Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, has apologized to Nigerians over the team elimination from the ongoing African Nations Championship in Rwanda.
Guinea’s Syli Stars defeated Nigeria 1-0 in Ruvavu, Rwanda, on Tuesday, to progress alongside Tunisia to the tournament’s knock out stage.
“We apologize to Nigerians for this loss, we never planned to exit the tournament this early. The boys gave their best, “Oliseh said on his Twitter handle – Coach @SundayOOliseh.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria team B arrived Kigali on Friday afternoon ahead of their 2015 African Nations Championship which commences on Saturday.
Coach Sunday Oliseh including 23 player and back room staff departed Pretoria where they had 10-day preparation and played international friendlies against Angola and Cote d’Ivoire.
Nigeria team B will confront Niger Republic in their opening game on January 18 at the Stade Regional Nyamirambo on the outskirts of Kigali . The team will later tackle Tunisia and Guinea in Group C.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Saturday in Abuja said Head Coach Sunday Oliseh has named the Super Eagles B squad for the 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Rwanda.
The Federation, in a statement by its Assistant Director (Communications), Ademola Olajire, said the coach released the team’s final list of 23 players for the championship.
It said the list has goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa, defenders Austin Oboroakpo and Chima Akas, 2016 Olympic team midfielders Usman Mohammed and Yaro Bature, and forward Chisom Chikatara, among others.
“The list also has Enyimba International FC’s winger Ezekiel Bassey, former junior international Ifeanyi Mathew and Sunshine Stars’ trio of Paul Onobi, Prince Aggrey and Tunde Adeniji.
“Former junior international goalkeeper Femi Thomas, Shooting Stars’ central defender Jamiu Alimi and former Supersand Eagles’ ace Bartholomew Ibenegbu have also been included,’’ the statement said.
It further said the Eagles B team, alongside technical and backroom staff, left the country on Saturday afternoon for Cape Town in South Africa.
“There, the squad will stage a 10-day pre-Championship training camp, and play two friendly games against Angola and Cote d’Ivoire, who are also CHAN-bound on Jan. 6 and Jan. 11 respectively,’’ the statement said.
The Federation said further in the statement that coach Oliseh had arrived in South Africa ahead of the delegation.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nigeria’s Super Eagles B had finished third at the third edition of the African Nations Championship held in South Africa in 2014.
The Eagles will campaign in Group C of this year’s championship alongside 2011 winners Tunisia, Niger Republic and Guinea, with matches to be played at the Stade Regional Nyamirambo, Kigali.
The championship holds from Jan. 16 to Feb. 7.
The Full List:
Goalkeepers: Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Sunshine Stars); Olufemi Thomas (Enyimba International FC); Okiemute Odah (Warri Wolves)
Defenders: Austin Oboroakpo (Abia Warriors); Kalu Okogbue (Rangers International); Jamiu Alimi (Shooting Stars); Mathew Etim (Rangers); Chima Akas (Sharks FC); Stephen Eze (Sunshine Stars); Christopher Maichibi (Giwa FC); Samson Gbadebo (Lobi Stars)
Midfielders: Ifeanyi Mathew (El-Kanemi Warriors); Paul Onobi (Sunshine Stars); Usman Mohammed (FC Taraba); Yaro Bature (Nasarawa United); Bartholomew Ibenegbu (Warri Wolves); Ibrahim Salau (Shooting Stars)
Forwards: Osas Okoro (Rangers); Ezekiel Bassey (Enyimba); Tunde Adeniji (Sunshine Stars); Bright Onyedikachi (FC IfeanyiUbah); Chisom Chikatara (Abia Warriors); Prince Aggrey (Sunshine Stars).
President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick, has assured there is nothing to worry about on the health of Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh.
Oliseh has been down with a viral infection and did not join the Eagles training camp in Abuja ahead of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Rwanda, but Pinnick has maintained there is no cause for alarm.
