The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Super Eagles

  • EAGLES TO PLAY SCOTLAND MAY 28

    EAGLES TO PLAY SCOTLAND MAY 28

    NIGERIA’S Super Eagles will go up against the Dark Blues of Scotland in an international friendly at Fulham’s Craven Cottage in London on May 28. The announcement of the international match was made this week by the Scottish Football Association (SFA).

    For the Nigerians, the match will serve as part of their preparation for the FIFA World Cup in Brazil billed to kick off this June.

    “It is good to hear that we will play against Scotland. Surely it’s going to be a good test for the boys just few days to the World Cup and I believe by then we would have a clear picture of our squad to the World Cup,” Nigeria head coach, Stephen Keshi, told supersport.com.

    Scotland manager, Gordon Strachan, has said the match against Nigeria “appealed most” after considering other options for same date. The Scottish national team will use the match as rehearsal for the Euro 2016 qualifiers.

    “We considered a lot of options but the chance to play Nigeria, a country who will be going to the World Cup this summer, in London without the need for long-haul travel was the one that appealed most. We will have time for some quality training sessions before the game and we will look to finish the season with a positive performance and result that we can take forward as we finalise preparations for the Euro 2016 qualifiers.

    “I was encouraged yet again by a lot of what I saw in Warsaw and the players are now protective of the performances and results they have put together recently. We will look to continue that against Nigeria,” Strachan told the Scottish FA official website.

    Scotland are currently unbeaten in five international matches under Strachan but the Dark Blues will come up against the African champions, who defeated them 2-1 in Pittodrie the last time both sides squared up in 2002 before the World Cup in South Korea and Japan.

  • Nigeria’s draw with Mexico good omen, says new Sports Minister

    The new Sports Minister, Tamuno Danagogo, says the Super Eagles’ 0-0 draw with their Mexican counterparts in an international friendly is a good omen for their 2014 World Cup appearance.

    Danagogo told newsmen in Abuja on Thursday that the Super Eagles were getting to understand themselves and would improve with time.

    “Mexico is also a good team and for us to hold them to a 0-0 draw, it tells Nigerians that our team is working hard to ensure that we make a substantial impact and go far at the World Cup.

    “So, it (the draw) is a good omen, because it was evident in the match that they are gradually improving and understanding themselves.

    “I believe that they will continue to improve as they go on. So, it is a good sign for us,’’ he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the match, which was to prepare both teams for the football mundial, was played at the Georgia Dome Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia.

    The Eagles have been drawn in Group F with Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iran at the World Cup, scheduled to hold from June 12 to July 13.

  • Mikel, first to arrive Atlanta for Mexico friendly

    Mikel, first to arrive Atlanta for Mexico friendly

    The national team camp is in high spirits as it gears up for tomorrow’s friendly with El Tri at the Georgia Dome

    According to goal.com, Chelsea‘s John Obi Mikel was the first player to arrive the Super Eagles camp in Atlanta, United States, ahead of Wednesday’s friendly with Mexico.

    Four players from the Nigeria league – Ejike Uzoenyi, Kunle Odunlami, Abdullahi Shehu and Azubuike Egwuekwe – have also arrived the city for the game that will be the last ahead of announcement of the World Cup squad in June.

    Team captain Joseph Yobo is expected to make his return to the starting squad after being dropped since the end of the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013.

    New invitees Ezekiel Imoh, Ramon Azeez and Michael Uchebo are also expected to stake a claim for a place in the World Cup squad.

    In Atlanta’s eight degree weather, the Super Eagles held their first work out on Monday evening under the watch of coach Stephen Keshi who had arrived at lunch time at the hotel. Keshi has been in the United States with his family since last month after the African Nations Championship.

    The team is expected to have its last training in the mainbowl of the Georgia Dome on Tuesday before Wednesday’s game.

    The Super Eagles will turn out in the new jerseys unveiled by the Nigeria Football Federation in Abuja last Thursday. With the uproar about the new colours, indications are that the House of Representatives sports committee would do an official enquiry into allegations that the colours were decided based on similarities with one of the team’s official sponsors.

