The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Super Eagles

  • Eagles record 1st AFCON 2019 victory hit Pirates 0-3

    It was a stress free outing for Coach Gernot Rohr and his technical crew on Saturday as the Super Eagles won their first Group E match, in the AFCON 2019 qualifiers beating Seychelles 0-3 in 93 minutes.

    The Eagles enjoyed for what could pass for a cruise control maintaining   72% possession to Pirates 28 all through the encounter. 

    The goal feast for the Eagles started with a super strike by Ahmed Musa who was equally impressive at the recently concluded World cup in Russia.  Prior to the match the Pirates coach Jeane Garvin cautioned his team mostly made up of non professional footballers to keep a tab on Musa and company as they will not hesitate to do damage, and indeed they did.

    Odion Ighalo who was lampooned in some quarters following his poor run in Russia, converted a penalty.

    At the end of the first half the Eagles were already two goals up and looked as though they were seeking to re-enact the 5-1 defeat which the Pirates had earlier suffered in the hands of

    The Mediterranean Knights, in the opening group match.

    The match could easily be dubbed a tea party for the Eagles, with the only minus being the injury to Chidozie  Awaziem who was quickly replaced by Semiu Ajayi who is making his debut for the senior national team.

    Oghenekaro Etebo and Henry Onyekuru all had their time replacing Kelechi Iheanacho and Samuel Kalu respectively

  • Seven Eagles That Will Be Missing Against Pirates

    Super Eagles Coach, Gernor Rohr will on Saturday in Victoria attempt to return to a winning way after Nigeria’s early exit from the just concluded 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

    The Eagles are bottom-placed in their Africa Cup of Nations 2019 qualifying group after losing their first Match to South Africa at home.

    The German tactician will be parading a squad who were in action for the national team in the 21st FIFA world Cup tournament missing for the  must win AFCON away match on September 8 in Seychelles .

    With less than 72 hours to the kick of the match, several key players like Shehu Abdullahi, Tyrone Ibuehi, and Captain John Mikel Obi had been ruled out because of injury while Victor Moses had retired from National Team Football week preceding Eagles Camp.

    Nigeria will also miss the services of three vital players of Alex Iwobi, William Troost-Ekong and Ola Aina as they are not at Seychelles camp after picking up injuries while with their respective clubs.

    The Seychelles game is a must win for the Super Eagles and the available player would need to step up as another defeat or dropped points in Seychelles could spell doom for the Super Eagles chances of making the 2019 AFCON having already lost at home to South Africa.

    Rohr will be picking from the array of professional Nigerian internationals already in camp for the fixture as the bubbling camp is swelled with the likes of; Ahmed Musa, Ogenyi Onazi, Odion Ighalo, Etebo Oghenekaro, Leon Balogun, and Jamilu Collins.

    Others are; Onyekuru, Omeruo, Uzoho, Semi Ajayi, Samuel Kalu, Ndidi, Iheanacho, Awaziem, Nwakali, Bryan Idowu, Simeon Nwankwo, Joel Obi Ikechukwu Ezenwa, abd Daniel Akpeyi.

    Eagles are two days old at their training camp already. They had a good recovery walk around the beach in front of our Savoy Hotel camp, Victoria Tuesday and also did Foot-Volley game. They were on the turf  for full training time on Wednesday. They also had good cool beach experience to round off the session.

  • Coach Yusuf bags one-year ban, to pay $5,000 fine

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Committee on Ethics and Fair Play has banned Super Eagles’ Chief Coach Salisu Yusuf from all football–related activities for one year with immediate effect.

    The four-man committee’s decision was announced in a statement by Ademola Olajire, NFF’s Director of Communications and made available to the News men on Wednesday in Abuja.

    Members of the committee were Malam Nuhu Ribadu (Chairman), Mainasara Illo, Rev. Justin Okoroji and Mr Joshua Onoja (Secretary).

    He also said that the coach had been directed to pay 5,000 US dollars as a fine to NFF within three months.

