For recording a historic victory against Argentina in an international friendly in Russia last Tuesday, each member of the Super Eagles will get $2,000.
This much was disclosed to SportingLife by a top Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) executive member who was in Russia.
It was understood that the players already knew how much will come to them before the match.
“The players are entitled to a flat rate of $2,000 for being part of the squad for any international friendly ahead of the World Cup and they are all aware of it” Our source disclosed.
It was gathered that the NFF are already considering options of organising more international friendly matches for the Eagles before the World Cup begins in Russia next year.
With Peru completing the line-up of 32 teams for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the seeding pots for the Final Draws on Dec. 1 was announced on Thursday, with Nigeria drawn in Pot 4.
The organisers, FIFA, said on its website that “it was confirmed in September by the Organising Committee for FIFA Competitions, that all teams will be allocated to (eight-team) pots 1 to 4 based on sports principles.
“The October 2017 edition of the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking will be used to allocate all qualified teams to the four pots according to their ranking in descending order, after hosts Russia, who take the top seeding spot.
“With those factors in mind, here are the final pots for the Final Draws,’’ the statement said.
POT 1 POT 2 POT 3 POT 4
Russia Spain Denmark Serbia
Germany Peru Iceland Nigeria
Brazil Switzerland Costa Rica Australia
Portugal England Sweden Japan
Argentina Colombia Tunisia Morocco
Belgium Mexico Egypt Panama
Poland Uruguay Senegal Korea Republic
France Croatia Iran Saudi Arabia
According to FIFA, the principle of drawing the teams into the groups would remain unchanged.
“This means that no team from the same confederation, with the exception of UEFA, which could have up to two teams in the same group, will be drawn into the same group,’’ it said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the final draws will take place on Friday, Dec. 1 at Moscow’s State Kremlin Palace. (
The Super Eagles of Nigeria on Tuesday defeated their Argentine counterparts by a whopping 4 goals to 2 in an international friendly match at Krasnodar in Russia.
The first half of the game did not start in favour of the Eagles as they quickly conceded 2 goals until an impressive free kick by Kelechi Iheanacho at the 45′ changed the narratives.
However, at the start of the second half, the Nigerian side was able to get its rhythm right and the confidence to soar high was restored by the second goal by Arsenal Forward, Alex Nwobi and at the end of 90′, the result was a massive 4-2 victory for the Eagles.
A lot of Nigerians were unable to follow the match for different reasons from it unavailability on digital television to work schedules.
More football stakeholders on Wednesday hailed the remarkable performance of the Super Eagles, after their hard-earned victory over the Albiceleste of Argentina in the international friendly match at Krasnodar, Russia.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Super Eagles battled from a 2-0 deficit to trounce the two-time world champions 4-2 in the keenly-contested match.
The Grade A friendly match, was one of the series of matches lined up by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), to prepare the Super Eagles for the upcoming Russia 2018 World Cup.
Ifeanyi Udeze, a former Super Eagles defender told NAN in Lagos that the team exhibited and played with confidence against their South American opponents.
Udeze commended the players for the victory, and urged them to remain steadfast as the country prepares for the 2018 World Cup.
“The players did well and also played well against Argentina in the encounter and should be commended.
“Coming back from two goals down to win the match showed that the players have the confidence and zeal needed to go far in the upcoming 2018 FIFA Mundial,” he said.
In the same vein, Festus Allen, a former coach of 3SC FC of Ibadan said that the win was a morale booster for the team.
Allen urged the NFF to organise more friendly matches for the Super Eagles in the build up to the FIFA World Cup.
“The win is a confidence and morale booster for the players and there is the need for us to play with more countries that have also qualified for the tournament.“By so doing, our team will be fit and ready to represent the country in Russia,’’ he said.
NAN reports that the Super Eagles were the first African country to qualify for the 2018 World Cup after topping their group that had Cameroon, Algeria and Zambia.
Other African countries that also qualified for the FIFA flagship tournament are: Egypt, Senegal, Morocco and Tunisia; the Egyptians last played at the World Cup in the Italia ’90 edition of the tournament.
The newly appointed Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) Technical Study Committee Chairman, Abba Abdulahi Yola has predicted that the present Super Eagles squad alongside Spain, England,and Brazil will be among the top 4 nations likely win Russia 2018 World Cup going by the current form of the teams while also qualifying from the group stage without loosing a game.
