Coach Audu Adamu Ejo and his Beach Soccer National Team, Supersand
Eagles’ crew will head to Lagos this weekend as the camp of the team
opens ahead of an African Beach Soccer Championship qualifying fixture
against Libya, coming up next month.
Ejo, who led the team to a seventh –place finish at the FIFA Beach
Soccer World Cup in Ravenna, Italy in 2011, has called 20 players for
this exercise that will also prepare the team for the Power Horse
Invitational Tournament in
Head Coach of the Dream Team, Samson Siasia, has charged his wards to go
all out for victory against their Gabonese counterparts in the first
leg of the 11th All-Africa Games qualifying game to be played at the Stade Augustin Monedan a Sibang, Libreville on
Head coach of Nigeria’s U-17 team, Emmanuel Amuneke, expects his players to defeat their Zambian counterparts and ensure qualification for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Chile later this year when both sides meet on Saturday at the ongoing CAF U-17 Championship, taking place in Niger. A semifinal ticket is all the Golden Eaglets require to qualify for
In the wake of reports that Stephen Keshi has been shortlisted for the
Burkina Faso job, it has now emerged that the Nigeria Football
Federation(NFF) have lined up a two-year deal to convince him to stay.
Christopher Green, Alhaji Abubakar Ladan and Alhaji Ganiyu
Majekodunmi have retained their seats as bosses of the Rivers State
Football Association, Kebbi State Football Association and Ogun State
Football Association respectively.
The duo of 2014 Commonwealth Taekwondo Gold medallists, Abubakar
Adamu, and veteran fighter, Jamilu Mohammed are set to compete in the
-58kg category, at the 1st AFTU International Opens, billed to hold at...
Super Falcons coach, Edwin Okon has called up Asisat Oshoala and 35
other players as the Senior Women National Team camp which opens this
Sunday in Abuja.
Wikki Tourists captain and right back, Mustapha Ibrahim has expressed satisfaction with the new league season match day 1 clash against promoted side, 3SC.
The League Management Company (LMC) draw for 2014/15 Glo Premier League season on Wednesday pitched together the promoted and returnees sides for match day 1 clash on Saturday, March 07 at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium (ATBS), Bauchi.
Ibrahim said the season’s opening clash against the Oluyole Warriors will greatly test the side preparedness and resolve for a successful top flight campaign.
“I’m extremely happy with the opening fixture that paired us against fellow promoted as well as returnee side, 3SC.
“We’re back to the Nigerian top flight to challenge for the title and never to add up to the numbers,” said Ibrahim to supersport.com.
Wikki Tourists are among the sides that gained promotion to the elite league in the out gone 2013/14 Nigeria National League (NNL) season. Others are Kwara United, 3SC and Gabros FC (Ifeanyi Uba United FC).
Flying Eagles player, Usman Hassan Saleh, was injured after the
national U20 team got involved in a slight bus crash at the main gate of
the Tema Sports Stadium on Wednesday, Goal.com can report.
The 2015 African Women’s Volleyball Club Championship has been scheduled to hold from March 26 to April 6 in Cairo, Egypt, the Africa Volleyball Confederation (CAVB) announced on Wednesday.
Former NFF President Ibrahim Galadima has praised the hospitality of
officials and fans of Al Malaika Football Club of Sudan, who lost 2-0 to
Nigerian champions Kano Pillars FC in the first leg of their 2015 CAF
Champions League fixture in Juba at the weekend.
Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) champions Kano Pillars will start their campaign for a fourth successive title at Heartland. The Nigerian top flight kicks off on March 7, and the defending champions have been handed a tough start to their title defence against Heartland at the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri.
First round fixtures of the 2014/2015 Nigeria Professional Football
League season shows that People’s Elephant, Enyimba FC will trade
tackles with Akwa United of Uyo at the Enyimba International Stadium on
March 7.
The Nigeria Football Federation has revealed that the meeting between its president, Amaju Pinnick and Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger ended on as “extremely positive and encouraging” note.
Pinnick and Wenger met at the latter’s office at the Arsenal training ground to discuss several issues including the rising stock of Nigerian-born players at the club - Chuba Akpom and Semi Ajayi.
The NFF announced via a release made available to supersport.com that it was satisfied with the discussions with Wenger.
