The Nation Newspaper

Tag: keshi

  • CHAN: Keshi picks Iheanacho, Awoniyi, 28 others

    CHAN: Keshi picks Iheanacho, Awoniyi, 28 others

    Golden Eaglets stars Kelechi Iheanacho, Taiwo Awoniyi and Dele Alampasu have been picked for a training camp ahead of next year’s CHAN, MTNFootball.com reports.

    Coach Stephen Keshi has called up 30 players, while putting six on standby in preparations for the 3rd African Nations Championship in South Africa.

    Keshi said he is looking forward to a good outing on the country’s CHAN debut.

    “We are going to the CHAN for the first time, but we want to be the best at our very first outing,” he said in Salvador on Thursday morning.

    Nigeria would play in Group A alongside hosts South Africa, Mali and Mozambique.

    First-choice goalkeeper and skipper Chigozie Agbim and ace midfielder Sunday Mba top the list, with Shooting Stars forward Gbolahan Salami handed a recall.

    The training camp will open in Abuja on Monday.

    Players on the standby list would join the team only if a player on the main list gets injured.

    THE FULL LIST

    Goalkeepers: Chigozie Agbim (Enugu Rangers); Daniel Akpeyi (Heartland FC); Isah Danladi (Sharks FC); Sunday Alampasu (Abuja Football College)

    Defenders: Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves); Ebenezer Odunlami (Sunshine Stars); Benjamin Francis (Heartland FC); Solomon Kwambe (Sunshine Stars); Bright Esieme (Enyimba FC); Yinka Adedeji (Sharks FC); Reuben Ogbonnaya (El-Kanemi Warriors); Umar Zango (Kano Pillars); Chibuzor Madu (Enugu Rangers)

    Midfielders: Sunday Mba (Enugu Rangers); Etebo Oghenekaro (Warri Wolves); Rabiu Ali (Kano Pillars); Ogonna Osuchukwu (Enugu Rangers); Achiv Douglas (Lobi Stars); Kelechi Iheanacho (Taiye Academy, Owerri); Mohammed Ajia (Bayelsa United); Christian Pyagbara (Sharks FC)

    Forwards: Muhammad Gambo (Kano Pillars); Ifeanyi Edeh (Enyimba FC); Barnabas Imenger (Lobi Stars); Ejike Uzoenyi (Enugu Rangers); Ezekiel Mbah (Akwa United); Obiozor Christian (Enugu Rangers); Abubakar Aliyu (Nasarawa United); Gbolahan Salami (3SC); Taiwo Awoniyi (Imperial Academy, Ilorin)

    Standby: Happy Okuoka (Heartland FC); Bello Ikeleji (Insurance FC); Obinna Nwachukwu (Heartland FC); Izuegbu Abonima (Enugu Rangers); Paul Ikenna (Sunshine Stars); John Austin Igenepo.

     

  • Keshi to submit players list this week

    Keshi to submit players list this week

    From Tunde Liadi,Owerri NIGERIA’S preparation for the African Nations Championship(CHAN) will kick start any moment from this week after the Super Eagles’ head coach makes public the list of players he intends calling to camp.

    The home based Super Eagles qualified for their historic debut appearance when they pipped Cote d’ Ivoire 4-3 on aggregate to the ticket.

    The NFF’s Chairman, Technical Sub Committee , Chris Green informed SportingLife that Keshi would submit his list of invited players for the CHAN competition this week ahead of the players closed camping exercise.

    “We expect Keshi to submit the list of invited players for the CHAN competition this week. CHAN and the World Cup preparations are paramount on our agenda,” Green told SportingLife.

  • World Cup: Nigeria must be realistic – Keshi

    World Cup: Nigeria must be realistic – Keshi

    … Rules out Iheanacho from Brazil 2014 squad

    Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, has said Nigeria must be realistic about next year’s World Cup after top officials suggested a semi-final target for the team.

    The Super Eagles will go to Brazil as African champions, but the team had failed to go past the Round of 16 in previous four outings at the global soccer showpiece event.

    And Keshi has said ahead of Friday’s World Cup draw in Brazil that the tournament will be tough as all the finalists have a point to prove.

