The Nation Newspaper

Tag: fly

  • Fly, Eagles fly

    Let us tell ourselves the truth – Nigeria cannot win the Russia 2018 World Cup diadem, with the lackadaisical manner in which our players prosecuted the first half of their last three international friendly matches. That they are playing safe is an unacceptable excuse, given how other players slated to participate in the Mundial approach their countries’ games. What our last two friendly matches have shown is that Nigeria will be at the Mundial on an excursion, except something drastic happens to the players’ attitude. For now, it is despicable. Sad.

    Gernot Rohr should fix the defence. Our players are slow to react to crosses. The taller ones, particularly who wait until the ball gets to them before reacting. At the Mundial, strikers will snatch the ball by reacting first. And bang the ball or nod it into the net for goals. The flank defenders are left vulnerable because those who man the midfield and the flanks upfront never fall back when they lose the ball.

    Those who attempt to fall back to mark are slower than the millipede. It is ironic watching taller Nigerians marking shorter opponents. Are the players expecting Rohr to teach them what to do? Please, senior national team players ought not be taught this basic skill. It should come to them naturally.

    The roof top of The Nation Sportinglife’s office almost came down as Neymar riffled home Brazil’s opening goal in their 2-0 victory over Croatia at Anfield Stadium, home of Liverpool FC of England. The game was Neymar’s first since he copped an injury that almost ruined his chances of participating in the Mundial. I leapt onto my feet watching Germany’s goalkeeper Neuer show no traces of being rusty, even when he had been off the pitch for over 249 days due to an injury. Neymar and Neuer are big stars whose countries must feature those games. Neuer, in particular, is a World Cup winner. But they chose to subject themselves to scrutiny. That way others in the teams wouldn’t feel cheated.

    Super Eagles manager Gernot Rohr goofed by allowing Victor Moses a few days to celebrate his wedding anniversary instead of going to Nigeria’s World Cup camp which opened in Uyo penultimate Monday. Rohr has unwittingly created an Animal Farm setting in the Eagles. I hope it doesn’t haunt him when the chips are down in Russia. Moses is an integral part of the Eagles and should be made to play in all our friendly games, especially as Wilfred Ndidi is still recuperating.

    Moses was a shadow of himself and rightly so, because he didn’t subject himself to the training drills others had in Uyo and Port Harcourt when DR Congo held Nigeria to a 1-1 draw inside the Adokie Amiesimaka Stadium. Moses’ penchant for missing Nigeria’s friendly matches is legendary- when he isn’t injured, he is asking for days to rest or feigning injury. Yet, he gets fielded in our matches and becomes a cog in the wheel of progress.

    Moses is Nigeria’s poster boy to the Mundial and he has not applied himself to the team’s build-up matches. Moses’ conduct reminds us of John Mikel Obi’s days at Chelsea. Sadly, other nationals who play for the Blues don’t behave like the Nigerian duo with their countries? ‘’Why are we so blessed?’’

    Rohr has been fine with his selection, but his decision to field Moses ahead of Kelechi Iheanacho defied tactics as the Chelsea star was lost in the game in England. He neither marked nor provided the passes to free the strikers to score goals. Moses had only one moment, where he dribbled an English defender who fell on his knees. He lost the ball shortly, making such a dribbling, a foolish act.

    Iheanacho trained more with the team than Moses before the game against England. He even played in the first half of the game against DR Congo and was definitely in form than the latter. Perhaps, Rohr’s excuse would be that Iheanacho had a knock, yet he shouldn’t have played Moses for that long. Good player, no doubt, but he selects matches and may not be part of Nigeria’s subsequent matches, given what we saw from the boys who drilled Europa Cup champions Atletico Madrid inside the Nest of Champions Stadium in Uyo. The Spaniards won the game but they confessed that those young Nigerians stretched them to their limit.

    However, England’s game served its purpose. It has forced Rohr to adopt the 3-5-2 formation which he employed against Argentina and the English in the second half. It worked for the Eagles against the Argentines with their historic 4-2 whiplash of the former World Cup champions. But England’s manager Gareth Southgate opted to park-the-bus, like they say in coaching, by putting enough men behind the ball. This defensive net held the rampaging Nigerians after their early goal in the second half, scored by Alex Iwobi.

