Keshi opens up on Ike Uche
Posted by admin | 10 years ago | 2,986 times
Super Eagles Manager, Stephen Keshi has opened up on one of the Nigeria’s most talked about players, Ikechukwu Uche, who plays for Villareal in the Spanish Laliga. Asked why Uche has not been invited to the national team recently, Keshi revealed that he was supposed to be part of the Nations Cup preparatory team currently in Calabar, but he wanted to be begged.
“He was supposed to be part of the team that is presently in camp, but he said we must beg him first to play for Nigeria because he was left out of some competitions but I can’t beg anyone to play for Nigeria, impossible. That’s why he is not here.”
Meanwhile, Efe Ambrose had promised to make Nigerians proud by ensuring that the Super Eagles emerge victorious.
Ambrose, in an interview with Daily Sunsports, said: “I am here to help my country surmount whatever huddle the Congolese may pose on Saturday.
“Come Saturday, we will make Nigerians happy so that we will right so many things that are wrong. We know what is at stake and both individually and collectively, we are going to ensure that we foil their plan and go on to win,” Ambrose declared.
FIFA could ban Nigeria Sept 8
World soccer ruling body, FIFA yesterday declared that Nigeria would be suspended indefinitely from all its activities if by Monday, 8 September, 2014 the Giwa-led board of the NFF remains in the Glass House.
FIFA’s decision came on the heels of an emergency committee meeting held in Zurich early this week, where the Nigerian football crisis was discussed.
FIFA in a letter emailed to NFF scribe, Musa Amadu stated that Nigeria will be suspended with immediate effect should there still be persons pretending to have been elected to NFF positions on 26 August, 2014 and occupying their offices on Monday, 8 September, 2014 at 08.00 (Central European Time).
The decision followed events linked to the NFF general assembly held on 26 August 2014. While the said general assembly was duly convened by the NFF Executive Committee to adopt a new roadmap leading to the NFF elections, some members proceeded to hold elections in the absence of the NFF president, who was being held by security forces for questioning.
In a letter sent on 29 August 2014, FIFA confirmed that it would not recognise the results of the aforementioned elections and that the matter would be brought to the respective FIFA bodies should there still be persons claiming to have been elected and occupying the NFF offices at midnight on 1 September 2014. On expiry of the deadline, some people were still claiming to have been elected and were occupying the NFF premises.
Given the current circumstances, the FIFA Emergency Committee decided to set a new deadline of 8 September 2014 at 08.00 CET. Should the new deadline not be respected, the NFF will be automatically suspended.
The FIFA letter yesterday stated in part: “Until the board claiming to be elected vacates the premises of the NFF and the NFF General Secretary is able to perform his work without interference. The NFF Executive Committee as it was composed on 25 August 2014, meaning under the presidency of Aminu Maigari, should then convene as soon as possible a first extraordinary general assembly to elect the members of the electoral committee and a second extraordinary general assembly in the shortest time possible allowed by law to proceed with the elections of new NFF office-bearers.”
Given the current situation, the Super Eagles campaign for the AFCON 2015 qualifying series seems in jeopardy, unless the FIFA directive is adhered to. The Super Eagles head to South Africa on Monday for the encounter against the Bafana Bafana in Johanesburg on September 10.
… As Giwa vows to put Nigeria in trouble
September 4, 2014 .
In an outright disregard to the world soccer ruling body’s directive that the elective congress of the Nigeria Football Federation, (NFF) hold today, the leadership of the Nigeria football house has declared that nothing of such is on its calendar of activities.
Ademola Olajire, Assistant Director, (Communications) in a release he signed on behalf of the NFF said nothing of such is on the agenda of the NFF.
According to the release, made available to Daily Sunsports, the federation stated that: “It has come to the notice of the Nigeria Football Federation that some persons are spreading information to the effect that there is a congress of the NFF taking place on Thursday, 4th September, 2014. This is absolutely untrue.
“If there would be any NFF Congress of any nature, the notice for such would come from the NFF Secretariat. I am aware the NFF secretariat has not issued such notice.”
“This is to advise all the chairmen and secretaries of the state football associations and those of the NFF’s affiliate bodies to disregard the notice. We also urge the general public not to go anywhere near the venue of the gathering.”
