F/Eagles star, Yahaya set for Tottenham pre-season

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Nigeria youth  international, Musa Yahaya is primed for a return to his parent club, Tottenham Hotspurs before the beginning of the next season after a loan spell with Spanish club Celta Vigo.

According to the player’s agent, Babawo Mohammed, “Yahaya is a Spurs player. He will return to Spurs early enough for the pre-season because he is billed for the training tour.”

In a telephone chat with Sports Vanguard, Babawu who also manages Chidera Eze, Akinjide Idowu, Aliyu Abubakar and Alfa Abdullahi all members of the World Cup-winning U-17 squad in UAE last year and part of the present Flying Eagles squad said contrary to media reports that the players have been given out cheap, they are all happy and gainfully engaged with top European clubs.

“Yahaya is with Tottenham, on loan with Celta Vigo, Chidera is with FC Porto U-19 team in Portugal, Aliyu Abubakar is with Swedish club AIK Djurgen while Alfa and Idowu are going to Norway to sign up with Sogndal FC.”

He said he would be the last person to negotiate poor contracts for players as he is an experienced agent who once played football at a professional level, albeit locally.

“I must remind you that these kids are yet to sign professional contracts because they are still minors. However, by next year all of them will be up to age to sign professional contracts. Indeed, Idowu and Alfa will be 18 this year while Musa, Chidera and Yahaya will be next year.”

Babawo said he never gets involved in club-to-club negotiations in the process of effecting players’ transfers. “I allow the player’s club to negotiate with the buying club. I only concentrate on the players’ welfare and personal terms. And I tell you all my players are happy because I involve even the parents in the negotiations. We all travel together.”

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

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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Drogba leaves Galatasaray

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Didier Drogba has confirmed that he will be leaving Galatasaray.

The Ivory Coast star took to Instagram to reveal the news and say his goodbyes to the Turkish fans.

He wrote: ‘Dear Fans, dear brothers, dear sisters, since day one of my arrival thanks to you all, I felt at home here in Turkey.

SWEET VICTORY: Drogba with the Emirates Cup Sunday. AFP.

‘Sharing, seeing, feeling the passion, sincerity and warm hospitality of My Turkish people is trully unforgettable.

The 36-year-old striker could be set for a sensational return to former club Chelsea with reports claiming that Jose Mourinho is keen for Drogba to return to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea fans would surely welcome Drogba back to Stamford Bridge with open arms after his last kick of a ball for the Blues handed them their first ever Champions League title in 2012.

Whether Drogba plans to prolong his playing career is still unknown, but his success in Turkey went some way to proving that there’s life in the old Drog yet.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

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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Okagbare’s sterling performance excites NOC President

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Read Time:1 Minute, 45 Second

Blessing Okagbare’s heart-warming performance at the IAAF Diamond League in Shangai, China on Sunday has been described as a good omen for Team Nigeria as the zero hour approaches swiftly for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Okagbare, the reigning African Champion and World silver medalist sparkled yet again in China in the Women’s Long Jump and 200m to heighten hopes of a good outing for Team Nigeria in Glasgow to knock off the ugly outing of Team Nigeria at the London 2012 Olympic Games where Nigeria did not win any medal.

Leading the cheer group for Okagbare and Team Nigeria is President of Nigeria Olympic Committee, NOC, Engr Sani M. Ndanusa who hailed Okagbare as a true blessing for Nigeria.

‘’I could not hold back tears of joy when I watched her on TV soaring higher in the Long Jump and moments later she brought her grace and elegance to bear in the tracks’’.

She was a beauty to behold and indeed her commanding performances are worthy of celebrating. It is more so knowing that the Commonwealth Games is knocking on our doors. It is an indication of good tidings for Team Nigeria as we prepare for Glasgow 2014′’, Ndanusa who also is the President of Nigeria Tennis Federation said.

Okagbare took the Long Jump with a leap of 6.86m (+0.1) in round 1 ahead of national record-breaking Ivana Spanovic of Serbia (6.85m, +0.3) to move second on the 2014 world list.