    Nigerians watched in awe as the Eagles wobbled against a starless Czech Republic that didn’t have former Arsenal FC of London’s ace Rosiky and goalkeeper Petr Cech. With such a team, it should be a stroll in the park for the Nigerians, given our players’ pedigree. The Czechs exploited our weakness in aerial battles to score their only goal. What stood out was the failure of our central defenders to mark their men during set pieces, such as the corner kick which resulted in the goal.

    Indeed, the most difficult balls to contend with by goalkeepers are close range headers. And it behoves on our defenders to pick the nearest free opponent during such goalmouth melee. Goalkeeper Francis Uzoho did well with the first header but the rebound fell on an unmarked Czech who riffled the ball into the net. That was a cheap goal, which could have been averted had a defender stayed with the scorer. Our players must be told that our group opponents sent spies to watch our matches. Teams wobble when the opposition attacks them at their weaknesses. I hope this won’t be our portion on June 16 against Croatia.

    Nigeria cannot afford to lose her first game, especially against the background that the Argentines will be battling newcomers Iceland in their opening game. Should the Argentines whip Iceland, the losers will pull all the stops to avert another defeat against Nigeria in the second game. A win for Nigeria over Croatia will not only be a morale booster with three points, it will also give us the impetus to beat a losing Iceland, even if they lose to Argentina.

    With six points, Nigeria would have equalled her best performance at the Mundial, leaving the last game against Argentina a mere formality. But, the permutations by iconic manager Jose Mourinho raises an interesting poser in the event that Nigeria and Argentina win their two matches in the group.

    The two countries will be fighting for the group’s leadership but the critical question will be which of the two countries will like to draw France in the second round? Argentina won’t like to play against France, ditto the French, won’t cherish a fixture against the Argentines. So, which country will love to play the French? I pray we draw Australia in the Round of 16, following Mourinho’s prediction. Nigerians would be glad to have the Aussies. If it does happen, Nigeria will join the league of African nations that have played in the quarter-finals.

    In the last edition, the French eliminated  Nigeria in the second round and didn’t look like the team to beat us. We have the players to beat France if they play to their potential. Indeed, our players spent the night leading to the French game in Brazil sharing $3.8 million cash instead of training or resting. If there wasn’t the money distraction, perhaps we would have given the French the fight of our lives, reminiscent of what we did to Brazil at the Atlanta ’96 Olympic Games, where we turned the table against the Samba Boyz in one of the semi-final matches. The Samba Boyz led us by 3-1 but the Nwankwo Kanu-led squad turned it around to 4-3. The Brazilians were sobbing like kids after the final whistle. Nigeria went on to win the Olympic Games’ gold medal, beating Argentina 3-2 in the final game.

    Rohr has challenged us not to press the panic button based on the last two losses. He took Moses, Mikel and Iwobi through the gym work while their colleagues trained. It is clear that the trio are our best. When they are not fit to compete, we are always in trouble.

    “We’ve nine days to be ready for our first match vs Croatia, as at today, we are not ready. I am not sad because of this result, the result that matters will be in Russia,” Rohr said after Wednesday’s match.

    Good to know that Ndidi is fit because he would bring steel into the defence, a quality missing in the team while Ndidi was injured. Onazi was too fat to cope with the demands of the position. He has promised to improve. Will he get a second chance? That is neither here nor there.

  • Eagles fly into semi-final

    Eagles fly into semi-final

    Goals from Gabriel Okechukwu and Anthony Okpotu proved decisive as the Super Eagles came from behind to beat Angola 2-1 and qualify for the semi-final of the ongoing African Nation Championship (CHAN) in Tanger, Morocco, in extra time.

    Okpotu missed an incredible opportunity to give Nigeria the lead inside the first 30 seconds of the encounter as he completely mis-timed a pass with only the goalkeeper to beat.

    The Angolans showed too much respect for the Eagles and found Ikechukwu Ezenwa a stumbling block the few times they had a sniff at goal.

    With the first half ending goalless, both sides came out fighting in the second half and again, Okpotu had an opportunity to give Nigeria the lead but he dragged his shot wide.

    And at the other end, the unexpected happened as Angola took the lead, as a panic clearance from Timothy came of Felix Vladimir and sailed past Ezenwa.