    “We have to be realistic because there are no small teams among the 32 going to Brazil, any of the team will be tough,” MTNFootball.com quoted Keshi as saying on Brila FM Radio.

    “We have no preference of any of the countries to be our group. All we need do is to prepare well for every team and take the games one after the other.

    “If we get Brazil or Uzbekistan or Malta as World Cup opponents, Nigerians will still worry.”

    “The country should continue to have confidence in the team, support the team, rather than pulling it down,” he added.

    Keshi, who is now two years on the job, said he does not expect the MVP from the recent U-17 World Cup Kelechi Iheanacho to be part of his plans for Brazil because he lacks the necessary experience.

    “Iheanacho is a good player, but he has to play in a team and gain league experience and not just perform in the U-17 World Cup,” he said.

     

     

  • WE WANT GLO LEAGUE TICKET: Niger govt tells Tornadoes

    WE WANT GLO LEAGUE TICKET: Niger govt tells Tornadoes

    • Hands over keys to 32-seater bus

    If there is one thing coaches and players must do to tickle the fancy of the government and people of Niger State, it is to fire Tornadoes back to the Glo Premier League .

    The state’s Commissioner for Sports Development, Daniel Clifford Shashere, made the government’s desire known in Minna, while presenting a new 32-seater bus for the use of the club’s players and a Peugeot Expert to the technical crew.

    The government’s decision to make mobility easy for the club, according to the commissioner, is to ensure that the team travels in style to match venues on the one hand, and that no excusses are given for arriving late to match venues on the other. Travelling in comfort, the commissioner further noted, will reduce if not remove fatigue which affects players’ performance on the pitch.

    An appreciative chairman of the club, Dattijo Aliyu, said the vehicles could not have come at a better time than now when the league is just about to commence. He expressed confidence that the 36-year-old club will soon return to the elite class.

    ”This is the best thing that can happen to any club at a time when the league is about to commence. We are going to do our best to reciprocate this gesture by working hard to gain promotion back to the Premier League”, he said.

  • Yobo admits: Keshi ‘ll decide my fate

    Yobo admits: Keshi ‘ll decide my fate

    Super Eagles captain has been speaking about his relationship with Stephen Keshi and what it will take him for him, or any other player to be at the World Cup.

    First things first, the Super Eagles have qualified for the World Cup. How does that make you feel?

    It’s a good feeling. The World Cup is something special. I think the World Cup for every player is extra motivation and I remember in 2006 we missed out. Every qualification hasn’t been easy so we have to give credit to the players, and to the coaches.

    Did you get a chance to see any of the games?

    I have to be honest, I didn’t see the games because where I am it was kind of difficult to watch the games at the time they were playing.

    But I followed the scores online and I was excited that they qualified and I want to say congratulations to the team and congratulations to Nigerians.

    You have played against Ethiopia before. Did you expect them to be that difficult?

    Yeah,I was a little bit worried especially for the first leg because away games are never easy. But I knew with the team we had, we were always going to get a good result.

    After we won 2-1, I was more relaxed because I knew we only needed a draw at home and it was going to be difficult for them to beat us and the players stepped up to the occasion.But I think the first leg was very decisive.

    Did you speak to any of the players before or after the game?

    Yeah,I spoke with Emenike.And a couple of days ago, I was on the phone with Vincent Enyeama and we spoke for a long time.I haven’t been able to reach out to everybody,but I hope to do so as soon as I can.

    And the coach?

    Yeah, we’ve spoken a couple of times, but we haven’t really talked at length. But he’s the boss, and he has always said that I’m the captain.

    He says I’m still in his plans so that’s great news as well.For the World Cup and other things, I don’t know what’s going to happen. He’s the boss and he will make his decision.But yeah, we have spoken and as far as I am concerned,there are no issues anymore right now.

    I don’t know what’s going to happen regarding the World Cup. But from my side there are no issues, I have said what I had to say and that is behind me. The rest is up to the coach. He is the boss, and he decides who he wants to call up to the squad.

    And what were those issues?

    Like I said,we have spoken and there’s no point bringing it up again. It’s a private matter between us and there’s nothing for anybody to gain by bringing it up right now.

    Ok then, what will it mean for you to play at the world cup?

