The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Oboabona

  • Oboabona celebrates CHAN Eagles bronze

    Oboabona celebrates CHAN Eagles bronze

    • Alludes success to NFF, Keshi

    Super Eagles defence ace and Rizesport of Turkey Trojan in the middle of the pack, Godfrey Oboabona, has saluted the resolute display of the all-home based national team at the just concluded CHAN African Nations tourney.

    “I just left the country a few months ago and many of the players were calling me in the course of the tournament to get inspiration and support. Some of them were even saying I should have been there but I saw most of the games and my colleagues like Azubuike Egwuekwe and Kunle Odunlami, were simply fantastic”.

    While congratulating continental ruling body; CAF for initiating the tournament, Oboabona said the NFF and Coach Stephen Keshi should be thanked for discovering players like himself and members of the CHAN Eagles, adding that there are still more players in the country waiting to be discovered.

    “The NFF has been supporting our coach and his programmes and that has been the reason why we have so many players of international standard from Nigeria.

    I trust that at the next tournament Nigeria will win it, even as most people rightly agreed that we were the best team at the CHAN tournament.”

    On his club career, Oboabona, said it has been fair so far on him, its tough but we are surviving it and I hope to put up a good display this weekend to celebrate the CHAN Super Eagles”, he declared.

  • Oboabona snubbed again

    Oboabona snubbed again

    Super Eagles defender Godfery Oboabona will again have to wait for another chance to make his long awaited competitive debut for Turkish side Rizespor as he was again left on the bench in his team’s 1-1 draw away to Galatasary on Saturday.

    While Nigeria football fans are worried and the media awash with different explanations on why the Eagles defender is constantly denied any playing time, Oboabona has come out to clear the air that there is no cause for alarm and that his time will ‘soon’ come.

    Meanwhile the vital away point secured against Didier Drogba’s Galatasary has temporarily taken Rizespor to the top of the log in the Turkish Super Lig.

    Rizespor now have 13 points from six matches while Michael Eneramo’s Besiktas who are second have 12 points albeit from four games.

  • CHAN: Keshi laments exit of Oboabona, others

    CHAN: Keshi laments exit of Oboabona, others

    Nigeria coach, Stephen Keshi, has said it will be a big task to raise a formidable squad for the CHAN after several players moved overseas.

    Keshi said he and his technical staff will now have to work harder to get a good team in three weeks for the competition, which kicks off on January 11.

    “We need to do a lot of work on the team. Most of them have gone, we have to get the team to go to South Africa and do well in three weeks. We must be ready. It is a big problem, but we must prepare well and be ready,” MTNFootball.com quoted Keshi as saying on a radio programme.

    The home-based Eagles had lost the services of the likes of Godfrey Oboabona (Rizespor, Turkey), Izu Azuka (Kahranmanmaspor, Turkey), Alhaji Gero (Sweden), Gomo Onduku (Romania), Tony Okpotu (Libya) and Chibuzor Okonkwo (Libya) among others.

    Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation General Secretary, Musa Amadu, has disclosed the team for the CHAN will not take a break for the Christmas.

    The team is likely to train in South Africa for at least 10 days before playing Mali in the opening group game on January 11.

    Hosts South Africa and Mozambique are the other teams in Nigeria’s first round group.

     

  • Emenike beats Oboabona in Turkey

    Emenike beats Oboabona in Turkey

    Emmanuel Emenike’s Fenerbahce emerged victorious when two Super Eagles players clashed in the Turkish Super League yesterday, as his Fenerbahce defeated Godfrey Oboabona’s Rizespor 2-1.

    Cameroonian striker, Leonard Kweuke gave Rizespor, who wereplaying at home, the lead after just 11 minutes.

    But the experienced visitors struck back in the injury time of the first half through Cristian Baroni, as both sides ended the half tied.

    But another Cameroonian international, Pierre Webo, who had come on as a 70th minute substitute, scored what proved to be the winner with seven minutes left.