    The Eagles were saved from going two behind as Ezenwa produced a brilliant save and with the game into the 90th minute – Okpotu raced onto a header from Kano Pillars Rabiu Ali and the Lobi star striker calmly finished to take the match into extra-time.

    The first half of extra-time ended without any more goals from both sides but It was joy for the coach Salisu Yusuf tutored side as Gabriel Okechukwu skinned two players before placing the ball past the goalkeeper to give Nigeria a deserved 2-1 win.

    Nigeria will continue their quest to win the competition for the first time when they face Sudan in Wednesday’s semi-final.

  • Ethiopian Airlines to fly Addis Ababa, Dublin, Los Angeles

    ETHIOPIAN Airlines has announced that it has finalized preparations to commence flights from Addis Ababa to Dublin and Los Angeles, starting from June 2015. This new route was revealed earlier by Irish Travel Trade News on July 1 last year.

    Ethiopian’s flights to Dublin and Los Angeles will be operated three times a week with the ultra-modern Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which offers unparalleled onboard comfort to passengers.

    The flights will be the only direct service connecting Africa with Ireland and the West Coast of the United States. Travellers from Los Angeles and Ireland will be able to enjoy seamless and convenient connectivity options thanks to Ethiopian’s extensive network in Africa covering 49 destinations. Similarly, as the flights will be the only direct service between Dublin and Los Angeles, the Irish and US travelling public between the two cities will greatly benefit from the opening of the route.

    “Our new flights connecting Addis Ababa, Dublin and Los Angeles will play a critical role in the expansion of trade, tourism investment between the fast growing continent of Africa, and the United States and Ireland,” said Tewolde Gebremariam, Chief Executive, Ethiopian Airlines Group. “As these flights will be the first and only direct air route linking Africa with Ireland and the West Coast of the USA, they will bring these two seemingly far away cities much closer to Africa and will facilitate mobility and connectivity for businesses and the large African diaspora community living in the West Coast of the United States. “In line with our Vision 2025 strategic roadmap, we are expanding our network and deploying the most technologically advanced aircraft as part of our commitment to our customers to provide them the best possible travel experience and connectivity options. Our flights to Dublin and Los Angeles will be operated with the B787 Dreamliner, which offers unmatched onboard comfort, especially for such a very long-haul route, with its unique features such as greatly reduced noise, higher cabin air humidity, biggest windows in the sky, and spacious cabin interior.”

    Tewolde Gebremariam, Chief Executive of Ethiopian Airlines,moats week  paid a flying visit to Dublin to brief the media on the airline’s new service that will link the three continents; Africa, Europe and North America.

    The carrier will be the first airline to operate the Boeing 787 Dreamliner into Dublin when it commences its Addis Ababa-Dublin-Los Angeles service on 19th June 2015. The aircraft will be in a two-class configuration of 24-J  and 246-Y.

  • Fly Eagles, fly

    Fly Eagles, fly

    It is unthinkable that renowned marathoners Ethiopia will be in Brazil for the 2014 World Cup, ahead of Nigeria’s Super Eagles. True, upsets are common in soccer, but not of the magnitude that will witness Ethiopia toppling African champions Nigeria. Tufiakwa, many will say, not out of arrogance or disrespect.

    One isn’t expecting the Ethiopians to lie down to be slaughter. After all, they qualified from a group where many had written them off as upstarts. They have promised-as expected- to beat the Eagles in Addis Ababa. The humidity may affect the Euro-laden Eagles stars. Our players are used to cold climate. Having gone to Ethiopia during the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, they have an idea of what to expect from the fans and the undulating turf inside the stadium.

    But Nigerians are not new comers to high altitude matches. Beside, the NFF has provided the antidote by ensuring that the team arrives in Addis Ababa Saturday morning.

    Eagles’ biggest challenge would not be the Ethiopians, but themselves. If they put their heart to the game and play to their potentials, the Walya Antelopes will be a stroll in the park.

    Ethiopian fans may have this tendency to take the law into their own hands, but they understand the game. They are very passionate about their national team, just as we do. But, if the Eagles bury their players with early goals on Sunday, the task of qualifying for Brazil 2014 would have been half-done at dusk.