    According to him, this decision was sequel to a complaint forwarded by the NFF as well as the Coach’s defence against a documentary in which he was seen accepting 1,000 US dollars from an undercover reporter disguising as a player’s agent.

    Olajire said that the Ribadu-led Committee made the following submissions:

    “Established from the admission of Coach Yusuf and also found as a fact from the documentary and video evidence before it, that he accepted the cash gift of 1,000 US dollars offered by Tigers Player’s Agency, an undercover reporter, purportedly interested in acting on behalf of Players Osas Okoro and Rabiu Ali, for their inclusion in the list of players for 2018 CHAN Competition in Morocco.

    Read Also: Salisu Yusuf out of Seychelles tie

    “The Committee found as a fact that it was not an error of judgment on the part of Coach Yusuf but a conscious and deliberate decision to have accepted the cash gift of 1,000 US dollars from the decoy player agent/undercover reporter, purportedly interested in acting on behalf of Players Osas Okoro and Rabiu Ali, even though the evidence before the Committee did not establish that his conduct influenced the choice of the two players.

    “That the two Players could have made the team to 2018 CHAN Competition in Morocco on the basis of their talent and performance.

    “That Coach Yusuf did not accept the offer of 15 per cent of the anticipated transfer fees of the said players, as there was no follow–up action on the promise.

    “That the act of the Coach, which was widely published on the British Broadcasting Corporation, has a damaging effect on the reputation and integrity of Nigerian Football, as he ought to have conducted himself more professionally in line with the Code of Conduct signed alongside his Contract with the Nigeria Football Federation, as his conduct in public and in secret should be exemplary, since coaches are role models.

    “That the FIFA Code of Ethics, NFF Code of Ethics and FIFA Disciplinary Code, did not contemplate negligence or error of judgment as a defence to violation of any of the provisions as contained therein, as punitive measures must be adopted to serve as deterrent to other intending offenders, even though, that he is a first time offender.”

    Olajire also said that the Committee’s decision was as follows: “In accordance with Art. 22, FIFA Disciplinary Code, he is hereby banned for the period of one year, from partaking or involvement or participation in any football related activity, effective from the date of this decision.

    “He is also fined in the sum of 5,000 US dollars to be paid within three (3) months beginning from the date of this decision.”

    He noted that the ethics committee also ruled that an appeal against the decision can be made to the NFF Appeals Committee.

    The NFF’s spokesman quoted the committee as saying that it passed its verdict on the defendant based on Article 20, 21 (1) and 21 (3) of the NFF Code of Ethics.

    He explained that it also made reference to Article 10 and 11 of the FIFA Code of Ethics in arriving at its verdict.

  • Sept 8 Clash: Eagles in mixed training in Seychelles

    Training for Super Eagles ahead of the Saturday’s showdown against Pirates of Seychelles in Victoria is not just about Pitch work but also a combination of both Volleyball and Beach football.

    The team was seen on social media Tuesday showing skills while enjoying the cozy atmosphere on the beach.

    About 18 Eagles have already hit camp and the team took to the beach on Tuesday for a combination of beach Volleyball and sand football respectively. Both China based Odion Ighalo and Saudi Arabia based Ahmed Musa who was a delight to watch at the last world cup in Russia have the Savoy Hotel Resort and Spa camp of the team.

    Kenneth Omeruo, Semi Ajayi, Samuel Kalu, Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Chidozie Awaziem, Kelechi Nwakali and Bryan Idowu were all in super shape and active in shape ups ahead of the clash. Others rearing to go include

    Ogenyi Onazi, Simeon Nwankwo, Etebo Oghenekaro, Leon Balogun, Henry Onyekuru, Francis Uzoho and Jamilu Collins.

    While players in camp are burning the calories in preparation for the clash those yet to hit camp especially South Africa based Daniel Akpeyi and home based Ikechukwu Ezenwa look good to storm camp any moment from now from all indications.

