The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Fears

  • NFF allays fears on Eagles, Eaglets

    NFF allays fears on Eagles, Eaglets

    First Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mike Umeh has assured Nigerians that the Super Eagles and Golden Eaglets would win their respective matches on Saturday and Sunday.

    The NFF top official told SportingLife that the Federation has done all it could to ensure the Eagles emerge victorious against the Lone Star of Liberia and thereby qualify for the 2013 Africa Nations Cup finals slated for South Africa in January while also assuring on Eaglets to beat visiting Guinea in one of the qualification series for the Cadet Nations Cup.

    Umeh is also confident that the Eagles would run over Liberia in the absence of injured Skipper, Joseph Yobo. “Yobo’s absence is not going to have any adverse effect on the team although his teammates would miss him but the rest of players would definitely cope in his absence,” Umeh told SportingLife yesterday.

    He also spoke on the preparations for both the Africa Nations Cup qualifier and the Junior Nations Cup qualifying match which the Golden Eaglets would slug it out with Guinea a day after Eagles versus Liberia match.

    “The preparations for both the Eagles and the Eaglets matches are going on well and we are looking ahead for positive results on Saturday and Sunday. The mood in the camp of the Eagles and the Eaglets is very cordial ahead the double header matches, every player is bubbling and gearing up for action and I honestly believe that the two teams will be victorious in their respective matches with God on our side,” he prayed.

    The respected NFF top official also showered encomiums on Cross Rivers Governor for his assistance to the two teams so far in their qualification campaigns for Africa competitions.

    “The Governor of Cross River State is a passionate football lover and has been of great assistance to the two teams. We really appreciate his efforts and contributions to sports and most especially football in the country.”

    He also hinted on surprise package for the Super Eagles if they pick the 2013 ANC qualification on Saturday. “Yes there is going to be a special package for the team. Let them go ahead and win the match and leave the rest to us,” he summed up.

  • POST-WESTERHOF LAMENTATION: Fears over standard of Kwara Football Academy

    There are fears among stakeholders, coaches and aspiring footballers alike that the standard of hitherto prestigious Kwara Football Academy has fallen.

    Problem of the institution which has strong backing of Kwara State government, according to those interviewed, started with the departure of former Super Eagles coach and pioneer Director of the academy Clemence Westerhof.

    Four years after leaving KFA, Westerhof still has much to celebrate about the initiative introduced by Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, as the current Technical Director, Paul Ashworth is still struggling to justify the huge investment on him to make the Academy produce quality players for both local and international use.

    Ashworth replaces Westerhof as the Technical Director of the institution, and is in charge of football and everything that concerns the players, but the Englishman has not added any outstanding and quality players to the one discovered by the Dutch coach after almost three years in charge.

    Ashworhth is on a huge pay of 9,000 dollars and N50,000 monthly allowance, with four return tickets per annum to Europe.

    Asides the fact that he has not got any concrete offer for any of the players, various screening exercises organized by the school was badly handled, culminating in the admission of over-aged and poor quality players.

    Finding revealed that no player in the Academy is fit to play outside the country, except those groomed by Westerhof, and some of them are gaining exposure with Kwara United and Abubakar Bukola Saraki FC, both of Ilorin.