The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Eaglets

  • AHEAD OF 2013 CAN U-17 Latest victory in Doha excites Eaglets

    AHEAD OF 2013 CAN U-17 Latest victory in Doha excites Eaglets

    NIGERIA’S national U-17 side have expressed satisfaction over their latest victory in Doha Qatar.

    The Golden Eaglets defeated Qatar Star League side Al Sadd of Doha at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium otherwise known as the Old Trafford-courtesy of a goal by Ifeanyi Matthew, as they prepare for the 10th CAN Under-17 Championship.

    “It’s special to us for so many reasons,”defender Izu Omego said.

    “Apart from the fact that we beat Al-Sadd,it is a major boost towards our preparation for the Under-17 Championship.

    Meanwhile, the players have dedicated the victory to Mr. Tayo Egbaiyelo of the NFF, the Team Secretary whose birthday coincided with Friday’s match. The players noted that Dazzler as Tayo is fondly called is their father figure hence the affection.

    “This is a victory for our team secretary who has been so nice to all of us. He along with other officials has helped us but today’s victory is for him.”

    Eaglets are expected to play more friendly games.

  • Eaglets dazzle Aspire chief

    Eaglets dazzle Aspire chief

    Col. Musa Amedu (rtd.), Director Aspire Football Dreams Nigeria, is excited about the quality of players jostling to be part of the Morocco-bound Golden Eaglets.

    Amedu, the foremost basketball buff and the brain behind the famous Dodan Warriors , who has taken time out of his busy schedule to watch all the team’s training sessions since on arrival at the Aspire Centre in Doha, said the Golden Eagles have what it takes to face the rest of the continent.

    “I have followed teams as well as the Golden Eaglets for some time and I saw how good they are when they played Mali in Calabar,” he said.”I’m really impressed with their discipline both on the field and outside; and II believe this will carry them far.”

    The Golden Eaglets have been enjoying the ambiance of the Aspire Centre with quality nutritional diet and fantastic training facility.

    “The whole of essence of bringing the Golden Eaglets to Aspire is to keep the players focussed,” Amedu said.” This team has great potential and this place would allow the players to concentrate on the job at hand.

    “It would expose them well and improve their quality of play,” he noted.

    The players have been describing their experiences here in glowing terms, saying the exposure is great for their budding career.

    “This place is massive and wonderful,” declared David Micah, the midfielder with the wiles and guiles similar to that of gifted former Eagles’ captain, Austin Jay Jay Okocha.

    Added Saliu Ali-Baba, the former Under-15 captain: “We are very comfortable and we are really impressed with the facilities on ground here.

    “It is a great privilege to be here with the Golden Eaglets and it would help us prepare well for the competition in Morocco.”

     

  • Eaglets hit Diamond FC 5-0

    Eaglets hit Diamond FC 5-0

    Striker Taiwo Awoniyi was Golden Eaglets’ star man on Saturday when he scored a hat-trick in a 5-0 thrashing of Diamond FC Academy of Umuahia, Abia State.

    In an early morning match at the Saint Patrick’s College in Calabar, Awoniyi grabbed two goals in the 10th and 20th minutes and added the third goal in the 67th minute.

    Also, Defender Izu Omego and midfielder, Ifeanyi Friday put their names on the scorers’ sheet in the 34th and 38th minutes respectively as the Coach Manu Garba boys recorded another victory to keep their unbeaten run intact.

    The match, according to the officials of the newly formed five-month old, Diamond Academy was an opportunity for them to learn some tricks of the game and they were impressed despite losing to a more superior team.

    “We came, we saw but we were conquered,” volunteered Coach Wilfred

    Ndube.

    “But the whole essence of this friendly was to expose our players to the rigours of competitive matches and we are very impressed with the standard of the Golden Eaglets.

    “Frankly, I have been able to learn so much in this match and I could see that the Golden Eaglets are a very good side and I pray they would be able to keep their good form when they go to Morocco in April,” he noted.

    The Golden Eaglets will compete at the African Junior Championship in April.

  • NFF rules out financial incentives for Eaglets

    NFF rules out financial incentives for Eaglets

    General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Musa Amadu has waved off calls in some quarters that the national Under-17 football team, Golden Eaglets be financially motivated following their scintillating displays in the build-up to the Africa Junior Championship billed for Morocco in April.

    It has been the trend in Nigeria of rewarding sportsmen with financial incentives after making the country proud in any major competition. It is then believed that the Manu Garba led team would not be different following their impressive performance in the build-up matches to the Africa Junior Championship, which they have been tipped to come home victorious.

    After beating Diamond Zebras of Botswana 9-0 to complete an aggregate win of 12-0 over two international friendlies at the weekend, the Golden Eaglets remain unbeaten in 23 competitive and friendly matches. They have remarkably scored a total of 104 goals and conceded just a goal much to the satisfaction of the team’ officials in particular and Nigerians in general.

