The Nation Newspaper

Tag: David Alaba

  • Rousing welcome as Madrid star David Alaba visits New Afrika Shrine

    Rousing welcome as Madrid star David Alaba visits New Afrika Shrine

    It was memorable homecoming for Real Madrid Football Club defender, David Alaba, who was besieged by hordes of admirers during his visit to the New Afrika Shrine, a hub for music, art and culture in Lagos.

    The football star, who boasts Nigerian heritage but plays international football for Austria, was mobbed by fans and onlookers as he explored the cultural landmark.

    Videos captured Alaba warmly interacting with admirers, taking photos and signing autographs in a feat that demonstrated his down-to-earth nature in spite of his international fame.

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    His visit to the New Afrika Shrine demonstrates his connection to Nigerian culture and his willingness to engage with his roots.

    The versatile defender who previously starred for Bayern Munich Football Club in Germany has been an integral part of Real Madrid’s success, including their 2023/2024 Champions League and La Liga wins.

    Alaba’s experience and defensive prowess continue to make him a valuable asset to the elite Spanish football club in spite of the challenges he has faced with injuries in the current season.

    His visit to New Afrika Shrine allowed him to connect with fans and experience the vibrant Nigeria culture firsthand.

  • I was asked to pay bribe before playing for Nigeria, says David Alaba

    Bayern Munich and Austria left-back, David Alaba has revealed that he was asked to pay a bribe by Golden Eaglets coaches before he could become part of the players’ for the 2007 FIFA U17 World Cup.

    The late Yemi Tella was in charge of the Eaglets at the time.

    He said his mother insisted that there was no way she going to part with a single penny.

    Alaba made this known in an interview with All Nigeria Soccer.

    He also labelled the Nigeria U-17 coaches, jokers and vowed not to respond to their greetings if he is approached by the coaches.

    He claimed to have trained with the Nigeria U17s which contained the likes of Lukman Haruna, Macauley Chrisantus and Rabiu Ibrahim ahead of the tournament in South Korea and impressed during the training camp.

    Born in Vienna to a Filipino mother and Nigerian father, Alaba had been eligible to represent the Super Eagles before he became cap-tied to his country of birth, Austria.

    Alaba is a six-time Austrian Footballer of the Year. He has earned 68 caps for Austria, scoring 13 goals and represented the country at the 2016 European Championship.

    The late Tella Golden Eaglet team won the FIFA U-17 World Cup on the 9th of September 2007.

    That was the third time Nigeria had that title after previous wins in 1985 in China and 1993 in Japan.

  • Russia 2018: David Alaba in Super Eagles Camp

     

    Blood it is said is thicker than water, a statement of fact which scientist are yet to prove wrong.

    Friday June 8th 2018 was special if you like in the Super Eagles camp in Vienna Austria.  The team received what you may call an August visitor in June, less than five days in fact to the start of the World Cup in Russia.

    It was the visit by the Austrian National team led by David Olatukunbo Alaba, the 25 year old Nigeria born Austria international and Bayern Munich midfielder.  The visit was confirmed by the team informing “@NGSuperEagles had guests who came to see them train on Friday. It was the Austrian National team led by David Alaba, a Nigerian by blood. #SoarSuperEagles #Team9jaStrong”

    Born to a Nigerian father,George Alaba and mother Gina who migrated from Philippines, Alaba has made over 190 appearances for the Bundesliga side Bayern Munich carting away so many awards with the team and basketful of individual awards including a record 6-times Austrian footballer of the year award and back to back Austrian Sports personality of the year 2013 2014 just to mention a few.

    You wonder what could have been going on in his mind in the course of the visit to Eagles camp.  No doubt if he had chosen to play for his fatherland his current age completely fits into the age bracket of the team coach Gernot Rohr had chosen for this year’s world Cup and you bet, with his exploits in bundesliga side Bayern Munich, he would have made both the provisional and final list.

    Although Alaba did not make his impression of the Eagles known on his handle choosing to rather congratulate compatriot and Austrian tennis player Thiem Dominic for reaching his first French Open final and then announcing that he can hardly wait for Sunday’s Friendly match between Austria and Brazil, it is safe to say that the Nigerian blood in him may have imagined what it would have been like being in the Super Eagles jersey!.

    Austria will take on Brazil at the Ernst Happel Stadium, Vienna on Sunday just four days to the start of the World Cup. 

    Austria have not qualified for the World cup since 2002. Their last appearance was in France 1998 where they made Group stage exit after playing 1-1 draw against Cameroon and Chile and then losing 2-1 to Italy.

    Super Eagles are expected to depart Austria for Russia on Sunday. Alaba’s visit is a goodwill mission which could be summed up into “Wish you luck brothers, go there and do you best”

  • Champions League:  Injury knocks out Alaba, Vidal

     

    Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich will be heading into the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Sevilla on Wednesday without David Alaba and Arturo Vidal. Interestingly the Jupp Heynckes led side are going into Wednesday’s clash with a 2-1 advantage earned at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Alaba was in action in the 6-0 demolition of Borussia Dortmund on March 31 leading while Vifsl had to be replaced after 36 minutes in Seville.

    “Jerome is free of any problems,” Heynckes told reporters on Tuesday. “He has been training very well.

    “David has been almost at full capacity, but he has not been able to train with the team for the past few days, so I think it’s better to do some more training sessions and maybe on Saturday he will be ready for action.

    “Arturo is doing very well; maybe he will be able to train with the team again on Thursday.”

    Arjen Robben only featured as a substitute in the first leg, but is likely to start at the Allianz Arena and Heynckes spoke glowingly of the Dutchman at his news conference.

    “When he did not play from the beginning in Sevilla, as the media, you speculated,” Heynckes said.

    “Then he could rest and train well – on Saturday you saw a Robben full of desire and with fitness levels like five years ago.

    “On the one hand he’s an absolutely top professional, but he’s also saved himself the pleasure of playing football, which is at the heart of his life. He does it with passion.

    “Players like him and Franck Ribery know that this is a phase in which we have to be absolutely perfect, physically, mentally and emotionally. I am very confident for tomorrow.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Ujah Hails Bayern Munich’s David Alaba

    Ujah Hails Bayern Munich’s David Alaba

    Cologne striker Anthony Ujah has spoken of his admiration for Bayern Munich wing-back David Alaba, saying the Austria international is in a league of his own.

    Both players came face-to-face at the Allianz-Arena on Friday night, as Cologne lost 4-1 to the Bundesliga champions, and Ujah has admitted that he was left mesmerized by the skills of the 22-year-old.

    ”David Alaba is a very good player, and for his age he is perfect, fast and calculative, ” said Anthony Ujah to SL10.ng.

    ”I didn’t have the chance to talk with him because I was substituted before the end of the game.

    ”Neuer was the man of the day as he saved two important chances, but I think we gave a good account of ourselves knowing the calibre of players we came up against.

    ”We will take every game as it comes and hopefully we will collect more points as we can, ” the Cologne number 9 concluded.