Tanzania’s Taifa Stars produced a stunning second half performance but failed to do enough to stun three-time African champions, Nigeria in the 2017 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match played on Saturday.
Saturday’s game at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam which finished 0-0 was Sunday Oliseh’s first after he replaced former coach, Stephen Keshi.
He opted to hand 29-year-old goalkeeper, Carl Ikeme his competitive debut in place of Vincent Enyeama who asked to be excused from the tie following the death of his mother.
It turned out to be a master stroke as the Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper made no less than six stunning saves to prevent the Eagles from suffering a humiliating defeat.
FSV Mainz defender, Leon Balogun failed to recover from an ankle injury and was subsequently replaced by Solomon Kwambe.
William Troost-Ekong, Kenneth Omeruo and Kingsley Madu were the other defenders handed starts against the Taifa Stars.
Obiora Nwankwo started ahead of the back four while Ahmed Musa, Moses Simon and Emmanuel Emenike started in more advanced positions ahead of midfielders, Izunna Uzochukwu and Lukman Haruna.
Tag: Super Eagles
-
AFCON: Ikeme saves Eagles in goalless draw
-
AFCON: Haruna, Ikeme, Moses in Eagles starting XI
Super Eagles coach, has picked Russia- based Lukman Haruna, as his midfield arrow head for Saturday’s African Cup of Nations qualifier against Tanzania, africanFootball.con reports.
Haruna was picked ahead of Slovakia-based Rabiu Ibrahim and FC Taraba midfielder, Usman Mohammed, for the playmaking role.
A top official told africanFootball.com that Mohammed will now start from the bench against Tanzania because he did not follow the tactics during the team’s last friendly.
Haruna will play behind the team top striker, Emmanuel Emenike, in a 4-3-3 pattern to be employed by Eagles for the match.
Warri Wolves ace, Solomon Kwambe, replaces the injured Germany-based Leon Balogun in the right full back position.
Gent of Belgium winger, Moses Simon, will start from left side of attack with skipper Ahmed Musa on the right side.
Wolves of England goalkeeper, Carl Ikeme, will make his debut in the absence of Vincent Enyeama alongside Russia-based defensive midfielder, Izunna Uzochukwu.
Kick-off time is 2.30pm Nigerian time.
Eagles starting XI vs Tanzania – Carl Ikeme – Kingsley Madu, Solomon Kwambe, William Troost-Ekong, Kenneth Omeruo, – Izunna Uzochukwu, Obiora Nwankwo, Lukman Haruna, Moses Simon, Ahmed Musa (skipper), Emmanuel Emenike.
-
Omeruo ready for ‘tough’ Tanzania’s challenge
Nigerian International Kenneth Omeruo believes the Super Eagles has the depth and character to upset the Tanzania Taifa Stars at home on Saturday.
The Kasimpasa defender pointed to both team work and cohesion as the key pillars that will work against Tanzania in the 2017 African Nations Cup qualifier slated for Tanzania capital.
“We have a tough game against Tanzania, whom we don’t know well, but we have one purpose as a team and that’s to win the game on Saturday.
“Millions of eyes are glued to our young squad but I believe we have the pedigree and we can rise up to the occasion. I don’t know any player in the Tanzanian squad but after the team talk later tonight our strategy for the game will be put in motion and hopefully we will go back home with the important points,” Omeruo told supersport.com after the team’s last training session.
“The mood in camp is very positive. We want to build on that and give our new coach Sunday Oliseh his first international victory,” he added.
-
AFCON: Pinnick demands outright victory over Tanzania
Nigeria Football Federation President, Amaju Pinnick, is expecting an outright victory over Tanzania in Saturday’s African Nations Cup qualifier in Dar Es Salaam.
“We have come here for a win,” Pinnick told supersport.com shortly after arriving at the Tanzania capital on Thursday.
“We have travelled from far and though we had slight delays we are finally happy to be in Tanzania ready for the Saturday game which we know will not be easy. But we want to go back home with all the three important points.”
“As the federation we have endeavoured to give the technical bench and players a condusive atmosphere knowing our opponent will not be a push over on Saturday, “the NFF chief added.
-
Oliseh ready for ‘aggressive’ Tanzania
Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, has said he expects surprises on Saturday from the Taifa Stars of Tanzania, whose style of play he describes as “aggressive.”
The Super Eagles watched video clips of recent Tanzania matches on Tuesday night, africanFootball.com reports.
“We have watched the video of Tanzania. They are a very aggressive team,” Oliseh told africanFootball.com.
“We might get some surprises during the game and we expect anything from the side going by what we have seen in the tapes.”
Tanzania trained in Turkey preparatory to African Nations Cup qualifier and the team will line up players from the country’s league with a sprinkling of foreign-based strikers led by the TP Mazembe pair of Thomas Ulimwengu and Mbwana Samata.
