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Tag: Amuneke

  • Amuneke ready for tough CAN U-17 Draw

    Amuneke ready for tough CAN U-17 Draw

    Golden Eaglets coach, Emmanuel Amuneke has stated categorically that all the teams that qualified for the African Under-17 Championship (CAN), Niger 2015 are strong, insisting that the draw for the tournament won’t be an easy ride.

    Speaking ahead of the competition draws to be held at the CAF Headquarters in Cairo, Egypt on Sunday, Amuneke said the groups would be evenly balanced with the calibre of teams that have qualified for what would be the 16th edition of the continental cadet championship which holds from February 15 to March 1, 2015.

    The eight qualifiers include defending champions, Cote d’Ivoire, Niger (hosts), Cameroon, Guinea, Mali, South Africa, Zambia and 2013 runners-up, Nigeria and they would be drawn into two halves of four teams each.

    “We can’t begin to say this is the team that we want in our group in Niger and whatever we get would depend on the luck of the draw,” Amuneke, the former Barcelona winger said.

    “I have taken a closer look at the list of the teams that are going to Niger and I think we have a strong pool of eight teams from the continent.

    “Most of the teams are from West Africa which is a very strong zone at age-grade competitions and it is interesting that there is no team from North Africa, whereas we had Morocco and Tunisia as semi-finalists in 2013,” he added.

    He further reiterated that his primary objective in Niger was to qualify the Golden Eaglets for next year’s FIFA Under-17 World Cup to be hosted in Chile.

    “We know what to expect in Niger and our objective remains the same; we have to reach the semi-finals to secure one of the four tickets for the World Cup in Chile,” he noted.

    “I’m waiting to see the teams that we are going to get from the draws on Sunday and that would also give us an idea of what to do,” Amuneke stated.

    Meanwhile, screening of new players continues at the NFF/FIFA Goal Project in Abuja and the former African Footballer of the Year remains upbeat that the process would throw up new talents to fortify the squad for Niger 2015.

  • Ahead OF CAF U-17 Championship qualifier: Amuneke drops five players from Eaglets squad

    Ahead OF CAF U-17 Championship qualifier: Amuneke drops five players from Eaglets squad

    Five players have been dropped by Nigeria U-17 coach Emmanuel Amuneke as they step up their preparation for an African Championship qualifier against Gabon in September.

    The players are Ebije Yahaya, Prince Omosowhofa, Chinedu Madueke,  Kingsley Ohiri and Kabiru Muhammed-incidentally all midfielders-and have since left the team’s camp in Calabar.

    The five, who were given the marching order, according to the coaching crew, have significantly dropped in form and have contributed little to the fortune of the team in recent times.

    The Golden Eaglets dispatched Congo Democratic Republic on a 5-0 aggregate early this month, but coach  Amuneke said there was no room for complacency.

    “The party is over and it is about time we forget about what we had done recently,” Amuneke told the players.

    “But it is unfortunate that some have not really measured up to the standard we expected.

    “We must now focus our attention squarely on Gabon because it would be their desire to qualify for the Under-17 Championship in Niger.

    “We have reasonably pruned down the list based on the need of the team according to their performance in comparison to others “explained Emeka Amadi, goalkeepers’ trainer, adding that the coaching crew has a pool of players  to be called upon when the need arises.

    “The good thing is that we are in a process of raising a team that can defend the World Cup won in 2013 and we would continue to shuffle the team from time to time since we have about 45 players registered with Confederation of African Football (CAF).”

  • Amuneke unimpressed with ‘wasteful’ Eaglets

    Amuneke unimpressed with ‘wasteful’ Eaglets

    Golden Eaglets’ coach, Emmanuel Amuneke, is not impressed with the team’s performance despite recording a 1-0 away victory over the DR Congo in the CAF African U-17 Championship qualifying game played in Kinshasa on Saturday evening.

    While evaluating the Eaglets’ performance in the encounter, Amuneke disclosed his disappointment in the side’s inability to utilize the many chances created against the hosts, kickOffNigeria.com reports.

    “I’m not happy despite the fact that we won this match,” kickOffNigeria.com quoted Amuneke as saying immediately after the game.

