The Nation Newspaper

Tag: keshi

  • Omeruo, 24 others return for Ethiopia, Italy

    Omeruo, 24 others return for Ethiopia, Italy

    • Keshi lists 25 for big games

    Super Eagles’ Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, has invited 25 players to execute the two big games against Ethiopia and Italy that the African champions will play in Calabar and London respectively within 48 hours mid-November.

    First comes the 2014 FIFA World Cup final qualifying match against the Walya Antelopes of Ethiopia, at the U. J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar on Saturday, 16th November, a fixture the Eagles lead 2-1 from the first leg in Addis Ababa on 13th October.

    Two days later, the African champions take on four-time World champions Italy at the Craven Cottage ground of English Premiership club, Fulham FC in a high-profile friendly in London.

    Coach Keshi has recalled brilliant young defender Kenneth Omeruo, a key component of his 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winning squad, as well as the rugged and attack-minded midfielder Reuben Gabriel.

    Both men were out injured for months. Omeruo disclocated a troubled shoulder at the FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil in the summer while Gabriel would be happy to be fully fit after sitting on the bench all through the Africa Cup of Nations campaign.

    Stand-in skipper Vincent Enyeama is called alongside goalkeepers Austin Ejide and Chigozie Agbim, while South Africa-based defender James Okwuosa and strikers Obinna Nsofor and Uche Nwofor also keep their places. The list also includes Africa Cup of Nations top scorer and two-goal hero in Addis Ababa, Emmanuel Emenike.

    All the players are expected to report at the Metropolitan Transcorp Hotel, Calabar on Monday, 11th November, 2013.

    THE FULL LIST

    Goalkeepers:

    Vincent Enyeama (Lille FC, France); Austin Ejide (Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Israel); Chigozie Agbim (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria)

    Defenders:

    Elderson Echiejile (Sporting Braga, Portugal); Benjamin Francis (Heartland FC, Nigeria); Efe Ambrose (Celtic FC, Scotland); Solomon Kwambe (Sunshine Stars, Nigeria); Godfrey Oboabona (Rizespor FC, Turkey); Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves, Nigeria); James Okwuosa (Chippa United, South Africa); Kenneth Omeruo (Chelsea FC, England)

    Midfielders:

    John Mikel Obi (Chelsea FC, England); Victor Moses

    (Liverpool FC, England); John Ogu (Academica de Coimbra,

    Portugal); Ogenyi Onazi (SS Lazio, Italy); Nnamdi Oduamadi (Brescia Calcio 1911, Italy); Nosa Igiebor (Real Betis, Spain); Sunday Mba (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria); Reuben Gabriel (Kilmarnock FC, Scotland)

    Forwards:

    Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Brown Ideye (Dynamo Kyiv, Ukraine); Shola Ameobi (Newcastle United, England); Emmanuel Emenike (Fenerbahce FC, Turkey); Obinna Nsofor (Lokomotiv Moscow, Russia); Uche Nwofor (SC Heerenveen, Netherlands) at options for the tie, including stadiums outside Scotland.

  • Keshi’s pay and giant fish metaphor

    The picture still looms graphically in Hardball’s mind. A few months ago a whale washed up to the shore on one of the beaches in the Lekki axis of Lagos and in less than 24 hours, Nigerians, not unlike scavengers, mobbed the carcass and picked it clean. It did not matter what had incapacitated the mammoth sea animal. No one pondered for a moment that whatever would have put down a whale would obviously annihilate any man. Seeing the fallen giant, Hardball could not help contemplating the majesty of the behemoth in the deeps. There it was, lifeless and being hacked at, that very deity of bottomless expanses of water. Which man would dare to even behold it in its glory as it prowls in its mythical domain?

    Hardball cannot help thinking that Nigeria today cast the pathetic image of a giant fish out of water, gasping and thrashing, fighting a futile battle in the last throes of death. In every sphere of life, in every minute endeavor Nigeria daily proves to be a basket case just as her leadership consistently seem to show up to be of the meanest quality in her annals. Everywhere you turn in the realms of public service particularly, you are confronted by inertia and abhorrent practices probably not known in any land. Hardball’s rush of adrenaline has this time, been triggered by the news recently that the nation’s chief football manager has not been paid salary for more than seven months.

    Speaking with BBC Sport last week, Stephen Keshi, the coach of Nigeria’s senior national football team said, “The lowest point of my career is working and not being paid for seven months. I have never had this kind of experience before.” He said further: “In Mali, they will never owe you; your salary will hit your account before the end of every month. It was the same in Togo…Owing me up to eight months makes me feel I am not being appreciated, it is like they think I am being favoured in what I am doing; I am not being favoured, I am giving everything I have to the job – I need to be respected and given my pay.”

