The Nation Newspaper

Tag: VENEZUELA

  • Nigeria now 30th in FIFA rankings

    Nigeria now 30th in FIFA rankings

    Nigeria leapt 22 places up the FIFA rankings on Thursday following Super Eagles victory at the just concluded Africa Cup of Nations but the continent remained without a team in the top ten.

    The Super Eagles, who edged Burkina Faso 1-0 in Sunday’s final in South Africa to win the competition for the first time in 19 years, rose to 30th place in the table, the team’s best position for three years.

    The Burkinabes, who exceeded expectations by reaching the final, stayed outside the top 50 but had jumped 37 places to 55th, Supersport.com reports.

    Ivory Coast, beaten by Nigeria in the quarterfinals, remained Africa’s highest-ranked side in 12th, followed by Ghana seven places below.

    Surprise package Cape Verde, who reached the quarterfinals in South Africa, moved up 13 places to 63rd.

    CONCACAF’s highest-ranked team is Mexico in 15th while the best Asia could muster was Japan, who is ranked 28th.

    Five-times World Cup winners and 2014 World Cup hosts Brazil remained in 18th spot, the team’s lowest-ever ranking, after losing 2-1 to England in Luiz Felipe Scolari’s first game back as coach last week.

    The win took England up two places to fourth.

    The South Americans showed their strength-in-depth as Venezuela climbed 10 places to 45th, leaving all of the continent’s 10 teams in the top 50.

    There was no change in the top three where world and European champions Spain lead, followed by Germany and Argentina.

    The Turks and Caicos Islands, Bhutan and San Marino were tied in 207th and last place.

     

  • Keshi to Super Eagles Beat Venezuela silly

    • Players raring to go

    The expectation of the Super Eagles handler, Stephen Keshi of giving Venezuela a run for their money in tomorrow’s international friendly match has been raised by the presence of all the expected players based home (in Nigeria) and abroad in Miami, Florida in the United States of America.

    Eagles spokesman, Ben Alaiya told SportingLife from Miami yesterday that all the players expected have all hit camp and they were to go for a training session by the time of filling this report.

    “Obafemi Martins was involved in the first training we had and Shola Ameobi joined us yesterday evening and he is having breakfast with the rest of the players as you speak with me now. The only player that came in last is Bright Dike who plays in the MLS for Timberwolves FC. Ameobi and Dike will train with us today in what is expected to be a full team training for the Venezuela match”, Alaiya disclosed.

    The Media Officer also confided in SportingLife that the way the players were taking the match was more than a mere friendly because some of them who have not played recently for the team have resolved to use the match to warm themselves into the heart of the team handler, Stephen Keshi.

    “We are surely expecting a thrilling and a fulfilling match tomorrow and the mood and spirit as exhibited by the players in camp could attest to this fact. I think some of the returnee players and the newly invited ones would like to justify their inclusion in the team”, he observed.

  • VENEZUELA FRIENDLY EJIDE MAY MISS CLUB DUTIES

    VENEZUELA FRIENDLY EJIDE MAY MISS CLUB DUTIES

    AS reported by sports.walla.co.il, Hapoel Be’er Sheva, the Israeli club of Austin Ejide, are concerned with his invitation by coach Stephen Keshi for the friendly against Venezuela in Miami next Wednesday.

    Two days after the friendly, Hapoel Be’er Sheva are guests to Hapoel Ramat Gan in the tenth round of matches in the Ligat ha’Al . Because of the time difference and crowded flight schedule(Miami – New York, New York – Israel), it is unlikely Ejide would be in the plans of coach Elisha Levy for the game.

    Ejide’s earliest return date to Israel is Friday morning . Thus, he won’t be able to participate in the club’s last training before the match.

    ”We get flight times and will be dealt with,” Hapoel Be’er Sheva said in a statement on Friday.

    The Nigeria goalie has played eight games in the championship this campaign. Galil Ben Senan is the candidate to replace Ejide in goal next Friday if he is unavailable against Hapoel Ramat Gan.

  • Keshi lists Mikel, 10 others for Venezuela tie

    Keshi lists Mikel, 10 others for Venezuela tie

    Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, has called up 11 foreign-based players led by Mikel Obi for next week’s friendly against Venezuela in Miami, United States, MTNFootball.com reports.

    Keshi will also name 15 players from the Nigeria Premier League for this match, which forms part of the country’s build-up for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

    Besides Chelsea midfielder Mikel, other foreign-based players in the squad are – Newcastle United striker Shola Ameobi, who was cleared to play for Nigeria last year alongside Victor Moses after a long-drawn process.

    Ameobi gets his first call and battles for a place upfront with Moses, Ukraine-based Brown Ideye and Obafemi Martins, among others.