Two hours later Okagbare, who skipped her last three jump attempts to rest, made it two from two at the 2014 IAAF Diamond League in Shanghai with another meet record of 22.36 seconds in the women’s 200m, just five hundredths outside her personal best.

‘’I also salute the Governor of Delta State, Dr Emmauel Uduaghan for investing on Okagbare. ‘’As Nigerians celebrate Okagbare, we at the Olympic family also celebrate Governor Uduaghan for his tireless efforts in encouraging our sports men and women’’, Ndanusa emphasised.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

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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Naming World Cup squad was tough – Stephen Keshi

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Read Time:1 Minute, 40 Second
After weeks of waiting, an expectant Nigerian football community was Tuesday last week given more than it expected when Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi announced a 30-man provisional list for the World Cup.
A lot of reactions have trailed the announcement, particularly on the omission of some players Nigerians had considered worthy of making the list.
 
Players like Vilareal striker Ikechukwu Uche, arguably Eagles’ most prolific forward in Europe with 13 goals, Brown Ideye who was part of the AFCON 2013 winning squad who has been loyal to Keshi, recuperating Leon Balogun, among others.
But coach Stephen Keshi has revealed that throughout his career, he has never been put under such immense pressure like he experienced before arriving at the 30 he eventually picked as provisional squad.
While the dropped players, although disappointed, have all thrown their weights behind the coach with some solidarity comments, Keshi is still reflecting on the decision he made.
“I wanted the best for the initial camping list, but sadly we cannot take everybody along, we have to drop some of our best and committed players,” he said
“I am happy that the players understand that fact.”
He also said he is thrilled by the responses of some of the players who were not picked for the World Cup.
Out of the present 30, Keshi will still have to pick 23 that will eventually make the final squad for the Mundial in Brazil.
The Eagles handler, while declaring his unalloyed loyalty to the NFF, called on the media to support him and the NFF in the task of making Nigeria great through football at the 2014 World Cup.
“They create imaginary disputes between me and my employers, but I dare say there is no disagreement between us. All I want is for all including the players who did not make the initial 30-man list to support us, so that we can excel at the World Cup,” he declared.
 

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

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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AYC qualifier: Flying Eagles barred from training at Dar es Salaam stadium’s pitch

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Abuja – The Flying Eagles were on Saturday barred from training at  Tanzania’s National Stadium in Dar es Salaam, ahead of their Sunday’s first leg African Youth Championship (AYC) match against the Ngorongoro Heroes of Tanzania

This is contained in a statement issued by the team’s Media Officer, Samm Audu.

 The statement said that the National U-20 team was barred by stadium officials, who insisted that the team would not train on the stadium’s pitch on Saturday morning.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will take on hosts Ngorongoro Heroes of Tanzania in a 2015 AYC qualifier on Sunday.

It said that the team was forced to train on another pitch, away from the Tanzania’s National Stadium.

 “The Nigeria U-20s therefore had to make do with the sides of the artificial pitch at the other wing of the National Stadium.

“After the stones were picked out by both players and officials, the team worked out for an hour and half to round up their preparations for Sunday’s AYC qualifier.”

The Assistant Coach, Nduka Ugbade, at a news conference on Saturday morning after the training, said that the team would not make the mistake of underrating their hosts.

“There are no longer small teams in the game. Sunderland defeated Chelsea in the EPL and little Togo qualified for the 2006 World Cup.

“It would therefore be foolish of us to come here believing we can overrun Tanzania, who we are told, like to play football,” Ugbade was quoted as saying.

The assistant coach said that except the incident at the stadium, everything was fine, adding that the team were very much at home in Tanzania.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

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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2014 World Cup: Rivers APC Backs Keshi’s Super Eagles List, Says Team Will Do Well in Brazil

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The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has thrown its weight behind the provisional list of players for the Brazil 2014 World Cup drawn up by Coach Stephen Keshi and released by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
 
“This would have been a perfect list if not for the exclusion of in-form striker Ikechukwu Uche, but we respect the position of Keshi, who insists that Uche would divide the team if invited. We believe that the coach knows better. It is better to sacrifice one player than to jeopardise the interest of the entire team and the entire country,” Rivers APC Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, said in a statement issued in Port Harcourt.
 