    I think the World Cup is always something special. It’s always a big occasion and I think for every player,you want to play at the World Cup, you want to play in the Champions League, for those that are very ambitious because it’s very significant.

    I’m no different from any top football player. I think the bigger the occasion, the better for me.

    You’ve played at two previous tournaments. What does it take to perform well at the World Cup?

    It takes a whole lot. It’s not just about 11 players, its about the whole squad because anything can happen. All the players have to be in shape and be in form.

    Preparation is the key and every player has to be at their best.So the team will need everyone to be at their best.

    Do you think the team as it is can do well at the World Cup?

    Yes, I believe in this team, that they can do well. But the team is improving and getting better and better. Credit and congratulations to everybody.

    But the World Cup is a different level. The coach has been there and done that as a player and has that experience, but it is a different level that requires so much preparation and readiness.

    Preparation is the key. If we prepare very well with the quality and calibre of players Nigeria has, the team can surprise people.

    The World Cup is very different from the Nations Cup, it’s very different from friendly matches.

    I mean, it’s like the Champions League, but at a much higher level. You’re playing against the best players and the best teams in the world so you have to compete at that level.

    The team already played at the Confederations Cup. Does that help?

    Yeah. The Confederations Cup is a good tournament. I followed that as well and it was a good experience for the team especially for the inexperienced players coming in.We need more of that.It’s a totally different level from the World Cup, but it was a good preparation

    So in the event that you return to the team, what does Joseph Yobo bring?

    Ha-ha… There’s a lot of experience here. It’s amazing if you look at how far I’ve come, my pedigree and my consistency over the years. Not just my experience. People forget how quick I am. Even now that I have a lot more experience, when I am fit, there are not a lot of players that can go past me.

    I still feel in great shape, all my qualities are natural and I feel really good, my injuries are behind me.I still have my strength, my consistency, and the same quality over the years and I don’t feel like I’ve lost anything.But also as a captain and a leader, I have more responsibility. To lead by example, and carry everybody through good and bad times.

    As a player and a leader, I think I understand that, even at my club, I have lot that I give.

    The important thing for Joseph Yobo is to stay fit. When I am fit, I have a lot that I can offer.

    Talking about fitness. One thing Keshi has said is that he doesn’t want to bring you in and then you’re not happy to sit on the bench. Would you be willing to do that?

    I am a competitor. That is what has kept me all these years. The day anybody takes competition away from me, then I might as well just retire. I compete at my club every day. This is what I do, this is what I’ve done over the years.

    Players don’t have a guaranteed position. You have to compete in training every day and show that you are worth the place.

    Even when people thought I was indispensable in the national team, a sure starter, any of the coaches can tell you how hard I worked every single day in training.I feel like I’m competing with myself, I always have to prove myself over and over again.

    The coach also believes in me and that’s why he says I’m still his captain. He knows me very well that if I’m fit I have a lot to offer. So all I pray is to stay fit.

    If I go somewhere to a club and I’m not playing, I’m on the move to the next place. Because I like to compete. If I give my best but somebody does better than me, then that is different. I can accept that somebody is better than me.I’m a fighter, I always want to fight, but if I do that, and I don’t get my fair chance, then I’m on the move.

    In football, there is no guarantee that this is your position. I’ve played for several clubs. You compete and show that you are the best, and that is how you get in the team.

    This season at Fenerbahce a new coach came in and everybody had to prove themselves all over again that they deserve to be in the team. I did that and I was playing in the league and the Champions League until I got injured.

    Competition is part of me. The coach makes the decision on who plays, but as long as that decision is done on merit, and on what we do on the training ground, I’m okay with it.

    As a player, all you want is for the coach to be straight up with everybody. If a player in your position is better than you are, you will know.

    If you are competing regularly at your club and playing football at the highest level, then the same thing should apply anywhere else. It’s not a matter of trying to look at someone and say he’s old and carving out a role for him. It should be about competition on the field.

    We have players elsewhere who have been in the game for long and are still doing it and helping their teams. But for us, we are always quick to say players are old.

    You’ve been playing for Nigeria since 1999, how have you been able to manage that, especially as almost all of your teammates from that team have long retired

    I think I will say it’s God’s work. I’m a strong believer and I’m a hard worker. We are Africans and you understand what I mean. I left Nigeria at a very tender age, just after finishing secondary school?