    Victory will be guaranteed if the players work in unity. The ball should be given to the player with the clearest chance to score goals. Only goals count at the end of matches, not how well the team played or dribbled the most.

    From the blast of the whistle, the mandate should be clear to the Ethiopians- that we want to beat them at home. It won’t be out of place, given our players’ pedigree.

    With our players’ experience, they should dictate the pace of the game. Their passes should be accurate and shots targeted at the goal post. Our players’ objective on Sunday should be to win the game in the first half with plenty of goals. Leaving the goals late could be counter-productive because the weather would have taken its toll on our Europe-based stars.

    A command performance from the Eagles will frustrate the Ethiopians. It will also kill their enthusiasm to fight to win the game. The challenge for the Eagles rests with how they implement the coach’s match plan and improvise when the need arises.

    The Eagles have struggled in most away games because of the players’ sloppiness. We watched in awe in Kigali as the Rwandans drilled our better exposed players on the game’s rudiments. It took a tongue lashing from the chief coach for the players to rise to the occasion. Even with the harsh words from Stephen Keshi, it took the heroics of goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama to secure the barren draw result in one of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

    In Monrovia, Enyeama was the villain, with his movement off the goal line, conceding two cheap goals that gave the Liberians a 2-2 draw.

    Those were the Eagles’ early days, many would argue. But it is important to remind the players that there should be zero tolerance for mistakes when the game begins in Addis Ababa.

    Keshi must field only our best players. He must read the game tactically. His changes must be spot-on. He must not hesitate to pull out any fumbling player whose replacement should play according to the coach’s instructions.

    The Eagles have struggled on undulating surfaces in Africa because they are scared of sustaining career-threatening injuries. You cannot blame anyone for such caution. Yet they must adapt because the platform of playing at the World Cup cannot be lost on the

  • Dana Air gets green light to fly again

    Dana Air gets green light to fly again

    The Federal Government has lifted the ban it placed on the flight operations of Dana Air.

    The development came after officials of the Ministry of Aviation and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), met the management of Dana Air yesterday in Abuja.

    Issues fly on the safety of the airlines operations were discussed at the meeting.

    But the faulty aircraft that triggered the two-day ban would not fly until further checks had been carried out by its manufacturers- Boeing and certified fit.

    According to a statement by the Media Assistant to the Aviation Minister, Mr. Joe Obi, Dana Air was cleared yesterday to resume operations.

    The statement reads: “Officials of the Ministry of Aviation and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) met the management of Dana Air today (yesterday) in Abuja and deliberated on some safety issues in connection with the operations of the airline.

    “At the end of the meeting, the suspension of the operations of the airline, which took effect a Saturday, was lifted. The airline is to resume normal operations immediately.

    “However, the aircraft, which had a snag over the weekend, is to remain grounded until its air-worthiness has been re-certified by Boeing, the manufacturer of the aircraft.”

    Reacting, the airline’s spokesman, Mr. Tony Usidamen, said:”We are pleased to announce that the airline has been given approval to resume flight operations with immediate effect following the temporary suspension of our operations on March 16.

    “Scheduled flights will now begin on March 19 on the Lagos-Abuja-Lagos route.

    Once again, we thank you for your patience and understanding and we look forward to having the pleasure of welcoming you on board.”

     

  • Flying Eagles fly past Egypt 3-1

    Flying Eagles fly past Egypt 3-1

    Christian Pyabara fired a brace as the Flying Eagles came from behind to beat Egypt U20s 3-1 in a warm-up game in Cairo on Wednesday.

    The match at the Degla Stadium outside Cairo was staged to prepare both teams for next month’s African Youth championship in Algeria.

    The hosts took the lead against the run of play in the 50th minute through a header by Ibrahim El-Sayed El-hadad off a corner.

    But the Nigeria U20s fought back thereafter and deservedly drew level in the 61st minute when Sharks forward Pyabara finally smashed home a rebound after his first attempt came off the post.

    Skipper Abduljaleel Ajagun then extended the Flying Eagles lead in the 77th minute. He jabbed home from inside the box after yet another flowing team buildup from the right.

    Pyabara then made it 3-1 in the 81st minute when he headed home a delightful cross from the left by Kingsley Madu.

    Ajagun could have widened the margin eight minutes from time but somehow he missed in front of a begging net.

