The Nation Newspaper

Tag: eagles

  • Full house in Eagles Camp

    Full house in Eagles Camp

    •Injury forces out Zango
    •Team off to Kaduna Wednesday

    Only Elkanemi’s Haruna Babalo, who was a late replacement for Tony Okputu of Lobi Stars, that recently signed a contract with a Libyan top division side, was not in camp on Monday morning, as home based stars begin training for the crunch CHAN qualifier tie against the Elephants of Cote ‘D Ivoire.

    In all, 23 players out of the 24 invited were in camp as at Monday morning. Sadly, Kano Pillars Zango Umar could not train with rest of the squad as he was nursing an injury he picked up in his club’s last Glo League clash against Dolphins of Port Harcourt. Team’s medical crew have already done a scan on him to determine the extent of damage. It was after consulting with Head Coach Stephen Keshi that the player was excused from camp.

    Zango’s Pillars teammate, Adamu Murtala, has been invited as his replacement. “But the problem we have is that Murtala is foot-dragging and we want him urgently in camp here,” Assistant Coach Dan ‘the bull’ Amokachi said during lunch time on Monday.

    Monday morning’s training featured 22 players and was supervised by Keshi at the training pitch of the Abuja National Stadium. Keshi told the players before training commenced that they have herculean task of becoming the first set of Nigerians to play in the CHAN tournament in South Africa next year if they can surmount the Ivorien hurdle. “Let me say I have absolute confidence in you to achieve the feat of defeating Cote D’ Ivoire, but you must have belief in yourself more to achieve the set goal,” he urged.

    The team will train twice daily on Monday and Tuesday, before departing Abuja for Kaduna the match venue on Wednesday morning, according to revised programme of the team. The Eagles will resume its build up for the game on Wednesday evening in Kaduna for the game scheduled for the Ahmadu Bello Stadium on Saturday.

  • Keshi fumes: No show for Osaze, others

    Keshi fumes: No show for Osaze, others

    •I didn’t talk to anybody  about their return to Eagles

    •Says playing against Cote d’Ivoire will be tough

     

    Super Eagles’ Chief Coach, Stephen Keshi, has debunked the reports in a section of the media that he has made up his mind to recall runaway Eagles striker Osaze Odemwingie and others like Victor Anichebe, Ikechukwu Uche, Obafemi Martins, Yakubu Aiyegbeni and Obafemi Martins.

    The Eagles gaffer disclosed this to SportingLife during the yesterday morning training session of the team in preparations for the African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifier game against the Elephants of Cote D’Ivoire billed for Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna this Saturday.

    “I didn’t say that. I never said that I am bringing back ant of those names you nave mentioned now (Osaze Odemwingie, Ikechukwu Uche, Obafemi Martins, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Obafemi Martins and Victor Anichebe).

    “The only thing I said about (Victor) Anichebe is that I will try to talk to him again and that is it. We have seen Osaze, Martins and the rest of them yet so what more do you guys want?” he responded to the question of recalling the said Eagles stars.

    Keshi also confessed that the CHAN qualifier against the Ivorians billed for Kaduna won’t be an easy game as Cote d’Ivoire are also blessed with array of home based stars that are also doing well in their local league. He, however, assured that he would do his best with the support of his assistants and soccer loving Nigerians to get a respectable result in the match slated for Saurday.

    “On Saturday, it will be tough because we are playing against Cote d’Ivoire not against Tahiti or Gambia. Cote d’Ivoire has equal potentials back home like Nigeria and top African football playing countries. So it is not going to be an easy game but we hope to have a good score line at the end of the game,” he added.

  • Confederations Cup Fallout: Eagles emerge 5th best team

    Confederations Cup Fallout: Eagles emerge 5th best team

     •Brazil topple Spain at No. 1

    Nigeria’s Super Eagles emerged the 5th best team at the just concluded FIFA Confederations Cup here in Brazil despite failing to progress to the semi-final of the competition.

    According to a release by world’s soccer governing body, FIFA moments after Sunday’s match between Brazil and Spain at the Estadio de Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, the African champions landed on the fifth position behind the likes of Brazil (1), Spain (2), Italy (3) and Uruguay (4).

    A further breakdown of the competition summary released by FIFA revealed that the Stephen Keshi tutored side who finished third in Group B log garnered three points, scoring a total of seven goals and concedeing six goals in three matches to finish with a plus one goal advantage at the end of the preliminary matches.

