The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Eaglets

  • Nwosu shocked at Eaglets’ draw

    Nwosu shocked at Eaglets’ draw

    Former Golden Eaglets head coach  Henry Nwosu has expressed surprise at the side’s 1-1 draw against  Guinea  in the top of the log tie at the ongoing Africa Under-17 Championship in Niger Republic.

    Sam Diallo put the Guineans in front from the penalty spot in the 13th minute while Eaglets’ captain Kelechi Nwakali evened the score for his side in the dying minutes of the hotly contested encounter.

    Nigeria and Guinea both have four points but the Eaglets are atop of the log on superior goals.

    Nwosu said he knows that Guinea are a strong side in the cadet cadre but was still shocked that the Eaglets trailed the West African foes for such a long time before the equaliser.

    “I’m surprised at the 1-1 draw, especially the fact that Guinea scored first and the lengthy time it took the Eaglets to equalise.

    “Although, I know Guinea are strong football nation even in the age grade cadre and are certain to pose a hard nut to crack.

    “I believe a point is still far better than outright forfeiture of the whole three points, at least, the point keeps them on top of the log,” said the former Nigerian winger to supersport.com.

    Nwosu, however, advised the reigning world champions to learn from their mistakes when they clash against Zambia on Saturday.

    “They must learn from their mistakes against Guinea when they confront Zambia in the last group game on Saturday.

    “Of course, they must remember that no team is a pushover and must always have it at the back of their minds that a football game is not won or lost until the last whistle is blown,” said Nwosu.

    Eaglets must strive to earn at least a point against Zambia to be guaranteed a place in the upcoming FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Chile.

    The semifinalists of the eight-team biennial football championship will automatically qualify to represent Africa at the global football fiesta.

  • Eaglets force Syli Babes to a draw

    Golden Eaglets forced their Guinean counterparts to a 1-1  draw at Stade Général Seyni Kountché (SGSK) at the on-going African U-17 Championship in Niamey on Wednesday afternoon.

    Captain Kelechi Nwakali yet again rescued Nigeria with a vital equalizer in the second half from the spot kick after Sam Diallo had scored the curtain raiser in the 11th minute through a penalty kick.

    With the result, Nigeria still top the Group A section on a better goal difference despite having the same four points with the Guineans.

    The fifth game of the tournament got underway on a high tempo with the young Syli Nationale dominating the first 10 minutes of play by forcing the Golden Eaglets into their own half.

    A minute later, Nigeria conceded a penalty after defender Lukman Halilu brought down the skillful Yamodou Toure in the box and Sam Diallo dispatched the ball behind goalkeeper Akpan Udoh.

    Thereafter, it was the Guineans that showed better initiatives in the attack forcing the Golden Eaglets on the defensive time and again. Abdoulaye Jules Keita was handful on the left flank.

    In the 22th minute, Victor Osimhen thought he had got the much needed equalizer but his powerful header off a cross form Samuel Chukwueze was disallowed by referee Jean Jacques Ngambo.

    Almost at the stroke of half time, Halilu almost cost Nigeria a second goal after he spilled the ball again on the path of Ibrahima Camara whose faint-hearted shot was cuddled by Akpan.

    Coach Emmanuel Amuneke brought in Ebere Osinachi for Christian Charles to add more bite into the attack.

    The permutation seemed to have paid off as Osinachi troubled the opposing team. In the 55th minute, he laid a pass for Kingsley Michael who saw his shot over the bar.

    Three minutes after, goalkeeper Udoh stopped what could have been a second goal for Guinea as he touched away Jules Keita’s volley.

    But with the game five minutes away from stoppage time, the rough Guineans were punished for a foul in the box and Nwakali   picked his angle; and fired the ball into the net.

    The Golden Eaglets last and decisive game would be played against Zambia on Saturday at the Municipal Stadium in Niamey.

    Golden Eaglets XI: Akpan Udoh, Lazarus John, Usman Abass, Ayodeji Bamidele, Abdullahi Suleiman (Orji Okwonkwo 70′), Kingsley Michael (Uko Anietie 55′), Kelechi Nwakali, Victor Osimhen, Samuel Chukwueze, Christian Charles (Christian Ebere Osinachi 45′) , Zakari Lukman Halilu

    Subs Not Used: Emeka Nwokeocha, Amos Innocent Benjamin, Maxwell Paul, Saddam Awal, Chibueze Sunday Kanu, Suleiman Muhammed, Nazifi Yahaya.