    “If we had taken our chances, the story would have been different because we had all the chances but we wasted so much.”

    Amuneke further praised the Congolese for their fighting spirit after conceding a goal, adding that his boys would have to up their game in the reverse fixture in a fortnight.

    “We have seen what the Congolese can do and that means more work for us in the second leg but we are positive of going through eventually,” he added

     

     

  • Eaglets held in Cairo

    Eaglets held in Cairo

    Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets and the Egyptian under-17 team fired blanks in the first of their two-game friendly at the Police Sports Federation Stadium in Cairo on Friday, supersport.com reports.

    The Junior Pharaohs of Egypt dominated the opening quarter of an hour by enjoying larger share of the possession but rarely threatened the backline of the Golden Eaglets.

    The Nigeria under-17s thought they had taken the lead in the 17th minute when Samuel Chukwueze bundled the ball into the net from a rebound after Egyptian goalkeeper Ahmed Sallah could not deal with Suleiman Abdullahi’s shot.

    Chukwueze’s goal did not stand as the referee, Mohamed El-Hanafy ruled it out for offside.

    Nine minutes later, Chukwueze was on hand again to drill in an angled shot past Sallah but the goal was chalked off for offside.

    In added time of the first 45 minutes the Egyptians came close to taking the lead through their captain, Hamdy Abdulaziz.

    Abdulaziz’s volley was palmed away by Nigeria goalkeeper, Benjamin Amos to keep score at 0-0 at the break.

    The Golden Eaglets dominated the second half of the warm-up game but could not breach the Junior Pharaohs at the back.

    Golden Eaglets head coach, Emmanuel Amuneke, believes the tune-up match presented his team with “a good test.”

     

  • Amuneke survives sack

    Amuneke survives sack

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have vented their anger on U-17 chief coach, Emmanuel Amuneke after he was accused of demanding for money to invite players into the national team.

    The Golden Eaglets coach was drilled last week by senior officials in the federation who wanted to know why his name would be dragged into such a scandalous issue that hogged headlines for weeks. The coach has continued to maintain his innocence.

    SportingLife gathered from an insider that the coach has been placed under close scrutiny even though he escaped with a warning. The  federation said they were deeply embarrassed.

    “They do not like what they have been reading in the newspapers. He could have been sacked if there was strong evidence that he was involved in such an act. The federation did not do this to Manu Garba or Nduka Ugbade,” said our source.

    Asked what the measures the federation have put in place to monitor the coach, our source did not provide any explanation, but said it was not to witch-hunt anybody.

    “It is a discreet investigation that we do not want to divulge much. But all l know is that the federation is bent on getting to the root of the matter,” the source added.

    Amuneke took over from Manu Garba who has moved to the U-20 national side that tackle Tanzania today in an AYC qualifier in Kaduna.

  • Amuneke drops four players from Eaglets camp

    Amuneke drops four players from Eaglets camp

    Four players were on Friday shown the revolving exit of the Golden Eaglets’ CJ Planet International Hotel Camp in Abuja as Coach Emmanuel Amuneke wielded the stick after repeated warning against poor performance and conduct by his fledging players.

    The players who got the marching order were Kingsley Michael, Okonkwo Orji, Chibuzor Ibekwe and Paul Obasi even as he advised the rest to pull their weight since no undisciplined conduct would be tolerated both on and off the field of play.

    “I really want to thank all of you for what you have done so far but the truth of the matter is that some of you are not doing enough and as a matter of fact, we won’t  also condone indiscipline on the part of anybody,” said Amuneke, the former African Footballer of the Year.

    He said he was miffed with the conduct of some of the players following the team’s relative success at the recently concluded WAFU B Tournament in Togo and categorically told the players that no individual player is bigger than the team or the country.

    “Without discipline, we can’t get to anywhere and achieve anything as such, we want you to remain focussed and disciplined,” he maintained.

    The tough decision of the coaching crew notwithstanding,  both Obasi and Ibekwe were magnanimous in praising the technical crew as well as praying for the overall success of the team in the days ahead.

