The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Maigari

  • Maigari to golden Eaglets: Remain focused

    Maigari to golden Eaglets: Remain focused

    Aminu Maigari, President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has told the Golden Eaglets to remain steadfast on giving their best at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in the UAE.

    Nigerian football has witnessed huge boom under the watch of Maigari, especially with the qualification of the Golden Eaglets for the African cadet championship in Morocco for the first time since 2007 from where the youngsters eventually secured a berth to the World Cup since Nigeria hosted in 2009.

    “You guys should please do your best for the country and we know what this team is capable of doing. I want to believe everything is going well in camp as well as the training schedule,” Maigari said in a telephone conversation even as he asked after the general welfare of the team at their Dubai training camp.

    “We have absolute confidence in this team and all Nigerians including President Goodluck Jonathan (GCFR),want you to go out there and give your best,” added Maigari who is eagerly being expected in the UAE to support the team.

    Incidentally, Maigari’s early morning goodwill message coincided with recording of a routine video with Eaglets striker, Kelechi Iheanacho who in turn pledged the team’s unflinching commitment in the UAE.

    “Everything is on course with our preparations here in Dubai and by the special grace of God, we shall be ready for the World Cup challenge. Our coaches have been telling us to keep our calm and be focussed. My teammates and I have been waiting for this opportunity; and we know we are privileged to be picked by the coaches,” said Iheanacho, five-goal scorer at CAN U-17 last April.

    “We are being trained to handle the pressure and we want to assure Nigerians that we are going to be ready for the World Cup. There is no rivalry between Success and we are all united in this team. I also want to assure Nigerians that we are going to give our best,” added Iheanacho as he looked forward to a dream partnership with Success Isaac.

  • Maigari watches Eagles full house training

    Maigari watches Eagles full house training

    •Team gets Fariah Waters’ support

    NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, was the uannounced guest at the Super Eagles second training session in Abuja on Wednesday evening. Maigari was accompanied by his Vice, Chief Mike Okeke Umeh, Director Technical, Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme and Assistant Director, Media, Ademola Olajire.

    All the 23 invited players for the battle of Addis Ababa against the Walya Antelopes were fit and all trained to the delight of Alhaji Maigari and Head Coach Stephen Keshi.

    Maigari, who addressed the players after the over two-hour session, said leadership from the highest level in the country was expectant of victory for the Super Eagles in Ethiopia, so as to make the return leg in Nigeria a mere formality. He praised the commitment and readiness of the team ahead of the encounter and said he has the words of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, that the team will not be disappointed if they pick the World Cup ticket.

    Skipper of the team, Vincent Enyeama, thanked the NFF President for finding time out of his busy schedule to watch the training of the national team. He promised that he and his teammates will not disappoint the nation in Addis Ababa, as they are aware of the onerous task ahead.

    The team was thereafter presented with cartons of Fariah Waters from the Yankari Natural Water Resource by the NFF President. He said the presentation was the company’s own way of showing support to the national team of Nigeria. Stephen Keshi and Enyeama received the gifts on behalf of the team.

  • MAIGARI TO EAGLES: Forget $10,000 bonus

    MAIGARI TO EAGLES: Forget $10,000 bonus

     •Take $5,000 or stay off

    •Play for honour not money- NFF

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced that there will be no special bonuses for players of the Super Eagles ahead of their two-legged playoff tie against Ethiopia.

    NFF President, Aminu Maigari told supersport.com on Tuesday that the players will receive the “usual” $5,000 winning bonus for the two games against Ethiopia.

    “The players will receive the usual $5,000 dollars if they beat Ethiopia this month. There has been no change in the bonus structure for now,” he said.

    The Super Eagles’ 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup campaign was almost scuttled as a result of a row between the players and the NFF over bonuses, but Maigari says there will be no issues in that regard ahead of the two games against the East Africans.

    “There are no issues at all. We (NFF) have been in contact with the players and coaches and no one has any issues with what we pay as bonuses. The players were paid $5,000 after our last (World Cup) qualifying game against Malawi in Calabar and no one complained’’.

