The Nation Newspaper

Tag: eagles

  • HARUNA VOWS: I want to fly with Eagles again

    HARUNA VOWS: I want to fly with Eagles again

    Lukman Haruna has said he believes his form at Dynamo Kiev will soon earn him a long-awaited return to the Super Eagles.

    The former Monaco ace, who has been in the international wilderness since the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, has told MTNFootball.com the Eagles will qualify for next year’s World Cup in Brazil despite the shaky position they find themselves in the qualifiers now.

     

    MTNFootball.com:You are one of afew players in Nigeria who have featured for all national teams – U17, U20 and Super Eagles – and also featured at their various World Cups. How did you manage this?

    HARUNA: I am very happy about that and it is a privilege. I feel honoured. I always want to play for Nigeria, I appreciated every support given to me by the country right from U-17 to this level even though there have also been ups and downs, but overall I am happy for my life and career today.

    You have not been considered for selection by the Super Eagles since your exploits at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Do you hope for a recall soon?

    I have been looking forward to another chance in the Eagles and I believe the best way to make that happen is to focus on doing well for my club week in, week out.

    Eagles won the 2013 AFCON in South Africa, were you disappointed not to be part of that team?

    To tell you the truth, I was not because I am still young and have many chances to play many AFCONs and World Cups for Nigeria. I always count myself lucky because I have teen involved at all the major World Cups – U17, U20 and main World Cup.

    That should mean you are already fulfilled?

    No, I think I have not enjoyed myself in terms of glory and consistency in the Super Eagles and that is why I will be back for glory with the Eagles, I know it’s just a matter of time.

    How would you rate yourself at Dynamo Kiev?

    I am happy because my form is improving with Dynamo Kiev and because I have achieved my goal of getting back into the first team. The chance has come at a good time in my career and my personal life and I need to make the most of it now.

     Do you think you could challenge those manning the Eagles midfield at the moment?

    With due respect to those there now, I can do it. I am a more matured player now, I have learnt a lot in this game, I have the experience and the ability to anchor the Eagles midfield, I don’t have problem with that at all.

    What targets have you set for yourself at your club?

    I want to win the championship with Dynamo and get chance to play in Europe. I want to score more goals and play more often.

     

    Some people have even compared you with the great Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha. What is your own opinion?

    It is flattering to be likened to a great player like ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha. It is a thing of joy and it shows that such player is doing well but there can’t be two ‘Jay Jay’ Okochas. I can’t be The New Okocha, I am Lukman Haruna and I am doing my best to carve a name for myself.

     

    The Eagles are walking a tight rope to secure qualification to next round of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. Will the Eagles fly all the way to Brazil next year?

     

    The Eagles will qualify. Like every other Nigerian, I was shocked that we drew with Kenya at home but being a footballer, I know these things happen in the game of football. I believe in the Eagles and I see the team going all the way to Brazil 2014. The Eagles have surmounted similar situations previously and they will do that again.

  • Kalu Uche marks Eagles return with 17th goal

    Kalu Uche marks Eagles return with 17th goal

    KALU UCHE celebrated his Nigeria recall with his 17th goal of the season in the Turkish top flight on Saturday.

    The former Barcelona Espanyol maestro, who had expressed surprise over his Eagles recall, scored Kasimpasa’s second goal in the 71st minute in a 3-2 loss away to Promise Isaac’s Antalyaspor.

    Uche senior was this week handed a recall to Super Eagles ahead of a hectic May/June schedule after he has been away from the team for 16 months.

  • NFF to wade into Keshi, Eagles bickering

    NFF to wade into Keshi, Eagles bickering

    The Nigerian Football Federation would intervene in the face-off between some Super Eagles players and Stephen Keshi, the Chief Coach of the team, Emeka Inyama, Chairman, Media Committee of the NFF, has said.

    Inyama told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia after the Week 15 midweek encounter between Abia Warriors FC of Umuahia and Crown FC of Oshogbo that the intervention would be made to get the best from the team.

    He was reacting to reports of crisis of confidence between Super Eagles captain, Joseph Yobo, strikers Emmanuel Emenike, Osaze Odemwingie and Keshi.

    He said that the strained relationship between the players and the coach was unacceptable to the NFF.

    Cue in audio

    “We’ll request the coaches to improve the relationship between him and the players.

    “The players like to be massaged; Keshi was once a player and when you have a good relationship with your coach it even makes the player to play better.

    “Players sometimes play for the sake of their coaches.

    “So the relationship in our own opinion has to be improved. We have to see what the problems are and make them to work together.

    “Yobo is the national captain of Nigeria he cannot be ignored; Emenike is one of the best strikers in Nigeria he cannot be ignored; Osaze is one of the best players in Nigeria he cannot be ignored.

    “We need the best legs for Nigerian matches.

