The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Super Eagles

  • AFCON: Keshi alleges gang-up against Eagles

    AFCON: Keshi alleges gang-up against Eagles

    Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi, has alleged there is a gang-up against him not to succeed as Nigeria face elimination from next year’s African Nations Cup in Morocco.

    Nigeria currently lies bottom of Group A with a single point after three rounds of matches in the qualifying tournament for Morocco 2015, africanFootball.com reports.

    The African champions must now win the remaining three matches and hope other results in the group were favourable in order qualify for the championship.

    “There is a sabotage by some people, who I won’t mention their names but who know themselves. They want to run this team down,” africanFootball.com quoted Keshi as saying on Monday.

    “Some people are ready to sell this country for a dime. They want to sabotage the Super Eagles.

    “It’s a shame. They don’t want this team to get to the AFCON, they want this team to lose outright. But they are not God.

    “And this is not Keshi’s team. This is a national team. Keshi is a professional coach and after this (assignment), he will get another job elsewhere.”

    Nigeria hosts Sudan in a reverse fixture on Wednesday in Abuja.

     

  • Nigeria vs Sudan fallout: Chukwu asks Keshi to resign

    Nigeria vs Sudan fallout: Chukwu asks Keshi to resign

    Following Nigeria’s 0-1 loss to Sudan in Saturday African Nations Cup qualifier in Khartoum, former Super Eagles’ manager, Christian Chukwu, has asked the team caretaker coach, Stephen Keshi, to resign honourably.

    The African champions suffered a shock defeat to the East Africans in a match played at the Municipal Stadium in Khartoum, supersport.com reports.

    Forward, Bakeber Bakri scored the match winner in the 42nd minute to hand his side the three points.

    Nigeria now sits at the base of Group A in the 2015 AFCON qualification on one point, Sudan moved to the third spot, while South Africa leads on seven points, followed by Congo on six points.

    Shocked by Eagles’ unexpected defeat in the hands of the Sudanese, Chukwu said Keshi does not need to wait any longer but take the exit option.

    “This is football for you, Keshi won the 2013 AFCON title and took us to the FIFA World Cup in Brazil and everyone was completely happy.

    “Now that he has not done well so far in the qualifiers to the AFCON 2015 in Morocco, Nigerians definitely won’t be happy with him, “the former Green Eagles captain told supersport.com.

    He added: “When Samson Siasia didn’t qualify Nigeria for the 2012 AFCON, he was fired, so Keshi knows what to expect from his employer with this painful defeat.

    “Keshi has no contract at the moment, so there is nothing anybody will lose, I think he knows exactly what to expect, though that decision is left with the Nigeria Football Federation.

    “That’s how the coaching job is, ups and downs. At one point you’re a hero and at another time you become a villain.

    “Though I didn’t watch the match, but defeat was the last thing I expected. I’m deeply shocked to learn that it’s over for us as far as Maroc 2015 AFCON is concerned.”

     

  • AFCON: Nigerian football is dead – Okocha

    AFCON: Nigerian football is dead – Okocha

    Former Nigeria captain, Austin Okocha, on Saturday said football in the country is “long dead and gone” and has refused to blame the Super Eagles or coach Stephen Keshi for the team 0-1 defeat to Sudan in Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, Goal reports.

    A ferocious header by striker Bakri Abd Elgadir in the closing stages of the first half flew past goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama and put the hosts ahead of the African champions.

    The result means Nigeria now walk a tight rope towards qualifying for the biennial African football showpiece billed for Morocco in 2015.

    Okocha leapt to the defence of the current crop of players and the coach, insisting the nation’s game is failing immensely.

    “Anyone that blames Keshi or the boys is short sighted. Our football is long dead and gone. This is just the confirmation” Goal quoted Okocha as saying on his Twitter handle.

     

  • AFCON: Sudan beat Nigeria 1-0

    AFCON: Sudan beat Nigeria 1-0

    Nigeria Super  Eagles lost 1-0 to the Sudanese national team in the qualifying round for the African Cup of Nations march played in Khartoum on Saturday.

  • AFCON: Eagles get ‘warm reception’ in Sudan

    AFCON: Eagles get ‘warm reception’ in Sudan

    Super Eagles will not lack support when the team confronts Sudan in Saturday’s African Nations Cup qualifier after the players were warmly welcomed to Khartoum by hundreds of fans.

    Hundreds of Nigerians residing in Sudan trooped to the airport to welcome the players early Friday and others were at the Grand Holiday Villa in Khartoum to also receive them, africanFootball.com reports.

    The Nigeria delegation is led by the Nigeria Football Federation’s Vice-president, Seyi Akinwumi.

    Eagles will tackle Sudan in a must-win game on Saturday in Khartoum.

    Kick-off time is 5.30 pm Nigerian time.

  • AFCON: Akpan nursing ‘small injury’

    AFCON: Akpan nursing ‘small injury’

    New Super Eagles call-up, Hope Akpan, is nursing “a small injury” but he hopes to be fit for Saturday’s African Nations Cup qualifier against Sudan.

    “I am nursing a small injury but I hope to be fit for Saturday, “the Reading of England midfielder told africanFootball.com.

    However, the injury has not stopped Akpan from being part of the Eagles training in Abuja.

    Akpan, who is one four fresh call-ups for the matches against Sudan, said he has been most impressed with the spirit in the squad.