    In the first half, the Flying Eagles were by far the better team and created the better chances but could not put any away.

    A fifth minute header by Ikechukwu Okorie off a Pyabara corner missed narrowly and on 15 minutes, Ajagun’s shot appeared to have crossed the goal line when it came off the underside the crossbar but it was not given.

    In the 35th minute, the lively Pyabara set up Ajagun, but his final effort missed by a whisker.

    Egypt’s best opening in the first half was after seven minutes, when goalkeeper Emmanuel Daniel made a meal of a clearance and Ahmad El-Sayid Ya’afat broke through only for Chizoba Amaefule to clear off the goal line.

    The Junior Pharaohs’ other big openings were in the 49th minutes when goalkeeper Daniel scrambled to save a near post header by the dangerous Ya’afat and then in the 75th minute when Faris Afifi from Dutch club Utrecht failed to make hay.

    The two teams will again square up on Friday night at the same venue.

    The Flying Eagles will then depart for Tunis on Saturday morning to continue the build-up for the defence of their AYC crown.

    The 2013 AYC in Algeria will kick off on March 16.

    Flying Eagles line-up vs Egypt

    Emmanuel Daniel – Kingsley Madu, Shehu Abdullahi, Ikechukwu Okorie, Chizoba Amaefule – Moses Orkuma, Agboyi Ovboka, Abduljaleel Ajagun (Seun Taro 83) – Christian Pyabara, Alhaji Gero (Bright Osagie 55), Chidi Osuchukwu (Azubuike Ikechukwu 90)

  • Fly Eagles, fly

    Fly Eagles, fly

    The battle line is drawn. The 2013 Africa Cup of Nations begins today with pomp and ceremony. At stake is the prestigious trophy for the best country on the continent. There is also a new vista for home-grown lads who will be competing for honours with the established stars.

    The talk among pundits is that Nigeria’s Super Eagles will be in South Africa to make up the numbers and not to wrest the trophy from the surprise winners in 2012, the Chipolopolo of Zambia. They are tipping Cote d’ Ivoire to lift the trophy as consolation for last year’s nail-biting penalty shoot-out loss to the Zambians in the final game.

    The cynics among these pundits mock the Eagles with the sobriquet Super Chicken and are beating their chests that the team, at their best, may shed the toga and emerge as the best entertainers when the curtains fall on the fiesta on February 10 in Johannesburg.

    Will anyone blame these cynics? Could they have made such unsavoury comments in 1996 when the Super Eagles were the toast of the world’s football community?

    Certainly not. Not with what the Super Eagles showcased at the USA’ 94 World Cup and the Dream Team 1’s flawless display of football artistry that fetched Nigeria the gold medal at the Atlanta’96 Olympic Games.

    Seventeen years ago when the last Africa Cup of Nations was held in South Africa, the Super Eagles were matchless in the quality and capacity of talents to deliver scintillating soccer – compared with any other African country.

    In fact, in 1996, the world waited with bated breath to see the mincemeat that the Super Eagles would make of their African foes. There was an armada of stars, such as the late Rashidi Yekini, Peter Rufai, Stephen Keshi, Emmanuel Amuneke, Nwankwo Kanu, Daniel Amokachi, George Finidi, Uche Okechukwu, Ben Iroha, Taribo West, Victor Ikpeba, Tijani Babangida, Chidi Nwanu, the late Uche Okafor et al.

    Pundits placed their last bets on the Eagles strolling to South Africa to lift the trophy. The Eagles were going to the 1996 edition as defending champions, having beaten a Zambian side that lost all the members of the senior side, the Chipolopolo, in a plane crash in Gabon.

    No one dared bet against the Eagles lifting the trophy in South Africa. But Nigeria’s head of state then, the late Gen. Sani Abacha, had other ideas. Abacha, for political reasons, prevented the Eagles from defending their title, despite appeals from the global body’s chieftains and leaders of thought in the world.

    South Africa’s Bafana Bafana won the trophy and not a few pundits felt that the Eagles would have swept other options away, if Abacha had listened to good advice.

    But on Monday, the Eagles have a date with history against the Stallions of Burkina Faso and we are back to our old ways of asking Nigerians to pray for the team’s victory as if the Burkinabes don’t worship God too. Our players must play to their potentials. Only the cup is what Nigerians want and they cannot be asking for too much.