    “So anything that will be done and everything that will be done to improve the relationship between the coach and the players Nigerian Football Federation will do so.

    Cue out audio

    Emenike had complained that the coach had never enquired how he was recuperating from the injury he sustained during the African Cup of Nations in South Africa that had sidelined him from his club-side.

    Yobo also complained that the coach should have informed him of his exclusion from the team that prosecuted the Nigeria-Kenya World Cup qualifier in March before making the list public, arguing that it was a matter of respect as he is the team captain.

    Keshi has since admitted not informing the Super Eagles captain of his exclusion from the team before the list was made public.

  • AFCON SCANDAL NFF SHORT- CHANGES EAGLES ASSISTANT COACHES

    AFCON SCANDAL NFF SHORT- CHANGES EAGLES ASSISTANT COACHES

    •$116,000 deducted from bonuses 

    SUPER EAGLES Assistant Coaches, Sylvanus Okpalla and Valerie Hounandinou, both members of the technical crew whose Nations Cup efforts were crowned with glory, have been short-changed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

    SportingLife gathered from an impeccable source on Monday that 58,000USD which translates into N9.197m was deducted from each of the coach’s entitlements by the federation right from the very first match played by Nigeria at the tournament. The development is coming 11 days after the bonuses of the 23 players and officials owed for defeating Burkina Faso 1-0 in the final match of the Nations Cup were settled.

    Each player received 25,000 dollars ($20,000 for the Nations Cup and $5,000 for the draw against Kenya).

    Four assistants make up the technical crew with Stephen Keshi the Chief Coach. Curiously the bonuses of first Assistant Coach, Daniel Amokachi and goalkeeper trainer, Ike Shorunmu were not touched. It was alleged that the issue led to a shouting match between the Director General, of the National Sports Commission (NSC) Patrick Ekeji and NFF President Aminu Maigari.

    ”People are beginning to ask questions. Till date, NFF has not been able to say why the bonuses of the coaches were tampered with. Instead they are attributing the interest of NSC to ethnic reasons,” said our source. “Okay why did they not touch that of Amokachi and Shorunmu? Is it because the other coaches are reserved and would not make noise. It is not fair,” queried the source.

    When contacted, NFF Spokesman, Ademola Olajire, said: “I know nothing about it. Contrary to widely-held assumption that the N750m NFF used to execute the competition was a special budget, it is understood that the said amount was actually 50 per cent of their total budget for 2013.”

    In 2012 NFF had presented a budget of N4.8 billion to the Federal Government but it was slashed to N1.4bn.

     

  • BATTLE OF CALABAR FALLOUT IKE: EAGLES WERE NOT AGGRESSIVE AT ALL

    BATTLE OF CALABAR FALLOUT IKE: EAGLES WERE NOT AGGRESSIVE AT ALL

    GOALKEEPER trainer of the Nigeria national team, Ike Shorunmu is still angry with the display of the African champions in their recent FIFA World Cup qualifying game against Kenya in Calabar on March 23.

    The African champions laboured to a 1-1 draw against a compact Harambee Stars with substitute, Nnamdi Oduamadi netting the equaliser in the third minute of time added on.

    Shorunmu, who won 36 caps for Nigeria between 1992 and 2002, has now laid into the Super Eagles’ players questioning their attitude on the day against the East Africans.

    “From the bench, we the coaches saw that the players took the match so lightly. They were not aggressive at all,” a disappointed Shorunmu told supersport.com.

    “Now it is quite clear that Kenya has a very good team. We may be African champions but we must never think we have arrived. We have a lot of work to do (on the team) before the next game against Kenya in Nairobi,” he said.

    Nigeria currently top Group F of second round 2014 Fifa World Cup qualifying in the African zone with five points from three games.

    The Super Eagles next face Kenya in Nairobi on Matchday 4 before travelling to Windhoek for a date with Namibia on Matchday 5.

    The African champions then round off their qualification campaign with a home fixture against Malawi in September.

  • BRAZIL 2014 fifa World Cup Lamouchi backs Eagles

    BRAZIL 2014 fifa World Cup Lamouchi backs Eagles

    • Says Calabar draw no big deal

    Ivory Coast coach Sabri Lamouchi believes Nigeria will overcome the recent setback of a 1-1 draw at home to Kenya and qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

    The Super Eagles, 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winners, required a stoppage time goal from substitute Nnamdi Oduamadi to snatch a draw against the Harambee Stars to maintain their position at the top Group F, although they are tied on five points with Malawi.

    Kenya, meanwhile, are bottom of the group with only two points.

    The Elephants are in Group C with seven points, one above second-placed Tanzania, but Lamouchi is confident that they, along with Nigeria, will make it past the qualifying round.