    The match between the Super Eagles and El Tri will take place at 8pm local time on Wednesday in Atlanta, which is 2am in Nigeria on Thursday.

    FULL SQUADS (Source : goal.com)

    Nigeria

    Goalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama (Lille FC, France); Austin Ejide (Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Israel)

    Defenders: Elderson Echiejile (Monaco FC, France); Efe Ambrose (Celtic FC, Scotland); Godfrey Oboabona (Rizespor, Turkey); Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves); Kenneth Omeruo (Middlesbrough FC, England); Juwon Oshaniwa (Ashdod FC, Israel); Joseph Yobo (Norwich City, England); Kunle Odunlami (Sunshine Stars)

    Midfielders: John Mikel Obi (Chelsea FC, England); Ogenyi Onazi (SS Lazio, Italy); Ramon Azeez (Almeria FC, Spain); Shehu Abdullahi (Kano Pillars); Ejike Uzoenyi (Enugu Rangers)

    Forwards: Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Shola Ameobi (Newcastle United, England); Victor Moses (Liverpool FC, England); Emmanuel Emenike (Fenerbahce FC. Turkey); Obinna Nsofor (Chievo Verona, Italy); *Bright Dike (Toronto FC, Canada), Imoh Ezekiel (Standard Liege, Belgium); Michel Uchebo (Cercle Brugge, Belgium)

    Mexico

    Goalkeepers: Jesús Corona – Cruz Azul, Moisés Muñoz – America, Guillermo Ochoa – Ajaccio

    Defenders:  Paul Aguilar – Latin,  Enrique Pérez – Atlas, Juan Carlos Valenzuela – Latin,  Hector Moreno – Espanyol Barcelona, Rafael Marquez – Leon, Diego Reyes – Porto, Francisco Javier Rodriguez – Latin, Miguel Ponce – Toluca,  Layún Miguel – America

    Midfielders: Andrés Guardado – Bayer Leverkusen, José Juan Vazquez – Leon, Hector Herrera – Porto,  Juan Carlos Medina – America,  Isaac Brizuela – Toluca, Javier Aquino – Villarreal, Carlos Peña – Leon,  Luis Montes – Leon

    Strikers: *Giovani dos Santos – Villarreal, Alan Pulido – Tigers, Oribe Peralta – Santos, Javier Hernandez – Manchester United

  • World Cup warm-up: Eagles face Greece, USA

    World Cup warm-up: Eagles face Greece, USA

    Nigeria will take on Greece, USA and Scotland in friendlies to complete their build-up for the World Cup in Brazil, officials said.

    Speaking to MTNFootball.com, Nigeria match agent Jairo Pachon, said the African champions will take on Scotland on May 28 in London.

    Nigeria beat Scotland 2-1 in 2002 the last time both countries clashed.

    They will then fly out to the United States, where they battle Greece in Philadelphia on June 3 and USA on June 7 in Jacksonville.

    Greece beat the Eagles 2-1 at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

    Nigeria will step up their preparation for the World Cup on Wednesday when they face Mexico in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

    The Super Eagles are drawn in Group F along with Argentina, Iran and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

  • Mikel plays for 15 minutes

    Mikel plays for 15 minutes

    • gets high rating

    By Julius Okorie

    Despite being in action for just 15 minutes after coming in as second half substitute, Super Eagles and Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi was handed high rating by pundits on Saturday when Blues hammered Fulham 3-1 away.

    Mikel who came in as replacement for Oscar in the 77th minute was commended for making the best use of limited time at his disposal with his rating put at 7.5/10.

    The players rating submitted: “Mikel situated himself into the 3-man holding midfield and helped maintain the tempo in the remaining part of the game.”

    It was, however, Schurrle that emerged Most Valuable Player as he registered his name on the score sheet thrice to the admiration of Coach Jose Mourinho who had earlier frowned at this performance in early part of the match. Schurrle got the highest rating of 9/10.

