The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ikechukwu Uche

  • I have not ruled out Uche – Keshi

    I have not ruled out Uche – Keshi

    Super Eagles’ coach, Stephen Keshi, on Friday said he has not shut out Villarreal striker, Ikechukwu Uche, from the team.

    Clarifying what he said at Wednesday’s media parley in Abuja, the former Eagles’ captain insisted that will not beg Uche to play for Nigeria, especially when there are other players who are willing and ready at all times to play for the country.

    “I don’t know where they got that portion of their reports from, but I never said Uche won’t play as long as I remain coach of the team. In the near future if he changes his mind and indicates interest to play he will be considered on merit,” Keshi told africanFootball.com.

    He urged the media not to sensationalise the Uche’s issue as it will not help resolve anything.

    “We have to help all our players grow so that we can all build a strong national team and the media is a partner in this regard.

    “I do not have anything personal against the Villarreal striker but will not force him to play for Nigeria against his will,” the coach added.

  • Why I dropped Uche from AFCON qualifiers – Keshi

    Why I dropped Uche from AFCON qualifiers – Keshi

    Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, has said he was forced to drop Ikechukwu Uche from last month’s Africa Nations Cup qualifiers because of the Villarreal striker’s attitude.

    He said at a media briefing in Abuja Wednesday that Uche was originally on his list of call-ups for matches against Congo and South Africa but was later forced to drop him after the player questioned why he would need a visa to South Africa.

    Before the game against Congo, I did the list. Ike Uche’s name was on the list. He didn’t even know about it. He called me like four days later, and we spoke like brothers and that was it,” africanFootball.com quoted Keshi as saying at the briefing.

    “The next time my secretary Dayo Enebi called the players asking them if they had South African visa. He called Uche and asked him and Uche said ‘why are you asking me, what do you need that for?

    “Uche said he needs somebody to talk to him about something, they said he was a bad kid, he did something wrong if not and I said take his name out.

    “I am not going to beg Uche and I will not ask (assistant coach) Daniel (Amokachi) to beg Uche for what? We all played for this country for 20-something years. Nobody begged us to play.

    “Why is it only Ike Uche? Obafemi Martins is also there, he is not saying anything.”

    The controversy stirred by the striker’s non-inclusion appears to have infuriated Keshi, who has warned he should not be asked anything on the matter again.

  • I didn’t ask for apology to play for Eagles – Uche

    I didn’t ask for apology to play for Eagles – Uche

    Villarreal forward Ikechukwu Uche has denied claims by Stephen Keshi that he demanded for apology before honoring the Super Eagles’ invitation.

    Keshi on Wednesday revealed the pint-sized player was not invited for the African Nations Cup qualifiers against Congo and South Africa because he wanted to be begged.

    “He was supposed to be part of the team that is presently in camp but he said we must beg him first to play for Nigeria because he was left out of some competitions but I can’t beg anyone to play for Nigeria, impossible. That’s why he is not here,” Keshi said in a statement issued by Super Eagles media officer, Ben Alaiya.

    Reacting to this accusation, the former Getafe player said he never demanded for any special treatment to play for his country.

    “It’s an honour to play for Nigeria. I don’t expect to be begged or given special treatment. I’m available when/if considered for selection,” Goal quoted Uche as saying on his Twitter handle.

    Uche fell out with the “big boss” during the 2013 African Cup of Nations in South Africa and missed the Confederations Cup and 2014 FIFA World Cup in the process.

     

     

  • Uche on target for Villarreal

    Uche on target for Villarreal

    Rejected Super Eagles striker, Ike Uche, was on target for Villarreal in the opening day of the La Liga season at Levante.

    Uche hit target in the 56th minute for his club’s opening goal in a 2-0 away win, africanFootball.com reports.

    He was booked in the 52nd minute and then replaced by Moises Gomez in the 68th minute.

    Last season, he also scored a brace against Levante

     

  • FC Astana 0-3 Villarreal: Ike Uche plays for 63 mins

    FC Astana 0-3 Villarreal: Ike Uche plays for 63 mins

    Ikechukwu Uche  starred for 63 minutes as Villarreal’s romped to a comprehensive 3-0 away win against FC Astana in a Europa Cup tie yesterday.

    The player who was snubbed by national team selectors for the upcoming qualifiers against Congo Brazzaville on September 6 – put in a decent performance as he made the starting line up for the Spanish side.

    Uche did not score but his runs created space for the his teammates as it opened up the Kazakhstani team for Cani to register the first goal of the game in the 33rd minute and Mexican International Giovani dos Santos followed with a lovely second at the resumption of the second half.

    The game turned sour for the home side as Marin Anicic saw a red card for two bookable offenses in the 60th minute and three minutes later Ik Uche was replaced by Luciano Dario Vietto.

    Villarreal sealed victory in the 84th minute when Mario Gasper put his effort beyond Nenad Eric in goal for FC Astana to end it 3-0.

  • No World Cup for Ike Uche – Keshi

    No World Cup for Ike Uche – Keshi

    Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi , has closed the World Cup door on Ikechukwu Uche, saying he lacks tactical discipline.

