Super Eagles Receive warm welcome In Ethiopia (Photos)

The Nigerian national team found its way to Addis Ababa on Saturday morning for Sunday's 2014 World Cup qualifying first leg play-off match against Ethiopia.

Their chartered Ethiopian Airlines plane touched down at the Bole International Airport at 8:50am with a delegation including government officials, members of the Nigeria Football Federation, Nigeria Supporters Club and press.

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FIFA fines Kenya $5,370 for attack on Eagles

FIFA has slapped a $5,370 fine on Kenya for the improper conduct of fans during the 2014 World Cup Group F qualifier return leg match against Nigeria in Nairobi on June 5, reports in Kenya say. In a letter to Football Kenya Federation, FIFA stated that the federation was liable for the improper conduct of its supporters which is a violation of Article 67 part 1 and 3 of the Disciplinary Code. The committee was composed of chairman Claudio Susler of Switzerland members- Mike Edwards (USA), Hamid Haddadi (Algeria) and Syed Haider (Pakistan).

Fans threw plastic water bottles and other objects into the pitch during the match at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani which the Nigerians won 1-0.

It's Uche Nwofor, As Eagles Fly High!

The Super Eagles have beaten Bafana Bafana 2-0 in good style to claim the Nelson Mandela Challenge at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban. The first half ended in goalless draw, 0-0. Stephen Keshi made vital substitutions with Victor Moses replacing Sunday Mba, while Ahmed Musa comes on for Nsofor and Nwofor replaces Ameobi. This brought its fruits on 49th minute, Uche Nwofor scores with an impeccable backheel! South Africa's defence is torn open by the Super Eagles and the substitute audaciously scores from inside the box. The second goal was scored with a clinical move on 68th minute! Nwofor doubled his tally from close range, after Musa and Moses magicked their way through South Africa's stunned defence. The final score is 2-0 for the Super Eagles! The team continues to create good memories on South African shores as they notch up yet another win against Bafana Bafana. That makes it 6 wins in 8 matches for Nigeria! 

Fifa Ranking: Super Eagles Of Nigeria Drop To 5th position in Africa

The Super Eagles maintained their place as the 35th best national team in the World, according to the latest Fifa ranking released in Zurich yesterday. The Eagles also perched on the 5th position in Africa. Ivory Coast is still Africa’s number one national side, a position the Elephants have held for nearly two years now. However, the Ivorians lost 5 points this time to finish at 18 on the overall rating.

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Elephants beat Eagles 2 – 0

The Nigerian Super Eagles in Abijan Saturday were beaten by the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire  two  goals.
The two goals came from the boots of Ivoire Striker, Koelly Kevin Zougoula, in the 5th and 25th minute of the first half of the match.  However the Super Eagles qualified for the Africa Nations Championships (CHAN) on the aggregate of 4-

NFF Described Flying Eagles’ Play In FIFA U-20 World Cup As ‘Horrible’

The Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has described the performance of the Flying Eagles at the ongoing FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey as “horrible”.

The Coach John Obuh-tinkered Flying Eagles, Tuesday, crashed out in the second round of the tournament, following a 2-1 defeat in the hands of Uruguay, whose senior side, had earlier accounted for the elimination of the Super Eagles at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil.

It was double jeopardy for Nigerians, who in the space of a little over a week, had seen their teams suffer consecutive defeats in the hands of the South Americans at a global event.  And reacting to the results, a member of the NFF’s Technical Committee, Paul Bassey told Sports Vanguard that the Flying Eagles did not know what they were doing in Turkey.

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Super Eagles’ Handler: Keshi or foreign coach?

Keshi and Renard

Mixed reactions have continued to trail the Super Eagles of Nigeria early ouster from the ongoing FIFA Confederations Cup in Brasil.
While some described Eagles performance as satisfactory, others say the team is technically bereft and called for injection of foreign coach to restore the lost glory of the national team.

According to a former NFA chairman, Mr Kojo Williams, “I just think that we were technically bereft. I said it before that we needed sound  technical guys to come in and work with our team, because if   we left the job to the present coaches, then we would get more hammering in the future and that was what happened in Brazil.

