The Nation Newspaper

Tag: CHAN

  • Etebo shines with U-23s to deserve CHAN chance

    Warri Wolves forward Oghenekaro Etebo has shone at the U-23 AFCON in Senegal to prove he deserves to be considered for next year’s CHAN in Rwanda.

    Etebo was not one of the  26 players named by Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh, who will begin a training camp in Abuja today for the 2016 CHAN in Rwanda.

    Nigeria won the U-23 AFCON with Etebo emerging as the top scorer of the tournament with five goals including the decisive strikes in the semi-final and final.

    His winning goal in a 2-1 win over Algeria in the U-23 AFCON final showed pure class as he took off on a solo run into the heart of the opponents’ defence before he coolly slotted home past the onrushing goalkeeper, who before then had only conceded a goal.

    In the semi-final against hosts and favourites Senegal, he led the team to victory in the absence of three other key figures in the team, namely captain Azubuike Okechukwu, Taiwo Awoniyi and Stanley Dimgba.

    He and Usman Mohammed were specially chosen by coach Samson Siasia, when there was a clash of engagements between the U-23s and Eagles earlier this year with Chima Akas and Kingsley Sokari released to the home Eagles.

    Etebo is a skillful forward armed with a great dribble and superb vision to create chances for others to score goals.

    The striker is fast, packs a decent shot and as he proved in Senegal, he is a very cool customer from the penalty spot.

    He is also good at set pieces – flashback to his audacious goal attempt from more than 40 yards against Algeria in a group game in Senegal – and as long as he is not bogged down by a knee injury, which has set back his career, he is a very consistent performer.

    After scoring 16 goals in his rookie season in the Nigeria league in 2013/14, he scored five goals in the just concluded season NPFL for league runners-up Warri Wolves.

    Etebo was dropped at the last minute from the final squad to the CHAN last year and has already been capped at full international level by Nigeria. No doubt, he is one player from the U-23 AFCON, who could add quality to the home-based Eagles heading to the CHAN next month.

    Others to consider for the CHAN would be left winger Stanley Dimgba, if he would be fit again before the tournament, and goalkeeper Emmanuel Daniel.

  • CHAN Eagles to camp in Pretoria

    CHAN Eagles to camp in Pretoria

    Nigeria’s home-based team, CHAN Eagles will be camped in Pretoria, South Africa, ahead of their matches slated to begin in Rwanda next year, Sportinglife can reveal today.

    Sportinglife gathered that the Glasshouse men opted for Pretoria because of its prevailing weather conditions being in tandem with what the climatic conditions will be in Rwanda next year when the Africa Cup of Nations matches for home-grown players are played.

    Interestingly, the CHAN Eagles chief coach, Sunday Oliseh had proposed Tanzania as the team’s camping ground which also enjoys the same climatic conditions as Rwanda in January. But that proposal was jettisoned because the CHAN Eagles are drawn to play some of their matches on synthetic pitches which cannot be found in Tanzania.

    The Africa Nations Cup of home-grown players begins in Rwanda on January 16 with Nigeria’s CHAN Eagles’ first game against Niger Republic on January 18 in Kigali.

  • CHAN Eagles resume training in Abuja

    CHAN Eagles resume training in Abuja

    The home-based Super Eagles will resume training for next year’s African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Abuja in the first week of December, an official has said.

    The 2015 CHAN will be hosted by Rwanda from January 16 and Nigeria has been drawn alongside Niger, Tunisia and Guinea in the group phase of the biennial tournament reserved for players playing in their home leagues, africanFootball.com reports.

    “The players will regroup by the first week of next month and will break for Christmas before they reconvene for a training camp overseas.”

    “Dubai and a country close to Rwanda are being considered for this training camp,” the official told africanFootball.com.

  • CAF move 2016 CHAN draw in Kigali

    CAF move 2016 CHAN draw in Kigali

    CAF have brought forward the draw for next year’s CHAN in Rwanda to November 15.

    CAF announced the draw in Kigali will now be staged three days earlier than the originally slated. All 16 finalists are now known after Cameroon outscored Congo on aggregate on Saturday.

    The other qualifiers for the 2016 CHAN are hosts Rwanda, Angola, DR Congo, Gabon, Ethiopia, Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

    Both defending champions Libya and last year’s runners-up Ghana failed to qualify for the 2016 CHAN.

