The Nation Newspaper

Tag: keshi

  • 2014 World Cup: Okpara bombs Keshi

    2014 World Cup: Okpara bombs Keshi

    • Shun sentiments, use best Eagles
    • Not too impressed by Eagles’ CHAN outing

    Former Nigerian International, Willy Okpara has urged Super Eagles Coach Stephen Keshi to parade the best legs anywhere he could find them for the coming World Cup.

    Okpara, who is the goalkeeper trainer with his former club, Orlando Pirates of South Africa, said the Eagles handler should try and write his name in gold by parading the best players for the competition that will aid good performance and participation of the country in the world’s most popular tournament.

    Okpara, who watched the third place match on Saturday, blamed the Nigerian team for not utilising the advantage of one man down from the Ghanaian side which caused the team the final ticket of the competition, He said the same lapses were almost repeated in the third place match against Zimbabwe before Chinonso Obiozor scored the lone goal that won the match for Nigeria.

    “I want Stephen Keshi to work hard as he has been doing to search through all the nooks and crannies of the world to assemble a strong team within the next four months for the World Cup in Brazil. Nigeria is blessed with talents scattered across the globe and any coach that works very hard won’t find it very difficult to assemble a strong squad. I know that Keshi is capable of doing this”, he told Sportinglife.

    The former first choice goalkeeper of the Flying Eagles that campaigned in the U-20 World Cup in Chile in 1987 also expressed disappointment in the way the Home-Based Eagles failed to utilise the advantage of the Ghana Black Stars’ one man down due to expulsion until the match entered penalty shootout which Nigeria lost.

    “I still wonder how on earth we couldn’t put in a goal in the match against Ghana. That means there is much work to be done before the 2014 World Cup. That is why I am imploring Keshi to shun all sentiments and search properly for all Nigerian players that are doing well in the best leagues of the world and bring them together to mould a quality team for the World Cup”, he advised.

    Okpara also urged the Eagles’ gaffer to work more on his CHAN discoveries for the World Cup because according to him “the World Cup is a University of Football and only the best gets admitted into it. So, only the very best must be picked to represent Nigeria in Brazil”.

  • ELEGBELEYE TELLS KESHI: Concentrate on World Cup now

    ELEGBELEYE TELLS KESHI: Concentrate on World Cup now

    The Director General of the National Sports Commission(NSC), Gbenga Elegbeleye has urged members of the Super Eagles to forget about not winning the just concluded Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) in South Africa but focus more on preparations for a successful outing in the World Cup slated for Brazil in June.

    Elegbeleye challenged the team to use the World Cup as a better avenue to prove their worth and to make Nigerians happy. He also praised them for not coming back home empty handed as they fought tooth and nail to beat resilient Zimbabwe 1-0 to clinch the bronze medal of the competition.

    He also expressed happiness over a member of the team, Ejike Uzoenyi emerging Most Valuable Player(MVP) of the competition just like Kelechi Iheanacho won same award in the last U-17 World Cup held in the United Arab Emirates(UAE) last year October.

    “In as much as we were hoping to win the Africa Nations Championship we must still commend the team for winning the third place match which automatically made them the third best team in the competition in their debut participation.

    “The most important competition in the game is the World Cup and I am using this medium to tell them to put the CHAN competition behind them and start full preparations for the World Cup that would commence in Brazil in June. A decent performance in the competition will put Nigerian football in the positive light and also make sports loving Nigerians happy.

    “The NSC will continue to give adequate support to the team like we do to other sports in the country too. I sincerely believe that with the full support of everybody, the Eagles will surprise all in Brazil. We want the team to continue to have the belief that they can make a huge success out of the World Cup in Brazil. I say well-done boys”, he said.

  • Keshi thanks NFF, players for bronze effort

    Keshi thanks NFF, players for bronze effort

    After a memorable six weeks with home-based Super Eagles players culminating in a bronze medal effort at the just-concluded South Africa 2014 CHAN African Nations Tourney, Head Coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi has anchored the success story of the team on the support he has received from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), and by extension the Sports Ministry, the players and members of staff of the team.

    Addressing the team and its officials late Saturday night, Keshi said the NFF has been very supportive, the players have the opportunity to seek inclusion into Nigeria’s Brazil 2014 World Cup team and the staff of the team have been totally committed to the job of uplifting Nigerian football.

