NigeriaPlus » Sports

Tension Over Plans for ‘New NFA’

News Desk — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:55:37 +0000

Bolaji Abdullahi, Nigeria's Sport Minister

Following the disquiet that attended last week’s stakeholders meeting called by Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdulahi, to find a way forward to the lingering legal tussle in Nigerian football, fresh indications have emerged that sports authorities may have perfected a plan to set up a new ‘Nigeria Football Association’, NFA.

Inside sources revealed that the plan will be made as a follow-up to a court judgment a forthnight ago, declaring that the NFF and the Nigeria Premier League are unknown to Nigerian law.

The grand design, it was further gathered will see the new NFA, inaugurated by the National Sports Commission (NSC), after which a visit to FIFA, will seek the understanding of the world body and possibly set up a normalization committee.

The development has sent football managers in the country warning of the danger of such a move with several qualifiers staring the nation in the face.

Nigeria plays Kenya in an U-17 World Cup qualifier for women in Abeokuta , this weekend, then face an U-20 Women qualifier and the all-important Nations Cup qualifier against Rwanda in Kigali by February 29.

Fears are that such a move at this time may lead to a FIFA hammer, even as the NFF leadership, say they are aware of the development and will make legal moves to vacate the court order on it.

“We hope such a move is not initiated because we have been distracted enough and Nigerians should know where to finger-point if anything happens to our qualifiers”, an NFF board member, who prefers anonymity hinted.

Source: Vanguard

New Faces Lighting Up Cup of Nations

News Desk — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:53:28 +0000

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon), Nathan Sinkala (Zambia), Abdoul Razzagui Camara (Guinea) and Youssef Msakni (Tunisia)

As the first round of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations comes to a close, half of the original 16-team field is facing a disappointing trip home.

But for the neutral, it has been among the more exciting continental championships in the last decade, full of shocks and upsets, passionate support for surprising co-hosts, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, and some superb finishing.

The last ten days have also offered up new names for football fans to enthuse over, plus elevated other better-known players to a status among the continent’s playing elite. Here are the new young stars to emerge at the CAN.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon)

The 22-year-old striker is not exactly a new discovery. He is now established in Ligue 1 with St Etienne, and he played at the last Nations Cup finals in Angola. Two years ago, he had just committed himself to the Gabon cause after previously playing for France at under-21 level.

His father Pierre captained Gabon at their first Nations Cup finals appearance in 1994 and is considered one of the country’s greats, but even he never experienced the same level of raw adulation heaped upon his son over the past week or so. Aubameyang’s goals in each of the three group matches – against Niger, Morocco and finally an emphatic winner against Tunisia – ensured easy qualification for the co-hosts to the last eight and underlined his emergence as one of African football’s new superstars.

Aubameyang began his career at AC Milan as a junior and has played at Lille, Monaco and Dijon before establishing himself with the Stephanois.

Younes Belhanda (Morocco)

Although results have not gone with the Morocco side and their early exit is something of a shock, if there has been one player who has consistently thrilled with his pace and skill, it is Belhanda. The 21-year-old’s ability to swerve and glide through defences, his importance as a link man behind the front two and his passion have been all too evident. The France-born youngster also endeared himself to Moroccan supporters by breaking down in tears at a press conference after Morocco had been eliminated by a thrilling 3-2 defeat to Gabon. He rebounded and added to his reputation by lifting his team to their only victory with a late goal against Niger in their final group contest. Despite the setback at the Nations Cup, Moroccans can take heart in a rising young generation – epitomised by Belhanda – that could realistically propel them through the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ qualifiers.

Abdoul Razzagui Camara (Guinea)

It was just weeks before the start of the tournament that Camara received clearance to play for Guinea after having lined up for French youth teams. His debut came as a substitute against Mali in the first game of the Nations Cup for Guinea in Franceville, and almost immediately his pace and guile on the left side lifted the Syli National’s furious comeback attempt. Coach Michel Dussuyer had no hesitation in inserting the 21-year-old into the starting line-up for the second game against Botswana, where he made two of the goals and scored one of his own as he swept relentlessly up the wing. Born in Guinea, Camara went to France as a young child. Now he has rediscovered his African roots and the continent has certainly discovered his talent.