  • Eaglets submit MRI scans to CAF by month’s end

    Eaglets submit MRI scans to CAF by month’s end

    Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets are expected to submit the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for their provisional squad for the forthcoming Africa U-17 Championship.

    The team are currently conducting the MRI scan of 40 players in this respect to determine the eligibility of the players for Niger 2015.

    Since the 2009 African U-17 Championship players are subjected to an MRI scan to determine if they are within the age allowed for the competition.

    Niger 2015 will begin on February 15 in Niamey. World champions Nigeria are drawn alongside hosts Niger, Zambia and Guinea in Group A.

  • CAF orders Gabon to issue Eaglets visas

    CAF orders Gabon to issue Eaglets visas

    The Confederation of African Football (CAF) have intervened to ensure Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets are issued entry visas to Gabon for an African U-17 qualifier this weekend.

    This followed a formal complaint from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to CAF that the Eaglets do not have visas to enter Gabon after the country shut down all their embassies in the countries hit by the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

    “After the initial problem, we are right now at the embassy as regards the visa for the Eaglets,” an NFF official informed AfricanFootball.com.

    “CAF have now directed Gabon to issue the team visas.”

    NFF were already working on getting visas at the point of entry for the U-17s.

    U-17 world champions Nigeria are due to face Gabon in Libreville on Sunday in the first leg of a final round qualifier for Niger 2015.

    The winners of this match-up will qualify for the 2015 African Junior Championship in Niger early next year.

  • U-17 QUALIFIER: Osinachi vows to fire Eaglets to glory

    U-17 QUALIFIER: Osinachi vows to fire Eaglets to glory

    • As CAF rules out Eaglets duo, Gabonese No. 11

    He has scored a fair share of Golden Eaglets’ 81 goals in 29 matches but Ebere Christian Osinachi has sensationally vowed to bang in the goals for the Nigeria’s Under-17 team against their Gabonese counterparts tomorrow at the U.J Esuene Stadium in Calabar.

    On his good day, ‘Osy’ is a clever striker that is capable of wreaking havoc when least expected just as he did against Egypt’s U-17 team when he grabbed a brace in a 3-1 in Kaduna in May. Altogether,the lad has scored seven goals in all matches for the Golden Eaglets and he is not far away from top striker,Victor Osihmen who has 10 but would not be available against Gabon tomorrow after seeing red in

    “By the grace of God,I’m capable of scoring goals if I’m lucky to be fielded by the coaches against Gabon on Saturday,” said the player whose name in his Igbo dialect means ‘from God.”I know God can do it for me and I’m relying on him to help me.”

    Picked from ASJ Academy in Owerri, Osy who supports the red half of Manchester and a big fan of former Manchester United’s striker, Cristiano Ronaldo said he was confident of the chances of the Golden Eaglets.

    “My objective is not only to score but to help my teammates because I know that players like Samuel (Chukwueze) and Kehinde(Ayinde) too can score goals and so,we are going to help ourselves to beat Gabon,”noted the player who wears Golden Eaglets’ No.17 jersey.

    ” I’m confident that we can beat Gabon if we put into practice all what the coaches have been telling us since we started preparations for the second leg,”

    Meanwhile, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed the ineligibility of Golden Eaglets’ duo of Victor Osimhen, Ernest Agenor and Gabonese Ngouba Hoily for the African Championship second leg-final round match.

    In a correspondent signed by  Yasmine El Ehwany, Manager of CAF’s U-17 &U-20 Competitions, both countries were duly informed that Agenor Sughnen Ernest (Nigeria; 4);  Osihmen Victor James (Nigeria; 8) and Ngouba Hoily (Gabon; 11) have been suspended in Match 50: Nigeria vs. Gabon

    Subsequently, both the NFF and FEGAFOOT were ‘kindly requested to take the necessary measures in this regard.’