This will also be Oliseh’s first match in charge of the three-time African champions and despite the huge expectations on his shoulders, the former Nigeria skipper said there would be only three outcomes on Saturday in Dar es Salaam.
“There are three things that can happen in a game – we win, we draw or we lose,” he said.
-
AFCON: Ahmed Musa promises victory over Tanzania
CSKA Moscow star, Ahmed Musa, has promised to captain Super Eagles to victory in Saturday’s African Nations Cup qualifier in Tanzania.
The jet-heeled winger has been picked to lead the team on Saturday in the absence of Lille goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama.
He first wore the captain’s armband in a friendly against South Africa earlier this year.
“For me, I think am not under pressure to lead the team. I did it before in South Africa and by the grace of God we would return with victory,” he told africanFootball.com.
He added that the players have an idea of what they will come up against the Tanzanians after they watched a tape of the East Africans.
“We watched the Tanzania game yesterday (Tuesday) and we know how they play.
“We don’t have to under rate any country in Africa and we would just go there and do our best,” he stated.
-
Oliseh rues Enyeama’s withdrawal from Tanzania tie
Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh , has admitted the late withdrawal of skipper Vincent Enyeama from Saturday’s African Nations Cup qualifier in Tanzania has put him “in a tight corner.”
Lille goalkeeper Enyeama has apparently pulled out of the match after he rowed with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over his comments regarding the safety of Kaduna for June AFCON qualifier against Chad, africanFootball.com reports.
“The late withdrawal has put me in a tight concern,”africanFootball.com quoted Oliseh as saying at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.
“He asked to be withdrawn from the team. And the reason for that I don’t know, I think it’s best you ask the player.”
In Enyeama’s absence, Wolves goalkeeper Carl Ikeme is now expected to make his Eagles debut in Dar es Salaam on Saturday afternoon.
Ikeme said he will hope to reproduce for Nigeria the form he has displayed at his English Championship club.
“I will just try and do what I do in my club,” he assured.
“I will not be under pressure but I will give my best. I am not going to try and be Vincent (Enyeama), but I will just try and play my own game and give my best.”
-
Photo: Training for 2017 Africa cup of nations qualifier
FROM LEFT: SUPER EAGLES DEFENDER, GODFREY OBOABONA; FORWARD, EMMANUEL
EMENIKE; MIDFIELDER, LUKMAN HARUNA AND TEAM MATES, AT THEIR TRAINING FOR THE 2017 AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS QUALIFIER AGAINST TANZANIA IN ABUJA ON WEDNESDAY
FROM LEFT: SUPER EAGLES FORWARD MOSES SIMON; DEFENDER KENNETH OMERUO; GOALKEEPER CARL IKEME; MIDFIELDER OBIORA NWANKWO AND DEFENDER LEON BALOGUN, AFTER THEIR TRAINING FOR THE 2017 AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS QUALIFIER AGAINST TANZANIA IN ABUJA ON WEDNESDAY 
SUPER EAGLES HEAD COACH, SUNDAY OLISEH AND HIS ASSISTANTS (L), AT THE TEAM’S TRAINING FOR THE 2017 AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS QUALIFIER AGAINST TANZANIA IN ABUJA ON WEDNESDAY -
‘Domini Iorfa jnr to join Eagles at 23’
Wolverhampton Wanderers defender, Dominic Iorfa, will only consider playing for Nigeria when he is 23 years, his father has told africanFootball.com
The 19-year-old fullback has established himself at English Championship club Wolves and this week was called up by the England U-21 side after featuring for England at various age categories.
His father, Dominic Iorfa senior, said “a lot is going on” in Nigeria’s age-group teams and so he would prefer his son to focus on playing for the Super Eagles when he is a lot older and more matured.
“My boy will still play for Nigeria, but that will be when he is 23, much older and matured, because a lot of things are going on in the age-group teams and nobody wants to be messed up,” Iorfa senior told africanFootball.com.
Iorfa added that he was excited his son has been called up by the England U21s.
“This invitation shows the boy is making steady progress,” he stated.
-
Oliseh blasts NPFL clubs over non-release of players
Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, has lashed out at Nigeria league clubs for keeping away their players from the team training camp in Abuja.
Oliseh invited 23 players from the domestic league, but only 14 outfield players attended the first training session held on Tuesday morning.
“Those who are commenting or laying emphasis on the fact that we rely mainly on foreign players to play should start asking questions because we are back home to train and we don’t have people to train,” africanFootball.com quoted the Eagles’ coach as saying after Tuesday’s training session.
“The clubs are trying to hold on to their players. So, how do we now want them to learn and catch up with the ones that are in front of them?
“You can see that it affected our training, we have to change our training programme. We had invited 23 and we ended up with 14 field players. So, I will leave you to judge from this.”
Oliseh has said he will draft five players from this training camp to join the 18 foreign players he called up for next month’s African Nations Cup qualifier in Tanzania.
