The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Yusuf

  • Yusuf: Keshi gave me tips on Mali, Luxembourg

    Yusuf: Keshi gave me tips on Mali, Luxembourg

    Super Eagles’ interim coach, Salisu Yusuf has further extolled the virtues of Stephen Keshi asserting that the ‘Big Boss’ offered him words of encouragement when he was named the national team coach and during their two friendly matches against Mali and Luxembourg.

    Yusuf, who handled the Eagles in company of Imama Amapakabo and Kennedy Boboye told NationSport that the act exhibited by Keshi was uncommon among other coaches and that he benefited from the tips from the former Eagles’ boss during both matches.

    He disclosed that he was the most hit when he received the distressing news that Keshi had died on Wednesday and that it took him days to really get his bearing and come over the initial shock that overpowered him.

  • Yusuf: Burkina Faso victory means nothing yet

    Yusuf: Burkina Faso victory means nothing yet

    Nigeria senior national team assistant coach Salisu Yusuf has stated that his side will not be carried away with their win against Burkina Faso in Saturday’s African Nations Championship qualifier.

    Goals from Bature Yaro and Gbolahan Salami were enough to silence Idrissa Traore’s side in Port Harcourt. But Yusuf is refusing to get carried away by his side’s victory and are hoping to complete a double against the Stallions.

    “We already told the players what we want and they are aware that we can only jubilate after the return leg in Ouagadougou,” Yusuf told Goal.

    “They have been told that there is still so much to play for and that they must ensure that the boast of the Burkina Faso coach does not come to pass. They played very well against us but our boys too did their best and would have scored more goals with a little luck,” he concluded.

    The winner on aggregate will qualify for the next year’s African Nations Championship billed for Rwanda in 2016.

  • Yusuf leaps to Chikatara’s defence

    Yusuf leaps to Chikatara’s defence

    Assistant coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles, Salisu Yusuf said “ill luck” was responsible for the failure of striker, Chisom Chikatara to put away any of the chances that came his way in Saturday’s 2016 Africa Nations Championship qualifier against Burkina Faso.

    The Abia Warriors attacker was guilty of missing no less than three excellent opportunities against the Stallions in the second half at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium.

    Salisu does not question the quality of the forward and believes he did not enjoy the rub of the green.

    “I think it was down to ill luck that made him miss those chances.

    “Our decision to bring in Chikatara and (Gbolahan) Salami late in the game was tactical because we wanted to attack with strength in the second half and we achieved that.

    “If we had had a little more luck, we could have scored four goals at least” he said.

    The trainer then took the time to review the game, which Nigeria won 2-0 courtesy of goals in each half by Bature Yaro and Salami.

    “It was a tough game but we could have won 4-0. The boys did very well.

    “The Burkinabes are good and could have scored here. Generally our boys have done very well but made some mistakes.

    “There is never a perfect game in football so we will go back to the drawing board and try to rectify some of the mistakes we have made in the first leg” he said.

  • NIGERIA VS BURKINA FASO: Yusuf fancies Eagles’ chances

    NIGERIA VS BURKINA FASO: Yusuf fancies Eagles’ chances

    Super Eagles assistant coach, Salisu Yusuf has said his side will overcome the challenges of the Etalons of Burkina Faso.

    The Eagles’ home-based professionals will confront the West African opponents in Saturday’s 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) first leg final round clash at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt.

    Yusuf said his wards have shown promise in training and can hope for a good performance.

    “The players returned on Tuesday from their respective weekend matches for their clubs and so far their responses to instructions have been commendable.

    “We will continue on our approaches and tactics for the CHAN clash against the Etalons of Burkina Faso on Saturday in Port Harcourt. Right now we do not believe there is a small team any more in the continent so we will accord Burkina Faso their due respect on and off the pitch.

    “We have secured their under-23 team tapes at the just concluded All Africa Games in Brazzaville, Congo, to give us an idea of what to expect from their CHAN team.

    “Burkina Faso performed well at the All Africa Games so we are expecting a tough challenge on Sunday. We strongly believe we will have a good match on Sunday, I have confidence the players will rise to the occasion and deliver the goods safely.

    “Our target is to win convincingly in Port Harcourt to make the reverse fixture in Ouagadougou in a fortnight a mere formality,” said the former Enyimba and Kano Pillars coach to supersport.com.

