The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Super Eagles

  • CHAN: Ibenegbu, Matthew dazzle in Eagles’ training

    CHAN: Ibenegbu, Matthew dazzle in Eagles’ training

    Established Nigeria league campaigner, Ikechukwu “Mosquito” Ibenegbu and emerging star Ifeanyi Matthew have been impressing in the Super Eagles training camp ahead of next weekend’s African Nations Championship in Rwanda.

    Officials told africanFootball.com that other players who have impressed in the Eagles training camp in Pretoria, South Africa, are Olympic Team midfielder, Usman Mohammed and little known Shooting Stars midfielder, Ibrahim Salawu.

    Ibenegbu scored the Eagles’ goal against Angola in Thursday’s friendly in Pretoria and his overall contribution in the midfield has won him the admiration of coach Sunday Oliseh.

     

  • Injury hits CHAN Eagles

    Injury hits CHAN Eagles

    Nigeria will likely to rest strikers Tunde Adeniji and Chisom Chikatara for Wednesday’s friendly against Angola after they suffered knocks in Tuesday’s test game against South Africa’s premier league side, University of Pretoria.

    The team liason officer, Tijjani Babangida, said Adeniji, who scored twice in a 3-0 win over University of Pretoria, pulled out of the game with a muscle complaint after he scored his second goal, while Chikatara suffered a hamstring injury.

    Adeniji scored 16 goals for Sunshine Stars last season, while Chikatara was a major player at Abia Warriors.

    “The boys are coming up from what we saw in this game, but two strikers Adeniji and Chisom suffered knocks during the game,” Babangida told africanFootball.com.

  • Nigeria will win CHAN – Akas

    Nigeria will win CHAN – Akas

    Super Eagles skipper to the 2016 CHAN, Chima Akas, has promised to lead Nigeria to victory in Rwanda.

    This year’s edition of CHAN, the tournament reserved for players featuring in their respective home leagues, begins on January 16 and Nigeria plays in Group C with Tunisia, Niger and Guinea, africanFootball.com reports.

    The team opens its campaign on January 18 against next-door neighbours Niger.

    Akas, who has been capped at full international level by Nigeria, has assumed the CHAN Eagles captaincy in the absence of Gbolahan Salami, who opted to stay out of the competition in order to finalise a move abroad.

    “We want to go to Rwanda and win the cup. We have worked hard and hope our efforts are so crowned,” africanFootball.com quoted the Sharks FC defender as saying on his team chances in Rwanda.

    “We finished third at the 2014 CHAN and we now hope to win it. That is what Nigerians expect,” added midfielder Bartholomew Ibenegbu.

  • CHAN: Eagles travel to Rwanda January 15

    CHAN: Eagles travel to Rwanda January 15

    Super Eagles will fly out to Kigali, Rwanda, for the African Nations Championship (CHAN) on January 15.

    The team arrived Pretoria, South Africa, for a training camp on Saturday to meet up with coach Sunday Oliseh, who joined up from his base in Europe, officials told africanFootball.com.

    Nigeria will play Angola in a friendly match in Pretoria Wednesday.

    The team will also tackle Cote d’Ivoire in another test game on January 11, also in South Africa.

    Nigeria, who finished third at the 2014 edition of CHAN, plays in Group C alongside Tunisia, Guinea and Niger.

  • Oliseh lists 23 for CHAN

    Oliseh lists 23 for CHAN

    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).

  • Usman Mohammed out of CHAN

    Usman Mohammed out of CHAN

    Midfielder Usman Mohammed is set to become the second Nigeria player to opt out of next month’s African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Rwanda ahead of a move to Norwegian club Lillestrom.

    Warri Wolves striker, Gbolahan Salami, was the first Eagles player to stay away from the CHAN training camp in Abuja because he hopes to sign for a foreign club next week, africanFootball.com reports.

    Usman is still with the Eagles in Abuja, but his representative has insisted he will not fly out with the rest of the team on Saturday for a training tour of South Africa.

    “We have agreed a deal with Lillestrom along with top Norwegian agent, Atta Aneke and Usman will not be travelling with the Eagles to South Africa because he has to report to Lillestrom on January 15,” the player’s representative told africanFootball.com.

  • Salami may shun CHAN for Euro move

    Salami may shun CHAN for Euro move

    Warri Wolves striker, Gbolahan Salami, is likely to opt out of next month’s African Nation championship in order to sign for a club in Europe.

    Salami is the only player missing from the Eagles training camp in Abuja with officials suggesting he is in the process of completing a transfer overseas, africanFootball.com reports.

    “We have 25 players in camp now with Salami the only player yet to rejoin the camp. It’s likely he is working on a transfer abroad,” a team official told africanFootball.com on Tuesday.

    Salami was top scorer in the Nigeria Professional Football League this past season with 17 goals, but he has not hidden his desire to play in Europe.

     

  • Salami, Akas fail to beat Eagles’ deadline

    Salami, Akas fail to beat Eagles’ deadline

    Warri Wolves striker, Gbolahan Salami and Chima Akas from Sharks are the only players yet to rejoin the Super Eagles CHAN training camp.

    24 players trained twice on Sunday with officials disclosing that Salami and Akas did not beat the Saturday night deadline issued by the coaches because of travel difficulties, africanFootball.com reports.

    “We had 24 players in our first training on Sunday with only Salami and Chima Akas still being expected after they encountered some difficulties coming down,” the top team official, Patrick Pascal, told africanFootball.com.

    The Eagles will fly out to Pretoria, South Africa, for a training camp on January 2.

    The team will play two warm-up matches against CHAN-bound Angola and Cote d’Ivoire.

  • Eagles won’t lose form after Xmas – Agu

    Eagles won’t lose form after Xmas – Agu

    Super Eagles goalkeeper coach, Alloy Agu, has said the side will not experience loss of form after the Yuletide break.

    The team is expected to embark on a Christmas holidays on Wednesday and return on Saturday to continue with the preparations for the upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Kigali, Rwanda, in January, supersport.com reports.

    Agu said the players are professionals and will not lose focus on the daunting task at hand while with their respective families.

    “I want to believe that they players know what is at stake, I equally believe they have Nigerians at heart as well as their expectations at the forthcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Rwanda.

    “We understand that family is important especially this festive period. That’s why we are allowing them few days to celebrate festivity with their families.

    “We agreed on the need to stay focus while the Yuletide holidays last and to come back better players to continue on the programme for CHAN.

    “They are core professionals and we do not expect them to abuse the rare privilege,” he told supersport.com.

     

  • NFF wants Cote d’Ivoire, Italy friendlies for Eagles

    NFF wants Cote d’Ivoire, Italy friendlies for Eagles

    The Nigeria Football Federation is proposing international friendlies against Italy and African champions Cote d’Ivoire next year, the federation’s president has said.

    Amaju Pinnick told africanFootball.com that the NFF match agent has already began discussions with both teams for the friendlies to prepare the Super Eagles for the 2018 World Cup and 2017 African Nations Cup qualifiers.

    “Nothing has been concluded yet but we wish to play reigning African champions Cote d’Ivoire in London. There is a proposal to play the Italians, who are excited about playing Nigeria after we defeated Cameroon recently,” Pinnick told africanFootball.com.

    “We want to make the most every FIFA friendly window by playing top quality matches.”

    There will be two FIFA friendly windows in the first half of the new year, at the end of March, when Nigeria battle Egypt in 2017 AFCON qualifiers home and away and then between June 8 and 16.

    There will be another FIFA window between August 31 and September 8.