Former Nigeria international, Waidi Akanni was not impressed by the Super Eagles in their warm up match against Cape Verde and he did not hide his feelings when he chatted with our correspondent in a telephone interview on Thursday.
“Technically speaking, I believe we have a squad but not a team yet,” Akanni said, when asked of his impression on the 23-man squad named by the chief coach, Stephen Keshi, Wednesday.
Akanni, a former chairman of the Lagos State Football Association said the match against Cape Verde was an anti climax, coming on the day the coach released the names of his final squad for the Nations Cup.
“The performance of the team against Cape Verde only justified the belief by some of us that Nigeria was not going to be represented by her best players. Personally, I was not comfortable with the exclusion of players like Osaze, Martins, Obinna Nsofor among others when he announced the preliminary list. He should have given them the chance to prove their worth. Even Niyi Adeleye whom everybody is saying would take over from Yobo was ignored.”
Akanni however believes the Super Eagles was made up of “very good players. But I don’t see them winning the trophy. May be, in a future edition, definitely, not this.”
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Keshi releases final list for Nations Cup!Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi, Wednesday night released the list of Nigeria’s team to the 2013 African Nations Cup. The list was released even as the friendly match between the Eagles and Cape Verde was still on.
FINAL LIST OF 23 PLAYERS FOR SOUTH AFRICA 2013
Goalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama (Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel); Austin Ejide (Hapoel Be’er Sheba, Israel); Chigozie Agbim (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria)
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
There is palpable tension in Super Eagles camp in Faro, Portugal as head Coach, Stephen Keshi prepares to announce his final 23-man squad for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations campaign that will get underway in South Africa, January 19th.
The coach will name a list of 23 players who will wear the national colours at the Afcon 2013 championship today.
The media was awash yesterday with various lists on the team but Super Eagles Media Officer, Ben Alaiya dismissed them as “speculative.”
He said, “Head Coach Stephen Keshi said he has heard of a list making the rounds in Nigeria but urged soccer-loving Nigerians to ignore the lists purportedly issued by him.
“We will give out the names of the 23 man squad on Wednesday. I plead with Nigerians to be a little bit patient with us because it’s a difficult thing to do”.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
AS the CAF deadline for the submission of team’s final 23-man list approaches, the process of whittling down the number of players in the Super Eagles camp in Faro, Portugal has already commenced.
It has been confirmed that the performance of the players in a training camp in Faro has made Keshi’s job of selecting the best players for the Nations Cup more difficult.
The Eagles spokesman Ben Alaiya confirmed this when he said Stephen Keshi is “growing grey hairs” over picking his squad for the Afcon. According to him, “In fact Keshi at the training on Thursday did not know when he voiced out that he is in trouble as he doesn’t know who to drop.”
For example, the emergence of Ogenyi Onazi, Rabiu Ibrahim, Nosa Igiebor, Gabriel Reuben, Henry Uche, Raheem Lawal, Obiora Nwankwo and Mikel Obi, the battle for a shirt in the midfield would be tensed. This is because, there are great players who are skilful and can handle the ball very well.
Already, four players out of the 31 in camp were dropped from the team, Sunday, ahead of the naming of the list of 23 players for the championship.
The four dropped players include injured Rizespur of Turkey striker, Uchenna Kalu, Rabiu Ibrahim who recently moved from Celtic in the Scottish Premier League to Kilmanock FC, Enyimba’s Henry Uche and Papa Idris of Kano Pillars.
It will be recalled that Nigeria has closed the Africa Cup of Nations door on Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi after he failed to arrive at the team training camp in Portugal last week.
“The chapter concerning Ameobi is now closed and we are looking ahead to the announcement of the final 23-man squad this week,” Nigeria team spokesman Ben Alaiya told reporters at the camp in Faro.
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew said the player would not be going to South Africa for the tournament without giving a reason.
Meanwhile, following the 1-1 draw earned against star-studded Catalonia in last Wednesday’s friendly, Keshi has said his side would be better prepared before the tournament kicks off.
He said the purpose of the friendly was to try out some formations and tactics and not to win at all cost. “It’s a test and confidence-building game and the boys from back home needed this more. In the next two weeks, we should have a stronger and more reliable team to defend our colours come South Africa 2013.”