Cheick Tidiane Diabate (Mali)

The lanky forward has been an effective target man for the west Africans at the tournament and confirmed the credentials he has already established in France at club level. Now 23 years old, he was just 17 when he made his senior debut, fresh out of the Mali side that competed at the African U-17 Championships in 2005. But it was only in the 2012 CAN qualifiers that he established himself as a regular for Mali’s Aigles after missing out on selection for the last tournament in Angola. His almost 2-metre frame provides Mali with the prefect target man, but he has also proven full of running and capable of a neat touch in one-on-one situations with defenders.

Youssef Msakni (Tunisia)

It’s testament to Msakni’s ample ball skills that some have taken to calling him ‘Leo’, in reference to FIFA Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, after his stellar turn against Niger in Libreville. A mesmerising performance by the 21-year-old left winger culminated in his scoring arguably the goal of the tournament, which came at the end of a long run that showed great strength and agility. Msakni has been linked with several clubs in Italy and France in the wake of the goal, where he weaved past five defenders before placing the ball wide of the outstretched goalkeeper. Although taken to the last Cup of Nations finals as an uncapped teenage prodigy, he has had to wait two years to make his impact. There is a bittersweet side to the trip, though. His elder brother Iheb, who is set to join him at CAF Champions League winners Esperance, just missed out on selection, cut from the squad on the deadline day.

Nathan Sinkala (Zambia )

The 20-year-old looked to be a gamble on the….

Source: Vanguard

Siasia Lands Lucrative Job in India, to Coach Okocha

News Desk — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:15:07 +0000

Samson Siasia

Former Super Eagles midfield maestro, Austin Jay Jay Okocha has been signed by Indian club Durgapur. Also on board is Samson Siasia who will be the coach of the team. Okocha will earn 550, 000 dollars (about N88.8m), while Siasia will take home 210,000 dollars (N33.9m).

Another Nigerian player, Robert Egbeta was signed by Kolkata for $350,000 (about N56.4m) These signing were part of an auction to herald the newly inaugurated India league, which will commence in March 2012.

Okocha and Siasia who were part of Super Eagles team to the USA’94 World Cup would play alongside other world cup stars like Argentine Hernan Crespo who signed for Barasat for $840,000, he is the highest earning player. Italy World Cup-winning captain, Fabio Cannavaro, is the next most expensive after costing Siliguri $830,000. Other players include Roberto Pires of France and ex England intentional Robbie Fowler.

Organizers of the league hope to emulate the success of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the cricket tournament that attracts huge crowds and which inaugurated the auction system.

They also believe that it will inspire more Indians to play football. India is ranked 158 of the 203 football-playing countries.

“I think that we are at the crossroads for Indian football. I am sure that the PLS will provide a new path,” Bhaswar Goswami, one of the organisers, told the BBC.

The tournament is expected to feature six teams. Each has a salary cap of $2.5m.

Source: Vanguard

Shocks, Tear Gas Open Nations Cup

News Desk — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 20:08:00 +0000

Younes Shibani of Libya (R) defends against a shot at goal by Thierry Fidjeu of Equatorial Guinea (L) during the Africa Cup of Nations match between Equatorial Guinea and Libya in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, 21 January 2012. EPA/STR

Lowly Equatorial Guinea stunned Libya and Zambia upset Senegal as the African Nations Cup began with surprises as well as tear gas outside the stadium in Bata on Saturday.

Co-hosts Equatorial Guinea, whose starting line-up consisted entirely of players born abroad, beat Libya 1-0 thanks to a late strike by former Real Madrid player Javier Balboa in the first-half of a double bill.

Zambia then scored twice in the first quarter of the game on their way to a 2-1 win over Senegal, back in the tournament after astonishingly missing out in 2010.

The tournament is already without defending champions Egypt, Nigeria, Cameroon and South Africa, who all failed to qualify.

