The Nation Newspaper

Tag: keshi

  • Yobo to offer Keshi apology

    Yobo to offer Keshi apology

    Joseph Yobo may soon be on the way back into the good books of Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, because the Fenerbahce defender will apologise to Keshi over his recent outburst.

    The Super Eagles skipper had complained on a Lagos radio station that he is disappointed at Keshi and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) becuase neither considered it correct to notify him of his non-inclusion in the team that took on Kenya. However, in a twist to the tale, it has emerged that Keshi actually called Yobo, but the defender did not take the call.

    “We now know for certain that Keshi called Yobo, but because he was either not paying attention, or it was a number he was not familiar it, he did not take the call,” a source in the NFF tolf futaa.com.

    “It was when the matter blew up, and Keshi insisted that he called Yobo, and he checked to verify that he saw the missed call. He now discovered that indeed, the coach had tried to reach him.”

    NFF president Aminu Maigari had already started a reconciliatory process, before it was discored that Keshi did make the call.

  • NFF to wade into Keshi, Eagles bickering

    NFF to wade into Keshi, Eagles bickering

    The Nigerian Football Federation would intervene in the face-off between some Super Eagles players and Stephen Keshi, the Chief Coach of the team, Emeka Inyama, Chairman, Media Committee of the NFF, has said.

    Inyama told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia after the Week 15 midweek encounter between Abia Warriors FC of Umuahia and Crown FC of Oshogbo that the intervention would be made to get the best from the team.

    He was reacting to reports of crisis of confidence between Super Eagles captain, Joseph Yobo, strikers Emmanuel Emenike, Osaze Odemwingie and Keshi.

    He said that the strained relationship between the players and the coach was unacceptable to the NFF.

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    “We’ll request the coaches to improve the relationship between him and the players.

    “The players like to be massaged; Keshi was once a player and when you have a good relationship with your coach it even makes the player to play better.

    “Players sometimes play for the sake of their coaches.

    “So the relationship in our own opinion has to be improved. We have to see what the problems are and make them to work together.

    “Yobo is the national captain of Nigeria he cannot be ignored; Emenike is one of the best strikers in Nigeria he cannot be ignored; Osaze is one of the best players in Nigeria he cannot be ignored.

    “We need the best legs for Nigerian matches.

    “So anything that will be done and everything that will be done to improve the relationship between the coach and the players Nigerian Football Federation will do so.

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    Emenike had complained that the coach had never enquired how he was recuperating from the injury he sustained during the African Cup of Nations in South Africa that had sidelined him from his club-side.

    Yobo also complained that the coach should have informed him of his exclusion from the team that prosecuted the Nigeria-Kenya World Cup qualifier in March before making the list public, arguing that it was a matter of respect as he is the team captain.

    Keshi has since admitted not informing the Super Eagles captain of his exclusion from the team before the list was made public.

  • Erico counsels Keshi on other matches

    Erico counsels Keshi on other matches

    Joe Erico, a former Super Eagles Goalkeeper-Trainer, on Tuesday in Lagos advised Coach Stephen Keshi to strengthen the Eagles with quality wingers, for successful qualification for the 2014 World Cup.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Eagles are in Group F of the African zonal qualifiers, alongside Malawi, Kenya and Namibia, for the 2014 World Cup finals in Rio-de-Janeiro, Brazil.

    Speaking on the backdrop of the Eagles’ performance in the first-leg first round of the qualifiers, Erico told NAN that the Eagles needed quality wingers in the next round. The Eagles drew their first match in the group 1-1 with Malawi, won its second match 1-0 against Namibia and also drew its third match 1-1 with Kenya.

    Erico noted that although the Eagles were still leading the group with five points from three matches, based on high goals advantage, the team needed to fortify its attack with goal getters.

    “The team lacks quality wingers for needed goals. The Eagles would have defeated Kenya’s Harambee Stars, but it lacked gifted left and right wingers for effective finishing. That is why it was difficult for the Keshi boys to penetrate directly into the Harambee’s goal area. The availability of a left winger like Emmanuel Amunike would have provided the possibility for the team to get the much needed goals against Kenya,” he said.

