The Nation Newspaper

Tag: eagles

Eagles the last team to arrive

AFRICAN champions Nigeria are the last team to arrive at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup tournament in Brazil.

Earlier scheduled to arrive on Thursday, the Super Eagles are forty-eight hours late after a stand-off with Nigeria football authorities on bonuses payable, despite a mutual understanding with the team’s Management on a 50 per cent cut.

A miffed but concerned NFF had promptly contacted Sports Minister, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi when players and officials refused to leave their Country Club Resort Windhoek for a scheduled flight from Namibia to Johannesburg on Thursday, thus missing their connection to Sao Paulo from South Africa.

The Sports Minister immediately contacted the Presidency, and despite his pledge to personally bring the balance of the money to Brazil, Coach Stephen Keshi insisted his players would only leave Namibia if the money arrived in the southern African nation.

On Saturday, a first batch from Windhoek to Johannesburg inexplicably missed their flight, but Team Administrator Enebi Achor, who was in the second batch, worked hard to ensure that batch eventually arrived in Johannesburg early enough to retain seats on the connecting flight.

“We are all on the same flight. Everything’s sorted out now,” Achor said on telephone from Johannesburg.

The delegation flew aboard a South African Airways flight SA 224, Airbus 340-600 from Johannesburg to Sao Paulo, and were expected to connect another flight to Belo Horizonte that would touch down in that city at 4am Sunday, June 16.

On board were 22 players and 10 officials, with midfielder Ogenyi

Onazi having sustained a knee injury in the 2014 FIFA World Cup

qualifier against Namibia in Windhoek on Wednesday.

Officials said on Saturday, before the team left Johannesburg, that

Onazi who was in the team that triumphed at the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa earlier in the year and won the Copa Italia with SS Lazio last month, was still being expected to join the squad in South America.

However, defender Kunle Odunlami and midfielder Obinna Nwachukwu, dropped from the team, flew back to Nigeria on Friday. Onazi was on the same flight. The players were led by special assistant to NFF President, Tunde Aderibigbe. Nigeria play Tahiti, champions of Oceania at the Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte starting from 4pm Brazil time on Monday, which is 8pm Nigeria time.

The Nigeria Football Federation has informed the Embassy of Nigeria in Brazil about the team’s arrival, and pleaded for extension of usual courtesies, even as the team would be taken over by the Local Organizing Committee of the FIFA Confederations Cup on arrival in Sao Paulo.

It is a 75-minute flight from Sao Paulo to Belo Horizonte – about the same time it will take the team to drive from the airport to their Caesar’s Business Hotel in the city.

Coach Keshi said on Saturday that the team would have an official training session today – hours after their arrival.

After Monday’s clash with the Oceanians, the Eagles train moves to Salvador, where they clash with South American champions Uruguay at the Arena Fonte Nova at 7pm Brazil time (11pm Nigeria time) on

Thursday, 20th June.

On Sunday, 23rd June, the African champions take the pitch at the Estadio Castelao against world and European champions Spain – one of the most anticipated games of the group phase. That match starts at 4pm Brazil time (8pm Nigeria time).

June 16, 2013
Eagles coach opens door for more new players

SUPER EAGLES coach, Stephen Keshi has said that the door is still open for new players to be called up into the side, despite the Nations Cup success the Eagles enjoyed in 2012.

“If I see a new, quality player, I’ll bring him in. You never stop building. I’m just 15 months in the job.

“I’m looking for intelligence and a work ethic on the field. I also like to have a fire burning inside my players, the feeling that they don’t want to lose.

“Mostly, though, I want them to enjoy the game,” Keshi said.

June 16, 2013
‘Don’t blame the Eagles’

Former Nigeria national team coach, Adegboyega Onigbinde has declared that Super Eagles’ players should not be held culpable if the team fails at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil.

Nigeria is in group B of the Confederations Cup alongside Spain, Uruguay and Tahiti but preparations of the West African have been rocked by a row over bonuses between the players and officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Things escalated badly on Thursday with the players refusing to travel following Wednesday’s 2013 FIFA World Cup qualifying game against Namibia in Windhoek.

Onigbinde has now voiced his sentiments on the issue explaining that the players cannot exclusively be made to share the blame in the face of failure in Brazil.