  • Eaglets return to full training in Calabar

    Eaglets return to full training in Calabar

    Nigeria’s Under-17 team, Golden Eaglets, resumed training at their base in Calabar on Tuesday barely hours after they returned to the country from Libreville where they lost 1-2 to their Gabonese counterparts.

    The contingent, who actually left Libreville on Monday for Lome aboard ASKY Airline, breezed into Lagos in the night through neighbouring Cotonou but finally arrived in Calabar midday on Tuesday aboard Arik Airlines to begin preparation in earnest for the final qualifier against Gabon next week.

    Head Coach Emmanuel Amuneke said it was important to resume training immediately in view of the enormity of the task ahead even as he enjoined the players to give their utmost best.

    “I want you to put behind all that happened in Libreville because that is gone,” Amuneke said.”I want you to know that we are condemned to win our match here and you must be focused on everything we are going to do from now.

    “What we demand of you is hard work and nothing but hard work; because we want you to show Gabon that you don’t need to be aided by the referee to win matches.

    “We believe in you and we want you to apply yourselves because we are going to undergo strenuous work in the coming days as we build up towards the match,” he warned.

    Meanwhile, seven players who failed to make the 18-man list to Libreville have vowed to pull their socks in order to be part of the second leg encounter against Gabon.

    “We are happy that our teammates and other officials are safely back in Calabar but the good thing is that we too have been working even while they were away in Gabon,” stated defensive midfielder, Henry Okebugwu. “We will keep working hard and pay serious attention to the training programmes because we know the coaches will only select the best against Gabon.”

  • 2015 AFRICAN JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: Gabon shock Eaglets 2-1 in Libreville

    2015 AFRICAN JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: Gabon shock Eaglets 2-1 in Libreville

    • Coach Amuneke says Nigeria will be better at home

    Nigeria’s Under-17 team, Golden Eaglets, were beaten 2-1 by Gabon yesterday in their Final Round, First Leg 2015 African Under-17 Championship qualifier at the Stade Augustin Monedan de Sibang in Libreville.

    Victor Osimhen gave the Eaglets an early fourth minute goal while the home side levelled up through Moubouhy Ngouba in the 26th minute and Maomikolo Boundembi scored the winner in the 80th minute of an engrossing match that saw Osimhen getting a ‘questionable’ red card from Central African Republic referee, Jean Marc Ganamandji in the 70th minute.

    “The boys gave their best under the circumstances that we found ourselves especially the difficult travel arrangement which caused fatigue especially in the second half,” explained Coach Emmanuel Amuneke.

    “But with all sense of responsibility, the officiating of this match was poor but we have to put this behind us and focus on the second leg.

    “From what we have seen, we would have came out with a better result if we had taken our chances in the first half but we can get better at home,” he stated.

    The Golden Eaglets actually started the game well as Osimhen grabbed the curtain raiser in the fourth minute when he pushed the ball beyond the reach of the Gabonese goalkeeper off a pullout from Kehinde Ayinde. They could have increased the tally thereafter but poor marksmanship in front of the Gabonese goal robbed them of such opportunities.

    The Gabonese, however, got their equaliser through Moubouhy Ngouba following a free kick in the 26th minute after referee Ganamandji made a foul call on goalkeeper Amos Benjamin.

    Yet Golden Eaglets’ captain Kelechi Nwakali as well as Ayinde and Promise Orji failed to convert the opportunities that came their way as the first half dragged to an end. There were few chances in between in the second half and referee Ganamandji turned out to be a kill joy when he gave Osimhen a red card in the 70th minute for a spurious offence- albeit after a yellow card in the 55th minute.

    Ten minutes later, Maomikolo Boundembi scored the winner for the Gabonese when he pounced on the ball after a defensive slip up to bury it behind Benjamin yet again.

    Eaglets’ line up vs. Gabon

    A. Benjamin, A. Mohammed, D. Ayodeji, H. Zakari, U. Abass, K. Nwakali, E. Agenor (K. Michael), P. Orji (S. Chukwueze), K. Ayinde (E. Osinachi), S. Abdullahi, V. Osimhen.