The party commended Keshi and his assistants for pardoning repentant Osaze Odemwingie, who has rediscovered his scoring form in the very competitive English Premiership.
 
“With the inclusion of Osaze and other key players we are convinced that if the Keshi and his assistants select the right players for each match when the World Cup kicks off in Brazil in June, we can become the first African team to reach the semi-final of the World Cup,” Rivers APC said.
 
It appealed to all Nigerians to pray for the success of the Super Eagles during the World Cup “since football is not only a unifying factor among Nigeria but also the only thing that gives the masses joy in these days of suffocating hardship arising from the misrule of the visionless PDP-led government of President Goodluck Jonathan, whose only bright spot has been in the sports sector”.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

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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Brazil 2014: NFF, Keshi to release provisional list May 6

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Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi is expected to meet with the technical committee of the Nigeria Football Federation Tuesday, May 6 at the Glass House, Abuja.

The meeting will dwell on the long-anticipated 38-man provisional list of the Nigerian squad for the Brazil 2014 World Cup.

Insiders hinted that the list will be made public after the meeting which is expected to be brief.

The meeting which is coming on the heels of an earlier one held April 22, that failed to yield expected result as Nigerians were kept to wait longer for the list which has been shrouded in controversy.

Sports Vanguard gathered that in the last meeting Keshi had with the NFF bigwigs he was congratulated over his reconciliation with Stoke City forward, Osaze Odemwingie but was made to sweat over his hard stance on Ike Uche.

Speculations were rife during the week that Keshi’s list would be dominated by the Afcon 2013 winning squad with a few additions that have featured in some of the friendly matches the team has played so far.

Some of the players who were not part of the 2013 Afcon squad like Osaze Odemwingie and Germany based Leon Balogun are heavily favoured to be part of the preliminary squad expected to assemble in England May 26, ahead of the international friendly against Scotland at Craven Cottage on May 28.

If there are going to be any new faces, these might include Belgium based duo Michael Uchebo, Imoh Ezekiel, Spain based Ramon Azeez and Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi based in Germany.

A member of the NFF technical committee, Paul Bassey had promised news men after their April 22 meeting that the list will be released this week. He explained that the reason was to allow for more consultation so as to be able to come out with a list of players that Nigeria would be happy with.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

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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Westerhof arrives, speaks on Keshi, Ike Uche

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Clemens Westerhof, arguably, Nigeria’s best ever foreign coach, arrived the country Wednesday night and continued to speak on Nigeria’s chances at the 2014 World Cup.

He spoke on the qualities of Stephen Keshi, Eagles current coach who captained the Eagles of his era, the players Nigeria could parade in Brazil and predicted a good outing for Nigeria at the World Cup.

He said that he was proud of the job Keshi is doing with Nigeria, adding that he expected nothing less going by the leadership qualities Keshi displayed as captain of the Eagles.

On the players he said that they could surprise the world and repeatedly mentioned a “terrific player in Spain”among others. Asked if the player he meant was Ike Uche, he screamed ‘yes’. He has watched a couple of games Uche has played this season and said that the Villareal striker has been in great shape.

Westerhof was disappointed when he was told why Keshi may be reluctant to invite Ike Uche to camp.

Uche was reportedly said to have continuously campaigned against Keshi’s tactical approach and was said to have even complained to senior authorities about this during the last Nations Cup. Incidentally, Uche played badly during the Nations Cup. He played as support striker but was said to have bluntly refused to fall deep to mark in the games that he played. And Keshi, apparently feeling that it was unwise to invite a player who did not believe in his approach, left him out during the qualifying games for the World Cup. He was scared of sabotage and has repeatedly said that team spirit mattered so much that he would make it a strong consideration for the invitation of players to the World Cup camp.