    “It’s about honour, patriotism and the collective zeal to see that Nigeria’s flag is hoisted at the gathering of elite football nations in Brazil next year. Money is the last thing on anyone’s mind right now because these individuals are all top professionals who know what it means to represent their country,” he added.

    The NFF chief further revealed that the Nigerian contingent of players and coaches will depart for Addis Ababa via a chartered aircraft on the eve of the first leg game.

    The Super Eagles will meet the Walia Antelopes in the first leg of the playoffs in Ababa on October 13 with the second leg fixed for November 16 at the UJ Esuene stadium, Calabar.

  • Club owners back Maigari

    Club owners back Maigari

    • Distance self from ‘state of emergency’ report

    Globacom Premier League Club Owners Association has thrown its weight behind the Aminu Maigari leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as it distanced itself from the state of emergency declared on the country’s domestic football.

    Recall Tuesday that Maigari decried the statement after he said categorically that there was no situation in Nigeria that warrant such a declaration.

    Danladi Isaac , the chairman of the Club Owners Association and Nasarawa United boss disclosed to SportingLife that: “There was never a time the club owners arrived at a decision with the League Management Company that a state of emergency be declared on the domestic game.

    “Rather, we both agreed at the meeting before the Federation Cup finale in Lagos, that the last seven matches be hitch-free, that there won’t be room for boardroom points and also hooliganism.

    “As a lawyer who has practiced law for 27years, I know the implication of such an action when declared on any sector.

    “Nonetheless, the club owners are in full support of the Aminu Maigari led Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) board, and that we are shocked at the story credited to Saliu Abubakar. We are sure that the words were his own imagination.”

  • Maigari sad over Nigeria’s ranking

    Maigari sad over Nigeria’s ranking

    • Says I don’t know how it works

    Like most Nigerians, NFF President Aminu Maigari is unhappy with Nigeria’s placement in the recently released FIFA rankings.

    In spite of recent impressive wins against Malawi and Burkina Faso, Nigeria slipped down a place to 36th on the rankings, leaving most Nigerians including the NFF President disappointed.

    Maigari expressed his shock at the placement of the African champions, even as he admitted that he was at a loss regarding the criteria used in the rankings by the world football governing body.

    “I am shocked that we dropped in the FIFA rankings, because everyone saw that we did very well this month with two very impressive victories against Malawi and Burkina Faso. I still don’t understand how the rankings work,” Maigari told the Daily Times.

  • Minister favours LMC’s tenure extension

    Minister favours LMC’s tenure extension

    •Lauds Maigari on performance 

    Having watched the Honourable Nduka Irabor-led League Management Committee (LMC) worked assiduously to broker a record $34 million television rights deal for the Nigeria Professional Football League, the Minister of Sports Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi had no choice than to shower encomiums on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari for supporting him when he mooted the idea of re-organising the Nigerian league for better performances which led to the NFF setting up the LMC.

    The Minister disclosed this when the LMC led by Irabor visited him in his office yesterday to present the documents of the Supersport cable television rights deal in the company of the Supersport Manager, Felix Awogu. The elated Minister openly commended the NFF President and LMC boss for doing a good job so far.

    He then answered the question of extending the tenure of the LMC by saying “who will not do that when the LMC is performing (laughing). The sports journalists, NFF eggheads and the LMC members then agreed in support of Abdullahi’s gesture to extend the League Board’s tenure for doing a great job since they took over the running of the Nigerian Professional Football League.

    The Minister also disclosed, “I am very excited and the reason is that today we are celebrating what is possible in Nigeria. Honourable Nduka Irabor said the past is not important ands we should focus on where we are going. I disagree with him because the past is very important. If you don’t understand what you were coming from you will probably not appreciate where you are.

    “Today I can say this loud and clear that this is the same league that less than a year ago was asking clubs to pay the indemnities of referees. This is the same league that less than one year ago, a company in this country said it is completely worthless. But this same league today we are talking of a deal of $34 million. So the past is very important.

    “I would like to thank Nigeria Football Federation President Aminu Maigari for making this happen. The NFF President can now confidently anywhere, blow his trumpet because he has a trumpet to blow. The reason is that when we were struggling with what to do with the league he supported genuine course and argument.