  • CAF orders Gabon to issue Eaglets visas

    CAF orders Gabon to issue Eaglets visas

    The Confederation of African Football (CAF) have intervened to ensure Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets are issued entry visas to Gabon for an African U-17 qualifier this weekend.

    This followed a formal complaint from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to CAF that the Eaglets do not have visas to enter Gabon after the country shut down all their embassies in the countries hit by the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

    “After the initial problem, we are right now at the embassy as regards the visa for the Eaglets,” an NFF official informed AfricanFootball.com.

    “CAF have now directed Gabon to issue the team visas.”

    NFF were already working on getting visas at the point of entry for the U-17s.

    U-17 world champions Nigeria are due to face Gabon in Libreville on Sunday in the first leg of a final round qualifier for Niger 2015.

    The winners of this match-up will qualify for the 2015 African Junior Championship in Niger early next year.

  • Ahead OF CAF U-17 Championship qualifier: Amuneke drops five players from Eaglets squad

    Ahead OF CAF U-17 Championship qualifier: Amuneke drops five players from Eaglets squad

    Five players have been dropped by Nigeria U-17 coach Emmanuel Amuneke as they step up their preparation for an African Championship qualifier against Gabon in September.

    The players are Ebije Yahaya, Prince Omosowhofa, Chinedu Madueke,  Kingsley Ohiri and Kabiru Muhammed-incidentally all midfielders-and have since left the team’s camp in Calabar.

    The five, who were given the marching order, according to the coaching crew, have significantly dropped in form and have contributed little to the fortune of the team in recent times.

    The Golden Eaglets dispatched Congo Democratic Republic on a 5-0 aggregate early this month, but coach  Amuneke said there was no room for complacency.

    “The party is over and it is about time we forget about what we had done recently,” Amuneke told the players.

    “But it is unfortunate that some have not really measured up to the standard we expected.

    “We must now focus our attention squarely on Gabon because it would be their desire to qualify for the Under-17 Championship in Niger.

    “We have reasonably pruned down the list based on the need of the team according to their performance in comparison to others “explained Emeka Amadi, goalkeepers’ trainer, adding that the coaching crew has a pool of players  to be called upon when the need arises.

    “The good thing is that we are in a process of raising a team that can defend the World Cup won in 2013 and we would continue to shuffle the team from time to time since we have about 45 players registered with Confederation of African Football (CAF).”

  • 2015 CAN Under-17 Cracker: Umeh sure of Eaglets

    2015 CAN Under-17 Cracker: Umeh sure of Eaglets

    Acting President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Chief Mike Umeh said on Friday that he is confident the U-17 National Team, Golden Eaglets, will overpower their counterparts from Democratic Republic of Congo in Abeokuta on Sunday to reach the final round of qualifying series for 2015 African U-17 Championship.

    “I have no doubt about the ability of the Golden Eaglets to not only win, but win convincingly. I have followed the exploits of the team since Emmanuel Amuneke took over and I know for certain that he has been working hard to ensure he raises another world–conquering squad,” Umeh said in Abuja on Friday.

    Nigeria won a record fourth FIFA U-17 World Cup title in the United Arab Emirates last year, with Manu Garba as Head Coach and Amuneke as his first assistant, but the world champions have been promoted to the U-20 team and the former African Footballer of the Year has had to start from the scratch.

    “Amuneke has shown excellent determination as a Coach, as he used to show in his playing days. His new boys did not fare badly at the WAFU B Tournament in Togo and their victory over the Congolese in Kinshasa shows the improvement the squad has made generally,” Umeh added.

    The Eaglets take on the Les Leopards at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta on Sunday in the second leg of a second round qualifying fixture, with Nigeria one goal up from the opening leg in Kinshasa last Saturday.

    Umeh said further: “I have the assurance of the coaching crew that they will not under–rate the Congolese, which is always a good way to approach a match.”

    The winner of the fixture between Nigeria and Democratic Republic of Congo will take on the winner between Ethiopia and Gabon in the final round of the series in September. Both teams played a scoreless draw in Addis Ababa in the first leg.

    Next year’s African U-17 Championship will take place in Niger Republic between 2nd – 16th May, with the FIFA U-17 World Cup finals set for Chile between 17th October – 8th November.