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Tag: eagles

  • AFCON QUALIFIERS: Eagles won’t gamble with Sudan, says Onazi

    AFCON QUALIFIERS: Eagles won’t gamble with Sudan, says Onazi

    Super Eagles and SS Lazio midfielder Ogenyi Onazi sees next month’s 2015 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Sudan away from home as the most important game for the national team.

    After the disappointing start to what would be the defense of the 2013 title Nigeria won in South Africa, Onazi reckons that the reigning African champions need a win at all cost and cannot afford to gamble with the match.

    “This game is the most important game to us and what we just need is a win and not gamble with it.

    “We certainly will make sure that we do our best and make sure that we win and get the three points.”

  • Eagles’ woes not Keshi’s fault – Babangida

    Eagles’ woes not Keshi’s fault – Babangida

    Ex-International Tijani Babangida has  thrown his weight behind caretaker Super Eagles boss, Stephen Keshi after he came under heavy criticisms for the poor outing of the team so far in the AFCON qualifiers.

    The Super Eagles lost to Congo Brazzaville at home and struggled to a stalemate against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa and while angry words were aimed at the Delta State born coach but Babangida thinks the problem is the NFF’s inability to settle Keshi’s contract.

    “The thing is that Keshi is affected by the NFF crisis and his contract is not yet resolved.

    “But the player has no excuse as they’ll receive their allowance and at the end of the day most of them are based abroad. So, it’s Keshi that is feeling the heat more and you don’t expect him to pretend all is well without it affecting his job,” the former Ajax winger told Brilafm.

    Nigeria will play Sudan in their next two fixtures as they make up grounds on South Africa and Congo Brazzaville who has 4 and 6 points respectively.

  • Idah disappointed with Eagles display

    Idah disappointed with Eagles display

    Ex-international goalkeeper Peterside Idah has expressed disappointment with the display of the Super Eagles in an AFCON 2015 qualifier against South Africa on Wednesday.

    The game in Cape Town ended goalless with Nigeria having just two shots on target.

    They are now third in Group A with a point, while Congo are top of the standings on six points, South Africa are second with four points.

    Sudan are bottom of the table having not recorded any points after two rounds of matches.

    The former media officer of the Eagles said Nigeria did not play like African champions and must improve if they were to make it to the Nations Cup in Morocco next year.

    “I was disappointed in the Super Eagles. They didn’t raise their game at all,” Idah lamented.

    “The South African team were ordinary, nothing spectacular about the team, it was just that the Eagles didn’t play well.

    “There must be tremendous improvements if the team were to make it to AFCON 2015.”

    Nigeria will take on Sudan both at home and away next month in continuation of the qualifying series.

  • Nigerians in S/A praise Eagles

    Nigerians in S/A praise Eagles

    Nigerians resident in South Africa have praised the Super Eagles for a good outing in spite of their playing a goalless draw with host, South Africa in a Nations Cup qualifier.

    Mr Azu Okparaugo, former President, Nigerian Union, Western Cape Province of South Africa, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone from Cape Town on Thursday that Nigerians in South Afriuca were happy with the team.

    “Information gathered before the match showed that South Africans believed that they will beat Nigeria in the match.

    “They believed that it was their day. They also believed that the administrative problems in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will affect the Eagles, so that they will capitalise on it to win us.

    “But, the Eagles stood their ground and almost sealed the game, if not for the South African defender who cleared the ball,” he said.

    According to Okparaugo, Nigerians in South Africa are not disappointed and are impressed with the Eagles.

    “We knew it will not be an easy game. We have played South Africa 13 times and they have only won once.

    “Our players are having difficult time, we are aware, but we trust our players, they will always get better,’’ he said.

    He added that at the end of the match, Nigerians in Cape Town met the Eagles and they assured them that they would improve.

    Mr Vincent Nzekwe, President of Abia State Union in South Africa, told NAN that the Eagles did their best in the match.

    “It was not an easy game for Nigeria. We supported the Eagles all the way and we are happy they picked a draw.

    “The players did their best in spite of the intimidating home support. I believe the team will get better,’’ Nzekwe said.

  • Keshi must bring fighters into Eagles – Nwanu

    Keshi must bring fighters into Eagles – Nwanu

    Former Nigeria central defender and Stephen Keshi’s 1994 Super Eagles’ team mate, Chidi Nwanu, has called for a total overhaul of the country’s senior national team “to make it more productive and result-oriented.”

