The Nation Newspaper

Tag: keshi

  • Paraguay reject Eagles

    Paraguay reject Eagles

    • Brazil, Spain too over insecurity
    • No friendlies for Keshi’s Men till 2013

    Sportinglife can reveal exclusively that the Paraguay Football Federation (PFF) have rejected a November 14 FIFA-free day friendly against Nigeria’s senior team, Super Eagles on grounds of security problems.
    SportingLife gathered that NFF’s top sponsor on such high profile games contacted the Paraguayans for the game in Abuja, using their London office chiefs. But they opted out of the tie, given the spate of violence, kidnapping, killings and other unscrupulous acts associated with the country.
    A top shot at the Glasshouse informed SportingLife in Abuja on Friday that the sponsor also talked with reigning World Cup and European Cup Champions Spain for a game in Abuja, which was subtly rejected by the Spaniards, on similar grounds of insecurity on Nigeria.
    Indeed, Brazil’s FA were the first of the three South American countries to reject the Eagles friendly.
    Consequently, it has been confirmed to SportingLife that the Eagles wouldn’t play any international friendly until after the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations slated to hold in South Africa.
    Attempts by NFF egg-heads to secure African nations to confront the Eagles in London or any venue also failed. The countries contacted declined the friendly tie on grounds that their schedules were tight.
  • Keshi, Okocha, Eguavoen return

    Keshi, Okocha, Eguavoen return

    Sunday, 16th September 2012 all roads will lead to the Warri Township Stadium, Delta State, where ex-internationals and football stars from Edo and Delta State will file out to play a novelty/commemorative match in honour of Dr. Samuel Osaigbovo Ogbemudia who turns 80 on Monday 17th September 2012.

    Briefing pressmen in Benin City yesterday, Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi, former minister of state for works, who is also the chairman project 80 planning committee to honour the general, said the likes of Steven Keshi, the Super Eagles coach, Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, Austin Eguavoen, Thomson Oliha, Baldwin Bazuaye, Friday Elahor, Friday Eboigbe, Anthony Emuodefo Aka Poropo and the likes of others will be on parade that day.

    Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia, was one time the chairman of the national sports commission, serve as a military administrator for the defunct Midwestern and Bendel state now Edo and Delta state.

    Also, Edo academicals and other youth clubs in the state will on Saturday 15th September 2012 at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, Benin City play a competitive match in honour of the general that have done so much in terms of sports and other infrastructural development in his time.

    Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia that will turn octogenarian on Monday 17th established the famous College of Physical Education Afuze, will be honoured by his boss the then head of states, General Yakubu Gowon who is expected to be the chairman.

  • Eagles Cordinator blasts CAF over poor pitches

    Emmanuel Attah

    Super Eagles Coordinator Emmanuel Attah has called on Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) to take the issue of bad pitches in Africa very serious as it could hamper the results of matches if care is not taken.

    Speaking on the backdrop of 2-2 score draw between Eagles and the Lone Star of Liberia in Monrovia on Saturday, the former FCT Football Federation boss revealed that the poor condition of the Samuel Doe Stadium really affected the performance of the Nigerian team in the match.

    “Confederation of Africa Football should do something drastic about the issue of bad pitches in Africa. It is not good for our football because most of our players ply their football trade in Europe and play on good pitches and you don’t expect them to come to Africa and get injured while playing on bad pitches after coming home to help their countries. This may eventually ruin their career. The performance of some of these players may be hindered by these bad pitches to the detriment of the nations they play for,” he said.

    “ So CAF must consider this issue very seriously because it affects the quality of play and the overall performance of teams in the continent.”

    He is, however, confident of Eagles’ victory over Liberia when the two teams meet next month in Nigeria. “We wanted to win in Liberia to compensate President Goodluck Jonathan for supporting us and personally visiting us in our training session before we departed for Monrovia and we also planned to win and make soccer loving Nigerians happy too. But we won’t cry over a split milk. Better still, the 2-2 draw has put us in a strong position to finally pick the qualification ticket for the 2013 Africa Nations Cup finals in South Africa,” he added.

  • Only Keshi can decide Enyeama’s fate —NFF

    EXECUTIVE Committee member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Emeka Inyama has declared that only Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi has the prerogative to decide the fate of first choice goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama as far as the national team is concerned.

    Speaking exclusively to NationSport in Lagos yesterday, the ace journalist said as part of the resolve by the NFF to allow the coach full control of the team, whether the Maccabi Haifa player will still be in Keshi’s plans will be the sole decision of the coach. “Vincent Enyeama’s case is for the coach to address; he has the right to hire and fire.

    He is the one who invites players; he has seen the team and may have discovered the deficient areas. He has told the players, if you have to come late, don’t come. If you don’t want to play for Nigeria, don’t show up. “So, he has read the riot act, he knows those who have not done well and it will now show in his next invitation.

    We in the federationhave given the coach free rein and full powers to deal with the team. So, the coach determines who the culprit is,” he said. Inyama said the outcome of the Nations Cup qualification match against Liberia last Saturday should not cause any alarm, adding that the one point scooped from the encounter as a result of the 2-2 draw puts Nigeria in a vintage position to clinch the ticket.

    “Well, for me what is important is the outcome of the match. There is no cause for alarm. The board is not shaken. The intention was to prepare the team for a win against Liberia. You would recall that in an international friendly we defeated them 2-0 in Monrovia.

    “So, the motivation was there. The visit of Mr. President added to that zeal to win but at the end of the day the match turned out to be a 2-2 draw; that means we came back with a point. It is a two-legged affair which means we now have to target the second leg in Nigeria.

    By the time we win we will have four points out of the six and that will take us to the Nations Cup,” he said. Inyama continued: “We are not resting on our oars, although we are disappointed with the result. It may not be what we expected, but it has not broken our hearts, rather it has put us in good stead to prepare.

    You must know that today whenever it concerns Nigeria, every country will rise to want to win, otherwise beating Liberia shouldn’t be a problem.”
    Baring his mind on the hostility meted to out to Nigeria in Liberia, Inyama, who also doubles as the Chairman of the Nigeria National League (NNL), said although the NFF will not pay the Lone Stars in their own coin, the treatment in Monrovia was disappointing. His words:

    The hostility in Liberia was expected and that was why the NFF made their own arrangements for alternative hotels, buses and all that, because we knew that the Liberians were desperate to win, and if you are conversant with African football these are the usual antics.

    So, that was expected but it shouldn’t be because it is between two friendly nations. So, we were not surprised by the antics, but we were disappointed by it. When they come to Nigeria, we will still give them the best treatment.”