    From the players he singled out Ejike Uzoenyi, the Most Valuable Player of the CHAN 2014 for special mention, noting that at a point the player’s form dropped drastically but he listened to advice to improve, and today, he has become the MVP of a major championship in the world and particularly African football calendar. He thanked all his technical assistants for their invaluable advice.

    “From Amokachi to Shorunmu and Coach Valere, we spent hours together after dinner or games just strategising, and most times I come out to speak but they have been too supportive and I want to thank them.” Dayo Enebi Achor, the team’s administrator got the plaudits on the part of the staff, with Keshi insisting that but for the near perfect professionalism of the staff and their self denial for nearly two months, success, no matter how little, would never have been achieved.

    Keshi then made the following remarks: “It will be to my delight if four players from this team we have taken to CHAN can make it to the World Cup in Brazil, but you must be dedicated, respect your club coaches and make discipline your watchword”.

  • My players have grown-Keshi

    AFTER claiming the CHAN 2014 bronze medal, Super Eagles Coach Stephen Keshi has expressed delight on the performance of the  home-based players, noting that they had grown.

    A Christain Obiazor’s header in the closing minutes of the 3rd place game against the Brave Warriors of Zimbabwe was all what Nigeria needed to win the game.
    The Big Boss, while speaking in a post-match chat at the Cape Town Stadium venue of CHAN 2014 finals said: “Am so happy with my kids in the past three weeks, they have grown, as they began to understand the things I wanted from them. Losing the semi-final is normal for anyone who had hoped to play in the final.
    “However, my major goal for me here (CHAN 2014) was to expose the players and get one or two players that could make the World Cup in Brazil. So am good,” Keshi said.
  • Keshi to parade fringe players against Zimbabwe

    Keshi to parade fringe players against Zimbabwe

    •Hillary fails to train

    Home-Based Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi is set to bring changes in his starting line-up in today’s African Nations Championship (CHAN) third place game against Zimbabwe’s Brave Warriors.

    In his Friday evening warm-up session with his players, Heartland FC of Owerri first choice shot stopper, Daniel Akpeyi looks set to replace not too impressive Chigozie Agbim in goal against Zimbabwe.

    Also Bayelsa United defender, Ikechukwu Gabriel could replace injured Kunle Odunlami in defence, as he was seen pairing up with Azubuike Egwuekwe.

    Meanwhile, injured Sunshine Stars of Akure midfielder, Ikenna Hillary did not train in the last training session confirming fears that he was yet to recover from the injury he sustained earlier in the tournament.

    PROBABLE LINE-UP

    • Daniel Akpeyi

    • Eseme

    • Ikechukwu Gabriel

    • Kwambe

    • Egwuekwe

    • Rabiu Ali

    • Shehu

    • Ejike

    • Ugonna

    • Ede

    • Abubakar Ibrahim

  • Keshi banks on Uzoenyi, Imenger to destroy Zimbabwe

    Keshi banks on Uzoenyi, Imenger to destroy Zimbabwe

    • Shuns interviews section with journalists

    SportingLife has scooped that Super Eagles chief coach, Stephen Keshi had told strikers Ejike Uzoenyi and Barnabas Imenger that he is depending on them to run down the silky Zimbabweans in today’s match.

    The coach sounded it to his boys that after being ousted by Ghana in the semi-finals, he is not expecting to lose the third place match to Zimbabwe because he sees winning the third place as a good compensation to the Nigerians.

    Keshi had cleverly avoided any interviews with the journalists covering the Africa Nations Championship as he openly begged them to give him room to do his work as he targets the bronze medal of the tournament.

    He told some of the journalists that besieged the evening training session held at one of the training pitches of the Cape Town Stadium where Zimbabwe were using the other end to train too.

    “You guys need to excuse me to finish the training session because tomorrow’s (today’s) match is very important for us. So you guys just need to excuse us for now,” he begged.

    The Media Officer of the team, Ben Alaiya promised the Nigerian journalists covering the tournament that he would ensure that the chief coach talks to them after the training session, but Keshi went straight into the waiting bus and was driven away with his players.

  • KESHI TO CHAN EAGLES: Finish in style

    KESHI TO CHAN EAGLES: Finish in style

    • Aims at third place diadem

    The Super Eagles of Nigeria are not giving up hope of taking third place at the 2014 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) as they face Zimbabwe in the play-off today at the Cape Town Stadium.

