The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ready

  • AFCON 2013: Onigbinde ready to help Keshi

    Adegboye Onigbinde has offered to play an advisory role to the Super Eagles for the 2013 AFCON. The former Nigeria head coach explained that he is ready to give Stephen Keshi any form of help to ensure that the Super Eagles do well at the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa next year.

    “At this point, all hands must be on deck to help the team do well at the Nations Cup in South Africa next year. In my own capacity, and should I be asked for help, I’m willing to offer myself for service. Stephen Keshi has done a fantastic job with the team so far and if he needs advice I’m always open to help him and his team,” said the former 3SC sole administrator.

    “We missed the Cup of Nations the last time but made it this time.

    “It’s another chance for the national team to go there and make an impact on the continent. The Nations Cup won’t be a stroll in the park this time as the gap between the big and small nations continue to narrow with each passing year.

    “I believe preparation for the competition should start in earnest and once the draws are made there’s the need to identify everything about our opponents. I believe Keshi already has his plans mapped out for the Nations Cup.”

    Nigeria’s Super Eagles are in Pot 2 ahead of the AFCON draws billed for Durban, South Africa on October 24. Keshi’s men are likely to face one of hosts, South Africa, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana or defending champions, Zambia, who are seeded in Pot 1.

  • We are ready for Eagles’ call — Heartland’s duo tell Keshi

    We are ready for Eagles’ call — Heartland’s duo tell Keshi

    Heartland of Owerri duo of Kingsley Udoh and Brendan Ogbu have declared their readiness to storm the Super Eagles’ camp slated to commence on September 30th with high spirits.

    Udoh was the assistant captain when the Golden Eaglets won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Korea in 2007 and was an integral part of the Austin Eguavoen led Dream Team V that crashed out in Morocco during the CAF U-23 Championships meant for the Olympic Games but has stepped up his game in the colours of the Naze Millionaires despite injury concerns.

    On his part, Brendan Ogbu was in superb form for Enugu Rangers last season and this fetched him a lucrative deal with Heartland. Ogbu though didn’t live up to his standard in terms of goals ratio owing to injuries but few occasions he donned the Naze Millionaires attire he helped the team with crucial eye-catching goals including the last minute header that handed the 2012 Federation Cup to his club against Lobi Stars.

    While reacting to their call ups to the Eagles, both expressed their joy and their mindset to battle it out with others to get among those to be considered for selection for the few available slots to the Liberia tie.

    Udoh said: “I am thrilled with this invitation and I hope to make best use of it to cement my place in the Eagles. I am not actually new to the Eagles because I had been in and out under Eguavoen as caretaker coach then but under Keshi I am hoping to do my best and prove that I still have the potential to make it big for the senior national team.”

    “I am short of words to react to this invitation now presently but I am overwhelmed with emotions and will be going to the camp with so much motivation to grab one of the shirts,” Ogbu said.

    “I didn’t play too many games this past season owing to injuries but I am fully fit now and ready for this new phase of my career.”

    Udoh and Ogbu will battle it out with other 21 players from NPL and 15 foreign based.

  • We’re ready for Ondo poll, says INEC

    We’re ready for Ondo poll, says INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday said it has put machinery in motion to ensure that the October 20 governorship election in Ondo State is free and fair.

    The electoral body confirmed that 1,654,205 legible voters who registered for the last 2011 general elections will be participating in the poll.

    The INEC Director of Voters Registration, Mr. Emmanuel Akem, spoke in Akure, the state capital, at the public presentation of soft copies of the voters’ register to the 13 political parties that are participating in the election.

    The INEC director explained that the female represented 50.10 per cent and the male 49.80 per cent of the electorate.

    Akem said the voters’ register statistic showed that the students’ category has over 400,000 eligible voters.

    He said: “The total number of persons registered during the 2011 voter registration in Ondo State is 1,654,205. The Addendum figure is 7,539, while the voters’ figure is now 1,646,666. Female voters carry the majority 50.10 per cent and the Male, 49.80 per cent.”

    The Residential Electoral Commissioner (REC) Akin Orebiyi said INEC has provided enough logistics to ensure that its officials are not compromised during the poll.

    He assured that electoral materials would arrive various units across the state before 8am to prevent irregularities.

    Orebiyi said: “We are assuring all the good people of the state that the election materials will arrive various polling units very early. INEC will commence the distribution of voting materials by Friday morning which will be on October 19, and before the night all the materials will have been in all the units.

    “All Party Agents, INEC officials and the security agents are expected to monitor all this material from the INEC office to the various units”

    Orebiyi urged all 13 political parties to study the voter register carefully, adding that INEC cannot be the watchdog alone.

    “We should check the register carefully and ensure that it is not tampered with. Every single person who registered in 2011 voter registration exercise will have the rights to participate during the election. INEC is ready for Ondo State Poll.

    The REC urged the political parties to summit the forms of their polling agents before October 12, stressing that the electoral body is trying to guard against the movement of unauthorised people during the Election Day.

    “We must account for every single political party agent that is why we have produce forms for them and they are expected to submit them before October 12, with two passports each.

    At the units level, each of the political parties will present 2007 agents, 203 ward agents, 18 in each local government, and one each at state level.”