The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Cracker

  • MARCH 25 CRACKER: CAF picks Zambia’s Sikazwe

    MARCH 25 CRACKER: CAF picks Zambia’s Sikazwe

    Zambian referee Janny Sikazwe will be in the centre when the Super Eagles take on the Pharaohs of Egypt in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations Day 3 qualifying match at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna on March 25.

    The 37 –year old has been an international referee since 2007.

    Football’s African ruling body, CAF also appointed Arsenio Chadreque Marengula from Mozambique as assistant referee 1, while Zambians Romeo Kasengele and Wisdom Chewe will serve as assistant referee 2 and reserve referee respectively.

    CAF also named Abbasi Ssendyowa from Uganda as match commissioner for the big Group G game.

    For the return leg in Alexandria on March 29, which will kick off at 7pm Egyptian time at the Borg el Arab Stadium, veteran South African official, Daniel Frazer Bennett will be at the centre.

    He will be assisted by compatriots Zakhele Thusi Siwela (assistant referee 1), Peter Chauke (assistant referee 2) and Kulasande Qongqo. The match commissioner is Moroccan Said Belkhayat.

    Nigeria welcome Egypt on  March 25 with the match at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium starting at 4pm (Nigeria time).

  • 3SC, Lobi will be a cracker in Ibadan- Imenger

    3SC, Lobi will be a cracker in Ibadan- Imenger

    The Team Manager of Lobi Stars, Barnabas Imenger has expressed relief at the opening day fixture of the 2015/2016 season which pitted them with 3SC reiterating that the tie would be a cracker in Ibadan.

    The Pride of Benue have alleged raided some of the players of the Oluyole Warriors but Imenger in a chat with SportingLife noted that Lobi would like to start the season well hence their resolve to storm Ibadan with their best legs so as to commence the season well.

    Imenger said that an impressive start against 3SC will no doubt set the tone for a brighter season devoid of relegation battle of previous seasons.

  • Ike uche unveils new boots for Congo, Bafana cracker

    Ike uche unveils new boots for Congo, Bafana cracker

    Nigerians will see recalled Super Eagles striker, Ikechukwu Uche put on a new pair of adidas boots when the country takes on Republic of the Congo in the 2015 AFCON qualifiers at the Pointe Noire stadium on November 15.

    The Villarreal striker, who has been included in coach Stephen Keshi’s 25 man squad for the double header fixture against Sudan and South Africa, celebrated his return by unveiling a new set of boots and thanking his sponsor, Adidas on his official twitter handle.

    “@ikeuche9: My new shoes #PredatorInstinct, thanks @adidas_ES!”, he twitted.

    Nigeria have scored just five goals and conceded the same number in four matches in the ongoing qualifying rounds where they are now third on Group A log with four points behind leaders, South Africa (8points)and Congo (7points).

    However, the inclusion of the former Getafe striker who has scored 18 goals in 44 appearances for the national team, will heave a sigh of relief to fans that have been clamouring for his return.

    Uche, who was unarguably the best Nigerian striker in Europe last season, recently reached a 100 goal-mark in Spain.

     

  • 2015 CAN Under-17 Cracker: Umeh sure of Eaglets

    2015 CAN Under-17 Cracker: Umeh sure of Eaglets

    Acting President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Chief Mike Umeh said on Friday that he is confident the U-17 National Team, Golden Eaglets, will overpower their counterparts from Democratic Republic of Congo in Abeokuta on Sunday to reach the final round of qualifying series for 2015 African U-17 Championship.

    “I have no doubt about the ability of the Golden Eaglets to not only win, but win convincingly. I have followed the exploits of the team since Emmanuel Amuneke took over and I know for certain that he has been working hard to ensure he raises another world–conquering squad,” Umeh said in Abuja on Friday.

    Nigeria won a record fourth FIFA U-17 World Cup title in the United Arab Emirates last year, with Manu Garba as Head Coach and Amuneke as his first assistant, but the world champions have been promoted to the U-20 team and the former African Footballer of the Year has had to start from the scratch.

    “Amuneke has shown excellent determination as a Coach, as he used to show in his playing days. His new boys did not fare badly at the WAFU B Tournament in Togo and their victory over the Congolese in Kinshasa shows the improvement the squad has made generally,” Umeh added.

    The Eaglets take on the Les Leopards at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta on Sunday in the second leg of a second round qualifying fixture, with Nigeria one goal up from the opening leg in Kinshasa last Saturday.

    Umeh said further: “I have the assurance of the coaching crew that they will not under–rate the Congolese, which is always a good way to approach a match.”

    The winner of the fixture between Nigeria and Democratic Republic of Congo will take on the winner between Ethiopia and Gabon in the final round of the series in September. Both teams played a scoreless draw in Addis Ababa in the first leg.

    Next year’s African U-17 Championship will take place in Niger Republic between 2nd – 16th May, with the FIFA U-17 World Cup finals set for Chile between 17th October – 8th November.