The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Chan Eagles

  • Onobi worsens CHAN Eagles injury crisis

    Onobi worsens CHAN Eagles injury crisis

    Sunshine Stars midfielder Paul Onobi has worsened the injury problems of the CHAN Eagles after he was forced out of Wednesday’s warm-up game against Angola.

    The midfield Trojan, who famously benched Chelsea star Mikel in a 2018 World Cup qualifier against Swaziland in Port Harcourt, was an early substitute after he suffered a knock in the 35th minute and was replaced by U23 ace Usman Mohammed.

    The Eagles already have striker Tunde Adeniji and Chisom Chikatara on the treatment table with muscle injuries.

    Both players did not feature against Angola forcing coach Sunday Oliseh to pick midfielders to lead the attack and so the lack of bite in the Eagles strike force in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw.

  • Mohammed, Yaro expected in CHAN Eagles camp today

    Mohammed, Yaro expected in CHAN Eagles camp today

    U-23 duo of Usman  Muhammed and Bature Yaro should resume camp with the CHAN Eagles in Abuja today following their involvement with the Dream Team VI at the 2015 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations in Senegal.

    Mohammed, who plays for relegated NPFL side, FC Taraba, was a regular for Samson Siasia’s team as they rolled all the way to a first title at the competition including securing a ticket for the 2016 Olympic Games.

    According to reports, Assistant Coach of the team, Salisu Yusuf had informed of the players permission to take a break after returning from the competition.

    “We have given Usman (Mohammed) and Bature Yaro one-week break after which they will rejoin us,” Salisu was quoted.

    Similarly, 2015 NPFL League top scorer, Gbolahan Salami and his Warri Wolves teammate, Solomon Kwambe were also given compassionate leave by the team to account for their absence.

  • CHAN Eagles to replace Orji Kalu

    CHAN Eagles to replace Orji Kalu

    CHAN Eagles will replace Enugu Rangers defender, Orji Kalu, who is down with chickenpox, it has been gathered.

    Kalu, who could play as a rightback or in central defence, is one of 26 players called up by coach Sunday Oliseh for next month’s CHAN in Rwanda, but he has yet to report to the team’s training camp in Abuja on account of the infectious disease that has now sidelined him.

    It is widely expected that in the new week Oliseh will sanction the drafting of a couple of new players to the squad.

    The squad is due to travel  to Pretoria, South Africa, for a training camp prior to the CHAN, which kicks off on January 16 in Kigali.

  • CHAN Eagles to play Ivory Coast in Pretoria Jan. 9

    CHAN Eagles to play Ivory Coast in Pretoria Jan. 9

    The Super Eagles Team B will be playing Ivory Coast next month in an international friendly, while in South Africa for its training tour as the count down to the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) gets underway.

    President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick who confirmed the development to SportingLife, said the federation would foot the expenses of the match which is expected to hold in Pretoria.

    Both countries are using the friendly to test their readiness for the CHAN which begins in Rwanda from January 16 to February 7.

    According to Pinnick, the match would be played on January 9 in Pretoria, where the team will be camped for its final preparations.

    “We want to give the team the best that we believe they should have when preparing for a tournament like CHAN. That is why we considered the Ivorians as the ideal opponents,” said Pinnick.

    The NFF expects the team to surpass its third position at the last CHAN held in South Africa in early 2014.

    While Nigeria is drawn in Group C, Ivory Coast are in Group A along with the host country, with both countries kick starting the competition on January 16.

    The Eagles qualified for the competition following a 2-0 aggregate win against Burkina Faso that is reserved for players in the domestic leagues in Africa.

    Just this week, head coach, Sunday Oliseh released a 26-man list  expected to report to camp on December 14 in Abuja.

  • CHAN Eagles to train in South Africa

    CHAN Eagles to train in South Africa

    Nigeria will now train in Pretoria, South Africa, to prepare for next year’s CHAN in Rwanda as against a proposal by coach Sunday Oliseh to set up a training camp in Tanzania.

    Officials said the change was necessitated because Tanzania does not have a standard artificial pitch, which will be what will be used in Rwanda, africanFootball.com reports.