Off the field, it was a less happy day for Equatorial Guinea, sharing the tournament with Gabon, as police used tear gas against fans trying to get into the ground.

Reuters photographs showed police firing tear gas to control supporters who apparently became impatient at delays getting into the stadium. There were no reports of injuries.

There was further embarrassment when most of the crowd left after Equatorial Guinea’s match, leaving Zambia and Senegal to play in a half-empty stadium.

The first match kicked off seven minutes late following the opening ceremony and a speech by President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mbasogo, which lasted several minutes with the teams lined up and ready for kicked off.

Source: Vanguard

Africa Cup of Nations: Nigeria’s Osunwa, Sule in Sudan Team

The Punch — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:40:05 +0000

Nigerian strikers Kelechi Osunwa and Sherif Sule were part of Sudan’s 25-man provisional squad who departed for Qatar ahead of this month’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Two other Nigerians, Olympic team striker Francis Ikechukwu and Isaac Malik, did not make the squad as their Sudanese passports did not come through as hoped.

“My dream to play for Sudan at this year’s Nations Cup won’t come true because there is delay in issuance of my passport,” Ahly Shaadi striker Ikechukwu told MTNFootball.com

“In fact, I had resumed training with the team before we realised that the passport won’t be ready until later this year. So, I may not debut for Sudan till end of this year or next year.

“Kelechi Osunwa and Sherif Sule made it, while I and Isaac Malik have to wait for our passports.”

I Don’t Have a Magic Wand- Keshi

News Desk — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:00:53 +0000

Eagles Coach, Keshi

Nigeria coach, Stephen Keshi has said he did not have a magic wand to turn the national team around under one month, but remained hopeful that the work he and other members of the technical crew were doing would soon bear fruits.

In a chat with Sports Vanguard Wednesday, Keshi admitted that it was still too early to give a concrete assessment of the home based players who have been camping for the past one week, saying, “the boys are trying to impress. It is a gradual process and we are still working on the players.”

Asked if the players presently in camp would form the core of his future team, Keshi was a bit surprised at the question. “How do you people pick a team in this country. We have been here for barely a week. The team will evolve gradually and I don’t have a magic wand to turn things around in two weeks. It is too early to say that. People should be patient with these boys,” he said.

He spoke on the Youth Corps player who was invited to camp after the NYSC team played against the Eagles.

“He is picking up and he has shown that he can improve with time. We are working on him.”

The coach confirmed that the Abuja camp which opened last week closes on January 16.

via Vanguard

Eagles: Keshi Bans Earrings, ‘Showmanship’

The Punch — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 09:12:55 +0000

Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi

Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi was away to Ghana on Thursday for the African Footballer of the Year award but before he boarded the flight he announced a new set of rules that will govern the national team.

The former captain of the national team has warned the players against wearing ear rings as he moved to impose a new and purposeful identity on the team.

Keshi told the players in Abuja, “If we were Indians, I would understand, because it’s part of their culture but wearing ear rings by men is alien to Nigeria and no player is permitted here to wear them.”

The position of Keshi will affect a number of players in the expanded squad of Europe and home-based players. The Eagles were, however, silent on their hairstyles while on national duty.

Those to be affected by the new regulation are the captain of the team Joseph Yobo, Osaze Odemwingie, Peter Utaka, Victor Anichebe, Chibuzor Okonkwo, Brown Ideye, Dele Adeleye and Obafemi Martins.

The former coach of Togo laid a lot of emphasis on discipline and attitude of the players on and off the pitch in his first major meeting with the 30 players invited for the next international friendly slated for January 7.

He warned that any Eagle who plays to the gallery, would be sent away from camp by the end of this week or early next week. Keshi insisted that the national camp was no breeding ground for players who want to show off. Some of the players, buoyed by their agents, often engage in selfish display to gain ratings so as to make them more marketable.

He said, “We’re in for serious business, because we want to return our country to the top and any player not ready would be shown the exit door.”

“I will not quarrel with any player but anyone who flouts camp rules should pack his bag and leave the camp before I react negatively.”