    The win meant Fenerbahce pulled eight points clear at the top of the Lig with 35 points, while Rizespor slumped to 13th with 15 points.

    Emenike and Oboabona both played the full 90 minutes.

  • International friendly: Oboabona doubtful

    International friendly: Oboabona doubtful

    • Barzagli out

    Super Eagles defender Godfrey Oboabona is an injury doubt for today’s international friendly clash against the Azzurri of Italy after leaving Nigeria’s 2-0 win over Ethiopia on a stretcher on Saturday.

    On the Italians’ side, Juventus defender Andrea Barzagli is out of the game and at risk for Livorno after an injury against Germany.

    The centre-back limped off after clutching his thigh during Saturday night’s 1-1 international friendly at the San Siro.

    He was sent back to Turin rather than make the trip to London with the rest of the Azzurri side for tonight’s game against Nigeria.

    “Andrea Barzagli, who left the field towards the end of last night’s Italy v Germany game due to muscular discomfort in his left thigh, has undergone an MRI scan this afternoon in Turin which has revealed a pectineus muscle strain.

    “The extent of the injury will be assessed over the coming days,” read a statement from the Juventus website.

    Both sides have secured their place at next year’s FIFA World Cup, with this match offering them an opportunity to set the tone for next year.

    The respective mangers will be free to tinker with their line-ups in London as they begin preparations for Brazil.

    Nigeria will have to consider a replacement for Oboabona, while Italy will look to cover for Barzagli.

    The Super Eagles were unbeaten in all eight matches of their World Cup qualifying campaign. They topped Group F to set up a contest against Ethiopia in the mandatory playoffs.

    The men from west Africa won with a 4-1 aggregate score, after beating Ethiopia 2-1 away in the first leg and 2-0 in the return leg played on home-soil on Saturday. Goals by Victor Moses and Victor Obinna cemented their place in the showpiece.

    While Nigeria played their CAF play-off, the Azzurri tested themselves against Germany at the San Siro.

    AC Milan right-back Ignazio Abate cancelled Mats Hummels’ goal to secure a 1-1 draw and maintain Italy’s record of having not lost to the Germans since 1995.

  • No extra training for Oboabona

    No extra training for Oboabona

    Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi says he is happy with his first look at Godfrey Oboabona and does not envisage any additional training to get the defender in top shape to face Ethiopia this weekend.

    Oboabona has only played one competitive game since joining Turkish club Rizespor in the summer, but Keshi says he is confident the player is in good shape for the weekend.

    “We saw him train yesterday (Tuesday) and his intensity matched the other players. He is a quality player, we spoke about the situation yesterday and he assured me that he has played and will be ready. There is no need to give him any extra training, and we have three of four days to train until Saturday so he should be in good shape by then,” Keshi told KickOffNigeria.com.

    Nigeria’s first day of training on Tuesday was intense, and Keshi was pleased by the effort. “That is the only way we can survive in that weather condition. I like the fight and intensity shown by the players. If we can keep that up in Ethiopia, we will get a good result.

    “We are training at a time when it’s hot; the weather is a bit thin and humid so it is as close as possible to what we will get there. But these players know what is at stake and I don’t have to spell it out to them. We want to qualify for the World Cup, and we want to go to Ethiopia and get the kind of result that will aid us in that,” Keshi said.

  • Oboabona benched again in Turkey

    Oboabona benched again in Turkey

    Super Eagles centre half Godfrey Oboabona was on the losing side as Rizaspor suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Isaac Promise’s Antalyaspor on Sunday in a Turkey Super Lig week 7 encounter at the Yeni Rize Sehir Stadi.

    While Isaac Promise started and played all 90 minutes of the encounter, his compatriot Oboabona watched helplessly from the bench as his team-mates failed the visitors test.

    Senegalese forward Lamine Diarra gave Antalyaspor the lead on the half time mark but

    Rizaspor returned after the break to draw level 15 minutes after the break before

    former Liverpool man Milan Baros got on the score sheet late on to hand the visitors maximum points.

