The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Super Eagles

  • NFF proposes Portugal friendly

    NFF proposes Portugal friendly

    The Nigeria Football Federation has proposed a World Cup warm-up against Portugal, MTNFootball.com reports.

    The African champions had confirmed only next month’s friendly against Mexico as a warm-up game for Brazil 2014.

    However, Chairman of the NFF Technical Committee, Chris Green, has now said another match against Portugal could well be on the cards.

    However, Green said the match will be played if Portugal accepts the arrangement.

    “We are considering playing a friendly with Portugal, the team plays like Argentina and Bosnia-Hezegovina. But for the friendly to come to life, Portugal have to accept and be interested,” MTNFootball.com quoted Green as saying on Brila FM.

    Nigeria is also working on another test game against Croatia.

    Nigeria will play against Argentina, Iran and Bosnia-Herzegovina, while the Portuguese are pitched against Ghana, Germany and United States of America in the World Cup.

     

  • World Cup: FG assures on adequate funding for Eagles

    World Cup: FG assures on adequate funding for Eagles

    The Federal Government will adequately fund the Super Eagles to the World Cup in June, the sports minister has assured.

    Nigeria qualified for its fifth World Cup in November, but there are serious concerns that the delay in the passage of the 2014 budget could adversely affect the team build-up for Brazil 2014, MTNFootball.com reports.

    Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi on Monday gave the assurance the cash will be available for the team in good time.

    “The Nigeria Football Federation has submitted the financial plans to the National Sports Commission and we have finished work on it and sent it to the appropriate quarters and we believe that it would receive priority attention,” MTNFootball.com quoted Abdullahi as saying on Monday.

    “I have no doubt in my mind that the plans for the World Cup would go very well.

    “We would give all the support that is necessary to the Nigeria Football Federation to succeed because if they succeed, everyone is happy.”

    Nigeria faces Mexico on March 5 in a warm-up game and several other tune-up matches are planned for the team.

    The Eagles will set up a training camp in Houston, United States, from May 25.

    The African champions will play Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iran in the first round of the World Cup, which kicks off in June.

     

  • Mexico friendly to decide World Cup squad – Amokachi

    Mexico friendly to decide World Cup squad – Amokachi

    Super Eagles assistant coach, Daniel Amokachi, has said the March 5 friendly against Mexico would shape the country’s call-ups for the World Cup training camp.

    MTNFootball.com reports that Nigeria takes on Mexico in Atlanta, Georgia, in the only FIFA free window available before the World Cup in June.

    The African champions had called up three uncapped players, Belgium-based striker Imoh Ezekiel and Michael Uchebo and Ramon Azeez from La Liga side Almeria.

    The team handlers have also recalled skipper Joseph Yobo and Juwon Oshaniwa, while four players from the domestic scene were also picked.

    “The World Cup is a long way from now. We still have five months, we still have a game to play in America, then after that we will know what the Eagles team would look like,” Amokachi told MTNFootball.com.

    The former Everton of England striker also spoke on Nigeria chances at Brazil 2014, saying Africa’s flag bearers as a whole stand a good chance to excel.

    “It’s football, you never know what would happen. We are going to Brazil as the dark horses, you know the Africa has never gone beyond the quarterfinals, but with the kind of players not only Nigeria but the Africa representatives have, why not probably 2014 would be a good year for the African continent?” he asked.

     

  • Keshi defies NFF on holidays

    Keshi defies NFF on holidays

    Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi is again on collision course with his employers after he flouted an order to stay back for a Presidential reception for the team.

    Top officials informed MTNFootball.com that Keshi was ordered to stay back for Thursday’s reception for the CHAN Eagles by President Goodluck Jonathan, but he still went ahead and flew out to the United States on holidays.

    ‘The Big Boss’ was conspicuously missing at the reception, where President Jonathan rewarded him with a cash gift of 1.5 million naira for leading the country to finish third at the 2014 CHAN in South Africa.

    Keshi’s presence was also needed for Wednesday’s technical committee meeting in Abuja, where he was expected to defend his call-ups for next month’s World Cup warm-up against Mexico.

    He would later talk with the technical committee on phone from his house in the US.

    “Keshi was clearly told to stay back for both the technical committee meeting and the Presidential reception, but he chose to fly out to the United states for holidays,” a top official informed MTNFootball.com

    Keshi’s latest defiance comes at the height of a controversy that he has been asked by the Nigeria Football Federation to recommend an additional assistant.

    However, the NFF has denied this.

    “We have faith in Keshi and we trust him. He is our coach for the World Cup,” said NFF president Aminu Maigari

     

  • Jonathan splashes N31 million on home based Eagles, crew

    *Each player gets N1 million * Head coach – N1.5m, Asst Coaches – N1m each, seven others – N0.5m

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday  announced a cash reward of N1 million for each of the 23 Super Eagles home based players that recently won bronze medal at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in South Africa.

    The Head Coach, Stephen Keshi will take home N1.5 million while the three assistant coaches got N1 million each.

    Others included N500,000 each for Team Secretary, Team Doctor, Team Physiotherapist, team curator, Media Officer, Technical, team coordinator.

    The President, who announced the N31 million cash rewards during the Presidential Reception for the team at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja, said that the supporters will be rewarded at a later date.

    He said: “As a token of our appreciation, we have decided to give you very little token because ‘Thank You’ does not go to the market.”

    “We feel like welcoming you in a golden way even though you got bronze because of your outstanding performance in the march against Morocco.”

    “Although you did not get gold, you got the hearts of Nigerians. Your achievements speaks volume. You may not have won the championship, but you performed gallantly.”
    He went on: “I think we are succeeding in sports because of the strong link between the executive and the parliament.”

