The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Mba

  • Mba promises more goals

    Mba promises more goals

    Nigeria international Sunday Mba has boasted that his best is yet to been seen in the senior national team, the Super Eagles.

    The attacking midfilder, whose goals buried the ambitions of the Elephants of Cote d’ivore and the Stallions of Burkina Faso at the Africa Cup of Nations held in South Africa earlier in the year, said the transfer saga that engulfed his ambition to play for Rangers International of Enugu on his return from the Nations Cup, really slowed him down.

    “I will not decieve you, that transfer saga really had an effect on me. I thank God everything is over now, and I have to concentrate fully on my career, taking every game seriously, and ensuring that I keep my head very low at every point in time. I have learnt my lessons, and believe that I would not make such mistakes again in future.”

    The former Warri Wolves player said the Super Eagles would have to approach the match in Kenya with all seriousness, and that pocketing the three points at stake will be their ultimate desire.

    “The Kenyans came to Nigeria and got a point; there is nothing stopping us from picking the maximum points in Nairobi.

    “We cannot make the kind of mistake we made here in Nigeria again. It would be a fight to the finish when we march out for that match”.

    The Abia-State born player promised to continue making his fans happy, saying that putting on the green-white-green colours of the country is a rare privilege.

  • Rangers risk disqualification over Mba

    Rangers risk disqualification over Mba

    Enugu Rangers stand a risk of being disqualified from the CAF Champions League if they field Super Eagles forward Sunday Mba.

    There has been a lingering problem between Warri Wolves and Rangers over the rightful owner of the player who scored the winning goal against Burkina Faso in the final of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in February.

    Mba is considered as ineligible to represent Rangers at any competition since he has not finalised his transfer from Warri Wolves to the Flying Antelopes.

    “We are travelling to Angola with our full squad as the injured players who missed the first leg game against Libolo have started training, Rangers wrote on its official twitter account on Tuesday.

    “This must have fueled the controversy between both clubs as Warri Wolves, who claim to still be the rightful owner of the player insisted they have not cleared him, and the transfer has not been finalised.”

    Rangers will stand the risk of disqualification if they field Mba, who is still considered ineligible to play for Rangers in any competition.

    Rangers were held to a barren draw by Libolo in the first leg played in Enugu. A score draw will see the Nigerian side progress to the group stage of the CAF Champions League.

  • WARRI WOLVES TO RANGERS Pay N15m get Mba for keeps

    WARRI WOLVES TO RANGERS Pay N15m get Mba for keeps

    •Oil-City dwellers give Antelopes 14 days grace

    THE SUM of N15m is expected from Enugu Rangers within 14 days by Warri Wolves if they are to have AFCON hero Sunday Mba for keeps.

    Moses Etu, media officer to Wolves, made the latest demand clear in a statement made available to futaa.com as he assured that the South-south team will be more thorough in their transactions having learnt from previous mistakes.

    “On Sunday Mba, the Management of Warri Wolves has also maintained that it will not hold any player from achieving the best in his career and that of Sunday Mba cannot be an exemption.

    “As a result of that, having listened to their plea and that of many Nigerians, we have come to the conclusion that in order to help him in his career and in the overall interest of this great country, Rangers will in the next two weeks pay the sum of N15m to the purse of Warri Wolves and in addition, Warri Wolves will be entitled to 60% of the total sales of Sunday Mba to any club albeit to tell you that such negotiation must involve our consultants and must be under the watchful eyes of the Nigeria Football Federation.

    “In view of our past experience in the last few months, we have asked our lawyers to prepare the necessary papers and both parties will endorse them with representatives of the Nigeria Football Federation in attendance,,” the statement from Wolves read.

    Enugu Rangers are yet to respond to the latest demands put before them even though there are unconfirmed reports that the Flying Antelopes are planning to field Mba for today’s CAF Champions League game.

  • Rangers to pay for Mba, Agbim

    Rangers to pay for Mba, Agbim

    Enugu Rangers chairman Festus Onuh has told MTNFootball.com they will pay the transfer fees for AFCON stars Sunday Mba and Chigozie Agbim.

    Warri Wolves are demanding a record-shattering 12 million Naira (about $75,000) for Mba after the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) ruled that the AFCON hero belongs to them.

    “We have secured the clearance of three more players to feature in this Sunday’s game and we are ready to pay Warri Wolves their asking price for the services of Sunday Mba and Chigozie Agbim to enhance our chances over the two legs (in the CAF Champions League),” Onuh informed MTNFootball.com.

    Both players have been training with ‘The Flying Antelopes’ in Enugu. Rangers host Angola’s Recreativo de Libolo this weekend in the CAF Champions League second round and Onuh said his team will go past this hurdle.

    “The Angolans won’t stand in our way towards qualifying for the group stage of the Champions League,” he said.

    “We are properly positioned to rub shoulders with the top sides in the continent and our target remains getting to the final of the competition. It is a pity that our brothers Kano Pillars are out and that will motivate us the more to do a good representation for the country.”

    Onuh also promised that the club will be crowned Nigeria champions this season after they missed the title narrowly last term.

