The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nations Cup

  • 2015 NATIONS CUP QUALIFIER: NFF moves Nigeria/South Africa tie to Uyo

    2015 NATIONS CUP QUALIFIER: NFF moves Nigeria/South Africa tie to Uyo

    • To host Super Cup, AGM 

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has accepted the request of the Akwa Ibom State government to host the November 19 African Nations Cup (AFCON) return leg qualifier between the Super Eagles and their South Africa counterpart at the Uyo Stadium in Uyo.

    A meeting to relocate the last group qualifier from Abuja was sealed on Thursday between NFF president, Amaju Melvin Pinnick and governor, Godswill Akpabio.

    “The governor expressed his keeness to host the match at the Uyo Stadium which is one of the best in the country and we have accepted,” said Pinnick.

    Pinnick further added that logistics regarding the encounter would be discussed by the board at its next meeting.

    In recent times Nigeria has been playing its matches in neighbouring state, Cross River. The 30,000 seating capacity Uyo Stadium which has been likened to the popular FNB Stadium in South Africa, will be commissioned on November 6 by President Goodluck Jonathan (GCFR). Also in November, the state will play host to the Super Cup finals between the Glo league winner and the FA Cup champion as well as host the NFF Annual General Meeting..

  • Home based Eagles may miss Nations Cup

    Home based Eagles may miss Nations Cup

    Home based Super Eagles may miss the next edition of the Africa Nations Championship, as the date for the first leg of the qualifier against Ivory Coast draws near.

    The home based Eagles will host their Ivorien counterparts on the weekend of June 22 in the first leg of the qualifiers, but the Nigeria Football Federation and the Super Eagles will be on duty in far away Brazil, playing in the FIFA Confederations Cup.

    In fact, the Eagles will face Spain in their third group game at the tournament on Sunday, June 23rd. The dilemma the NFF and Stephen Keshi will face will be two fold: Will the Big Boss leave the key home based players out of his team, to ensure qualification, or will he take them to Brazil with the Super Eagles?

    Secondly, will the NFF, for once, handle the logistics well enough to cover all eventualities for the home based Eagles?

    Nigeria lost to Ghana in the qualifiers of the first Africa Nations Championship, and were knocked out of the second edition by Niger.

  • ENYEAMA REVEALS: I was trained by Barca coach for AFCON

    ENYEAMA REVEALS: I was trained by Barca coach for AFCON

    Assistant Captain of the Super Eagles, Vincent Enyeama has told SportingLife that he was knocked to shape by coaches from Barcelona, Israel and Turkey and also surrendered the winning of the 2013 AFCON to almighty God.

    Soccer fans in South Africa have been amazed and thrilled by the awesome form of the Israel based goalkeeper who has been the stand-in Super Eagles Captain since Nigeria’s match against Ethiopia.

    He, however, confessed to SportingLife that it was as a result of hard one month training in the hands of coaches from Barcelona, Israel and Turkey that brought out the best in him in the on-going 2013 AFCON in South Africa.

    “I will give much credit to my coaches because I had coaches from Barcelona, Israel and Turkey they really helped me. We had one month training together before the commencement of the final build up for the Nations Cup,” he said.

    He also declared that he has never worried about rejection and condemnation from Nigerians most especially when he was not having good games since he is aware of the emotional attachment of Nigerians to football.

    “ It is not a new thing to be criticized by Nigerians. I was criticized before coming to the Nations Cup but I thank God for where we are today. I am used to this because I have played for this country for 11 years and I can tell how we react to matches and results. When you make a mistake my people will come down hard on you pom, pom, pom,” he said with laughter.

    He was also spiritual about Nigeria’s chances of winning the AFCON Trophy. “God is author and finisher of everything if He wishes us to win we will win, if not there is nothing we can do about it,” he added.

  • 2013 NATIONS CUP Beware of Saladin Said, Belgian coach warns Eagles

    2013 NATIONS CUP Beware of Saladin Said, Belgian coach warns Eagles

    BELGIAN coach Walter Meeuws has warned Nigeria and Zambia that his former player and Ethiopia star Saladin Said could shock them at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON).

    Meeuws told MTNFootball.com that Said could be one of the surprises in South Africa in January. “If the team play strong, Saladin Said has the skills to decide games for Ethiopia,” the former Wadi Degla coach said. “Saladin could become one of the surprises of the Nations Cup in January.

    “That depends of course also on the performance of the Ethiopian team because they are in a strong group with Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Zambia.”

    The Eagles have already seen what a force Said could be as he scored his team’s two goals in a 2012 Nations Cup qualifier in Addis Ababa before star-studded Nigeria fought back to draw 2-2.

    “He (Said) made a trial at Wadi Degla club in August 2011 and he gave a very good impression from the first moment,” said former Belgium international Meeuws. “I advised the club to take him and that resulted in a contract of three years.

    “Said is a very skilful player, technically strong, good speed and a good positioning as striker.

    “He reads very well the game and the last year he became stronger in both power and physical strength.”

    Ethiopia, who return to the Nations Cup for the first time since 1982, open their account in Group C against African champions Zambia on January 21 in Nelspruit.

  • NATIONS CUP BOOST KESHI CELEBRATES OSAZE’S RETURN

    NATIONS CUP BOOST KESHI CELEBRATES OSAZE’S RETURN

    •Player ready to fight for jersey

    •Baggies’ striker wants to win trophies for Eagles

    •22 Eagles battle for shirts against Venezuela

     

    SUPER EAGLES boss, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, has made further clarifications over reports in the media, quoting him as saying that West Brom striker, Peter Osaze Odemwengie, has said he will not play again for the national team.

    Keshi said Monday at the Bolton White Apartment camp of the national team, that his thoughts may have been misinterpreted, as the light skinned striker merely told him he was frustrated at the manner he had been treated in the past and fears a repeat, which he assured him will not arise.

    “What he told me was that after fighting so hard to qualify Nigeria for the South Africa 2010 World Cup, he was dumped on the bench when the tournament proper started and that he fears a repeat following the manner he was substituted in the qualifier against Rwanda in Kigali, which was under me. Well, I told him that if I had my way all the players who featured in that match should have been substituted but I had only three substitutions to make because we played poorly in the encounter.

    “He told me he understands my position and that he is now ready to return to the national team fold. We actually spoke for over one hour on Sunday (November 4), so there is actually nothing amiss about Osaze. He has said he will join others to come and fight for a shirt and that is the new rule in the national team,” Keshi said.

    Earlier on Sunday, team psychologist, Dr Robinson Okosun, has spent several minutes talking to Osaze on the news making the rounds and the former Bendel Insurance of Benin star said he remains one of the pillars of the national teams, who still has at least five years of active football to play and cannot at this point abandon the Super Eagles.

    “I want to win something with the national team and I think there can’t be a better time to achieve that than now,” he declared.

    Similarly, 22 players out of the 24 invited to camp sweated it out on Monday evening as the national team resumed preparation for the match against Venezuela in the United States on November 14. Only Rangers International’s Ejike Uzoenyi and Kano Pillars’ Gambo Mohammed who was part of the team that won a four-club invitational tourney in Niger Republic were still being expected.

    “We are happy at the turn out of players, the next step for them is to show that they can displace those based abroad and pick shirts not only for the friendly against Venezuela but the Nations Cup in South Africa and we are here to offer them the platform to prove themselves,” Keshi declared before Monday evening training in Abuja.