The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Super Eagles

  • Eagles will deliver in Ndola – Rohr

    Eagles will deliver in Ndola – Rohr

    Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr, has expressed optimism that the team would deliver in Sunday’s 2018 World Cup qualifier against Zambia in Ndola.

    Rohr said during the team’s interactive session with journalists on Friday in Abuja that Nigeria would get an outright victory over the Chipolopolo in the encounter.

    He said Nigeria was blessed with abundant talents and assured that the players presently in camp were capable of defeating any team.

    The German tactician revealed that Arsenal forward, Alex Iwobi, would lead the Eagles’ attack against the Zambians on Sunday.

    He assured that as professionals, the players would adapt to the bad playing pitch in Ndola.

    “We have six new players and three will perhaps start the game,” the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted Rohr as saying to journalists on Friday.

    “You know that a player like Iwobi was injured last time but we all know that he is a good player and I hope his integration in the team will produce result in Ndola.

    “The training has been good and we try to help and bring him into the team, he knows how we played in Uyo and we cannot change tactically because the time is short.

    “We have other strategies but similar to what we did in Uyo, and I count on Iwobi to help us win the game in Ndola.

    “We must avoid the mistake in Uyo where we had 27 shots on goal but converted only one and this means that we must have a good attack and players who can score.”

    He also said the technical crew had watched the latest video of the Zambian national team.

  • Buhari approves funds for Eagles World Cup qualifier

    Buhari approves funds for Eagles World Cup qualifier

    The Minister of Youths and Sports, Solomon Dalung, on Thursday said President Muhammadu Buhari has approved funds needed for the Super Eagles to prosecute Sunday’s World Cup qualifier in Zambia.

    Dalung, who disclosed this in Abuja, said the ministry and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) were having financial challenges.

    “This situation brought about the need to approach President Buhari for financial assistance,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted the minister as saying on the issue.

    Nigerian meets Zambia in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Ndola, Zambia, on Sunday.

    Dalung assured that  Super Eagles is ready for the Zambian challenge despite the financial difficulties.

    “We are prepared for the Zambia game. I will be travelling with the team to give the players moral and physical support as they kick-start their campaign,” he said.

  • Eagles can’t stop our World Cup ambition – Zambian coach

    Eagles can’t stop our World Cup ambition – Zambian coach

    With just 48 hours to the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Zambia’s Chipolopolo, the coach of the southern nation, Wedson Nyirenda says they are poised to pick the sole slot from the group which has the continent’s powerhouses – Nigeria, Algeria and Cameroon.

    The coach told The Post of Zambia that having put the AFCON miss behind them as their ultimate aim is to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in Zambia’s history.

    “We just have to qualify. I have always said even if we are building the team, we have to qualify for the World Cup for the first time. The arrival of professionals has boosted morale in the team, we are looking good with the brotherliness I am seeing in the team. We are going to maintain Rainford Kalaba as captain,” Nyirenda said.

    He however, insisted that Rainford Kalaba remains the team’s captain.

    The tactician says it was an easy decision for him to convince Russia-based midfielder Chisamba Lungu to end his brief self-imposed exile from Chipolopolo duties.

    Speaking during the training session on Wednesday, Nyirenda said the arrival of professionals had boosted morale in the team.

    And Nyirenda said it came as a surprise for him when he heard that Chisamba had excused himself from the national team.

    Chisamba, a Nyirenda protégé from the Under-17 days, has been a consistent member of the Chipolopolo side that won the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations but announced his retirement from international football saying it was frustrating that he was not seeing enough game time during the national team’s 2017 AfCON campaign that ended in failure.

    Following his appointment as interim Chipolopolo coach last month, Nyirenda recalled the Ural FC captain who unconditionally accepted the invitation.

    “Chisamba is a good player, that’s why it came as a surprise to me when I heard that and it was easy to call him and tell him. Whatever the issues he had with the team I had to call him and say, ‘this is your team’,” Nyirenda said.

    “We are all here to do national duties and he accepted without any conditions he is just coming to do work.”

    [news_box style=”2″ display=”tag” link_target=”_blank” tag=”World Cup” count=”6″ show_more=”on”]

  • Minister to Chipolopolo: You must defeat Super Eagles

    Minister to Chipolopolo: You must defeat Super Eagles

    Zambia’s Chipolopolo is doing everything possible to kick-start their campaign in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers on a good note.