    The truth is that the Eagles ought to be the default winners of any African football competition. The talk ought to be about likely opponents of the Nigerian side in the finals and not otherwise, if we had sustained the tempo of performance after the 1994 and 1996 feats.

    The Eagles attained the heights that the current Spanish senior side enjoys, such that many would easily tip the Spaniards to qualify for the finals of the 2014 World Cup, if they continue with their steady rise in the world’s ranking.

    Nigerians want to see against the Burkinabes, boys who are hungry to fight for the balls and beat the opposition at dusk. We want to see committed players who won’t disappoint us. Nigerians are tired of excuses. They want to sleep fulfilled, waiting for the next game against the Zambians on January 25.

    Nigerians want to return to their offices on Tuesday to savour some of the exciting moments of the defeat of the Burkinabes. They want to sit in their homes to analyse trends in the game and make projections.

    Whenever the Eagles are doing well, everything comes to a halt. We forget our ethnic differences and see ourselves as a united nation.

    The talk about the Super Eagles not getting funds early is cheap. The Eagles owe Nigerians a credible outing to atone for the pain and shame of previous heart-wrenching displays.

    The present bunch of Super Eagles must utilise the platform the Africa Cup of Nations offers to return the team to where it was before they came. The Eagles were world beaters. They played in some of the best leagues in the world. Nigerians were proud every time foreigners recognised them as Jay Jay Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu¸ Daniel Amokachi et al.

    They cherished such moments when foreigners asked after our sports ambassadors and talked about their exploits with glee. It made us proud. Soccer was our brand identity and the domestic game benefited from it as European scouts made our league centres their second home to get cheap talents for export.

    The European scouts’ invasion emboldened the domestic league players to give out their best. It changed the mindset of the local stars, who hitherto, relied on shylock middlemen to take their trade to Europe in search of the proverbial Golden Fleece.

    Nigeria’s Eldorado years in football witnessed our players making Belgium their home whilst other European countries were hustling to have some of our best in their country. The ripple effect of the star-trek to Europe gave the domestic game the impetus for growth that has now been corrupted by the failure of leadership at the Nigeria Premier League since its inception.

    The new dawn should start with the Eagles lifting the trophy. Anything short of that is a misadventure and absolutely unacceptable. So, can the Eagles fly in South Africa?

    Is Ejide jinxed?

    In the year 2000, Shuaibu Amodu informed this writer that Austin Ejide was the best goalkeeper he had seen in the domestic league. Amodu moved five steps; punched the air and prayed that Ejide should stay out of injury.

    Ejide was then a goalkeeper at Gabros International. Amodu was convinced that he would be Nigeria’s greatest. In fact, Amodu confirmed Ejide as a specialist in catching penalties – a trait many Nigerian goalkeepers do not have.

    Months later, I saw Amodu wear a forlorn look. He said: “Old boy, that Ejide has problems o! He sustains injuries, especially when you need him most. Anyway, I will help him. He has this recurring shoulder injury. I have contacted doctors who can help him.”

    Ejide’s story has been that of injury today; fit tomorrow. But when he is fit, he is best – a fact former German legend and Super Eagles coach Berti Vogts attested to by picking him ahead of fans’ favourite, Vincent Eneyam, at the Ghana’2008 Africa Cup of Nations.

    Is Ejide too fragile? Or is he jinxed? I don’t think so; not with his big physique that is his greatest asset. He needs to be very careful. He also should charge out of his goalpost like a lion. He should also expect those crunchy tackles and learn how to dodge them.

    Indeed, not many people know that Ejide was at the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup as the team’s third goalkeeper behind Ike Shorunmu and Enyeama.

    One only hopes that Ejide gets well for the South Africa 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

    Missing Super Eagles

    Stephen Keshi has picked his 23-man squad. We need to support him. Yet watching the European leagues last week, I was restless whilst watching Victor Anichebe play for Everton against Swansea at the Goodison Park Stadium.

    Anichebe troubled Swansea’s defence for the 83 minutes he played. The game ended on a barren note, yet you could see delighted Swansea players hugging the Nigerian.

