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  • Flamingoes must play quality matches before World Cup — NFF

    Flamingoes must play quality matches before World Cup — NFF

    • Says ties with Ghana’s Black Maidens not yet sealed

    In order to actually test the might of the Flamingoes, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has expressed that the country’s U17 women’s national team will play lots of friendly matches with local clubs before they will jet out for a foreign tour ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

    The Flamingoes have China, Mexico and Colombia to contend with in a rather cagey Group D encounters in March this year.

    The country’s representatives barely kicked a ball before cruising to an Africa record fourth outing at the World tournament slated for Costa Rica between March 15th and April 4th. The Flamingoes share that record with Ghana that have also played at every edition of the U17 World Cup since 2008 in New Zealand.

    Nigeria qualified alongside South Africa for the second round because they were termed the top teams. In the second round, the Flamingoes were billed to play South Sudan before they pulled out ostensibly to dodge an heavy defeat from the Nigerians.

    It is in the light of this that a top official of the NFF, Barrister Christopher Green told SportingLife that the Glass House would subject the Flamingoes to series of friendly matches with Nigerian clubs to ascertain the quality of team before embarking on any foreign tour.

    Barrister Green also corrected the media hype that the NFF had already concluded a two-legged international friendly match for the Flamingoes with the Black Maidens of Ghana. The former Sharks of Port Harcourt Secretary said that the games are still being worked out and that they are not yet finalised.

    Barrister Green noted that the Flamingoes would have been passed fit to represent the country first based on their outings with local clubs before they could be allowed to play international matches.

    “The Flamingoes have not been tested by the NFF reckoning. We cannot assume that we have a team yet when they qualified for the World Cup without any competitive match. They will resume camp shortly and will be made to play a lot of friendly matches with local clubs before we can consider taking them out of the country for friendly matches.

    “The ties with Ghana are one of the possibilities. We have not concluded with that yet. We have also submitted proposals to some countries to enable them have training tour and the feedback we have been getting from these countries has been marvellous,” Green said.

    The Flamingoes exited the FIFA U17 World Cup at the quarter-final stage in Azerbaijan two years ago despite being the overwhelming favourites to lift the trophy. They lost on penalty shootout to eventual winners France in 2012. The squad then led by coach Peter Devdevbo had earlier beaten Azerbaijan 13-0 in one of the group matches before the surprise loss to France.

  • Jan 4 International friendly- NFF gives Ethiopia Thursday deadline

    Jan 4 International friendly- NFF gives Ethiopia Thursday deadline

    The possibility of the much talked about international friendly match between the Home based Eagles and their Ethiopian counterpart appears to be hanging in the balance after officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) failed to confirm a definite date for the game that was originally slated for the Abuja national stadium on January 4, 2014.

    SportingLife gathered that all efforts made by the football house to get information from the Ethiopia football federation as to when they would arrive the country yesterday was to no avail as no official from the East Africa country responded to the spirited calls from Nigeria.

    Speaking to SportingLife on phone from Abuja, NFF Secretary General, Musa Ahmadu revealed that if the federation fails to get any response from the Ethiopians by tomorrow, then, they would have no other option than to cancel the friendly since time was no longer on the side of the team.

    “Several calls were made to the the Ethiopia football federation but we didn’t get any feedback. After making the last call at about 8pm, we took the decision to give them up till tommorrow to make up their mind on whether the friendly would hold or not”

    Ahmadu also disclosed that Kano Pillars, the Nigerian Premier League champions that the Eagles forced to a 2-2 draw last Monday,have been placed on standby to play the Home Eagles on January 7 in case the Ethiopians fail to honour the friendly.

    “We have made back up arrangement for the team knowing fully well that we are running out of time. The Eagles were already scheduled to play the second leg of the friendly against Pillars and therefore if the Ethiopians disappoint us, we simply go ahead with the Pillars game on January 7,”he said

  • Elegbeleye, Maigari sure of World Cup qualification

    Elegbeleye, Maigari sure of World Cup qualification

    The Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Gbenga Elegbeleye and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Aminu Maigari are confident the Super Eagles would emerge victorious in the two legged play-off of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers against the Walyas Antelopes of Ethiopia already slated for October and November this year.

    “We at the National Sports Commission are confident that the Super Eagles team is a team with quality players and coach Stephen Keshi has really transformed the team to a formidable side so I believe we can get results in the two legs that will be enough for us to get the qualification ticket for next year’s World Cup in Brazil.