“As we had always known, Arsene is very knowledgeable; vast in his knowledge and appreciation of Nigeria as a footballing country, and widely philosophical in his general approach,” the NFF’s new Special Envoy for the Federation on International Affairs, Tunde Adelakun said.
The NFF president also met with parents of Nigerian footballers based in the United Kingdom, assuring them of their sons’ safety and progress should they choose to wear the colours of Nigeria.
There is a huge number of Nigerian footballers, many born and raised in the United Kingdom, but who have expressed a desire to play for the Super Eagles.
Nigerian winger, Emem Eduok scored the winner for Esperance in the 1-0 success over Kairouan on match day 17 of Tunisia’s Ligue 1.
The former Dolphins winger signalled his intent from the start showing silky skills in the fourth minute to win the hosts a corner.
Five minutes later, Eduok almost opened the scoring with a stunning shot from outside the area which the Kairouan goalkeeper scrambled to save at the second attempt.
The Nigerian continued to cause problems for the visitors and on the half hour, he connected beautifully with Hocine Ragued’s header only to see his header fly marginally wide.
Eduok came close again in the 52nd and 63rd minutes but the Kairouan rear guard continued to repel his best efforts at scoring.
Eduok finally netted on 78 minutes in the one-sided contest decided at the Stade Olympique d'El Menzah.
It was a beautiful solo goal that saw him pick the ball midway in the Kairouan half of the pitch.
He evaded several markers before firing an unstoppable shot from 20 metres that crashed into the top right hand corner of Ali Kalai’s (the Kairouan goalkeeper’s) net.
The win lifts Esperance up to fourth on the Ligue 1 standings with 31 points from 17 matches.
Wednesday’s game was Eduok’s first competitive outing for the Blood and Gold as he quickly goes about the business of underlying his status as a top dogin front of goal.
Nigerian midfielder Michael Olaitan scored for Greek Super League club Ergotelis in a 2-2 draw against Panionos on Wednesday.
Olaitan, on loan from Olympiacos, swept home Greg Houla’s pass in the 74th minute as Ergotelis came back from two goals down to snatch a share of the spoils at the Pankritio Stadio.
It was a hugely emotional moment for the 21-year-old whose future in the game had been brought into question after he collapsed unchallenged in a league game between Olympiacos and Panathinikos on March 2, 2014.
Olaitan’s last league goal was scored just over a year ago when he netted in the 28th minute of Olympiacos’ 4-2 win over Platanias at Stadio Georgios Karaiskáki.
Olaitan has now scored 27 goals in all competitions since turning professional in 2010.
Nigeria’s under-20s recorded a 2-0 win over Ghana’s Black Satellites in a test game in Tema on Wednesday.
The game was the second of the Flying Eagles’ two-match training tour to Ghana.
On Monday, both sides had settled for a share of the spoils in an exciting 2-2 draw in the first of the two fixtures in Accra.
The Flying Eagles had went in front twice against the Ghanaians only to be denied in the first game but this time, there was never going to be a repeat of past mistakes.
The Ghanaians controlled proceedings in the first half but were pegged back in the second as the Flying Eagles scored twice through Ifeanyi Matthew and a Musa Mohammed penalty.
Head coach of the Nigeria team, Manu Garba said he had to motivate the boys at half time hence the dramatic turn around.
“We had a much better second half after our pep talk at half time. It was also a better performance for my team than what we showed in the first match.
Both teams were using the two matches as tune-up for the 2015 African Under-20 championship which kicks off in Senegal on March 8.
igeria are in Group A of the 2015 Africa Under-20 championship alongside Congo, the Ivory Coast and hosts, Senegal.
Nigeria
needed a late strike from the penalty spot from skipper Kelechi Nwakali
to rescue a point against 10-man Guinea as both sides kept alive their
hopes of progression at the CAFU17 championship match in Niamey.
Sam
Diallo put Guinea ahead on 13 minutes. Enterprising play by Diallo,
Abdoul Karim Conte and Yamodou Toure was a handful for the Nigerian
backline anchored around Abbas Usman and Zakaria Halilu who brought down
Toure in the box and referee Jean Jacques Ngsmbo had no option but to
point to the spot.
Guinea
could have added to their advantage but wasted chances through Diallo
and exciting playmaker Karim Conte in a first half the Nigerians hardly
threatened.
The
Eaglets went into the second half with renewed energy and could have
levelled through Kingsley Michael but his effort in the box.
