The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Super Eagles

  • CHAN: NFF in dramatic U-turn

    CHAN: NFF in dramatic U-turn

    Nigeria Football Federation has rescinded a decision to pull out of the 2014 Championship of African Nations, MTNFootball.com reports.

    The decision was taken on Wednesday at an executive committee meeting with officials saying this will encourage and give opportunities to home-based professional players who have been part of coach Stephen Keshi’s rebuilding process all along.

    A broke NFF had earlier hinted that the country will pull out of the competition which is for the players based in the various home leagues due to a cash crunch.

    The home-based Eagles will therefore honour the qualifier against Cote d’Ivoire in June.

    Nigeria is yet to qualify for this tournament since it was founded in 2009.

    Next year’s CHAN will be hosted by South Africa after it was originally to be staged by Libya

    The NFF executives also approved the recommendation of the technical sub-committee for the appointment of Amodu Shaibu as national technical director.

    Kashimawo Laloko and James Peters will assist him.

    NFF also approved the programmes and preparation plans for the Super Eagles, the Flying Eagles and the Beach soccer national team ahead of upcoming matches and championships.

     

  • Chelsea injury blow: Mikel still doubtful

    Chelsea injury blow: Mikel still doubtful

    Super Eagles and Chelsea midfielder, John Obi Mikel, is still a doubt for today’s English Premier League tie against Manchester United after missing Thursday’s clash against Basle due to hip injury sustained in training.

    The midfielder, who has been left out of Chelsea’s last three games by interim manager Rafael Benitez, was hoping to earn a recall against the Old Trafford dwellers.

    However, Benitez preferred the likes of Frank Lampard and David Luiz alongside Cech, Azpilicueta, Cahill, Ivanovic, Cole, Mata, Oscar, Hazard and Ba, although Ramires is also a contender to play in front of the back four.

    Interestingly, Mikel has come under criticism from fans for his inconsistent form since he joined the club in 2006 but impressed in their Champions League Final victory over Bayern Munich 12 months ago.

    The Nigeria international was hoping to impress again ahead of the Europa League Final on May 15 .

    The hip injury is believed to be only minor, although should Mikel be rested again, it would mean he would be ready for the Europe League final against Benfica on May 15.

  • Sidney Sam seals UCL spot with Leverkusen

    Sidney Sam seals UCL spot with Leverkusen

    Super Eagles prospect Sidney Sam was in action for 84 minutes as Bayer Leverkusen made sure of a top-three Bundesliga finish and a place in next season’s Champions League group stage with a 2-0 win at Nuremberg on Saturday.

    Werder Bremen’s troubles continued as they squandered a two-goal lead in the last five minutes and were held 2-2 at home by Hoffenheim in a relegation battle.

    Aaron Hunt converted a penalty awarded after only 25 seconds and Kevin de Bruyne made it 2-0 in less than half an hour for 14th-placed Bremen, only for two late goals from Sven Schipplock to stun the home crowd.

    Greuther Fuerth, already relegated, won 2-0 at VfB Stuttgart. Hanover 96 and Mainz 05 drew 2-2 and fifth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt beat Fortuna Duesseldorf 3-1.

  • FIFA ranking: Mba sad over Nigeria’s slide

    FIFA ranking: Mba sad over Nigeria’s slide

     

    Super Eagles midfielder, Sunday Mba has voiced his displeasure at the latest monthly rankings released by world football governing body, FIFA.

    Supersport.com reports that Nigeria dropped one place in the classification for March as their 757 ranking points saw the African champions slip to 31st in the world and fourth in Africa behind the Ivory Coast, Ghana and Mali.

    Nigeria was previously ranked 30th after racking up 775 points but slipped a solitary place after a less-than-fruitful month following a 1-1 draw against Kenya in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying game in Calabar.

    Mba, who impressed for the Super Eagles at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, however does not believe the draw against the Kenyans is enough to see Nigeria drop in the rankings.