    “Like I said before the Eagles must and should take the Ethiopians very seriously but I don’t believe they can stop us the National Sports Commission as usual will ensure the Nigeria Football Federation is adequately supported to get this qualification ticket for the over 170 million Nigerians”, Elegbeleye told SportingLife at the weekend.

    The NFF boss is also expressing optimisms as regards Eagles last two matches in the ongoing 2014 World Cup qualifiers. He said the Federations has already put the machinery in motion to ensure Nigeria do not miss the chance to be among the teams that would represent Africa in the world’s biggest football competition.

    “We will ensure that the list of the players to prosecute the first leg of the qualifiers away to Ethiopia comes out early as a way of having enough time to prepare for the crucial match most especially the first match away to Ethiopia. We believe that good preparation is key to winning the match so that the return would not be too difficult to win. So the NFF is putting everything in place to ensure that Nigeria qualifies for the 2014 World Cup.

    “I am also using this opportunity to solicit for support and prayers for the team all Nigerians and most importantly we need full support of the Federal Government through the National Sports Commission for the task to be easier for us”, Maigari told SportingLife.

  • NFF backs Mba’s move to Bastia

    NFF backs Mba’s move to Bastia

    • Denies plan to hire fitness trainer for Eagles

    Obviously bereft of options, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) may have given tacit backing to Sunday Mba’s purported move to French side,Bastia barely two weeks to the Eagles first match at the third edition of CHAN holding in South Africa.

    The Eagles CHAN camp was thrown into pensive mood on Thursday after news emanated that the 2013 Nations Cup hero would travel to France to tie up contractual agreements with Bastia,leaving coach Stephen Keshi with what appears like a depleted team.

    With the earlier departure of another key member of the Home Eagles, Godfrey Obaobona to Turkey last summer, many thought that the NFF should have prevailed on the Warri Wolves star to put the country first but an NFF executive committee member, Emeka Inyama has shed more light on why the federation was left with little or no option on the transfer.

    Inyama,who is also the chairman of the NFF’s media sub committe, told SportingLife on phone that Mba’s issue was a delicate one which reqiured an approach that would not jeorpardise his career and that’s why the football house decided not to discourage him from seeking the proverbial greener pastures.

    Inyama said if the NFF had insisted Mba goes to CHAN with the Eagles,the January transfer window would have closed by the time the tournament ends and that means he would have to wait till June next year for another transfer window to actualise his dream of playing in Europe.

    “We took the player’s future into consideration because I don’t think it’s fair to insist he plays in CHAN when has an opportunity to make progress in Europe. Besides,if he misses this January transfer window, the next time he may have the chance to get a transfer would be around June next year,”Inyama,who is equally the chairman of newly promoted Premier League side, Abia Warriors said.

    “Moreover, nobody prays for injury,what if Mba goes to CHAN and gets injured.What happens to him? Obviously, he may never forgive anybody who stood between his move to Bastia.Therefore, it was a wise decision to allow him go to further his career.”

    He also admitted that much as Keshi would have wanted his best players to be on the flight to South Africa, he really has no other option than to use the players that are available now.

    “Yes, Keshi has faced several hurdles while preparing this team for CHAN but the reality is that he has to use the players that are in camp for this tournament.The NFF would not stand in the way of any player that wants to move outside the country to further his career as long as such moves follow due proceedure.”

    Inyama also debunked speculations that went viral earlier this week about the NFF planning to hire a fitness trainer for the Super Eagles and other national teams.

    “Keshi is in charge of the Super Eagles and to the best of our knowledge he has not requested for the services of any fitness trainer. It is the figment of the imagination of anybody who is peddling such rumour.The issue of a fitness trainer is not in the agenda of the NFF whether now or in the future,”Inyama said.

  • Brazil 2014: NFF seeks fitness trainer for Eagles

    Brazil 2014: NFF seeks fitness trainer for Eagles

    The Nigeria Football Federation is set to hire a fitness trainer for the World Cup in Brazil, officials have disclosed.

    The body has therefore started shopping for such a fitness trainer in time for Brazil 2014.

    According to a top source at the NFF, the fitness trainer will work across board with all the national teams.

    “We realised that one of the secrets that saw our U-17 team through at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in United Arab Emirates was fitness,” a top official told MTNFootball.com

    “And as such we want to ensure that all our national teams could play for 120 minutes without wearing out.

    “You know in Brazil a lot of things would count and it would be survival of the fittest.

    “We don’t have a time frame or a preferred nationality of this trainer, we just want the best for the national teams.”