    “We are reaping the dividends of our investments in sports. Although there is still much more to be done. Let me encourage you to remain committed and disciplined” he added

    The Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi applauded the decision of the President to host the Super Eagles Home Based inspite of winning Bronze just like the teams that won gold in the past.

    “You are the best President sports has ever had in Nigeria.” He stated

    Among those who graced the occasion included the Vice President, Namadi Sambo, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam and many members of the cabinet.

  • Yobo ready to return – Keshi

    Yobo ready to return – Keshi

    Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi , has said Joseph Yobo is ready for a comeback and so his call-up for a World Cup warm-up against Mexico.

    Yobo, 33, who is closing in on a century of caps has not played for Nigeria since the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations a year ago.

    He is one 23 players named for a March 5 friendly against fellow World Cup finalists Mexico in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.

    “I had told you before that Yobo is still a member of this team. That when the time is right, he would make a return. Now Yobo is ready and he is making his comeback,” Keshi told MTNFootball.com from his base in US, where he is on holidays.

    “There are several players I invited also whom I have not seen since last year. There a need to see them again and know how ready they are and see if the fresh ones can fit in to our plans for the World Cup.

    These players include Israel-based leftback Juwon Oshaniwa, while uncapped Ramon Azeez, Imoh Ezekiel and Michael Uchebo will get a chance to stake a claim for a place on the final World Cup squad.

    Keshi said the Mexico warm-up will be the only opening for him before the squad regroup in Houston, US, for the World Cup training camp on May 25.

    “The Mexico friendly is very important. It’s about the only time we have to see some of the players before our camp in Houston for the World Cup,” Keshi said.

    “So, it’s very important we assess the players, but more importantly it’s a family reunion for us to plan and discuss the on strategies for the big one, which is the World Cup in Brazil.”

     

  • NFF ‘close’ to sealing Croatia friendly

    NFF ‘close’ to sealing Croatia friendly

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has moved “very close” to tying up a World Cup warm-up against Croatia, MTNFootball.com reports.

    Nigeria will face Mexico on March 5 in Atlanta as part of the Super Eagles preparations for the World Cup and officials have now said they are about to seal another friendly against Croatia.

    “We are 95 per cent close to sealing a friendly against Croatia ahead of the World Cup,” NFF spokesman Ademola Olajire told MTNFootball.com.

    The country’s official match organisers also said they are working on the final details of the Croatia match.

    The Nigerians want to play Croatia because it will afford them a chance to play against a team with a similar style with Group F rivals Bosnia-Herzegovina.

    The African champions will also play Argentina and Iran at the World Cup.

     

  • Keshi to recall Haruna, Ike Uche

    Keshi to recall Haruna, Ike Uche

    Lukman Haruna and Ikechukwu Uche are to be recalled to the Super Eagles ahead of the World Cup in Brazil, officials have said.

    And both players could well get their chance as early as next month’s pre-World Cup friendly against Mexico in United States.

    Dynamo Kiev midfielder Haruna has been superb for his Ukrainian club after a recent injury setback, while Villarreal striker Uche has scored 12 goals in La Liga.

    However, it is left to be seen whether a hamstring injury suffered by Uche last week may not stop him from the Mexico match.

    Haruna last played for Nigeria at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, while Uche has not been involved with the national team since the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations also in South Africa.

    MTNFootball.com also gathered that several other players who were not part of the qualifiers for Brazil 2014, but have been doing well at their various clubs in Europe will also be considered by Stephen Keshi.

    “My team will be open to any Nigerian player who is doing well,” maintained Keshi.

    The Eagles will resume training camp by the end of the month ahead of the friendly against Mexico on March 5.

     

  • Keshi rejects NFF’s foreign ‘help’

    Keshi rejects NFF’s foreign ‘help’

    Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, has refused to accept an offer of a foreign assistant ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil starting in June, supersport.com reports.

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) met with the current African Coach of the Year recently and proposed a foreign assistant to him which he turned down.

    The NFF even proposed to Keshi to pick any foreign assistant of his choice, saying it will foot the expenses including the salaries.

    Instead Keshi, 52, demanded that the Nigeria football house reinstate one of his former assistants and former teammates, Sylvanus Okpala, who was sacked after the Super Eagles won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

    “Stephen Keshi was offered the chance to choose a foreign assistant, who will work under him but he made it clear he was fine with his current assistants and backroom staff. The federation did this because they felt Keshi needed additional assistant.

    “But Keshi said he wanted one of his assistants, Sylvanus Okpala, to be recalled. The federation told him Okpala can’t be recalled because he was sacked for insubordination,” supersport.com quoted spokesman of the NFF Technical Committee, Paul Bassey, as saying on a television programme on Wednesday.

     

     

  • Kojo Williams writes off CHAN Eagles

    Kojo Williams writes off CHAN Eagles

    Ex-Nigeria Football Federation chairman, Kojo Williams, has said no player from the 2014 CHAN is good enough to feature at the World Cup.

    Nigeria placed third at the recent CHAN in South Africa, but Kojo is of the opinion that Stephen Keshi will be making a huge mistake if he takes any of the players from that tournament to Brazil 2014.

    “They are not the best in the Nigeria Premier League for last season, there are plenty of quality players in the league compared to those that Keshi took to the CHAN in South Africa. He will be making a big mistake if he takes any of those players to World Cup,” MTNFootball.com quoted Williams as saying on Inspiration FM Lagos.

    MTNFootball.com recalls that Williams was appointed chairman of NFF in 1999 and lasted for about three months before he was impeached.

    Keshi has hinted that Ejike Uzoenyi and three other players from CHAN Eagles will be given a chance to fight for places at Brazil 2014.