    The tournament reserved for players featuring in their home leagues will be played from January 16 to February 7 in three Rwandan cities of Kigali, Gisenyi and Butare.

  • 2016 CHAN QUALIFICATION: Imenger congratulates players, Salisu

    2016 CHAN QUALIFICATION: Imenger congratulates players, Salisu

    • Craves for more quality players
    • Wishes Oliseh quick recovery

    Lobi Stars Team Manager Banabars Imenger has praised home-based players for qualifying for  the 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Rwanda.

    The Nigerian side forced Burkina Faso to a 0-0 draw in the second leg of the qualifying tie at the Stade du 4 Août, Ouagadougou on Sunday to book a place in the championship.

    The first leg in Port Harcourt a week ago ended 2-0 in favour of the home-based Eagles.

    Coach Salisu Yusuf led the Eagles to Ouagadougou in the absence of the team’s coach Sunday Oliseh who missed the trip due to illness.

    Imenger in a chat with SportingLife expressed confidence in the ability of the team to win the competition  next year.

    “Congratulations to the players and the coaches for making Nigeria proud. They have scaled the first hurdle and they should go ahead to win the cup,” Imenger told SportingLife.

    Imenger charged the coaches to find time to monitor league matches and discover more talents that can help the team achieve their target.

    “It is a new team and now that they have qualified they should prepare well for the tournament. The competition is in February and they have enough time to work on the area where the team is weak and strong.

    “Salisu Yusuf is a local coach and he knows the players very well. He should look for more players in the league. They should not rely on managers or coaches, match commissioners for the selection of players. The coaches should go to the league matches and watch the players .

    “They should not be sentimental about  the selection of players. When they rely on recommendation of people to pick players it is laziness, they should try and choose the players that will help them achieve their target.”

    The ex-international also prayed for the quick recovery of the team’s head coach Sunday Oliseh.

    “I wish him well. I pray that he will recover very quick and come back to continue his job.”

  • CHAN: Eagles targeting away win – Akas

    CHAN: Eagles targeting away win – Akas

    Sharks FC defender, Chima Akas, has said the team has resolved to beat Burkina Faso for the second time in Sunday’s return leg of the African Nations Championship qualifier in Ouagadougou.

    The Eagles hold a 2-0 advantage going into the second leg, but Akas who spoke with Goal shortly before the team departed for Ouagadougou, said his team mates know the importance of not only sitting back and trying to protect their advantage.

    “We are ready and raring to go. We won’t give anything to chance in Ouagadougou because the confidence and the mood in camp is that we will like to qualify for Rwanda 2016. We are not bothered about any hearsay from Burkina Faso coach or whoever.  We are only concerned about our own game,” Akas told Goal.

     

  • LMC congratulates CHAN Eagles, urge them to reach Finals

    LMC congratulates CHAN Eagles, urge them to reach Finals

    The League Management Company (LMC) is celebrating Nigeria’s Super Eagles creditable performance and win against Burkina Faso in the African Nation’s Championship (CHAN) as a reflection of the steady improvement and growing competitiveness of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) and commended the players for the victory.

    Chairman of LMC, Shehu Dikko, who was at the Adokie Amesimaka Stadium with some other Directors of the LMC to cheer the players, spoke to them after the match urging them to double their contributions to ensure the final qualification is achieved.

    Dikko had led LMC Directors and NPFL Club Chairmen including Okey Ibe of Heartland, Akin Akinbola of Sunshine Stars, Dr. Ayo Ayodele and Okey Kpalukwu of Sharks on a morale boosting visit immediately after the game and urged them to “work even harder for the return leg as the job is not done yet until we secure the ticket to play in the finals in Rwanda”.

    Dikko described the performance as “a positive statement for our domestic league which didn’t go unnoticed by the global football community. More performances like this will be to your personal career benefit and greater attraction of positive attention to the NPFL across the globe”.

    Dikko, who also is the 2nd Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) said the performance of the players and the outcome of the game is in tandem with the Federation’s objectives of using CHAN as a developmental platform for discovery of players that can be drafted to challenge for shirts in the mainstream Super Eagles.