“When a team does not do well, we all (blame) the players and the coaches, whereas the causes of some of these things might be administrative,” Onigbinde told supersport.com on Friday in a thinly-veiled attack on the NFF.

Onigbinde, a former member of the NFF’s technical committee further stated that he was “sidelined” by the current NFF chiefs “for always standing for the truth”.

“I was sidelined for always standing for the truth. Anyway, they (NFF) are in charge and they should sort out this issue (over bonus disagreements) but like I said earlier, if the team fails in Brazil, people should understand that these failures could be as a result of administrative negligence and not put the blame squarely on the doorstep of the players and coaches,” he concluded.

Nigeria will face Tahiti in its opening game at the Confederations Cup on June 17 at the Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte.

Three days later, the Super Eagles will square up against South American champions, Uruguay at the Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador.

The African champions will then round off their preliminary campaign with a potentially stiff test against World and European champions Spain at Estádio Castelão, Fortalez on June 23.

June 15, 2013
ROAD TO BRAZIL 2014 WORLD CUP LMC charges Eagles to victory against Namibia

• Hails Keshi for sticking with home-based players

The League Management Company (LMC) has beckoned on the Nigeria’s senior national team to live up to their appellation and ensure they record victory against the Brave Warriors of Namibia in today’s match day 5 fixture of the Brazil 2014 World Cup qualifier slated for Windhoek.

The league body told SportingLife through a top official that the body is pleased with the team under Stephen Keshi and would like the nation’s representatives to fly over Namibia as they inch closer to qualifying for the World Cup.

“We are happy with the good work done by Keshi and we want to wish him well In Namibia. It is only the maximum points that will appeal to Nigerians and so the Super Eagles should ensure they beat their host not minding the level of their resistance,” the official said.

The LMC has also expressed gratitude to the tactical judgement of Keshi for taking along as many as 8 home based players to the FIFA Confederations Cup slated for Brazil which starts this weekend.

The body noted that Keshi’s gesture would no doubt restore public confidence in the league and would be keen to find a way to make it more viable.

It could be recalled that Keshi listed 8 home based players including Heartland’s Benjamin Francis, Godfrey Oboabona and Solomon Kwambe (Sunshine Stars), Gambo Mohammed (Kano Pillars), Chigozie Agbim, Emeka Eze and Sunday Mba (Rangers) and Warri Wolves’ Azubuike Egwueke are all in the team 21 man team billed to storm Brazil after the tie against Namibia today.

The Eagles are first on the Group F table with 8 points while Malawi are second with 6 points, Namibia and Kenya are third and fourth respectively with 4 and 2 points after 4 games.

June 12, 2013
2014 World Cup Group:Eagles vow to stay atop

Another win on the road on Wednesday against Namibia would give Nigeria a more comfortable lead in their World Cup qualifying group.

Nigeria currently set the pace in Group F with eight points after four rounds of matches, two points ahead of second-placed Malawi and could well extend their advantage even before their last game at home against Malawi in September.

FIFA Confederations Cup-bound Nigeria beat Namibia 1-0 in the reverse fixture in June, but it was anything but an easy win and it needed the individual brilliance of Ikechukwu Uche to make the difference.

The tone has been set for Wednesday’s showdown following the sensational resignation of Swedish coach Roger Palmgren as Namibia coach.

Palmgren threw in the towel following threats to his family and the Brave Warriors will thus be led by Ricardo Manetti. But countries have clashed five times with the Eagles winning all, a feat they would wish to continue with on Wednesday at the Sam Nujoma Stadium in Windhoek.

Last week’s goalless draw Namibia recorded against hosts Malawi will be a morale booster for them to challenge the African champions, but the Nigerians are equally fresh from a hard-fought win in Kenya.

The match winner against Kenya Ahmed Musa told MTNFootball.com this encounter is also crucial and they hope to win to keep them on track for a place at next year’s World Cup in Brazil.

“We are all Nigerians and what we love most when it comes to football is victory, so we are prepared for that and going for it. We are not taking this game lightly and that informed why we came here straight from Kenya. I will do my best against to get one of the goals, while also playing for the team to win,” said the CSKA Moscow striker.