    But to Keshi’s outcry, an unnamed official of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), the agency responsible for football here was said to have retorted to the effect that the coach couldn’t complain because he makes enough money from bonuses and gifts from across the country. It is a mindset like this that will create the kind of scenario we face now; in other climes, heads would have rolled over this scandalous and seeming willful act. Where there are no sanctions, impunity reigns which is why such an official will summon such temerity to talk about bonuses and all that.

    Withholding of coaches salaries and dues are the stocks in trade of our football (mal) administrators and it does not matter whether it be local or foreign coach. It actually is not a new phenomenon it’s just that we thought things were getting better now. How could a coach who is perhaps one of the most successful we have had in recent history have his salary frozen? We thought the fellows at the NFF are beginning to come round considering the exponential boom in football in today’s world but it seem the leopard cannot change its spots easily.

    With the League Management Company (LMC) striving to benchmark against the best in field and build our football, NFF still lives in the past apparently. The irony of the situation is that Nigeria’s football is perhaps our biggest brand and best export commodity today. Consider the capital we are making of our Under-17 in the on-going FIFA World Cup. There is so much more to where that comes from if we can harness our football potential.

  • Pascal criticises Keshi over unpaid salary

    Pascal criticises Keshi over unpaid salary

    Former Wikki Tourists chairman Patrick Pascal has criticised Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi for taking his salary dispute with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to the press.

    Pascal said he was disappointed with the way the matter has been made public, as he believes the NFF is truly broke and is thus unable to pay the remuneration of Keshi and members of his technical crew.

    “I feel so sad that issue of salary in any organisation that should be bureaucratically handled has now become a public affair between Keshi and the NFF who are his employers,” Pascal said.

    “In all sincerity, I don’t think that NFF will have the money and would not want to pay. The fact that NFF presently is facing financial crisis is no news.”

    The former Nigeria international cited the reduced bonuses of the Super Eagles as evidence of the financial challenges faced by the NFF, adding that the Federation has other obligations to attend to apart from the Super Eagles.

    “The NFF has a whole lot of issues to handle apart from the Super Eagles; the Golden Eaglets, Falcons and others are there to take care of.”

    He however agreed that Keshi had a right to demand his remuneration, but went ahead to accuse the Super Eagles coach of hyping the matter, adding that such actions can only have a negative effect on the image of Nigeria.

  • Jordan vs Nigeria: Keshi expects tough battle

    Jordan vs Nigeria: Keshi expects tough battle

    Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi has said he expects Jordan to give his team of local league players a tough match tonight.

    Jordan will use today’s friendly to prepare for a 2014 World Cup final playoff against Uruguay.

    “Jordan have been together for a while and they play Uruguay in the World Cup playoff, so we are playing a very strong team and it would be a difficult game,” Keshi warned ahead of the first-ever clash between the two countries at this level.

    Nigeria will use this match to begin preparations for next year’s Championship of African Nations (CHAN) in South Africa.

    Keshi has handed a chance to several newcomers like central midfielder Olayinka Oyeleke of promoted Crown FC to stake a claim for places in his CHAN squad. He said he has been satisfied with the fitness level of the players.

    “The performance is okay. They are really pushing hard to be there. It’s not easy, some of them are new and it’s their first time, so I expect the early panic I have seen from them,” he said.

    “But in all, I am impressed at their fitness level. We will continue to do our best but it’s just that the time is too short for us to do anything before the Jordan game.”

    Nigeria are expected to open training camp for CHAN in December.

    They are drawn against hosts South Africa, Mali and Mozambique in the first round of the tournament strictly for players featuring in their various local leagues in Africa.

  • Keshi drops league hotshot Namo

    Keshi drops league hotshot Namo

    Eagles coach Stephen Keshi has dropped Nigeria league hotshot Victor Namo from his squad for Monday’s friendly in Jordan.

    Namo netted 18 goals in the just-concluded season to help Nasarawa United escape the drop. He told MTNFootball.com his experience with the national team was worthwhile and he hopes for more.

    “I didn’t make the final list to Jordan, all of us can’t go, but my experience in camp was a good one for me. I have learnt a lot, I won’t be a novice next time in the national team camp with this experience. I am looking forward to more of such experience,” Namo told MTNFootball.com.

    Namo has also reacted to critics who have questioned his claim to the league hotshot because 13 of his 18 goals came from the penalty spot.

    Former Kano Pillars star Namo told MTNFootball.com, “Penalties are the most difficult part of scoring goals because everyone even the fans expect you to score. For me, the goals I got during regular play were the easiest. I was therefore amused when I heard people saying I got more of my goals from penalties.”