    Nwanu, who pastors a church in Belgium, told NationSport yesterday that the attitude of the players needs to change for Nigeria to continue being a major force in African football.

    Nwanu, who watched the Eagles versus Congo and South Africa versus Eagles ties on television in Belgium, told NationSport he was disappointed with the performance of the players in the two matches and that it showed clearly and glaringly that the players were no more in the mood to fight for victory.

    His words: “It is sad to watch the Super Eagles lose to Congo Brazzaville the way the team lost in Calabar to Congo. It showed that there is a great problem in the team and it is high time something drastic was done. I would recommend a total overhauling of the team for Nigeria’s name not to be put into disrepute.

    “The way I see these players now, there is a total decline in their performance compared with when the players fought gallantly in South Africa in 2013 to win the African Cup of Nation. So, there is need for my friend and brother Stephen Keshi to have a second look at this team and do a surgical operation through overhauling of the team.

    “Nigeria is a country blessed with lots of talented football players and we need players that are hungry, devoted and dedicated and ready to fight for shirts in the team.

    ‘Keshi should remember that during our playing days there was great fight for position in the team. Most times I did extra trainings and worked very hard just to ensure I picked the first team shirt ahead of Keshi himself while Keshi too was very resolute to keep the shirt. Same thing happened in other departments of the team during the 1994 team. This was the magic for the successes we recorded during that time.”

    The Belgium-based pastor also advised his friend Stephen Keshi to put sentiments aside and call up players that are playing regularly and doing well in their respective clubs abroad.

    Reacting on the exclusion of Villarreal of Spain striker Ikechukwu Uche from the team, Nwanu said that Keshi is experienced enough to be able to manage any player with stubborn attitude and that the alleged indiscipline of Ike Uche shouldn’t be the yard stick to ban him from playing for the national team.

    “Personal differences should be put aside and the needful should be done,” Nwanu said. “The national team should not be anybody’s palace. A coach should be able to accommodate any player no matter how bad such player’s attitude or character is.”

    “For example the media and fans fought for Osaze (Odemwingie) to be at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and the player had great impact at the World Cup. So, this is what I am saying. Keshi should try and bring in fighters that want to prove a point.

    ‘Also, there should be at least two to three capable and quality players fighting for each position in the team. This will definitely improve not only the quality of the team but the performance too,” he advised.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Chukwu blasts ! Eagles not organised

    Chukwu blasts ! Eagles not organised

    • Disappointed over team’s display

    Former gaffer of the Super  Eagles Christian Chukwu has expressed his disappointment with the current team after they failed to pick a win after two AFCON qualifiers against minnows Congo Brazzaville and South Africa.

    The African Champions fell 2-3 at home against a Congolese team that only made it to the group stage because of the disqualification of Rwanda and laboured to a drab goalless draw against the Bafana Bafana of SouthAfrica in Cape Town.

    This has drawn a lot of criticisms from Nigerians and Chukwu who has been on the Eagles hot seat in the past added his voice to the issue in a chat with Brilafm Lagos, he said: “Our team (Super Eagles) is not organised. Our midfield is not creative and our attackers are not finishing because our midfield don’t feed them with the right balls.

    “Our defence was not cohesive and you could see that the South Africans made several incursions against us.”

    The Super Eagles are currently placed third in Group A with just a point after two matches behind South Africa and Congo Brazzaville.

  • Keshi unsure of Eagles future

    Keshi unsure of Eagles future

    Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi is unsure of his immediate future in charge of the African champions, and was back in the country on Thursday for discussions on continuing in the job.

    Keshi’s contract came to an end after the World Cup and has not been renewed by a Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) in a state of turmoil since returning from Brazil.

    But he agreed to take charge of the country’s first two matches in the African Nations Cup qualifying campaign – a surprise 3-2 home loss to Congo last Saturday, and a goalless draw with South Africa in Cape Town on Wednesday.

    Asked about his future, Keshi told Reuters: “I’m not sure yet. I was just brought in to help manage these two games.

    “We have finished them now, so we’ll see what happens. If we (he and the Nigerian federation) come to an agreement, yes I’ll stay. If no, I’ll depart. Let’s see how it turns out when I get home.”

    Nigeria next play Sudan twice in a row in October – home and away – in their bid to qualify for next year’s Nations Cup finals in Morocco. They trail behind Congo (six points) and South Africa (four points) in the Group A standings after picking up only one point from their first two games.

  • Eagles played without pattern-Fuludu

    Eagles played without pattern-Fuludu

    Nigeria ought not to renew the contract of coach Stephen Keshi because he has no fresh ideas to bring to the Super Eagles.

