The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Musa Yahaya

  • Nigeria’s ‘Neymar’ hooks movie star, Saduah

    Nigeria’s ‘Neymar’ hooks movie star, Saduah

    FORMER Nigeria U20 star Musa Yahaya popularly known as ‘Neymar’ has said his wedding yesterday in Kaduna was a most memorable event in his life.

    Musa Yahaya took Kannywood star Saduah as wife.

    “I am very delighted to see this day,” said the shy FC Porto B star

    “I feel elated for Musa. I would have wished his father was still alive to witness this great day, but it was not to be,” said coach Manu Garba, who attended the wedding.

    “I believe his marriage will help him to settle down and focus on his career.”

    “We are happy to celebrate with a very good friend on this great day,” added Abdullahi Alfa, Musa Yahaya’s teammate at both the Nigeria U17 and U20 teams.

  • Musa Yahaya opts out of Dream Team

    Musa Yahaya opts out of Dream Team

    Nigeria U-20 star Musa Yahaya has dropped out from the team to Sunday’s CAF U-23 Championship qualifier in Congo after he left training camp in Port Harcourt and failed to return, officials have informed AfricanFootball.com.

     Yahaya, who is on the books of English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur,  was a late substitute in the first leg match in Port Harcourt and played below par.

    It was understood he later sought permission to leave camp and later return, but he has since stayed away from the team.

    Interestingly, he was outstanding in training leading up to the first leg and was widely expected to start the game.

    In the meantime, Turkey-based forward Umar Aminu and Shehu Abdullahi from Portuguese club Uniao da Madiera have joined up with the Dream Team VI.

    Shehu was initially ruled out for the encounter after he suffered an injury in a pre-season game, but he has since been cleared by his Portuguese club and has arrived Nigeria.

    The country’s Olympic team will fly out on Thursday afternoon via Ethiopia for Congo.

  • Update: Iheanacho, Success, Moses, make Flying Eagles’ WYC squad

    Update: Iheanacho, Success, Moses, make Flying Eagles’ WYC squad

    Flying Eagles Coach, Manu Garba, on Friday released his 21-man squad for the FIFA U-20 World Cup starting this month in New Zealand.

    The list included Musa Muhammed, Kelechi Iheanacho, Taiwo Awoniyi and Granada forward Isaac Success, Goal reports.

    The squad:

    Goalkeepers: Joshua Enaholo (MFM FC); Dele Alampasu (Football College Academy); Olorunleke Ojo (Giwa FC).

    Defenders: Musa Muhammed (FC Heart Academy); Mustapha Abdullahi (Spotlight FC); Zaharaddeen Bello (Dabo Babes Academy); Wilfred Ndidi (KRC Genk, Belgium); Izu Omego (Apapa Golden Stars); Chidiebere Nwakali (Manchester City, England).

    Midfielders: Akinjide Idowu (Nigeria Young Academy); Ifeanyi Ifeanyi (Water FC); Kingsley Sokari (Enyimba FC); Ifeanyi Mathew (El-Kanemi Warriors); Musa Yahaya (Tottenham FC, England); Bernard Bulbwa (Esperance ST, Tunisia); Godwin Saviour (FC Sports) .

    Forwards: Taiwo Awoniyi (Imperial Academy); Chidera Ezeh (FC Porto, Portugal); Kelechi Iheanacho (Manchester City, England); Moses Simon (KAA Gent, Belgium); Success Isaac (Granada FC, Spain).

  • KNEE INJURY STOPS MUSA YAHAYA

    KNEE INJURY STOPS MUSA YAHAYA

    A knee ligament tear has  ruled out Tottenham Hotspur  youth star Musa Yahaya from next month’s African Youth Championship(AYC) in Senegal.

    Flying Eagles coach Manu Garba announced Musa Yahaya will miss the U-20 championship after he suffered a knee injury in the team’s second test match against Ghana’s Black Satellites last week in Tema.

    Musa Yahaya, 17, was forced out of the match by the 51st minute after he went in for a tackle and suffered a knee ligament tear in the process.

    “The scan result shows that Musa Yahaya will not be available for the AYC,” said  Garba.

    “It’s a great loss for the team as he is a key player, but we have no choice but to forge ahead without him now. We wish him quick recovery and hopefully he will join us for the World Cup when we qualify.”

    The player has taken his injury setback philosophically, saying it is the will of Allah.

    It is believed the former Nigeria U-17 star will be sidelined for up to six weeks if “conservatively managed”.

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have also contacted the player’s English Premier League on the latest development.

    Manu is expected to announce a final 21-man squad latest Thursday midnight for onward submission to the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

  • Flying Eagles bench Musa Yahaya again

    Flying Eagles bench Musa Yahaya again

    Nigeria U-20 team  kept Tottenham Hotspur youth star Musa Yahaya on the bench for Monday’s Super 6 clash against Kano Pillars even though he came on as a sub to score against Enyimba at the weekend.

    Altogether, the Flying Eagles made three changes to their starting XI for the match against the Nigeria league champions.

    El Kanemi Warriors striker Sulaiman Abdullahi replaced suspended Prince Aggreh, who was sent off in the opening day 2-0 win over Enyimba.

    Giwa FC goalkeeper Olorunleke Ojo came in for Joshua Enoholo, who started against Enyimba, and Abdullahi Alfa gave way to Ifeanyi Matthew.