    “I am not happy with the rankings but FIFA knows best. We must respect their decision but I don’t think we played too badly against Kenya. We dominated the game against the Harambee Stars but just couldn’t score more than one goal,” Mba exclusively told supersport.com.

    The attacking midfielder then expressed his desire to help Nigeria move up the rankings in the coming days.

    “I always give my best when I play for my country. We at the national team will give our best in the upcoming matches and try to win so we can help Nigeria rise in the rankings,” he said.

    Nigeria averaged 107.11 ranking points in 2010 and a lowly 56 points in 2011.

     

  • Osaze sets for Eagles return

    Osaze sets for Eagles return

    …  Nsofor, Kalu Uche too

    West Bromwich Albion striker, Osaze Odemwingie, is set for a sensational Super Eagles return only weeks after it seemed he will never play for Nigeria again.

    MTNFootbal.com gathered that Osaze, who has been at the wars with his English Premier League club, will be handed a lifeline by the Super Eagles handlers after a recent tirade by the player against Stephen Keshi and the team.

    “Osaze will return to the Eagles,” a top official specially disclosed to MTNFootball.com.

    “Besides the fact that he deserves to be in the team, it would also be a big boost for Osaze after his troubles with WBA.”

    The outspoken Osaze resorted to social network platform Twitter to vent his frustrations after he was sensationally axed from the Eagles squad to last month’s Africa Cup of Nations.

    The striker accused Keshi of not being professional in the manner he was dropped from the national team, while he also took a dig at skipper Joseph Yobo, saying the Super Eagles had lacked a true leader.

    He also suggested he was through with the national team.

    Keshi has since said Osaze was dropped because of “character problems” which would have disrupted team spirit at the AFCON.

    ‘Big Boss’ has already sent out words of encouragement to Osaze following his travails at the EPL side.

    The former Lille and Lokomotiv Moscow star last featured for Nigeria in a 2013 Nations Cup qualifier in Rwanda in February 2012.

    Other top stars lined up for a return to the team are Obinna Nsofor and Kalu Uche.

    Uche, for one, has been on fire in Turkey with his Istanbul outfit Kasimpasa, where he has so far netted 15 goals in the league.

    He last played for Nigeria in a November 2011 friendly against Zambia in Kaduna, where he scored the opening goal and his younger brother Ikechukwu was also on target in a 2-0 win in Keshi’s second game in charge of the team.

     

  • Kenyan coach promises Eagles ‘hell’ in Nairobi

    Kenyan coach promises Eagles ‘hell’ in Nairobi

    Kenya’s coach Adel Amrouche has broken his silence on being expelled from Saturday’s World Cup qualifying game against Nigeria as well as on his team’s amazing result.

    The Harambee Stars stretched the African Champion to their fullest, conceding a goal in stoppage time to earn a 1-1 draw.

    In the last minutes of the game coach Adel Amrouche was expelled by the Referee from Botswana on advise of the Fourth official and he is still livid saying : “My team played the last 10 minutes without me; it is tough for any team playing like that. I was asked to leave at the time they needed me most. My absence caused us a lot,” he told Suoersport.com.

    “I was talking to my players and didn’t infringe on any other person’s territory. Or is there any rule that says a coach cannot stand at the lines and talk to his players all through the game? It was a funny decision.”

    The pitch in Calabar was not marked properly and I was understandably excited coaching my first game. If I strayed onto the actual field it was not intentional nor was for more than a few seconds. In addition to this I was never warned. To make matters worse during the game, the same official came to warn me on how to give my players water, insisting they should be the ones coming out for it.”

    Amrouche thinks that his unavailability on the sideline at the end clearly cost his team the maximum points. Nevertheless he is quite happy with the score and his team’s performance telling Supersport.com that the return game in Kenya is going to be “very tough” and a “virtual hell” for Nigeria.

