The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Super Eagles

  • Warn Keshi on bonus row – Panel

    Warn Keshi on bonus row – Panel

    Warn Keshi on bonus row – Panel

    A probe panel on the Super Eagles bonus row has fingered coach Stephen Keshi as part of the embarrassment and said he should be warned.

    The African champions almost failed to turn up for the FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil in June after the players insisted they be paid more than what the broke Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) planned to pay them for two World Cup qualifiers in Kenya and Namibia.

    “Keshi was part of the problem as regards the bonus saga in Namibia. He stood to lose money if the bonus was slashed as proposed by the NFF and so he needs to be warned about his role in that ugly episode,” a top official told MTNFootball.com

    The panel will submit several ground-breaking recommendations to the country’s sports minister in Abuja Thursday afternoon.

    MTNFootball.com reports that among these recommendations are –

    – No more cash payments for match bonuses to the national teams as has been the case. Players and officials will be paid through their banks.

    – Draw bonuses should be abolished. Players will only be paid bonuses for winning a game, while participation fees will be paid for all national team engagements.

    – Coaches will negotiate their bonuses and will be paid a lump sum as qualification bonuses henceforth and not match bonuses. This is to ensure that the coaches are more professional in the discharge of their duties and have set targets to meet.

     

     

  • WCQ: Keshi explains players’ invitation

    WCQ: Keshi explains players’ invitation

    … Foreign-based players get Sept. 2 deadline

    Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi, has explained the rationale behind the invitation of 24 home-based professionals when only five of them will eventually join the 18 overseas-based stars for the game against Malawi, as well as the international friendly against the Etalons of Burkina Faso in Kaduna on September 10.

    “The Big Boss” is already planning ahead as he said the exercise will allow him discover more players for next year’s Africa Nations Championships (CHAN) to be staged in South Africa; a place that is fast becoming a good hunting ground for the Eagles’ gaffer.

    “We are calling up 24 home boys in order to identify new players for the 2014 African Nations Championship, for which we have already qualified, said Keshi.

    The home based Eagles secured a berth in CHAN 2014 after defeating Ivory Coast 4-3 on aggregate last month.

    Meanwhile, Keshi has given a September 2 deadline for the invited Europe-based players to arrive camp for the match against the Malawians.

    The 18 foreign-based players are expected to hit Calabar before the deadline. On their part, all the 24 home boys are expected at the Bolton White Apartments, Abuja on 24 August or risk missing out on the chance to fight for one of the five slots allocated to local stars in the double header and more importantly miss out on the chance to impress the technical crew ahead of CHAN.

     

  • Malawi must play in Calabar – FIFA

    Malawi must play in Calabar – FIFA

    World soccer governing body, FIFA, has dismissed the petition by the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) to move the September 7 World Cup qualifier with Nigeria from Calabar to somewhere “safer.”

    A muted FAM chief executive officer, Suzgo Nyirenda, has confirmed that The Flames had no other option but to travel to Calabar for the much anticipated World Cup qualifying cracker.

    “It is not like we said we do not want to travel to Nigeria. We are just waiting for the Nigeria Football Federation to provide us the guarantee. Once they do that, we will travel to Nigeria” he was quoted as saying by the Nation in Malawi.

    Despite the back tracking such a guarantee is bound not to come as the NFF has said it deems it superfluous since nobody can tell Nigeria where to play in Nigeria but Nigeria.

    Coach Tom Saintfiet, who personally called Calabar unsafe and questioned the fairness of the NFF, must now look elsewhere to see if he can create any other type of advantage for his team before game time rolls around, supersport.com reports.

     

     

  • Mandela Challenge: Nigeria defeats South Africa 2-0

    Nigeria on Wednesday defeated South Africa 2-0 in the Nelson Mandela Challenge match played at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, South Africa.

    Uche Nwofor’s second half brace separated the two sides.

    The former VVV Venlo striker who replaced Shola Ameobi at the start of the second half opened the scoring with a cool finish in the 49th minute.

    He capped his memorable debut with a simple tap in the 68th minute following a sweeping team move involving substitutes Victor Moses and Ahmed Musa.

     

     

  • Ameobi leads Eagles attack against South Africa

    Ameobi leads Eagles attack against South Africa

    Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi would lead the Eagles attack in place of Emmanuel Emenike against South Africa on Wednesday night.

    Ameobi, who missed the African Cup of Nations in South Africa due to a clause in his Newcastle United contract, has been outstanding in pre-season for his EPL team and he would be joined in the attack by on form CSKA Moscow hitman Ahmed Musa and Russia-based returnee Victor Obinna Nsofor, MTNFootball.com reports.

    The Eagles defence would be marshalled by Turkey-bound Godfrey Oboabona alongside Warri Wolves Azubuike Egwekwe in the heart of defence with Elderson Echiejile and Efe Ambrose holding the wing back positions.

    Stand-in captain Austin Ejide is standing between the sticks.

    In the midfield are – John Ogu, Sunday Mba and Ogenyi Onazi.

    Eagles starting XI:

    Austin Ejide – Efe Ambrose,Azubuike Egwuekwe, Godfrey Oboabona, Elderson Echiejile – Sunday Mba, John Ogu, Ogenyi Onazi- Shola Ameobi, Obinna Nsofor, Ahmed Musa.

     

  • Intl friendly: Mikel hits South Africa Tuesday

    Intl friendly: Mikel hits South Africa Tuesday

    … Echiejile arrives Durban

    Chelsea star Mikel Obi will join the Super Eagles on Tuesday ahead of a friendly international against hosts South Africa in Durban.