    The Eagles will set up a training base in Pretoria later this month.

    Nigeria is appearing for its second CHAN campaign after debuting at the tournament reserved for players featuring in their various home leagues in 2014.

    The team has been drawn alongside Niger, Tunisia and Guinea.

    The competition kicks off on January 16 in Kigali.

  • 2016 Rio Qualifier: Chan Eagles threaten to boycott Olympic U-23 camp

    2016 Rio Qualifier: Chan Eagles threaten to boycott Olympic U-23 camp

    The Nigeria U-23 Olympic national team may be heading to a crisis as some of the players invited for the CAF U-23 Africa Cup of Nations have threatened to boycott the team’s camp.

    It was gathered that the players are upset with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for treating them like ‘orphans’

    Most of the players were part of the Super Eagles team that just picked the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) ticket in Burkina Faso and were paid $2,000.

    After being paid such an amount and enjoying other privileges, the players are considering staying away from the team’s Abuja camp until the situation improves. NFF owes the entire team match bonuses and camp allowances, with each player collecting $1,500  for a win.

    “These players recounted their humiliation in Congo during the All Africa Games how they were paid $100 as daily allowance and never got anything for the victories,” a source told SportingLife.

    “They would have preferred to stay with their clubs if they knew they won’t be paid bonuses for the victories at the games,” said the source.

    “As if that is not enough these players were paid $2,000  each for qualifying for CHAN despite  drawing their match against Burkina Faso. Meanwhile, the same NFF is owing the team their bonuses for beating Congo to qualify for the All Africa Games,” added another source.

    “Although we are hearing that their bonuses for the Congo matches are being processed but until we see it, we won’t believe.

    Only 10 players are presently in Abuja out of the 35 invited by coach Samson Siasia.

  • CHAN Eagles wary of Burkina Faso

    CHAN Eagles wary of Burkina Faso

    Nigeria are aware of the threat posed by visiting Burkina Faso in this weekend’s CHAN qualifier after Les Etalons shocked highly favoured Nigeria U-23s in last month’s All Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville.

    Burkina Faso stunned Samson Siasia’s Dream Team VI 3-1 to qualify for the final of the All Africa Games in Brazzaville.

    “We are aware of how Burkina Faso shocked our Olympic team at the All Africa Games and so we know we cannot take them lightly. We know for instance that they have been training in Morocco and have played a number of test matches and so they will be very prepared against us,” said Eagles spokesman Toyin Ibitoye.”

    The home-based Eagles have played a number of test games including a 6-1 spanking of Blessed Academy of Port Harcourt.

    Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh will not be on the bench today after he took ill after the friendlies against DR Congo and Cameroon in Belgium. His assistants, Jean Francois Losciuto and Salisu Yusuf, will be in charge of the team for the first leg as a result.

    Injury has ruled out Enyimba defensive midfielder Razak Aliyu and Paul Onobi from Sunshine Stars. Warri Wolves striker Gbolahan Salami will lead the Eagles today and he said the target is victory.

    “This will be our first competitive match as a team together and I am looking forward to it. I am confident we will do well and the aim is to win convincingly so that the second leg will be easier,” said Salami, who has scored 14 goals in the Nigeria league this season.

    Salami, who featured at last year’s CHAN in South Africa where Nigeria finished third, also dismissed media reports he has been ruled out of the match on account of a groin complaint.

    Other players to look out for are Sharks defender Chima Akas, FC Taraba midfielder Usman Mohammed and Abia Warriors central defender Austin Oboroakpo, who have all been capped at full international level by Nigeria.

    The winners of this match-up over the two legs will advance to the final tournament in Rwanda in January.

  • CHAN EAGLES: Oliseh is ill

    CHAN EAGLES: Oliseh is ill

    • Opts out of Burkina Faso’s tie
    • Submits details by email to NFF
    • Assistants to take charge

    Super Eagles chief coach Sunday Oliseh is indisposed and would not sit on the team’s bench in Saturday’s game against Burkina Faso, in one of the CHAN matches across Africa.

    Sportinglife scooped that Oliseh sought and got approval from his employers, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to attend to his health after he hinted the federation’s president Melvin Amaju Pininck that he needed to see his doctors urgently in Belgium.

