The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Garba Lawal

  • Africa Cup Of Nations Qualifier: Ozomwafor, Onuachu, Udo must take their chances – Garba Lawal

    Former Nigeria international Garba Lawal has urged newly invited Super Eagles players Paul Onuachu, Valentine Ozomwafor and Ikouwem Udo to seize their opportunities.

    The trio was named in the 23-man squad for the Super Eagles’ Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers game against Seychelles and friendly tie with Egypt scheduled for March 22 and 26 respectively.

    Onuachu has been a consistent performer for Midtjylland scoring 10 goals last season to help Wolves claim the Danish SuperLiga title.

    This season, the 24-year-old has racked up 16 goals in all competitions, including 14 in the league which ranks him as the third joint highest scorer in the division.

    For Ozomwafor, he was part of the Nigeria U20 squad that finished fourth in the recently concluded Africa Under-20 Cup of Nations helping Nigeria to secure a ticket to the World Cup.

    While Udo has been impressive for Enyimba since breaking into the first team and won the 2018 NFF Young Player of the Year. And the 44-year-old has urged the newly invited players to grab their chances and avoid pressure when called upon to play.

  • INEC completes distribution of electoral materials in Kano

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Kano says it has completed the distribution of sensitive materials to all the 44 local government areas in the state.

    The Public Relations Officer of the commission in the state, Alhaji Garba Lawal, confirmed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Kano.

    According to Lawal, the commission embarked on distribution of the sensitive materials on Wednesday following the postponement of the elections earlier scheduled for Feb. 16.

    “Since Thursday night we have completed the distribution of sensitive materials to all our local government offices across the state, and at the end of today (Friday) we are hoping to distribute them to all the Registration Area Centres (RACs).

    Read Also: INEC clears 72.7m to vote

    “By tomorrow morning, as early as possible, we are going to start the distribution of both the non-sensitive and the sensitive materials to polling units where the election will commence,’’ Lawal said.

    He explained that the commission had done everything possible to ensure the welfare and safety of the corps members serving as ad-hoc staff for the elections.

    NAN recalls that the electoral body had last week confirmed that all the non-sensitive materials have been distributed to all the 44 local government areas.

    NAN

  • Kanu, El-Hadji Diouf, Apiah, Amokachi , others to light up Kano

    Kanu, El-Hadji Diouf, Apiah, Amokachi , others to light up Kano

    African football legends are billed to light up the ancient city  of Kano on December 14 in a novelty match against Kano Pillars.
    According to the General Coordinator,Moo Mohammed Mustapha, he listed the  ex-international footballers who will feature in the match to include former Super Eagles and two-time African Footballer of the Year, Kanu Nwankwo, El-Hadji Diouf of Senegal, Steven Apiah of Ghana, Mohammed Kalou of Sierra-leone.
    Others include Fabian Makati of South Africa, Samson Siasia, Tijani Babangida, Lukas Kadiebe of South Africa, Garba Lawal, Mutiu Adepoju, Peter Rufai, Daniel Amokachi and the host of others.
    However, Kanu Nwankwo who was present at the Press Conference in the company of Diouf appealed to the Federal Government and state governments to pick interest in the December 14 football match, designed to help the IDPs.
    “We have to do this for the IDPs because people talk about and forget about them. We call on the Federal Government, state governors, corporate organizations, wealthy individuals and Nigerians in the Diaspora to respond positively to this clarion call.
    “We should make sure that we all play a role. We want the Federal Government and the state governments to be part of this. This is a very big statement and we have to do it. This game is very important to Nigeria. It is important to raise the hope of the IDPs. We have to come to their rescue,” he stated.
    The tourney is  designed to drum up support for a fund-raising to assist the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the country.
    Meanwhile, the chairperson of the MATCH4IDPS Local Organizing Committee, Abi Goodman, the event is a charity game to raise awareness for the need to help IDPs who are victims of Boko Haram insurgency and others who are in camps across the country over one problem or the other.
    Goodman who addressed sportswriters during a pre-match press conference to create awareness for the event said, “we are here to introduce a charity and the purpose is to use the opportunity to raise awareness on the situation going on in IDP camps across Nigeria.
    “The match is designed to kick-start campaign to raise fund for the IDPs. The Match is between African football legends and Kano Pillars football club.
    It will hold at Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano on the 14th of December, 2017.”
    According to her, the event became necessary to help IPDs, adding that donor agencies such as the United Nations, UNICEF and other Non Governmental Organizations have run out fund, “and there is need to use other avenues such as football to attract donors to help and support our brothers and sisters who are practically suffering in the IDPs across Nigeria.”
  • WYC: Iheanacho, Success key to Flying Eagles – Garba Lawal

    WYC: Iheanacho, Success key to Flying Eagles – Garba Lawal

    Former Nigeria midfielder, Garba Lawal, has disclosed that youngsters Kelechi Iheanacho and Isaac Success will play a big role in the Flying Eagles outing at the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand.

