The Nation Newspaper

Tag: UEFA

  • LIGUE 1 CRACKER! Enyeama faces Lyon test today

    LIGUE 1 CRACKER! Enyeama faces Lyon test today

    By Uchenna Ajah

    Super Eagles shot-stopper, Vincent Enyeama is expected to be in action for Lille against Lyon in a top of the table Ligue 1 fixture today at Grand Stade Lille Métropole.

    The Nigerian international will be looking forward to turn around Lille’s drop in form as the fight for UEFA Champions League spot continues.

    Speaking on the clash, Lyon manager, Remi Garde says he is aware of the importance of a positive result against Enyeama and his Lille gang before their fans at Grand Stade Lille Métropole.

    “This is an important game in the race to catch up with the leaders,” Garde told journalists last week.

    Garde, who has presided over a difficult period for the French club, said it was worth noting that the team had already dealt with adversities this season, suggesting that nothing was impossible at this juncture.

    “At one stage this season we were 15 points adrift, and who thought we would come back? But nothing is certain in football,” said a confident Garde.

    “But we’re currently on a good run, one that motivates players, with the idea simply to try and get the best possible result.

    “Now we face a strong team who have enjoyed a very good first half of the season and who have a proven coach,” added the Lyon manager.

    “It means tactical thinking will be very important because if we win this we are two points behind Lille.”

  • CAF Club Licensing Seminar: Enyimba, Pillars to represent Nigeria

    CAF Club Licensing Seminar: Enyimba, Pillars to represent Nigeria

    By Uchenna Ajah

     

    Enyimba International and Kano Pillars FC will represent Nigeria in the forthcoming Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) organized seminar on club licensing and professionalism in football billed for 30-31 January 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. Thirty-seven (37) clubs drawn across the continent will be in attendance.

    According to the organisers, the two-day seminar will seek to equip participants with the requisite knowledge and information about club licensing and the tenets of the fast-growing professionalism in football.

    Topics slated to be discussed at the seminar include: Competitions and Club Licensing: Role of CAF, Federations, Leagues and Clubs, Professional Development of Clubs: Managerial and Finance, Infrastructural Development of Clubs and Stadia as well as Youth policy.

    Others include TV Rights, Broadcasting and Production of matches in Africa, Marketing of Competitions and Sponsorship for clubs, Club Licensing System in other Confederations (UEFA, AFC) and Legal issues concerning Clubs and Status of Players.

    The seminar will be supervised by CAF President, Issa Hayatou, with support from members of the CAF Executive Committee and Danny Jordaan, President of South Africa Football Associations (SAFA) in this historic event.

     

  • Hayatou and CAF 2013 Awards

    Hayatou and CAF 2013 Awards

    SIR: The Confederation of African Football (CAF), last week in Lagos, honoured lovers of football and the men and women that exhibited sterling performance in the round leather game in the year 2013. It was a well attended event. It brought together the movers and shakers of the nation of Nigeria. The political lords, business moguls, sports administrators, entertainers and host of others greeted the event. The ceremony honoured those that the Issa Hayatou-led CAF asserted were distinguished personalities for their exploits for the year 2013.

    Prior to the event, billboards, posters and flyers all battle for space around the city of Lagos, adorning messages related to the event. The award dominated the pages of newspapers and programmes both on radio and television. The event was popular in Nigeria for one reason: Chelsea FC of England and Super Eagles of Nigeria mercurial midfielder, John Obi Mikel was amongst the three nominees for the exalted price of the African Player of the Year. Affirmatively, Mikel’s achievements in the year 2013 placed him above other nominees such as the Cote d’Ivoire and Manchester City FC of England midfielder, Yaya Toure and Galatasaray of Turkey Striker, Didier Drogba.

    In 2013, Mikel won the African Cup of Nations’ trophy with Nigeria, defeating Cote d’Ivoire in quarter final and also winning UEFA Europa League trophy with Chelsea. Both Toure and Drogba thus ended the year 2013 without wining a trophy.

    Alas, CAF, to the surprise of all, announced Toure as the African Player of the Year, placing Mikel as the runner up. Most lovers of football in Nigeria were shocked by the action of CAF. The graveyard silence that greeted the announcement of Toure as the winner was a testimony to the dissatisfaction of bigwigs that graced the occasion. To many opinion shapers, CAF was partial.

