

    The 42-year-old Amokachi, who is not expected to return as assistant to Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi, has handled Nasarawa United, Enyimba as well as the Super Eagles and U23 national team.

    His former national teammate and close friend Tijjani Babangida is a consultant to Taraba.

    ‘The Bull’, as Amokachi was called during his playing days, was in Jalingo to watch the team draw 3-3 at home with Gabros on Sunday and a source inside the Taraba camp told AfricanFootball.com the coach is coming in as the new technical adviser all things being equal.

    “I heard it last week that Amokachi is coming to take over as our coach, he was here on Sunday to watch our game against Gabros. I think he will take over as the new technical adviser,” the source told AfricanFootball.com.

    Last season, Ndubuisi Nduka was sacked as the club’s coach and his assistant, Tony Ogharanduku, has since been in charge of the team.

  • I’m still Keshi’s assistant,Amokachi insists

    I’m still Keshi’s assistant,Amokachi insists

    Super Eagles’ first assistant coach, Daniel Amokachi popularly known as the Da Bull has told SportingLife that he wasn’t aware of any alleged plot or move to remove him from his position in the team.

    Amokachi, who is media shy when quizzed on the news going round that he would be replaced by another coach in the new dispensation of Stephen Keshi’s re-appointment, said he wasn’t ready to comment on the issue because he was quite sure that his employers – the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) who has the power to hire and fire any national coach would have informed him of his removal if the story going round was true.

    He confessed that he engaged in this small chat with the SportingLife Correspondent based on the respect he has for him because he has since made up his mind not to talk about the matter since he has not been officially communicated on the issue.

    “Firstly I want to say that I am talking to you here as a friend if not I won’t even talk at all. As a matter of fact on the issue you are inquiring about it is only my employers, the Nigeria Football Federation that can answer that because they have the power to sack me since they are the ones that hired me in the first place.

    “So as I speak with you I have not gotten any information as regards that from the NFF. I only read like others on the pages of newspapers that Amokachi would be replaced or Amokachi has been replaced. So I don’t want to react on rumours. I know I have put in my all in this job and it is a privilege serving the nation among many other qualified coaches.

    “The job of coaching is about hiring and firing, praising when the going is good and condemnation when the going gets rough. So whatever happens I will take it as an act of God and I will move on from there”, Amokachi told SportingLife at the weekend.

  • SUPER EAGLES CREW: Amokachi faces axe

    SUPER EAGLES CREW: Amokachi faces axe

    • More heads to roll
    • New coaches expected

    Except the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) chiefs intervene, there are strong indications that Daniel Amokachi would be axed from the Super Eagles technical crew.

    Sportinglife scooped that a seeming fued exists between the Eagles players, some of the coaches and Amokachi which could cost his replacement at a time when the NFF wants to fortify the team’s techncial crew.

    Whispers, however, indicate that the in-coming chief coach was miffed that Amokachi could wash his hands off the selection of players for the two international fiendlies against Uganda in Uyo in which the Eagles lost 1-0 and the drawn game against Bafana Bafana in South Africa.

    This act by Amokachi appeared to be the last straw that tore the team apart, especially the shocking revelation that the chief coach picked the players. It remains to be seen, if the NFF will accede to the request to ease off Da Bull from the Eagles’ technical crew.

    It was gathered further that at least two new coaches would be introduced into the team with words rife that the NFF hopes to get a pyschologist for the team among other key personnel who haven’t been in the team.

    Nothing was revealed to Sportinglife about the in-coming chief coach’s  Togolese friend as it concerns his stay in the team, largely because his services are been paid by the coach.

     

  • Amokachi unhappy with late Bafana goal

    Amokachi unhappy with late Bafana goal

    Super Eagles caretaker coach, Daniel Amokachi, believes the draw with South Africa was a fair result.

    Nigeria looked to be securing a 1-0 win over Shakes Mashaba’s side but Bongani Zungu popped up in stoppage to ensure both side earn a share of the spoils.

    “It is fair game, coming away from home after losing to Uganda,” Amokachi said after the game.

    “Ninety-eight percent of the players are having their first, second or third cap.

    “It is fair result but when your are winning and one goal up, conceding is not good.

    “But that’s football, it’s not over until the fat lady sings and that’s what happened to us.”

  • Amokachi drops Udoh for Bafana Bafana friendly

    Amokachi drops Udoh for Bafana Bafana friendly

    The overall top goal scorer of the Nigeria Professional Football League and Enyimba FC Striker, Mfon Udoh was one of four players dropped by interim coach of Nigeria,Daniel Amokachi  ahead of Sunday’s International friendly in Mbombela.

    The Federation had earlier said that only 23 players will execute the second of two friendlies it lined up for the March International window.

    Nigeria lost 1-0 to Uganda in the first friendly played inside the Nest of Champions on Wednesday. Farouk Miya’s deflected shot beat Vincent Enyeama on the veterans 100th international cap.

    Mfon’s exclusion would not come as a surprise, the striker who netted 23 league goals last season to help Enyimba finish as runners up of the NPFL saw bearly two minutes of game time in Uyo as he was considered fifth choice in the Eagles attack line which also boasts of English Championship club Watford forward, Odion Ighalo and 1. FC Koln’s Anthony Ujah.

    The Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) tweeted the list of players selected for the South Africa clash.