    “The German’s first half performance drew looks of disgust from manager Mourinho, and whatever words were directed at him in the dressing room paid off. Schurrle finished brilliantly on all three occasions and ended the match with a beautiful hat-trick to his credit that propelled Chelsea to victory,” according to the rating . Although Goalkeeper Cech was rated 8/10, he was hardly tested as he “collected all attempts through the air with assurance. Was caught 20 minutes from time by a Heitinga flick, where he possibly could have done better, but an all around steady performance from the veteran. On the whole, it was a performance in which the least player in the feat achieved scored seven points”.

  • Eagles to wear World Cup jersey against Mexico

    Eagles to wear World Cup jersey against Mexico

    Super Eagles will wear the specially designed World Cup kits in next Wednesday’s international friendly against Mexico.

    “There is uniqueness about the new jersey that Nigerians will love. The design is a top-of-the-range thing, especially for the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014,” MTNFootball.com quoted Nigeria Football Federation general secretary, Musa Amadu, as saying on Wednesday.

    The NFF will unveil the new jersey at a ceremony in Abuja on Thursday.

    Super Eagles players Chigozie Agbim, midfielder Abdullahi Shehu and striker Ejike Uzoenyi will showcase the new kits at the occasion.

    The new and refreshing design is produced by Adidas, the official kit supplier of Nigeria national teams and the leading kit manufacturers in the world.

    Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi will be the special guest of honour at the event slated for the front area of the Sunday Dankaro Football House, Package B of the National Stadium Complex, Abuja, from 10am.

    Also invited are Director General of the National Sports Commission, Gbenga Elegbeley; Chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, Adamu Gumba; Chairman of the House of Reps’ Committee on Sports, Godfrey Gaiya; Chairman of the League Management Company, Nduka Irabor; President-General of Nigeria Football Supporters Club, Rafiu Oladipo and other prominent football figures.

     

     

  • Akabueze hails Keshi, Eagles

    Akabueze hails Keshi, Eagles

    Former Sunshine Stars, Kwara United and presently Wuhan Zall FC of China attacking maestro, Chukwuma Akabueze has showered praises on Super Eagles players for their brilliant performance against one of the best teams in the world, the Azzuris of Italy.

    The former Nigeria U-20 star noted that coach Stephen Keshi is one of the best things that happened to Nigerian football at the moment, saying the Big Boss took a big risk of career to feature home based players at the Nation’s Cup and making them an integral part of the team.

    He said: “Keshi’s action has given hope to the local league and will in a long way stem the drifting of players to obscure leagues outside the country.” Akabueze has, however, brought hope and encouragement to footballers in Ondo State by initiating a Mock Nation Cup Competition tagged ‘Bentley Soccer Cup Competition’. Akabueze while on holiday in Nigeria decided to initiate the competition to keep footballers based in the state an opportunity to get busy during season break.

    The competition will be an annual event. Akabueze said the reason for initiating the mock Nation Cup is a means to give hope and encouragement to younger players to always give their best at all times.

    He also along side Sunshine Captain Sunday Abiodun and other organising members paid a courtesy call to the General manager of the Ondo State Sports Council, Mrs Joyce Idowu Akinbolumo for her support in making the first edition a success. To kick start the competition, Akabueze gave out 50 sets of boots to players featuring in the competition and also cash awards for first, second and third teams.

  • No World Cup for Ike Uche – Keshi

    No World Cup for Ike Uche – Keshi

    Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi , has closed the World Cup door on Ikechukwu Uche, saying he lacks tactical discipline.

    Uche is one of Nigeria’s reliable goal scorers and has scored 12 goals this season for Villarreal, MTNFootball.com reports.

    On Monday night, the striker returned to action after he was sidelined by injury for two weeks.

    He last featured for Nigeria in the final of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations against Burkina Faso.

    Keshi speaking to MTNFootball.com from his base in the United States said, “Ikechukwu Uche is not a player I have not seen play. Ike Uche problem is not knowing how to play football.

    “His problem is that he wants to dictate how we play in Super Eagles, he wants to tell us the system we’re playing is not good.