    The reverse fixture will be held on October 25 in Ouagadougou to decide who wins the spot for the CHAN final in Rwanda.

  • Yusuf for 156th Inaugural Lecture

    The 156th Inaugural Lecture of UNILORIN holds today, January 22, 2015, at the university auditorium.

    Prof. Badmas Olanrewaju Yusuf of the Department of Religions, Faculty of Arts, will speak on “Utilising the Qur’an, Stabilising the Society” at the lecture to be chaired by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali.

     

  • Gaya, Yusuf pick APC senatorial tickets in Kano

    Gaya, Yusuf pick APC senatorial tickets in Kano

    Senator Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya yesterday retained the Kano South senatorial ticket of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) in a keenly contested primary held in Rano town,   Rano Local Government Area.

    Senator Gaya, currently the Chairman Senate Committee on State and Local Government Administration, floored his opponent, Yahaya Isa Zarewa in a landslide victory by polling 4,121 against Zarewa’s 723.

    The former Kano Gtate governor is bidding for the Senate chamber for the third time.

    In his acceptance speech, he said it was another opportunity for him to serve the people of his senatorial district consisting of 16 local government areas. He appealed to whoever might have been offended during the primary election to bury their hatchet.

    He also appealed to those who lost the primaries to joint hands with him in building Kano South Senatorial District.

    In the party’s primaries conducted in Kano Central Senatorial District, the present Kano State Commissioner for Works and Housing, Abba Kabir Yusuf, emerged winner of the primary election, polling 2,690 votes to beat Usman Halilu who got 280.

  • Yusuf: Eagles job won’t affect El-Kanemi

    Yusuf: Eagles job won’t affect El-Kanemi

    New Super Eagles interim assistant coach, Salisu Yusuf has dismissed fears that his new assignment with the national team will adversely affect his duties at Glo Premier League side, El-Kanemi Warriors but has posited that it would mutually compliment his services to the national team and the club.

    “Combining both jobs is not a big deal, because I have been working with the team for eleven months now and much synergy has been created. My being present or absent is of no great deal because I have already built a team that can do better even in my absence,” he told www.lmc-ng.org.

    Salisu, who has previously worked as a Super Eagles’ assistant coach under Samson Siasia, also spoke about the struggles of his club, El-Kanemi Warriors. He has remained confident that they will beat the drop.

    “I am not under any pressure to beat the drop and in view of our recent performances and results, El-Kanemi is sure to remain in the Premier League come next season,” he said.

    Mfon Udoh’s lone goal in the 50th minute made all the difference for Enyimba’s title aspirations, as they beat the Warriors in Aba, and securing crucial three points for the Elephants that kept them on the heels of Warri Wolves and Kano Pillars.

    The striker tapped in his 18th of the season from 10 yards after some neat work from Nzugbe Anaezemba following Kingsley Sokari’s flick.

  • Yusuf sticks with same players against Sharks

    Yusuf sticks with same players against Sharks

    •Adewale, Mohammed to start

    El Kanemi Warriors Technical Adviser, Salisu Yusuf is planning to make use of the same squad he paraded against Crown FC when they host Sharks FC of Port Harcourt on Sunday in a Week 29 Glo Premier League at the Kano Pillars Stadium, Sabongari, Kano.

    SportingLife gathered that the duo of Kabiru Adewale and Tasiu Mohammed will be in the starting line up against the Blue Angels.

    The club’s media officer, Anthony Obaseki said the team will come out with a different pattern despite fielding same squad.

    “I want to inform you that we are going to use the same players that played against Crown FC but we will come out with a different pattern. Kabiru Adewale and Tasiu Mohammed. They were part of the team that travelled to Ibadan. They were also impressive in the team’s last training session. Tasiu came in the second half in Ibadan . Adewale is starting the match against Sharks he has been one of our super subs,” Obaseki told SportingLife.

    Meanwhile the team’s second leading goal scorer Abraham Audu is of the hope that he will score more goals to increase his tally. Audu has scored five goals so far this season.

    “I am happy I will be in the team on Sunday. My target is to score more goals. I am not underrating Sharks and I am in top form, remember we lost to Sharks 2-0 in Port-Harcourt, so it is our turn to take our full points, they score us with two penalties.”

    The team will miss the services of Suleiman Abdullahi who got a red card against Crown on Wednesday, also out is Ibrahim Mustapha.

