Tag: eagles

The Super Eagles have so far earned $2.5 Million from CAF as prize money after they reached the semifinal of the 2023 AFCON.

CAF have announced a 40% increase in the prize monies for the AFCON.

This is outside the bonus and allowances the NFF pay the players as they progress in the tournament.

According to a further breakdown of prize monies for the tournament, the winners of the AFCON on February 11 in Abidjan will pocket $7 Million, while the beaten finalists earn $4 Million.

Quarterfinalists will receive $1.3 Million each, while Round of 16 qualifiers get $800,000 a team. The Super Eagles received $1.5 Million when they won a third AFCON title in South Africa in 2013.

Read Also:‘Eagles’ victory shows our resolve to succeed as a nation’

In a related development, Nigeria will be joining the Pharaohs at the top of the list of countries with the most appearances in the last four of the AFCON as  the Super Eagles feature in their 16^th semis tomorrow  against South Africa.

The Super Eagles secured their ticket to the semi-finals of  Côte d’Ivoire 2023 after a 1-0 win over Angola through Ademola Lookman’s strike.

For the 16th time in 20 appearances, Nigeria is in the semi-finals of the competition, equalling a record set by Egypt, who have also reached the last four 16 times in 26 appearances.

Behind these record-holders, Ghana comes third with 14 semi-finals played in 24 appearances.

Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire have each reached the semi-finals of Africa football’s showpiece event 10 times.

Nigeria, however, has only lifted the trophy three times, with Egypt winning it seven  times as the record holders, followed by Cameroon who have won it  five  times, and Ghana with  four  trophies.

Tomorrow, José Peseiro and his men will be bidding for their  eighth  final of the competition, one less than Ghana, two less than Egypt, and one more than Cameroon.

Chairman of the Imo State Football Association, Barr Ifeanyi Dike has saluted  the Super Eagles for dedicating their hard fought 1-0 win over Angola in the quarter final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations to late Samuel Okwaraji.

Dike commended the resilience and dedication of the Eagles to defeat the Angola team in the ongoing AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire last Friday.

He praised the Nigerian team for dedicating their victory over Angola to late Okwaraji, saying the action was highly commendable and honour to the memory of the late Imo born player.

While  congratulating the team on their victory, Dike urged  them to go all out and bring the trophy to sustain the unity of Nigerians across the country.

He said: “I know it is not easy for the Super Eagles now, because the interest of over 200million people rests on their shoulders. However I appeal to them to give it their all and bring the trophy home. They have given Nigerians a new sense of unity and our prayer is that they will be crowned African champions. Imo FA has implicit confidence in our boys and we know they will do us proud.

Read Also: Moses Simon: Osimhen thinks about victory, not goals

“As we all know, the late Samuel Okwaraji hailed from Imo state. He gave his best, even to the point of death. He proved the greatest commitment to his fatherland and we must honour his memory.

“Imo FA thanks the Super Eagles for dedicating the Angola victory to Okwaraji. We remain hopeful that this will signal the immortalization of our late brother and AFCON victory for us all as Nigerians”, Dike added.

He regretted that Okwaraji died during a football match between Nigeria and Angola on August 12th 1989 in Lagos while he was trying to give his best to his fatherland.

Dike appealed to the Nigerian government to immortalize the late player, as his octogenarian mother is alive and yet to recover from Okwaraji’s demise.

Okwaraji, though a footballer had qualified as a lawyer due to his exceptional brilliance and quest for knowledge.

Score Nigeria first broke the news that the Super Eagles will each receive $30,000 for going past the group stage of the AFCON.

And we can now also report that each player will get an additional $30,000 should they reach the final of the tournament to be staged on February 11.

Read Also: ‘AFCON quarter-final not new to Bafana Bafana’

CAF will pay the new AFCON champions a prize money of $7 Million.

This is an improvement on the $5 Million Senegal received for winning their first-ever AFCON in Cameroon two years ago.