Academica de Coimbra of Portugal midfielder John Ogu told MTNFootball.com that he is looking forward to his second victory with the Eagles.

“World Cup ticket is our target and so this game against Namibia is as important as the previous ones. We are approaching it the same way we have done for our other games and we want to win again,” he said.

“I am personally looking forward to another victory and probably getting my second international goal for Nigeria. But we are not going to underrate them.”

Scotland double champion Efe Ambrose told MTNFootball.com that the spirit is high and they are carrying over the Kenya victory spirit to Namibia.

“We the players desire victory than anyone else, we know we are representing our nation. We are well prepared for the game. It is important to us. I am calling on Nigerians to pray for us as we give our best to win on the pitch. Their prayers are very important and we won’t let them down,” said Ambrose.

For Namibia, a shock win could see them leapfrog Malawi in second place in this group.

June 11, 2013
Moses faces Eagles ban

–Over acts of insurbordination

–Shuns Nigeria’s camp despite being cleared by Chelsea

–Refuses to pick Keshi’s, NFF chiefs’ calls

Chelsea FC of England’s midfield pearl Victor Moses may have played his last games for the Super Eagles if feelers from the the team’s camp and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF’s) chieftains are to be taken seriously.

Disclosing this to SportingLife in sports colloboration programme between Silverbird and The Nation newspaper on Monday morning, NFF’s technical committee chairman Chris Green stated that Moses dodged the Eagles crowded June schedule of matches despite being released by his English club Chelsea to report for the country’s assignments.

Green revealed further that several attempts made by coach Stephen Keshi and some concerned NFF chiefs were rebuffed by Moses, who refused to return voice messages left on his answering machine.

Indeed, the NFF and Keshi are miffed over Moses’ conduct stressing that they hope he doesn’t turn up to show interst in playing for Nigeria when the 2014 World Cup ticket has been secured.

Asked why Keshi or an NFF chief cannot reach him in London, Green said: “It will be very difficult. It appears he doesn’t want to play. I can tell for a fact that even if we go to London to see him as you have advocated, we may see him if he doesn’t want to see us. You talked about using Mikel to reach. Again, I can tell you that these players are not a closely-knit as you presume. Playing for the same doesn’t translate to know how well each of them fares. Suprised, do not be. Everyone for himself, God for us all, the the favourite dictum.”

Asked if the NFF and Keshi have contacted injury-hit players such as Emmanuel Emenike and Victor Anichebe, Green said: “As I speak with you guys on this programme, Emenike is in the country. The NFF President Aminu Maigari held telephone discussions with him before he arrived in the country. Keshi has also called Emenike several times to find out how he was faring. We believe from our interaction with him, he should be back to join his mates in October. As for Anichebe, we will establish contact with him soon. It is in the works and I promise you, we will sit down with Anichebe to resolve the differences. He is a very good player. we need him in the team.”

Asked again if the NFF has resolved the impasses between the team’s captain Joseph Yobo and Keshi, Green said: “Keshi called Yobo to congratulate him for a very remarkable season citing his being crowned the second best defender in the Turkish league. If you ask me, we are about 65 per cent through reconciling both parties. Their relationship is better than before. We are working.”

June 11, 2013
Floods force Flying Eagles camp change

The floods ravaging Germany have forced the Flying Eagles to change their training camp to Ebbs Bei Kufstein/Tirol in Austria.

The Nigeria U-20s were originally scheduled to set up a second training base in Germany on their return from the Toulon International Tournament in France. The team trained on an open field Monday morning and at the Tirol Stadium later in the day.

The players dropped from the final 21-man squad for the U-20 World Cup left for their various bases on Monday morning. The Flying Eagles are expected to fly out to Turkey on Monday morning from Frankfurt, Germany.

They play their first match at the U-20 FIFA World Cup on June 21 in Kayseri. Their other first round games are against Cuba in Kayseri and South Korea in Istanbul.

June 11, 2013
Kenyans did not attack Eagles, Nigerian fans -Amadu

Contrary to reports that circulated in the media that Nigerian delegation and the Super Eagles were molested in Nairobi, Kenya after Nigeria pipped Kenya 1-0 in the 2014 World Cup qualifier on Wednesday, June 5th,2013, the Nigeria Football Federation has come out to dispel the rumour.