    Mikel, who has been busy with his club’s pre-season build-up in the United States, said he will leave London for South Africa on Monday night.

    “I will be in South Africa on Tuesday morning because I will leave London Monday night. It will be an interesting game for both sides as we have World Cup qualifiers coming up soon,” Mikel told MTNFootball.com

    He played a pivotal role when Nigeria won a third African Cup of Nations title in South Africa in February.

    Meanwhile, Elderson Echiejile was one of the early birds in South Africa ahead of this Mandela Challenge match as he flew into the country on Sunday morning.

    The Sporting Braga of Portugal star said on his official website www.elderson3.com that Wednesday’s match venue Durban reminds him of his first goal for the Eagles against Mali in the semi-final of the AFCON.

    The former youth international also said he remembered the beautiful 85,000-capacity Moses Mbhida Stadium as well as the energetic Zulu dance that preceded the match against Mali in February.

     

  • Eagles’ bonus pegged at $5000

    Eagles’ bonus pegged at $5000

    A committee that probed a recent bonus row in the Super Eagles has recommended the win bonus for the team be pegged at $5,000-a-man.

    The committee, which is expected to present its findings to the country’s sports minister next week, also recommended a formal code of conduct to be signed by all players in the national team.

    “The Nigeria Football Federation is no longer in a position to pay $10,000 each for a win and that is why the committee has recommended we should revert to the status quo of $5,000 before the 2010 World Cup Presidential Task Force supplemented the bonus,” a top official informed MTNFootball.com

    A code of conduct will also be introduced to the Eagles, which will clearly spell out what is expected of both players and the NFF.

    The code of conduct is in force in countries like England and Germany and even though several national team coaches including current handler Stephen Keshi have been averse to this rule book, the committee has recommended it be enforced in the Eagles.

    “The players are expected to sign the code of conduct or else quit the team,” another official told MTNFootball.com

    In 1994, only a handful of players led by Mutiu Adepoju agreed to sign a code of conduct tabled by the NFF.

    In June, Super Eagles’ players stayed put in Namibia and refused to board a flight to the FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil until they were paid full bonuses for a win and a draw in Kenya and Namibia, respectively.

     

  • Keshi unmoved by FIFA’s ranking

    Keshi unmoved by FIFA’s ranking

    Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi , said the latest FIFA ranking that tied Nigeria down on 35th place in the world is nothing to worry about.

    The African champions, who prior to June’s rating occupied the 31st spot in the world dropped to 35th position and had remained unmoved in the latest July Rankings with 700 points,.

    However, Keshi who became the first Nigerian to win the Africa Cup of Nations title as a captain and coach said he has no issues with the Eagles’ July position on the rankings.

    “I don’t know how the rankings work so I am not worried about it. What I am worried about is seeing my team play well, futaa.com quoted Keshi as saying in supersport.com.

    Nigeria has also lost its fourth spot in the Africa ranking to Algeria while Cote d’ Ivoire, Ghana and Mali maintain their first, second and third spots respectively.

    Spain, Germany, Colombia, Argentina and the Netherlands are the top five nations in the world according to the rankings.

     

  • Friendly: Musa predicts Eagles’ victory over Bafana

    Friendly: Musa predicts Eagles’ victory over Bafana

    CSKA Moscow striker, Ahmed Musa, has predicted a Nigeria win over South Africa in next week’s high-profile friendly in Durban.

    Musa, who has told MTNFootball.com he will arrive Durban on Monday ahead of the Mandela Challenge clash, said he expects an interesting match with the Super Eagles eventually carrying the day.

    “I am ready for the match against South Africa, though it is a friendly I want to win it. I will arrive South Africa on Monday,” he disclosed.

    “It will be an interesting game, a nice game to play. It is coming at a good time to keep the team in good shape ahead of our September World Cup qualifier (against Malawi).”

    The dashing forward, who has been in great form for double Russia champions CSKA in the new season, said he expects a full house at the Moses Mabida Stadium in Durban on Wednesday afternoon.

    “We won the African Cup of Nations in South Africa and going back there will bring back good memories. The country is nice, the people are good and supported us during the Nations Cup,” he said.

     

     

  • CHAN: Eagles blinked in Abidjan – Akpeyi

    CHAN: Eagles blinked in Abidjan – Akpeyi

    Super Eagles goalkeeper, Daniel Akpeyi, has said anticipation of harassment from the Ivoirians caused the team defeat in Saturday’s final qualifying match of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) at the Stade Robert Champroux in Abidjan.

    The Eagles lost 0-2 to the Ivoirians courtesy of a first half brace from Kevin Koelly Zougoula but the Nigerians qualified for the biennial football fiesta in South Africa next year on superior 4-3 aggregate score line.

     

    Akpeyi told supersport.com that his side was overwhelmed by the expected Ivoirians antics to pay attention to the game at hand which made them to concede two quick goals in the grudge encounter.

    “We were overwhelmed by the expected harassment and antics of the Ivoirians and it affected our confidence level leading to silly mistakes that caused us the two quick goals though the penalty was clearly undeserved.

    “I think the Ivoirians took advantage of the momentary confused state of mind to show brilliance and domination in the first half of the game but after the half time pep talk from the coaches we came strongly in the second half and were able to cage them leaving the score line at 0-2.

    “The Ivoirians were not superior only that we allowed the presumed attack from the side’s supporters to overwhelm us. It was a mind thing and we almost paid dearly for it but thank God we came back to our senses and fought hard to pick the qualification ticket.We’re wiser right now and won’t suffer such psychological break down in our subsequent matches, “ Akpeyi said.