     

    Invited foreign-based players:

     

    Goalkeeper: Austin Ejide (Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Israel)

    Defenders: Elderson Echiejile (FC Braga, Portugal); Onyekachi Apam (Rennes, France)

    Midfielders: Mikel Obi (Chelsea, England); Nosa Igiebor (Real Betis, Spain); Ogenyi Onazi (SS Lazio, Italy); Raheem Lawal (Adana Demirspor, Turkey)

    Forwards: Brown Ideye (Dynamo Kiev, Ukraine); Victor Moses (Chelsea, England); Shola Ameobi (Newcastle United, England); Obafemi Martins (Levante FC, Spain)

     

  • VENEZUELA FRIENDLY Eagles leave for the USA on Sunday

    VENEZUELA FRIENDLY Eagles leave for the USA on Sunday

    •Foreign pros to join team in Miami

    SUPER EAGLES will leave the country for Miami, United States on Sunday to honour the international friendly tie with Venezuela billed for November 14th, a top official of the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) said.

    In a brief chat with SportingLife on Monday evening the Assistant Director (media) of the NFF, Demola Olajire informed that the players plying their trade in the country’s league and the team’s technical crew will leave for the United States on Sunday.

    He added that the overseas based players would join up with the team on same day in US as they strive to make use of the remaining three days or thereabouts to bond before the tie with the emerging South American side.

    Olajire confirmed that the chief coach of the Eagles was yet to make available the list of the foreign legions expected to don the country’s jerseys in the friendly tie but assures that Nigeria’s senior side would field a competitive squad against Venezuela.

    “The Eagles will be leaving for the United States on Sunday with the home-based players and the team’s back room staff while the foreign based will later join them straightaway from their various base.

    “The Eagles’ coach is yet to release the list of foreign based players to the best of my knowledge but the match will go ahead as arranged,” he told SportingLife.

    Nigeria’s senior national team will use the match as one of the build ups to the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations which starts on January 14th in South Africa.

  • VENEZUELA FRIENDLY KESHI INSISTS ON HOME -BASED EAGLES

    VENEZUELA FRIENDLY KESHI INSISTS ON HOME -BASED EAGLES

    •Says, I never spoke about any player

     

    HEAD COACH of the Nigerian national team, Stephen Keshi says no foreign-based player has been called up for the Super Eagles’ friendly international against Venezuela.

    Both nations will clash in Miami, USA on November 14 and 24, and domestically-based professionals have since been called up for the encounter.

    It has been reported in some sections of the local press that Keshi has called up foreign pros like Peter Utaka and Obafemi Martins amongst others but the Nigerian trainer has dismissed the reports.

    “We are working hard to bring in foreign-based players that will play the match for us but right now, we have not invited any. I never spoke about any player. I don’t know where that is coming from,” Keshi told supersport.com.

    Nigeria have met Venezuela once with the Super Eagles winning the encounter more than nine years ago, with a goal from Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha.

    Keshi said this month’s game against Venezuela will be used “to try out a couple of new things”.

    “We will use the opportunity to see players that we have not seen before. We are just looking to get the best players to represent Nigeria creditably against Venezuela in the USA, that’s all,” he said.

  • Efe Ambrose confirms Venezuela tie

    Efe Ambrose confirms Venezuela tie

    Celtic of Scotland defender, Efe Ambrose, has revealed to SportingLife exclusively that he would be on the plane to Miami, United States in the coming days for the Super Eagles’ friendly tie with Venezuela billed for November 14.

    Ambrose has been a regular player in the coach Stephen Keshi’s new look Eagles and in a chat informed that he would make the long trip to the USA to heed his fatherland call as the preparations for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations competition gathers momentum.

    He said he would always honour Nigeria’s invitation in as much as he is in good condition and stable health.

    “Yes, I will play against Venezuela. I am ready and eagerly waiting for the day to come. I don’t have any other country so I will always come for Eagles’ assignment in as much as the coaches deemed me worthy to be in the squad,” Ambrose explained to SportingLife.

  • KESHI TO NIGERIANS EXPECT NEW PLAYERS FOR VENEZUELA FRIENDLY

    KESHI TO NIGERIANS EXPECT NEW PLAYERS FOR VENEZUELA FRIENDLY

    NIGERIA coach Stephen Keshi has said he will pick several players who are yet to feature for his team for a friendly against Venezuela.

    Next week, the Eagles coach is also expected to make public his list of call-ups for the game billed for Miami, USA.

    The match will be played on November 14 and forms part of Nigeria’s build-up to the 2013 AFCON, where they are drawn alongside defending champions Zambia, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia.

    Keshi said, “I have plans to invite some new legs for the Venezuela friendly. They may not be new to Nigerians but I say they are new because it would be the first time they would be playing under me.”

    The former Eagles captain, who was not willing to give away some of the names, added,”Like I have said every Nigeria player will have his chance.”

    However, top officials of the football house have revealed to MTNFootball.com that “Keshi is looking at ways of strengthening his team and plans to bring in players like Obafemi Martins, Onyekachi Apam, Joseph Akpala and Peter Utaka.”

    Keshi will now set his pre-AFCON training camp in Faro, Portugal, after his choice of Zimbabwe was overruled for lack of facilities.