    “My argument as the Minister of Sports is that no matter how much you want to argue that football has made progress in this country if we don’t improve the quality of Nigerian league, as long as Nigerian youths (footballers) continue to run to Azerbaijan, Malta, Haiti and Sudan to play professional football then we have not achieved anything. It is my responsibility to visualise what is possible. It is my responsibility to communicate that vision and it is your (Maigari) responsibility to make sure it happens.

    “If you (Maigari) had come then and tell me that Minister I don’t think this thing you are talking about is possible, it will probably be dead on arrival. But you said say the Minister is this what you think we should do I am with you in this and every step of the way you have ensure it happened. So I thank you very much.

    “Our own generation of the National Sports Commission and Nigerian Football Federation are not fighting, we are making money for Nigerian football”, Abdullahi said happily.

  • Maigari praises LMC at trademarks unveiling

    Maigari praises LMC at trademarks unveiling

     •As NFF receives N25m league licensing fee

    At a well attended event inside the Conference Room of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Nduka Irabor, the Chairman of the League Management Company (LMC) presented the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) Brand Manual and a cheque for N25 Million representing the annual licensing fee of the LMC to the NFF President, Aminu Maigari.

    In return, Maigari turned to Irabor and the rest of the LMC team including Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi and Salihu Abubakar, heaping praises and commendation on the team for the innovations brought to the league under their management.

    The NFF President had in response to Irabor’s presentation declared the football governing body’s support and confidence in the activities of the LMC, especially in the area of driving the commercial aspects of the league and enlightenment of the general public towards attracting fans back to the stadium. Maigari sighted a match in Aba between Enyimba FC and Shooting Stars which he watched and expressed delight at the turn out of fans.

    In the NFF President’s words, “let me start by praising the LMC Chairman, I am proud of you as a team and I am proud of you individually. You have not let down the confidence we had in appointing you and, like you rightly said, football is money and there is nowhere in the world that football can run without money. You have demonstrated a savvy for football business and this can be seen in the amount of money you have brought here which has never been done in the history of the League and the NFF.”

    Maigari ended by pledging the support of the NFF to work with the LMC and the Clubs to improve the standard of the Glo Premier League. “We are proud of you, we are going to support you and work with you. We are proud of what you are doing and it is our belief that you have done a lot for the league…”, declared the NFF chief.

    Amidst a battery of photo journalists clicking away and video cameras rolling, Irabor explained that the Brand manual contained the various manifestations of the NPFL logo which will guide the application of the trade marks across different platforms to create a distinct business identity for the NPFL.

    Preceeding his presentation, Irabor remarked, “what we have come here to do is to make known our intent to make our professional league more prosperous. It has always meant to be the best, taking care of sets of football players which you can’t achieve without the clubs making money and the League body is meant to help the clubs make such money.”

    He further said that whereas the league had been dogged by various problems in the recent past, the LMC has been able to resolve some of those challenges. “The prospects haven’t been very encouraging in the recent past but we are beginning to turn things around, the horizon is bright, the future and the responses we are getting about the future is positive”, Irabor submitted

    Speaking on the trade marks, the LMC boss declared, “Mr. President, what we have here is a compendium of our trademarks and guide to how it can be applied and used which in business and the corporate world is a message to say, don’t mistake us for any other, this is who we are and what our mission is.”

    The event was attended by top NFF directors including the General Secretary, Ahmadu Musa, Club representatives led by their acting Chairman, Danladi Isaac, acting Secretary, Alloy Chukwuemeka and Chairman of Kaduna United, Sabo Babayaro and Barrister Shola Gberu Aluko.

     

  • WYC: We fought bravely – Obuh

    Nigeria U-20 coach, John Obuh, has said his team put up a good fight only to crash out of the World Cup in Turkey to Uruguay on Tuesday night.

    “Despite playing a man short for half of the match, we fought a good fight,” declared Obuh.

    “The match has been won and lost and we accept the loss in good faith.”

    He added: “Our target at this tournament was not to leave the stage this early but I hope the next coach will take it from where I stopped.

