The Nation Newspaper

Tag: EJIDE

  • ISRAELI LEAGUE Ejide keeps 12th clean sheet

    Former national team keeper, Austin Ejide made it clean sheet number 12 on Thursday as his club Hapoel Hadera drew 0-0 with Maccabi Ahi Nazareth. It was his 23rd appearance this season.

    Hapoel Hadera are second in the Israeli second division and occupy a promotion spot with four matches remaining in the season. Ejide is optimistic the team will gain promotion at the end of the season.

    “The (Maccabi Nazareth) draw wasn’t what we expected. They really made it difficult but we have to move on from there and focus on the remaining games. We will keep pushing till the end”, he told www.naijasportsgrill.com.ng.

    He added: “My mission here (Hadera) is to help the club return to the top flight and I will do my best. I am glad I kept a clean sheet. I hope to do more if that will take the club to the top. The fans are wonderful and deserve more”.

  • Ejide’s mother goes home June 2

    Ejide’s mother goes home June 2

     

    The family of Nigeria goalkeeper, Austin Ejide has disclosed that the remains of their late mother, Mrs Mary Onuekwusia Ejide who died in Chicago, United States of America, last month will be laid to rest on Friday, June 2, 2017 in her home town, Nne Ogidi, Agulu, Anambra State.

    Mrs Mary Onuekwusia Ejide, ( Aruka Akwa), according to Austin Ejide, died at the age of 67 after a brief illness. According to the burial arrangement, there will be a christian wake-keep on Thursday, June 1, followed by a church service at St Stephen’s Anglican Church, Nne Ogidi on June 2 after which interment follows at her family compound. Thereafter, condolence visits by friends, well wishers and inlaws is slated to hold on Saturday, June 3 while church outing service takes place on Sunday, June 4.

    “The body of my late mother has been flown home to Nigeria. In fact, as I speak with you now, the corpse is in a mortuary”, Ejide said in an emotion laden tone.

    The former Gabros International FC goaltender revealed that national and international footballers will grace the occasion but was coy in revealing their identities.

  • Ejide offered to Galatasaray

    Ejide offered to Galatasaray

    Super Eagles goalkeeper, Austin Ejide has been offered to Turkish Superlig champions Galatasaray.

    At the end of last season, Ejide chose not to extend his contract with Israeli side Hapoel Beer Sheva, and has since failed to find a new team.

    During preliminary discussions, the shot – stopper’s intermediaries told Galatasaray suits that he will be back up to Uruguay international  Fernando Muslera.

    Super Lig trio Antalyaspor, Akhisar Belediyespor and Eskisehirspor have all been credited with an interest for Austin Ejide in the summer transfer market.

    A product of Enugu Rangers, Ejide has represented a number of teams in France, Israel and Tunisia.

  • Ejide, Enyeama, others dropped

    Ejide, Enyeama, others dropped

    • NFF shuts out over 30-year old players; insists on code of conduct
    • Akpeyi, Afelokhai, Gabros’ goalkeepers listed
    • Stars with poor disciplinary records ousted too

    Any player who is above the age of 30-years should forget about playing for the Super Eagles under the new dispensation, Sportinglife can reveal exclusively today.

    Sportinglife gathered further that goalkeepers such as Austin Ejide, Vincent Enyeama et al have been quietly excluded from the the Eagles’ subsequent international friendlies to allow the coaches field the home-based goalkeepers with special focus on all the country’s age-grade teams’ goalkeepers, Akpeyi, Afelokhai and the goal tender of Gabros FC.

    Interestingly, those players with poor disciplinary records during the last dispensation will be dropped for much hungrier ones eager to do the country proud.

    Indeed, the NFF eggheads will quietly inform the next Super Eagles chief coach, who is likely to be Stephen Keshi, to expose only those below the age of 30, largely because the new dispensation wants to use the international friendlies to increase the pool of talents from where players would be picked for the country’s  2018 World Cup qualifiers which begin later in June.

     

  • Ejide to sign long term deal soon

    Ejide to sign long term deal soon

    Hapoel Be’er Sheva and the representatives of Austin Ejide are holding high level talks over the extension of the contract of the Super Eagles goalkeeper.

    Israeli website Sports Walla writes that there are no points of conflict in on-going negotiations, with the glovesman expected to pen a fresh long-term deal when talks are concluded.

    Though the duration of the new contract has not been disclosed, it is thought that the 30-year-old will commit his future to The Camels until the end of the 2017-2018 season.

    This season, Austin Ejide has made 18 appearances so far for Hapoel Be’er Sheva, conceding 15 goals in the process.

    The former Gabros shot-stopper joined Hapoel Be’er Sheva from Hapoel Petah Tikva in 2012.

  • Ejide is best paid player at Hapoel Beer Sheva

    Ejide is best paid player at Hapoel Beer Sheva

    • Pockets 300,000 Euros per season

    Super Eagles’ goalkeeper Austin Ejide, 30, is the highest paid footballer at Israeli vice – champions Hapoel Be’er Sheva.

    Authoritative football website Sports Walla has reported that the gloveman , who is expected to put pen to paper on a new deal in January, pockets 25,000 euros every month excluding performance related incentives.

    Bringing the statistics to life, Austin Ejide earns 821 euros every day or 34 euros per hour.

