The Nation Newspaper

Tag: call-up

  • Uzochukwu: I will prove I deserve Eagles call-up

    Uzochukwu: I will prove I deserve Eagles call-up

    Russia-based midfielder Izunna Uzochukwu has told AfricanFootball.com his first-ever Super Eagles call-up will not be his last because he will justify his invitation by coach Sunday Oliseh.

    The tigerish-tackling FC Amkar Perm midfielder, whose brother Ugonna features for South African club Chippa United, exclusively told AfricanFootball.com in this interview he has long waited for his chance with the Eagles. He also talked about his career and what he will bring to the new Eagles.

     

    AFRICANFOOTBALL.COM: Congratulations on your invitation to the Super Eagles.

    IZUNNA UZOCHUKWU: Thanks

    How did you feel when you received the invitation?

    I was so happy and excited when I got it because I have waited so long for the invitation and such an opportunity.

    Did you actually expect the invitation to come at this time?

    Not really, but was expecting it to happen. It was a surprise to me the invitation came now, but it’s here now, all thanks to God.

    How was it like playing in Denmark for Midtjylland?

    It was really good playing in Denmark because it’s the spring board that took me to  where I am today as a footballer.

    Did Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh call you to inform you of his intention to invite you to his team?

    Yes, he called me after my first two games here in Russia and he made me understand that he has been following my games since I was in Midtjylland.

    Surprisingly, he didn’t even mention anything to me about inviting me for the Tanzania game.

    What exactly did he tell you?

    Words of encouragement, how I could become a better player and he corrected my mistakes as well.

    The midfield has been one of the major problems in the Eagles, what do you hope to bring then to this department?

    There are a lot of good midfield players in the Eagles already, all I can do is to bring in my style and hopefully it will be the solution to the problem and add to the quality in the team.

    You now play in the Russian league, how does it compare to what is obtained in Denmark?

    There are big differences in both leagues. The calibre of players and the style of play are different. There are a lot of big-names players in the Russia league more than in Denmark. Also, the tempo is very high in Russia.

    What was your best moment at Midtjylland?

    I have a lot of good memories when I played in Denmark, but the best of them was when I won the Danish league with Midtjylland last season. It was the club’s first time of winning the league. I was really happy to be part of the players who made this history.

    Many players have been called up to Eagles in the past but that was the last for them, so could we say Izunna is in Eagles to stay?

    My desire is to stay and be consistent with the Eagles. I am going to give my best to justify my invitation and stay on in the team because I love my country whole heartedly.

    Who are your role models?

    Claude Makalele is a player I loved to watch a lot when he was still playing. He is my role model. I admired Sunday Oliseh and Michael Essien as well.

    Who has most influenced your career?

    My family is my backbone.

    What do you hope to achieve with your Russian club Amkar Perm?

    My dream with Amkar Perm is to achieve something great and then move on to a better league.

    Thank you for your time.

    It’s my pleasure.

  • Eagles call-up is a ‘priceless privilege’ – Pinnick

    Eagles call-up is a ‘priceless privilege’ – Pinnick

    Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Amaju Pinnick says he expects players invited to the Super Eagles to consider their call-up as a ‘priceless privilege’.

    26 players are presently in the Eagles’ camp as they commence preparation for the 2017 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Chad.

    Although it has been reported that foreign-based players could be invited to the fold, Pinnick counselled the players against hasty decisions on honouring or turning down national call-ups.

    ”Whenever you see an invite for the Eagles, think of it as a privilege, a priceless privilege but you also have the right to turn it down and not honour.

    ”I have made the players understand that the first reaction to invitations or blacklisting is to meditate and set for themselves a purpose.”

  • Mixed feelings greet NYSC call-up letters

    For many graduates mobilised for the National Youth Service, it was a mixed tale of disappointment and joy when they got their call-up letters. Some of them, posted to crisis-ridden areas, saw the one-year service as a death sentence. Others were happy. OLUWAFEMI OGUNJOBI (NYSC, Makurdi) writes.

    Oluwatosin Olatunbosun was upbeat when she learnt it was time for her to go on the one-year National Youth Service. Cheery,  she left her base for the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, where she studied Language Arts.