Efforts
from Kelechi, Victor Osimeh and Christian Charles were well saved by
Guinea goalie Moussa Camara, a darling of the crowd with his acrobatic
movements.
But
there was nothing Camara could do when Kelechi stepped up to convert
from the spot and level matters with only three minutes remaining on the
clock and Guinea skipper Moussa Soumah having been sent off after a
second yellow card.
Both sides, on four points each from two games , now have to wait for their final group games to determine the semi-finalists; spots which come with the incentive of
a place at the 2015 FIFA Under-17 World Cup finals to be hosted by
Chile in October this year but Nigeria leads by virtue of a superior goal difference.
With World Cup qualification the alluring factor for the teams aiming to
make the semifinals, Nigeria will be hoping that they can beat Zambia
in their last game in order to be there.
Flying Eagles striker Chidera Ezeh will watch from the sidelines as his teammates attempt to overrun their Ghanaian counterparts in Wednesday’s friendly rematch.
The FC Porto youngster was among the goals in the four-goal thriller between the West African neighbors last term but had to be replaced soon after when he was involved in a head clash and suffered a mild concussion.
“Chidera Ezeh is okay now but he will not be involved in the second game against Ghana after he suffered a mild concussion as a precautionary measure,” said Flying Eagles team doctor Ozi Salami.
The absence of Ezeh nonetheless, the Flying Eagles will be hoping to get past the Black Satellites as they battle in Tema, on the outskirts of Accra, by 3pm local time, which is 4pm Nigerian time.
Apart from Ezeh, defender Zaharadeen Bello will also be rested to ensure he does not further hurt his leg injury.
The Nigeria U20s as well as their Ghanaian counterparts are both preparing for next month’s African Youth Championship in Senegal where they will be seeking for one of the four World Cup tickets on offer.
Ex-Eagles coach not happy with unending contract talks between Keshi and FA By Sab Osuji:
Former FIFA and CAF Technical Instructor, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde has hissed at what he described as ‘hide and seek’ game between NFF and Stephen Keshi as regards the Big Boss’ Super Eagles coaching job.
Onigbinde who took the then Green Eagles to a silver finish in the 1984 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast is unhappy that one cannot boldly point a finger between NFF and Keshi as to who to believe in the controversy as to who has been designated as Super Eagles next coach.
The Technical and Development Committee of NFF rose from its meeting last week saying it has recommended Keshi for a new Super Eagles coaching contract extension.
But the Big Boss said categorically that he’s not been informed or contacted by either the Technical and Development Committee or the NFF for a possible return as Eagles gaffer.
“I would want to leave Keshi and NFF to resolve their issues. I am not close to NFF or Keshi to know exactly what the real issue or situation between them is as to who is saying the truth between them”, Onigbinde reacted when Complete Sports spoke to him.
“But in all honesty, a situation where the federation (NFF) will tell us Keshi has been recommended for a new contract while the coach will say from the other end that nobody has spoken to him is not the best.
Troy Deeney has set his sights on scoring as many goals this season as in-form Watford teammate Odion Ighalo.
Deeney was left on the bench for Watford’s trip to Bolton Wanderers on Saturday, but came on to score the winner in a seven-goal thriller at the Macron Stadium. Ighalo scored the first, his 12th goal in eight games, to take his tally to 15 for the season – three more than Deeney.
“Ighalo is the main man and everyone knows I want to be the main main,” Deeney told the Watford Observer.
“In the vein of form he is in, everything he touches ends up in the net and it is a good thing because it makes me think ‘right he is getting away from me and I need to catch up’.”
Watford are three points off top spot in fifth place and next host the side directly below them, Norwich City, on Saturday.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is considering opening talks to convince Liverpool winger, Jordon Ibe, to play for the country’s national team.
Ibe has already represented England at Under-18, 19 and 20 levels since 2012, but the Nigerian FA has in the past weeks discussed the matter of approaching the 19-year-old of possibly featuring for the Super Eagles.
According to supersport.com, a member of the NFF Technical and Development Committee, Victor Ikpeba, revealed the football federation is mulling over offering Ibe a full international career.
Ikpeba, a former Nigerian international, explained why he believes that Ibe will be a good addition to the national team.
“The federation is looking at Jordon Ibe,” Ikpeba revealed on SuperSport TV magazine programme, Monday Night Football. “We need to change our philosophy and bring in these young players to help out especially after we missed out of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.”
