The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Home based

  • Rugby announces new date for Africa bronze cup

    Rugby announces new date for Africa bronze cup

    Rugby Africa on Tuesday announced new dates in May for the Africa Bronze Cup earlier scheduled for March in Cameroon, the Nigerian Rugby Football Federation’s (NRFF) Media Department has said.

    The tournament which will feature Nigeria, Algeria and Cameroon, scheduled for March 17 to March 26, will now hold from May 7 to May 13.

    The NRFF which announced the dates in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos, said that the tier three event now known as “Bronze Cup’’ will consist of six teams, divided into Group North and Group South.

    The Northern group consists of Nigeria, runners up of 2016’s Division 1C, Algeria and Cameroon both returning after not competing in the competition in 2016.

    The southern group tournament which will take place immediately after that of the north will be made up of Zambia, relegated from Division 1B, Mauritius from Division 1C and Rwanda.

    Rwanda recently attained full membership of World Rugby and only one team with most points will climb up to the Silver Cup in 2018.

    The statement quoted Olatunji Fasimoye, the Olatunji Fasimoye as saying that Nigeria had huge opportunity to be promoted this year judging by level of its players’ development.

    “Already we have been going round scouting for players and we will open camp early in April in preparation for the event.

    “We will be engaging mostly the home-based players following our quest to develop the sport locally which has paid off in so many aspects,’’ the statement quoted Fasimoye as saying.

  • All home-based players arrive for Eagles camp

    All home-based players invited for preparations for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Le Sao of Chad have arrived at the team’s camp, sl10.ng can confirm.

    Players from Warri Wolves joined the team on Saturday, after they helped their club to a 4-2 win over Abia Warriors in a Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) game on Friday.

    And with the exception of Mfon Udoh, who has been excused due to illness, all other invited players have now reported to the team’s camp.

    Since commencing preparations for the Chad game, the team has only been training once a day, as against the usual morning and evening trainings, and Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi explains why.

    “These players are already very active and busy with their clubs in the league, sometimes they even play twice in a week, so there is no wisdom in overloading them with two training sessions a day,” he said.

    “What we need to do is to tone them up, increase their sharpness and work on team tactics, bonding and understanding. I am very happy with what I have seen of the boys and the quality of the training, and I can say it’s getting higher and better day by day,” he added.

  • Keshi defends home-based players

    Keshi defends home-based players

    Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi has defended his continued invitation of home-based players to the national team,insisting that they will be given a chance to fight for their place in the 2014 World Cup squad.

    Keshi noted that having worked with the home-based players, he believes that just like their Euro-based counterparts they are capable of exhibiting a very high standard of football if well motivated and instilled with confidence.

    “I have worked with them. They know what I want; I know the standard I want them to be at before they can play. I have studied the players and managed to instil confidence in them. Once achieving those goals, they are ready to go, just like the professional players in Europe,” Keshi told Fifa’s official website.

    While recounting on his experience with the home-based contingent of the Super Eagles at the just concluded African Nations Championship (Chan) in South Africa, where they finished third on their debut appearance in the competition. The former coach of Togo and Mali hinted that some of the players will be given a chance to fight for their place in Nigeria’s World Cup squad.

    “It was good to spend five weeks together. These players are doing well and that is the bottom line. They will have a chance to be called up for the World Cup, though it is too early to name any names. That will happen closer to the time,” he said.

  • Home based Eagles may miss Nations Cup

    Home based Eagles may miss Nations Cup

    Home based Super Eagles may miss the next edition of the Africa Nations Championship, as the date for the first leg of the qualifier against Ivory Coast draws near.

    The home based Eagles will host their Ivorien counterparts on the weekend of June 22 in the first leg of the qualifiers, but the Nigeria Football Federation and the Super Eagles will be on duty in far away Brazil, playing in the FIFA Confederations Cup.

    In fact, the Eagles will face Spain in their third group game at the tournament on Sunday, June 23rd. The dilemma the NFF and Stephen Keshi will face will be two fold: Will the Big Boss leave the key home based players out of his team, to ensure qualification, or will he take them to Brazil with the Super Eagles?

    Secondly, will the NFF, for once, handle the logistics well enough to cover all eventualities for the home based Eagles?

    Nigeria lost to Ghana in the qualifiers of the first Africa Nations Championship, and were knocked out of the second edition by Niger.