     

  • WCQ: A loss would have been disastrous – Enyeama

    WCQ: A loss would have been disastrous – Enyeama

    Nigeria stand-in skipper Vincent Enyeama has said it would have been a disaster had the Super Eagles lost at home to Kenya in a World Cup qualifier.

    “I am happy we drew this match. Had we lost, it would have been a disaster,” said the Israel-based goalkeeper who deputised for Joseph Yobo who was not called up for this match.

    “We did not play like champions, we played as a team who want to qualify (for the World Cup).”

    MTNFootball.com reports that Enyeama would not discuss the Eagles chances against the Harambee Stars in the reverse fixture on June 5 in Nairobi.

    “I cannot talk of the second leg now, it is three months away,” he insisted.

    Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi was devastated by the shock outcome of this Group F clash, like millions of other Nigerians.

    He could not utter a word after the referee from Botswana Joshua Bondo blasted the final whistle.

    The former Hawks of Togo handler was rooted to the substitute bench for several minutes after the game before he made his way to the dressing room.

    ‘Big Boss’, who was up on his feet for almost the entire duration of this encounter, said he expected to win the match.

    “This was not what I expected. I expected to get the maximum three points. But it was better that it ended in a draw than if we had lost the game,” he said.

    “The team will get better in subsequent matches.”

  • Eagles draw 1-1with Kenya

    Eagles draw 1-1with Kenya

    The Super Eagles on Saturday forced the Kenyan national team to a 1-1 draw at the World Cup qualifying match played in Calabar.

    An extra time goal by Nnamdi Oduamadi saved the Eagles  from a one goal home defeat by the Kenyans who held on to their first half lead until after 90 minutes of play.

  • Ideye misses Emenike partnership

    Ideye misses Emenike partnership

    Super Eagles striker, Brown Ideye, has declared that his strike partner at the African Nations Cup, Emmanuel Emenike, will be missed when the team faces Kenya in Calabar on Saturday.

    The 24-year-old formed a deadly bond up front with the Spartak Moscow forward which helped Nigeria to win a third Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa in February, Supersport.com reports.

    But Emenike is currently out injured and misses out of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying against the Harambee Stars of Kenya.

    Ideye said he had built a “good relationship” with Emenike off the pitch leading to their telepathic performance for Nigeria at the AFCON.

    The ex-Ocean Boys’ man is however prepared to play up front with any other striker should he be selected for the game against Kenya.

    “I played with him, he’s a great player. I built a good relationship with him outside of the pitch and it helped us a lot. Apart from playing on the pitch you have to have a close relationship with other players to help team spirit so that it will rub off on the team in matches.

    “I’ll really miss him (for his style of play) but I just have to work with whoever the coach picks to play with me,” said Ideye.

    Seattle Sounders forward, Obafemi Martins, who has similar power-playing style with Emenike, might start up front with Ideye.

    Also, Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih attacking midfielder, Babatunde Michael, is available for selection and has same bulldozing quality.

    Ideye has played 12 times for the Nigerian national team and scored two goals.

     

  • WCQ: Nigeria has no advantage – Keshi

    WCQ: Nigeria has no advantage – Keshi

    Super Eagles head coach, Stephen Keshi, does not believe the late arrival of the Harambee Stars to Calabar will give his charges any notable advantage when the two sides clash in Saturday’s 2014 FIFA world cup qualifier.

    Logistic difficulties meant the Harambee Stars only arrived in Calabar, venue for the game, around 1pm on Thursday but Keshi expects the visitors to be up for the challenge on Saturday.

    “I don’t think this gives us any added advantage. They Kenyans came in on Thursday afternoon. They have Friday to train and have a feel of the stadium so I don’t think we have an advantage in that regard,” Keshi told Supersport.com.

    Keshi also revealed that the toga of African champions will not hamper his side on Saturday.

    “Pressure is always there whether you win the AFCON title or the world cup, pressure is always there but I am sure we can handle it,” he explained.

    Saturday’s game at the UJ Esuene stadium kicks off at 4pm.