$10m for grabs at Afcon 2015

The 16 teams at the Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea will share a total of $10 million with the champions earning $1.5 million (1.3m euros, £990,000) the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said.

The beaten finalists will receive  a million dollars with the other two semi-finalists taking home $750,000 each.

A further breakdown of the prize monies will see quarterfinalists each guaranteed $600,000.

The third-placed teams in each of the first round groups will pocket $500,000, while the bottom teams get $400,000 each.

This year’s tournament will open on Saturday in Bata after Equatorial Guinea accepted to stage it following the late withdrawal by Morocco over fears of fans from abroad spreading the Ebola Virus  which has ravaged west Africa — Guinea are the only finalists to have been seriously affected — for more than a year.

Nigeria won the 2013 trophy in South Africa after they edged Burkina Faso 1-0 in the final — the Nigerians, though, failed to qualify for this edition.

Eagles too strong for Yemen

Nigeria’s home-based Super Eagles yesterday proved too strong for Yemen in the international friendly match played at the Sevens Stadium in Dubai.

Striker Mfon Udoh scored the first goal in the 25th minute, while Warri Wolves defender, Azubuike Agwuekwe completed the pipping of their lowly opponents in the 64th minute.

The Eagles were originally meant to play against Sudan who also failed to qualify for the the Africa Cup of Nations. They were in the same group with Nigeria.

The Super Eagles dominated the game with their ball possession, but failed to create scoring chances to finish off the Arab nation. The Eagles coached by Daniel Amokachi had lost 1-0 to AFCON favourites Cote ‘d Iovire in a previous game.

Ogunjobi Urges Oshoala To Return To School

-Ex-scribe congratulates her on CAF Award

Former Secretary-General of Nigeria Football Federation and erstwhile chairman of the body’s technical committee, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi, has urged newly crowned African Women Footballer of the Year, Asisat Oshoala, to return to high school for her to be academically equipped for the future.

The chairman of Prime Football Club, opined that he was shocked when he knew the Rivers Angels goal-poacher is a Secondary School (SS2) drop-out.

“I was shocked the day I heard Asisat Oshoala is a Secondary School drop-out despite her level of intelligence,” the Pillar of Sports in State of Osun said.

Ogunjobi, while giving Oshoala a fatherly advice said now that her ovation is loud, she should return to school and further her education.

“Education is important, football is temporary and if you don’t leave football, football will leave you one day. I played football to the highest level (Green Eagles) but education was what I fell back on after my active football career.”

“We live in a society where the ability of an individual to be successful depends largely on their education. I am using this medium to appeal to Asisat Oshoala to return to school so as to get her future properly secured.”

Oshoala whose dream was to become a lawyer, incurred the wrath of her parents when she dropped out of school to pursue a football career.

Meanwhile, the former Sole Administrator of Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan, congratulated Oshoala for emerging as the African Women Player and Young Player of the year 2014.

SEGUN AJOSE: WHY I TOOK THE RISK. TO BE A BOXER

Segun Ajose is a Lagosian, even though my parents come from Ogun State. I was born and bred in Lagos, I schooled in Lagos and represented Lagos in the National Sports Festival, won a gold medal and joined the Nigerian Army. So all my life, most of my life, I’ve lived in Shomolu, before I started representing the country. I won gold at the All Africa Games in South Africa, went to the Olympics, won many international invitational tournaments in Europe and turned professional. I won the Nigerian title and the African title, won the Commonwealth title and the British title, fought for a world title and still going. So I went through my career stage by stage, I didn’t just burst on to the scene all of a sudden, it was a process.
Actually, I never wanted to turn pro , I disliked the pros in the past when I was growing up so I thought I was just going to do the amateur, then when I’m done, go to school then stop boxing. But then when I went to the Sydney Olympics, I was robbed against an American and when I got back, the Boxing Federation then wanted me to continue in the amateur ranks, but I was of the opinion then that if I wait in the amateur and I go to the Athens Olympics, there is no guarantee that I would also not be robbed in the Olympics and we weren’t really getting enough preparations here in Nigeria. So I thought you know what, I’ll just try to compensate for what I missed in the amateur, which is winning a gold medal in the Olympics because all the guys that won medals in the Olympics, I had beaten them on the international scene before the Olympics. The one who won a bronze medal, I beat him in the All Africa Games, the guy who won the second bronze medal, the Cuban, I beat him before the Olympics, the gold medalist was the most scared of me, the silver medalist was the one I was robbed against. So I was felt like, forget about it, maybe I would just try to compensate for it by turning pro and winning a world title in the process and that has been my goal so far, that’s what I have been working on achieving.
So you can please contact segun on his twitter handle @ajoseolusegun or his facebook page olusegunajose or through his agent, ben_gray@btinternet.com. 

Ike Uche Proud Of Villarreal 2-0 Win Over Bilbao

Super Eagles striker Ike Uche has praised his Villarreal teammates after they defeated visiting Atletico Bilbao 2-0 at El Madrigal on Saturday.

Goals from Cheryshev on 42 minutes and Bruno on 83 minutes, was all Villarreal needed to overcome Bilbao.

Uche who was on from the start however made way for Giovani dos Santos in the 68th minute.

“Amazing victory guys! The team made a great effort, I feel proud of you. Thank you fans for the support!” he wrote on his twitter page.

Uche has featured 17 times for Villarreal this season and has scored five times.

Moses, Osaze Relish Stoke Away Win At Leicester City

The duo of Victor Moses and Osaze Odemwingie have showered plaudits on their Stoke City teammates after they bounced back from the penultimate weekend’s 3-0 loss to Arsenal to pip home side Leicester City 1-0 on. Saturday.