    None of the national teams in the country has a fitness trainer.

    In the 90s, the Eagles drafted members of the armed forces to drill them into full fitness.

     

     

  • National teams will have befitting outings in 2014 -Maigari

    National teams will have befitting outings in 2014 -Maigari

    The President, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Aminu Maigari, on Monday said that the body was conceiving a strategy that would ensure a befitting outings for national teams in 2014.

    Maigari told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone that the strategy was aimed at ensuring that national teams remained consistent and progressive with their performances. He said that the body had directed the Super Eagles’ technical crew to submit its action plan for 2014.

    “There is no doubt that this has been a remarkable year for us, but we do not want it to end just there. It must be continuous. We have developed a short, medium and long term plan in order to achieve our objectives, not only for the Super Eagles but for all our national teams,” Maigari said.

    He said that the NFA was doing its best to ensure that Super Eagles would play some `Grade A’ friendly matches before the 2014 World Cup.

    “We have advanced in many ways with our teams, and we will do well as a body to take the country’s football to its pinnacle in the nearest future. We are not relenting because this dream is not just ours but the collective desire of Nigerians as stakeholders who expect the best from our football teams.

    “I must express my deep appreciation to Nigerians and, of course, the media for the role they played in shaping our thoughts positively at critical moments. We must collectively work hand-in-hand again in 2014,” the NFA president said.

    Maigari said that Nigeria’s victories in 2013 gave the federation an insight into how it could successfully execute its plans for 2014. He expressed confidence that Super Eagles would soar high at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil slated to hold from June 12 to July 13, 2014.

  • NFF: No yuletide break for Falconets

    From Tunde Liadi,Owerri

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has hinted that there won’t be any yuletide break for the country’s U20 side nicknamed the Falconets ahead of their third round FIFA U20 World Cup qualifying match against South Africa in January next year.

    The Falconets thrashed Tunisians U20 side 4-0 in the second leg of their second round tie played in Tunis on Sunday to get the berth to the third round 8-0 on aggregate. They had earlier beaten Sierra Leone 16-0 on aggregate in the first round.

    With barely a fortnight to the first leg of the third round encounter against South Africa billed for January 11th, 2014 at the Abuja National Stadium, the NFF has stated that the Falconets need total concentration ahead of the clash.

    The South Africans whitewashed Tanzania 9-1 on aggregate also to get to this stage after they had also eliminated Botswana 7-2 on aggregate in the first round.

    The NFF’s Director of Competitions, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi told SportingLife that the players will resume preparations immediately the team arrives from Tunisia because of the nearness of the first leg of the third round fixture where the Falconets need to win well at home before negotiating the second leg tie in Johannesburg.

    Nigeria’s U20 side have played in all the editions of the U-20 Women’s World Cup since inception in 2002 with their best performance being in 2010 in Germany when they got to the final before losing 2-0 to the hosts in Dresden. They were led to that competition by current Pelican Stars’ gaffer, Adet Egan.

    The Falconets were also semi-finalists last year in Japan. They lost the third place match to the hosts on that occasion too.

    Equatorial Guinea and Ghana will battle for the second African slot to the U20 World Cup in the third round after they eliminated their second round opponents with relatively ease over the weekend.

    Ghana never kicked any ball because their foes Uganda withdrew and were subsequently walked over while equatorial Guinea who have two African Women’s Championship(AWC) titles already at the senior level thrashed Zambia 6-0 on aggregate on set up the clash with their West Africans.

    The first and the second leg take place in the weekend of January 10th-12th and 24th-26th, 2014 respectively.

    Nigeria’s Falconets and the Black Princesses of Ghana represented Africa in Japan in 2012.

  • Lack of sponsorship for Supersand Eagles worries NFF

    The Chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)’s Beach Soccer League Committee, Suleiman Kwande, has expressed regret over the inability of the NFF to get sponsors for the national Beach Soccer team, Supersand Eagles.

    The coach Audu Adamu-led team got another trophy for their cabinet by winning this year’s edition of the COPA Lagos Beach Soccer tournament for the third time at the Eko Atlantic Stadium on Sunday.

    The Supersand Eagles, who have always felt neglected by the NFF, held an open protest over their unpaid fees shortly after beating Lebanon 10-9 in their second game and even threatened to boycott their last game against Senegal.

    Kwande, who spoke with NationSport after Nigeria’s second game, said it is hight time the federation gave more attention to the Supersand team.

