The Nation Newspaper

Tag: eagles

  • Nsofor: Back and better for Eagles

    Nsofor: Back and better for Eagles

    Lokomotiv Moscow forward Victor Obinna Nsofor has promised to do more after his return to the Super Eagles.

    Nsofor, who has scored vital goals for Nigeria in the past, said he is excited coach Stephen Keshi recalled him to the national team and has now set his sights on helping Nigeria beat Ethiopia to get a Brazil 2014 World Cup ticket, among other things.

    The full interview:

    Congratulations on your return to the Super Eagles.

    Thank you very much.

     

    You have been away for a while, how has it being for you since you were overlooked by the Super Eagles?

    I wasn’t happy with it, but I was always in touch with the team. I am always with them in spirit and talk to those I know well in the team before and after the games. I still saw myself as a member of the team even when I was not called up.

     

    Did you really believe you would be recalled to the team?

    Yes, I strongly had that feeling that if I kept doing well for my club, I will get another look-in and I thank God it happened. At some point, I was injured and I believe that delayed my return to the Eagles.

     

    What should we expect of Nsofor now you are back in the team?

    I am still as potent as I used to be, in fact I am a better player now having gathered more experience over the year. I am back in Eagles for better performances and contributions.

     

    How do the current Eagles compare to the team of the past?

    Super Eagles now are an ongoing process and getting stronger day by day, match after match. Previously, we had a lot of experienced players but now we have a lot of young and good players who have brought a lot of power and zeal into the team. This team will be great.

     

    What do you think is responsible for the improvement in the Eagles as you have pointed out?

    Let me say unity and a zeal to excel. The players and the coaches are united and there is no discrimination, with this, the sky will be our starting point. I am happy to be part of this team.

     

    Eagles have been drawn with Ethiopia for the Brazil 2014 play off, what can you say?

    All the 10 teams at this point will be tough. We don’t have to underrate our opponents, all we need do is be focused and play them as if were playing the best team in the world in a cup final over two legs. We can’t afford to miss out on Brazil 2014.

     

    What targets have you set with the Eagles?

    I want to help my country to qualify for the 2014 World Cup and go ahead to do well at the tournament proper.

     

    You were at some point linked to a return to the English Premier League?

    Yes, that is true, but nothing concrete happened. I am enjoying my time at Lokomotiv Moscow.

     

    What do you hope to achieve with The Railway Men this term?

    Just to keep doing well, score goals and help my club secure continental ticket at least. But I also want to win a trophy at least this season.

     

    What is the relationship among the Nigerians playing in Russia?

    It is cordial, we are one family.

     

    Thank for your time.

    It’s my pleasure

     

    Culled from: MTNFOOTBALL.com

  • CHAN 2014: Eagles won’t miss me – Oboabona

    CHAN 2014: Eagles won’t miss me – Oboabona

    Godfrey Oboabona has insisted Nigeria’s home-based team will do well even without him at next year’s Africa Nations Championship (CHAN).

    Nigeria have been grouped alongside hosts South Africa, Mali and Mozambique in the first round of the competition meant for players who feature at their local leagues.

    The former Sunshine Stars captain was an important part of the team who qualified for the competition for the first time, but he is no longer eligible to play in the competition following his recent transfer to Turkish club Rizespor.

    “Eagles won’t miss me, they will do well at CHAN without me. The team was not all about me, we have a lot of great players in the Nigeria league. I am sure they will do well,” Oboabona told MTNFootball.com.

    In the meantime, Oboabona has told MTNFootball.com his inability to speak Turkish was not the reason why he has yet to make his debut for Rizespor and he said he believes he will soon get his chance with his new Turkish team.

    “There is no truth that my inability to speak Turkish is responsible for me not to have debut for Rizespor. I can’t say why but I am sure God’s time is the best, I will soon get my chance to play. There are a lot of players who don’t speak Turkish and they are playing in here in Turkey.” Oboabona told MTNFootball.com.

    “All the same, I am learning Turkish just to be able to communicate better with my Turkish team mates.”

  • 2014 WORLD CUP PLAY-OFF: ‘Eagles must not underrate Ethiopia’

    2014 WORLD CUP PLAY-OFF: ‘Eagles must not underrate Ethiopia’

    Special Adviser to the NFF President on Youth and Development, Pascal Patrick has urged the Super Eagles not to underrate Ethiopia in the play-off of the 2014 game.