    And this is not just on the back of the team’s two disappointing AFCON qualifiers against Congo and South Africa.

    The man they call ‘Big Boss’ has had three years to build a team Nigeria could be proud of and he has done well to lead the Super Eagles to win last year’s Africa Cup of Nations as well as guide the team to the Round of 16 at the World Cup in Brazil.

    But Nigeria are again in danger of missing out on the Nations Cup only two years after it had come to that.

    And even that aside, the truth must be told that he cannot improve this team, his major decisions have been questionable and his team selections even more so.

    Three years on, Keshi’s team still bank on luck and individual brilliance.

    The Eagles defence has been most suspect as Congo reminded us again at the weekend, the midfield has barely functioned,while the attack has lacked any bite since last year’s AFCON.

    Rather than the team giving us assurances, we have had to deal with a rash of questions –

    How could Keshi fashion out a solid back four?

    Can we afford the luxury that is Chelsea star Mikel Obi in the midfield?

    Who steps in up front for Emmanuel Emenike, who has not scored for Nigeria since his brace against Ethiopia in a 2014 World Cup final playoffs in October?

    Keshi does not have the tactical acumen and this has been worsened by the fact that he is not ready to avail himself of this knowledge either through a refresher course or working with more experienced coaches.

    Former international Edema Fuludu summed up what has become of the Eagles under Keshi.

    “I don’t know how to describe the way Eagles played (vs South Africa), there was not a plan or a defined play pattern. They lack team work. Players just go to the pitch and play their own way without any co-ordination,” Fuludu remarked.

    “In fact, the Eagles didn’t play progressive football and their performance fell short of African champions and that they must act fast to make AFCON 2015.”

    What we all saw on Wednesday night in Cape Town was a hurriedly assembled Bafana team with an average age of 24 play Nigeria out of the park and they would have won this encounter easily had they been clinical in front of goal.

    The Eagles now desperately need a new man at the helm with a new energy, new ideas and a new vision. Keshi cannot deliver this.

  • Eagles claim a point in Cape Town

    Eagles claim a point in Cape Town

    The Super Eagles of Nigeria claimed their first point in qualifying after drawing 0-0 with South Africa in their African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier at Cape Town Stadium.

    Chances were hard to come by in the opening 45 minutes, as South Africa and Nigeria went into the halftime break with the scores tied at 0-0.

    South Africa were seeing a lot of the ball early on, and were asking most of the questions in the first half, with Sibusiso Vilakazi proving to be a bit of trouble for the Nigeria defence.

    The home side nearly went ahead in the eighth minute as Manla Masango broke down the right flank and his cross ended at up at the feet of Oupa Manyisa, but his effort was blocked by Efe Ambrose.

    It took a while for Stephen Keshi’s men to get into the game and they produced their first meaningful effort on target, with Nosa Igiebor blasting just over the bar from the edge of the area.

    Keshi was hoping to see more from Russia-based duo, Ahmed Musa and Emmanuel Emenike, with the latter virtually non-existent in the first half.

    Tokelo Rantie came close to giving Bafana the lead in the 60th minute, the striker latched onto a through ball from Andile Jali, before firing one into the side-netting.

    The Super Eagles nearly took the lead in the 80th minute, as substitute Osaguona’s header was cleared off the line by Erick Mathoho.

    Minutes later and South Africa almost went ahead, as Rantie was left one on one with Austin Ejide, but the Super Eagles goalkeeper did well to deny the striker.

    Keshi’s men pushed on for the winner in the closing stages but they could not break the deadlock and had to settle for a point.

  • Ideye sends support to Eagles

    Ideye sends support to Eagles

    Despite not making the team, Super Eagles striker Brown Ideye has sent a message of support to the team after their embarrassing 2-3 home loss to Congo on Saturday.

    It was the first hurdle for Nigeria on their way to defending the African title they won last year in South Africa, but obviously the story didn’t go according to script.

    And Ideye, who was completely ignored by Stephen Keshi for selection for the qualifiers, has  supported the team.

    “Head up guys, look forward to the next game and make us proud ?,” he said via his twitter account.

    Ideye, who was a member of the 2013 AFCON winning team, has surprisingly been overlooked from recent squads and even missed out on the World Cup despite playing a pivotal role in Nigeria’s qualification.

    The 25-year- old moved to West Bromwich Albion this summer for a club record £10m fee from Ukrainian giants, Dynamo Kiev.