    “Of course, my team, the Ivory Coast, one or two from North Africa, Nigeria and probably Zambia (are the five teams) that will qualify to represent Africa at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil,” Lamouchi told SuperSport.

    At the AFCON finals earlier this year, Nigeria beat Ivory Coast in the quarter-final and went on to win the tournament, and Lamouchi admitted that it was a shock defeat.

    “No, I did not really expect them to knock us out, but in this kind of big tournament you can never tell. I was, however, surprised how they played against us.

    “They were superb, had a stronger fighting spirit and pace than us. And after their win over us I tipped them to lift the trophy.

    “But look, to tell you how funny football is, Kenya almost defeated the Super Eagles days ago in the 2014 World Cup qualifier at home. If Nigeria had lost would you say Stephen Keshi is no longer a good coach?”

  • Kenya’s match opened Eagles’ eyes

    Kenya’s match opened Eagles’ eyes

    • Tongue-lashes NFF’s Marketing Department men
    • Says Abuja Stadium’s pitch will be ready in June

    The Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi has described the 1-1 draw the Super Eagles of Nigeria recorded against the Harambee Stars of Kenya as a blessing in disguise.

    The Minister said the result which was obtained in a 2014 World Cup qualifier has opened the Eagles’ eyes that it is not yet a done deal.

    “If we have been celebrating that we are African Champions, the 1-1 draw the Super Eagles played with the visiting Harambee Stars of Kenya in the World Cup qualifier in Calabar last Saturday is a wake-up call that the AFCON 2013 is over. We should realise the fact that the World Cup is now the major tournament we need to qualify for. We must not play like African Champions but very serious eleven players raring to go at any point in time.

    “The match (against Kenya) was a good game, especially when you are playing a team that puts 10 men behind to stop the Eagles from roaring. I sincerely believe that the Eagles have learnt a lot of lessons in that match which would make the team to be stronger for the challenges ahead,” Abdullahi said.

    The Minister, however, tongue-lashed the Marketing Department of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for not utilising the advantage of the Super Eagles as the current Africa Cup of Nations Champions to woo and attract investors and sponsors that would invest in the lucrative brand called The Super Eagles and African Champions.

    “The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) can not get enough money from budgetary allocations. Prosecuting one game alone is extremely expensive. By the time we came back from the 2013 AFCON in South Africa the budget for the NFF was already drawn by 50 per cent (N750 million). There are still other tournaments that the NFF has to prosecute like the Confederation Cup, other tournaments like the youth football tournaments and World Cups. So the NFF cannot get enough money from the government and that is why we keep arguing that the marketing department of the Nigeria Football Federation has to stronger.

    “The Marketing Department of the NFF has to capitalise on the fact that the Super Eagles are the African Champions and must get the value of being Champions. The NFF marketing department has to capitalise on this and take maximum advantage of this. We will continue to talk to them (the NFF) and I believe if they respond to this they are not going to be going cap in hand to government all the time to give them money”, Abdullahi reasoned.

  • Eagles, Kenya match a wake-up call-Inyama

    Eagles, Kenya match a wake-up call-Inyama

    Says Afcon allowance issue not an excuse

    Confident of Eagles victory in Nairobi

     

    Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Board member Emeka Inyama has warned the Super Eagles to be wary of other so called small football countries in Nigeria’s 2014 World Cup qualifying group adding that the resilience and hard posture put up by the Harambee Stars of Kenya in the 1-1 score draw in the 2014 World Cup qualifier held in Calabar last Saturday should serve as a wake-up call to the Nigerian senior team

    “The Super Eagles’ 1-1 score draw result was a lesson for the players, the coaches, the entire team and even the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). Again it confirms general belief in football that if you don’t prepare to win, you prepare to fail,” he said.

    “It’s a wake-up call to the team and also a wake-up call to everybody. There are no minnows in football anymore in today’s football. Three teams South Africa, Cape Verde and Burkina Faso showed it (in the last AFCON 2013) that there are no more minnows in Africa football nay the world too.”

    On whether the none payment of the AFCON final match bonuses contributed to the unimpressive performance of the Super Eagles against Kenya last Saturday, Inyama described this as unfounded and not an excuse at all.

    “Allowances don’t play football. It (allowance) doesn’t play on the pitch. I don’t know how. It doesn’t at all. For the kind of money these boys have made over this period, I think they don’t need to talk about money this time. In fact, they have been paid.”

    When asked if the Eagles AFCON allowances were paid before the Kenya match, the Nigeria National League Board Chairman replied, “it does not matter. There is no time line for paying the money, the important thing is that the money has been paid. The (AFCON 2013 final match bonuses and allowances) money is not up to what they are earning in a week in their clubs (in Europe).”

    Inyama also dismissed the excuses given that the players may have been slowed down by fatigue having played at the last Africa Cup of Nations and now returned to their clubs to play in their various leagues and even in European club competitions.