     

  • Keshi’s unpaid salaries NSC queries NFF

    Keshi’s unpaid salaries NSC queries NFF

    The Minister of Sports and Chairman National Sports Commission (NSC) Bolaji Abdullahi has issued the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF ) a query over the seven months unpaid salaries of Super Eagles Coach Stephen Keshi and members of his technical crew.

    The query which was dated 24th October 2013 and signed by the Director General of the NSC Gbenga Elegbeleye want the Football Federation to explain the reasons why the technical crew of the senior national team has not been paid since February.

    The query according to our source at the NFF secretariat in Abuja is to be responded to within 48 hours of receipt.

    It would be recalled that the Big Boss had on Wednesday bemoaned the inability of the Glasshouse to pay his seven months salaries as a low point in his two years sojourn as the Head Coach of the senior national team.

    SportingLife further gathered that the paucity of funds in the Federation necessitated the General Secretary Musa Amadu and the Technical Committee Chairman Chris Green to pay the Minister a visit on Wednesday.

  • Keshi owed N35m

    Keshi owed N35m

    • Unpaid since March • NFF staff not paid since last year

    Head coach of the Nigeria national team, Stephen Keshi is owed seven months’ salaries by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

    In fact, the Super Eagles trainer and members of his back room staff have not been paid salaries by the NFF since March 2013.

    President of the NFF, Aminu Maigari, who was quizzed about this on Sunday, confirmed the situation but also revealed that the “hands of the federation are tied” over the issue.

    “It is true that Keshi has not been paid for the past seven months but the hands of the federation are tied over this matter. It’s not as if we are hoarding this money and have refused to pay him. The NFF is in dire straits as far as financial resources are concerned. We have even had to slash the winning bonus of players of the Super Eagles from $10,000 to $5,000 as a result,” Maigari exclusively told supersport.com.

    The NFF chief then went on to reveal “several steps taken by the NFF to make Keshi’s life easier” following the failure to pay his wages for the past seven months.

    “There are several steps taken by the NFF in this regard to make Keshi’s life easier. The rent of the hotel in Abuja he lives in is paid by the NFF. His feeding is taken care of by the NFF as well. He has an official car provided by the NFF and we ensure that any expense he needs to meet as he carries out his official duties are met by the NFF.

    “Let me also use this medium to inform Nigerians that other staff of the NFF have also not been paid for over a year but they have continued working without complaints because they know the constraints we are facing.

    “General Secretary (Barrister Musa Ahmadu) and Director of competitions (Mohammed Sanusi), Director Technical (Emmanuel Ikpeme) and Director of Finance (NFF) are just two of the staff affected. There are many others too.

    “I am sure a lot of Nigerians do not know that even as the leader of the NFF, I have not received salaries for a single day so people should understand that we are selflessly serving the nation,” Maigari said.

    The NFF president however insisted that the coaches would be paid their salaries as soon as “things improve.”

    Keshi, who took the reins from Samson Siasia in November 2011, has lost just four official games in the 33 games he has overseen as Nigeria coach.

  • Jordan Friendly: Keshi says no sentiments, praises NFF

    Jordan Friendly: Keshi says no sentiments, praises NFF

    Super Eagles coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi has said there will be no sentiments in the selection process of the players who will make the final cut for the international friendly against the Jordanian national team between the old and the new invited players.

    Keshi, who spoke in Abuja, said the match to him is like a World Cup qualifier or even a final and it effectively kick-starts preparation for the CHAN 2014 championship that will be hosted in South Africa in January, thus praising the NFF for the vision of quick preparation. Keshi spoke through team scribe, Dayo Enebi Achor.

    Achor also advised all players that in the spirit of non-partisanship in selection, they should come to the Bolton White Apartment camp of the team in Abuja with their valid international passports as only the best will be picked for the Jordan trip. By the team’s programme, the Eagles are expected to stay in camp for the next ten days before jetting out by October 26 for the friendly against Jordan in the capital city of Amman.

    Keshi has listed 28 players for the 10-days camp but only 18 players will make it to Jordan and the Achor has said the team’s management is excited with the support that it is getting from the Nigeria Football Federation in the early days of preparation for the CHAN tourney.

    “We must to thank the NFF for this early call to start camping for the tournament because at the end of the day, this is what counts and the coaching crew and the entire staff of the Super Eagles are totally excited about the development”, Achor said.

  • Keshi invites 28 home-based players for Jordan game

    Keshi invites 28 home-based players for Jordan game

    Nigeria’s senior locally-based players will on Thursday, Oct. 17 begin preparations for the country’s first-ever appearance at the African Nations Championship (CHAN), the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) said on Tuesday.

    In a statement in Abuja by its Assistant Director (Media), Ademola Olajire, the NFA said the home-based Super Eagles would open camp with 28 players.