Former Barcelona player Bojan Krkic was the hero of the day as he struck in the 63rd minute to hand the Potters a vital three point.

Commenting on the win, Moses who just recovered from a thigh muscle strain described their feat as fantastic.

Moses wrote on his twitter page: “Amazing win, lads were brilliant, fantastic win.”

On his part, Odemwingie who is still out injured, praised his teammates for recovering brilliantly from their loss to Arsenal.

“Well done boys!! Another show of character to bounce back after a loss to pick another three points away from home,” he wrote on his twitter page.

Pillars good for Super Six glory

Kano Pillars midfielder Azeez Shobowale has said emphatically that the Nigerian champions will emerge winners of the upcoming League Management Company (LMC) Super Six tournament in Abuja.

The one-week annual football showpiece will involve Nigeria's representatives at the continent namely Pillars, Enyimba, Dolphins and Warri Wolves as well as under-aged national teams, Flying Eagles and Dream Team V1.

Shobowale said though the Super Six contest is certain to be tough given the quality of opposition that his side have the magic wang to upstage other challengers for the coveted trophy.

"We know that Pillars will be the marked side at the Super Six by other teams as they're sure to go any length to stop us from winning the competition but they'll discover to their chagrin that we can't be stopped especially as we've already focused our eyes on the trophy.

"Enyimba, Dolphins and Warri Wolves are not new to us, we've met ourselves severally and I believe we've the edge over them as Nigerian champions.

"That's not to say the contest will be cheap as the contestants have one thing or another that stands them out especially as nation's representatives at the continent, they'll want to use the occasion to make a bold statement of their readiness to conquer Africa.

"We're not taking the challenge lightly with the daily tedious trainings preparatory for the match day.

"We've signed few quality players unknown yet same as our opponents that'll be on parade it's sure to make the contest entertaining and interest with additional challenges from the nation's Under-20 and Under-23 teams.

"Pillars as reigning Nigerian champions will surely maintain the status quo to prove to doubters that our victory in the NPFL wasn't a fluke but well deserved, " said the former ABS and Dolphins winger to supersport.com.

The Pyramid City side will open their LMC Super Six title account against the 2014 Federation Cup runners-up, Dolphins in the opening match of the competition on Saturday at the Fifa Goal Project ground in Abuja.

Pillars are expected to use the competition to prepare for their Caf Champions League date against relatively unknown South Sudan side, Malakia.

Ighalo fires brace in Watford win

Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo struck a brace for English Championship club Watford in the 5-0 win over Charlton Athletic on Saturday.

Ighalo has been in sparkling form this season and his double at Vicarage Road brought his season’s goal tally to seven in the league.

The 25-year-old was in electrifying form all afternoon and provided the assist for the Hornets’ first goal, excellently dispatched by Craig Cathcart in the 15th minute.

Ighalo continued to create problems for the opposition’s rearguard and had what looked like a legitimate penalty appeal turned down in the 29th minute following a challenge from former Chelsea defender Tal Ben Haim after an incisive through ball by Juan Carlos Paredes.

He did not have to wait too long to get his first goal of the day as it arrived in the 44th minute as he tapped home Paredes’ cut back after a delightful through ball by Miguel Layun.

In the 58th minute, he completed his double via a powerful header off a precise Daniel Tozser corner which caused havoc in the Charlton box.

Saturday’s win keeps Watford in the playoff places as they currently sit in sixth position on the championship log with 44 points from 26 matches.

Ighalo’s seven goals in 19 matches makes him the club’s second joint top scorer in the league this season behind Troy Deeney who has netted ten times this season.

Sanni gets backing for Kwara Utd job

Kwara United supporters have thrown their weight behind former manager, Tunde Sanni to return to the helm of the Afonja Warriors.

The Ilorin-based club are still yet to name their new technical adviser for this year after the contract of all the technical crew that were in charge last season expired.

Supersport.com gathered that none of the technical crew members that were in charge last season would return.

The source revealed that a thorough screening is currently going on by the management of the Ilorin-based team on who will handle the team next term in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

But some Kwara United faithful have now demonstrated openly and have declared their support to have Sanni back in charge of the team this year.

“We want Sanni to return to the helm of Kwara United," A number of the club fans chorused.

Others simply said: "He is our choice.”

Last week, a top source revealed to supersport.com that Sanni, who was at the helm of Kwara United three seasons ago, is now highly favoured to return as the technical adviser pending final endorsement from the government house.

Meanwhile, it is now expected that Kwara United would name their new trainer that will be in charge this year any moment from now.

Ogu scores, but sees red

Nigeria international midfielder John Ogu was the major actor in Hapoel Beer Sheva's 2-1 win over Hapoel Petach Tikva in the Israeli Ligat HaAl on Saturday.

Ogu, who moved to the team at the start of the season was instrumental in his team's victory at the Vasermil Stadium in Beer Sheva.

The former Academica de Coimbra player opened Beer Sheva's account in the 16th minute of the game, powering home a header from a corner kick to set his team on their way.

Siraj Nasser added another goal on the 27th minute mark of the first half to give his team a two-goal lead.

Petach Tikva got back into the mix as Dor Kochav pulled one back for the visitors in the 32nd minute as the team's went into the break with Beer Sheva 2-1 ahead.

Ogu ended the game on a sad note after getting his marching orders on the dot of 90 minutes for his first expulsion in Israeli football.

Beer Sheva held on for the win to garner three points from the game to push them to second on the log with 31 points from 15 matches.

Be'er Sheva are now third on the Ligat HaAl standings with 35 points after 18 match days.