The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Golden Eaglets

  • NFF sacks Babangida, names Amuneke as Flying Eagles coach

    NFF sacks Babangida, names Amuneke as Flying Eagles coach

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has sacked Tijani Babangida, Personal Assistant to Sunday Oliseh, the Super Eagles Head Coach.

    This is stated in a communiqué  at the end of the  meeting of the NFF Executive Committee issued in Abuja on Wednesday by Ademola Olajire, the NFF Assistant Director of Communications.

    It said the disengagement of Babangida followed recommendation of the NFF Technical and Development Committee which was unanimously approved.

    The board, therefore, mandated the General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, to follow the due process in effecting the disengagement.

    Similarly, the NFF executive committee endorsed the recommendation of the Technical and Development Committee for the appointment of erstwhile Golden Eaglets’ Coach Emmanuel Amuneke, as Head Coach of the Flying Eagles.

    The communiqué said Kabiru Baleria and Emeka Amadi had been appointed as Assistant Coach and Goalkeeper Trainer respectively.

    NFF also approved the recommendation of the Technical and Development Committee that the backroom staff of the various National Teams be reconstituted immediately, with the exception of the Super Eagles.

    “With its determination to find a holistic solution to the dwindling fortunes of the Senior Women National Team, Falcons, committee approved the recommendation of the Technical Committee for the appointment of expatriate coach.

    “The expatriate coach will be assisted by former Super Falcons’ Captains, Florence Omagbemi, Perpetua Nkwocha and Ann Chiejine, with Bala Mohammed as Goalkeeper Trainer.

    “Omagbemi will head the crew in acting capacity in the meantime.

    “The Executive Committee also approved a recommendation by the Technical Committee for processes to be put in place for the training, grading and certification of all categories of football coaches in Nigeria.

    “The programme, which would be run in conjunction with a consultant to be approved by the Executive Committee, will commence once approval is secured from the Confederation of African Football’’, it said.

    It further stated that henceforth, Super Eagles Coach Sunday Oliseh must report to the NFF General Secretary and the Technical and Development Committee.

    The communiqué also said that Oliseh should be ready to defend his entire programme before the committee including invitation of players and training programmes at all times.

    “Executive Committee reviewed the outing of the Super Eagles at the recently-concluded 4th Championship of African Nations and the events that followed.
    “The committee rebuked Oliseh for his unwarranted statements unbecoming of a National Team Coach.

    “His outburst in both regular and social media was unnecessary, However, we acknowledge his apology but the executive committee will not tolerate similar infractions in future.

    “The committee approved a recommendation by the NFF Referees Committee for the introduction of Referee Assessor for matches of the Nigeria National League from 2016 season.

    “The executive committee constituted ad-hoc committees to study and compose governance structures for Nigeria National League, Nigeria Women Football League, Nationwide League One, and report back to the committee within four weeks.’’

    It listed the committees as composed to include Nigeria National League to be chaired by Seyi Akinwunmi, while the Nigeria Women Football League would be chaired by Alhaji Babagana Kalli.

    Nationwide League One ad-hoc committee would have Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau as its Chairman.

  • CAF U-17 championship: Nigeria to play Niger

    CAF U-17 championship: Nigeria to play Niger

    Reigning FIFA U-17 world champions Nigeria will meet Niger Republic in the second round U-17 African Nations Cup qualifier in August.

    The Golden Eaglets qualifying pool also has Algeria, Libya and Gabon, africanFootball.com reports.

    Algeria and Libya will slug it out in the first round between June and July, before the winner of that encounter play Gabon in the second round in August.

    The winner of that tie will battle the victors of the Nigeria and Niger clash in September to determine the qualifier for the tournament to be staged by Madagascar in April 2017.

    The top four teams in Madagascar will represent Africa at the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India.

     

     

  • Buhari hosts Eaglets, others January 21

    Buhari hosts Eaglets, others January 21

    The Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, has said President Muhammadu Buhari will host the Golden Eaglets team that  won a fifth FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile last year on January 21.