Yola who made this prediction in a chat with Sportinglife, said his conviction came after studying other nations that qualified for the global soccer fiesta in June next year, as the Super Eagles is likely to parade the youngest team with no name but focus players.
He said the only problem that may stop the eagles from reaching the semi-final of the tournament is the issue of winning bonuses and allowances if not settled before the kick off of world cup which could affect the team’s performance.
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The former Kano Pillars Utd Chairman, also commended the management of the glasshouse the manner they have handled the super eagles world cup qualifiers and the support given to Gernot Rohr the eagles technical adviser.
” Frankly the board has done well especially our world cup qualification matches. For the first time the players were motivated and paid as at when due. Rohr also deserve all the praises, the way he goes about his job without complain, paid or not paid and the manner he manages our players to achieve result”, Yola stated.
The Super Eagles have arrived in Constantine ahead of Friday’s 2018 FIFA World Cup final qualifying round Group B Match Day Six clash with the Fennecs of Algeria.
After a three-day camp in the Moroccan city of Rabat, the Super Eagles took off for Constantine on Thursday morning.
According to a post on the Super Eagles official Twitter handle on Thursday, the team left their camp in Rabat at about 9 a.m. and arrived in Constantine at about 10.05 a.m.
“After three days of hard work and planning in a very friendly and conducive environment in Rabat, we set out for Constantine this morning.
“We arrived safely and the reception we got from the Algerian people was very warm and cordial,” it read.
Meanwhile, Super Eagles’ skipper Mikel Obi and Chippa United’s goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi were the latest to arrive the team’s camp in Rabat on Wednesday before the team departed for Constantine.
The Super Eagles, with the Russia 2018 World Cup ticket already in the bag, face the Fennecs on Friday in a match they only have their pride at stake.
The match is at the Stade Mohamed Hamlaoui, and will hold from 8.30 p.m. Algeria time.
The team will on Saturday move to Krasnodar, the Russian city which will host Tuesday’s international friendly between Nigeria and Argentina
Super Eagles duo of Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho gave good account of themselves as Leicester City held Stoke to a 2-2 draw at the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday. While Ndidi enjoyed entire duration of the match action, compatriot Iheanacho was in action for 32 minutes after coming in as 58th minute substitute for Japanese import Shinji Okazaki. The Nigerians did not feature in the scoresheet, rather it was Riyad Mahrez who will be filing out against Super Eagles in the last world cup qualifier in Algiers that equalised for Leicester. While Ndidi got a six out of 10 rating in the match Iheanacho was handed a 5.8 rating for his performance
Vicente Iborra opened the scoring for Leicester in the 33rd minute of the Premier League encounter
However, Xherdan Shaqiri equalised for Stoke just moments later with a fine left-footed finish
Riyad Mahrez restored the visitors lead in the 60th minute after firing past Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland
Substitute Peter Crouch then emphatically headed Stoke level again on 73 minutes from a Shaqiri corner
There is more to Peter Crouch than being 6ft7ins of course but when Stoke manager Mark Hughes turned to the 36-year-old striker for his height and experience, he didn’t let anyone down.
Crouch’s 52 headed goals is a Premier League best and his 142nd appearance off the bench equaled another record held by Shola Ameobi.
He’s mostly used by Hughes as a super-sub these days and the former Liverpool, Spurs and England striker admitted: ‘It would be nice to be starting games and scoring goals but that’s the way things are going for me. So I have to come on and make an impact and try to get in the starting XI.’
Leicester have made a bright start under new manager Claude Puel with four points from two games.
Dr Mohammed Sanusi, General Secretary, Nigeria Football Federation ( NFF ), on Friday said victory by the Super Eagles over Algeria in their last World Cup match was imperative to uphold national pride.
Sanusi, who made this known in Abuja said that all necessary preparations were being made for the nation’s male national football team to maintain their lead in Group B of the world cup qualifiers.
He said that the Super Eagles had all that was required to beat Algeria considering the level of support given to them by the NFF.
The NFF scribe called on Nigerians to continue to support the team, promising that they would not disappoint the country.
“The match against Algeria is about national pride and we are doing everything possible to win the match,” Sanusi said.
NFF had last week released a 24-man list of players for the matches against Algeria and Argentina.
The Super Eagles, which has qualified for the global event, will play Algeria on Nov. 11 in their last World Cup qualifiers and a friendly against Argentina on Nov.14, ahead of Russia 2018.