• By Paul Onehi

Former Nigeria international defender, Ifeanyi Udeze, has cautioned that Nigeria’s quarterfinal clash with Angola will not be a mere stroll in the park for the Super Eagles.

Nigeria face Angola’s Palancas Negras for the first time in the  history of the  Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire today.

To secure their spot in the quarter-finals, the Jose Peseiro-led Nigerian side triumphed over Cameroon 2-0 in the Round of 16, following a second place finish in Group A.

Nigeria crossed the group campaign in style with victories over Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea-Bissau, coupled with a draw against Equatorial Guinea.

On the other hand, Angola,have  maintained an unbeaten run at the AFCON as they drew 1-1 with Algeria and secured victories against Mauritania and Burkina Faso to top Group D.

In the Round of 16, they convincingly defeated Namibia 3-0, achieving a historic third consecutive win in AFCON history.

Read Also: Adeleke issues 24-hour ultimatum to warring communities to submit arms

A win against Nigeria in this quarter final would mark a significant ground breaking for Angola, as it would propel them into the AFCON semi-final for the first time.

Consequently, the former  WestBrom left-back, Udeze,has emphasized the magnitude of the challenge .

“Angola is not a walkover because they have shown what they can do in this tournament,” Udeze said on Brila FM.“I have played against Angola in the past and whenever they play against Nigeria, they always play with everything within them.

“The Eagles should approach the game against Angola just like the way they did in the game with Cameroon.”

The head-to-head record between Angola and the super of Nigeria stands at two wins for each team and five draws, setting the stage for a fascinating battle on the pitch.

• Hails Sanwo-Olu for banning  ‘cancerous’ polystyrene

Foremost facility expert and CEO of  Monimichelle Group, Ebi Egbe, has said the Super  Eagles are now on the cusp  of winning the much-wanted  Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title after decimating Cameroon en route to today’s quarter-final duel against the Palancas Negras of Angola in Abidjan.

Winners in 1980, 1994 and 2013, the Super Eagles go into the contest at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan with eyes fixed on semi-final spot and Egbe reckons the coach Jose Peseiro-led side will dominate the southern African team with the benefit of playing on a good pitch.

 “The Super Eagles are  moving slow and steady progressively,” Egbe told NationSports after the Eagles clinched the quarter-final  ticket against the indomitable Lions. “And we won the game against Cameroon.”

Tonight’s contest between Nigeria and Angola is being regarded as a contest between two teams that have improved tremendously at the on-going 34th AFCON, Egbe, who is credited with fixing some notable grounds in Nigeria, including the  iconic Onikan Stadium now known as Mobolaji Johnson Arena, believes the super Eagles will comport  themselves well against the Angolans.

 “The Super Eagles are adapting very well to the pitch and I am happy with the improvement of our elite team going into the quarter final,” Egbe noted.

Read Also: AFCON: Let’s pray for Eagles against Angola, Ganduje appeals to Nigerians

Addressing the issue of poor pitches which has for long  impeded the standard of  the game in Nigeria and Africa, Egbe said Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu  should be praised for being courageous for banning the distribution and use of polystyrene (Styrofoam) and other single-use plastics in the state, adding that, unknown to many,  those  items are equally damaging when used in fixing football pitches. 

“I’m happy that Lagos state has banned the use of this cancer-causing food container that produces carcinogens when in contact with warm food, the same way it crumbles car tyre granules used for artificial grass infill for football pitches, since it also produces this same cancer-causing carcinogen when in contact with the African hot weather,” Egbe states.

 “It is interesting to note that legislation had been passed on the total ban of these crumbed rubber infill that produces carcinogens for synthetic turf football-playing surfaces in Europe.

 “Europe is currently on a phase off period for these 100% plastic football pitches.

 “Africa must not be the dumping ground for these carcinogens-producing rubber granules synthetic pitches.  “Governor Sanwo-Olu  deserves a big pat on the back for this bold step,” he enthused.