    The duo were not part of the team’s victorious outing at the African Youth Championship in Senegal and with Manu Garba’s side paired against five-time champions Brazil, Hungary and Korea DPR, the former Levski Sofia midfielder feels they are needed to fortify the squad.

    “[Iheanacho and Success] have been in this squad since the Golden Eaglets days, so I think they will be a good addition to the squad despite missing the AYC,” Lawal told Goal.

    “In football, you need everybody. Sometimes, you have cases of injuries and you need to make a good substitution. So I don’t think it will be a bad idea taking them to New Zealand whether they are starters or not.”

    The U-20 World Cup title has eluded Nigeria since inception with the Flying Eagles losing in the final of 1989 (Saudi Arabia) and 2005 (Netherlands) editions as Lawal insists the team must be at its best to break the jinx.

    “The U20 team has been doing great including coach Manu Garba and his crew. These are young lads that are eager to win trophies and achieve something,” he continued.

    “We can only hope they continue in that stead and they should be reminded that the U-20 World Cup is a different ball game entirely from the African Youth Championship,” Lawal added.

     

  • Keshi handled Eagles like his property – Garba Lawal

    Following the recent developments and changes within the Super Eagles technical crew and backroom staff, which also saw him appointed as the new team coordinator of the African champions, SL10.ng caught up with ex-Roda JC of Holland and ex-Super Eagles midfielder, Garba ‘Chindo’ Lawal.
    He speaks about the latest changes, and what the future could hold for the three time African champions. Enjoy.

    Congratulations on your new appointment with the Super Eagles. Let’s hear what you think about the recent developments in the Super Eagles in the last couple of days.

    Well, I wouldn’t say it came as a surprise because this is football and such things happen. Nobody stays in a position for ever, you have to leave at some point and the NFF decided it was time for them to leave, they did. I don’t think it was a personal thing, it’s just the thing with football and life goes on and I don’t see anything wrong with that.

     

    But don’t you think the NFF should have allowed Keshi to at least finish up with the qualifiers?

    Well I don’t know but football coaching is about hiring and firing and I don’t think there was any personal issue there, because it was the same NFF that employed him. It’s the decision of the NFF and he knew one day he would leave, so it’s not a problem at all. Maybe he should have finished the qualifiers, and maybe he shouldn’t have, but the NFF have taken their decision and we have to respect that.

     

    You were one of Stephen Keshi’s biggest critics, would you say you’re happy to see him leave?

    I never hated him, I was only saying the truth. Not that I hated him, like people think, but the national team is about the country, and not one individual or anybody’s personal property, and I have the right to talk about the team. You have the right to ask me questions about the team, and I have the right to answer and that’s not hatred. He just kept selecting the team like it was his personal property, while we had better players doing well across Europe. He did it a few times and it didn’t work but he should have changed his system, but he didn’t. it seemed like he was only selecting players he thought were loyal to him.

     

    Amodu Shuaibu will take charge of the team for the next two matches at least, and he’s somebody you know having played under him. What do you think of his appointment?

    He’s a very experienced coach that has handled the team on several occasions before, so he knows it. For me, it’s not about Amodu or Keshi, it’s about the Green and White of Nigeria because I’m sure everybody would be happy if the team was doing well, irrespective of who is in charge. I just hope we can get ourselves back on track and win those matches against Congo and South Africa.

     

    Talking about those games now, how possible is it for Nigeria to win them?

    Of course it is very possible, just any other game. But I think the Congo game will be more difficult because it’s always difficult when you’re playing the Francophone countries. I’ve been there before and I believe it’s always difficult, and it’s going to be tough. I watched their game against South Africa­­ and wondered how the South Africans beat them in their backyard because they are a very strong side, very tough but our players should expect that anyway.

     

    You’re a product of the Nigerian league, but Amodu Shuaibu doesn’t seem to share the same sentiment going by his previous comments about the league. Would you advise him to pay more attention to the league?

    Whether we like it or not, the local league is for all of us. I started from the league, the amateur league even. But it all depends on the players. When you want to achieve success, you have to believe in yourself, and you have to work on yourself to keep improving. Most of us were discovered from the league and I’m sure we can still discover more.