The Nation Newspaper

Tag: eagles

  • ‘Eagles won’t be in Nelspruit for picnic’

    ‘Eagles won’t be in Nelspruit for picnic’

    The build –up for this month’s international friendly between Nigeria and South Africa has continued to pan out nicely after NFF’s 1st Vice President Seyi Akinwunmi assured that the Super Eagles will not treat the game with velvet gloves.

    Akinwunmi, who was at the world press conference that announced the friendly in Johannesburg on Friday, stated clearly that Nigeria now wants to win every match.

    “It is a friendly match, but Nigeria wants to win all games, whether friendly or competitive. The Bafana Bafana played a big role in the Eagles non-qualification to go to Equatorial Guinea to defend their African title, at the last Africa Cup of Nations, and I don’t think the Super Eagles have forgotten that.

    “Anytime any of our teams team out wearing the national colours, they have to fight hard for every ball. That is the policy of the new NFF administration.”

    Nigeria and South Africa clash at the Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit on Sunday, March 29 in what is seen as a big battle, with South African football suddenly gaining in confidence when playing Nigeria.

    Nigeria held a noose over South Africa for decades, but recently, the Super Eagles failed to defeat South Africa in a Cup of Nations qualifying fixture (0-0 in Cape Town and 2-2 in Uyo), meaning failure to reach the finals, and South Africa’s U-17 boys, Amajimbos, pipped the Golden Eaglets to a place in the final at the African U-17 Championship in Niger Republic last month.

  • Chukwu roars: Eagles’ job not Keshi’s birthright

    Chukwu roars: Eagles’ job not Keshi’s birthright

    Former Super Eagles coach, Christian Chukwu, has asserted that the side’s head coach is not a birthright or preserve for former handler, Stephen Keshi.

    The out-of-contract Eagles gaffer on Wednesday lost his concerted bid for the Burkina Faso hot job as the 2013 AFCON runners-up preferred the German, Gernot Rohr for the Stallions.

    The Amaju Pinnick led Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) executive board has not been firm on whether or not to offer the former Mali and Togo gaffer a new contract.

    Chukwu said the NFF should be firm and prompt on the Eagles job and stop the hide and seek game with the former Nigerian strongman.

    “NFF should stop using Keshi as excuse for their indecision on Super Eagles coaching job. It’s wrong for the NFF to be waiting on Burkina Faso to name a coach before deciding whether or not to hand Keshi a new contract. Super Eagles job is not an exclusive or permanent work place for Stephen Keshi or any other coach.

    “I don’t think Keshi is really too heavy a burden for the football house to deal with rather they’re just trying to make something out of nothing. If truly they want Keshi they should go ahead and hand him a new contract and if they don’t want him they should forthwith tell Keshi we don’t want you.

    “If they offer Keshi a new contract all good and fine, at least, the side will have focus and the job at hand can get off the ground immediately,” said the former Harambee Stars coach to supersport.com.

    Keshi-tutored Eagles failed to qualify for the just concluded Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Equatorial Guinea.

  • Onazi: Eagles must win back the fans

    Onazi: Eagles must win back the fans

    Ogenyi Onazi has told AfricanFootball.com he hopes the Eagles soon win back the confidence of the fans after Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2015 AFCON.
    The Lazio midfielder said the Eagles will work hard to regain the trust and support of Nigerians as they get set for friendly games and the qualifying tournament for the 2017 AFCON. The full interview:

    AFRICANFOOTBALL.COM: Super Eagles have a friendly game against Bolivia in March, how are you looking forward to the game?

    OGENYI ONAZI: Playing for Nigeria always comes with a unique feeling for me. Nothing beats wearing the green jersey and singing the national anthem once it comes on. So, I’m definitely looking forward to the game.

     

    Eagles missed the 2015 AFCON, what is your next target with the national team?