“Sunday Oliseh is not feeling too well, but it is nothing to worry about and he is now undergoing theraphy and he will be sound soon. He’s still excited about the job of rebuilding the national team,” africanFootball.com quoted the NFF chief as saying on a television programme on Thursday.
Officials said Oliseh will join up with the team in Pretoria, South Africa.
Veteran footballer, John Fashanu, on Saturday described the current form of the Super Eagles as unimpressive.
Fashanu spoke to sports writers at the inauguration of the first ever Sports University in Idumuje-Ugboko, Aniocha North local government Area of Delta.
The ex- English international said Sunday Oliseh still has the challenge of turning the team around to make it a team to beat.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Fashanu urged Nigerians to be patient with the team.
He appealed to Nigeria’s football administrators to remain focused and give the needed direction to achieve the desired result.
“Super Eagles has not impressed me at all lately. I will not say the appointment of Oliseh was bad. It is a challenge because he has not had that position before.
“But we have to step up because the country now is moving backwards in FIFA rankings.
“We are at the lowest end, it has never been like that. That means somebody at the top must do something,’’ Fashanu said.
Victor Moses was left out of next month’s 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Swaziland because he skipped Nigeria’s recent friendlies in Belgium, a top soccer official told africanFootball.com.
Moses has impressed at West Ham, where is playing on loan from English Premier League giants, Chelsea, but angered coach Sunday Oliseh when he opted out of friendly matches against DR Congo and Cameroon as a precautionary measure against injury.
“Oliseh was far from happy with Victor Moses when he withdrew from the friendlies against DRC and Cameroon in Belgium and that was why he left him out of the squad,” the official who was with the Super Eagles in Belgium, told africanFootball.com
“The player cannot choose the games he will play for Nigeria.”
Moses and his handlers have always tried to stay clear of friendly matches involving national team, preferring for the player to only be called up for competitive games.
The West Ham forward was outstanding when Nigeria won a third African Nations Cup two years ago, but he has not featured for the Eagles for several months.
Lille goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama will head back to the Super Eagles’ training camp in Belgium on Saturday to meet with top officials of the Nigeria Football Federation over a major row with Sunday Oliseh, officials told africanFootball.com.
Enyeama left the Eagles’ camp for his France base on Thursday after Oliseh announced CSKA Moscow forward Ahmed Musa as the team’s new skipper.
The NFF president Amaju Pinnick and as his two vice-presidents – Seyi Akinwunmi and Shehu Dikko, are all in Belgium for the friendlies against Congo DR and Cameroon.
Enyeama, who has been the country’s skipper since Joseph Yobo retired from international football, has already announced his retirement from international football.
Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, has said he has been disappointed with “lies” by goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama over their major falling out in Belgium.
On Tuesday, Oliseh and Enyeama clashed at a team meeting during which CSKA Moscow forward, Ahmed Musa, was announced as new captain of the Eagles ahead of the Lille goalkeeper, who had been leading the team since Joseph Yobo retired from international football last year.
Oliseh said on a radio interview Friday morning the lies were aimed at assassinating his character.
The coach himself a former Eagles captain maintained he did not get the security to walk out the Lille goalkeeper and neither did he insult the player’s late mother.
“There is a level to how far you can go in character assassination by Enyeama. This is unheard of,” africanFootball.com quoted Oliseh as saying during the interview.
He equally narrated how he drove to France to discuss his coaching philosophy and ideas with Enyeama after he was appointed Super Eagles coach in July.
“I took him to lunch and shared my coaching philosophy with him.
“He was talking about retirement from the national team), which I didn’t like,” Oliseh added.
The coach also recalled that this is not the first time Enyeama has fell out with a national team coach.
“In 2008, he was dropped to second or third goalkeeper because of this and under Sammy (Siasia), he also had problems,” Oliseh said.
Super Eagles manager, Sunday Oliseh, has invited 19 home-based players for next month African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifying fixture against Burkina Faso.
