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Tag: Bright Dike

  • Bright Dike hopeful of MLS return

    Bright Dike hopeful of MLS return

    Exiled Super Eagles striker, Bright Dike, has said he is hopeful of featuring again in the Major League Soccer (MLS) next year after he missed a better part of the 2015 season when he was released by Toronto FC.

    Dike, who is among the players eligible for Re-Entry Draft by MLS board, is waiting for the opportunity to return to the top league for the coming season.

    “I am thankful that the last time I had to sit out of a practice was August 2014 about a year and half ago. Hopefully an opportunity awaits,” africanFootball.com quoted Dike as saying on his Twitter handle.

    The 28-year-old forward has played for Indiana Invaders, Portland Timbers and San Antonio Scorpions.

     

  • Bright Dike to cheer sister in final

    Bright Dike to cheer sister in final

    Nigeria striker Bright Dike plans to cheer his sister, Courtney and the Falconets when they play the final on Sunday

    Nigeria crushed North Korea 6-2 to set up a repeat of the 2010 final against Germany, who edged past France 2-1.

    “Nigeria and @CourtneyDike just too much for Korea! I definitely have to come watch her play live in the U-20 World Cup Final,” a proud big brother Bright Dike tweeted.

    Courtney Dike has scored two quick goals at the tournament for Nigeria including Wednesday’s opening goal against Korea DPR after just two minutes.

    Th 19-year-old striker, who is under a sports scholarship in the United States of America, has surpassed all expectations after she was initially picked as a make-weight player for Canada 2014.

    She now holds the record for the fastest goal ever scored at this World Cup, when she fired home after 18 seconds against Korea Republic in the group stage of the competition.

    Bright Dike himself was ruled out of the recent World Cup in Brazil due to a long-term Achilles tendon injury.

  • Women’s U-20 World Cup: Bright Dike to cheer Falconets in final

    Women’s U-20 World Cup: Bright Dike to cheer Falconets in final

    Super Eagles striker, Bright Dike, will cheer his sister Courtney and the Falconets when Nigeria plays in the final of FIFA Women’s U-20 World Cup on Sunday, africanFootball.com reports.

    Nigeria crushed North Korea 6-2 to set up a repeat of the 2010 final against Germany, who defeated France 2-1.

    “Nigeria and @CourtneyDike just too much for Korea! I definitely have to come watch her play live in the U-20 World Cup Final,” africanFootball.com quoted a proud big Dike as saying on twitter on Thursday.

    Courtney Dike has scored two quick goals at the tournament for Nigeria including Wednesday’s opening goal against Korea DPR after just two minutes.

    The 19-year-old striker, who is under a sports scholarship in the United States, has surpassed all expectations after she was initially picked as a makeweight player for Canada 2014.

    She now holds the record for the fastest goal ever scored at this World Cup, when she fired home after 18 seconds against Korea Republic in the competition group stage.

  • BALOTELLI, ROSSI BEGGED FOR MY SHIRT – DIKE

    BALOTELLI, ROSSI BEGGED FOR MY SHIRT – DIKE

    INJURED Super Eagles striker, Bright Dike, has revealed that some of the Italian superstars that faced the Eagles in an international friendly in London asked for his shirt.

    Dike scored one of the goals in a game that ended 2-2 to become an instant celebrity in Europe.

    “Some of these guys don’t even know me, but they respect you if you play a game,” Dike told Toronto Sun.

    The Nigerian international will also miss the World Cup as a result, but he insists that one night in November will stick with him forever. “That does so much for your confidence to talk to players of that calibre.

    Dike described how AC Milan’s Mario Balotelli and Fiorentina’s Giuseppe Rossi asked for his jersey after the 2-2 draw with the Italians at London’s Craven Cottage.

    “I didn’t have a third jersey and Riccardo Montolivo came up to me. It was just a wonderful experience,” Dike said.

    Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi has hinted that there is still a place for Dike in the Eagles, as soon as he is fit enough to play.

  • Bright Dike out of World Cup

    Bright Dike out of World Cup

    Super Eagles striker, Bright Dike,  has suffered a torn Achilles in training with Toronto FC, sources confirmed to Goal on Monday.

    The injury comes almost two years after the striker suffered a torn Achilles with the Portland Timbers.

    He worked his way back from that injury and played well enough to attract the attention of the Nigerian national team.

    Dike had been expected to play a key role for Toronto FC this year and was a candidate for Nigeria’s World Cup team, but the latest injury has put an end to those possibilities for the 27-year-old striker, Goal says.

    He showed some flashes with Toronto FC in 2013, but it was his impressive performance in Nigeria’s 2-2 draw with Italy in London last November that put him in the spotlight.

    He had been called up to the Super Eagles’ squad to face Mexico in March 5 international friendly in the United States and was looking good for a place in the team to Brazil in the summer.

     

  • BRAZIL 2014: Dike targets World Cup spot

    BRAZIL 2014: Dike targets World Cup spot

    Nigeria’s Toronto FC forward Bright Dike hopes to make the final 23-man squad for the World Cup tournament in Brazil after been selected for the friendly match against Mexico next month in United States of America.