    In the view of this, players and coaches have been spitting fire on their readiness to beat Nigeria’s Super Eagles this weekend., the Zambian sports minister, Moses Mawere believes beating Eagles remains a must for the team.

    Similarly, the Zambian sports minister, Moses Mawere believes beating Eagles remains a must for the team.

    According to the Post of Zambia, the minister believes qualifying for the 2018 World Cup is the only hope for Zambian football, saying there were high expectations from football fans.

    He charged the country’s national team to raise their game when they confront the star-studded Eagles at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium on October 9.

    “The country’s expectation is high, the only hope is the World Cup after failing to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations. I challenge the players and coaches to step up and perform better. We need to beat Nigeria, we can do it,” Mawere said.

    However, he said the match against Nigeria would help the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) to convince the government on the need to engage an expatriate coach.

    “The engagement of the coach is not ours, it is up to the FAZ. Let them convince us that yes we need an expatriate coach or we can do with a local coach. Ours is just to support them,” the minister insisted.

  • Blame Eagles’ stars for AFCON failure – Yusuf

    Blame Eagles’ stars for AFCON failure – Yusuf

    Super Eagles coach, Salisu Yusuf, has said the country’s stars were to blame for Nigeria’s failure to qualify for next year’s African Nations Cup (AFCON) in Gabon.

    However, the coach believes the players will push themselves more to qualify Nigeria for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

    “The players did not give what they were supposed to give and so we failed to qualify again for the AFCON,” Yusuf told africanFootball.com.

    “The players fought like home-based players in the friendly against Mali and I believe that with better self-motivation, they will be at the World Cup.

    “They are already producing high performances at their various European clubs and we expect them to give more to be at the World Cup.”

    He charged the country’s Europe-based stars to adapt to whatever conditions they will come across in their bid to qualify for a sixth World Cup.

    The pitch at Ndola, Zambia, where the Super Eagles will begin its 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign is presently not in top shape.

    But Yusuf believes that should not be a drawback.

    “We must adapt to the African environment. With players with strong character, a bad pitch won’t make any difference after about 15 minutes, when you would have familiarize yourself with it,” he added.

  • …As Rohr rings up Super Eagles for World Cup clash

    …As Rohr rings up Super Eagles for World Cup clash

    MEANWHILE, Coach Gernot Rohr has personally phoned up the players to check up on them ahead of next month’s World Cup qualifier in Zambia, reports Africanfootball.com
    Zambia will welcome Nigeria to Ndola on October 9 to kick off the mini-league qualifying series for Russia 2018.
    “Rohr has been in touch with the players, checking up on them and encouraging them ahead of the World Cup showdown in Zambia next month,” a top official informed.
    “He wishes to raise their confidence and self-esteem by this personal contact.”
    Rohr will announce his squad for the Zambia showdown this week.
    The experienced Franco-German coach won his first match in charge of the Eagles earlier this month when Tanzania fell 1-0 in Uyo. He has harped on the need for the players to have self-belief after the failure of the country to qualify for two straight AFCONs. “The confidence has not been there because the team failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations, but when results start to come, the confidence will return,” he said. “It is a difficult challenge (to qualify for the World Cup). Nigeria are not the favourites after we did not qualify for the last two AFCONs, but we hope to be at the World Cup.”
    He has hinted on a recall for both Arsenal forward Alex Iwobi and Portugal-based Oghenekaro Etebo after both players missed the Tanzania game due to injuries. But while Iwobi is back in full action, Etebo has suffered yet another injury setback in Portugal.

  • WCQ: FIFA picks Egyptian officials for Zambia-Nigeria clash

    WCQ: FIFA picks Egyptian officials for Zambia-Nigeria clash

    Egyptian referees led by Ghead Grisha will handle World Cup qualifier between Zambia and Nigeria slated for October 9 in Ndola.

    Grisha was also in charge of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations group phase clash between the Super Eagles and the Chipolopolo, at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, South Africa, africanFootball.com reports.