Original provisional list Goalkeepers: Chigozie Agbim (Enugu Rangers), Daniel Akpeyi (Heartland), Austin Ejide (Hapoel Be’er Sheba/ISR), Vincent Enyeama (Maccabi Tel Aviv/ISR).
Defenders: Solomon Kwambe and Godfrey Oboabona (Sunshine Stars), Efe Ambrose (Celtic/SCO), Elderson Echiejile (Braga/POR), Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves), Benjamin Francis (Heartland), Kenneth Omeruo (ADO Den Haag/NED), Juwon Oshaniwa (Ashdod/ISR), Joseph Yobo (Fenerbahce/TUR)
Midfielders: Reuben Gabriel (Kano Pillars), Rabiu Ibrahim (Celtic/SCO), Nosa Igiebor (Real Betis/ESP), Raheem Lawal (Adana Demirspor/TUR), John Obi Mikel (Chelsea/ENG), Obiora Nwankwo (Calcio Padova/ITA), Fegor Ogude (Valerenga/NOR), Ogenyi Onazi (Lazio/ITA)
Strikers: Sunday Mba and Ejike Uzoenyi (Enugu), Bright Dike (Portland Timbers/USA), Emmanuel Emenike (Spartak Moscow/RUS), Brown Ideye (Dynamo Kyiv/UKR), Uche Kalu (Rizespor/TUR), Victor Moses (Chelsea/ENG), Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow/RUS), Ikechukwu Uche (Villarreal/ESP)
Note: Uchenna Kalu, Rabiu Ibrahim, Enyimba’s Henry Uche and Papa Idris of Kano Pillars have been dropped.
Now, over to you! If you were to be the coach, who makes your final list? And who should be among your first eleven?…Your time starts now!
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Under two weeks before the Africa Cup of Nations kick-off, ticket sales have jumped to 60 percent of the target, though still 200,000 short of what would make organisers happy.
Fans dragged their feet when ticket sales opened, and with less than 30 days to go outlets had sold only 60,000.
In two weeks a spike, especially at SuperSpar supermarket outlets, saw sales cross the 300,000-mark. Organisers feel vindicated in their snub of critics’ fears over empty stadiums, which are common in the Cup.
“Our target is 500,000. It’s in sight now,” local organising committee spokesman Sipho Sithole told AFP.
It was normal for football fans to wait a bit before buying tickets, he added.
“I guess it’s the kind of target market. It’s not like a concert” which sell from when ticket sales open.
South Africa kick off against first-time competitors Cape Verde on January 19 at Soccer City stadium — temporarily renamed the National Stadium — in Soweto, where Spain became world champions in 2010.
Over the following three weeks, 16 of Africa’s best teams will fight it out for the continental cup.
But with 11 days to go, the spectre of vacant seats is not over.
Only a quarter of the 200,000 tickets have been sold for games in Rustenburg in the north-west, the base of the ‘group of death’ involving Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Algeria and Togo.
Here the prospect of seeing world-class players like Ivorian Didier Drogba in action has so far not drawn spectators.
Despite large ticket sales from some countries — Ethiopia bought 30,000 and defending champions Zambia 15,000 — South Africans still make up the bulk of spectators.
Ticket prices are low, at only 50 rand ($6, 4 euro). Yet prohibitive travelling costs in Africa — compounded with the global economic crisis — will keep fans elsewhere on the continent at home.
Economic giant South Africa has attracted many migrant workers from Nigeria, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, who are expected to jump at the opportunity to see their teams play at one of the five stadiums that hosted the 2010 World Cup.
But South African fans have complained that tickets are hard to come by.
EQ Tickets, the company that won the tender to handle ticket sales, chose SuperSpar, a more upper-class supermarket chain that is not easily accessible to working class fans.
Organisers have said the better-known Computicket never submitted a bid, and they’ve set up caravans to take ticket sales “to the people”.
There’ve also been “other logistical problems”, Sithole said, like broken ticket machines.
Ultimately successful attendance will depend on South Africa’s performance. The country only qualified through hosting the event, the same as with the World Cup, where it crashed out in the group
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
AS the CAF deadline for the submission of team’s final 23-man list approaches, Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi is “growing grey hairs†over picking his squad for the Africa Nations Cup, officials have said.