    In an exclusive chat with MTNFootball.com after he watched Rangers bash visiting Dolphins 3-0 in a Nigeria league Week 7 fixture in Enugu, the business mogul said that despite the fact that Rangers are second behind defending champions Kano Pillars, he was hopeful of ending the season on a high.

    “Yes, we may be second now on the log, but I promise that at the end of the season, we shall be celebrating with the league shield,” Onuh said.

    “We lost it narrowly last season, but this is going to be our year. Never mind the fact that we are currently in second position. We are destined for the top this season and I am not joking about this. We have all it takes to clinch what rightly belongs to us at the end of this season by God’s special grace.”

  • SUNDAY MBA TRANSFER SAGA LATEST WARRI WOLVES INSIST ON N203M

    SUNDAY MBA TRANSFER SAGA LATEST WARRI WOLVES INSIST ON N203M

    •Ready for court action; Want Rangers to step aside

    •Yet to get NFF official decision

    •Top clubs from Germany, Ukraine, USA keep vigil on Eagles star

    •Oil-City side appoint FIFA licensed agent to handle interest on AFCON ace

     

    DESPITE claims that Enugu Rangers are studying an alleged 12 million Naira transfer fee (about $75,000) requested by Warri Wolves for AFCON star Sunday Mba, the management of Oil-City based outfit has placed one million Euros (about N203m) on the most sought after local league player.

    In a lengthy chat with SportingLife at the Warri City stadium on Saturday, the media officer of the team, Moses Etu stated that local football clubs should step aside because three top flight clubs from Germany, Ukraine and USA were on their toes to pick the Super Eagles star as soon as the controversy surrounding the player is cleared.

    Etu added that in spite of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) directive to resolve the issue, they were in fact ready to go to court with Rangers at any length.

    Etu said: “We have told the world that by the time the foreign clubs come, we would negotiate with them and we would let Mba go. “Mba cannot hold us to ransom, and we will not hold him to ransom either. What people are asking us is how much do we want to place on Mba, it depends on negotiation but actually we have place one million Euros on him, at the end of the day we would negotiate and all of us will be happy.

    “Like I told you, we have not less than fifteen clubs, the last one called from USA last week. And we have FIFA licensed agent Emmanuel Ibru handling the interest of clubs concerning Mba.

    “It goes beyond making enquiries, for now we are keeping the names of the club to our chest.”

    Speaking further, Etu said: “What they (NFF) are saying is that we should tell Rangers how much we want to sell the player. But the truth is we are not willing to sell the player to Rangers.

    “We have no less than fifteen foreign clubs, eagerly waiting to sign Mba who is our player. We have all the documents. Let me confess to you, the NFF has not officially communicated their decision to Warri Wolves, so we are waiting for the letter.”

    Etu added that N3.5 million was deposited into a private account of Paul Chidozie, the General Manager of Rangers in respect of the transfer of Sunday Mba.

    “We got a provisional clearance from Rangers on Sunday Mba when he joined us and we paid the sum of N3.5m to Rangers through the private account of the GM of the club, Paul Chibuzor, who instructed us to make such payment,” he said.

    It could be recalled that Sunday Mba scored Nigeria’s winning goal at the African Nations Cup final held in South Africa last February.

     

  • We paid Rangers N3.5m for Mba — Wolves

    We paid Rangers N3.5m for Mba — Wolves

    Warri Wolves have claimed they paid 3.5 million Naira (more than $21,000) into a private account of a top Rangers official in respect of the transfer of AFCON star Sunday Mba.

    Warri Wolves’ media officer Moses Etu allegedly said on a radio programme in Enugu on Monday that his club actually paid the sum of N3.5m to Rangers when the player moved to Wolves two seasons ago.

    Etu said that the payment was made to the private account of the general manager of Rangers, Paul Chibuzor, who instructed them to make such payment.

    “We have all the documents regarding all our dealings with Rangers with regards to Sunday Mba. We got a provisional clearance from Rangers on Sunday Mba when he joined us and we paid the sum of N3.5m to Rangers through the private account of the GM of the club, Paul Chibuzor who instructed us to make such payment,” the club official said.

    “It is laughable that after selling a player to us they still come to lay claim to him just because he performed well at the Nations Cup and clubs are after him with mouth-watering offers. We are resolute in our claim that Mba is our player and we are ready to give Rangers the 30% sell-on clause attached to his release whenever we sell him to a foreign club.”

    However, Rangers’ media officer Foster Chime has shot down the Wolves claim.

    “It is stale news. In Abuja, the GM tendered documents and bank tellers with regard to payments made by Wolves. At no time was any money paid in respect of Sunday Mba, but for Togolese defender Busari Akinsola and it was never paid to the GM’s personal account. The G.M has even started legal proceedings against Moses Etu for defamation,” said Chime.

  • Mba is fans’ top choice

    Mba is fans’ top choice

    • Says, I will always give my best

    Super Eagles forward Sunday Mba emerged the top favourite among football buffs present to see the squad in their first training session at the Abraham Ordia stadium, University of Calabar.