U 20 World Cup: Flying Eagles of Nigeria to earn automatic passage to the round of 16.

Eagles of Nigeria will go for a win in today’s final Group B match of the U20 World Cup against South Korea to earn automatic passage to the round of 16. The Flying Eagles are third in the standing with three points from two matches with Korea second on four points. Portugal are top also on four points but are  widely expected to crush bottom team Cuba to go through. So, it is really a battle for second place between Nigeria and Korea, which the Flying Eagles aim to win. “We have to beat South Korea on Thursday,” declared Nigeria U20 assistant coach Jurgen Press.

Shock as Super Eagles’ protest of blackmail

An individual or collective protest is a legitimate enterprise in every free society; but protest has its own place and style. It could be exercised discreetly or irresponsibly. An example of protest for a banal, irresponsible end was afforded last Thursday when the players and some officials of the Super Eagles, refused to leave their hotel in Windhoek, Namibia for a scheduled flight to Johannesburg.

The protest was all about the socalled “callous reduction” of their draw match bonus from $5000 to $2500 after the game with Namibia a day earlier. By that act, the team missed their connection flight to Sao Paulo, Brazil where the 2013 FIFA Confederation Cup was scheduled to begin.

In forcing the administrators to “give unto Eagles what belongs to Eagles” the players announced they would boycott participation in the Confederation Cup, which devolves on them as African champions.

Eagles seek Warriors’ scalp in Namibia

Nigeria could take a huge step toward securing a place at the 2014 World Cup by beating Namibia away from home on Wednesday. Stephen Keshi’s side currently hold a two-point lead in CAF qualification group F and, should they win in Windhoek, may only need to avoid defeat against second-placed Malawi in September to reach Brazil. Nigeria have won just two of their four qualification games thus far, but also boast an unbeaten record during that period.

One of those victories came in their home meeting with Namibia, as a late goal from Ikechukwu Uche helped the hosts to three points back in June. Namibia have won, drawn and lost in their three qualifying fixtures since then, and sit four points short of top spot in Group F as a result.  However, they could blow the group wide open with a victory against the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations champions, though they will need to add to the solitary goal they have scored thus far if they are to do so.

Although Nigeria are not exactly prolific, having scored four times across four fixtures, all of their goals have come from different scorers.

Super Eagles hit Germany today

The Super Eagles are expected to depart for Germany today to begin training ahead of the May 31 international friendly match against Mexico in Houston, Texas, United States of America. Coach Stephen Keshi will lead a team of nine home-based players and technical crew, who will fly out from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja later this evening and are expected to arrive in Germany later in the night.

Though details of the camping remained unclear as at press time, the team is expected to spend about two weeks at the facility before they depart for Houston, where Nigeria will test skills against the North American country for their third time at the Reliant Stadium. Unsettled AFCON-winning goal scorer, Sunday Mba, leads the other eight home-based players which also include newest entrant, Sunshine Stars’ defender, Kunle Odunlami, for the trip.

Cup win’ll motivate Eagles to do more – Ugbade

China ‘85 FIFA U-17 World Cup winner Nduka  Ugbade has tipped the Super Eagles to book their ticket to the Brazil 2014 World Cup finals with no  Nigerian ‘hospitalised’ for high blood pressure like in the past, saying the Africa Cup of Nations triumph  will motivate the team.

Nigeria  on February 10 beat the Stallions of Burkina Faso 1-0 in the final of the South Africa 2013 to win the trophy for the third time, after  they were champions on home soil in 1980 and at the Tunisia ’94 finals.

Speaking to our correspondent on the telephone during the week, Ugbade, a member of the Tunisia ’94 winning squad, said the  players would be fired up for the  World Cup qualifiers  by the South Africa 2013 success.

Government’s Reward For Super Eagles

The mind-boggling cash gifts splashed out on the national football team players and officials that won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa early in February by the Federal Government is a wrong way of incentivising those who have done the nation proud.

It is excessive and perverted as there are standards of rewards for successful athletes in more sober climes where public funds are handled with the utmost sense of responsibility and accountability.