    “Uche has a very bad habit, that if you put him in the game he is not playing to instructions and he did that in the final of AFCON against Burkina Faso, he almost cost us.

    “Again he did that against Zambia, in the second match when (Efe) Ambrose was given a red card. What we told him to do, he was doing the opposite.”

    Keshi added:”And if you don’t respect your team mates and you don’t respect the team, then there is no point. I know he cannot do that in his club, then why do it in the national team?

    “I don’t think I need a player like that in the team.”

     

  • Imoh Ezekiel won’t dump Nigeria – Mentor

    Imoh Ezekiel won’t dump Nigeria – Mentor

    The mentor of Super Eagles’ invitee, Imoh Ezekiel, has dismissed as mere rumour a report that the Standard Liege striker could dump Nigeria for Belgium.

    The chairman of 36 Lion of Lagos, Gafar Liamed, guided the youngster to stardom and he told MTNFootball.com the striker is excited to be called up by Nigeria for next month’s World Cup warm-up against Mexico in United States.

    “It is just a rumour, Imoh is not thinking of dumping Nigeria for Belgium because he told me that he is excited about the invitation to join the many great players in the Eagles,” Liamed declared.

    “As I speak with you, he has been given a two-year multiple visa to the USA and he will hit America for the Mexico game on March 3.”

    He said the 36 Lion product is not seeking Belgian citizenship, but the country wish to give him and there is a protocol to achieve that.

    “Imoh is not seeking Belgian nationality as being rumoured. No player or person can seek nationality of any country by themselves because there is a protocol for that to happen. In this case, one must have stayed in that country for three years to be given citizenship and Imoh has stayed in Belgium for less than three years, which makes him ineligible for the citizenship.

    “The truth is that Belgium coach Marc Wilmots wants him, and he is trying to fast track the citizenship procedure, but Imoh has taken a decision to play for Nigeria, so there is no going back on that,” he told MTNFootball.com.

     

  • World Cup: Jonathan boosts Supporters’ Club with N50m

    World Cup: Jonathan boosts Supporters’ Club with N50m

    To ensure the Super Eagles excel at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday approved the release of N50 million cash to Nigerian Supporters’ Club.

    The money, according to the President, will enable the Supporters’ Club prepare adequately for the biennial tournament starting in June 12.

    He made the announcement after he was decorated as the Grand Patron of the Supporters’ Club just before the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting started in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    While urging the supporters club not to relent in cheering the team to victory, he also promised to talk to some of the country’s “senior boy”’ to support the supporters’ club members throughout their stay in Brazil.

    He said, “We need to encourage you to go to Brazil. We will give you a token. We will start with N50 million and we will talk to some of our senior boys to support you.”

    As a grand patron now, the President said he will continue to support all sports in the country in all its ramifications.

    On the decoration, Jonathan said, “This decoration is dedicated to all members of my cabinet and all Nigerians of goodwill. I have always been a keen supporter of all sports. I hope to be with you in Brazil.”

    “We want to commend the Nigerian Supporters’ Club for your support to the country. It is therefore joyful to be associated with the supporters club. We really appreciate what you have been doing. The nation is mostly grateful to you all.”

    Speaking earlier, the President General of the Nigerian Super Eagles Supporters’ Club Worldwide, Dr. Rafiu Ladipo, noted that the club plans to storm the World Cup in Brazil with 1,000 members.

    “Our plan is to go with 1,000 supporters to the World Cup. 500 will go from Nigeria while the remaining 500 will come from other countries. With your support, Super Eagles will minimally get to the semifinals in the World Cup,” He stated.

    Speaking with State House correspondents on whether a foreign technical adviser should be engaged for the team, Ladipo said, “Steven Keshi has done very well, but he still needs two or three people to help him read the game because he cannot see everything by himself.”

    “But nobody should force down anybody on him. He should be allowed to make his decision.”

    The Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi, assisted Ladipo to decorate the President with white Agbada dotted with green-coloured design and green hat to match. He was also decorated with big golden neck chain, trophy and black walking stick to match.