  • Enyimba’s authority radiates new era

    Enyimba’s authority radiates new era

    Since Enyimba became a dominant force following their domestic and African conquest from 2002, the club have continued to break new grounds.

    Several domestic and continental titles adorn the club’s trophy cabinet, but the defunct Coca-Cola FA Cup, now Federation Cup, remained elusive. It was until 2005 that the club eventually won it’s first-ever Nigerian Cup.

    Victory under the floodlights at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt, didn’t come easy as Enyimba had to depend on Dele Aiyenugba’s heroics between the sticks to defeat a resilient Lobi Stars on penalties.

    The club came close to winning their second Cup title in 2008, but lost in the semi-finals to eventual champions, Ocean Boys. The end of Coca-Cola’s robust sponsorship of the competition in 2008, led to a new era from 2009, as the competition was renamed Federation Cup.

    For the second time, the final returned to the Teslim Balogun Stadium, which had earlier hosted the 2007 final of the defunct Coca-Cola FA Cup.

    Interestingly, Enyimba emerged inaugural winners of the Federation Cup after a 1-0 victory over Sharks. Musa Mustapha headed the goal that ended Sharks’ dream of a Cup victory.

    From 2009 through 2011, Enyimba appeared in consecutive finals and the 2013 final will be Enyimba’s fourth in the new era. Club supremo, Felix Anyansi, attributes the situation to consistency.

    “It shows that things are working and we have a strong system. Enyimba remains the most consistent club with 23 trophies in our trophy cabinet in the past 10 years and still counting. We have a leadership platform that provides room to excel. Enyimba is an institution. We’ve broken all the records in Nigerian football,” Anyansi told supersport.com.

    Reacting to the club’s consecutive defeats in 2010 and 2011, he said: “That’s football for you.”

    Anyansi maintained that the importance of experience cannot be over-emphasized.

    “Nigerians panic when we are not on the continent. Experience counts in management,” he told supersport.com.

    A regular player in the club’s consistent campaign in the Federation Cup new era is former captain, Josiah Maduabuchi, who has a commanding presence in the midfield.

    Maduabuchi, who developed through the club’s youth system, has a rich history in the competition.

    Due to his inability to secure regular playing time, Maduabuchi was sent on loan to Kaduna United in 2006 and he helped the Kaduna side to the fourth position in the defunct Coca-Cola FA Cup. However, he returned to win the Cup in 2009 with Okey Odita as captain. Maduabuchi was also present when the club lost consecutive finals in 2010 and 2011.

    “We’ve done well and God has been good to us. My target is to win tomorrow,” he told supersport.com.

  • Only the trophy will do — Yusuf, Ede boast

    Only the trophy will do — Yusuf, Ede boast

    Enyimba of Aba’s head coach, Salisu Yusuf has asserted that only a victory at he final would be the ideal reward for the effort the Peoples Elephant have put into their game since the beginning of the second stanza of the league.

    The Aba Millionaires beat Lobi Stars 1-0 in Benin yesterday to book another final ticket-their fourth in the last five editions and Yusuf who joined Enyimba at the beginning of the current season has disclosed that the club has worked to get to this stage.

    The former Super Eagles’ Assistant Coach informed that all hands would be on deck to ensure that Enyimba win in the final this term to wipe the angst of their last two experiences in the final in 2010 and 2011 where they lost to Kaduna United and Heartland despite being the favourites in both finals.

    He saluted the courage, steadfastness and the willpower of his wards for digging in deep to get the goal that sealed their place in the final at the expense of Lobi Stars.

    Yusuf also praised Lobi for making the road to the final very difficult and holding their own with all determination and grit despite their precarious position on the league table.

    “We are in the final and the only way to cap a good run of form is for us to win in the final. We have done our best and I will really praise the fighting spirits of the team. All the players were willing to work for each other and it showed against Lobi Stars.

    “Lobi threw all what they had to it because they know that they are in a dangerous position in the league. They wanted to qualify for the continent through the Federation Cup but we did all we had to do to get a win on the pitch.

    “I don’t like discussing about officiating but for us at Enyimba, it is only the trophy that will be ideal for all our labour,” Yusuf stated.

    Enyimba’s goal hero, Ifeanyi Ede also reiterated that the Peoples Elephant’s target in the final is to lift the trophy.

    He said he was happy to have scored the only goal but would be more than happy if they secure a third cup title for the club.