    Like most hotel located by the beach in Seychelles, the Eagles camp hotel is just 2-minute walk from the beach and 25 minutes drive from the Seychelles international Airport. Although Coach Gernot Rohr appear unperturbed by last minute withdrawal of some players due to other club engagements, he remains optimistic that the players he has can achieve the needed result which to earn victory in Seychelles to stand a good chance of progressing in a group where the team is lagging behind Libya and south Africa respectively.

  • AFCON Clash: NFF 2-man advance party hit Seychelles

    Ahead of September 8 AFCON Qualifier between the Pirates of Seychelles and Super Eagles of Nigeria, a 2-man NFF advance party is to depart the shores of the country for Seychelles this weekend.

    Spokesman of the NFF Ademola Olajire in release dished out Friday and made available to Sportinglife.ng said the party will be led by the Director of Competitions Ayobola Oyeyode.

    The advance team according to Olajire has been mandated to engage officials of the Seychelles Football Federation on all matters of logistics regarding the comfortable stay and conducive atmosphere for the Super Eagles ahead of the match.

    Matters such as accommodation, feeding, local transportation, training pitch and security it further revealed would be addressed. The team will also assess the match venue and pass information to the Eagles’ technical crew.

    Nigeria –based members of the Super Eagles’ technical crew and backroom staff will depart Nigeria on Sunday, to prepare for the arrival of the players who are expected to start arriving on Monday. Goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa will travel with the crew that will fly from Abuja.

    The Seychelles Football Federation has already scheduled the Group E, Matchday 2 encounter for the Stade Linite in Victoria, which is capital city and also within the island of Mahe, one of the main islands in the archipelago of 115 islands that is Seychelles. The match kicks off at 4.30pm Seychelles time (1.30pm Nigeria time) on Saturday, 8th September.

    Whatever hotel accommodation the Nigerian contingent decides to settle for one thing however is certain they are very likely to have an ocean view as most hotels in the city boast of beautiful ocean view while the cuisine has a heavy base of sea foods.

    Staple foods include fish, seafood and shellfish dishes, often accompanied with rice. Fish dishes are cooked in several ways, such as steamed, grilled, and wrapped in banana leaves, baked, salted and smoked. Curry dishes with rice are also a significant aspect of the country’s cuisine. Coconut water and fresh juices are some of the beverages readily available.

    Eagles need to win the tie to improve their chances in the group after failing to pick a point in the opener against South Africa.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Super Eagles to play Seychelles in 10,000-seat arena

    Stade Linite

    Super Eagles will tackle the Pirates of Seychelles in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers in a 10,000 capacity multipurpose arena.

    The sport arena for the crunchy tie is mostly used for outdoor socio-economic concerts and other events, but the stadium consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.

    Seychelles Football Federation (SFF) have now confirmed that the Eagles away match will kick off by 4.30pm Seychelles time, which is 1.30pm Nigerian time on Saturday, September 8, at the multi-use 10,000 capacity Stade Linité.

    The size of the field is 100m2 situated- located at Roche Caiman in the outskirts of Victoria, the capital of Seychelles.

    The Chief Executive Officer/General Secretary of the Seychelles Football Federation, Georges Bibi, has informed the NFF that the match will be played in a ready-made turf as approved by Confederation of African Football.

    Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands on the western Indian Ocean, off East Africa, and is home to about 100,000 people.

    The September 7 clash is crucial to both the Eagles and the Pirates, both teams having lost their opening games in the series.

    The Eagles lost 2-0 to South Africa in Uyo on June 10, 2017. A day earlier, the Pirates were thrashed 5-1 by Libya’s Mediterranean Knights at the Stade Chedly Zouiten in Tunisia’s capital.

    Presently, Libya’s Knights top the Group E, followed by South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, with the Eagles in third place and the Pirates bottom.

    The Eagles will fly directly into Seychelles from their bases in Europe while the one player from Nigeria and Nigeria–based match officials fly from Nigeria aboard a commercial flight.

