The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Super Eagles

Former Eagles coach lands Norway job

Former Super Eagles coach Lars lagerback has taken over as coach of Norway the Football Federation announced Wednesday.

Largerback who coached the Super Eagles in 2010 took Iceland to impressive outing at the 2016 Euro championship sealed a three year contract with Norway.

The 68-year-old Swede equally handled his country’s team between 2000 and 2009.

Perhaps his greatest achievement was his 2011-2016 spell with Iceland which culminated in reaching the Euro 2016 quarterfinals while humiliating traditionally stronger England along the way.

Lagerback takes over from Per-Mathias Hogmo, who resigned in mid-November after a series of poor results.Norway are currently ranked 84th by Fifa.

With three defeats and a single victory against San Marino, the country is in second-last place in its 2018 World Cup qualifying Group C.

“This is obviously a difficult situation,” Lagerback told reporters about the team’s chances of qualifying.

“It will be difficult to win the group but there is still a possibility of finishing second” and having a chance at the play-offs, he added.

His appointment puts an end to the Norwegian federation’s more than two-month quest, after former Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and FC Copenhagen’s successful coach Stale Solbakken both turned down the job.

Lagerback had most recently served as adviser to the Swedish team since last summer.

February 1, 2017
Appreciative Ighalo writes Watford fans

Super Eagles forward and Chinese Super League new import Odion Ighalo has written an open letter to his Watford fans thanking them for making his stay at the Vicarage Road a worthwhile.

Ighalo who accepted a last minute £22million move to Chinese Super League side Changchun Yatai thanked Watford fans for believing in him and appreciating his efforts while at the club. He also thanked them and the club for bearing with him at moments when all did not appear to go well. “A special thanks to Watford fans who I really hold dearly in my heart because they supported me since the very first day I came to the club, to the last day,” he said

Ighalo, 27, has been pursued by Chinese Super League clubs in the past three transfer windows but consistently rejected moves away from the Premier League. Even an initial £38m Shanghai SIPG bid was turned down by the former Granada ace who had earlier played for Lyn and Udinese respectively.

The new deal will see him earn about £200,000 per week.

The Nigerian forward hit 15 goals in his first season in the Premier League last year, an effort which helped the club avoid relegation, but his exploits this season has been less successful with a goal drought that stretches back to September 10 and his only strike of 2016-17 in the Premier League

Watford have already signed M’Baye Niang on loan from AC Milan and Mauro Zarate for £2.5m for Fiorentina to boost their striking options in the campaigns ahead.

Yatai who were 12th-place finishers in last year’s 16-team CSL, are optimistic they coming of the Nigerian international will further boost their chances of posting a better standing on the log this season.

Prior to grabbing the opportunity another Chinese club, Shanghai Shenhua, had tinkered with the idea of pairing Ighalo with Carlos Tevez, the world’s highest-paid player on £600,000-a-week.

Recall that Super Eagles Captain John Obi Mikel equally wrote thank Chelsea fans after over a decade sojourn at the Stamford Bridge

February 1, 2017
Enyeama savors away victory over Olympique Lyonnais

It was a pleasant weekend for former Super Eagles safehand and Lille goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama as Lille earned vital away win at the expense of homers Olympique Lyonnais.

Lille who occupy the 13th position on the log shocked their hosts in the 38th minutes of the match thanks to Algerian import Yassine Benzia. The visitors doubled lead in the 80th minute when Benzia again converted a penalty. Interestingly Benzia who became the tormentor in chief was Olympique Lyonnais youth academy graduate.

The hosts however converted their own penalty six minutes later all efforts to earn eqauliser afterwards proved abortive. A similar visit late last year saw Lille lose 2-0

With January signing Memphis Depay making his first start for OL, the hosts were optimistic of maintaining their hold on fourth place, particularly as Lille arrived having drawn their previous three games and having won just one of their last ten away matches in the top flight.

The new addition from Manchester United almost broke the deadlock when he smashed a shot off the bar (9′) before winning a free-kick Mathieu Valbuena sent narrowly over (14′) as OL seemed to be laying the platform for a fourth successive home win.

That was without counting on Benzia. The LOSC forward, who made his Ligue 1 debut in the colours of OL aged just 17 during the 2012/13 season, first provided Eric Bauthéac with a chance he should not have missed (27′) before taking matters into his own hands.

Younousse Sankharé picked out the run of his team-mate, and Benzia’s low shot took a ricochet off Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa en route to goal, wrong-footing Anthony Lopes to open the scoring (38′).

It was Benzia’s first league strike in 24 shots this season, and the first time he had hit the back of the net since 10 January last year.