The Minister of Sports Development, Sen. John Owan Enoh has commended the Super Eagles of Nigeria for qualifying for the round of 16 at the ongoing AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire.

The minister gave the commendation on Tuesday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Super Eagles on Monday in Abidjan pipped Guinea Bissau 1-0 in their last group A game to finish second in the pool and advance to the round of 16.

 “Congratulations to the Super Eagles on your qualification to the next round of 16, having secured a win of 1-0 against Guinea Bissau on Monday,” he said.

Read Also: I’ll take on your concerns one by one, Tinubu assures South-south indigenes

Enoh expressed optimism that the team has all it takes to go all the way in the tournament and bring back home the trophy at the end of the tournament.

 “We believe in you to keep doing your very best play with gusto and bring home the trophy.

 “Your victory would be a fulcrum of great possibilities for Nigeria and Nigerians.

 “Congratulations and ‘Let’s do it again!” he said.

Nigeria’s clash with Guinea Bissau at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in central Abidjan this  evening will be the country’s 100th match in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations, since the country began taking part in 1963. Côte d’Ivoire 2023 is the nation’s 20^th  appearance in the finals.

Not only will the game against the Wild Dogs be the 100^th  match, there is also the opportunity to score the country’s 140^th  goal in the competition, after William Ekong powered home the 139^th  goal from the spot against the Ivorian Elephants on Thursday.

Striker Victor Ikpeba scored Nigeria’s 70^th  goal, when he netted the third in Nigeria’s 4-2 defeat of Tunisia in Lagos on 23^rd  January 2000 – the 22nd finals that Nigeria co-hosted with Ghana.

It is another 70 goals after, and opportunity beckons on another Victor, this time Victor Osimhen, to score Nigeria’s 140th goal by netting against the Wild Dogs. Like Victor Osimhen, Ikpeba was also an African Player of the Year (1997). The Napoli SC forward really needs to add to his tally of just one goal in the Africa Cup of Nations, having played only a cameo role in the Odion Ighalo-dominated 2019 finals in Egypt, and missing the 2021 finals in Cameroon due to injury.

Ighalo himself scored the country’s 130^th  goal when he netted against Tunisia in a 1-0 win for third place in 2019. He was top scorer of the 2019 finals with five goals.

Of the current squad, captain Ahmed Musa scored Nigeria’s 120^th  goal of the competition when he poked in Nigeria’s fourth in the 4-1 defeat of Mali in the 2013 semi-final in Durban.

A total of six Nigerian players are in the Hall of Fame of the top scorers of Africa Cup of Nations, with only ‘Goalsfather’ Rashidi Yekini (of blessed memory) in the double-figure category.

Read Also: FA chairmen to Eagles: go for victory against Guinea Bissau

He netted 13 goals in four successive tournaments between 1988 and 1994, emerging top scorer in 1992 and 1994.

Playmaker Jay-Jay Okocha scored seven goals in the AFCON, including emerging top scorer at the 2004 finals in Tunisia with four goals. He also scored Nigeria’s milestone 1,000^th  when he netted against South Africa in Monastir, Tunisia in 2004.

Olusegun Odegbami, Julius Aghahowa and Emmanuel Emenike are the others.

Odegbami, who has a total of six goals, was joint-top scorer in 1978 with three goals, alongside Ghana’s Opoku Afriyie and Uganda’s Philip Omondi. He also was joint top-scorer with Morocco’s Khaled al-Abyad (three goals) as Nigeria triumphed in 1980.

Aghahowa also scored a total of six goals, being joint top scorer with Patrick Mboma and Salomon Olembe of Cameroon in Mali in 2002 with three, having earlier scored another three goals when Nigeria co-hosted with Ghana in 2000.

Emmanuel Emenike was joint-top scorer of the 2013 finals in South Africa, with four goals, including a ferocious free-kick against Cote d’Ivoire in the fabled quarter-final clash in Rustenburg.