    It said the team’s Head Coach, Stephen Keshi who also manages the `A’ team, had already invited the players to camp.

    “The players are to report in camp in Abuja as the Super Eagles’ Team B gets set for an international friendly with the full team of Jordan,’’ the statement said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the match is billed for the Jordanian capital city of Amman on Oct. 28.

    Jordan is to use the match to prepare for their 2014 FIFA World Cup play-off fixture against the fifth-placed team in the South American qualifying campaign.

    Nigeria is also using the game to prepare for the 2014 CHAN taking place in South Africa in January.

    According to the statement, Keshi had invited three goalkeepers, eight defenders, nine midfielders and eight strikers.

    Ejike Uzoenyi, back home from a stint in France, as well as five regular members of the `A’ squad, are on the list.

    These are goalkeeper Chigozie Agbim, defenders Azubuike Egwuekwe, Solomon Kwambe and Benjamin Francis, and midfielder Sunday Mba.

    There are also other Team B regulars, such as goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi, defenders Ebenezer Odunlami and Umar Zango, midfielder Etebo Oghene and forwards Muhammad Gambo, Ifeanyi Edeh and Ezekiel Mbah.

    “Team officials have advised all invited 28 players to arrive at the team’s Bolton White Apartments abode in Abuja on Thursday with their international passports,’’ the statement.

    It said this was necessary as the visa processing for the trip would commence on Friday, Oct. 18 as the delegation was expected to leave for Amman on Friday, Oct. 25.

    THE FULL LIST

    Goalkeepers: Chigozie Agbim (Rangers International); Daniel Akpeyi (Heartland FC); Okemute Odah (Warri Wolves).

    Defenders: Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves); Benjamin Francis (Heartland FC); Ebenezer Odunlami and Solomon Kwambe (Sunshine Stars).

    Defenders: Umar Zango (Kano Pillars); Yinka Adedeji (Sharks FC); Bright Esieme (Enyimba International FC); Solomon Babatunde (Nasarawa United FC).

    Midfielders: Sunday Mba, Ogonna Osuchukwu and Christian Oghiozor (Rangers International); Etebo Oghene (Warri Wolves) and Rabiu Ali (Kano Pillars).

    Midfielders: Mohammed Garuba (Abia Warriors); Douglas Achiv (Lobi Stars); Olayinka Oyeleke (Crown FC) and Christian Pyagbara (Sharks FC).

    Forwards: Muhammad Gambo (Kano Pillars); Ifeanyi Edeh (Enyimba International); Barnabas Imienger (Lobi Stars) and Osadiaye Joseph (Warri Wolves).

    Forwards: Sani Mohammed (Gombe United); Ejike Uzoenyi (Rangers International); Victor Namo (Nasarawa United) and Ezekiel Mbah (Akwa United)

  • Keshi to stick with Malawi conquerors

    Keshi to stick with Malawi conquerors

    Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi is likely to start the same team he paraded last month against Malawi on Sunday in Ethiopia.

    Keshi, for one, did not change his squad for last month’s final group game in Calabar.

    This means Keshi will again keep out 2013 AFCON hero Sunday Mba and Real Betis Nosa Igiebor for Italy-based Nnamdi Oduamadi in the midfield.

    Keshi has praised Oduamadi’s dare and speed.

    Overall, the Eagles played with a lot of understanding and spirit against the Flames of Malawi in Calabar.

    And the 2-0 win was a bit flattering to the visitors because their goalkeeper pulled off at least three big saves in a game dominated from start to finish by Nigeria.

    Jet-heeled Ahmed Musa, who is going great guns at Russian double champions CSKA Moscow with some very crucial goals, would have scored at least two goals, but he was not clinical in front of goal on the day.

    And he was not at his best during the AFCON clash against Ethiopia. MTNFootball.com scored him 3 out of 10 in that match.

    When Nigeria beat Ethiopia in January with two second-half penalty goals by Victor Moses, Mba started, so too Fegor Ogude, Kenneth Omeruo and Ikechukwu Uche.

    It was a laboured victory, but after which the Eagles stepped up a few gears on the way to a third Africa Cup of Nations triumph.

    The Eagles back four against Malawi was beaten at least twice by the Flames and that must be a cause for concern for Keshi as Ethiopia will be a lot more adventurous and confident than Malawi, who relied on fast counters in Calabar.

    The likely starting XI vs Ethiopia

    Vincent Enyeama, Efe Ambrose, Elderson Echiejile, Godfrey Oboabona, Azubuike Egwuekwe – Mikel Obi, Ogenyi Onazi, Nnamdi Oduamadi – Victor Moses, Emmanuel Emenike, Ahmed Musa.