    But, after she got her call-up letter, her mood changed. Oluwatosin broke down in tears when she learnt she was posted to Yobe State, one of the states being ravaged by Boko Haram insurgency. The 22-year-old graduate believed she was being sent on a journey of no return, saying her life would be exposed to danger during the compulsory youth service.

    This is one of the tales of woes and misery at the OAU, last week, when thousands of graduates besieged the Students’ Affairs Division to take their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) call-up letters.

    Some were seen discussing their fate in groups after they got their letters. But for others, it was a moment of joy, having been posted to states, where there is no conflict. For many, it was a load of disappointment, because many failed to influence their postings to states of their choice.

    While the tales of misery were being told, some of the prospective Corps members, who had resigned to fate, flocked a make-shift market beside the Students’ Affairs Division to buy wares they would need at the NYSC camps. Ife residents made brisk business, selling various wares to the graduates. Business centre operators and photographers were not left out in the bazaar.

    Many graduates could not get their call-up letters on time because of delay in the NYSC office in Osogbo. By 8.00pm on Thursday, the exercise was still going on. But some, who could afford to pay N4,060 to get the letter online wasted no time; they printed the call-up letters on the Internet without delay.

    For Alex Ojekunle, a graduate of Public Administration, his expectation to observe the Youth Service in the Southeast was dashed when he learnt that he was posted to Taraba State. Disappointed, Alex said: “It was a shocker for me to discover that I am posted to Taraba State. I was hoping to be posted to the South-south or Southeast, given the security challenges in the North presently.  I initially felt unhappy. My heart beat faster and had the thought that it could be the end.”

    Philip Okorodudu, who graduated from Delta State University (DELSU) in Abraka, said he was apprehensive when he learnt he would undertake the Youth Service in Taraba, because the state shares boundary with Adamawa State being ravaged by Boko Haram insurgency. The Electrical and Electronics Engineering graduate said his worry was his safety.

    However, Kemi Busari’s response was different. The Political Science graduate of OAU was upbeat to be going to Kaduna State, where he was posted. He said: “I have spent all my life in the Southwest and I want to have a feel of other places, especially the North. I believe I can explore new opportunities there. I think this is a chance. Apart from insecurity, I believe there are good stories about these places many youths do not want to go.”

    Taiwo Makinde called his parents in Abeokuta with joy when he was told by his friend, Mide, that he was posted to Ogun State. “Meet the latest Ogun Corps member,” he exclaimed. But, Taiwo got the shock of his life the next day when he got his call-up letter and discovered he had been posted to Yobe State. “My friend, who checked for me, mistook my state of origin to be my posting,” he said, breaking down in tears.

    But for many of the youths posted to the North, the bad story is turning out to be good after a few days in camp.

    Alex said he was beginning to understand the culture of the Jukun, describing them as good and welcoming people “who treat Corps members as kings.”

    However, because of the security situation, Corps members posted to Adamawa, Yobe and Borno states are having their training in Benue, Plateau and Nasarawa states respectively.

     

  • Ameobi dreaming of Nations Cup call-up

    Ameobi dreaming of Nations Cup call-up

    NEWCASTLE United striker Shola Ameobi says an African Cup of Nations (AFCON) call-up for Nigeria would be a dream come true.

    The 31-year-old made his long-awaited debut in the Super Eagles’ 3-1 friendly win against Venezuela last month.

    Ameobi earned praise for setting up the game’s winner, with assistant coach Daniel Amokachi saying he showed “needed class and experience”.

    “Every professional player loves to play at major tournaments and I’m no different,” Ameobi told BBC Sport.

    “You can call me a late bloomer at international level but I’m grateful to God for this big opportunity.”

    The former England U-21 was brought on as a second-half substitute by Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi in the friendly tie in Florida.

    And he is now targeting a coveted place in Keshi’s Nations Cup squad in South Africa.

    “The African Cup of Nations is what the European Championship is to others – so it will be a dream come true to represent my motherland.

    “This is a big chance and I know this is the closest for me. Hopefully, I can live that dream when and if selected.

    “I need to earn it because the are several players out there equally deserving of that chance to represent a country like Nigeria.”

    Ameobi, who was born in Zaria, northern Nigeria, before moving to England with his parents at the age of five, has just returned from a groin injury.