The Nation Newspaper

Tag: make

  • Elderson: Faro training can make Eagles champions

    Elderson: Faro training can make Eagles champions

    Elderson Echiejile has said Nigeria could be African champions again next year if they make the most of a training camp in Faro, Portugal.

    The Eagles will open a training camp in Portugal on December 27 and the Sporting Braga star defender has told MTNFootball.com the hard work and sacrifices there could be rewarded with a third Nations Cup conquest by Nigeria in South Africa.

    “I believe if we give everything in the training camp, we will have a very great Nations Cup,” Elderson said.

    “This means that most of us have to cut short deserved holidays after a hectic season in Europe and also hope our clubs release us in good time so that we have enough time to work as a team.”

    The Braga left back said the Eagles have struggled to play as a team because they have often not had enough time to train together for longer than four days.

    “We will now have at least two full weeks before our first game in South Africa and that is a lot because we hardly get that before many of our matches,” he said.

    “This will be enough time to really work as a team and the result of this we will see by our first game against Burkina Faso in January 21.”

    Defending champions Zambia and Ethiopia are the Eagles’ other first round foes in Group C to be based in Nelspruit.

    The former U17 and U20 international is set for his second Nations Cup after he featured at the 2010 tournament in Angola, where Nigeria finished third.

  • ‘Form, not names will make Afcon 2013 team’

    ‘Form, not names will make Afcon 2013 team’

    Super Eagles boss, Stephen Keshi, has said that only players who are on form will make his team to the Nations Cup Championship, next January in South Africa.

    Keshi, who is perceived by many to have a selection problem, going by the plethora of options available to him, declared that there is no such problem as players will naturally cancel themselves out in the course of camping for the Nations Cup.

    “What we want to get is a good mix of players who can help us do well at the Nations Cup, we want to win and I know we can but like will always says names don’t count in football anymore, if you are good enough, come and prove it and you will be ion the plane to the Nations Cup. Objectivity is the watchword for selection of players and I promise I will stick to it,” he said.

    Big Boss as Keshi is popularly known in his playing days, added that he and his team will make adequate selection of players for the Nations Cup as he hopes there would be no excuses when the championship starts next month in South Africa.

  • Kidnappers make N750m monthly in Southeast, says CD

    Kidnappers make N750m monthly in Southeast, says CD

    The Campaign for Democracy (CD) yesterday alleged that kidnapping has become a big business in the Southeast, with abductors making an average of N750 million monthly.

    It said abduction had increased in the region after a lull. The rights group urged governors to intervene.

    The CD said the situation had made the region unsafe for industrialists and businessmen.

    Chairman of CD in the Southeast Dede Ujoh A. Uzoh, in a statement, said:

    “It is very depressing that notwithstanding the huge amount of money the governors of the five Southeast states collect each month, they as the chief security officers, are unable to contain the upsurge of kidnapping.

    “An average of five persons are kidnapped per month in each state of the zone and they pay between N30 million and N20 million each.

    “This amounts to about N150 million per month from wealthy individuals in a state, thus, totalling N750 million per month from the five states.

    “There has been this massive exodus of industrialists, businessmen and women from the zone due to activities of kidnappers,’’ it said.

    The statement added that the recent escalation of kidnapping is more rampant in major cities of Onitsha, Aba, Owerri, Awka, Umuahia, Enugu and Abakaliki.

    “These are the cities where wealthiest people and their families live and carry out their businesses.

    “This is making business and human security to collapse and the wealthy not free to move around within the zone due to fear of being kidnapped,’’ it said.

    The statement urged governors to help stop the present exodus of the wealthy people; which, if not checked within some months, the economy of the zone would crumble,’’ it said.

    The statement also called on mobile phone service providers to assist the police and other law enforcement agencies to track kidnappers as they use mobile phones to network their operations.

    “Efforts should be made to energise the Southeast Economic Summit to revive the moribund industries in the zone; taking a cue from the South-South.

    “The revival of industries has become paramount so that workplaces would be created to contain youths that would likely join these bad eggs perpetrating these heinous crime,” the CD said.

  • Osaze can make Keshi’s squad —Clarke

    Osaze can make Keshi’s squad —Clarke

    Steve Clarke expects striker Peter Odemwingie to be called up by Nigeria for the upcoming African Nations Cup if he continues his current form for West Brom.

    But head coach Clarke is confident Albion have the strength in depth to cope with the loss of Odemwingie if he is called into international action in January.

    Odemwingie has produced a string of fine performances to help the Baggies into third spot in the Barclays Premier League ahead of last night’s clash at Swansea.

    He has had an up and down relationship with his country, but Clarke said: “If Peter continues in the current form he’s in, I’d think Nigeria would select him.

    “He has been playing really well for us, he has been fantastic.

    “If Nigeria want to go with their best players, I’m sure Peter would be in that squad for the African Nations Cup.

    “But we have cover for Peter’s absence as well. I’ve said that all along if people get called up, we have the squad to cover him.”

    Clarke is confident Albion’s players will not be carried away with their current success.

    They will be bidding for a fifth successive top-flight win for the first time in 34 years at the Liberty Stadium.

  • FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup: Nnodim, Ofoegbu out to make amends

    FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup: Nnodim, Ofoegbu out to make amends

    It’s a game that still preys on their minds, but Sarah Nnodim and Oluchi Ofoegbu are planning not to crash out of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, Azerbaijan 2012 the same way they did at Trinidad and Tobago 2010.

    Having cruised through the first round, beating the hosts, reigning champions Korea DPR and Chile to top Group A with maximum points and scoring ten goals in the process, they squared up against Korea Republic in the quarter-final in Marabella.

    The game that followed was an absolute classic. Nigeria were 2-0 and 3-2 up in the first half, before needing an Ngozi Okobi strike at the death to force extra-time at 4-4. However Korea rallied, scoring twice more, and while Loveth Ayila got her second of the game – 101 minutes after her first – it finished 6-5.

    Speaking to FIFA.com, the Flamingoes pair realise with hindsight where they went wrong. “We lost because of a lack of experience and a lack of concentration,” said confident centre-back Nnodim. “But we believe this time round we are able to pick up the trophy.”

    Ofoegbu admits to fond memories of their Caribbean adventure two years ago, but defeat has instilled a steely determination in the tenacious midfielder. “It was amazing at Trinidad and Tobago 2010. We lost that game because of a lack of concentration, but this time round I believe that we will make it up to ourselves.

    “The game of football is all about experience, we believe we have learnt from our loss in 2010, so we have gained experience because of it and we will not let it happen again.”

    As well as their mental growth over the past two years, the green-clad duo was unwavering in their assessment of their own technical and footballing development. In reply to whether they had improved as players, a synchronised and vigorous: “Yes, very much so”, was their confident and crystal clear appraisal, and why not?

    Azerbaijan 2012 has so far been a very positive tournament for Nigeria. Nnodim, the taller of the pair, presided over a tight defensive display in their 1-1 draw against CONCACAF U-17 Championship runners-up Canada.