    Nigeria has already lost Stoke City winger Victor Moses and Ukraine-based Babatunde Michael to injuries.

    But coach Stephen Keshi has insisted the team will cope with these late withdrawals.

    “We pray that everybody would be in good health because that is very important. We have already lost two players now, I hope that would be the last,” he said.

  • ‘Eagles targeting 12 maximum points in AFCON qualifiers’

    ‘Eagles targeting 12 maximum points in AFCON qualifiers’

    Super Eagles defender, Kenneth Omeruo, has said the team is targeting a maximum 12 points in the remaining four qualifiers to secure a berth in next year’s African Nations Cup in Morocco.

    The African champions, who failed to qualify for the 2012 AFCON, currently lies third in Group A with a point after losing 2-3 at home to Congo and held hosts South Africa to a goalless draw last month, africanFootball.com reports.

    Congo leads the standings with six points, while South Africa follows with four points.

    The Super Eagles tackle Sudan on Saturday in continuation of the qualifying tournament before hosting the same team in a reverse clash next Wednesday.

    Nigeria’s other qualifiers are away to Congo in Pointe-Noire and a final group game against South Africa all in November.

    “We are aware of the task ahead and so we have resolved to work hard to pick the available 12 points in our remaining qualifiers,” Omeruo, who was among the 17 players that trained in Abuja Tuesday morning ahead of Saturday’s crunch clash in Sudan, told africanFootball.com.

    “You can see the boys’ response in the first day of training. It speaks loud of our intention ahead of the games. All we ask of Nigerians is their support and confidence in the team.

    “We know there are no minnows anymore in African football.”

  • Keshi’s contract may not be renewed

    Keshi’s contract may not be renewed

    Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, may not be given a new contract by the newly elected Nigeria Football Federation executive committee, africanFootball.com reports.

    Several members of the new NFF board do not believe in the coach, although he will supervise the two AFCON qualifiers against Sudan later this month, he will not be offered a new deal.

    “Most members of the old board under Aminu Maigari have been returned, including Chris Green, who was technical committee chairman, and that can only mean bad news for Keshi,” a top source informed africanFootball.com

    “But most importantly even the newly elected executives, the very top officials, do not support Keshi continuing as coach.”

    The website gathered that Keshi will only be left in charge of the team for the matches against Sudan and thereafter a decision will be taken especially if by then Nigeria has mathematically lost out in the race for Morocco 2015.

    Keshi has become increasingly nervous since Tuesday’s elections in Warri because knows that his fate is hanging on the balance now.

    Keshi’s problems have been further compounded by the renewed interest of former Eagles coach Samson Siasia in the job.

  • NFF plots Siasia’s return as Eagles’ coach

    NFF plots Siasia’s return as Eagles’ coach

    Former Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia, could be in line to replace Stephen Keshi as the team coach unless the Sports Ministry stops the Nigeria Football Federation from going ahead with the plan.

    Goal gathered from a top NFF official that Super Eagles’ poor performance in the ongoing African Nations Cup qualifiers has blotted Keshi’s record with the team.

    The official told Goal, “There are many factors standing in the way of Stephen Keshi in his bid to retain the Super Eagles job and I will give you a break-down. But before that I must say that Keshi must be most grateful to the Honourable Sports Minister,Tammy Danagogo, for fighting for his retention as the team chief coach.

    “The minister has never hidden his love and preference for him and he based it on Keshi’s past achievement which he said was more than necessary for him to continue his job. The minister still believes that the Eagles under Keshi could still bounce back and qualify for the 2015 AFCON in Morocco.

    “But we at the NFF here know that the problem with the team is more than what we are seeing from the surface. Firstly, there is no commitment on the part of the players Keshi is parading for the 2015 AFCON qualifiers and if something drastic is not done, Nigeria may not be among those nations that would campaign in Morocco 2015.”

    He also revealed that most members of the NFF executive committee are no longer at ease with Keshi’s alleged antics and disrespect towards them and now want another coach who would listen to them and respect them as his employers.

    “They have also not forgotten in a hurry the way the former Eagles captain allegedly humiliated the Aminu Maigari Board members during the Africa Cup of Nations which Nigeria won in South Africa and felt highly disappointed with the way the coach received all the accolades and praises from all and sundry without mere mention of the NFF Board and Secretariat.

    “We all know how Keshi threatened to dump the team in South Africa shortly after the Eagles won the 2013 AFCON. The controversies generated by this singular action put the NFF  in a bad light and so many other crises including the players threatening not to play one of the qualifying matches for the last World Cup as well as during the World Cup proper when the players demanded for their bonuses. These crises put negative mark on the NFF.”

  • I didn’t give NFF deadline on Eagles’ job – Keshi

    I didn’t give NFF deadline on Eagles’ job – Keshi

    Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, has denied reports that he handed a September 30 deadline to the Nigeria Football Federation to prolong his contract, allnigeriasoccer.com reports.

    The former Togo national team coach has been a free agent since his contract expired at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

    But he was persuaded by the Sports Minister, Tamuno Danagogo, to take charge of the Super Eagles first two African Nations Cup qualifiers against Congo and South Africa earlier this month.

    “I never gave the NFF any deadline. I don’t know where that comment is coming from. I never said anything like that; I never discussed anything like that with anybody and I am surprised to hear this.

    “Somebody first told me this and you are the second person, but there is no such thing,” allnigeriasoccer.com quoted Keshi as saying to journalists on Wednesday.