    We know we have to start off on a positive note and try to win back the support of our loyal fans. We let them down last time out by not making it to the AFCON 2015 to defend our title and we have to win back their trust and support starting with good results in friendly games. We also want to get the 2017 AFCON ticket followed by a World Cup ticket.

     

    What are your targets with Lazio this season?

    I know we may not be the best team in the league but we have shown with some of our performances that we are building something solid. Hopefully we can build some consistency and qualify for Europe, as well as win the Italian Cup for our lovely fans.

     

    You rewarded a lucky fan a cash prize and university education scholarship, what motivated you to do this?

    God has been great in my life and I don’t ever feel like I can do enough to thank him for his grace upon my life. I know where I started from, so I am always keen to make people happy. It’s all God.

     

    You are strongly linked with a move to Liverpool, what really happened?

    Well, I know I’ve been ‘strongly’ linked with a number of teams. I read and heard about them like you did so it doesn’t bother me one bit. I am happy with Lazio. I love Rome and the fans and they love me in return.

     

    When was your most memorable moment as a player?

    I have had some lovely moments in my career. The day I made my debut for Nigeria and Lazio were great days, when I won the AFCON and Coppa Italia as well as when I played at the World Cup were all memorable moments for me. These memories have stayed there and I want more.

     

    When was your darkest day as a national team player?

    That has to be the day we failed to qualify for the 2015 AFCON. I am also a football fan, so I know how it feels. Knowing how well Nigerians love football and the Eagles, I did feel very bad about it all. But we’ve got another opportunity to correct our failure, I hope we have all learnt valuable lessons from that sad experience.

     

    What do you do in your leisure time?

    I find nothing more enjoyable than resting and sleeping. Also, I am beginning to fancy photography lately. I have been using the ActiveOn action camera for a while and I could say I am hooked on it.

  • SIASIA REVEALS: Olympic Eagles’ defence shaky

    SIASIA REVEALS: Olympic Eagles’ defence shaky

    Dream Team VI coach, Samson Siasia has said he still has a lot of work to do on his defense if they are to get better as a team.

    The Nigerian U-23 team will host the Gabon U-23’s next weekend in Abuja, in a return leg of the 2015 All Africa Games qualifier, having already won 4-1 in Libreville last weekend.

    But Siasia says he and his assistants are not being carried away, saying they understand they must put in more effort to improve the team, especially the defense.

    “We know we still have a lot of work to do on the team especially in the defense. We have showed very good signs in all the games we have played but we the coaches know we are not at our best yet,” he told sl10.ng.

    “We need to improve the team as a whole, but we have to pay more attention to the defense because that is the department that I think we need more work on,” Siasia said.

    The 47-year old managed the Nigerian U23’s to a silver medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympics and after their impressive 4-1 win over Gabon, comparisons are already being made but Siasia says it isn’t the right time to compare.

    “I don’t think this is the right time to compare because this team is just about three months old,” he added.

  • CHUKWU TO NFF: Get Eagles a coach now

    CHUKWU TO NFF: Get Eagles a coach now

    Looking at the pace of Nigeria’s tumbling from FIFA’s rankings to 43rd in the world now, former Super Eagles Chief Coach Christian Chukwu has urged the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to effect the appointment of a new Super Eagles Coach immediately if the Federation so wishes.

    Chukwu also advised that they should start contract discussions with the out of contract coach of the team Stephen Keshi if the NFF wishes too.

    The concerned football coach said getting a new coach for the senior national team was taking too long and  further delay may be dangerous since other African countries have coaches that have mapped out various programmes for their teams while the Super Eagles has none for now.

    “Time does not wait for anyone and before you know it another qualifying series for the next Nations Cup will soon start. The Super Eagles is the major problem for now. The earlier a new coach is appointed, the better for the team. The new coach has to know the team and start grooming them immediately and delay may be dangerous. If the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) wants to re-appoint Stephen Keshi as the team’s new coach let them do so now because any further delay is dangerous,”, Chukwu told Sportinglife yesterday.

