The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Eaglets

  • Eaglets ‘ll maintain current lineup, says Ugbade

    The Assistant Coach of the Golden Eaglets, Nduka Ugbade, said on Monday that the team would maintain its line up in their next match against Niger Republic at the ongoing U-17 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

    The match will take place on Sept. 12 against the hosts.

    Ugbade made the disclosure in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria  from Niamey, venue of the ongoing WAFU Zone B qualifiers.

    “I don’t think the Head Coach, Manu Garba, would make any change. We’re not going to make any alteration at this moment, except if anyone of them becomes injured in training.

    Read Also: AFCON: Don’t relax over victory, Chukwu tells S/Eagles

    “All the athletes are in good form as I speak with you and we don’t pray for any injurie. There’s no injury worries among the team and no sickness at all. So we’re good to go.

    “The situation is not bad at all. We’re all greatly looking forward to the next match.

    “Our match is a semi-final game and at 7 p.m. Nigeria time, ” said Ugbade.

    The Eaglets’ lost 3-2 to Burkina Faso in their opening game and defeated Cote d’Ivoire 5-1 in their second game.

    The Eaglets are optimistic of making a return to the global stage by qualifying for Tanzania 2019.

  • 2013 Eaglets beg Ayade for Calabar houses

    Three years after they conquered the world in the United Arab Emirate (UAE) , the Golden Eaglets class of 2013 have again begged the incumbent  Cross River State  Governor,  Ben Ayade  to redeem the pledge of houses made to officials and players of the national U-17 team.

    On Tuesday (November 8), it would be exactly three years after the Golden Eaglets massacred Mexico 3-0 in Abu Dhabi to lift the FIFA World Cup for the fourth time in the presence of immediate past governor of the state, Liyel Imoke.

    An impressed  Imoke later hosted the team on November 15, 2013 inside the state’s council chamber at the Governor’s office in Calabar where he magnanimously pledged houses for players and officials to be located within the state’s new housing estate scheme in Akpabuyo in Calabar.

    The amiable governor said then it was necessary to break away from the norm in order to give a befitting future to players and officials hence the state was duty-bound to reward the team with properties instead of monetary largess.

    “We want to partner and invest in you because we believe this kind of investment (house property) would yield better dividends in the future even if you no longer want anything to do with football,” Imoke told the victorious team in the presence of top officials of Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) and other state’s executives.

    ” It is three years now that we won the World Cup and the then Governor Imoke pledged all the 21 players and 10 officials houses as reward but it is unfortunate that we are yet to be given these houses despite several appeals,” stated coach Manu Garba.

    “It’s really painful that we don’t have our houses  even after three years and I wonder why they are yet to give us the houses promised by former  Governor Imoke ,” lamented Godwin Saviour who is now with Belgian club, Roeselare. We just have to keep begging our new governor and pray they give us these houses because we did the state and Nigeria proud in 2013,” added Godwin.

  • Eaglets arrive Niamey, relish Menas’ test

    Eaglets arrive Niamey, relish Menas’ test

    The Golden Eaglets have arrived in Niamey for their Africa U17 Cup of Nations qualifier against Junior Menas of Niger Republic, taking place today. Camped at the Royal Palace Hotel, the players have expressed confidence ahead of the crucial game.

    “We are ready for the Nigeriens,” captain Abduljabar Sani told thenff.com. “This is the first time most of us would travel out of the country and we don’t want it to end on this our first trip; that means we must Insha Allah (by the grace of God) do everything to qualify for the next round.” The Golden Eaglets have won the last four matches between the two countries in the last two years with the last being the 1-0 winner at the National Stadium in Abuja a fortnight ago, and the new lads are confident of extending Nigeria’s grip on the Nigeriens.

    “This match is important for our careers and what Governor Tambuwal told us before we left Sokoto is at the back of our minds. We are going to give the match our best shot,” defender Solomon John said, matter-of-factly.