  • AFCON 2019: Rohr not under pressure to deliver

    Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr is not a man under pressure. The former Gabon, Niger and Burkina Faso coach is leading  Nigeria to 2019 Nations cup in Cameroon and from all indications he has no need to have sleepless nights.

    Perhaps sleepless nights can only come, if he fails to qualify the Eagles for the championship which Nigeria has failed to qualify for on two occasions since lifting the trophy under late Stephen Keshi in 2013.

    The Eagles were conspicuously missing in the 2015 edition in Equatorial Guinea and the 2017 edition in Gabon.

    Prior to the World cup most Nigerians set what some analyst dubbed their ‘private world cup target’ that the Eagles should go beyond the round of 16 which has been the highest point we have reached and which we have repeated thrice 1994, 1998 and 2014.

    Rohr was told to ‘do well’ in Russia and was saved the usual “deliver or take a walk “headache for which coaching has come to be known.

    Ahead of the series of qualifiers leading to the Nations Cup in Cameroon, President of Nigeria football Federation Amaju Pinnick has declared that the Glass House wants the coach to make “meaningful Impact” in Cameroon.

    The NFF boss says the desire of the Glass House is not necessarily to win at all cost but to build a football culture with special emphasis on grooming younger players.

    “Our vision, as we have indicated from day one, is to build a sustainable football culture for our dear nation. To do that, youth development is key,” said the NFF president.

    “That is what we are trying to do with the U-15 squad which recently reached the final of the African Youth Games in Algeria, and which will form the bulk of the next U-17 team.

    “We will approach the matches one game at a time. Our objective is not only to qualify for the finals, but for the Super Eagles to also make a meaningful impact at the finals in Cameroon in the summer of next year,”

    Well with that template in mind, Rohr on Friday dished out his squad in continuation of the qualifier against Seychelles.

    The Eagles lost their opening match of the qualifying 2-0 at home to South Africa in June last year and resume away to Seychelles who have been dubbed minors in some quarters.

    It is safe to assume that Nigeria will qualify for the main event and emerge from her group currently led by Libya with three points followed by South Africa with three points and Nigeria and Seychelles occupying the bottom without points.

    As the Eagles begin the quest for qualification, and with strong believe in our minds that the team will ultimately pick one of the slots for the final tournament, the question we would like to ask is’ what performance in Cameroon in your own thinking would translate to “Meaningful Impact?

     

     

  • Onobi excited to join Saudi club Al Najoom

    Super Eagles midfielder, Paul Onobi has officially been unveiled by First Division Saudi Arabian club, Al Najoom SC.

    Onobi who has been handed a year deal by the Saudi club expressed great delight at the new chance to revive his career.

    “I am very happy with this move, it is a big chance for me to revive my career and I am ready to work very hard to make the best use of it,” the 25-year old midfielder said.

    Also speaking on the new move by Onobi, Yeku Kayode Gbolahan CEO of Millasworld Football Management who helped brokered the Saudi deal said it was quite pleasing to see the ex-Enyimba and Lobi Stars get back to action.

    “I have confidence in him that he would do well because he is a good player, the League in Saudi Arabia is quite big as you can see that top stars from across the world are coming there including our own Ahmed Musa”, Yeku stated.

    It is yet to be seen if Onobi will be in action as Al Najoom SC play away to Al Orubah in the season opener next Tuesday.

    Aside from playing for the Super Eagles during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, Onobi was also part of the Rwanda 2016 CHAN Eagles.

    Onobi had featured for Enyimba, Sunshine Stars and Lobi star before leaving the country to play in the Finnish league.

     

     

  • Super Eagles Coach drops assistant Salisu over ‘bribery scandal’

    Super Eagles head coach, Gernot Rohr, has reportedly confirmed that his assistant coach, Yusuf Salisu will not be part of the team set up against Seychelles.

    Salisu had his hands soiled in an alleged bribery scandal and this probably explains why the German tactician ruled the embattled Nigerian coach out of the Seychelles party next month in Victoria.