    He, however, expressed confidence in the abilities of the coaches handling the U-23 national team, the Flying Eagles and the Golden Eaglets adding that the three teams will make Nigeria proud in their respective assignments.

    “Personally, I don’t have fears about our junior teams they have been doing well in their various programmes and tournaments. I am particularly impressed with the performance of  the Flying Eagles and the U- 23 national teams handled by Manu Garba and Samson Siasia at the Super 6 tournament.

    “I am also more impressed with the performance of Siasia’s team against the U- 23 national team of Tunisia. It shows that the junior teams and their handlers are working hard to make Nigeria proud, so no fears at all for the age grade teams. It’s only the Super Eagles I am entertaining fears about”, Chukwu disclosed.

  • ‘Eagles would have won AFCON 2015’

    ‘Eagles would have won AFCON 2015’

    Former Nigeria striker, Pascal Patrick believes the Super Eagles would have ‘easily’ retained the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) if they had qualified.

    Pascal, an Atlanta ’96 gold medal winner for Nigeria, believes all the teams at the African championship have been poor, and believes it would have been an ‘easy ride’ for the Super Eagles if they had made the tournament.

    “This Africa Cup of Nations has not been interesting because all the teams have not been playing well,” he told SL10.ng.

    “The inconsistency is just too much and I believe we would have easily retained the cup if we had qualified because we would have beaten most of these teams,” he said.

    The tournament is at its semifinal stage, with hosts Equatorial Guinea beating Tunisia to advance – albeit controversially.

    Power-houses Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and pre-tournament favourites,Algeria have all struggled to impress, and this has left Pascal ruing Nigeria’s failure to make the Mundial.

    “I still feel sad whenever I think about it, especially when I watch the games. The big teams are not playing well and this would have been a big opportunity for us to win it for the fourth time, and put us in good stead to match Egypt, Cameroon and Ghana on the number of AFCONs won.”

  • UAE Friendlies: Home Eagles want more matches

    UAE Friendlies: Home Eagles want more matches

    •Team returns to Nigeria
    •Yemen’s coach concedes defeat

    After two exciting friendly games against Cote d’ Ivoire In Abu Dhabi and Yemen in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), losing the former 1-0 and winning the latter by 2-0, the Super Eagles made up entirely of professional players from the Glo Nigeria Premier League have commended the leadership of the NFF under  Amaju Pinnick, for the friendlies even and asked for the sustenance of the friendly games culture.

    Speaking on behalf of his teammates, skipper of the side, Chigozie Agbim, said all the players were very happy that they were not redundant in January, following the mishap of non-qualification for the ongoing Africa Nations Cup (AFCON) championship in Equatorial Guinea.

    He said he was speaking the minds of his teammates, who made the same remarks after the friendly against Yemen on Saturday in Dubai. “All the players were unanimous in saying that playing friendly games is a way of making the team jell and building the unity of the team, the coaching staff and ensuring that the players are active throughout the year.

    “What we want to demand is that this laudable development should not be a one-off thing. We want a sustenance of the culture of friendly matches in the Nigerian soccer system, so that we will get to know ourselves better and we will not have the problem of blending when we have crucial qualifying games like it happened in the AFCON qualifiers”.

    The team returned home on Sunday, with Assistant Coach, Dan ‘The Bull’ Amokachi, like Stephen Keshi admonishing the players to keep the same level of discipline and focus at their various club sides if they hope to receive future invitations to the national team. He praised the team’s level of concentration during the friendlies and said it must be sustained at their various clubs in the course of building a more virile national team.

    Yemen Coach, Miroslav Skopp, who is a Czech, also had kind words for the Nigerian side, even as he conceded defeat to the reigning African champions. “Your team played tactically and technically well, as expected they were hard on the ball and they deserved to win” he said in Dubai on Saturday night.