    After falling to fellow West Africans Ghana in the semi-final, Coach Stephen Keshi has told his boys to finish the tournament in style in the play-off.

    “Losing in penalties in the semis was not good enough because we even failed to score in normal play. But we want to go all out and play good football against Zimbabwe,” he added.

    While it’s the first time Nigeria play in the CHAN tournament and are happy to get as far as this stage on their debut attempt, this is also Zimbabwe’s best show after failing to get out of the Group stages in the last two editions.

    Besides chasing third place and the cash prize at stake, Nigerian players Rabiu Ali and Chrisantus Ali (3 goals) and Ifeanyi Benjamin Ede (2 goals) will be out to try and take the top scorers’ prize. South Africa’s Bernard Parker still leads the scoring chart with four goals.

    But the Warriors of Zimbabwe with their tight defense will not be a team to underestimate either as they have showed lots of composure and good team play in all the five ties they have played in the championship.

    “I have told my players to play with lots of caution because we are facing a good Nigerian side,” said Zimbabwe Coach Ian Gorowa.

    Although there have been reports of demotivation in the Zimbabwe camp because the government failed to facilitate the team with allowances, the players have continued to play their hearts out and could have a surprise for the Super Eagles.

    Kudakwashe Mahahi who is much sought after by PSL teams will lead Zimbabwe together with Simba Sithole who have all netted one goal in the tournament.

  • Salami, Benjamin Francis out

    Salami, Benjamin Francis out

    HOME-Based Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi has confirmed that the trio of Gbolahan Faud Salami, Benjamin Francis and Hillary Paul Ikenna will miss today’s CHAN West African derby semi-final clash at the Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein.

    The ‘Big Boss’ said: “Salami is out after suffering from a groin injury in the 4-3 quarter-final triumph against Morrocco. So, he won’t be avaliable.

    “For Benjamin Francis, he is not ready to play as he’s nursing an ankel injury while Hillary too has a hamstring injury.”

     

  • Keshi admits: CHAN Eagles not Nigeria’s best

    Keshi admits: CHAN Eagles not Nigeria’s best

    Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi claims that the Glo Nigeria Premier League has better players than the ones he has at the African Nations Championship (CHAN).

    Nigeria overcame an opening day defeat against Mali to rout both Mozambique and a strong South Africa side. The Eagles then secured a hard-fought quarterfinal win against Morocco, after being 3-0 down in the first half, but Keshi says this is not even his best squad.

    “The ones that are here are just fortunate to be here because there are better players back home in Nigeria that could have been here but we had no time to get them into the system,” Keshi told KickOffNigeria.com.

    The coach however gave credit to the players in his squad, saying they had not disappointed him.

    “But I thank God with what I have here. These players are very disciplined, they work hard and I just want them to have fun, play without pressure and be happy so that they can get experience of playing at a high level in Africa.”

    “All we are here to do is enjoy ourselves, have fun and be happy. Pressure? Nothing like that.

  • Victories show Keshi deserves Glo/CAF awards — Ladipo

    Victories show Keshi deserves Glo/CAF awards — Ladipo

    The President-General, Nigeria Football Supporters Club, Rafiu Ladipo, on Sunday said Coach Stephen Keshi had shown with victories at the ongoing Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) that he deserved the Glo/CAF Awards.

    Keshi was named “Coach of the Year’’ by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) during its 2013 Awards ceremonies held recently in Lagos.

    Oladipo said in Cape Town that the club was also vindicated as the Glo/CAF Best Supporters Club award winner considering its performances so far at the CHAN in South Africa.

    The president-general told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that it was a feat for the Eagles to rally to defeat the Atlas Lions of Morocco 4-3 at the quarter-final match.

    The Eagles had come from three goals down in the first half to level scores at 3-3 at regulation time before going into extra time where they prevailed over the Moroccans.

    Ladipo said that Keshi’s change of pattern in the second half made the team to win the match.

    “Many coaches could have lost hope of recovery but Keshi proved his worth when he rose to the challenge to emerge victorious.

    “His confidence motivated his boys to go ahead and win the game in the second half to qualify for the semi-finals,’’ Ladipo declared.

    A sports commentator with the Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation, Kunle Olowusi, said the determination of some of the boys to make the team to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil motivated them to victory.

    Olowusi told NAN that some of the players could have also been motivated by a desire to grab the attention of foreign scouts.