    Grisha, who has been a FIFA referee since 2008, will be assisted by fellow Egyptians Tahssen Abo El Sadat Bedyer (assistant referee 1), Ahmed Hossameldin Taha (assistant referee 2) and Ibrahim Noureldin (fourth official).

    Former FIFA referee, Zeli Sinko, from Cote d’Ivoire, will serve as referee assessor, while former Ghana FA president, Mahamadu Nuru Deen Jawula, will be the match commissioner.

  • Nigeria rise to 64th in FIFA ranking

    Nigeria rise to 64th in FIFA ranking

    Nigeria moved three spots to 64th in the latest FIFA rankings released on Thursday, while 2018 World Cup rivals Algeria, Cameroon and Zambia slipped in the ratings.

    The country is now ranked 14th in Africa.

    The slim 1-0 victory over Tanzania earlier this month was responsible for the Super Eagles improved ranking, africanFootball.com reports.

    Zambia, who hosts Nigeria next month in final round of the qualifying series for the World Cup, is now 92nd in the world.

    Cameroon, who will also play Nigeria in the World Cup qualifiers, dropped five places to 59th in the world.

    Algeria slipped to 35th in the world and lost top spot in Africa to Cote d’Ivoire.

  • We’re determined to pick World Cup ticket ahead of Nigeria – Zambia

    We’re determined to pick World Cup ticket ahead of Nigeria – Zambia

    Psychologically, President of Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) Andrew Kamanga has started psyching up the Chipolopolo ahead of the 2018 World Cup Qualifying tie against Nigeria’s Super Eagles, insisting that they are poised to pick the sole slot ahead of others in the group.

    According to The Post of Zambia, the FAZ boss who has been bashed by critics since assuming office few months ago insisted that they are focused ahead of the October qualifiers at home to the Super Eagles.

    “We are going through a tough transition. Since winning the Africa Cup in 2012 our fortunes have dwindled. Some of the poor performances we are seeing today are an accumulation of factors from back then.”

    “This is what we want to address. We have taken responsibility and we are focused on doing that. We want the team to qualify to the World Cup in Russia. But without the support of key stakeholders this dream becomes a huge challenge,” Kamanga said.

    He, however reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to uplifting the standards of football in Zambia, while dismissing malicious claims from known FAZ detractors that there were no official match balls for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Kenya.

    “I don’t think we need to respond to such things. For example, you are asking me about no handshakes before the match. But that was a directive from CAF and nothing to do with me as FAZ president.

    “Can you see how these lies are being fanned? Suffice to say that the Association provided everything necessary for the match to go on as an Africa Cup qualifier including match balls.”

    “You see elections were in March. But some people have failed to move on. Now we need to concentrate on taking our football to a new level. We have a 4 year mandate to preside over the affairs of football in Zambia.

    “They accused me of being a failure. Even now they are saying the same things. I would urge the fans to be patient and check the motives of those who have made attacking myself and the FAZ executive based on lies as their personal calling, he added.

  • Rohr picks Kalaba, Sunzu as Zambia key players

    Rohr picks Kalaba, Sunzu as Zambia key players

    Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr, has picked skipper Rainford Kalaba and France-based Stoppila Sunzu as the players to watch when Nigeria visits Zambia for next month’s World Cup qualifier.

    Nigeria opens its 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign on October 3 in Zambia.

    Rohr said he has good information on the former African Nations Cup (AFCON) champions.

    “They (Zambia) have some really good players – Kalaba is the best. He scores goals always for the team and I also know Sunzu very well because he plays in France,” africanFootball.com quoted Rohr as saying during a visit to the Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mohammed Sanusi, in Abuja.

    He assured that Super Eagles will prepare very well for the World Cup qualifiers because “we have to be in Russia.”

    “We will need all our best players to be at their very best,” he said.

    “We had a good list for the Tanzania match but a couple of players were injured and we will like to look at those ones as well.

    “The focus is to strengthen the spine of the team and ensure we can beat any team.

    “The confidence has not been there because the team failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations. But when results start to come, the confidence will return.”

    Sanusi pledged full support for the coach and his backroom staff.

    “We have immense confidence in you and your staff. We will not dabble into your technical area,” he said.

    “Our responsibility is to provide the right atmosphere to make you succeed. We see that you are a gentleman but will not take your simplicity for granted.”