    Amodu believes the exposure and opportunity to play for Nigeria is enough motivation for the players.

    “Let’s take it one at a time, these are young boys, I don’t think the motivation is the money they are getting but the exposure they are getting. If they continue to do very well and excel at this level and when they go to higher level, of course the financial motivation will come.

    “I want to deemphasis monetary motivations for teams at this level, I’m not saying the coaches don’t deserve better but for clear we have seen that some other countries like Germany, England, Argentina, Mexico that are into U-17 don’t really give them anything, these are young lads and I don’t think we should inculcate in them financial motivation.

    “What should motivate them is patriotism to do Nigeria proud and also to make a name for themselves. There will be scouts all over Morocco and if they are able to play well I’m sure scouts out there will be interested to sign a contract with them,” he noted.

  • Eaglets prepare for Botswana

    Eaglets prepare for Botswana

    Ahead of two international friendly matches against Botswana on March 3 and 5, the Golden Eaglets will tackle Bob Osim Academy at the famous Saint Patrick College in Ikot Ansa; Calabar today. The practice match will kick off at 4pm prompt.

    Last year, the Golden Eaglets won 11 and drew one out of 12 practice matches and today’s game is certainly a rematch against Bob Osim Academy that suffered a 5-1 defeat in the hands of the Coach Manu Garba (MFR) boys.

    Meanwhile, injured goalkeeper Adamu Abubakar has been given a clean bill of health and has since resumed full training with his teammates.

    Adamu has been sidelined for almost a month due to injuries sustained in an auto crash on his way to camp alongside defender Friday Njengo, early this month but his recovery rate has been incredibly steady and swift.

    Dr. Deji Olarinoye, the team’s doctor, said Adamu is now in good medical condition hence the clearance to resume in earnest and the lad has been participating fully in all aspects of training including the strenuous endurance test.

    Golden Eaglets goalkeepers’ coach, Emeka Amadi, said Adamu’s return to full training is commendable given the trauma he experienced: “I’m very impressed with the fitness level of Adamu since he joined us in training,” noted Amadi, Nigerian goalkeeper at the 1989 Under-20 World Cup in Saudi Arabia. “Hardly can you notice that he has not been training for some time now and this is really good news to the team.”

    Adamu, who kept a clean slate in the 6-0 spanking of Niger in Calabar last September, is now in contention along with three other goalkeepers in camp.

    In a related development, Golden Eaglets’ Dr. Olarinoye, who was at the National Hospital in Abuja over the weekend to ascertain the current condition of Njengo, informed that the defender is still under strict medical observation.

  • Eaglets’ glory days are here — Ugbade

    Eaglets’ glory days are here — Ugbade

    Uduka Ugbade, the Assistant Coach of the Golden Eaglets, has said that the team’s technical crew will re-organise it for better performance.

    Ugbade told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday that the re-organisation would be carried out before the commencement of the 2013 African Youth Championship in Morocco. He said the team would play some friendly matches with local and foreign teams to get the right balance.

    “In fact, as part of the preparation and build up to the U-17 championship, we are already playing friendly matches with local and foreign sides to build a strong team,’’ he said over the telephone.

    The coach added that 35 players had been penciled for the task ahead, and that each player had to compete for a slot in the team.

    “Through the friendly matches we have lined up, we should be able to select our final set of players to represent the country in Morocco next year. We want to use this championship to make up for the disappointment of not qualifying for the last three editions,’’ Ugbade said.

    Ugbade, who captained the 1985 Golden Eaglets squad that won the FIFA U-17 Championship in China, called on the Nigeria Football Federation to adequately support the team.

    Nigeria will play in Group B alongside Congo, Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana in the April 13 to April 27 championship.

     

  • F/Eagles get favourable AYC draw

    F/Eagles get favourable AYC draw

    …  Eaglets to meet Ghana in U-17 

    The Flying Eagles of Nigeria on Sunday got a favourable draw for the 2013 African Youth Championship slated for Algeria, MTNFootball.com reports.

    Flying Eagles, the defending champions, will play in group B alongside Mali, debutants Gabon and DR Congo.

    Group A comprises the hosts Algeria, Ghana, Egypt and Benin Republic.

    The U-20 tournament will be played between March 16 and 30 2013 with the semi-finalists qualifying to represent Africa at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey in June.

    For the U-17 African championship, which will be hosted by Morocco in April, three-time world champions Golden Eaglets of Nigeria will meet arch rivals Black Starlets of Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire and Congo.

    The other group has hosts Morocco, debutants Botswana, Gabon and Tunisia.

    Like the AYC, the semi-finalists of this competition will also fly Africa’s flag at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in United Arab Emirates.