  • Turkey 2013 Round OF 16: Flying Eagles get Uruguay test

    Turkey 2013 Round OF 16: Flying Eagles get Uruguay test

    Nigeria will take on Uruguay in an U20 World Cup Round of 16 match on Tuesday, July 2, 2013 in Istanbul.

    Uruguay finished second in Group F on six points after they smashed four unreplied goals past erstwhile group leaders Uzbekistan in their final group game on Saturday in Antalya.

    Croatia won the group to avoid a second straight clash with Nigeria when they defeated New Zealand 2-1 in Bursa.

    The Flying Eagles defeated the Croats 4-2 at Colombia 2011.

    The winners of the match-up between Nigeria and Uruguay will advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament.

    The South Americans started their campaign at Turkey 2013 on a losing note when they fell 1-0 to Croatia.

    They then rallied back to beat New Zealand 2-0 before their convincing win over the Uzbeks on Saturday.

  • NFF commends Eagles

    NFF commends Eagles

    The Nigeria Football Federation has commended the Super Eagles for their performance in the busy June football schedule that saw them playing six matches in less than four weeks.

    Speaking exclusively to Nationsports in Abuja, the General Secretary of the Football Federation, Musa Amadu appreciated the efforts of the players and their officials in the matches.

    ‘We commend the team for what they have done for the country. It is not easy for them to be coming from a hectic league season and playing all these series of matches. As you would recall, they were in Germany for some weeks before going to the Northern part of America to play Mexico in a friendly match. After which they traveled to Nairobi, Kenya for a World Cup qualifier, thereafter to Namibia for another match in less than seven days, before taking a 15 hours trip to Brazil for the Confederation Cup where they played three matches winning one and losing two. The boys did their best, and gave what they can offer at that time. I am confident that if the injured players were available for the Coaches to select from, the story would have been different. We were not disgraced at the Confederation Cup, it was very obvious that in all the matches, including the one against World Champions Spain, it was a very close one. We received accolades from all including FIFA. We have learnt our lessons from there, and I am sure that that would help us in our World Cup qualifiers and by the time we go back to Brazil next year, the World would see a different and better Super Eagles”

    The scribe was quick to pass a vote of confidence on the Head Coach of the Super Eagles for including some home based players in the team, “I have to specifically commend Coach Stephen Keshi for his bold step in taking 8 players out of the 23 from the local scene to the Confederation Cup. For some of them, it maybe like a very high level, but in the reality, they must have gotten all the needed experience of been at a big championship like that, but if we look at the performance of those who played, you would see that they have gotten all that is needed to play against the big boys at the world stage, and we expect them to put that in use when the play Cote d’ivore in the CHAN qualifiers next weekend in Kaduna.”

    He cautioned Nigerians not to castigate the team, instead they should be encouraged to do better in subsequent competitions.

  • Adepoju hails Eagles impact

    Adepoju hails Eagles impact

    For former Super Eagles attacking midfielder Mutiu Adepoju, a.k.a Headmaster, Said Nigeria’s outing in Brazil is a laudable achievement and part of the building process.

    The former Real Sociedad of Spain, star believes there are lots of positives to derive from the Super Eagles outing rather than castigating the team for not reaching the semi-finals.

    “The team didn’t perform badly because we saw a team that can create chances. They even impressed with good football. Though we lost some scoring chances, the good thing is that we were able to discover that we have boys that can hold their own in the absence of the big boys and create scoring chances,” Adepoju told Goal.

    “The Confederations Cup is a good one for the team and I hope that Stephen Keshi and his technical crew would have done their home work before we face Malawi in the last qualifying games [in September].

    “Having in mind the caliber of players we missed in the team, I mean [Emmanuel] Emenike and Victor Moses, those that were picked proved themselves and I think it was a good experience for them,” he concluded.

  • Emenike: Eagles will return to shine in Brazil

    Emenike: Eagles will return to shine in Brazil

    Emmanuel Emenike has vowed that Nigeria will shine at next year’s World Cup after they exited in the first round of the Confederations Cup.

    The absence of the 2013 AFCON hot-shot from the FIFA Confederations Cup has been a major talking point due to the poor finishing that led to the team’s ouster.