  • Tottenham stops Yahaya from U- 23 camp

    Tottenham stops Yahaya from U- 23 camp

    Tottenham Hotspur has stopped ex-Golden Eaglets star, Musa Yahaya, from the U- 23 National Team training camp, saying it is yet to receive an official invitation from the Nigeria Football Federation.

    Therefore, the attacking midfielder will continue practicing with the White Hart Lane outfit until February next year when he is expected to link up with the Flying Eagles, ahead of the African Youth Championship in Senegal.

    ”The Nigeria Football Federation has to send an invitation letter to the London club before it will agree to release Yahaya,” a source close to the Mutunchi Academy product told sl10.ng.

    ”NFF have to write to the club. Yahaya is not coming because Tottenham Hotspur officials are unaware of the screening exercise.

    ”Remember that he does not own himself, he has an agreement with Spurs, and will remain with the team till February.”

    The team coach, Samson Siasia, is aware that many of the invited players will not honour the call – up except they get green light from their respective clubs, mostly based in Europe.

    ”The Nigeria Football Federation is expected to send the invitation letters, without that the club won’t release them.

    ”We have done everything, by Monday the federation will start sending the letters to the clubs,” Siasia told sl10.ng.

  • More U-20 stars set for Eagles

    More U-20 stars set for Eagles

    Flying Eagles skipper Musa Mohamed and Musa Yahaya are most likely to be considered for the new Super Eagles under caretaker coach Shuaibu Amodu, africanFootball.com reports.

    The  Most Valuable Player of the 2013 FIFA U17 World Cup Kelechi Iheanacho has already been mentioned as one of those to be listed for the full international team after former coach Stephen Keshi said he was “too young” for his team.

    The new national selectors are spreading their dragnet wide to ensure that the country’s best players feature for the Eagles.

    Muhammed is on the books of Turkish club Besiktas and he is widely seen as a player who could finally solve the country’s problematic right back position which had been manned in the last three years by a central defender – Efe Ambrose.

    He is likely to be included in the home-based Eagles training camp which opens in Uyo early next month.

    Muhammed is energetic, good defensively and loves to join the attack.

    Yahaya, on the other hand, has been training with the Tottenham Hotspur academy team in the last few months.

    The left winger was impressive at the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirate. He has vision and weighs in with his fair share of goals.

     

  • National Awards: Tottenham stop Musa Yahaya

    National Awards: Tottenham stop Musa Yahaya

    • Porto prevents Chidera Eze too

    SL10.ng understands that Tottenham Hotspur trainee, Musa Yahaya and Porto Academy player Chidera Ezeh will be conspicuously absent when the Golden Eaglets are bestowed with national honours on September 30.

    Both midfielders intended to honour President Goodluck Jonathan’s invitation, but they won’t be making the journey to the Nigerian capital after their European teams failed to sanction the trip.

    A source close to both Nigeria youth internationals told SL10.ng : ”Musa Yahaya is not coming for the award ceremony. Tottenham Hotspur have a program for him, and did not release him. Also, Chidera Ezeh will not be able to make it. He was supposed to be there and his advisers did everything possible to convince Porto to part with him without success.”

    Meanwhile, rather than continue his trials in Spain, Greater Tomorrow Academy left back Samuel Okon will jet into the country on Sunday, before connecting a flight to Abuja, venue of the award.

    Also, Kalmar trainee Taiwo Awoniyi has given his word that he’ll attend the ceremony as he is presently in the country.

    The 2013 Golden Eaglets players made the 307-man list to be conferred with national awards by President Goodluck Jonathan.

  • Musa Yahaya loaned out to Celta Vigo

    Musa Yahaya loaned out to Celta Vigo

    English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur has loaned out Nigeria U-17 star Musa Yahaya to Spanish club Celta Vigo, MTNFootball.com reports.

    Yahaya was one of the standout stars as Nigeria won a record fourth U-17 World Cup in United Arab Emirates last November.

    He has been chased by several top European clubs including Manchester City before opted for Spurs.

    “Musa has signed for Spurs after he passed his medical, but he has been loaned to Celta Vigo,” a top source informed MTNFootball.com

    Another Eaglets star, Chidera Eze, has also moved to Portuguese champions FC Porto after he passed the mandatory medical.

    At least eight players from the World Cup-winning Golden Eaglets Class of 2013 have thus far moved to Europe since their triumph in Abu Dhabi last year.

     

  • Eaglets star joins Tottenham

    Eaglets star joins Tottenham

    • Undergoes medical

    Tottenham have seen off competition from Barcelona to land Nigerian wonderkid Musa Yahaya – dubbed the new Andres Iniesta.

    The 16-year-old was part of the Golden Eaglets team which recently won the Under-17 World Cup, and clubs from all over Europe have been interested in signing him.

    Spanish giants Barca were in talks with Yahaya’s agent last week, but Spurs have since moved in and agreed a deal to bring him to White Hart Lane.

    According to reports, the midfielder will have a medical in north London before the weekend ahead of signing a five-year contract.

    Yahaya currently plays for African side Mutunchy Academy and it is thought that he will stay with them until his 17th birthday – when he becomes eligible to obtain a UK work permit.

    A fast, skilful and powerful play-maker who can also play on the wing, Yahaya recently told reporters that he has been nicknamed ‘new Iniesta’ for years because of his accurate passing and ability to unlock defences.