    According to the former Shooting Stars player, who bared is mind on the draws said that with the current squad paraded by the technical crew of the Super Eagles will leave up to expectation but was quick to warn that the Eagles should not underrate the Ethiopians because they also have the chance of progressing to the mundial in Brazil.

    “We have to come out in full force and not to underrate them because it might be disastrous.

    “The team must remain focused and not to be carried away because on paper,the Ethiopians are easy draw but getting to the pitch is another thing entirely,” the former olympic gold medalist said.

    Ethiopia host the first leg in Addis Ababa between October 11 – 15, while the return leg in Nigeria is slated to be played between November 15 – 19.

    The reigning African Champions are seeking a fifth World Cup appearance, while the Walya Antelopes are in search of futuring at the World Cup for the first.

    Nigeria defeated Ethiopia 2 – 0 in the group stage on their way to winning the Africa Cup Nations in South Africa early this year.

  • BRAZIL 2014 WORLD CUP: CAF tips Eagles for semi-finals

    BRAZIL 2014 WORLD CUP: CAF tips Eagles for semi-finals

    • Challenges the five qualifiers to surpass Cameroon’s, Segenal’s feats

    resident of the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) Isaah Hayaotou has tipped Nigeria’s senior team Super Eagles to qualify for the semi-finals of the Brazil 2014 World Cup, if the team scales the two-legged hurdle againat the Walya Antelopes of Ethiopia.

    Disclosing this exclusively to SportingLife in a telephone conversation on Saturday in Lagos, First Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Mike Umeh stated that eggheads of CAF in Egypt were optimistic that one of Africa’s qualifiers would play in the finals of the Brazil 2014 World Cup.

    According to Umeh: “Most of the CAF men that I interacted with in Egypt during the course I went for last Tuesday picked Nigeria as the current African champions to qualify for the semi-finals, if the players play to their strenghts.

    “I told them that we must first qualify as one of the five qualifiers before thinking about playing in the semi-finals. Of course, I agreed with them that we have the capacity to actualise their dreams given the way that our team is prosecuting their matches. Our players compete with the best in the world and our coach has shown that he knows what it takes to assemble good players to win the matches. We can surpass what Cameroon did in 1990 by playing in the quarter-finals just like the Senegalese did in 2002, when they lost in the quarter-finals stage.

    “As for the two-legged Ethiopian games, I can tell you for free that the Eagles will leave Addis Ababa with all the three points at stake. We want to make the second leg in Calabar less stressful. What the NFF has proposed as travelling plans will help our Europe-based stars to give their best during the match.

    “We hope to arrive in Addis Ababa on Friday and play the game the next day. We will head back to Nigeria that night, so the altitude won’t affect our players. We are no strangers in this business of playing games in high altitude zones,” he said.

  • OPERATION CRUSH ETHIOPIA: Enyeama, Mikel, Moses picked

    OPERATION CRUSH ETHIOPIA: Enyeama, Mikel, Moses picked

    • Emenike, Ameobi, Musa, Nwofor, 14 others too

    Nigeria’s Head Coach, Stephen Keshi has named a list of 23 players to battle for shirts ahead of the first leg of the 2014 FIFA World Cup final elimination fixture against Ethiopia’s Walya Antelopes in Addis Ababa.

    The African champions take on the Antelopes inside the National Stadium, Addis Ababa on Saturday, 12th October, 2013. Both teams will clash in the return match at the U. J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar on Saturday, 16th November.

    Headlining the list are stand-in skipper Vincent Enyeama, England-based midfielders Mikel Obi and Victor Moses, and forwards Brown Ideye and Emmanuel Emenike.

    Keshi has called three goalkeepers, seven defenders, seven midfielders and six strikers as the Eagles aim for a win in Addis Ababa to make the second leg in Calabar a much easier session.

    Home-boys Chigozie Agbim, Francis Benjamin, Solomon Kwambe, Azubuike Egwuekwe and Sunday Mba return to high-level furnace as part of their build-up to the 2014 African Nations Championship in South Africa.

    The Nigeria Football Federation is making arrangements to have the full squad train for four days in Abuja before the departure to Addis Ababa on the eve of the game.

  • Eagles to train in Abuja

    Eagles to train in Abuja

    • For four days

    Nigeria are expected to train for four days between October 7 and 11 in Abuja before leaving for Addis Ababa for the first leg of the 2014 World Cup qualifier playoff against Ethiopia.