    Uche is one of Nigeria’s reliable goal scorers and has scored 12 goals this season for Villarreal, MTNFootball.com reports.

    On Monday night, the striker returned to action after he was sidelined by injury for two weeks.

    He last featured for Nigeria in the final of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations against Burkina Faso.

    Keshi speaking to MTNFootball.com from his base in the United States said, “Ikechukwu Uche is not a player I have not seen play. Ike Uche problem is not knowing how to play football.

    “His problem is that he wants to dictate how we play in Super Eagles, he wants to tell us the system we’re playing is not good.

    “Uche has a very bad habit, that if you put him in the game he is not playing to instructions and he did that in the final of AFCON against Burkina Faso, he almost cost us.

    “Again he did that against Zambia, in the second match when (Efe) Ambrose was given a red card. What we told him to do, he was doing the opposite.”

    Keshi added:”And if you don’t respect your team mates and you don’t respect the team, then there is no point. I know he cannot do that in his club, then why do it in the national team?

    “I don’t think I need a player like that in the team.”

     

  • Ike Uche lacks discipline – Keshi

    Ike Uche lacks discipline – Keshi

    Ikechukwu Uche is most likely to miss out on the World Cup again after Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, said he lacks discipline.

    The Villarreal striker has fired 12 goals thus far in the Spanish La Liga, but Keshi has again overlooked him for next month’s crucial World Cup warm-up against Mexico.

    Keshi defended his decision by telling the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) technical committee the striker is not disciplined.

    “Keshi said Ikechukwu (Uche) is not disciplined and that was why he did not call him up for the Mexico game,” a top official told MTNFootball.com

    The striker has already said he will not be suprised if he does not make the final squad to Brazil 2014 despite his goals in the Spanish top flight.

    Uche missed out on the 2010 World Cup on account of injury.

    He was one of Nigeria’s most consistent goal scorers before Emmanuel Emenike emerged on the scene.

    He was the country’s leading scorer for the qualifying tournament for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

    But at the competition proper in South Africa, he struggled to shine as Emenike used the tournament to establish himself on the international scene.

     

  • Technical committee backs Yobo, Ike Uche return

    Technical committee backs Yobo, Ike Uche return

    •Says, it will bring strength, depth

    By Uchenna Ajah

    Ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Chairman, technical committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Barrister Chris Green, has given his backing for the possible return of out of favour Super Eagles captain, Joseph Yobo and striker, Ikechukwu Uche to the National team.

    Green revealed that both players are Nigerians and are eligible to play for the Super Eagles even as he noted that Keshi has always affirmed that Yobo remains the Captain of the team.

    “Really, I don’t have any qualms about that because those two players are Nigerian players, Keshi insists Yobo is the captain and once you’re a captain you are a member of the squad, in fact he is the head of the team.”

    The former Rivers state FA chairman further admitted that it will bring strength and depth to the team and there will be competition for shirts in the Super Eagles team.

    “It will be good to also invite Ike Uche back to the team; it will bring strength, it will bring competition and all I’m craving as the Chairman of the technical committee of the federation is to get our best legs to play at the world Cup,” Green was quoted as saying by Lagos-based Brila FM.

     

  • Uche equals Finidi’s La Liga record

    Uche equals Finidi’s La Liga record

    Ikechukwu Uche has equaled the 11-goal mark of Finidi George after scoring twice for Villarreal on Monday night, MTNFootball.com reports.

    Uche’s double helped his side beat Real Sociedad 5-1. He scored Villarreal’s second goal of the game in the 27th minute and completed his brace in the 55th minute to give his team 4-0 lead.

    He thus becomes only the second Nigerian to score 11 goals in a single season in La liga after Finidi’s exploits in 1998/1999 season when playing for Real Betis.

    Villarreal is currently placed fifth on the league table with 34 points from 19 matches.

    Uche has scored 18 goals in 44 games for Super Eagles and he is expected to be recalled for the World Cup in June.

     

  • Uche’s manager plays down hope of European football

    Uche’s manager plays down hope of European football

    Ikechukwu Uche’s manager at Villarreal, Marcelino Garcia Toral has admitted that it is too early for fans to start thinking of the Champions League and that they must take the season one match at a time.

    Newly promoted Villarreal has spent the entirety of the early season in the top area of the table and currently sit in fourth place, only two points behind Real Madrid.

    The impressive form showed thus far has got the fans excited about the possibility of playing in Europe next year, but Manager, Marcelino Garcia Toral has warned against such expectations.

    “I understand that the current situation has people starting to talk about Europe. But that is hasty, premature, and it is more wishful thinking than a goal. It is hard to finish in the top seven”

    Marcelino went on to explain the current situation and that things will continue to get even harder for the Yellow Submarine.

    “Currently we are fourth, but things will get more complicated. The squad is calm and humble and we know that we have to fight and suffer to be among the top seven at the end of the season”

    The Villarreal manager also attributed the lack of injuries this season to the club’s success but also stated that there is a lot of quality in the squad.

    Uche has so far, scored two goals fEnglish clubs swoop on Eaglets skipper