    The Nigeria international earns 5,000 euros more than Israel national teamer Maor Melikson and Maor Buzaglo, who takes home 18,700 euros every month.

    Brazilian defender William Soares is compensated with the sum of  €15,600 for agreeing to wear the red stripesof Hapoel Be’er Sheva.

    Super Eagles’ midfielder John Ogu is the seventh best paid player, with monthly wages of 8,300 euros.

  • Agu sticks with Enyeama, EJIDE

    Agu sticks with Enyeama, EJIDE

    Home-based Eagles will open Uyo Stadium

    Nigeria Super Eagles made up of entirely domestic league players will play a friendly in Uyo to formally open the new Akwa Ibom Stadium on November 6.

    Officials of the Nigeria Football Federation disclosed in Abuja that the friendly, which is to be bankrolled by the Akwa Ibom State Government, will see the Eagles play a North African team that will be confirmed this week.

    Coach Amodu Shaibu is already planning to use the opportunity of this international friendly to begin preparations for Nigeria’s 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign in November.

    “Twenty two players will be called up to camp in Uyo from Sunday, November 2, ahead of the friendly and that game will afford us a wonderful opportunity to see some of our best legs in the domestic league more closely,”Shaibu opened up.

    “We will have the opportunity of working with them for about three days before the friendly. Some of those who show the quality we are looking for will then join the main squad for the qualifiers.

    “We must seize every opportunity we have to get a strong squad ready for the challenges ahead and we really appreciate the Akwa Ibom State Government as well as the Nigeria Football Federation for putting this programme together.”

    The new 30,000-capacity Akwa Ibom Stadium in Uyo is also expected to host Nigeria’s final 2015 AFCON qualifier against South Africa on November 19.

  • I would have benched Enyeama — Ejide

    I would have benched Enyeama — Ejide

    Nigeria goalkeeper Ejide has claimed that he would have been first-choice for the Super Eagles at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

    Ejide started most of the tune-up games prior to the tournament until a hamstring injury picked up against Cape Verde on January 9 saw him settle for a place on the sidelines.

    The Hapoel Be’er Sheva keeper has exclusively opened up to supersport.com about his disappointment of capitulating to the debilitating injury just days to the commencement of the 2013 AFCON in South Africa.

    “Ultimately, it was up to the coaches to decide who eventually got the nod to start as first-choice at the AFCON but given my form and consistency at that time, it looked like I would have been the one to start the matches (at the tournament),” Ejide told supersport.com.

    The goalkeeper also revealed that he tethered on the brink of depression following the injury but was able to bounce back as a result of the immense inner strength he possessed.

    “To be honest, I was disappointed to have picked up the injury but I have learnt to accept whatever fate life throws at me and give God thanks. I knew that irrespective of the injury, I just had to get on with my life,” he explained.

    Ejide, who has also enjoyed stints at Tunisia and France with Etoile du Sahel and Bastia then went on to speak about his friendship with current first-choice keeper and assistant captain of the Super Eagles, Vincent Enyeama.

    “We are very good friends and enjoy a wonderful relationship. We are both based in Israel and usually interact often. He’s a great professional and a good human being,” he added.

    Ejide made his Nigeria debut in 2001 and has since gone on to play for the Super Eagles on 22 occasions.

     

  • Ejide returns today

    Ejide returns today

    Trained with  Psysiotherapists

    THERE was celebration among coaches in the Super Eagles’ Faro camp in Portugal on Monday when doctors informed them that goalkeeper Austin Ejide could return to train with the main team today.

    Disclosing this exclusively to SportingLife on telephone from Faro on Monday, Eagles media officer Ben Alaiya revealed that Ejide trained alone with the team’s pysiotherapist on Monday and went through the drills to test his fitness level without complainng of any strains to his hamstring.

    “Hopefully, Ejide should be back in training Tuesday (today), if what we are seeing him do with the pysiotherapist is anything to be taken seriously. Indeed, he has completed many drills that he couldn’t do when he first sustained the injury. The hamstring is such that if you are not fit, you cannot do any training drill that would involve it. We are excited about his quick recovery and we hope that he returns like the doctors have declared.”

  • Ambrose: Dream come true to play at AFCON

    Ambrose: Dream come true to play at AFCON

    GLASGOW Celtic utility defender Efe Ambrose is delighted to have made the Eagles squad for the African Cup of Nations. In an interview with the official website of the Scottish club, he spoke on the chances of Nigeria winning silverware at Africa’s premier soccer competition.

    ”It’s a dream come true, because I’ve never played in the Africa Cup of Nations. It’s my first time and for me it is important to be among that 23-man list. I used to watch the tournament when I was younger and I remember seeing a lot of good players in the competition. That was nice but being a part of it would be amazing,” says Ambrose to celticfc.net.

    He added: “For us it’s been a long time since we have won the Nations Cup. This is a chance for us to put things right and prove to the world that we are back. We want to be the giants of Africa. I know football has changed, there are no bigger or smaller countries, everybody is equal. Everyone is up for the task, and there is a lot of talent – a lot of countries have a lot of good players. It is going to be a good Nations Cup, and if you are to win it you have to beat the best. You have to work hard, train hard, and believe in yourself.”