    “What is very certain is that Nigeria is a football nation blessed with a lot of talent. The players only have a focus and they will be world beaters.”

    MTNFootball.com reports that the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Aminu Maigari commended the fighting spirit of the team, urging them to not allow this setback affect the bright future that awaits them.

    “We wish to commend your performance against Uruguay, but unfortunately one team has to win and another has to lose,” he told the team.

    “You did your best and went out there to win but it was not meant to be.

    “You should learn from the mistakes you made so that next time we will go all the way.”

    Nigeria fell behind after 64 minutes when Nicolas Lopez slotted home after goalkeeper Samuel Okani failed to deal with a free kick from the left.

    Olanrewaju Kayode drew Nigeria level in the 69th minute when he let fly from just outside the box.

    And moments later, Michael Olaitan saw his effort crash against the side netting.

    Okani pulled off a big save in the 56th minute and Nigeria created a number of chances thereafter before Uruguay regained the lead from the penalty spot through Lopez in the 84th minute after Wilfred Ndidi had fouled a goal-bound Diego Rolan.

    Nigeria began to play with a man short after 40 minutes when fullback Shehu Abdullahi was sent off for a double-footed tackle on Diego Laxalt.

    It was a cagey start by both teams as they tried to settle down.

     

  • Maigari assures fans: Eagles can fly over Elephants

    Maigari assures fans: Eagles can fly over Elephants

    President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, has expressed confidence in the ability of the home-based professionals to fly gloriously over the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire in Saturday’s 2014 African Nations Championship qualifier in Kaduna.

    Nigeria football’s supremo, presently at the FIFA U-20 World Cup finals in Turkey, assured that he would be in Nigeria before Saturday to lead the cheer for the home-based Eagles at the Ahmadu Bello

    Stadium.

    “I have very high confidence in the ability of the home-based professionals to perform well against the Ivorians. They have been part of Coach Stephen Keshi’s rebuilding for almost two years now and most of them have enjoyed opportunities to play against some of the biggest teams in Africa and the world. Come Saturday, I know they will go all out and give their very best, and make Nigeria proud.”

    Maigari sees the Eagles coming up with a solid performance at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna on Saturday that will make the return leg in Abidjan on July 27 a mere formality.

    “It is also advisable to take good advantage of the home leg in every fixture. With highly-exposed and experienced players in our team, the task will be to take the game to our opponents in this home leg and secure a comfortable win,” Maigari added.

    Nigeria go up against the Ivorians in the first senior team clash between both nation since the Super Eagles eliminated then Cup favourites Elephants in the quarter finals of the 29th Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

    The Eagles, who have been camping in Abuja since Sunday, will travel to Kaduna on Wednesday to intensify preparations ahead of the big game.

     

  • Maigari denies criticising home-based Eagles

    Maigari denies criticising home-based Eagles

    President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Aminu Maigari has denied criticising Super Eagles head coach, Stephen Keshi over including players from the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) in his squad for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.

    Maigari exclusively told supersport.com on Saturday that he read with alarm, several comments credited to him over the subject.

    “I’m shocked to read that I said Keshi was wrong to have included players from the NPL to play in the FIFA Confederations Cup and against world champions, Spain. It’s not true and I want to state here categorically that I never made such remarks,” Maigari told supersport.com.

    The NFF chief said he had always been a promoter of the NPL and its players and coaches.

    “It’s unfortunate that people can say these things because I’ve always supported and promoted the NPL and its products.

    “The NFF is currently in a partnership with the National Sports Commission (NSC) and League Management Company (LMC) to make the NPL a better brand so it would amount to folly on my part to talk down this project,” he said.

    Maigari concluded by praising Keshi and the Super Eagles for a “good show” in Brazil during the Confederations Cup.

    “I want to congratulate Keshi and the boys for a good show in Brazil.

    “We may not have gone past the group stages but the Super Eagles gave a glimpse of what they can do in future.

    “Nigerians have been supportive of the team and we urge them to remain patient because the future is very bright,” he said.

    The Super Eagles hammered Tahiti 6-1 in their opening game before losing their next two games in the tournament against Uruguay and Spain to crash out at the group stages.