    I came up through the youth ranks. When I first came, they didn’t want to take me, but somebody stuck out his neck for me because I was that good, even though I really didn’t show it at the World Youth Championship.

    I was so young then that I could have played as an under 15 when I played that Under 20. Hahaha seriously though, I still feel young, I feel like 27. I don’t feel like I have lost any quality that I had before. I just need to stay fit.

    Another thing is I take very good care of myself. I eat right and watch what I take in. I’m settled, my wife takes very good care of me and my family keeps me grounded.

    Whatever I need to make me feel good, I go to the extreme to do it, because this is my career, my job.

    My club provides the very top physiotherapists; nutritionists and fitness coaches and I make sure I use them to my benefit.

    But in Africa, if somebody has been there for a long time, we say he is old. Instead of looking at somebody who has been doing it consistently.

    And you are now close to 100 caps. How important a landmark for you will that be?

    I would love to have it, but it has to be well deserved. On merit.

    If I’m playing consistently, doing well, I want to be picked on merit I don’t want to be put in the team simply to reach 100 caps. That is not me. I want to get to 100 caps because I am playing football and not because I just want to be there to reach a number, or set a record.

    I’m a strong believer that everything about the national team should be on merit. Including selection. And that applies to me, too. I only want to get there on merit.

    But a coach also has a discretionary concession to select a few players if he feels they have something to offer even if they are not performing at their best with their clubs. Maybe an experienced player who has delivered in the past for the national team or a young player who will benefit from the experience.

    And I think there is nothing wrong in that.

    So what do you have to do to get in the World Cup squad?

    There has to be competition. I want to give myself the best possible chance. To do that, I have to stay in shape and play regularly. If I don’t get playing time at Fenerbahce, I will go elsewhere to get regular football.

    And that should be what every player should do. If you want to go to the World Cup, and your club is not playing you, go to where you can play, even if it is a small club. Because if you are not match fit, you cannot give your best at the World Cup.

    That’s the best thing for you as a player, and for the country that has given you the honour of wearing the shirt.

    Can Nigeria win the World Cup?

    Haha. Well, we can dream. We are always hopeful. It’s a difficult task but everything is possible in football. And you have to be realistic The way things are going Nigeria is probably going to do better than we have done in the past World Cup which would be a massive step If we can do one better than we have done before, then anything is possible.

    The most important thing is to take it one step at a time. Let’s hope for a good group, take it one game after the other and focus on qualifying from the group. If we can do that, just like we did at the African Nations Cup, taking one game at a time, anything is possible.

    It takes me back to 2010 when we went out in the group stage. I thought if we had qualified from the group, we could have gone far.

  • NOVEMBER 2013 FIFA ranking: Keshi shocked

    NOVEMBER 2013 FIFA ranking: Keshi shocked

    • Wants Eagles to keep winning to please Nigerians

    Coach Stephen Keshi has said he is shocked Nigeria have slipped in the latest FIFA rankings despite some impressive results lately.

    Nigeria dropped three spots in the world rankings – from 33 to 36 – in the November FIFA Rankings.

    The African champions beat Ethiopia 2-0 in a 2014 World Cup play-off to qualify for the tournament finals on a 4-1 aggregate, last month. They were also forced to a 2-2 draw by four-time world champions Italy in a friendly in London.

    However, rather than enjoy a better ranking they slipped at a time when the latest rankings are expected to be considered in next week’s 2014 World Cup draw in Brazil.

    “I am shocked (by the latest rankings). We won the Africa Cup of Nations this year, qualified for the World Cup and four-time world champions Italy held us to a draw, so I am surprised,” remarked Keshi.

    However, Keshi said he will continue to lead the Eagles to victory.

    “We should continue to win and make Nigerians proud because that is what is most important to me and Nigerians. If we remain where ever we are in the ranking and keep winning and Nigerians are happy, then I am happy,” he said.

  • ‘NFF should invest in Keshi’

    ‘NFF should invest in Keshi’

    The former Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Amos Adamu, has called on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to invest in the excellent performance of the Super Eagles chief coach, Stephen Keshi, who has showed his great coaching potential to the world.