Keshi promised that home-based players will no longer be used as training materials but rather given a decent chance to fight for places in the team with their counterparts from overseas.

He therefore challenged the players to prove that they are better than the foreign-based players.

Athletics Family Mourns Bada

The Punch — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:42:53 +0000

Sunday Bada

The athletics family was on Tuesday thrown into mourning with the death of Sunday Bada, the technical director, Athletics Federation of Nigeria, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

Bada died at about 8.45pm in Lagos on Monday, during a brief illness.

Born on June 22, 1969 in Kwara State, he was a retired sprinter who specialised in the 400 metres event.

Some former national athletes expressed shock at the death of the Olympian in separate interviews with NAN on Tuesday in Lagos.

They described his demise as a great loss to the AFN and the country at large.

This is Bad Year for Nigeria Football – Keshi

News Desk — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 12:33:16 +0000

Nigeria's player Terna Suswan (L) vies for the ball with Ivan Lendric of Croatia during their FIFA World Cup U20 Group D football match held at Centenario stadium in Armenia, Quindío department, Colombia, . AFP PHOTO

Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi said Tuesday that Nigeria’s ouster from the London 2012 Olympics was painful. He declared 2011 was a bad year for Nigeria football.

Despite Keshi’s presence with the Under-23 team in Morocco, they failed to rise up to the expectations of Nigerians who expected the team to pick an Olympic ticket to as compensation for the run of poor results that saw the Eagles crash out of the 2012 Nations Cup and the Falcons miss the Olympics for the first time since 2000 when they made their debut appearance.

However, he noted that the players gave all their best, adding that Nigerians should expect a better outing next year.

“This is generally a bad year for football for Nigeria, it is not that the boys are bad players, but let us look forward to next year with hope and high expectation. I believe things will be better next year for all of us.” Keshi said.

Continuing, Keshi justified his romance with the U-23 team and said he had no regret joining them. “Firstly, I do not regret joining the team in Morocco, and I am not happy that the team could not secure qualification after all the support they had. I’m really pained but I still believe that there is a future for the team.”

via Vanguard

Eguavoen apologises, resigns as Olympics Eagles coach

News Desk — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:57:56 +0000

Austin Eguavoen, Nigeria's Olympics Eagles Coach

National Under-23 Coach, Austin Eguavoen, has quit as coach of the Olympic team after he failed to qualify the team for London 2012.

Nigeria’s Olympics Eagles failed to go past the group stage of the qualifiers in Morocco after losing two games and winning one.

His letter of resignation was forwarded to the Chairman, Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Chris Green.

“I hereby resign my post as coach of the national U23 team despite all the support I received from the NFF. I’m so sorry I couldn’t make it,” Eguavoen wrote in part.

Eguavoen has been involved in the national team set up since 2003, when he first handled the U17s and has been in charge of the full international side as well.

He has taken full responsibility for his team’s failure to reach London 2012 after raising so much expectation in the earlier rounds of the qualifiers where Nigeria thumped Liberia, Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania.

“First of all football has given me what I have today. I thank every Nigerian for being there for me and giving me all the support needed for this tournament,” said the 46-year-old coach.

“We came into this tournament prepared. Losing Kingsley Udoh in the first game, just three minutes was a big blow.

“Our first half against Senegal was awful but we were in our best against a very technical Algeria but unfortunately we rose up to the occasion late.

“I apologise to Nigerians for our disappointing outing. I had an option to come and not to but I had confidence in this team, unfortunately it didn’t turn out the way we wanted. I am deeply sorry”.

Eguavoen said he hopes to take a two-month break and possibly return to work in the Nigeria Premier League.

“My contract is tied to this tournament with a target of reaching at least the semi-finals of the Olympics in London, but I have failed in that target. Right now I would just take two months out and maybe return to the local league,” he said.

The Former Super Eagles coach also spoke on the positives from the tournament.

“First we were able to redeem our image hoping that Morocco will keep their winning streak. But the biggest positive for me is that my ‘Skippo’ (the Super coach Stephen Keshi) was here. As we all know, we are rebuilding and I believe he must have spotted players here that would help him in the national team.”