    NFF board member, Alhaji Sharif Rabiu Inuwa who arrived Niamey in the early hours of Friday from his base in Kano, told thenff.com that the Eaglets, as usual, would conquer their Nigerien counterparts. “First of all, we want to thank Almighty Allah for guiding all of us safely from Nigeria to Niamey for this important match against the U-17 national team of Niger. Nigerians have confidence in the Eaglets and Insha Allah, they will qualify.”

    The match coordination meeting holds 7pm on Friday with the match to kick off at 4pm today on the artificial turf of Stade Municipal de Niamey, where the Golden Eaglets’ class of 2015 defeated Zambian 4-2 to seal their qualification for the FIFA U17 World Cup in Chile.

  • Eaglets’ screening called off for Amodu

    Eaglets’ screening called off for Amodu

    GOLDEN Eaglets’ Head Coach Manu Garba (OON) on Saturday stopped the on-going screening of budding talents into the U-17 National Team after news filtered in that NFF’s Technical Director, Shaibu Amodu, had died.

    It was a visibly sober and sad moment as players and officials yet again mourned the death of another high-ranking football man following the death of Stephen Keshi on Wednesday.

    Garba said Amodu’s death was not only tragic but a personal loss to him because it was under the watch of the late Super Eagles coach that he captained and won the FA Cup with El-Kanemi Warriors in the 1990s.

    “This is a great loss to me,” Garba told thenff.com “I spoke with Amodu just two days ago and we discussed about our screening, and I feel so sad that he has gone few days after we lost Stephen Keshi.  Amodu was my coach at El-Kanemi Warriors when I captained El-Kanemi to win the FA Cup and we have remained ever so close ever since.

  • Eaglets get World Cup bonus, allowances…finally

    Eaglets get World Cup bonus, allowances…finally

    Five months after they won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile, the Golden Eaglets could now heave a huge sigh of relief after they were paid their outstanding bonuses and allowances this week.

    In November, Nigeria outscored fellow Africans Mali 2-0 to win a record fifth U17 World Cup.

    A top official told only AfricanFootball.com: “Both players and officials have received their outstanding monies now. Government approved the funds for the competition, but the release was delayed. The NFF had to borrow to ensure the Eaglets featured at the tournament and it was only when the funds were released that they got their dues.”

    The payment included daily allowances for  the entire period they were out of the country, first in Argentina for pre-World Cup and then in Chile for the competition proper.

    The win bonuses for the semi-final and final matches were also paid. It is estimated that each player received a total of about $8,000.

  • Presidential Reward: FG pays Golden Eaglets

    Presidential Reward: FG pays Golden Eaglets

    Members of the victorious Golden Eaglets, who were promised financial rewards by the Federal Government for winning the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile, have started getting alerts.

    However the crediting of accounts which is been handled by the Ministry of Finance in collaboration with the National Sports Commission (NSC) has been coming in batches.

    SportingLife understands that the delay is due to the transfer policy of the various banks in the country.

    A team official, when contacted on Wednesday, acknowledged receipt of his money to SportingLife but was confident that the transactions would be concluded today (Thursday)

    “You know that the transfer policy differs from bank to bank, which explains the slight delay. But I am very sure it will be sorted by today,” said the official.

    While the players got N1.2m, officials comprising coaches and backroom staff will get N500,000.

    It is the same situation with the U-23 national team who won the Africa U-23 Nations Championship in Senegal last year, as some of the players and officials were still expecting alerts.

    The Dream Team VI will get N500,000 for winning the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations.

    Meanwhile President Muhammadu Buhari also redeemed his pledge of 31 years to the class of the 1985  FIFA U-17 team who got N2 million each for winning the maiden edition.

  • Impersonator stalls Eaglets star’s 300,000 Euros Chievo deal

    Impersonator stalls Eaglets star’s 300,000 Euros Chievo deal

    Allnigeriasoccer.com understands that Italian Serie A side Chievo Verona have given up their chase of Nigeria U-17 international, David Enogela.