    Adamu noted that the football federation should not listen to calls, at any point in time, for it to employ a foreign technical adviser ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

    He said in a press statement signed by his Media Assistant, Dapo Sotuminu, that, the NFF should ensure Keshi gets the requisite exposure and knowledge of a world class coach by sending him to international coaching seminars, workshops and training which other great football coaches across the globe would attend while preparing for the Brazil 2014 World Cup.

    “We should be proud of Keshi and I am sure the NFF has great respect for him for helping to bring back the glory days of Nigerian football. Today, the Eagles can face any team in the world without fear of being mauled by goals. The last Eagles’ friendly game against Italy tells it all, when the national team was forced to a 2-2 draw by the four times world champion,” He added:

    “Keshi should be celebrated as the first Nigerian coach to win the Nations Cup, play FIFA Confederation Cup and he’s graciously the first to qualify the Eagles and coach the team at the World Cup.

    “Already, he is a reference point in African football having helped Togo to play in their first ever FIFA World Cup in 2006. He is also the only living African to win the Nations Cup as a player and a coach.

    “Keshi is our own and he should be celebrated,” Adamu said.

    The former CAF and FIFA Executive Committee member also congratulated the NFF president, Aminu Maigari and the Super Eagles team for picking the ticket to the 2014 World Cup.

    The former WAFU president did not leave out the Sports Minister and Chairman, National Sports Commission (NSC), Bolaji Abdullahi, who he described as a visionary leader whose contributions have changed the face of Nigerian football and sports as a whole.

  • Osaze, Uche set for Eagles recall

    Osaze, Uche set for Eagles recall

    Nigeria head coach, Stephen Keshi has revealed that players like Peter Odemwingie, Taye Taiwo and Ikechukwu Uche could be handed shock recalls to the national team ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

    Keshi stunned many by leaving out experienced talent from his 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and received a backlash from many who felt he was treading on thin ice. He was eventually justified in his selections as Nigeria romped to a third AFCON success with a relatively inexperienced squad.

    The “Big Boss” as Keshi is fondly called has now revealed that he has not shut the door completely on any individual as he begins preparations for the World Cup.

    “Contrary to what some people think, I have not shut the door on players like Osaze (Peter Odemwingie), Ike Uche and even Taiye Taiwo. They are Nigerians and are eligible to play for the Super Eagles at all times,” Keshi exclusively told supersport.com.

    The gaffer however stated that they will only get a look in if they “prove themselves.”

    “When I was in the national team, nobody had an automatic shirt. I was the captain but I did not play in all the games. Everyday in training, it was war. We fought and sweated to show the coaches that we were worthy of the shirt. That is the norm now as well,” he said.

    Keshi is casting his net far afield and will not mind blooding several uncapped players as he looks to build a squad that will punch above their weight in Brazil.

    Names like Kenneth “Kenny” Otigba and Sammy Ameobi readily prop up following their scintillating displays for Heerenveen and Newcastle United respectively. Keshi however insists players of such ilk will only be allowed to sneak in if they prove they are better than the ones currently in the squad.

    “To be honest, I don’t know much about Otigba but we have a good scouting network that will enable me look at all players eligible to play for Nigeria. Everyone who is eligible to play for Nigeria has a chance and I am being totally honest here.

    “I will assess their performances at their different clubs and we will take a decision but if these players are not better than those that I already have in the team, then they don’t have any chance. However, if they show that they are better and can make the team stronger, why not?

    “It does not matter if they have played for the Super Eagles previously or not. I recall that before the 1994 FIFA World Cup, players like Michael Emenalo and Chidi Nwanu did not kick a ball in (the qualifying tournament.)

    “They also did not play at the Nations Cup earlier that year but when they showed the coaches what they could do, they came in. I have not selected my team for the World Cup. No one has a guaranteed shirt and we will keep working until we know the 23 players that will go to Brazil,” he said.

    Keshi who won 64 caps and scored nine goals for Nigeria as a player, replaced Samson Siasia as Super Eagles coach in 2011 and has yet to lose a competitive game to African opposition.

