The Nation Newspaper

Tag: FIFA World Cup qualifying match

  • ATTAH: Eagles won’t lack team spirit

    ATTAH: Eagles won’t lack team spirit

    Super Eagles’ Co-ordinator, Emmanuel Attah has stressed that the country’s senior national team won’t be bereft of team work and proper blending in their build-up to the Brazil 2014 World Cup against the Flames of Malawi.

    Speaking with SportingLife in a brief chat, Attah explained that the stability in the choice of the players called up by the team’s head coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi and the willingness of the players to grab fast the technical instructions from the technical crew would make the Eagles formidable against the Flames.

    Attah also hinged his optimism on the fact that the European League season is in full swing which he opined would make the players physically fit and raring to go on Saturday.

    “By the God the team is ready. The Super Eagles are raring to go. We have been playing together for quite some time now. There won’t be problem with blending and understanding among the players.

    “It is also thrilling to note that the season in the whole of Europe and other African nations is on and the players are fit and raring to go. By the grace of God that day will be for Nigeria,”Attah told SportingLife.

  • Onazi prays for good weather

    Onazi prays for good weather

    Lazio of Italy midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi has prayed for favourable weather when Eagles confront Flames of Malawi in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the U.J.Esuene Stadium Calabar on Saturday.

    Heavy rain in Calabar has been a source of concerned ahead of Saturday’s all-important game as it rained heavily through the city last weeks.

    Eagles also defied the rain to participate in Wednesday’s evening training session but the former golden Eaglets ace insists a good weather condition on Saturday will push the team to excel against the Malawians.

    ‘’We pray that the weather will not distract us on Saturday. We trained on Tuesday under hot weather condition but on Wednesday it was a different story; we trained inside downpour. I pray that the weather will be favourable to us on Saturday,’’ Onazi told SportingLife.

  • Enyeama puts birthday bash on hold

    Enyeama puts birthday bash on hold

    Super Eagles’ number one goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama has said to supersport.com that he would have to celebrate his birthday after a victory against the Flames of Malawi in the 2014 World Cup qualifier in Calabar on Saturday.

    Enyeama was born on August 29 1982 in Kaduna and he started his football career at defunct Ibom Stars.

    Enyeama, who has been Nigeria’s first-choice since making his debut against England at the Korea/Japan World Cup in 2002, deliberately shelved his birthday celebration aside to focus on the crucial qualifier against Malawi.

    “We have come a long way and anything short of victory against Malawi would not be good enough considering our status in Africa,” he said.

    The former Enyimba shot-stopper stressed that even though his birthday remains one of the milestones in his career, but for the Eagles game against Malawi, he had to defer it until victory is sealed.

    “Saturday will be the best day for me to celebrate my birthday after the Eagles must have demolished Malawi and we would have to put smiles on the faces of all Nigerians. Honestly, the tension that the game has already generated has further placed the task of beating the Malawians a must for us,” the Lille goalkeeper said.

    Enyeama was restored to the Nigeria squad by Stephen Keshi after he was excused from the Nelson Mandela challenge which took place in Durban last month.

    Nigeria currently lead Group F of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying in the Africa zone with nine points from five matches.

    The first leg between Nigeria and Malawi on June 12, 2012 in Blantyre ended in a 1-1 draw.

  • KESHI charges NFF: Get me Ilori, others now

    KESHI charges NFF: Get me Ilori, others now

    Super Eagles’ head coach, Stephen Keshi has tasked the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to step up work on getting foreign based players of Nigeria’s heritage before other more serious countries beat us to them.

    Thiago Ilori(Liverpool, England), Ross Barkley (Everton, England), Chuks Aneke, Chuba Akpom both of Arsenal, England) , Saddam Auta Michael (Inter Milan, Italy) and Ezekiel Imoh (Standard Liege, Belgium) among others are still eligible to represent Nigeria.

    But Keshi in a media chat stated that it is only the NFF that can hasten work on those players to really speak with them and convince them of the need for them to play for their fatherland.

    “You need to direct that question to the NFF. The NFF will be in best position to assist. They should be in best position to handle that,” he said.

  • Closed door session for Eagles

    Closed door session for Eagles

    •Journalists get 15mins grace

    •Flames train this evening

    Super Eagles final training session slated for this morning at the UJ Esuene Stadium, Calabar will be shut from the press and the general public.

    Media officer of the side, Ben Alaiya told SportingLife on Thursday that the members of the media will however only see the first 15 minutes of the session on today at the U.J.Esuene Stadium.

    “The team will be training again on Friday morning (today) but members of the press will be allowed to see the first 15 minutes to see the team. According to the practice approved by FIFA, football fans will not be allowed to witness the session due to security concerns.

    “However, after the first 15 minutes, members of the press will be asked to leave to allow the team more time for tactical reason ahead of Saturday’s game,” he said.