    Consequently, Oliseh sent an e-mail to the federation’s Secretary General, Mohammed Sanusi who confirmed that he received the coach’s request to be left out of the Burkina Faso game on health grounds.

    The NFF Secretary General, however refused to divulge the contents of Oliseh’s e-mail report which he said was confidential. He directed Sportinglife to reach out to the body’s president for clarification.

    But the Secretary General informed Sportinglife that Oliseh’s assistants would prosecute the game on behalf of their boss, who must have told them the strategies to adopt to dislodge the Burkinabes at the Adokie Amiesiamaka International Stadium in Port Harcourt on Saturday.

  • CHAN Eagles win test game 6-2

    CHAN Eagles win test game 6-2

    The home-based Eagles preparing for a 2016 CHAN qualifier against Burkina Faso defeated Blessed Academy of Port-Harcourt 6-2 in a test match on Thursday.

    Abia Warriors forward, Chisom Chikatara scored a brace with Gbolahan Salami, Osas Okoro, Ezekiel Bassey and Tunde Adeniji also getting on the scoreboard.

    The players will be excused today to play for their various clubs in the league this weekend and return to camp latest Tuesday in time for the qualifier against Burkina Faso on Sunday, October 18, in Port Harcourt.

    Salami opened scoring in the eighth minute when he dribbled past three markers before he struck.

    Tunde Adeniji doubled the Eagles lead in the 36th minute after he was set up by the lively Salami from the left flank.

    Chikatara made it 3-0 seven minutes after resumption when he was put through on goal by Usman Mohammed.

    Chikatara and Usman replicated the same move moments later, but the Abia Warriors star blasted his effort wide off target even after he had rounded up the goalkeeper and had only an empty goal in front of him.

    New invitee Osas Okoro increased the tally for the Eagles in the 69th minute with a deflected shot after he was released by Chikatara

    However, Blessed Academy pulled a goal back in 71st minute, before Chikatara scored his brace when he sped past a defender and fired a low shot into the left corner of the net.

    Enyimba forward, Ezekiel Bassey scored the Eagles sixth goal in the 85th minute.

    Blessed Academy will then score a consolation goal three minutes from time.

  • CHAN EAGLES: Bosso hails Chisom Chikatara’s inclusion

    CHAN EAGLES: Bosso hails Chisom Chikatara’s inclusion

    Coach Ladan Bosso has described the inclusion of Abia Warriors striker Chisom Chikatara into the African Nations Championship (CHAN) Eagles as well deserved.

    Chisom, who scored a hat-trick during last weekend’s 3-3 home draw against Rangers International at Umuahia in a week 32 Glo Premier League encounter to take his season’s goals tally to 13, is among the 25 home-based Eagles invited for the qualifier against the Stallions of Burkina Faso.

    Chisom is currently at the Eagles’ camp in Port Harcourt intensifying preparation for the match.

    Bosso is confident that Chikatara has all it takes to justify his inclusion in the team.

    “I think this is a welcome development for him (Chikatara). He is a good player, very intelligent, disciplined and cool-headed. When a player has all this qualities, it means he is a product to rely on,” Bosso told SportingLife.

    “I have confidence that he will not disappoint the team’s technical crew. He will help the team to achieve their target by qualifying for the competition and go ahead to win it.”

    Chikatara lost his mother two weeks ago and on his return to the team he scored a hat-trick against Rangers.

    “He is in the best form of his life now and this is the best time to give a player like him a chance in the team. He is a very dedicated and committed player. He showed that character  when he scored a hat-trick against Rangers International at the weekend.

    “You can imagine a player who lost his mother two weeks ago and still performed excellently like that means you can rely on such player. As I am talking to you now his mother’s corpse is still in the mortuary.”

    The former Flying Eagles coach, who is also a member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) technical committee, said Chikatara’s exploit in the CHAN Eagles will help his progress into the Super Eagles.

    “This is what he needed to boost his confidence. I think he will be a good product for the Super Eagles. Coach Oliseh can rely on him because I know he will deliver,” Bosso said.