The domestic lads are expected to commence camping in Port Harcourt on October 5, supersport.com reports.
Top joint-scorer in the ongoing Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), Tunde Adeniji is joined by Warri Wolves’ marksman, Gbolahan Salami, Solomon Kwambe, Idris Aloma, Usman Mohammed, Ezekiel Bassey and Bature Yaro.
There are also goalkeepers, David Obiazor and Okemute Odah, defenders Kalu Orji and Jamiu Alimi, former junior international midfielder, Ifeanyi Mathew and forwards, Dayo Ojo and Godwin Obaje.
All the invited players are expected to report in Port Harcourt on Monday ahead of the first leg clash against the Etalons at the Adokiye Amiesieamaka Stadium on October 18. The return leg fixture comes up in Ouagadougou on October 25.
All six home-based professionals who will be in Belgium with the mainstream squad for the two international friendlies against DR Congo and Cameroon, on October 8 and 11 respectively will join the 19 players on their return to the country on October 12.
These are goalkeepers Femi Thomas (Enyimba FC) and Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Sunshine Stars), defenders Chima Akas (Sharks FC) and Austin Oboroakpo (Abia Warriors), midfielder Paul Onobi (Sunshine Stars) and forward Prince Aggrey (Sunshine Stars).
The full list:
Goalkeepers: David Obiazor (Heartland FC); Okemute Odah (Warri Wolves)
Defenders: Kalu Orji (Enugu Rangers); Solomon Kwambe (Warri Wolves); Idris Aloma (Enyimba FC); Samson Gbadebo (Lobi Stars); Jamiu Alimi (Shooting Stars); Stephen Eze (Sunshine Stars)
Midfielders: Abdulrazaq Abdul (Enyimba FC); Ifeanyi Mathew (El-Kanemi Warriors); Usman Mohammed (FC Taraba); Bature Yaro (Nasarawa United); Osas Okoro (Enugu Rangers)
Forwards: Ezekiel Bassey (Enyimba FC); Gbolahan Salami (Warri Wolves); Godwin Obaje (Wikki Tourists); Tunde Adeniji (Sunshine Stars); Bright Onyedikachi (FC IfeanyiUbah); Dayo Ojo (Sunshine Stars)
A former Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Federation, Fanny Amun, has advised the Super Eagles coaching crew led by Sunday Oliseh to search for more players to strengthen the squad for subsequent matches.
Amun, who discovered the likes of Kanu Nwankwo, Celestine Babayaro and Wilson Oruma at the Japan 93 Fifa U-17 World Cup, was impressed with the performance of Carl Ikeme and advised Oliseh to discover more talents for the country.
“I would advise Oliseh to continue in the good way he has started most especially scouting for good and talented players which has now brought to lime light goalkeeper Carl Ikeme,” Amun told Goal.
“As a coach I am particularly happy about this because if you have abundant talents on ground blending won’t be a problem. Oliseh should go out of the shores and spend more time in Europe and other parts of the world where Nigerians are playing and bring them back home to form a solid national team.
“Whoever will believe that we have a player like Carl Ikeme waiting to be tapped in England and nobody has ever thought of giving him the call up before Oliseh did so.
“The solution is to search for new talents and I am in total support for Oliseh to go all out in search of quality new players for the Eagles. He should look inward too and what I mean by looking inward is that he should spread his tentacles and dragnets to the Golden Eaglets, the Flying Eagles and the U-23 national team to get as much as possible talents that would form a pool which he would work on to give Nigerians the team they would be proud of.
“For now as I see it there is no pressure on Oliseh in the qualifying race for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. As it is now the former coach Stephen Keshi commenced the race for him by picking the first three points and with the one he got in Dar es Salaam had made it four points in two matches.
“He just needs to work hard on the team and make sure the Super Eagles collect the three points at stake in their next home match. We will then stabilize and continue to fight till the end of the qualifiers where I am very hopeful that we will get the 2017 AFCON qualification ticket,” he concluded.