    The Spartak Moscow striker, who is back and fully fit from a knee injury, said he hopes to return with a good performance for his club and also lead Nigeria back to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup.

    “We will return to Brazil next year for the World Cup,” Emenike told MTNFootball.com

    “My heart was with the team in Brazil, but I could not help them because I was out injured.

    “This is not the time to blame anybody or the team for the ouster. Our elimination from the Confederations Cup will only make the team come back stronger for the World Cup.”

    The striker added: “We don’t need to blame the team or crucify any player, I believe this will be a blessing in disguise for us when we return to take the world by storm.

    “By now, everybody must have seen their lapses and that is why there must be continuity for the team to make the necessary corrections in subsequent games.

    “My target now is to return to my best when the league resumes in July.

    “I know what my club expects of me and I will not hesitate to give them everything, I have to compete for major honours both in Russia and the UEFA Europa League.”

    He again pledged his loyalty to Spartak.

    “When you are injured for a long time and your club show you love, that means you are needed when you return, and not only just needed for you to complete the 11 players on the pitch but to give them what they know you can do,” he told MTNFootball.com.

    “I am happy to be back and I am looking forward to bigger things with both Spartak and my country.”

     

  • Oliseh: Eagles, NFF must avoid distractions

    Oliseh: Eagles, NFF must avoid distractions

      Backs misfiring Ideye

    EX-Super Eagles skipper, Sunday Oliseh says the distractions in the national male team and NFF must stop if the country seeks to dominate world football.

    Oliseh after watching Nigeria crashed out of the FIFA Confederations Cup following a 3-0 loss to World and European champions, Spain, said: “Nigeria’s future is bright, if side distractions stop. Ever since we won AFCON it’s been trouble and fighting. When it stops we’ll dominate.”

    The former Juventus midfielder also backed misfiring Dynamo Kiev ace, Brown Ideye despite his below the par showing at the face of goal during the Eagles campaign.

    “In as much as Ideye was disappointing I feel in all Enyeama and Mikel and the general team were good, we were at least not humiliated as many hoped.

    “I doubt Ideye wanted to intentionally play bad, lets praise him for the effort.”

  • Dolphins proud of Flying Eagles quartet

    Dolphins proud of Flying Eagles quartet

    General Manager of Dolphins Football Club, Dumbo Awanen says the club is proud of the contribution of four of their players towards the success of the Flying Eagles at the World Youth Championships.

    Dolphins have four players at the World Cup, all of whom have featured at the games.

    Awanen said Dolphins have once again shown the kind of quality they have by producing four players for the nation’s U-20 team.

    “The captain of the team, Jeleel Ajagun, already has three goals to his name and Chidi Osuchukwu has been immense on the wings for the team in the two games he has played.

    “Chizoba Amaefule featured in the first game against Portugal while Emem Eduok came on as a late substitute against Cuba,” Awanen said.

    “We sit back at home watching these games and we beat our chest and say once again we as a club are contributing to the success of the national team.

    “Just as we have given quality to the Eagles, we still have more than enough quality back at home in the team and that shows the character of our team.

    “We wish the Flying Eagles best of luck and believe they can go all the way at the FIFA World Youth Championships.”

  • CAF appoints Keita for Eagles, Elephants match

    CAF appoints Keita for Eagles, Elephants match

    The Confederation of African Football has appointed a Malian official, Mahamadou Keita as centre referee for the 2014 African Nations Championship qualifying match between Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire, billed for Saturday next week in Kaduna.

    Keita, 30, became an international referee in 2009. He will be assisted by compatriots Moriba Diakite, 33 (Assistant Referee 1), Nouhoum Bamba, 35 (Assistant Referee 2) and Ousmane Sidibe, 39 (Reserve Referee).

    The Match Commissioner is Idrissa Sarr, a renown former FIFA-graded referee from Mauritania.

    For the return leg in Abidjan on July 27, CAF has appointed officials from Morocco to take charge. Noureddine el Jaafari, a 35-year old who became an international referee only this year, will be at the centre, to be assisted by compatriots Bouazza Rouani, 39 (Assistant Referee1), Youssef Mabrouk, 38 (Assistant Referee 2) and Khalid Ennouni, 40

    (Reserve Referee).

    The Match Commissioner will be Kossi Adjodo from Togo.