Alexandre Lacazette scored his 18th of the season, and his seventh strike in a red-hot streak over five league games, from the penalty spot after he had been fouled by Adama Soumaoro (86′), but could not prevent OL suffering a damaging defeat in their pursuit of a top-three finish.

January 28, 2017
World Cup Qualifiers: Rohr scared of Cameroon

. Sourced for match tapes

The Super Eagles Coach, Gernot Rohr has expressed fear at the new found strength of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon as they perform well at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) holding in Gabon.

The NationSports gathered from the Head of the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) Technical

Department, Bitrus Bewerang, that Rohr is making efforts to get all the match tapes of the Indomitable lions to enable him prepare the team before the home and away games.

Rohr observed that the Cameroonians have gone back to old pattern of physical football which can easily affect Eagles in their World Cup qualifiers.

Rohr noted that though the Eagles have all it takes to conquer Cameroon based on the current

form of the Nigerian players in Europe.

He said: ” I can confidently tell you that Nigeria has the best forward in Africa now. It’s just for us to be tactical in our approach to the game

January 25, 2017
Fans lack of loyalty worries Odemwingie

Former Super Eagles forward Peter Odemwingie came short of describing soccer fans as politicians on Wednesday, noting that they appear to have permanent interest and not permanent friends. The Rotherham United forward observed in a chat with Premier League Daily that most fans don’t reckon with injured players or players being shipped out by their clubs for whatever reason but are only concerned with players that are playing on current form describing it as lack of loyalty to the players who prior to having some obstacles may have been doing everything possible to lift the club and put smiles on the faces of the fans.

“Personally, I will always take the side of the player because you can’t go against the club, you are just an individual,” the 35-year-old said

“You will get to a stage where if the club chooses to move you, sometimes a club gets a transfer list of players they don’t want, but fans don’t stick up for those players.

“They are showing no loyalty to those players that maybe came back from injury and all they think is that they want to go for better players,” he regretted

Odemwingie it will be recalled attempted to secure a Deadline Day switch from West Bromwich Albion to Queens Park Rangers in January 2013, which saw him drive to Loftus Road despite no fee being agreed between the clubs.

He was subsequently disciplined by the Baggies for his actions, but did return to first-team action under then-manager Steve Clarke before sealing a move to Cardiff City In September 2013.

January 25, 2017
Akpokona warns against underrating Algeria

Ahead of Super Eagles clash with Algeria in continuation of the World cup qualifiers later in the year, veteran coach Lawrence Akpokana has warned that it would be dangerous to underrate the Algerians following their early exit from the ongoing Nations cup in Gabon.

He said rather than see their early exit as an advantage; Nigeria should rather see it as a challenge to work harder with a view to emerging victorious in the forthcoming rematch.

The former Rangers international handler noted that the Algerians would have felt embarrassed by the exit being one of the hot favorites but added that they would be gingered to fortify and pump all the arsenals in their armory into the world cup qualifiers.

“If we take them for granted it would be dangerous and I hope we don’t. The mere fact that they crashed out early is not an indication that they are weak and as one of the top ranking countries in the continent, they would want to prove that the exit was a fluke which means they would treat the qualifiers with greater attention so we must work harder for that tie,”,” he said.

The Eagles were able to earn a 3-1 victory in the first leg at the Nest of Champions November 12 last year, with the return leg billed for Algiers later in the year. Algerian coach Georges Leekens who was looking forward to the return leg incidentally has resigned following the team’s poor showing in Gabon even as fillers from Algeria indicate that search for a new coach has already started

January 24, 2017
Akpokona warns against underrating Algeria

Ahead of Super Eagles clash with Algeria in continuation of the World cup qualifiers later in the year, veteran coach Lawrence Akpokana has warned that it would be dangerous to underrate the Algerians following their early exit from the ongoing Nations cup in Gabon.

He said rather than see their early exit as an advantage; Nigeria should rather see it as a challenge to work harder with a view to emerging victorious in the forthcoming rematch.

The former Rangers international handler noted that the Algerians would have felt embarrassed by the exit being one of the hot favorites but added that they would be gingered to fortify and pump all the arsenals in their armory into the world cup qualifiers.

“If we take them for granted it would be dangerous and I hope we don’t. The mere fact that they crashed out early is not an indication that they are weak and as one of the top ranking countries in the continent, they would want to prove that the exit was a fluke which means they would treat the qualifiers with greater attention so we must work harder for that tie,”,” he said.