Beyond the release by Olajire, the NFF factional leader Chris Giwa told the House Committee that he is looking into the NFF crisis that he won’t vacate office unless an Appeal Committee quashes his August 26 mandate.
In Giwa’s word: “I have made it clear that there won’t be any fresh election because there is no Appeal Committee that has annuled my victory and order for a fresh election. The Appeal Committee is the only body that can upturned the already conducted eletion. If the Appeal Committee sits today and quash my election, I will humbly vacate office.”
The House Committee on Sports led by Hon. Godfrey Gaiya has promised to make its position on the crisis known to the public today.
SOURCE: NIGERIA FOOTBALL NEWS.
Congo match, a must win – Musa
CSKA Moscow striker, Ahmed Musa has assured Nigerians that the Super Eagles will run over the DR Congo side in the team’s first qualifying match in the race for the 2015 Africa Nations Cup billed for the UJ Esuene Stadium in Calabar.
Musa, in an interactive session with newsmen at Transcorp Hotels in Calabar yesterday, said although the team had not played together since the last World Cup, but the team will beat Congo: “We already know ourselves and we know that we will win on Saturday.”
The Russian-based striker said his experience at the World Cup would remain indelible, “because it was my first time of being at the World Cup,” insisting that Nigerians need not worry about Saturday’s match.
Meanwhile the Eagles appear prepared to play under the rain in Calabar where it has been raining virtually everyday.
Head Coach Stephen Keshi, his technical crew and even backroom staff were all out in the rain as the national team filed out with full compliments in Wednesday’s evening training. The last two players to arrive, Emmanuel Emenike of Fernabahce of Turkey and Inter Milan’s Joel Obi were in full flight and the atmosphere was to say the least enthralling. Though, Elkanemi goalie, David Obiaozor missed, officials say he can come and still be part of the team as he is a material for the future.
At the end of the rain-soaked training, Keshi again said he expects his wards to acquit themselves very well against the Red Devils of Congo on Saturday. The team has changed its training schedule from 4pm local time to 5pm.
EUROPE
Wed 3 Sep 2014 - International Friendlies
- Germany 2 - 4 Argentina
- R. of Ireland 2 - 0 Oman
- England 1 - 0 Norway
- Russia 4 - 0 Azerbaijan Lithuania 1 - 1 United Arab Emirates
- Ukraine 1 - 0 Moldova
- Latvia 2 - 0 Armenia
- Denmark 1 - 2 Turkey
- Czech Rep. 0 - 1 USA
Thursday 4th September 2014
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International Friendlies |
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Fixture |
Kick-off |
Status |
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Bos-Herce V Liechtenstein |
16:00 |
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Slovakia V Malta |
17:20 |
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Sweden V Estonia |
18:45 |
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Croatia V Cyprus |
19:15 |
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19:45 |
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19:45 |
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20:00 |
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TENNIS – US OPEN
Novak Djokovic beats Andy Murray to reach US Open semi-finals
US Open, Flushing Meadows, New York |
Novak Djokovic saw off Britain's Andy Murray in a gripping late-night contest to reach the US Open semi-finals.
The world number one came through 7-6 (7-1) 6-7 (1-7) 6-2 6-4 in a match that lasted three hours and 32 minutes, and finished at 01:17 local time (06:17 BST).
Djokovic will play Japanese 10th seed Kei Nishikori in the last four on Friday.
Murray could take encouragement from his best performance since beating Djokovic to win Wimbledon last year, but the Serb proved relentless in their 21st meeting.
Defeat means that Murray has failed to get past the semi-finals of any tournament after undergoing back surgery in September 2013.
US Open: Williams, Nishikori & Makarova reach semi-finals
US Open, Flushing Meadows, New York |
Five-time US Open champion Serena Williams roared into the semi-finals with a 6-3 6-2 win over Italian 11th seed Flavia Pennetta.
Japan's Kei Nishikori defeated third seed Stan Wawrinka in a five-set thriller to make a Grand Slam last four for the first time.
The 10th seed came through his second successive four-hour match to win 3-6 7-5 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (5-7) 6-4.
"I don't know how I finished the match," said Nishikori.
Russia's Ekaterina Makarova also made it into her first ever Grand Slam semi-final - beating two-time finalist Victoria Azarenka 6-4 6-2 in New York.
FOR: FACTNEWSONLINE.
Charles Oleka.
Source: BBC Sports.
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