    The Eaglets defeated Mali 2-0 in the final of the U-17 World Cup in November last year.

    Nigeria has previously won the competition in 1985, 1993, 2007 and 2013, africanFootball.com reports.

    Successive governments had rewarded the team with huge cash gifts, houses and national honours for these feats in the past.

    Dalung added that other teams who did Nigeria proud internationally in 2015 will also be rewarded by President Buhari.

    The Flying Eagles won the 2015 Africa Youth Championship in March, the Dream Team VI clinched the U-23 African Nations Cup in December, Team Nigeria won medals at the All Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville and Nigeria’s basketball team D’Tigers scooped a first-ever Afrobasket Championship  to qualify for the Rio Olympics, among others.

  • Presidency rejects N750, 000-a-man for Eaglets

    Presidency rejects N750, 000-a-man for Eaglets

    A much lower proposal of 150,000 Naira per player of the victorious Golden Eaglets has been tabled by the sports ministry after a proposal of 750,000 Naira-a-player was rejected by the Presidency as “too much.”

    The Federal Government, according to africanFootball.com, has rejected an initial proposal by the sports ministry to reward the Eaglets after the team won a fifth FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile last month.

    This week the government warned that next year will be tough for the country because of the poor economy and has moved to reduce drastically government spending.

    “The proposal has been reviewed after the first rejection. We wait for the green light from the Presidency on the date for the reception and the reward,” a sports ministry official told africanFootball.com.

  • Heartland hail Golden Eaglets

    Heartland hail Golden Eaglets

    Heartland FC have hailed the remarkable performance of the Golden Eaglets at the just concluded Chile 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup where they emerged as champions after the 2-0 win over Mali in the final last Sunday.

    The Team Manager of the Naze Millionaires, Promise Nwachukwu told SportingLife that the Eaglets and the technical crew led by head coach Emmanuel Amuneke deserved to be praised for ensuring that Nigeria’s name is portrayed in good light and the fact that the country’s cadet team were able to defend the crown won two years ago in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

    Nwachukwu noted that the hard work of Amuneke was evident from the assemblage of the players in Abuja to when they placed fourth during the African U-17 Championship in Niger Republic and when they went ahead to the World Cup after correcting the lapses noticed to claim the highest honour at the cadet level for the fifth time.

    He said that he was in love with the disposition of Amuneke who remained quiet during those turbulent periods before the World Cup when he was accused wrongly and that he was thrilled that the former African Footballer of the Year has been vindicated.

    Nwachukwu also praised  President Muhammadu Buhari whose tenure as the head of Nigeria has delivered two of the five trophies won by the Eaglets.

    He said the administration of President Buhari and the enabling environment he has given to sports development in the country have made it possible for the Eaglets to flourish in Chile and for the country’s representatives to excel in other sports.

    “I want to praise the good work of Emmanuel Amuneke for the good job he has done on the team. He made us proud in Chile and I also want to accord special praise to our President, Muhammadu Buhari for the way he has made sports, especially football to thrive,” Nwachukwu told SportingLife.

  • Buhari to redeem 30-year-old pledge to Golden Eaglets

    Buhari to redeem 30-year-old pledge to Golden Eaglets

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday assured members of the Golden Eaglets that won the country’s first U-17 world title in 1985 that his administration will fulfill the promises made at a reception held in their honour at Dodan Barracks, Lagos, 30 years ago.

    In a statement released by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mal. Garba Shehu, President Buhari said it had been brought to his attention that a directive he gave to state governments at the time had not been complied with.

    He said: “It is a pity that those promises were never fulfilled.

    “It is unfortunate that our players, who did us proud on the world stage went unrewarded for their efforts, despite a presidential directive to the state administrators that they be honored in their home states.”

