The Nation Newspaper

Tag: CHAN

  • Two local friendlies for Eagles this week

    Two local friendlies for Eagles this week

    The home-based Super Eagles will play two more friendly matches this week on Wednesday and Saturday as preparation for the 2014 African Nations Championship (CHAN) gathers momentum.

    The team led by coach Stephen Keshi defeated Nigerian Prisons, Abuja 4-1 last weekend in a friendly encounter and they have since started training twice per day in a bid to get to the competition slated for South Africa as fit as a fiddle.

    A top official of the team who also doubles as the Media Officer, Ben Alaiya told SportingLife that the identities of the two Nigerian clubs that would face the Eagles have not been made public. But he confirmed that there were two friendly matches already fixed for midweek and Saturday in Abuja.

    He confirmed that the Eagles were in good shape and had been training without any injury worries since the camp opened some days back.

    The CHAN will start on January 11, 2014 in South Africa and Nigeria will play in Group A alongside South Africa, Mozambique and Mali. It is the Eagles’ debut appearance in the CHAN which is in its third edition.

  • Gambo targets CHAN success for World Cup place

    Gambo targets CHAN success for World Cup place

    Super Eagles and Kano Pillars forward, Gambo Muhammed has told SportingLife that he will work very hard to make the African Nations Championship (CHAN) final list so he can prove to Super Eagles Chief Coach Stephen Keshi that he merits an inclusion in the 2014 World Cup squad.

    “As you can see nobody is sure of making the team yet until the Chief Coach names his squad. So I am working very hard to make the CHAN final squad and from there anything can happen.

    “I love football. It is my life and profession. I love scoring goals too because it makes me and everybody happy. That is why I am working very hard at training. I know I have the talent to score goals and that is what I will do, I mean score goals here in training and in CHAN Insha Allah (by God’s grace) if I am picked for the competition.

    “If I make the CHAN team I will work hard to help my country achieve success in the competition so that I can have the opportunity of breaking into the Super Eagles’ World Cup squad,” Mohammed told SportingLife yesterday.

    The gangling striker has the talent to be a potent attacker but has not proved his abilities to the maximum since he joined the Eagles. There is, however, no doubt about his talent as a striker since has proved it times without number with Kano Pillars.

  • Super Eagles won’t win CHAN – Babayaro

    Super Eagles won’t win CHAN – Babayaro

    Former international Emmanuel Babayaro has predicted that the home-based Super Eagles will not win the 2014 African Nations Championship (CHAN) starting in January.

    In a chat with goal.com, the Atlanta ’96 Olympic gold medalist explained that the team lacks the exposure and quality to rival the likes of hosts South Africa, Ghana and others.

    “I doubt that [Nigeria can win the title] and I think the reason is simple. In terms of local content, other countries have improved on their league than we have,” Babayaro told goal.com.

    “If you take a look at the Africa Cup of Nations, about 75 percent of players from other countries were their home based players while we paraded majorly our international stars.”

    “Although some of our local lads have got a little experience playing with their foreign counterparts, I really doubt if we will win it and if we do, it will be attributed to the current team spirit and good luck trailing the main national team,” he said.

     

     

  • CAF PICKS BABA ABEL FOR CHAN

    CAF PICKS BABA ABEL FOR CHAN

    Eddy Maillet, CAF Referees Manager through a letter dated December 10 and addressed to the General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation has confirmed the appointment of Baba Abel as one of the referees invited for the 3rd edition of the Orange African Nations Championships Final Tournament that will hold in South Africa from January 11 to February 2 2014.

    This appointment is coming on the heels of Amao Opeyemi who officiated at the WAFU Nations Cup and Peter Edibi who is presently in Morocco for the FIFA Club’s World Cup.

  • Amokachi tips Eaglets for CHAN

    Amokachi tips Eaglets for CHAN

    Daniel Amokachi has tipped the Golden Eaglets stars that are currently in the Super Eagles’ African Nations Championship camp to make the final selection cut.

    The Super Eagles assistant coach admitted that he was left dazzled by the footballing prowess and determination of the players in camp, including the trio of Dele Alampasu, Taiwo Awoniyi and Kelechi Iheanacho.