    “Since they returned from the Nations Cup they have been playing well in their various clubs before coming for the Kenya match. Some of them have been scoring goals and they have been making their (first eleven) teams. So fatigue should not be an excuse.

    “In the (Kenya) match we had several scoring chances at goal. You cannot also say that the Kenyans outplayed us. Football game is sometimes like that because in terms of ball possession we were better, in terms of attempts at goal we have the upper hand but we just couldn’t score the goals. Maybe we felt the absence of Emmanuel Emenike,” he added.

    As regards Kenya’s complain of neglect by the Nigeria Football Federation, the NFF Board member told SportingLife that, “we have been hosting matches in the past one or two years and this is the first time there is a complain. They (Kenya) came with a mind set and we are not bothered. When we are going back to Kenya we are going to beat Kenya in Kenya that I can assure you today.”

  • CONFEDERATIONS CUP: BRF, Akpabio ginger Eagles

    CONFEDERATIONS CUP: BRF, Akpabio ginger Eagles

    NFF clears outstading allowances 

    Despite reports that Super Eagles players planned a boycott of the encounter against Harambee Stars of Kenya at the weekend it was all smiles and joy for the team as promises earlier made to the team and those made even after the match in Calabar were fulfilled with players and officials grinning from ear to ear.

    First to fulfill his promise true was the Executive Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency Babatunde Raji Fashola, who personally sent a top official of the Lagos State Youth, Sports and Social Development Ministry, Oluyomi Oluwasanmi to deliver cheques to the players and officials ahead of the game against Kenya.

    Oluwasanmi said in a chat that she was specifically instructed by Governor Fashola to make the cheques personally available to the players before and officials before they play against Kenyan. “Despite the draw you can see that the players were really excited with our Governor and the people of Lagos and it will continue like that because our Governor apart from being a footballer is a true lover of youth development at all levels,” she said.

    Also, Akwa Ibom State Governor, His Excellency Godswill Akpabio also made the day for the national team when he doled out N1million each to each of the 23 players that helped the team win the 2013 African Cup of Nations.

    To head coach he gave N2million while his assistants got N1million each, backroom staff of the national team were each rewarded with N500,000. While Goalkeeper of the side and the man who wore the captain’s armband when the nation won the Nations Cup in South Africa, Vincent Enyeama, apart from the financial reward, got a three-bedroom flat in Uyo, or any other city of his choice in Akwa Ibom.

    Governor Akpabio plraised the resilience of the Super Eagles, declaring that it is a call for every Nigerian to rededicate themselves to the service of the nation as football and indeed entertainment has brought more glory to the country than other means that those in authority have approved of.

    Earlier, Hon Ita Umoh, the Commissioner for Sports in Akwa Ibom, has praised the heroic display of the Super Eagles and said he was sure that the team will successfully defend the trophy at the next championship in Morocco.

    NFF President Aminu Maigari, said he was delighted at the good tidings that Governor Akpabio gave to the Eagles but also chipped in a word for veteran journalist, Paul Bassey, whom he said has been working very hard for Nigerian football to reach its zenith and Akwa Ibom should encourage one of their own in the scheme of things. Bassey is a member of the NFF Technical Committee.

    In his responce, Governor Akpabio said: “It’s not a tragedy when a potentially successful man becomes a failure, but it’s a tragedy when a potentially strong character becomes a failure.”

  • Oduamadi: I’ve conquered injuries Says, Eagles relaxed at the beginning

    Oduamadi: I’ve conquered injuries Says, Eagles relaxed at the beginning

    Nigeria’s Nnamdi Oduamadi believes his injury concerns are over as he looks forward to play more regularly for the Stephen Keshi-tutored Super Eagles.

    Odumadi who scored Eagles equaliser in last weekend’s 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Kenya’s Harambee Stars at the U.J Esuene Stadium, Calabar is already looking forward for more time on the pitch.

    “It was really painful not being part of the AFCON 2013 squad as a result of my injury. However, I’m happy to have been given another opportunity by the coaches to be part of the team against Kenya. Hopefully, after overcoming the injury setbacks, I will be working more to get more invitation to the national team especially the forthcoming Confederations Cup in Brazil and other subsequent Eagles matches.

    “I’m always ready to represent by fatherland whenever I am called. And when I was introduced in I knew I would change the course of the game,” an excited Oduamadi told SportingLife.

    Meanwhile, the Italy-based forward who was a second half substitution for ineffective, Sunday Mba noted that the condition of the U.J Esuene Stadium didn’t give too room for his teammates to fully express themselves during the encounter.

    “The pitch is a little bit hard. It was hard… It wasn’t that we didn’t play very well in the game but we relaxed at the beginning and this allowed them to score first before we started mounting serious pressure which didn’t pay off for most part of the day,” Oduamadi added.