Super Eagles Rejected Our S(e)x Offer – Association Of Nigerian Prostitutes

It was reported few weeks ago that the Association of Nigerian Prostitutes (ANP), the umbrella body of commercial s*x workers in the country vowed to declare one week free s*x should the Super Eagles of Nigeria  return home with the African Cup of Nations trophy.

We also exclusively reported that the association sent over 113 members to South Africa  to cheer the Eagles to victory in the final cracker against the Stallions of Burkina Faso, which Nigeria won by a lone goal.

It was gathered that shortly after the victory last Sunday, one of the ringleaders approached a top member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) who was in South Africa to watch the match about their promise.

Guinness Gets 40,000 Nigerian Signatures On Super Eagles` Jersey

About 40,000 Nigerians have appended their signatures on a larger-than-life Super Eagles Jersey taken round country by Guinness Nigeria PLC.

The Managing Director of the company, Mr Seeni Adeetu, disclosed this on Friday in an interview in Ikeja, Lagos.  Adeetu, who was also at the reception held for the Super Eagles by Gov. Babatunde Fashola in Ikeja, said most of the signatures were signed before team’s African Cup of Nations (AFCON) victory in South Africa.  Adeetu explained that the company expected more signatures with the team`s triumph.

Eagles’ reward: Is it justifiable to so spend public funds?

from a disappointing start, the Super Eagles went on to win the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. Like all Nigerians, I rejoiced. But until.

Until the federal and state governments went – in my opinion – overboard in rewarding the victorious team.

I think we need a public debate on the propriety of lavishing public funds on a football team, in the name of national pride.

So far, we’ve seen the following (government) cash promises: more than N100m from the Federal Government, more than N80m from the Delta State Government, and N54m from the Lagos State Government. I’m sure there are others I’ve missed out.

Guinness brings Super Eagles to Lagos, hosts spectacular victory tour and concert

Daniel Amokachi, Stephen Keshi, with Guinness MD, Seni Adetu

Guinness, proud sponsor of the Super Eagles in conjunction with the Lagos state government flagged off the Super Eagles Victory tour. The day long activity in honour of the African Champions, the Super Eagles and the AFCON trophy, started out at a congratulatory reception held at the State House in Lagos after which, the Tour continued in a procession amidst fanfare and excitement, with the Trophy on display, on through major locations in the city. At every point of the journey, the procession met with and was greeted by excited and cheering Fans who expressed appreciation to Guinness for Bringing the Champions of Africa to Lagos and the Trophy to Lagos.

NFF didn’t offer me Eagles job – Zambia coach

Zambia coach Herve Renard has denied the Nigeria Football Federation wanted him to replace Stephen Keshi as Super Eagles manager.

Keshi had claimed that the NFF offered the job to the Chipolopolo manager during the South Africa 2013 Africa Cup of Nations won by Nigeria on Sunday.  The Eagles beat surprise finalists Burkina Faso 1-0  to lift their third Africa Cup of Nations title.

“After we played Ethiopia they (NFF) called me to a meeting. The board members and the President of the NFF, they told me that I could not read the game very well and that the changes I was making were not the right changes,” Keshi was quoted as saying.

2013 FIFA CONFEDERATION CUP: N645m jackpot awaits Eagles

Super Eagles of Nigeria, who booked a place in the FIFA Confederation Cup billed for Brazil in June after emerging African Champions in South Africa, stand a chance of carting away a whooping $4.1million (about N645million) should they emerge winners of the highly rated eight-team showdown.

World football governing body FIFA Friday announced the prize money for the Confederation Cup, putting the take away prize for the winner at $4.1million

FIFA says $20 million in total prize money will be shared among eight teams playing in the World Cup warm-up event in Brazil from June 15-30.

NFA Insists On Foreign Technical Adviser For Super Eagles

The Nigeria Football Association (NFA) said on Thursday in Abuja that there was no going back on its plan to hire a foreign technical director for the national teams.

Mr Emaka Inyama, a board member and Chairman of NFA Media and Publicity Committee, said there had not been any reb*ttal to the arrangement since Musa Amadu, the General Secretary of the NFA, disclosed the plan in 2012.

Inyama, who was fielding questions from journalists at news conference, said that the idea was to have a template for football development in the country.