    Interestingly, Nigeria needs at least a result to advance to the next round of the qualifier. The Eagles have had three full training sessions before today which were opened to the public.

    Nigeria currently leads the group log with 9 points from 5 games while Saturday’s foes, Malawi are on second spot with 7 points from the same number of games.

    Meanwhile, Malawi’s Flames who jetted into Calabar on Thursday will have a feel of the U.J. Esuene stadium this evening.

    SportingLife scooped from official of the Flames’ advance party that they will be observing a closed door session just like Kenya’s Harambee Stars did before their clash with the Eagles in March.

    “I will not say we are going to allow your fans see our session. We intend to keep with the rules of the competition by having a quiet session ahead of Saturday match,” an official of the Malawians told SportingLife on the condition of anonymity.

     

  • IG beefs up security for Flames tie

    IG beefs up security for Flames tie

    •Deploys officers from neighbouring states

    As Nigeria Super Eagles and their Malawian counterparts fine-tune preparation for Saturday’s 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match at the U. J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, has directed Commissioners of Police from neighbouring States of Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Abia to deploy more officers and men to beef up security in the Cross Rivers State capital.

    Speaking on the security arrangement ahead of Saturday’s cracker, the Police Officer attached to the Eagles, CSP Abubakar Alhaji Baba told SportingLife that the Police had already mapped out strategy for the success of the match.

    “I don’t think there is any problem security wise. Police had made adequate arrangement and liaised with all other security agency in maintaining law and order on Saturday,’’ Baba told SportingLife in Calabar.

    ‘’There will be no problem and no cause for alarm. Police is working hand-in-hand as a synergy with other security agency before, during and after the match.

    ‘’ The inspector General had already put everything in order. Apart from police in Calabar, there was reinforcement of police from other neighbouring states. Police had already mapped out strategies for the success of the match.’’

    Baba added: “My duty here is to ensure that the team is safe and the stadium areas are well protected. Also, to see that the teams are covered and escorted to the training to and fro.’’

  • Malawians spy on Eagles

    Malawians spy on Eagles

    Ahead of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match at the U.J.Esuene Stadium, Calabar on Saturday, some members of the Malawians advance party who arrived the Cross River state capital on Monday were present to witness Thursday’s training session of the Super Eagles.

    The officials, who refused to disclose their mission to SportingLife on Thursday, were seen taking down notes as the Stephen Keshi led technical crew drilled the players ahead of the crunch game.

    “We are just here to see the team train. Nothing more than that,” said one of the officials, even as he attempted to hide away his jottings on a piece of paper.

  • Okwuosa warns: Malawi‘ll not be easy to beat

    Okwuosa warns: Malawi‘ll not be easy to beat

    Chippa United of South Africa midfielder, James Okwuosa has charged his Super Eagles’ colleagues to give all to their fatherland as they battle the Flames of Malawi.

    Okwuosa has been consistently overlooked by the Eagles’ selectors before he got a rare invitation during the Nelson Mandela Challenge against South Africa. He was a late replacement for Kenneth Omeruo who had a relapse of the shoulder injury he copped during the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup last June.

    The former Enugu Rangers’ skipper assured Nigerians that all would be well for the national team on Saturday but admonished them to pray and fast on behalf of the Eagles to ensure that the country sails through to the next round without much difficulty.

    Okwuosa said: “It is not going to be an easy task. They too as a team want to go to the World Cup just like us. We don’t expect to get the ticket to the next round easy like that. There are no minnows again in Africa. “

    “We all must ensure we play our role well. The players must be ready to give all and Nigerians too need to support us in prayers for us to beat Malawi. I am sure the Eagles are ready for Malawi,” the former Enugu Rangers defender added.

  • Fans to pay N5000

    •N3000, N1000  •Match tickets go on sale

    Football fans within Calabar and environs wishing to watch live actions in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Malawi’s Flames at the U.J. Esuene Stadium on Saturday will cough up between N5000 and N1000 respectively.

    A breakdown of the tickets prizes show that the state box extension and cover stand go for N5000 and N3000, the popular stand which attracts most supporters sells for N1000. Investigation by SportingLife reporters in the Cross River state capital on Wednesday revealed that ticket sales for the all important world cup qualifier commenced on Tuesday in major eateries within the Calabar metropolis.

    However, there will be no tickets sale at the stadium gates on match day as security measure to ensure that only fans with valid tickets are allowed passage. Interestingly, fans have commenced buying of match tickets at designated selling points which include, the Mobil filling station on MCC Road, The Choice Fast Food outlets, Macbite amongst others.

    ‘‘I’m ready for the game on Saturday. In fact I just purchased my match ticket from Choice Fast Food and can’t wait for the match to get started,’’

    A driver who simply gave his name as Moses told SportingLife.