“It is bad if Uche behaved like that. If a player did that to me off he goes, I tell you. But sometimes a coach is a father to the whole team.”

Westerhof said that Nigeria had the potential to reach the semifinal of the World Cup if “they make good selection and prepare the team very well.”

He is in town with a Dutch television crew doing a documentary on Nigerian football in his era and how he was able to earn Nigeria number a 5th place in fifa ranking. Tomorrow will be special as he marks his birthday in Lagos. Keshi, Aloy Agu, Austin Eguavoen are among those who will gather in Ikeja to wish him well when Hotel Diplomat hosts him to celebrate his birthday.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

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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UCL: Cech out, Terry, Hazard in, says Mourinho

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Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech will not be fit to face Atletico Madrid in Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final second leg despite returning to training, manager Jose Mourinho said on Tuesday.

“Obviously his condition doesn’t allow him to play, but the message from the group was exactly that: everybody is ready and everybody wants to play,” Mourinho told a press conference at Stamford Bridge.

“But of course his condition doesn’t given him a chance.”

Mourinho ruled Cech out for the rest of the season after he dislocated his shoulder in the early stages of last week’s away leg, which finished 0-0.

The Czech made an unexpected appearance at training on Tuesday, but it appears likely that 41-year-old Australian veteran Mark Schwarzer will continue to deputise against Spanish league leaders Atletico.

Mourinho also revealed that John Terry and Eden Hazard are in line to feature after both took part in training on Tuesday following spells on the sidelines.

Captain and centre-back Terry had to go off in the first leg after injuring his ankle and missed Sunday’s 2-0 win at Liverpool in the Premier League.

Asked if th e former England captain, who appeared alongside him at Tuesday’s media conference, would start against Atletico, Mourinho replied: “Of course.”

Terry added: “I’m fully fit. I’ve trained now for three days and I feel OK.”

On Hazard, who has not played since injuring his calf in the second leg of Chelsea‘s quarter-final win over Paris Saint-Germain, Mourinho said: “He’s ready. It’s my option to start him or not to start him, but he’s ready.”

In further good news for Chelsea, striker Samuel Eto’o also took part in training on Tuesday after sitting out the last two matches with a knee complaint.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

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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Africa can win World Cup – Oliseh

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Former Nigeria international, Sunday Oliseh has predicted that an African country will eventually win the FIFA World Cup if the right things like preparation and execution of plans are right.

Speaking on Cable News Network (CNN’s) Human to Hero series, the 39-year-old ex midfielder, said that poor and late preparations for the football showpiece has always been problems for teams from the continent.

“I think an African country will eventually win the World Cup. What is lacking now, it’s simple to say … what is wrong is that we don’t plan well. We leave the planning ’until it is late,” Oliseh said.

Oliseh insisted that for his prediction to come true, “Africans need to learn how to start pressurizing the opponents. Football has changed now. It’s no longer football where you pick individuals and expect them to do well.

“Now it’s more about team work, team dynamics, team schemes, things that are planned out like how to look at the opponent, how to bring about antidotes to the opponent’s playing star.

“When it comes to physical strength and bursts of speed, you can’t beat an African. But what is lacking now is just that technical and tactical know-how. Then we’ll get it,” observed the former Cologne and Borussia Dortmund player.

Keshi and Oliseh

Oliseh who is a member of FIFA’s Study Group, believes that the Nigerian senior national team, the Super Eagles will do well at Brazil 2014 although would not be drawn into predicting if the team led by former teammate, Stephen Keshi, will win the cup.

He admitted that his 1994 Super Eagles generation was blessed with so many individually talented stars.

Oliseh’s World Cup days may be long past after retiring from the game in 2006, but come June and July he will be watching events in Brazil with avid interest.

“If I was to live without football now, I think I would die — even my kids sometimes are bored because Papa is always watching games,” joked the former Super Eagles star whose goal against Spain earned Nigeria first victory at France ’98.

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

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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