“The Kenyans reacted because they needed to equalize or win the match and some of the decisions taken by referee in charge of the match Nomandieze Doue from Cote d’Ivoire was not taken in good fate by some of the fans.

“But it was not like they were stoning the Nigerian fans, no they were just throwing missiles on to the pitch just to show that they were not happy with some of the decisions taken by the referee”, the Secretary General of the NFF explained. He even commended the behaviour of the Kenyans.

“I think by and large the Kenyans were well behaved and it was dawned on them that they have lost the match. The Super Eagles played like true African Champion by dominating the game in Nairobi and we could have won the game by larger margin. But the most important thing is that we got the three points at stake in the match.

“Also the game in Blantyre between Malawi and Namibia went the way we expected it. Their match ended in a scoreless draw which has given us a two-point gap having amassed eight points while the second placed team in our group (F) Malawi has 6 points, Namibia 4 and Kenya 3″, Amadu disclosed.

June 10, 2013
FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS EAGLES, BRAVE WARRIORS GET 8.00PM KICK-OFF TIME

•Match holds on artificial turf

THE NIGERIA’S Super Eagles versus Namibia’s Brave Warriors 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match will kick-off by 8.00pm on Wednesday at Sam Nujoma Stadium, Windhoek.

Reports coming out of the South African nation further revealed that the encounter which is a group F fixture will be decided on an artificial turf unlike the grass turf the Eagles enjoyed in their last qualifier against Kenya’s Harambee Stars in Nairobi last week.

Meanwhile, the Eagles are having a quite time since arriving the Namibian capital on Friday and are currently quartered at the Country Club Resort Windhoek. The African champions who are due to spend close to a week in Namibia, will used the window to step-up preparations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Namibia’s Brave Warriors on Wednesday and the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup tournament that begins in Brazil on Saturday.

Interestingly, after four rounds of matches, Nigeria lead the pack in Group F with eight points but are closely followed by Malawi’s Flames with six points. Wednesday’s opponents, Brave Warriors who also have an outside chance of making it to the World Cup having garnered four points while Kenya’s Harambee Stars with two points are bottom of the group.

June 9, 2013
NFF EXPLAINS Eagles did not reject match bonus

THE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has moved to explain the furore over bonuses for players that reportedly erupted after the Super Eagles defeated Kenya’s Harambee Stars 1-0 in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier on June 5.

Players of the Super Eagles reportedly refused to accept the $5,000 offered to them by the NFF for the win against Kenya as they insisted on being paid $10,000 which was what they received as winning bonuses for their previous matches.

The NFF has now explained that the players did not reject the money but only asked for some time “to carry out consultations amongst themselves.” An executive committee member of the NFF, who did not want his name in print, explained that the football federation had good reasons for its decision to slash the players’ monies by half.

“We have explained severally that the NFF is struggling in the aspect of funds. We reduced the number of members of the backroom staff for this reason,” the NFF member said. The Super Eagles will face Namibia in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier on June 12 in Windhoek and many believe the row over the bonuses might affect team spirit and eventually hamper Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for a second consecutive tournament.

“This issue will create no problems as the boys are all professionals. Let me also state here that the boys never said they will not accept the $5,000 we offered. They only said they needed to carry out consultations amongst themselves. The consultations will involve even the players who are not in Windhoek at present so it may take a while. “I want to commend (head coach, Stephen) Keshi and (assistant, Daniel) Amokachi for stepping in and appealing to the players to accept the money.

“The NFF is passing through a lot of difficulty and we only receive N1.5bn annually from the government to prosecute all our programmes. “We do not take care of just matters relating to the Super Eagles. We have the senior women’s national team and the other age grade teams who play in continental and global championships.

“There is also the Beach Eagles and other programmes too. Also, we spend as much as N120m for each home international of the Super Eagles and as much as N150 million when the team plays on the road. “The national team should never be all about money but patriotism, honour and joy to represent the national team. “I still recall vividly those players of South Africa’s Bafana Bafana at the 2013 Afcon said they would not receive any dime as bonuses until after they qualified for the quarterfinals.

“The Kenya team we defeated on Wednesday; their players are paid just $500 for a win so I do not think the NFF is doing too badly in this regard,” the NFF member said.

June 9, 2013