     

  • Victorious Golden Eaglets return

    Victorious Golden Eaglets return

    • Depart for Uyo today
    • Amuneke mourns late father-in-law

     

    The victorious Golden Eaglets breezed into the country Tuesday evening from Bamako where they secured the ticket to the 2013 African Under-17 Championship to be held in Morocco.

    The team contingent led by Muazu Suleiman, the chairman of NFF’s Referee Committee, arrived in Lagos about 4:00pm aboard ASKY Airlines and was the cynosure of all eyes at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Ikeja, where they were received by Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme, the Director Technical of the NFF amongst others.

    Ikpeme said the NFF and indeed Nigerians were happy over the manner the players distinguished it throughout the qualifiers where they recorded six wins in as many games to break the country’s duck of not qualifying for the continental cadet competition, adding that the team would be exposed to solid preparation before the championship proper in Morocco.

    “Nigerians and indeed the NFF is happy with the Golden Eaglets because they are a model team that we would nurture to greater heights,” Ikpeme said.

    “We are delighted that they qualified for the Under-17 Championship in Morocco and the federation would be waiting for the reports and programmes of the coaching crew towards their preparations.”

    The Golden Eaglets would in the meantime, depart Lagos for Uyo today where they are expected to play an Akwa Ibom selected team in honour of Governor Godswill Akpabio who will be marking his 50th birthday this weekend.

    In a related development, the Golden Eaglets’ assistant coach, Emmanuel Amuneke is mourning the loss of his father-in-law, Miguel Alonso in Spain. Alonso, the father of his wife, Fatimah, who died after a brief last Wednesday, was aged 73.

    Amuneke said he had been in tumoil since he got the unfortunate news but had to keep it to himself because of the exigency of work particularly with the Golden Eaglets’ crucial game against Mali at the weekend.

    “My father-in-law was a very good man and I cannot forget all what he did for me and my wife,” a crestfallen Amunike said with misty eyes. “Of course, I would have loved to be with my wife and the rest of her family when her father was sick but for the Golden Eaglets job.”

  • Gov. Imoke, Diplomats salute glorious Eaglets

    Gov. Imoke, Diplomats salute glorious Eaglets

    NCOMIUMS continue to pour in for the Golden Eaglets after their qualification for the 2013 African U-17 Championship in a fashionable manner on Sunday with a 4-0 aggregate win over the Junior Eagles of Mali in Bamako.

    In fact, the Golden Eagles were still drumming and singing in the dressing room when the congratulatory message of their foremost benefactor, Senator Liyel Imoke, the executive Governor of Cross River State, was delivered.

    “I’m so happy with the result you got in Bamako and your overall performance throughout the qualifiers really made me proud,” said the likeable Governor in a short message service forwarded to the team through his Commissioner for Sports, Hon. Patrick Ugbe. “Personally, I wish you well in your future engagements; the time now is for you to concentrate and prepare for the championship in Morocco. I wish you all the best.”

    Across the West coast city of Dakar came goodwill from Mr. Abubakar Muhammad, the Nigeria’s Charge D’Affairs in Guinea who was monitoring the match despite his diplomatic engagement in Senegal.

    “These boys have made all Nigerians proud and we really thank God that you eventually made it to the tournament in Morocco,” Muhammad was quoted as saying in a telephone conversation with Golden Eaglets’ Head coach, Manu Garba (MFR). “I never had any doubt that you would make it after seeing the way you outplayed Guinea the last time in Conakry. Please, accept my congratulations.”

  • Eaglets are future of Nigerian football – Green

    Eaglets are future of Nigerian football – Green

    The Chairman, Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mr. Christopher Green, said on Monday that the U-17 National team would be groomed to become future Super Eagles players.

    The Eaglets defeated their Malian counterparts 2-0 in Mali on Sunday to qualify for the African U-17 Championship, scheduled for Morocco next year.

    The team qualified for the tournament on a 4-0 goal aggregate, having earlier defeated the Malians 2-0 in Calabar.

    Green told the News Agency of Nigeria on phone from Port Harcourt that the team’s victory against Mali was commendable and a sign of good things to come.

    According to him, the team played well and showed that they had good future for football in the country.

    He said, “Well. I want to thank God for what He has done for us. This is an experiment that we started long time ago, an experiment that started over eight months ago, where we put these boys together and started nurturing them, and this is the result.

    “Real under 17 players, playing together as a complete unit.

    “I want to say that they played marvellously well and that they have actually shown that they have future for football in this country because the way they played and the way they have gone through this qualification series showed that, by the grace of God, our future for the Super Eagles is very very bright.”

    Green said the Eaglets would go on break and later get back to camp to prepare for the African Youth Championship.

    On the protest against the over aged Malian team, Green said the NFF was keen on the outcome of the decision of the Confederation of African Football.