    “Natural wingers are there in our club sides. So, Keshi should look inwards and spot out these naturally-gifted wingers to save us from subsequent embarrassments,” he said.

     

     

  • France leads Mali, Morocco, Togo to honour Keshi

    France leads Mali, Morocco, Togo to honour Keshi

    The red carpets were again rolled out on Tuesday for Super Eagles boss Stephen Okechukwu Keshi by Francophone countries led by France in Abuja to tell him that he still has much more to give to football in Africa and indeed the world.

    The event which was held at the French Embassy in Abuja, was the initiative of the France Ambassador to Nigeria, Jacques Champagne De Labriolle and had the Mali Ambassador Mary Berth Leonard in attendance, there was also Morocco Ambassador Mustapha Bouch and Togo Ambassador to Nigeria Mathew Sunday Adole.

    Keshi has previously been national team handler of Mali and Togo and it was not surprising that the two countries joined in appreciating his contribution to their football growth. There was also the Belgium Ambassador to Nigeria and that of Ivory Coast.

    Among Nigerian official present at the occasion were Assistant Coach, Houadonou Valere, Super Eagles team Secretary, Dayo Enebi Achor and Emmanuel Ayanbunmi of the NFF Protocol Department.

    At the occasion, the French Ambassador presented Keshi with a special Medal from France and urged the Nigerian coach to keep his head high and achieve more glory for Nigeria and the Super Eagles.

  • Keshi: Eagles will make corrections

    Keshi: Eagles will make corrections

     Apologizes to Nigerians

    Super Eagles Head Coach Stephen Okechukwu Keshi has stressed that no special meanings should be reading to the two points lost at home against Kenya’s Harambee Stars in a Brazil 2014 World Cup qualifier played at the U.J Esuene Stadium, Calabar.

    The Big Boss who gave no post match press conference said the Eagles would correct the mistakes noticed against Kenya before the next qualifiers and the forthcoming FIFA Confederation Cup competition both in June this year.

    He admitted his boys were not at their best but noted that Kenya did everything possible to frustrate the Eagles and were almost getting away with an undeserved victory before the Nnamdi Oduamadi’s goal raised the bars and drew the Eagles level.

    “I don’t have much to say about the game. We drew and it is not the end of the world. We are going to revisit our game plan and look at what we have done wrong. Today (yesterday) performance won’t repeat itself again. I apologize to Nigerians and our fans we are going to make amend next time,” Keshi stated.

    SportingLife can report that it was the 94th minute goal from substitute Nnamdi Oduamadi that saved the country from an embarrassing home loss.

  • WCQ: Nigeria has no advantage – Keshi

    WCQ: Nigeria has no advantage – Keshi

    Super Eagles head coach, Stephen Keshi, does not believe the late arrival of the Harambee Stars to Calabar will give his charges any notable advantage when the two sides clash in Saturday’s 2014 FIFA world cup qualifier.

    Logistic difficulties meant the Harambee Stars only arrived in Calabar, venue for the game, around 1pm on Thursday but Keshi expects the visitors to be up for the challenge on Saturday.

    “I don’t think this gives us any added advantage. They Kenyans came in on Thursday afternoon. They have Friday to train and have a feel of the stadium so I don’t think we have an advantage in that regard,” Keshi told Supersport.com.

    Keshi also revealed that the toga of African champions will not hamper his side on Saturday.

    “Pressure is always there whether you win the AFCON title or the world cup, pressure is always there but I am sure we can handle it,” he explained.

    Saturday’s game at the UJ Esuene stadium kicks off at 4pm.

  • Balogun to Keshi Be wary of Kenya, others

    Balogun to Keshi Be wary of Kenya, others

    Tayo Balogun, a renowned sports analyst, on Tuesday urged Super Eagles Coach Stephen Keshi to be very cautious in the prosecution of the 2014 World Cup qualifying matches.

    Balogun told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the Eagles should not underrate the other teams in their group.