    The statement noted that, of the various promises made to the players at the time, only the Federal Government fulfilled its own commitment by sponsoring the players to watch the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

     

     

  • Victorious Golden Eaglets arrive Abuja Wednesday

    Victorious Golden Eaglets arrive Abuja Wednesday

    The reigning U-17 World Cup champions, Golden Eaglets, will arrive the country’s capital city of Abuja Wednesday afternoon, an official has said.

    Nigeria won a fifth FIFA U-17 World Cup on Monday after defeating Mali 2-0 in an all-African final in Vena Del Mar, Chile.

    “The Golden Eaglets will land in Abuja between 2:00pm and 3:00pm on Wednesday. The team will be on Emirates flight from Dubai,” the official told africanFootball.com.

    Nigeria has previously won the U-17 World Cup in 1985, 1993, 2007 and 2013, but this is the first time the country is winning the tournament outside Asia.

    Skipper Kelechi Nwakali was named the tournament Most Valuable Player, while striker Victor Osimhen was goal king after a record-breaking 10 goals scored across the seven matches the Eaglets played in Chile.

  • Buhari congratulates world-conquering Eaglets

    Buhari congratulates world-conquering Eaglets

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday congratulated the Golden Eaglets for winning this year FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile.

    The Eaglets on Monday morning defeated the Malian U-17 team 2-0 to win the cadet World Cup for the fifth time.

    In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President applauded the exemplary zeal, determination, commitment, hard work, patriotism and soccer artistry displayed by the Eaglets throughout the tournament.

    He noted with delight that the Golden Eaglets did not only won the coveted World Cup, but they are also bringing home the highly-valued individual awards such as the Golden Boot won by Victor Osimhen for being the tournament’s highest goal scorer and the Golden Ball, won by the team captain, Kelechi Nwakali for being the best player.

    President Buhari believed that by the triumph in Chile, the Golden Eaglets had shown the world that the indomitable Nigerian spirit is alive and waxing stronger.

    According to him, the team’s latest victory on the global stage is an affirmation of the significant progress Nigeria is now making towards positively redefining and rediscovering its potential for greatness in the comity of nations.

    He joined other proud Nigerians in awaiting the Golden Eaglets’ heroic return to the country.

     

  • Amuneke hails Eaglets’ World Cup triumph

    Amuneke hails Eaglets’ World Cup triumph

    Golden Eaglets coach, Emmanuel Amuneke, has praised his players for lifting the FIFA U- 17 World Cup on Monday morning after beating Mali 2 – 0 in the showpiece game.

    Goals from Golden Boot winner, Victor Osimhen and Aspire Academy starlet, Funsho Bamgboye, secured a deserved victory over the African champions, allnigeriasoccer.com reports.

    “It was a beautiful and entertaining match. I think the people in the stadium enjoyed it today. We knew the Malians are technically very strong, have great individual players and are very fast, ”allnigeriasoccer.com quoted Amuneke as saying to fifa.com.

    “We wanted to bring the players to their dreams and we did it. Thanks for the support. We feel like we are at home. ”

    The ex- Barcelona winger added: “We have worked very hard for this success and we hope to continue. The players will go home now but their journey is not over yet. Personally I’m really happy.

    “I have football in my blood, as a player and as a coach. This is what I want to pass to my players.”

    This is the first time Nigeria has successfully defended the FIFA U-17 World Cup in four previous attempts.

  • Eaglets trash Mali 2-0 to win fifth U17 Championship

    Eaglets trash Mali 2-0 to win fifth U17 Championship


    The Nigerian Golden Eaglets have emerged winner of the FIFA U17 World Championship in Chile. The Eaglets became winner for the fifth time after defeating Mali in an all-African final by 2 goals to nil. It would be recalled that until their defeat at the final against the Eaglets, the Malian team had won every match from the group stage. Meanwhile, Nigeria's Victor Osimhen put the Nigerian side ahead with a goal, few minutes into the second half before Bamgbose made it 2 goals for the Eaglets at the 62nd minute.