    Yaro Bature of Nasarawa United fired Nigeria into a first half lead while Enyimba’s Ezekiel Bassey’s wing run into the Burkinabes’ box committed them to a penalty tackle that was coolly converted by Gbolahan Salami of Warri Wolves. The LMC Boss said, “the match was won comfortably to ensure that our qualification chances are now in our hands and it is obvious that we posted such credible performances from several players that suggests they can easily make the grade for the Super Eagles”.

    The return leg comes up this Saturday in Ougadougou.

  • CHAN Eagles off to Burkina Faso Thursday

    CHAN Eagles off to Burkina Faso Thursday

    Nigeria’s home-based team will depart for Burkina Faso on Thursday for a return leg 2016 CHAN qualifier.

    Nigeria defeated Les Etalons 2-0 on Saturday in Port Harcourt and the overall winners of this fixture will qualify for next year’s CHAN in Rwanda.

    A squad of 18 players from the 23 in the training camp will be named for the trip to Ouagadougou.

    It has been gathered coach Sunday Oliseh will stick with the team who were involved in the first leg in Port Harcourt.

    Goalkeepers Ikechukwu Ezenwa and Femi Thomas, defenders Austin Oboroakpo, Chima Akas, Orji Kalu, Jamiu Alimi as well as midfielders Bature Yaro, Ifeanyi Matthew, Usman Mohammed and Paul Onobi will make the trip.

    Strikers Gbolahan Salami, Chisom Chikatara, Ezekiel Bassey and Osas Okoro have also been penciled down for the trip.

  • CHAN Eagles face SA U-23s Oct. 13

    CHAN Eagles face SA U-23s Oct. 13

    Nigeria’s home-based Super Eagles will now take on South Africa U23 team on  October 13, after the test game was moved by some days.

    AfricanFootball.com first broke the story that South Africa U-23s will take on the home-based Eagles who are preparing for a 2016 CHAN qualifier.

    Both the NFF and SAFA have now finalised that the game will be played on October 13 in Port Harcourt.

    The home-based Eagles are top open training camp on October 4, ahead of a CHAN qualifier against Burkina Faso in Port Harcourt.

    The match has been fixed for October 18.

  • Keshi to be sacked if…

    Keshi to be sacked if…

    Stephen Keshi would be sacked if he fails to reach the semi-finals of the 2016 Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) Championship for African Players based at home (CHAN), SL10.ng can exclusively report.

    The 53-year-old former Nigeria captain signed a new 2-year contract to continue as the Super Eagles coach, but SL10.ng understands he may not have as much ‘liberty of performance’ as he did in his previous contract.

    Clause 4.1 of the contract states that:

    “The NFF shall employ the head coach for a period of two (2) years. Provided in the unlikely event that the senior male national team (the Super Eagles) under the head coach fail to make it to the semifinals of the 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN), the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in its absolute discretion may decide to terminate this present contract.”

    This now means Keshi must not just qualify Nigeria for the 2016 CHAN, but must also get to the semifinal of the competition at the very least.

    The former Togo coach won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in South Africa with the Eagles, after failing to lift the trophy in 19 years. But he was far less fortunate in 2014, as he failed to lead the team to the 2015 AFCON in a group that had South Africa, Congo and Sudan.

    The ‘Big Boss’ will also be sacked if the NFF feels he doesn’t possess the ability or competence to achieve the federation’s goals.

    Clause 4.3 reads:

    “Notwithstanding the provisions set out above or any other provision in this contract, the federation shall retain the right to terminate this agreement at any time where it is of the opinion that the coach, as demonstrated by his performance does not possess the ability or competence to achieve the federation’s objectives as set out in this contract. In such a case, the NFF shall summarily terminate this contract without prejudice to the settlement by the parties of any existing financial obligations between them.”

    Meanwhile, Keshi is also expected to consult with both the technical committee and the technical study group before selecting players for both friendly and competitive games.

    Clause 5.4 of the contract says:

    “The head coach shall select the best crop of players of the Super Eagles who are in his opinion ready to excel in friendly and competitive games in consultation with the technical committee and the technical study group of the NFF.”

    This is one area that could stir some controversy in the future, as it will be recalled that Keshi had some running battles with the immediate past technical committee of the NFF headed by Chris Green, over the invitation and selection of players.

    But speaking at the signing ceremony on Tuesday, Keshi says he has wholly agreed to the terms of the contract, and has no problems with the clauses.