  • Eagles’ doctors monitor Akpan

    Eagles’ doctors monitor Akpan

    •Reading FC star awaits final clearance

    Reading of England midfield roamer, Hope Akpan, has started training with his club’s first team in the United Kingdom and should be cleared fit to resume competitive football action by the end of this month, Super Eagles doctor, Ibrahim Gyaran, declared at the weekend.

    Doctor Gyaran, who said he has been mandated by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to keep tabs on all injured national team players, said he has been following up on Akpan after the star midfielder pulled a shoulder in the Super Eagles’ 2-0 away win over Congo Brazzaville in Pointe Noire in the run-up to the ongoing Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea.

    He noted that it has become a tradition in the NFF and the Super Eagles for officials to keep tabs on the welfare of players in particular and the entire staff of the team in general. “The Team Administrator, Dayo Enebi Achor, has been working on that alongside the Head Coach and the medical team to ensure that players an’d officials of the national team are in good health at all times”, he said.

    He further announced that following his interaction with Akpan, he got to know that the player has a final clearance to do with doctors in England by the end of January to enable him resume active football action with his clubside. “I want to re-emphasise that Hope Akpan has started active training with the first team of Reading and only awaits final clearance from the doctors who operated on his shoulder by the end of this month to resume full action with his club side”, Gyaran declared.

  • Yahaya’s, Eze’s arrival boosts Flying Eagles

    Yahaya’s, Eze’s arrival boosts Flying Eagles

    Musa Yahaya and Chidera Eze  were expected to join up with the rest of the Flying Eagles squad in training camp in Kaduna before the end of yesterday, just as several other players have confirmed their own arrivals.

    According to Flying Eagles secretary, Aliyu Auwal Ibrahim, Musa Yahaya from Tottenham Hotspur youth academy and Chidera Eze of FC Porto confirmed they would be with the Nigeria U-20 team on Sunday.

    Defender Wilfred Ndidi, who last week signed a professional deal with Belgian club Genk, as well as skipper Musa Muhammed and Ifeanyi Matthew, who are away in Europe, informed the team they will join up not later than Tuesday.

    “We will soon have a full house in camp. Alhassan Ibrahim ‘Muazam’ has already rejoined the team, so too Sulaiman Abdullahi. Both players have been away in Europe on trials,” disclosed Aliyu Auwal.

    “And Kingsley Sokari has also promised to join up this week after he featured for the Eagles in friendly matches in the United Arab Emirates.”

    The Flying Eagles will feature in a Super 4, which will also have Nigeria league champions Kano Pillars, Enyimba, Warri Wolves and Dolphins. The tournament will begin on Saturday in Abuja.

  • International friendly: Eagles thrash Yemen 2-0

    International friendly: Eagles thrash Yemen 2-0

    Mfon Udoh and Azubuike Egwuekwe were on target as Nigeria claimed a 2-0 friendly victory over Yemen at the Sevens Stadium in Dubai.

    The Super Eagles were initially scheduled to play Sudan before the country pulled out on Tuesday due to unforeseen reasons.

    Ranked 176 against Nigeria’s 43 in the FIFA monthly rankings,Yemen bowed to the superior powers of the three-time African Champions.

    The Nigerian side threw everything at the Asians in the international friendly match and went into the recess with a well deserved lead.

    Yemen failed to keep possession and were camped in front of their 18-yard box with little sign of putting the Nigerians under pressure.

    Nigeria enjoyed the lion-share of possession but could not make their territorial superiority count in the opening exchanges.

    Mfon, who netted 23 goals in the 2013/14 Nigeria Professional Football League season stunned Yemen in the 25th minute with the only goal of the first half.

    Stand-in coach Daniel Amokachi, who made some changes to the team that fell one-nil to Cote D’Ivoire, made his intention clear to Yemen with an all out attacking system.

    The first half ended one-nil in favour of Nigeria.

    Both nations looked strong at the start of the second half, but as the match wore on the Eagles were back to their peak and took a two-goal cushion.

    A fine strike from in-demand central defender Egwuekwe in the 64th minute ensured that the Eagles ended the tour on a high note.