    It will be the  third meeting in five months; both games were AFCON qualifiers and Shakes Masahaba’s team impressed against the 2013 AFCON winners.

  • Amokachi: Eagles can only get better

    Super Eagles stand-in coach  Daniel Amokachi says they must keep improving following their decent showing in the 0-1 loss to the Elephants of Cote D’ Ivoire in an international friendly in the United Arab Emirates.

    The second string Super Eagles team, largely dominated by locally-based players, held their more illustrious and revered Ivoirian counterparts until the 84th minute, when former Chelsea forward, Salomon Kalou came off the bench to score what proved to be the winner.

    And Amokachi, who takes charge of the team in the absence of Stephen Keshi, says they have learnt a thing or two from the loss, and must keep improving.

    “The players gave their best but like I have been saying, we must also remember that these are players that have been off season for over two months and they are just only trying to get some fitness.

    “We have to keep improving after this game and focus on the next. The good thing is that we have some days before the next game and we must use those days to make sure we get better.

    “These are young players and they are willing to learn and that is the good thing, so we must work with them to help them get better. If they get better, it is not to my glory but to the glory of Nigeria,” he stressed.

  • Amokachi says Eagles won’t miss Eduok

    Amokachi says Eagles won’t miss Eduok

    Super Eagles stand-in coach, Daniel Amokachi, has told SL10.ng that he will not miss Emem Eduok, after the striker was dismissed from the team ahead of the friendly games against Ivory Coast and Sudan due to what the NFF have termed ‘bad image’.

    The forward is currently enmeshed in a transfer storm between his Nigerian club, Dolphins, Esperance of Tunisia, Sarpsorg 08 of Norway and a certain A&B Academy in Nigeria over his ownership.

    He has signed contracts with Sarpsorg and Esperance, which is creating the present storm, with the Norwegians threatening to take him to FIFA if he doesn’t honour the contract he has signed with them, and meanwhile, Esperance have issued a statement that they expect him to return to the club after his engagements with the Super Eagles.

    And given all of these, which prompted the NFF to dismiss from the national camp, and Amokachi, despite acknowledging his talents, posited that they will not be missing Eduok’s services.

    “I don’t miss one player because my focus now is the 23 players I have on the team and not any one player because no one player can do what I want in the field,” he told SL10.ng.

    “We have over a hundred and sixty million Nigerians and about twenty million of those play football.

    “He’s just one those lucky to be picked, but he’s not the best player, he’s just lucky. Every player has his own time. He’s a player that we’ll need but definitely we have other players that can do what he does on the pitch and we hope he can resolve this saga,” Amokachi posited.

    The Super Eagles are scheduled to depart Nigeria today for the games against the Elephants of Ivory Coast and the Jediane Falcons of Sudan.

  • Amokachi plans to stun Sudan, Cote d’Ivoire

    Amokachi plans to stun Sudan, Cote d’Ivoire

    Super Eagles’ assistant coach, Daniel Amokachi has told SL10.ng that he would be expecting good outings when the Super Eagles tackle Sudan and Cote d’ Ivoire in two international friendlies later this month.

    ‘The Bull’, as the former Everton of England striker is popular known, says in as much as the games are mere friendlies, he expects his wards to put out good performances when they face the Sudanese and the Ivoiriens.

    “As with every game, we are expecting to get good results against Sudan and Ivory Coast. You don’t go into games hoping to lose, you always want to win and it is no different with us. They are not games that we must win, but it will be good for our confidence if we can win these games. It will be good for the players, and for the country,” Amokachi told SL10.ng.

    The 1994 Africa Cup of Nations winner also spoke about the players, and says they have all shown good discipline and are all good enough to make the final squad of 19 to travel for the games.

    “The players have shown great discipline and understanding to what we expect, which I must say is a good thing. They are all very players and are all good enough to make the final squad, but unfortunately only 19 will be taken and we must pick only the best amongst them.”

  • AHEAD OF ABU DHABI GAMES: Eagles are match-rusty, says Amokachi

    AHEAD OF ABU DHABI GAMES: Eagles are match-rusty, says Amokachi

    Super Eagles’ assistant  coach, Daniel Amokachi has expressed concerns over his players’ fitness level ahead of the international friendly matches in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

    The home-based Eagles will play matches against Mali and Cote D Ivoire and the players, who resumed camp on Tuesady and had their first training session on Wednesady.

    But Amokachi, who supervised the training session, revealed that the players lack fitness.

    He also said that the team has a limited time to train before travelling for the games, stressing that the coaching crew will work hard on their fitness.

    “There was rustiness among the players. If the league is not on you don’t get players who are fit.

    “It is unfortunate for us because we have seven days to train before we travel for both matches. The first match is on January 11.

    “As footballers we will try our best to bring them (players) to a level we think they would be fit enough to play the game,” Amokachi said.

    The former Super Eagles striker also said the idea of using home-based players for matches has helped in discovering more talents.

    He added that he enjoyed working with the players invited for camping.

    “This is not my team. I am standing in for my boss Stephen Keshi. He is still my boss. I am here to do a job as a coach.

    “We have new players coming into the team. It is good to work with young players who are ready to learn and ready to get to the next level in their football career.

    “Since Keshi get on board this programme has been on and it has helped us a lot and it will continue to help us.”