    “All the players including the young Eaglets have been tremendous at training sessions and I personally will not be surprised if they make the final squad for the Chan tournament. But we will have to wait for our boss to have a look at them and make a final decision,” Amokachi said at a media conference on Wednesday.”

    He further commended the competitive spirit in the camp, noting that the older more regular players were giving the new invitees a good run for their money.

     

  • CHAN: Pressure on Eagles, Bafana – Mozambique coach

    CHAN: Pressure on Eagles, Bafana – Mozambique coach

    Mozambique coach Joao Chisanno said the pressure is on Nigeria and hosts South Africa in Group A at next year CHAN.

    The Mozambicans will be making their CHAN debut in January together with fellow newcomers Nigeria.

    Mali and hosts South Africa both return for a second tour after making their debuts at the 2011 edition in Sudan, MTNFootball.com reports.

    “We are hoping that we can make some surprises in the CHAN tournament,” Chisanno said.

    “We don’t have any pressure. It is South Africa and Nigeria who will be under pressure.

    “We just want to make something positive out of it and win one or two games.”

    Mozambique plays the opening of the tournament against Bafana Bafana on January 11 at Cape Town Stadium.

     

  • Eagles will emerge CHAN Champions —Mba

    Eagles will emerge CHAN Champions —Mba

    • Says Afcon is more attractive than CHAN
    • As malaria stops him from training

    Super Eagles midfielder, Sunday Mba has said the team would emerge winners of the Africa Nations Championship tagged CHAN.

    Mba, a member of the victorious Eagles 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) told SportingLife that with the quality of the home based players jostling to make the final 23 players for the 2014 CHAN holding in South Africa, Nigeria is good to emerge African Champions again.

    “We are targeting the CHAN trophy in South Africa next year. Our victorious outing in Afcon this February is still very fresh in our memory and we want to repeat this again to prove to the whole world that the Afcon victory was not a fluke”, Mba declared.

    He still has fond memories about the 2013 Afcon.

    “I thank God that I had a good outing in the 2013 Afcon and now another opportunity is here in CHAN to prove again that the Super Eagles is the best team in Africa and I am ready to team up with my colleagues to make Nigeria proud again.

    “I personally want to live up to my reputation and continue to make my fans proud. Everybody is looking up to me to help this team achieve success and good outing in CHAN and I have re-doubled my efforts and training hard to live up to the expectations of all the people that believe in my contribution to the team. I cannot do it alone so we will be working together to be able to achieve our target and mission”, Mba told SportingLife in Abuja yesterday.

    He also cherished the South African fans support to him and his team and is ready to dazzle them again with good performance during CHAN.

    “I am anxiously looking forward to playing in the front of South African fans again because my name will be on their lips because of my exploits in the competition. So, I need to work hard with my team-mates to repeat the feat of Afcon 2013 in South Africa”, he disclosed.

    He is, however, down with malaria and couldn’t train with the rest of the players in Tuesday’s morning training session.

  • 2014 CHAN: Malaria stops Uzoenyi

    2014 CHAN: Malaria stops Uzoenyi

    Ejike Uzoenyi was the only player who did not train when Nigeria began their preparations for the 2014 Championship of African Nations (CHAN) because he had malaria.

    The Enugu Rangers winger, who had a brief stint at French club Rennes recently, was excused from training as a result of his illness.

    Meanwhile, assistant coach Daniel Amokachi, who took charge of Tuesday’s training session in the absence of Stephen Keshi, told the players that only the best will be selected for the tournament that starts from January 11 in South Africa, as there will be no sentiments in selection between the old and the new players in camp.

    Incidentally, new invitees and members of the Golden Eaglets team who won the U17 World Cup recently in the UAE, goalkeeper Sunday Alampasu and teammate Taiwo Awoniyi, were the first to arrive in camp on Monday, before skipper of the side, Chigozie Agbim, arrived.

    Agbim had been the first of all the players to arrive at previous training camps.

    Tuesday’s morning training was very tactical and spartan, as the coaches tried to assess the quality of players invited.

    It lasted a little over two hours and at the end of the session, Amokachi expressed joy at the players’ output.