    The Flying Donkeys were ready to stump up a transfer fee in the region of 300,000 euros to secure the signature of the Golden Eaglets number four from nursery team Young Stars.

    But talks broke down because Chievo Verona discovered that they were negotiating with an impostor, Frankie Stephen, who had claimed to be the midfielder’s intermediary.

    Enogela’s bonafide representative is an African lady based in the United Kingdom.

    Soon after the FIFA U-17 World Cup, Spanish side Granada opened talks with the 18-year-old’s camp over a deal but discussions are moving at a slow pace.

  • Presidential Reward: FG pays Golden Eaglets

    Presidential Reward: FG pays Golden Eaglets

    Members of the victorious Golden Eaglets, who were promised financial rewards by the Federal Government for winning the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile, have started getting alerts.

    However the crediting of accounts which is been handled by the Ministry of Finance in collaboration with the National Sports Commission (NSC) has been coming in batches.

    SportingLife understands that the delay is due to the transfer policy of the various banks in the country.

    A team official, when contacted on Wednesday, acknowledged receipt of his money to SportingLife but was confident that the transactions would be concluded today (Thursday)

    “You know that the transfer policy differs from bank to bank, which explains the slight delay. But I am very sure it will be sorted by today,” said the official.

    While the players got N1.2m, officials comprising coaches and backroom staff will get N500,000.

    It is the same situation with the U-23 national team who won the Africa U-23 Nations Championship in Senegal last year, as some of the players and officials were still expecting alerts.

    The Dream Team VI will get N500,000 for winning the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations.

    Meanwhile President Muhammadu Buhari also redeemed his pledge of 31 years to the class of the 1985  FIFA U-17 team who got N2 million each for winning the maiden edition.

  • PRESIDENCY SHOCKER: No naira rain for Eaglets

    PRESIDENCY SHOCKER: No naira rain for Eaglets

    A reward package proposed by the sports ministry for Nigeria’s team to the recent FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile has been rejected by the country’s government as “too outrageous”, sources at the Presidency have revealed.

    The President Muhammadu Buhari administration has sounded it loud and clear the country’s coffers are hugely depleted and as such it cannot afford unnecessary expenditure.

    The Golden Eaglets received cash gifts as well as national honours when they clinched a record fourth World Cup two years ago in Abu Dhabi. But the team who retained this championship in November may not be that lucky.

    “The proposal sent to the presidency on what should be given by government as reward to the Eaglets following their victory in Chile has been rejected. Government said it does not reflect the current economic realities,” a source informed.

    It was earlier reported that the team will be feted by President Buhari on November 29 at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, but that did not come to pass.

  • Don’t go near Eaglets, NFF warns scouts, agents

    Don’t go near Eaglets, NFF warns scouts, agents

    • Says Osimhen, Nwakali, others are FG properties
    • Vows not to issue players ITCs

    Agents and scouts masquarading as contacts for members of the Nigerian U-17 side Golden Eaglets, who emerged world champions in Chile at the FIFA U-17 World Cup last month, have been barred from entering into any agreement with clubs anywhere in the world.

    Disclosing this to SportingLife in Lagos on Thursday, President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Melvin Amaju Pinnick vowed not to issue International Transfer Certificate (ITC) to any member of the Golden Eaglets or the country’s age-grade teams.

    Pinnick described the Eaglets and others as Federal Government properties arguing that these boys could not have become cash cows but for the fact that they were exposed to the world through these international competitions, sweating in Nigeria’s colours.

    Pinnick insisted that the NFF would be involved in all the movements of the players in line with the dictates of the FIFA regulations, pointing out the federation will ensure that proceeds from the players’ international transfers are given to their parents not these shylock scouts and agents masquarading as the players’ contacts.

    Pinnick warned foriegn clubs and their agents or scouts dealing with anyone on the players to stop such a nefearious act since nothing would come out of such transactions except through the NFF in tandem with the players’ parents or designated relatives.