    ” I want to thank you so much for the opportunity given to me,” said Obasi who was sourced from Invisible Leopards of Badagry. “As a human being, I’m not happy but I know what you have done was in good faith and for the good of the team; and I want to wish the team all the best in the future.”

    The four affected players in the meantime have since left the Golden Eaglets CJ Planet International Hotel Camp in Abuja.

  • ‘Amuneke was not slapped’

    ‘Amuneke was not slapped’

    Prince Udofia, the Golden Eaglets’ coordinator has flatly denied story making the rounds that the national Under-17 team’s coach, Emmanuel Amuneke’ was involved in a fisticuff at the team’s Blue Angel Hotel camp in Lome on Tuesday.

    Udofia said the spurious report posted on the bogus web site, allnigeriasoccer.com, that Amuneke was slapped by a certain Henry Galeano over the transfer package of Kelechi Iheanacho to Manchester City was a mere figment of imagination of the reporter.

    “We wondered what was the motive behind the report that coach Amuneke was slapped by an agent?” thundered Udofia, the no-nonsense Team Manager of Abia Warriors. “There was nothing like that because in the first instance, we don’t even entertain any agent within the confines of the camp.

    “If anything of such happened, we would have reported to relevant authorities here since we are representing the country and we are adequately catered for by the Togolese security personnel.”

    Udofia has, therefore, advised the public to be wary of stories emanating from the specious allnigeriasoccer.com web site which is notorious for maligning the reputation of individuals on the altar of yellow journalism.

    “We don’t want any distraction here and I personally want to appeal to our friends in the media to crosscheck their facts before rushing to the press,” he said. “We wouldn’t have dignified allnigeriasoccer.com web site with any response but we found it expedient so that they would not continue to feed unsuspecting Nigerian public with tissue of lies.”

  • Amuneke praises Eaglets

    Amuneke praises Eaglets

    Golden Eaglets coach Emmanuel Amuneke has praised his boys after they thrashed the country’s women’s team, the Super Falcons, 6-0 in a friendly on Friday at NFF/FIFA Goal project field.

    Speaking after the 60-minute duel,Amuneke said the lads have substance to build upon in the days ahead, while insisting that nobody has been guaranteed a place in the team yet.

    “We are impressed not because of the number of the goals we scored but because the boys have started showing what they have been learning in the last few days,” said the former African Footballer of the Year.

    “The level of their performance is encouraging and it is our duty to demand more from them but there is substance to build upon from these boys.”

    The match was an opportunity for the Eaglets coaches to watch their new recruits under match situation and they responded well.

    The lads would soon take the initiative after the Super Falcons had taken the kick off.

    Chidera Ejuke grabbed the curtain raiser in the sixth minute with a tap in off a pass from Kehinde Ayinde.

    He was back 10 minutes later when he rode through the Falcons’ defence for his second goal of the match to end the first half 2-0 in favour of the budding Eaglets.

    Amuneke brought in some fresh faces in the second half leaving behind Henry Daniel, Kingsley Michael, Joshua Auta and Dauda Abdul-Ganiyu.

    Henry would turn to Falcons’tormentor as he broke freely from the right flank. Six minutes after the restart, he fed new comer, Paul Obasi to score Eaglets’ third goal. It was Henry again that provided Michael with the pull out to slot the ball behind the Falcons’ net for the fourth goal in the 41st minute.

    He would later cap his fine performance barely a minute later when he guided the ball into the net after collecting a through ball from Orji Okoronkwo but it was Okoronkwo who scored the final goal of the match when he got a through pass from Henry yet again.

  • Amuneke named Eaglets’ coach

    Amuneke named Eaglets’ coach

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed the appointment of former international winger and former assistant coach of the U17 side, Emmanuel Amuneke as the new coach of the Golden Eaglets.

    “We have opted for continuity because these coaches are highly experienced and qualified to continue with the progress we are making” NFF’s head of technical department Emmanuel Ikpeme told BBC Sport.

    “We’ve had a couple of disappointing experiences in the past and it was felt that we couldn’t take the same route again.

    “Amuneke has transformed from a great player to one of the finest youth coaches in Africa and we believe he deserves his under-17 role as well,” he further added.