    The African champions take on the Antelopes inside the National Stadium, Addis Ababa on Saturday, 12th October, 2013. Both teams will clash in the return match at the U. J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar on Saturday, 16th November.

    “The Nigeria Football Federation is making arrangements to have the full squad train for four days in Abuja before the departure to Addis Ababa on the eve of the game,” a statement from the Glass House said on Friday.

    Coach Stephen Keshi has named a 23 man squad for the game including Liverpool striker Victor Moses who scored two goals for Nigeria in the last meeting between both sides in January.

  • NFF: High altitude in Ethiopia won’t affect Eagles

    NFF: High altitude in Ethiopia won’t affect Eagles

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has given assurance that the high altitude in Ethiopia will not affect the Super Eagles when both teams meet in the final round match of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

    The draws recently released by the world’s football governing body FIFA pared the Eagles with the Walyas Antelopes of Ethiopia for the final slots for the Mundial in Brazil.

    This is coming from the NFF following worries expressed by stakeholders from some quarters that the high altitude in Ethiopia may affect the Eagles in the crunch encounter.

    Head of media, NFF, Ademola Olajire said playing against teams in high altitude regions is not new to the Nigerian team, as he allayed fears of a possible upset.

    “It is not the first time we will be paired with teams from such regions and we have always excelled. We have played against Kenya severally in a high altitude environment and even Ethiopia during the qualification for the 2010 World Cup.

    “The NFF has its game plan that it will not want to make public. So the weather condition in Ethiopia should not cause any panic, the players are ready and they know what is at stake,” He told NationSport.

  • Oliseh warns: Eagles must not lose first leg

    Oliseh warns: Eagles must not lose first leg

     •Says no more in-fighting, experiments

    Former Super Eagles captain, Sunday Oliseh has warned that Stephen Keshi’s lads must not lose the first leg tie against Ethiopia’s Walaia in the final rounds of the 2014 FIFA World Cup playoffs next month.

    Oliseh, who was a member of the Eagles squad to USA ‘94 and France 1998 World Cups, said the Eagles must move on from their 2013 AFCON feat in South Africa if they must book a space to next year’s mundial in Brazil.

    “Nigeria has to forget the encounter with Ethiopia at the recently concluded AFCON in South Africa. Judgment on their strength based on this is completely deceptive!

    “Nigeria has to take them “Red Light” serious! This is the moment where no stone needs to be left unturned. Scouting in detail of the Ethiopian team is paramount; tactics here will be a deciding factor and the early preparation of travelling logistics will be key.

    “Player for player Nigeria has a better team than Ethiopia. However, where the Ethiopians have an advantage is that collectively they operate better as a team!

    “It is paramount that Nigeria does not lose the first leg, which is in Ethiopia. The return leg in now Calabar or anywhere in Nigeria will be better negotiable to pave the way to Brazil 2014.

    “Complacency, in fighting or any form of experiment should be put on hold now at least till Nigeria qualifies for the World Cup ,” he posted on sundayoliseh.tv

    Reacting further, Oliseh recalled that he was praying Nigeria should avoid the East Africans alongside the trio of Ivory Coast, Ghana and Cameroon, even as he reeled out the Ethiopians power of euphoria and fan base.

    “Prior to the draws in Cairo, there were nations I dreaded Nigeria playing against, not because we cannot beat them, but because of the delicacies that these nations carry along with them for the Super Eagles. These nations were Ivory Coast (revenge factor) Ghana & Cameroon (past history factor) and last but not least Ethiopia!

    “To get to this stage Ethiopia eliminated South Africa quite comfortably and did not lose a game on the pitch, the only game they lost was at the board room due to fielding of an ineligible player.

    “With a population of 91 million, the Ethiopians carry a huge fan base and at the moment are basking in the euphoria that started way back in January at the AFCON and one asks when and where will this end. “They believe they are destined to greater things now, e.g. their very first World Cup participation; this could be a deadly tool against their opponents.

    “Recently, Ethiopian football got a major sponsorship deal of over $ 1.3 million with Heineken.MTN also has come on board to sponsor them not to talk of the huge private financial aid they have from the world’s 43rd richest person, Mohammed Hussein Ali Al Amoudi of Ethiopia,” the former Ajax and FC Cologne ace said.