    The 27-year-old is ready for the start of new season in the United States as he has been working hard since the end of last season in December. “[I’ve had] a lot, a lot of work,” he said.

    “It wasn’t really an offseason for me, I got a couple of practices abroad [with Celtic], I was with Nigeria most of the offseason so it was definitely a good offseason for me.

    ”I was fortunate enough to get my first official goal against Italy so that brings great confidence going into this season.

    “[Keshi] said the last camp went well for me and hopefully I keep getting called up and eventually make the team for the World Cup.”

    Dike played in just five league matches last season due to ACL injury that kept him sidelined for months, but will have to work hard again to win place in the starting XI, as Toronto signed two new strikers – Gilberto and Jermain Defoe, who will compete with Dike for the place in attack. “You know, Defoe is a world-class player and any time you play alongside a player like that, it’s a good person to pick his brain and learn from. I’m looking forward to that,” Dike added.

    So far, the Nigeria international is off to a fine start in preseason, scoring against D.C. United in a practice match in Florida. Will it be enough to get him on the plane to Brazil? At this point, it will be his play with Toronto that will ultimately make the case.

    “All you can do is keep playing your best and make sure you’re getting better every day,” Dike told mlssoccer.com.

  • Dike, Eze shine in Toronto win

    Dike, Eze shine in Toronto win

    The Nigerian duo of Super Eagles striker Bright Dike, and little known Kene Eze were the heroes as MLS side, Toronto FC opened their pre-season on Wednesday in Bradenton, Florida with a 1-0 win over D.C. United.

    Dike scored the winner in the 85th minute off a cross from pre-season triallist Kene Eze.

    The game, which was played in a dense fog that made the game barely visible, saw Toronto head coach, Ryan Nelsen lining out a number of the club’s big names, including million-dollar man Michael Bradley and TFC returnee Dwayne De Rosario.

    DC United, which was missing U.S. international Eddie Johnson and a number of offensive players, didn’t trouble TFC’s back four but for a few times on either side of halftime.

    Toronto FC returns to Toronto on Friday following a two-week pre-season stint in Florida.

    The club’s Brazilian attackers, Gilberto and Jackson, are expected to join up with the Reds ahead of their return.

    The team will remain in Toronto through the week before departing for Orlando ahead of the Disney Pro Soccer Classic pre-season event.

  • Bright Dike gets rival at MLS club

    Bright Dike gets rival at MLS club

    Nigeria-born Kene Eze will rival Nigeria international Bright Dike at Toronto FC as he has been picked in a super draft for trials at the MLS club.

    The Sayreville High School graduate, who starred at Rutgers for three seasons after transferring from William Patterson, was selected by Toronto FC in the fourth round of the MLS Super Draft, MTNFootball.com reports.

    Eze has been Rutgers leading scorer for past three years, he scored eight goals with four assists in 14 games in 2013.

    He was a Third-Team NSCAA/Continental Tire Division I All-Northeast Region selection.

     

  • Toronto won’t sell Dike cheaply

    Toronto won’t sell Dike cheaply

    MLS side Toronto FC have said they will not sell Nigeria striker Bright Dike on the cheap after they received bids for him.

    Club manager Ryan Nielsen disclosed they have received some offers for the Nigeria international, but he will only go on the right place.

    The Nigeria star faces stiffer opposition in getting regular football action at Toronto FC when the season starts following the acquisition of England international Jermaine Defoe and Brazilian forward Gilberto.

    “We’ve actually had quite a few offers for Bright. He is such an impactful player for us, and I’d love to keep him. But if we get a really good offer, then it is something we have to consider,” Nelsen said.

    The powerful striker joined Toronto last September from Portland Timbers and he quickly became a fans’ favourite. He started five games and scored one goal for ‘The Reds’ down the final stretch of the season.

    During the off-season, Dike trained with Celtic in Scotland and recent rumours have linked him with an extended stay in Europe which will help his aspiration to represent to Nigeria at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

  • Dike desperate for European club

    Dike desperate for European club

    • Eagles star wants to remain match-fit for World Cup

    Toronto FC’s Super Eagles striker, Bright Dike is keen to get a club in Europe before the end of the winter transfer season to enhance his World Cup chances with Nigeria.

    Dike trained with Celtic of Scotland for some days before negotiations broke down between his club and the Scottish champions over loan fees.

    The Imo State-born combative player was recalled to the United States by Toronto FC but he hasn’t given up hopes of a European move.

    The MLS season won’t start until sometime in March which is barely three months to the kick off of the World Cup in Brazil. This would be a minus for Dike whose colleagues in Europe are in the thick of competitive football action weekly.

    A source close to the former Portland Timbers forward told SportingLife that Dike has contacted some of his close allies to scour Europe for a club for him so that he would remain match fit for the World Cup.

    Dike is yet to play an official competitive match for Nigeria but featured in friendlies against Catalonia X1, Venezuela and Italy. He has two goals from three games for Nigeria.