    “The only way we can make qualification for the 2014 World Cup areality is for the players to play cautiously and not to underrate their opponents,’’ he said.

    He added that the team has all it takes to qualify for the World Cup, but will have to work hard to win matches.

    The analyst urged the players to play as a unit, so as to achieve their objective of playing at the World Cup in Brazil.

    “The players have all it takes to win all their qualifying matches, but they should ensure that they play as a team and not aspire for individual credit,’’ he said.

    Balogun urged Keshi to ensure that the players take their qualifying matches seriously, especially now that opposing countries now fancy their chances against the current African champions.

    “They see us as a big threat and each of our opponents will want to take it upon themselves to defeat the Eagles at any point in time,’’he added.

    NAN reports that the Super Eagles will lock horns with the Harambee Stars of Kenya on March 23 at the U.J. Esuene Stadium in Calabar.

  • Calabar fans to Keshi:Give us World Cup

    Calabar fans to Keshi:Give us World Cup

    Football fans comprising mostly students, lecturers and members of the university community have tasked Super Eagles Head Coach, Stephen Keshi to please deliver the 2014 World Cup to Nigerians.

    The fans, who took up all available places in the stands and under trees within the University of Calabar sports ground to catch a glimpse of the Eagles training on Monday since Nigeria’s AFCON 2013 feat, sang in chorus repeatedly: ”Keshi, all we are saying, give us World Cup…Keshi, all we are saying, give us World Cup.”

    Responding, the Big Boss waved at them as the team made their way to their bus enroute their Transcop Hotel base.

  • KESHI REPLIES I cannot forget Emenike

    KESHI REPLIES I cannot forget Emenike

    • Faults change in telephone line
    • Says my players are very important to me

    Super Eagles head coach Stephen Keshi has described as unfair the recent statement credited to his power player Emmanuel Emenike that he abandoned him after sustaining injury at the last Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa where he emerged as the highest goal scorer of the tournament.

    Emenike sustained an harmstring injury in the semi-final match against Mali, which ended four goals to one in favour of the Nigerians. Emenike was quoted as saying that he was used and dumped by the NFF and chief coach Stephen Keshi.

    Reacting in a chat with SportingLife on Saturday, the Big Boss said though he does not want to join issues with players again, but the player was not fair to him, by changing his telephone line and refused to reach him on his new line.

    “I have tried severally to reach him, but at every point his telephone line was on answering machine. I also know that the Secretary of the team made efforts to call him but to no avail. At those points that I tried reaching him, I always dropped messages on the answering machine. I had thought that if he decided to change his telephone line, he should have communicated me with his new lines immediately, so that we can reach him to know how he is faring,” Kwshi said.

    The former International said he cannot forget the player, and will be ready to call him immediately his new telephone number is made available.

    “My players are very important to me, and I cannot reject them in their trying periods. If he makes his number available now, I will reach him immediately,” he concluded.

  • Obuh to help Keshi with more players

    Obuh to help Keshi with more players

    Flying Eagles Coach John Obuh has stated his desire to continually churn out players who will go on to represent Nigeria at the highest level in the Super Eagles.

    Coach Obuh who currently is in Algeria for the Africa Youth Championships rolls out the impressive list of players that he has seen through the ranks to the national team and has promised to even do more in the days ahead.

    “As a developmental coach, my target remains to produce as many players for the super Eagles as possible,” Obuh said in an interview in Oran, Algeria with the Media Officer of the Flying Eagles.

    The Coach made mention of some of his players already doing well under Coach Stephen Keshi adding that many more are waiting in the wings to grab their chance once it comes their way.

    “Kenneth (Omeruo), Ahmed Musa and Ogenyi Onazi were from my team who went on to play at the recent AFCON, but I believe there are many more players who played under me who could still feature for the Super Eagles,” Obuh said.

    He added: “Ramon Azeez is a midfielder I rate very highly, there is also Olanrewaju Kayode, Ajagun and even some from the present team who will also take their chance in the Eagles, if they get it.”

    Coach Obuh will today lead his team out against the Eagles of Mali in Nigeria’s first game at this year’s AYC.