    The Nigerian side play host to Kenya’s Harambee Stars on Saturday and the fans in Calabar yesterday couldn’t stop calling for Coach Stephen Keshi to include Mba in his starting line-up for the cracker, despite the fight for his signature between two NPFL heavyweights, Rangers and Warri Wolves.

    Many of the fans laid ambush for the AFCON two-goal hero as they tried to shake hands with the player as he made his way to the team’s bus after the day’s session.

    “Mba, Mba, Mba na correct man…Big Boss you must start Mba on Saturday o. Transfer saga or no transfer saga,” the fans chorused in unism.

    “I am excited to have made the list. As always, Mba will give his best anytime. We have to continue working hard at training and hope I get the nod to play on Saturday,” Mba told SportingLife before jetting into team’s bus.

  • Transfer imbroglio: Mba appeals to Rangers, Wolves

    Transfer imbroglio: Mba appeals to Rangers, Wolves

    Nigerian international, Sunday Mba has made a passionate appeal to Nigeria Professional Football (NPFL) clubs, Enugu Rangers and Warri Wolves to “amicably settle” their long-running dispute over his ownership.

    The two clubs have been enmeshed in a bitter dispute over the ownership of the player which prompted Super Eagles head coach, Stephen Keshi to declare that he may consider dropping the player from the squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Kenya on March 23.

    The attacking midfielder has now voiced his sentiments about the issue.

    “The coach (Keshi) has the best interest of the country at heart and I completely respect his judgment in this matter. He wants the best for the national team and it is only logical that he builds his team around players who are playing regularly for their clubs every week,” Mba exclusively told supersport.com.

    Mba took the football world by storm with a superlative display at the 2013 African Nations Cup in South Africa where he netted the winner for Nigeria in the showpiece game against Burkina Faso.

    The 24-year-old wants to perform at the peak of his powers on a consistent basis and acknowledges that he can only do that if he plays regularly.

    “I am pleading with the clubs (Wolves and Rangers) to amicable settle this because for me, I am a professional and I just want to resume playing,” he said.

    Mba also took the time to allay fears over his physical condition ahead of the game against Kenya.

    “I am in great shape physically. As a matter of fact, I think I am in the best condition I have ever been in since I turned pro.

    “I also want the fans to recall that before the 2013 AFCON, the Nigerian league was on break but I still did well at the tournament because I never joked with my training (sessions).

    “I have intensified my regimen after the tournament because I understand that the stakes are even higher now and there are so many people who now look up to me as a role model,” the player added.

     

  • Keshi vows to axe Mba if…

    Keshi vows to axe Mba if…

    Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi has said he may be forced to drop AFCON star Sunday Mba if his transfer saga rages on.

    Top Nigeria league clubs Warri Wolves and Rangers are in a tug of war over the ownership of one of the biggest revelations of the recent Nations Cup in South Africa.

    Last week, a committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) asked the two clubs to reach an agreement on the player within a week. And now Keshi has warned that he may axe the player if his club future is not sorted out soon.

    “I may be forced to drop Mba from the team if his transfer issues are not sorted out. If by our next game, they have not resolved the problem I may not invite him,” Keshi said .

    The Eagles handler also explained that he was forced to call up as many as 15 foreign-based pros for the Kenya match because the local league has just kicked off. “I invited 15 foreign-based players because the Nigeria league is just starting,” he disclosed.

    “The foreign-based players have been regular at their clubs and as such their fitness level is very high. Most of our local boys are rusty but we’ll see how it goes in our training camp.”

  • I want to play for my choice club, Mba pleads

    I want to play for my choice club, Mba pleads

    Embattled Super Eagles midfield player, Sunday Mba, has begged the two clubs fighting over him to let him pick the club he wants to play for and continue enjoying his best football form since helping the Super Eagles to win the last Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

    Mba who scored the winner over Cote d’ Ivoire in the quarter-finals of the 2013 AFCON as well as the solitary goal that fetched Nigeria her third AFCON victory in South Africa, has been involved in a controversial transfer and ownership tussle between the last club he played for which is the Warri Wolves and his former club Rangers International which the Nigeria Federation has set up a 4-man committee to look into.

    SportingLife cornered him on the stair case of the NFF Secretariat and the player confessed that the transfer saga has really affected him and he wished the whole issue is quickly resolved so that he can concentrate on his football.

    “I am not happy that this is happening to me at the time I supposed to make the maximum use of the AFCON feat and glory in South Africa. By now I supposed to be looking forward to a fulfilling career and a fruitful stay in the Super Eagles not this kind of ‘whahala’ (trouble) my brother,” Mba said.

    His case may take longer than it is expected as feelers from both Warri Wolves and Rangers International signified a fight to the end to get the rights of ownership of the player.

    Mba, SportingLife scooped, has numerous juicy offers from Europe since his scintillating performances in the colours of Super Eagles in South Africa. So it is understandable that both Warri Wolves and Rangers won’t like to miss the millions of dollars his transfer to European clubs would fetch the right club that owns the player.

    As at Saturday, the final decision on the matter has not been made by the Dr. Sanusi Mohammed led 4-man committee but the NFF top official disclosed that they would present their verdict on the matter to the NFF Executive Board that has the right to make the verdict public.