Arsenal youngster Alex Iwobi and Enyimba midfielder Kingsley Sokari have been named by Nigeria Under-23 team head coach Samson Siasia for the All Africa Games qualifier against Gabon.
The Nigerian under-23s will travel to Libreville, Gabon, on Wednesday for the AAG first leg qualifier billed for Saturday.
Sokari was initially with the Flying Eagles but has now been called up to the Olympic team.
The president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, has also met with the parents of Iwobi, who has already linked up with the under-23s.
Siasia surprisingly left out former under-20 star Abdullahi 'Alhaji' Gero.
Also missing from the trip to Gabon are Aminu Umar and Warri Wolves attacking winger Freedom Omofomah. Both players arrived late to the team's camp.
The Nigerian under-23s, made up of 16 players from the domestic front and five overseas-based players, will leave for Libreville from Lagos on Wednesday.
The 21-man squad
Goalkeepers: Daniel Emmanuel, Akande Abiodun
Defenders: Erhun Obanor, Stanley Okorom, Segun Oduduwa, Sani Faisal, Sincere Seth, Sodiq Atanda, Stanley Amuzie
Head coach of Nigeria’s Under-23 tean, Samson Siasia says he is not building his side around any individual as he prepares for this weekend’s All Africa Games qualifying match against Gabon in Libreville.
Siasia has also warned the five overseas-based players called up for the game against Gabon not to rest on their laurels as any dip in standards will see the affected individual instantly dropped.
“There is no automatic shirt in this team. Anybody who does not work hard or meet our standards will be dropped immediately,” Siasia told supersport.com shortly after he named a squad of 21 players for the fixture with Gabon.
The squad are comprised of 16 domestically based players and Siasia says the Nigerian league remains an important pool for the selection of prime talent.
“You can see that there are a lot more players from the local scene. That’s because we want to give our league priority because we believe there are a lot of very good players from the league,” he said.
Siasia’s list of 21 players raised more than a few eyebrows especially as two players originally expected to make the list, Aminu Umar and Alhaji Gero were surprisingly dropped.
Siasia revealed that Umar, in the books of Turkish club, Samsunspor, arrived late to camp which ultimately sounded the death knell for him.
“I have never seen Aminu Umar play and there was no way I was going to take such a player to Gabon.
“He arrived the camp late so I couldn’t really watch him play,” Siasia said.
Siasia is no stranger to coaching or success at this level.
In 2008, he led the Nigeria under-23s to the final of the football event of the Olympics where the Dream Team lost to a Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina 1-0.
NFF President Amaju Pinnick met with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger yesterday seeking closer ties. Arsenal has agreed to work closely with NFF for better club players and country relationship. Amaju also met FIFA president Sepp Blatter in Switzerland yesterday. See more photos ...
There are strong indications that Al-Ahly Sports Club striker Peter Ebimobowei could miss Sunday's Caf Super Cup match against Algerian side Entente Setif.
It is a North African affair as Setif won the 2014 Caf Champions League, while Al-Ahly emerged champions in the Caf Confederation Cup to set up the Caf Super clash.
The former Bayelsa United forward, who scored his first goal for Ahly against Ittihad El-Shorta, sustained a hamstring injury during the match.
supersport.com learnt that Ahly's medical team is yet to make any statement regarding the availability of the Nigerian.
Ebimobowei, it was learned, returned to training on Tuesday with the rest of the squad.
Saturday’s match is slated for Stade Mustapher Tchaka, Blida.
Ahly have the best record in the Caf Super Cup after winning six titles and have won the last two editions.
Emeka Inyama, chairman of the Nigeria National League (NNL) has
disclosed that the country’s second-tier league for 2014/2015 season
will start on April 18. The chairman of Abia Warriors FC also revealed that the NNL Super 4
tournament aimed to determine league champions for last season will hold
between 23 and 25 February in Ilorin. Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan (3SC) , Kwara United, Gabros
F.C. and Wikki Tourist all gained promotion to the top flight last
season. The 2014/15 Nigeria National league season would be an abridged format where there shall be four groups of 8 teams each.
Inyama said the abridged format was introduced due to security
challenges in the north. The NFF board member also enthused that the new
arrangement would save cost and also ensures that the league season
rounds off at the exact period it ought to despite the late start.
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles was held to a 2-2 draw by Ghana U-20 in an international friendly played in Accra on Monday.