    Curiously, the shameful, partial CAF claimed that Ivorian Didier Drogba was the third African Best Player for the year 2013. Shockingly, the third best African player was not considered fit enough to be amongst the 11 African Best Players for the year 2013. Didier Drogba’s name was not mentioned by CAF amongst the line up of the 11 African players for the year 2013 that had the Nigerian Stephen Keshi as coach.

    As a striker, Drogba, the third African Best was not amongst the two strikers in the 11 African finest players for the year 2013. Nigeria’s Emenike and the Burkinabe, Pitopria, according to CAF, were the two best African strikers for the year 2013. Wasn’t that a big international shame exhibited by CAF?

    It is time for Hayatou to quit as CAF helmsman; he has out-lived his usefulness.

    • Maxwell Adeyemi Adeleye,

    Magodo, Lagos.

  • Fit-again Obasi vows to make up for lost time

    Fit-again Obasi vows to make up for lost time

    Fit-again Schalke striker Chinedu Obasi says he is ready to make up for lost time after what he describes as a frustrating spell on the sidelines.

    The Nigerian, 27, moved to Gelsenkirchen on a permanent deal from rivals Hoffenheim in March 2012.

    But a bout of injuries have left him watching the The Royal Blues’ impressive campaign from the sidelines.

    He has only featured twice this season since his return to action in late November, but the Super Eagles is determined to win back his place in the side.

    “I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t frustrating at times, to watch your team play when you’re not able to play,” Obasi told BBC Sport.

    “I was a bit dampened but I’ve learnt a lot from it and done a lot of work mentally and physically to get back to where I am now.

    “I’ve been working hard and waiting patiently for my chance, and when it hopefully comes I’m determined to make the best of it.

    “As a professional you know the competition for places is really good and you want to be out playing.

    “The coach has been very encouraging so I have to work as hard as I can to get back into the fold.”

    Obasi, who has made 28 appearances for his country, suffered a shin injury for the second time in his career in June but says his time in exile has turned out to be a blessing.

    “When you look at other people, some have a much harder life than you so you’ve got to be grateful and stay positive,” he said.

    “Sometimes you think you’ve been hard done by, but you’ve got to look forward and I’ve learnt a lot from it.”

    Obasi’s last game for Nigeria came in a 0-0 friendly draw against Botswana in November 2011, in what was coach Stephen Keshi’s first game in charge.

    And the man who gave him his last cap told the local media this week that Obasi still has an international future with the African champions.

    But with only two substitute appearances coming in the Uefa Champions League and German Cup, Obasi knows he has his work cut out.

    “It’s heart-warming to hear the coach say that because it’s more than two years since I last played for my country,” said Obasi.

    “But I cannot get carried away because without me they won the Nations Cup and qualified for the World Cup in Brazil.

    “It’s motivational to know that there is a chance to get back but I must work extremely hard to earn a recall.

    “I can’t kid myself thinking it’s going to be easy. But the hard work obviously starts now.”

    Obasi appeared in Nigeria’s three group matches at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

    He is the only Nigerian to have appeared in all FIFA World Cups [Under 17, Under 20 and Senior] as well as the Olympics.

  • JUTH’s Nwankwo dreams MLS

    JUTH’s Nwankwo dreams MLS

    Former JUTH FC midfielder, Tochukwu Nwankwo has told MTNFootball.com he dreams of playing in the USA Major League Soccer.

    “I am glad to be in USA, where my family reside, my mum, and siblings have been here for a while, so when the opportunity to play football here came in 2010, I could not resist it. My dream is to play in the MLS, which is the highest level here in USA. I am looking forward to that,” Nwankwo told MTNFootball.com.

    Nwankwo, a creative midfielder, was born in Jos and started his football career at grassroot level with Eagles stars John Obi Mikel and Obinna Nsofor. The Ventura County Fusion FC player,who had played in Slovenia before now, told MTNFootball.com he is sad JUTH FC are no more.

    “I was shocked and sad when I got the news that JUTH FC is no more. I love the team, that was my very first professional football club,” he said.

    The free kick specialist has scored four goals for Ventura Fusion this season. He was with JUTH from 2006 to 2008 before he left to play for FC Koper in Slovenia, where he played in UEFA Cup 2008/2009 season after which he returned to JUTH in 2009.

  • UEFA stops Efe, others from playing in England

    UEFA stops Efe, others from playing in England

    European football governing body,UEFA have said they will deny Efe Ambrose and his Celtic side any request to play one of their home Champions League fixtures in either England or Ireland next season.

    If Celtic win the Scottish league title this season they will be required to play a two-legged Champions League qualifying match next summer.