Eagles spokesman Ben Alaiya disclosed that the performance of the players in a training camp in Faro, Portugal, has made Keshi’s job of selecting the best players for the Nations Cup difficult.
â€ÂThe competition here is very tough. Coach Keshi is growing grey hairs over who to drop because all the players are on top of their game as they all want to be at the Nations Cup,†Alaiya said on a Brila FM sports programme monitored in Lagos yesterday.
“In fact Keshi at the training on Thursday did not know when he voiced out that he is in trouble as he doesn’t know who to drop.â€Â
Eagles goalkeeper trainer Ike Shorunmu is also satisfied with the showing of the goalkeepers from the Nigeria Premier League, Daniel Akpeyi and Chigozie Agbim.
â€ÂIke Shorunmu is happy with the form of Akpeyi and Agbim, who we all saw what he could do against Catalonia.
Ike said any of these goalkeepers could be in goal and he won’t panic if Enyeama and Ejide decided to stay away,†Alaiya said.
Meanwhile, Valenrenga of Norway midfielder Fegor Ogude has admitted that the fight for places in the Eagles midfield will be fierce.
With the emergence of Ogenyi Onazi, Rabiu Ibrahim, Nosa Igiebor, Gabriel Reuben, Henry Uche, Raheem Lawal, Obiora Nwankwo and Mikel Obi, Fegor told MTNFootball.com: “The battle for a shirt in the midfield would be tensed. We have great players who are skilful and can handle the ball very well.
“But I am not afraid because this is my job, it’s what I do every day and as such I am battle ready for the challenge.â€Â
Keshi has said he will make public his final squad on Tuesday, a day before the CAF deadline. The Eagles who are due to fly out to South Africa on January 16 will take on giant killers Cape Verde in another AFCON warm-up game on Wednesday in Faro.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
A former Super Eagles defender, Taribo West, Monday implored the current generation of players in the senior national team to conduct themselves with decorum in the build-up to the forthcoming 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in South Africa.
The former Inter Milan FC defender told NAN in Lagos that the recent tantrums generated by Osaze Odemwingie’s exclusion from Stephen Keshi’s provisional 32-man squad for the AFCON was uncalled for.
The former defence strongman urged Keshi not to relent in the task of putting a formidable team in place for the Jan. 19 to Feb. 10 continental tournament.
West, who also had a stint with Auxerre FC of France, stressed that discipline was the only key to having a cohesive national team that everybody would be proud of.
“We need our players to show more commitment to the team and Keshi is ensuring that they do just that because discipline is a key component for a formidable team.
“In recent times, the level of discipline in the team has been on the decline, but I am sure that with the way things are, our players will have to toe a new path.
“We don’t need any distraction from anybody; the players should act in accordance with what their coach expects from them and they will be glad they did,’’ West said.
When asked on how it was in his active football days, the 1996 Atlanta Olympics gold winner in football told NAN that their emphasis was purely on the game.
“When we went outside the shores of this country to search for greener pastures, it was not all about money; it was not all about what you acquire.
“`We went there to work and the passion, the determination, the zeal and the commitment was there, but I think it has drastically declined in recent times,’’ the former Inter Milan defender noted.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Defender Jerry Akaminko, who is part of Ghana’s squad for next month’s Africa Cup of Nations, was involved in a motor accident in the country on Friday night.
The Turkey-based defender survived with minor injuries as his Infiniti SUV crashed into a taxi, a bus, before veering into the woods in Koforidua.
The accident came just six days before the Black Stars travel to the UAE to embark on a training tour before the AFCON starts in South Africa on 19 January.
It was feared the accident could affect his chances of joining the Black Stars for the training camp in Abu Dhabi.
This comes after doctors declared him fit as he escaped with minor injuries which means he will fit and ready to join Ghana’s training camp.
But the defender is in danger of legal prosecution for his role in the accident as he was accused by by-standers as the cause of the accident because of his dangerous driving.
The Police in Koforidua have started investigations into the matter before deciding the next line of action.
The Black Stars will depart for Abu Dhabi on 4 January ahead of their participation in Africa’s flagship tournament in South Africa.
Akaminko spent four seasons in Turkey with his first club being Orduspor in the Turkish second-tier before joining Eskisehirspor at the start of the season.
In June, he scored on his Ghana debut in the 7-0 win over Lesotho at the Baba Yara Stadium in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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