    He will surely be missed by Keshi and the Eagles. He missed out due to recurring injuries. We expect him back for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

    Another lad the Eagles would miss is Inter Milan’s Joel Obi, who returned to full fitness last week. If he had returned two weeks earlier, Keshi would have picked him. He held Eagles’ midfield in matches where others tottered.

    Joel Obi was Keshi’s pick-of-the-pack in most matches. He too will be missed. The good news though is that Obi is available for Nigeria’s 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

  • Keshi to Nigerians: My Eagles will fly

    Keshi to Nigerians: My Eagles will fly

    Nigeria’s Head Coach, Stephen Keshi has assured Nigerians of an improved Super Eagles squad at the forthcoming African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2013 in South Africa.

    The ‘Big Boss’ as he is fondly called by fans and admirers urged football fans to ensure they cheer the team from the stands during the biennial championship slated from January 19 to February 10, 2013.

    “Are you prepared for South Africa? Watch! In fact come and experience a change in the dream team…I will love to see all of you. Up Eagles!!!! Enjoy yourselves,” Keshi posted on his Facebook wall on Wednesday.

    Meanwhile, egg-heads of the Glass House believe the Keshi-led Eagles’ technical crew should by now know the foreign-based players that they hopes to parade in the South Africa.

    The continent’s football governing body, CAF had on November 23 fixed the midnight of January 9, 2013 as the deadline for submission of all the final squads for the 16-team tournament.

    Nigeria will battle defending champions Zambia, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia in Group C of the 2013 AFCON.

  • Eaglets fly over Mali 2-0

    Eaglets fly over Mali 2-0

    The Nigeria U17 national team will still have a mountain to climb in Bamako despite holding a 2-0 cushion in the first leg of the final round of the African Cadet Championship qualifier against the Aiglonets of Mali in a match played at the U.J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar.

    The duo of Wifred Ndidi and Alhassan Ibrahim in the 23rd and 82nd minutes gave the day to the Nigerians in front of top Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials led by its President, Aminu Maigair, top Cross River government functionaries and other football stakeholders in the country.

    The Eaglets got the opening goal in the 23rd minute of play through an impressive Wilfred who nodded into an empty net a corner kick taken by Kelechi Iheanacho to the delight of the handful of spectators who rallied support for the team.

    The Nigerian boys doubled their lead in the 82nd minute with a stroke of luck through Alhassan. A routine long thrust from the Eaglets was controlled by Success Isaac and thereafter moved forward for what would have been an aimlessly shot, but Malian goalkeeper, Sory Ibrahim Traore, inexplicably let the ball slip through his hands for Alhassan to jab the ball home into an empty net.

    There could have been two more goals from the Nigerians before half time but a catalogue of misses from gilt-edge chances in the 33rd and 39th minutes by Iheanacho, whose stylish header was inches wide and Ifeanyi Matthew, who couldn’t convert a 25-yard free kick off an infringement, left the score at 2-0.

    The Aiglonets of Mali also had a few chance to make hay, the obvious being the 30th minute opportunity thrown away by Saliou Guindo. The Malian attacker failed to round up the Eaglets’ goalie, Adewale Adeyinka for the easiest of goals.

    They also forced a fine save off Eaglets’ goaltender, Adeyinka in the 70th minute when a rising shot from a free kick more than 25 yards away was tipped over the bar for a corner kick.

    The return leg holds in a fortnight in Bamako with the winner on aggregate assured of a place at the U17 Championship next year in Morocco.

  • ‘Eagles can still fly again’

    ‘Eagles can still fly again’

    HOUSE committee chairman on sports Godfrey Gaya has passed a vote of confidence on Super Head Coach Stephen Keshi and his boys saying that their performance on Saturday against the boastful Lone Star of Liberia has restored hopes to all Nigerians that the Eagles can still fly again.

    Gaya who spoke at U.J. Eusene stadium in Calabar said the performance of the Super Eagles under Coach Stephen Keshi is very commendable, and truly targeted at rebuilding the team.

    “I want to say without mincing words that the technical crew and the team have done all Nigerians proud.

    “They have shown that they can be great again. We in the House of Representatives are very happy with Stephen Keshi and his crew, we would support them as they prepare for the Africa Nations Cup, and we expressing optimism that the team can make Nigerians happy in South Africa next year,” the member representing Zango/Kataf in the Federal House of Representative said.