    “Being number one in Africa and number four in the world and these guys don’t have a league that they play in, I will commend their efforts,” begins Kwande who is also a member of the NFF’s Executive Committee.

    “To be honest with you, you could see the way they were dragging me, they are not happy. Today’s game (against Lebanon) should have been a game they should have won hands down, but the condition in which they find themselves, they are not really too happy. I think what we do at the federation is that we lay too much emphasis on the Super Eagles, the Under-17 and others.

    “This COPA Beach soccer, it’s not long that we started playing it and now we are now number one in Africa and God willing we are going to win the title again for the third time. And the boys are not really themselves and I feel bad. I’m the chairman and I really think if we cannot explore other avenues, we can maybe defer it to another time. But we can’t keep them in camp.

    “You can see the way they are looking and I don’t even know what to tell them. I was trying to find a way to escape to my hotel, but after looking at their faces, I had to go and meet them and talk to them. You can’t be begging someone when sun is beating him.

    “So, I just pray we win tomorrow and when we win, I will forward some recommendations to the federation, we need to get sponsors honestly.

    “There is a marketer that wants to start the Beach Soccer League, we’ve been making efforts towards getting sponsors but it has not been forthcoming. And if you don’t get a sponsor, and with the way everything is going with the shortfall in money at the federation, and you know Nigerians, if it is not Super Eagles it is not Super Eagles, they don’t want to know any Sand Eagles as long as it is not Super Eagles.

    “But the Sand Eagles are also Nigerians. These boys have been to the World Cup and have been doing their thing. I was with them in Italy, they’ve not gotten funds. So we should make a choice, though I shouldn’t be talking like this because I’m a member of the board , but when you see something you just have to talk”, he said.

  • Why Supersand Eagles threatened NFF at Copa

    Why Supersand Eagles threatened NFF at Copa

    Nigeria’s Supersand Eagles threatened to boycott their last game against Senegal at the just-ended 2013 Copa Lagos Beach Soccer tournament over unpaid fees.

    Supersport.com exclusively reported that the players held on an open protest shortly after the side beat Lebanon 10-9 in their second encounter at this year’s competition on Saturday.

    The players accused the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) of unfair treatment claiming that they would not honour their last game against African champions, Senegal on Sunday unless something was done immediately.

    “I can’t imagine that this is a national team with the way the NFF are treating us, they are treating us like slaves because they don’t care about us at all.

    “Since we’ve been on ground here in Lagos for this competition, we have not been given a dime as we all carter for ourselves.

    “This is not the first time that we’ve gotten such treatment from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and I think you would remember how we were disgraced in Dubai when we had no money to pay again for our accommodation. We are all grown up men with families and all the NFF would say is that they have no money to give us.

    “They are even thinking of disbanding the team which would be a national disgrace if such happens. We would not play our last game today (Sunday) unless the NFF comes out to appreciate our efforts,” one of the Sand Eagles’ players angrily revealed to supersport.com before their 4-2 victory over Senegal.

    It would be recalled that the NFF had whined that they were in dire straits as far as their financial resources were concerned. Efforts to speak with the president, Aminu Maigari proved futile as he could not be reached on phone.

    The Supersand Eagles lifted the trophy on Sunday after topping their group with nine points from three matches at this year’s Copa Lagos Beach Soccer championship.

  • Copa:Beach Eagles threaten NFF

    Copa:Beach Eagles threaten NFF

    Members of Nigeria’s Supersand Eagles have threatened to boycott their last game against Senegal at the ongoing 2013 Copa Lagos Beach soccer tournament over unpaid fees.

    Supersport.com reports that the players held an open protest shortly after beating Lebanon 10-9 in their second encounter at this year’s competition on Saturday.

    The players accused the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) of unfair treatment, claiming that they would not honour their last game against African champions, Senegal on Sunday unless something is done immediately.

    “I can’t imagine that this is a national team with the way the NFF is treating us, the body is treating us like slaves because the officials don’t care about us at all.

    “Since we’ve been on ground here in Lagos for this competition, we have not been given a dime and we all took care of ourselves.

    “This is not the first time that we’ve gotten such treatment from the NFF and I think you would remember how we were disgraced in Dubai when we had no money to pay for our accommodation.

    “We are all grown up men with families and all the NFF would say is that there is no money to give us.

    “The football body is even thinking of disbanding the team which would be a national disgrace if such happens. We would not play our last game today (Sunday) unless the NFF comes out to appreciate our efforts,” one of the’ players told supersport.com