The Eagles were able to earn a 3-1 victory in the first leg at the Nest of Champions November 12 last year, with the return leg billed for Algiers later in the year. Algerian coach Georges Leekens who was looking forward to the return leg incidentally has resigned following the team’s poor showing in Gabon even as fillers from Algeria indicate that search for a new coach has already started

January 24, 2017
Ikeme sees red in Norwich clash

It was a rough Saturday for Super Eagles and Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Carl Ikeme as he did not only watch his three match clean sheet dented but also got the marching orders from the referee in the 72nd minute of the match. It was a day everything chose to go wrong as visiting Wolverhampton were handed a 3-1 defeat by their hosts.

Norwich had shot into the lead in the 13th minute through Steven Naismith. The goal became an early warning that Ikeme who had earlier maintained clean sheet against Sheffield Wednesday, Stoke City and Aston Villa was not going to enjoy a tea party at Carrow Road; However Heider Costa converted a penalty in the 57th minute for the visitors to raise hope of possibly leaving the venue with a draw.

That was however not to be as Robbie Brady equally converted a penalty for the homers in the 75th minute before Jonathan Howson increased the tally to three a minute into extra time.

Prior to the second goal however Ikeme got a red card forcing him out of the pitch. Hoolahan, running to the right of the goal in the six yard box, was brought down by Ikeme. The Wolves players believe it was a dive and are enraged leading to pushing and shoving in the box before Ikeme is sent off. Doherty took the gloves and was beaten by Robbie Brady’s penalty.

Prior to Saturday’s match coach Paul Lambert had praised Ikeme’s contribution in goal as well as compatriot Dominic Iorfa’s effort in defence.

Wolverhampton interestingly maintained 57% possession which unfortunately could not prevent their defeat in the championship tie. Sadly Wolves had lost their past three visits to Norwich and were hoping that Saturday’s visit will break what was gradually turning into a jinx.

January 22, 2017
Ikeme, Iorfa’s form thrill Wolverhapton Coach

Current form of Super Eagles and Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Carl Ikeme is a source of delight to the Club’s manager Paul Lambert.

Ikeme has maintained clean sheet for the club in the last three games against Sheffield Wednesday, Stoke City and Aston Villa and the coach is optimistic the clean sheet with continue even as they face Norwich City in a Championship tie Saturday at the Carrow Road (Norwich, Norfolk).

Coach Lambert is however not in cloud nine for only Ikeme but also with compatriot and club defender Dominic Iorfa. The 21 year old according to Lambert has also been effective at the back where is doing a good job in covering effectively for better results.

“Carl Ikeme’s at the top of his game as well, the lads at the back with Richard (Stearman) and Danny (Batth) or Mike Williamson and Kortney Hause, or Dominic Iorfa, or Conor Coady or Matt Doherty, it’s really strong at the back.

“That’s the secret of it,” he enthused

Wolves are 16th in the Championship and are 13 points off the play-off places but Lambert believes if the team continue the way they are going getting a play-off place is only a matter of time describing the unity of purpose among the players as pleasantly infectious.

“There are a lot of games to go. I don’t know what’s around the corner, it’s a cliché but we take one game at a time,” Lambert told club website.

“At this moment they’re in a good place, defensively and offensively.

“Allied with the spirit they’ve got with each other and how close they seem to be and the supporters… it’s an accumulation of everything and a multitude of things that are going really well for us.

January 20, 2017
AFCON 2017: NFF pained by Nigeria’s absence

The Vice President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF),Seyi Akinwunmi has revealed that the Glass House is pained that the Super Eagles are not participating at the ongoing 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) holding in Gabon.

However, Akinwunmi was of the opinion that with the present crop of Super Eagles team led by Gernot Rohr, the Nigerian team would have been a force to reckon with.

Akinwunmi stated in an interview: “You can’t imagine how it hurts. The present African teams cannot stop the Super Eagles we have today. At the same time we have to learn a lesson from it

and the idea is, we must plan ahead and that is what we are trying to do.”

Speaking further, he said: “The NFF board is very sad, that we are not participating in AFCON. It’s unfortunate. Presently,we have g a coach that is doing very well. Generally 2016 was with mixed feelings.

“The Super Falcons won the Cup from the Africa Women Championship, we didn’t make noise about it. We have been successful with our youth development plans, we hosted a successful Beach Soccer tournament so it is a mixed feeling, but I am sure if have gone to AFCON we would have termed it a successful year.”

Nigeria won the 2013 edition in South Africa, but failed to defend her title two years later in Equatorial Guinea. The Super Eagles also failed to qualify for the AFCON currently going on in Gabon after losing out in the qualifiers against Egypt.

January 17, 2017