    Isaac Promise and his team-mates after Sunday’s victory are now placed 9 on the Super Lig table with nine points from seven league fixtures while Oboabona’s Rizaspor are six places above their visitors with 13 points.

     

  • Agents lied about Arsenal switch – Oboabona

    Agents lied about Arsenal switch – Oboabona

    Super Eagles defender, Godfrey Oboabona has lifted the lid on speculation that he was poised to join Barclays English Premier League club, Arsenal in the summer.

    Several reports had claimed that the 23-year-old was poised to join the Gunners in the summer but the centre half has now exclusively told supersport.com that agents made up stories about the purported transfer.

    “A lot of agents out there want Oboabona Godfrey as their player. I would not run after an agent that is close to a club like, say, Real Madrid just because it’s a big club,. Those (stories that I was on my way to Arsenal) were stories of agents and I don’t know anything about that,” he told supersport.com.

    Oboabona, who has already been capped 27 times at international level with Nigeria, is however not having much joy at Turkish Super Lig club, Rizespor following his switch from Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) club, Sunshine Stars in the summer.

    He has yet to play a single minute for Rizespor in the 2013/14 Super Lig season which is already five weeks old.

    “So far I have played two games for the club and even scored in one of the test matches.

    “ I did not do pre-season with the club and the manager (Riza Calimbay) is trying to see my potentials before he throws me in but so far they have been very professional in the way they treat me,” he said.

    Rizespor will face Galatasaray in the Super Lig on Saturday but it appears highly unlikely that the Nigerian will make his league debut against the star-studded Cimbom at the Türk Telekom Arena.

     

  • Oboabona: I’m happy at Ritzespur

    Oboabona: I’m happy at Ritzespur

    Super Eagles defence ace, Godfrey Oboabona has dispelled news making the rounds that he was not being featured at his new club because he can’t speak the Turkish language.

    Rather he says he is happy at Ritzespur FC in Turkey and has been well taken care of by the management of the club in the best possible way.

    “So far I have played two games for the club and even scored in one of the test matches but you will recall that I did not do pre-season with the club and the manager is trying to see my potentials before he throws me in but so far they have been very professional in the way they treat me.”

    Oboabona reveals that at times he will not be dressed for a game and yet he will be paid his match bonus. “That shows the amount of respect they have for me and I must say to all concerned Nigerians that I am very happy in Turkey.”

    Speaking further, the former Sunshine Stars of Akure captain, said at the moment the Turkish side has 13 foreign based players and only six can be dressed for games and most times he’s one of them. That he said should indicate that he has a bright future at the club. “I can confidently say that sooner than later I will become a regular at the club, I just pray against injuries,” he said.

  • CHAN 2014: Eagles won’t miss me – Oboabona

    CHAN 2014: Eagles won’t miss me – Oboabona

    Godfrey Oboabona has insisted Nigeria’s home-based team will do well even without him at next year’s Africa Nations Championship (CHAN).

    Nigeria have been grouped alongside hosts South Africa, Mali and Mozambique in the first round of the competition meant for players who feature at their local leagues.

    The former Sunshine Stars captain was an important part of the team who qualified for the competition for the first time, but he is no longer eligible to play in the competition following his recent transfer to Turkish club Rizespor.

    “Eagles won’t miss me, they will do well at CHAN without me. The team was not all about me, we have a lot of great players in the Nigeria league. I am sure they will do well,” Oboabona told MTNFootball.com.

    In the meantime, Oboabona has told MTNFootball.com his inability to speak Turkish was not the reason why he has yet to make his debut for Rizespor and he said he believes he will soon get his chance with his new Turkish team.

    “There is no truth that my inability to speak Turkish is responsible for me not to have debut for Rizespor. I can’t say why but I am sure God’s time is the best, I will soon get my chance to play. There are a lot of players who don’t speak Turkish and they are playing in here in Turkey.” Oboabona told MTNFootball.com.

    “All the same, I am learning Turkish just to be able to communicate better with my Turkish team mates.”