    This development, since the early hours of Friday, has elicited reactions among Nigerians with popular views saying that there is nothing wrong with the decision to drop the assistant coach for the sake of the country’s reputation.

    Others, however, wondered if the football governing house has by extension relived the CHAN Eagles Coach from his duty?

    See the reactions from Twitter below on the report titled’ BREAKING: Rohr confirms Salisu will not be part of the team set up against Seychelles.

     

    Rohr who spoke with newsmen on Friday, however, explained: “we have to wait for the report from the Ethics committee, it is not in my position to answer weather he(Salisu) will be back or not.”

    He continued, “it is the duty of my employer of labour that will determine whether he will be in the team next match. Mine is to coach the team and not the administrative point of view.”

    Rohr had on Friday released a list of 24 players for the next month’s 2018 Africa Cup of Nations crucial qualifying clash against Seychelles in Victoria.

    Rohr, expectedly, dropped captain John Mikel Obi, who recently returned from an injury, Victor Moses and Elderson Echiejile on the list.

    The duo of Shehu Abdullahi and Tyronne Ebuehi who were part of the team to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia also miss out due to injury.

    Chidozie Awaziem, Ola Aina, and Henry Onyekuru make a return to the team after missing out on the World Cup team.

    There was first time invitation for Kelechi Nwakali and the little-known duo of Semi Ajayi who plays for Rotherham United and SC Paderborn of Germany center-back Jamilu Collins.

    Four other players; Uche Agbo, Stephen Eze, Musa Mohammed and Blessing Eleke have been placed on Stand-by.

    The only home-based based player in the team, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, the coaches and the backroom staff will leave for Victoria on September 2nd for the game while the foreign-based are expected to start arriving camp in Victoria on September September 3rd.

  • Onazi to lead Eagles as Rohr names squad

    Trabzonspor of Turkey midfielder Ogenyi Onazi is to lead the Super Eagles against Seychelles as the team flag off quest for ticket to the 2019 African Cup of Nations to be hosted by Cameroon.

    Onazi who was named Assistant captain of the team was at a point dropped following ledged squabble with team captain John Obi Mikel, a brouhaha which both players later denied.  Super Eagles coach who few days back inspected the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna with a view to selecting home base for  the team’s home matches, Friday, released his  23-man list ahead of the match away to Seychelles on September 8.

    Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel who only picked up recently no thanks to injury missing five league matches in the Chinese Super league after the World cup in Russia has pulled out of the Seychelles tie.  Also missing in the squad is Chelsea winger Victor Moses who announced recently he is done with the national team and is now set to concentrate on family and club assignments.

    Kelechi Nwakali made the list and is expected to prove himself in the middle of the pack.  Also called up is the duo of

    SC Paderborn left-back Jamilu Collins and former Arsenal rookie, Semiu Ajayi. Expectedly Ahmed Musa who made fans in Russia despite Super Eagles early exit from the show will lead the attack.

    Bellow is the full list of the 23-man squad with Uche Agbo Stephen Eze Blessing Eleke Musa Mohammed taking the standby bench.

    SQUAD IN FULL

    GOALKEEPERS: Francis Uzoho, Daniel Akpeyi, Ikechuwu Ezenwa

    DEFENDERS: Leon Balogun, William Troost-Ekong, Chidozie Awaziem, Bryan Idowu, Ola Aina, Jamiu Colllins, Semiu Ajayi, Kenneth Omeruo

    MIDFIELDERS: Wilfred Ndidi, Ogenyi Onazi, Joel Obi, John Ogu, Karo Etebo, Kelechi Nwakali

    FORWARDS: Ahmed Musa, Odion Ighalo, Simy Nwankwo, Alex Iwobi, Henry Onyekuru, Samuel Kalu, Kelechi Iheanacho

    STANDBY: Uche Agbo Stephen Eze Blessing Eleke Musa Mohammed