The Nation Newspaper

Tag: revenge

  • CHAN 2014 final: Libya target revenge

    CHAN 2014 final: Libya target revenge

    The last time the Libyan national side played in a continental tournament final was at home during the 1982 Africa Cup of Nations. Their opponents on that 19th of March in the 11 June Stadium in Tripoli were none other than the Black Stars of Ghana. This is just the beginning of the ironic clash of the two teams who contest the 3rd African Nations Championship final at Cape Town Stadium today.

    In the 1982 AFCON finals both sides were in the same group and played the opening match which ended in a 2-2 draw. At this year’s CHAN the two sides have been in the same group (C) based in Bloemfontein and played out a 1-1 draw in their group match. George Alhassan put the Blacks stars in front after 35 minutes but Libya hit back with Ali Al-Beshari and the match ended in a 1-1 draw. Ghana would triumph 7-6 on penalties to claim their fourth championship leaving hosts Libya disconsolate at home and thirty-two (32) years later the Mediterranean Knights and the Black Stars play each other in another continental final. With this trail of similarities what are the odds of history repeating itself one might ask?

    Coach Javier Clemente will be forced to make changes to fill in for defender Osama Ghit and striker Abdelrahman Fetori who both sit out the final dues to suspension after yellow card accumulation. Clemente admitted the Mediterranean Knights had ridden their luck in the semi-final against Zimbabwe and will be hoping that good fortune carries on.

    Libya will host the 2017 AFCON finals and the Spaniard is assembling a team with that tournament in mind. Reaching CHAN final will certainly have gone someway in justifying the work and time he and his squad have invested in the project for 2017.

    Their focus for now will be to derail Ghana who contested and lost the first CHAN final in 2009. Ghana will probably start out as favorites but Libyans enjoys that role of being underdogs and will be aiming to upset Ghana, “This is football anything can happen, we will prepare well and battle hard and see what the outcome will be. We are prepared for and will accept the outcome whatever it is. It is simple a great joy and achievement that we have reached the final, of course we want to win it but even if we don’t it has been a great tournament for us,” said Bazina

  • Tahiti eyes revenge against Eagles

    Tahiti eyes revenge against Eagles

    TAHITI’S Teheivarii Ludivion has said that its revenge mission for them as they lock horns against Nigeria’s Super Eagles in today’s FIFA Confederations Cup tie in Belo Horizonte.

    Ludivion while speaking with FIFA stated that: “It’s fantastic to be playing the Nigerians in our opening game. It gives us a chance for revenge. And we’ll be able to see if we’ve made any progress,” said the defender.

    “I remember a particularly powerful and very lively team. They impressed me at that level. I’d like to think we can do better than we did four years ago, ” he continued, hopeful there will be no repeat of the 5-0 loss of 2009, which had the dubious distinction of being Tahiti’s best result in Egypt.

    “The objective and the pre-match advice we’ve been given are the same: defend. That’s the key word. We’ll see as the match develops if we have a chance of getting anything from it,” said the rangy centre-half.

    “I wasn’t the same footballer after the U-20 World Cup. A competition like that changes you. Undoubtedly, the experience we gained over there helped us to get to where we are today. And perhaps it also enables us to face what’s coming with more confidence.”

    Ludivion was one of five players in Eddy Etaeta’s squad to break new ground by competing at the prestigious youth event in Egypt. Heimano Bourebare, Steevey Chong Hue, Alvin Tehau and Lorenzo Tehau accompanied him on the north African adventure, which concluded with a group-stage defeat to Nigeria, as fate would have it.

  • NFF warns Eaglets against revenge

    NFF warns Eaglets against revenge

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has warned players of the national Under-17 team, the Golden Eaglets not to think of revenge when they face Ivory Coast’s under-17s in the final of the 2013 African Under-17 Championship today.

    The Golden Eaglets lost 0-1 to the Junior Elephants in the preliminaries; their only defeat thus far in the competition and with both sides meeting again in the showpiece game today, there have been whispers in some quarters that the Nigerian side will be looking to exact revenge on their West African neighbours.

    The NFF, through its technical committee chairman, Barrister Christopher Green however feels that would not be the right approach.

    “They cannot start thinking about revenge. The loss in the group stages was painful but at this age, it’s not just all about winning.

    “The players are in the formative stages of their careers so such thoughts will not be going in line with what we want them to achieve.

    “Of course, we want the title but the ultimate ambition is to see these boys still playing for the senior national team in years to come,” Green told supersport.com.

    Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets have scored an astonishing 17 goals in four matches in the competition.

    The Ivorians are the only side yet to concede against the Golden Eaglets.

  • FALCONS VS LIONESSES: We want revenge, says Ikhana

    FALCONS VS LIONESSES: We want revenge, says Ikhana

    Super Falcons head coach Kadiri Ikhana has declared that the team will defeat The Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon in their opening game of the African Women’s Championship (AWC).

    The Cameroonian side defeated the Falcons on penalties in the 2nd leg of the London 2012 Olympics qualifiers, a defeat that meant the Nigerians failed to qualify for the Olympics for the first time since women’s football was introduced in the Olympic Games.

    “The loss to Cameroon is still fresh in our memory and it will remain there until we defeat them in a big tournament like this,” said Ikhana.

    Ikhana had coached the men’s national U-23 side and will make his debut in his first ever AWC as a coach when he leads the Falcons onto the field today against Cameroon, an experience he says he is looking forward to.

    “I am excited to be here and I am looking forward to the challenges of a big tournament like this. However, I will be more excited when Nigeria lifts the trophy on November 11. I am concentrating more on the tournament itself and ensuring that the women are ready for the task ahead.”

    The Falcons have had three training sessions since arriving in Equatorial Guinea on Thursday night, their third session being at the Nkoantoma Stadium in Bata yesterday, to have a feel of the pitch ahead of their game against Cameroon today by 2.30pm.

    “The team has responded very well in training. The motivation from the Nigeria Football Federation has lifted their spirit and emotions, and they are ready to face Cameroon.”

    Ikhana went further to ask for support from all Nigerians as the team prepares to defend the title won in South Africa in 2010.

    “We need the spiritual support of all Nigerians and they should also believe that we are here to do them proud.”

  • Ideye dreams Porto revenge

    Ideye dreams Porto revenge

    Super Eagles and Dynamo Kiev forward, Brown Aide Ideye is looking forward to paying back Porto with a defeat when they visit Kiev for the reverse fixture of Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League 3-2 defeat on November 6.

    The Nigeria international, who momentarily levelled scores for Dynamo at 2-2 in the second half, told SportingLife that he was looking forward to improving on his performance after the loss at Dragao stadium.

    “Yes, it was a painful loss after coming back at 2-2 but that’s football for you. Hopefully, we are going to pay them back when they come for the return leg. On my part, I will keep working hard and ensure I score more goals for both club and country,” added Ideye who has now scored 13 goals in all competitions.

    Speaking on the outcome of the match, Porto coach Vitor Pereira said: “Our first half was quality but, although in the second we were not as strong, we achieved our goal. We grabbed nine points from the first three matches in the Champions League, it’s not any team that does that”.

    Ideye and pals will however take little heart from becoming the first team to score against Porto at the Dragao stadium this season in all competitions.

    Dynamo Kiev are third on three points while Paris St Germain are second in the group with six points after a 2-0 win at Dinamo Zagreb. Zagreb are on zero.