The national U-20 football team relinquished their
lead twice to settle for a draw in a test match against the Black
Satellites of Ghana.
The game is one of two warm up games organised for both teams who are
expected to feature in the 2015 African Youth Championship billed for
next month in Senegal. In the 22nd minute, former Golden Eaglets star Musa Yahaya scored the opener. The hosts rallied back and secured an equaliser in the 35th minute,
before Chidera Eze put the Flying Eagles back in front with his 40th
minute strike which gave Nigeria 2-1 advantage going into the first half
break.
The Black Satellites, not willing to go down, came back strong in the
second half to ensure the game ended in a no winner no vanquished
situation.
Dolphins attacking midfielder, Isiaka Olawale has said his side are primed to book their passage to the next round of the Caf Confederation Cup.
The 2014 Federation Cup runners-up were piped 0-1 at Equatorial Guinean side, Leones Vegetarianos in Malaba on Saturday in the first leg round of Africa’s second tier club competition.
Olawale said his side could have comfortably won the first fixture clash in Malabo with as many as three unreplied goals if not unconverted chances by his side.
“Of course, we’ve hope to qualify to the next stage of the competition when the Equatorial Guinean side, Leones Vegetarianos visit Port Harcourt for the reverse fixture of the competition.
“We need the support of Nigerians especially our teeming supporters as we prepare for the decisive second leg clash,” said the former Kwara United playmaker to supersport.com.
The Garden City side will work hard to upturn the 0-1 deficit in fortnight at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt if they hope to advance further in the competition.
Nigeria’s leading sportswear producer, OWU Sportswear, has through its PR Agency, MatchRoom Sports & Media announced a kit deal with newly promoted Glo Premier League side, Kwara United.
MatchRoom announced the deal on its Twitter feed after both parties signed the contract papers, in the Kwara State capital, Ilorin, on Monday.
“We’re a proud to be associated with Kwara United, which is one of Nigeria's most historic teams.
“Although the deal takes effect from the new season, OWU will kit Kwara United during the Nigeria National League Super Four play-off.
With the new deal, OWU will provide sporting goods for Kwara United including kits and training jerseys during the 2014/15 season.
In line with OWU'S brand profile, replicas will be available in Ilorin and its retail outlet, in Ikeja, Lagos.
Supersport.com learnt that Omoku-based Nigeria National League, Go-Round, recently joined the brand’s exclusive list.
To boost its presence as a sportsbrand, OWU has since extended its products to other sports like Rugby, Volleyball and basketball.
Last December, the ambitious brand announced its first ever endorsement deal with Al-Ahly’s Nigerian forward, Peter Ebimobowei.
OWU has since become the country’s leading sportswear producers for top sides like 3SC, Lobi Stars, ABS, MFM, Stationery Stores and Supreme Court amongst others.
Sivasspor’s Nigeria international striker Michael Eneramo has been ruled out of first team football for up to three weeks.
Eneramo was taken off in the 81st minute of Sivasspor’s victory over Trabzonspor in the Ziraat Turkish Cup.
The Yigdolar confirmed the news on their official website. The powerful striker has suffered a hamstring injury in his left leg.
The 29-year-old striker now has three goals in his his last two cup games for the Yigidolar since joining from Basaksehir in January.
Sivasspor signed Eneramo during the winter transfer window. The 29-year-old striker scored 29 goals in the league when he previously played for the team in 79 appearances.
Eneramo has 10 Nigeria international caps to his name and has previously played for Besiktas, Sivasspor and Karabükspor in the Turkish Süper Lig.
Sivasspor take on Galatasaray this weekend in the league.
Nigerian winger Michael Babatunde is set to have his wages doubled if he extends his current deal with Volyn Lutsk.
The 21-year old who has been linked with summer moves to France and Greece is in talks with Volyn over a new improved contract which will see him stay at the club for four more years.
However, with the winger now back to full fitness, he remains keen on rediscovering his form that earned him a place in Coach Stephen Keshi’s World Cup squad.
“I have just over one year left on my current deal but I want to regain my form before I begin talks with my club,” he told Complete Sports.
“The second half of the season starts next month with our first game against Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk and I hope we get a good result there to push for a spot in Europe next season,” Babatunde who has notched three goals in Volyn’s pre-season in Antalya.
However, with Volyn placed sixth on the Ukrainian top flight with 20 points from 13 games, they face Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk on the 1st of March when the second half of the league resumes.
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