  • World Cup: Only Keshi can request for foreign manager – Minister

    World Cup: Only Keshi can request for foreign manager – Minister

    The Minister of Sports and Chairman, National Sports Commission (NSC), Bolaji Abdullahi , on Wednesday maintained that only the Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi ,could request for foreign technical adviser towards the team’s outing at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

    Stressing that Keshi has done very well with the team, Abdullahi said the commission has confidence in Keshi’s ability to lead the team to the world cup.

    He spoke with State House correspondents after formally presenting the FIFA U-17 World cup trophy to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The minister also explained that Nigeria’s victories in international competitions have increased match bonuses paid to players and adversely reduced money available in the purse for coaches’ salaries including that of Keshi.

    On engagement of foreign technical adviser for the Super Eagles, he said: “Of course, we will be open to review all options and if coach Keshi, whom we believe had done very good job so far to put this team together taking if from AFCON to this time, feels he needs additional technical support, we are going to give it to him.”

    “We are confidence that he is capable of doing the job and if there are issues, we can always talk about it. We have confidence in his ability to lead the team to the World Cup,” Abdullahi added.

     

     

     

  • World Cup and the Keshi phenomenon

    Now let us try out some Hardball logic: because the world is round, great footballers who are masters of the round leather game can be said to have the world at their feet? Yes or no? Well, yes to the extent that every week, about half the world’s population sit at the edge of their seats to watch (or worship) these new gods of today’s world. Yes again to the extent that the best of them are valued and paid better than the world’s greatest leaders (one player by name Falcao reportedly earns about £450,000 (about N117million in one week!). On the other hand, no to the extent that even the greatest footballers with all their world-wide fame and renown hardly grow to become national political leaders.

    But what might happen in 20 to 30 years’ time? Would football have completely conquered the world or would perchance, the world have done away with this ‘delirious virus’? Today, our winning teams are showered with cash, choice property and national honours, what would it be tomorrow, 50 years hence? Would it be political appointments or would great players automatically become alternate presidents of their countries? How would football play out in 50 years?

    This brain wave seized upon Hardball as he contemplates Nigeria’s qualification to partake in mankind’s biggest one-game festival – the FIFA World Cup football tournament and the trajectory of Stephen Keshi in Nigeria’s football history. Last Saturday, the Nigerian senior team, the Super Eagles flew over their Ethiopian counterparts, the Walya Antelopes by a four goals to one aggregate to win a ticket to the soccer fiesta in Brazil next year. To qualify to play in the World cup is to rank among the elite foot-balling nations. That is what Nigeria has indeed become to the pride of millions of her citizens and credit for the current resurgence of Nigeria’s football may well be ascribed largely to one man – Stephen Okechukwu Keshi. He is Nigeria’s senior team coach/manager and he is the most remarkable Nigerian today in so many ways.

    Keshi was captain of the Super Eagles that won the 1994 Africa Nations’ Cup and he captained the Nigerian team that made it to the first World Cup in 1994. Today as a coach, he has led our team to conquer Africa and also picked a ticket to play in the World Cup. What a feat! Particularly salutary is the fact that he has practically helped his country to pick the pieces of her football life, so to speak, once again. For many, since the 1994 exploits in Africa and the world, Nigeria’s football has been in decline both in the administrative office and on the football pitch. Apart from occasional sparks from the age grade teams, it was a harvest of sorrow for the teeming fans of the senior team. Numerous foreign and local coaches were tried without a positive result. It became quite difficult to cobble a national team in a country that had hundreds of professional footballers all over the world.

    Even Keshi was tried and discarded until about a year ago when he was reappointed. This time, he did what most coaches had neglected to do over the years he chose to look inwards at the home league, selecting some of the promising ‘local’ lads he matched them with a few foreign professionals while discarding the jaded foreign ‘super-stars’. It has worked like magic since then leading to the lifting of the continental diadem.

    Now, it is not only that we have a team but more significant is that we have a national team with growing form, character and depth. When they play the world champions Spain in the Confederation cup recently they proved they can hold their own. And last Monday against the Italians many of us saw in that outing, the Nigerian verve, gusto and our peculiar skills. As we go to Brazil next year, we go with high expectations not necessarily of lifting the greatest gold trophy on earth but of regaling the world with the great African brand of soccer.