The Original FIFA World Cup, which Nigeria’s Super Eagles and 31 other teams will be competing for at the 21st FIFA World Cup finals in Russia next summer, will arrive in Nigeria on Saturday, 3rd March 2018.
NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, told thenff.com on Wednesday that confirmation has come from world football –governing body, FIFA, that Nigeria is among the countries where the iconic trophy would be visiting before next year’s major showpiece.
“We have confirmation now. The World Cup trophy will be in Nigeria on 3rd March 2018,” Sanusi said.
Nigeria became the first African country to qualify for the 32 –team finals when beating Zambia 1-0 in Uyo on 7th October, plucking the lone slot from Africa’s so –called group of death with one match to spare, but will only know their group phase opponents after the Draw Ceremony at The Kremlin in Moscow on 1st December.
The FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour is usually a chance to see the Original FIFA World Cup Trophy, and this time, fans from all over the world will have the opportunity of seeing the trophy and having their photo taken with the famous diadem from 9th September 2017 to 7th June 2018.
The 21st FIFA World Cup finals will be staged across 12 venues in 11 cities in the world’s largest nation between Thursday, 14th June and Sunday, 15th July 2018.
The venues are Ekaterinburg Arena (Ekaterinburg); Kaliningrad Stadium (Kaliningrad); Kazan Arena (Kazan); Luzhniki Stadium and Spartak Stadium (both in Moscow); Nizhny Novgorod Stadium (Nizhny Novgorod); Rostov Arena (Rostov-on-Don); Saint Petersburg Stadium (Saint Petersburg); Samara Arena (Samara); Mordovia Arena (Saransk); Fisht Stadium (Sochi) and; Volgograd Arena (Volgograd).
Team captain Mikel Obi, Ahmed Musa and Ogenyi Onazi headline the list of 24 players which Super Eagles’ Technical Adviser Gernot Rohr has invited for the team’s upcoming two matches.
The Nigerian senior men football team visit Algeria next week in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match, and also take on Argentina in Russia four days later in a friendly.
Goalkeepers Ikechukwu Ezenwa and Daniel Akpeyi made the cut, alongside defenders Abdullahi Shehu, Leon Balogun and William Ekong, as well as midfielders Wilfred Ndidi and Oghenekaro Etebo.
Forwards Kelechi Iheanacho, Alex Iwobi and Odion Ighalo were also on the list, which also has three players placed on standby.
However, there is a first call-up for impressive goalkeeper Francis Uzoho of Deportivo La Coruna of Spain and midfielder Chidiebere Nwakali, a former FIFA U-17 World Cup winner.
Francis Uzoho
Russia-based Brian Idowu has also been placed on standby, only for the friendly with Argentina.
2013 AFCON winner Kenneth Omeruo is on standby for both matches, alongside former junior international Alhassan Ibrahim, who now plays in Austria.
All invited players are expected to arrive in a camp in Morocco on Monday, Nov. 6, before the delegation flies to Constantine on Thursday, Nov. 9.
Two days later, the Super Eagles will leave Constantine for Krasnodar, the Russian city which will host the international friendly against Argentina on Nov. 14.
THE FULL LIST
Goalkeepers: Daniel Akpeyi (Chippa United, South Africa); Ikechukwu Ezenwa (FC IfeanyiUbah); Francis Uzoho (Deportivo La Coruna, Spain)
Defenders: William Ekong (Bursaspor FC, Turkey); Abdullahi Shehu (Anorthosis Famagusta, Cyprus); Tyronne Ebuehi (ADO Den Haag, The Netherlands);
Leon Balogun (FSV Mainz 05, Germany); Uche Agbo (Standard Liege, Belgium); Chidozie Awaziem (Nantes FC, France); Olaoluwa Aina (Hull City, England)
John Ogu (Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Israel); Mikel Agu (Bursaspor FC, Turkey); Chidiebere Nwakali (Sogndal FC, Norway)
Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Leicester City, England); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Moses Simon (KAA Gent, Belgium); Alex Iwobi (Arsenal FC, England);
Odion Ighalo (Chang Chun-Yatai, China); Henry Onyekuru (RSC Anderlecht, Belgium); Anthony Nwakaeme (Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Israel)
STANDBY: Kenneth Omeruo (Kasimpasa FC, Turkey); Alhassan Ibrahim (FK Austria Wien, Austria); Brian Idowu (FC Amkar Perm, Russia)(NAN)