  • Go win CHAN, NFF tells Eagles

    Go win CHAN, NFF tells Eagles

    • Says Nigeria’s World Cup group not light

    Nigeria Football Federation President (NFF) Aminu Maigari has charged Super Eagles Chief Coach Stephen Keshi to do everything humanly possible to win next year’s Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) holding in South Africa.

    The NFF boss, who visited the Minister of Sports yesterday evening in the company of the Federation’s General Secretary, Barrister Musa Amadu, Director of Technical, Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme and Shehu Dikko, a prominent member of the League Management Committee (LMC) to discuss issues relating to the Globacom Premier League, told SportingLife that Nigerians expect nothing less than bringing the Cup back home.

    “There is no target set for the team as regard the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) but let us just go there (South Africa) and lift the Cup “, he said with laughter.

    Maigari also told whoever cared to listen that Nigeria’s World Cup Group (F) will not be as easy as people were tipping it to be. He said all the 32 countries that qualified for the competition did so on merit and should not be discarded just like that without even kicking the ball.

    “Nobody can take for granted any of the 32 countries that qualified for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. But I am confident that Nigeria will go there to compete, represent the country and also do well in the competition.

    “But people should not take our group (F) for granted. They should not think our group is very light. I don’t agree with that.

    He, however, vowed to ensure the Eagles get the best of preparations to make Nigeria proud in the global football fiesta in Brazil next year.

    “Since the present Board of the NFF took over, we have thrown away what we called short-term preparations. We only believe in long-term preparations, in terms of training, discipline, blending and so many things so that the team get used to one another as well as get the required knowledge and tactical input from their technical crew. We also ensure that every needed thing is put in place and also done properly so that we’ll go to the World Cup and do well.

    “Nigeria is a big football-playing country and we are respected as far as the game is concerned all over the world. We must keep the country’s flag flying at all times, so, we need to prepare this team well for the task ahead and correct all the loop holes and lapses in the team.

    He also used the opportunity to put facts right as regards the final camping of the Eagles for the 2014 World Cup.

    As regards the final camping site for the Eagles for the 2014 World Cup, Maigari said: “We are waiting for action plans from the Coach (Keshi) and the NFF Technical Committee to come out with what they have designed for us to approve or ratify. So, very soon the camp site will be announced”, Maigari assured.

    He was confident as ever as regards the intervention of President Jonathan to help fund the World Cup campaign of the Eagles.

    “Funds will not be an issue, God willing, as far as the 2014 World Cup is concerned. The reason is that President Goodluck Jonathan over time has shown huge interest in Nigerian sports, most especially football. I even read in the dailies him tipping Nigeria to win the 2014 World Cup. So, if our dear President should say so, what fears do we have in terms of not only funds but everything?

    “What I am trying to say is that we don’t have any fears as far as funds are concerned. The Minister of Sports is solidly behind the Nigeria Football Federation and we don’t entertain any fears as regards funding the 2014 World Cup campaign in Brazil”, Maigari assured.

  • CHAN: Keshi laments exit of Oboabona, others

    CHAN: Keshi laments exit of Oboabona, others

    Nigeria coach, Stephen Keshi, has said it will be a big task to raise a formidable squad for the CHAN after several players moved overseas.

    Keshi said he and his technical staff will now have to work harder to get a good team in three weeks for the competition, which kicks off on January 11.

    “We need to do a lot of work on the team. Most of them have gone, we have to get the team to go to South Africa and do well in three weeks. We must be ready. It is a big problem, but we must prepare well and be ready,” MTNFootball.com quoted Keshi as saying on a radio programme.

    The home-based Eagles had lost the services of the likes of Godfrey Oboabona (Rizespor, Turkey), Izu Azuka (Kahranmanmaspor, Turkey), Alhaji Gero (Sweden), Gomo Onduku (Romania), Tony Okpotu (Libya) and Chibuzor Okonkwo (Libya) among others.

    Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation General Secretary, Musa Amadu, has disclosed the team for the CHAN will not take a break for the Christmas.

    The team is likely to train in South Africa for at least 10 days before playing Mali in the opening group game on January 11.

    Hosts South Africa and Mozambique are the other teams in Nigeria’s first round group.