  • 2014 World Cup Qualifiers Super Eagles 100 per cent sure—NFF

    2014 World Cup Qualifiers Super Eagles 100 per cent sure—NFF

    The Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) said it was confident the Super Eagles have a 100 per cent chance of beating Ethiopia to qualify for the 2014 World Cup finals.

    NFF’s Assistant Technical Director, James Peters, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja he was sure the team would be in Brazil in 2014 after overcoming Ethiopia.

    Peters was reacting to the draws of the final play-off held on Monday at CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.

    At the draws, the Nigerian senior men football side was pitched against the East Africans in the final qualifying round. The Super Eagles will visit Ethiopia for the first leg between Oct. 11 and Oct. 15, while they will be hosting the Black Lions between Nov. 15 and Nov. 19

    “We have a 100 per cent chance of advancing and qualifying, because in Africa today no team can overcome or subdue us. It may be in another five years to come, but certainly not now. But between now and five years, there is no African country that can bring us down,’’ Peters said.

    The former Super Falcons’ handler said he was confident the Ethiopians will not be a match for the Super Eagles, even though there are no longer minnows in football.

    “Yes, there are teams that you will want to face and say anything can happen. But, with Ethiopia, nothing can happen. We will just advance, because there is no upset with Ethiopia,’’ he said.

    Peters, however, advised the Super Eagles’ technical crew to avoid distractions at this stage of the race to 2014, which he referred to as the most delicate and dangerous.

    “Though the technical crew has been doing what it ought to do very well. What it just needs to do now is to concentrate and make sure it doesn’t get distracted at this stage. This is because the last stage is always the most fragile stage when the chances we have can just slip away from our fingers,’’ he said.

     

     

     

    Peters, who was once an assistant coach with the Super Eagles, further advised the NFA to give more support to the team for it to be motivated to perform well.

    On the other pairings, the coach described the match-up of Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire as a dangerous one which would rekindle the two teams’ rivalry.

    NAN reports that Senegal was paired with Cote d’Ivoire, while Egypt was paired with Ghana, Cameroon with Tunisia and Burkina Faso with Algeria.

    “The pairing of Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire is a dangerous one, because it was during one of the qualifying series that mayhem was let loose in Senegal. The problem started when Cote d’Ivoire scored against the Senegalese in their home in Dakar to equalise. Now again, they have been paired together. I do know that this will rekindle and re-ignite the fire between the two teams,’’ Peters said.

    He noted that the Egypt/Ghana pairing would be an old rivalry because North and West Africa had always been involved in a tug-of-war.

    “The Egypt/Ghana pairing is an old rivalry, because North Africa and West Africa have always engaged in a tug-of-war. Besides, Ghana will want to subdue Egypt with strength and power but the Egyptians are very tricky.

    “For Cameroon and Tunisia, it is a dicey issue, because Cameroon is just coming back from their sick bed. So, they will have to pour water on the Tunisians’ head to subdue their pressure, and do something tactical because Tunisia is a strong side. All in all, we are looking forward to an interesting performance in the final play-off from all the teams involved,’’ Peters said.

     

     

  • Emenike wants Yobo in Eagles

    Emenike wants Yobo in Eagles

    Emmanuel Emenike has asked that Super Eagles captain Joseph Yobo be recalled to the national team because of his experience.

    Yobo has not played for the Eagles since the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

    Emenike, who netted two goals on his return to the team after a long injury lay off, told MTNFootball.com that Yobo’s experience is still very crucial for the Eagles.

    Youngster Kenneth Omeruo benched the 95-cap former Everton defender at the AFCON and in the absence of the injured Omeruo, Warri Wolves skipper Azubuike Egwuekwe has been considered ahead of the Eagles skipper, who clocked 33 recently.

    “Even though it is the decision of the coach on who he invites to the national team, personally I think we still need Yobo in the team,” Emenike said.

    “I play with him every week and sincerely we need his wealth of experience in the Eagles.

    “I am in the Eagles doing well today is partly because of the encouragement I get from Yobo and the coach.”

    The Fenerbache striker, who described Yobo as “a senior brother,” equally lauded the former Flying Eagles star for scouting him out for the Eagles.

    “He brought me to the Super Eagles after we played against each other in a match in Turkey, before Samson Siasia came over to convince me to play for the country,” he added.