    However,Celtic Park,along with Ibrox and Hampden,will all be in use as Commonwealth Games venues, and a new location for the game would need to be found.

    Celtic’s chief executive Peter Lawwell had asked Uefa to look for other venues which includes England.

  • UEFA to investigate Efe Ambrose’s Celtic

    UEFA to investigate Efe Ambrose’s Celtic

    Efe Ambrose’s Scottish side Celtic FC risks incurring the wrath of UEFA as the European football governing body on Thursday stated that they will be investigating the SPL champions.

    The planned UEFA investigation is to get to the root of a scenario which saw Celtic supporters set off fireworks during Tuesday night’s Champions League tie with Cliftonville at Parkhead.

    The Scottish champions will now have to answer a charge which allegedly breaches articles 16.2 of UEFA’s disciplinary regulations.

    Ambrose was on target in the said match as Neil Lennon’s side won the match 2-0 to secure a 5-0 aggregate scoreline against their Irish opponents.

    Confirming the UEFA investigation being launched, a Celtic club statement read: -Three fireworks were exploded within Section 111, causing the Match Referee to require a stadium announcement to be made instructing such behaviour to stop.

    “As a result of this unprecedented step by a match official, Celtic FC will now be the subject of a disciplinary action for contravention of the UEFA Safety and Security Regulations.

    “Article 16.2 states that “all associations and clubs are liable for inappropriate behaviour on the part of their supporters and may be subject to disciplinary measures and directives even if they can prove the absence of any negligence in relation to the organisation of the match” relating to, among other things, the “lighting of fireworks or any other objects.”

    Celtic were fined £21,000 by UEFA following a Europa League game against Udinese in Italy in December 2011 as a result of fans’ misbehaviour and could as well been fined more if found guilty yet again.

  • Everton to table Moses bid

    Everton to table Moses bid

    Everton is reportedly working on a deal for £8m-rated Nigerian and Chelsea winger Victor Moses in a bid to reunite him with former boss Roberto Martinez,  futaa.com reports.

    The Nigerian international could be on his way out of Stamford Bridge following the signing of highly-rated German forward Andre Schurrle which has casted a huge doubt over his future at the Bridge.

    Everton new boss Roberto Martinez who knows him well from his Wigan days is said to be interested in handing the 22-year old an escape route.

    However, it is believed that Everton would prefer a loan deal while deals for Spartak Moscow’s Aiden McGeady and Swansea’s Nathan Dyer are still under discussion according to the Daily mail.

    Moses joined the Blues last summer from Wigan Athletic for fee believed to be in the region of £10m and was instrumental to the Chelsea’s UEFA Europa League success under former interim boss Rafael Benitez.

     

  • Berlin to stage 2015 Champions league final

    Berlin to stage 2015 Champions league final

    Berlin’s Olympiastadion has been announced by Uefa as the host of the 2015 Champions League final.

    It will be the first time the German capital stadium, which was built to host the 1936 Olympic Games will be hosting the final. The stadium has never staged the final of Europe’s top competition.

    The National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland will host the 2015 Europa League final.The arena hosted five matches in last summer’s European Championship.

  • UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FOOTBALL EMENIKE REJECTS N500M

    UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FOOTBALL EMENIKE REJECTS N500M

    •Nigerian loves Fenerbahce – Agent

    FENERBAHÇE are in talks with Spartak Moscow over the return of Emmanuel Emenike according to the players agent Erdem Konyar.

    “Fenerbahçe are in talks with Spartak Moscow,” Konyar told Turkish radio station Radyospor.

    “Emenike likes Spartak Moscow but loves Fenerbahçe, if the clubs agree; he would love to return to the club. Emenike wants to play Champions League football, he knows the staff at Fenerbahçe well and would like to play for the team.

    “However, rumours that he has accepted a €2.5m per-season deal are false, he earns more here, it’s unrealistic to believe that he will leave for a reduced salary. But first thing first, the clubs have to agree before we begin player negotiations.

    “Spartak signed Emenike for €10m, it is unlikely that they will let him go for a lower transfer fee.”

    The Nigerian international was signed by Fenerbahçe for €9m in 2011 however, was sold to Spartak Moscow for €10m – without playing a single game – following his suspected involvement in the match-fixing scandal which rocked the country last season.

    Emenike was arrested and held in detention for four days before his move to Russia. The 26-year-old striker has been cleared of all charges and is now free to return to Turkey.