AFCON qualifiers: NFF hands 66-man list to Amodu
Posted by admin | 9 years ago | 2,693 times
Super Eagles’ interim head coach Shaibu Amodu has been handed a list of 66 players drawn from domestic and foreign clubs by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), to prosecute the two remaining 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers next month.
Though Amodu did not reveal the names on the list but said that Nigerians should be rest assured that those plying their trade well both at home and abroad are on the list for a look in.
Amodu who was at the Glass House on Tuesday to meet the leadership of the technical department of the NFF told journalists that the development is what is obtainable in modern football.
“What the technical department has done for me is very good, they have just provided me with a list of 66 players to pick from,” said the former BCC Lions coach.
Asked if he is aware of the herculean task ahead of him, the Edo State-born tactician said: “I will hold meetings with my technical team with a view to fashioning out how we can pick the remaining six points. It is not for me alone to do the work, it is for all of us.
“I made my position very clear with the president of NFF to make things easy, I wanted to be announced from the technical department where I was already given a job”.
He stated that he is not desperate to be retained after completing the two-match assignment given to him by the NFF.
“If they decide to give me the job fully, good and fine, if not, you all know me that I am not looking for a job. What I’m doing is a rescue job which I have been found worthy to deliver because of my past records,” the man who coached Nigeria to qualify for the 2002 and 2010 World Cup final said.
Accompanied by Amodu to the Glass House were assistant coaches appointed to work with him, Gbenga Ogunbote, Salisu Yussuf and Alloy Agu.
Nigeria’s last two AFCON qualifers will be against Republic of the Congo in Brazzville and South Africa in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
I will give Ik Uche a call —Amodu
Caretaker coach of the Super Eagles, Shaibu Amodu has said he will give Villareal of Spain forward, Ikechukwu Uche a telephone call by Tuesday (yesterday) evening.
Amodu made this known while fielding questions from journalists at the Glass House, Abuja.
“Yeah, I heard he (Ik Uche) is celebrating his 100th goal in the Spanish league, and to me that is great news to us here. In fact I am going to give him a call this night,” he said.
Asked if this means the out-of-favour Super Eagles attacker is back in the fold, the Edo State-born answered in affirmative.
Ik Uche’s career in the Eagles was blighted by a running battle with coach Stephen Keshi, even as he turned out superlative performances for his club in Spain, thus making him one of the best lethal finishers in the Spanish league.
With the 66-man list still in the cooler, Tribunesport gathered that Obafemi Martins, Chinedu Obasi, Haruna Lukman and Kelechi Iheanacho, among others are believed to be back in the Eagles’ family.
...Hopeful of AFCON 2015 ticket
Nigeria interim coach Shaibu Amodu has said he and his technical crew will do everything to ensure the Super Eagles qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
Amodu, who was appointed alongside Salisu Yusuf, Gbenga Ogunbote and Alloyius Agu by the Nigeria Football Federation last week, pleaded with Nigerians to be patience in the nation’s quest for a qualification ticket.
On his strategies ahead of the games in November, the former three-time Super Eagles coach said his action plan to ensure the country qualifies for the tournament will be made public soon after deliberations with the NFF were concluded.
The 56-year-old former coach of the BCC Lions, with whom he won the 1990 CAF Cup Winners Cup, said his immediate task remains securing a ticket for the biennial tournament.
“We have been given an assignment that is tough and very challenging but not one that is impossible to accomplish. We will give it our very best and see how things can be turned around,” said Amodu.
“I think this situation is very similar to what we had in the qualifiers to the 2002 World Cup. We worked hard, did our bit and were fortunate to have results elsewhere also going our way.
“There are some things that, as humans, we cannot control just as there are a lot more we can influence. I can assure everybody that we will give this assignment all we have and then hope that all other things fall in place for us.
“Let us all be modest in our expectations so that we do not put ourselves under undue pressure. Let everybody involved in the game in Nigeria pull together in the right direction and then we see what we can achieve with the next two games as mandated by the Nigeria Football Federation.
“Planning has commenced. A lot of deliberations and discussions are already going on. We need to be very thorough with all aspects of our planning. Once we have concluded all these, we will unveil them to the media,” Amodu, who is technical director of Nigeria’s national teams said.
AFCON qualifiers: NFF hands 66-man list to Amodu
Super Eagles’ interim head coach Shaibu Amodu has been handed a list of 66 players drawn from domestic and foreign clubs by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), to prosecute the two remaining 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers next month.
Though Amodu did not reveal the names on the list but said that Nigerians should be rest assured that those plying their trade well both at home and abroad are on the list for a look in.
Amodu who was at the Glass House on Tuesday to meet the leadership of the technical department of the NFF told journalists that the development is what is obtainable in modern football.
“What the technical department has done for me is very good, they have just provided me with a list of 66 players to pick from,” said the former BCC Lions coach.
Asked if he is aware of the herculean task ahead of him, the Edo State-born tactician said: “I will hold meetings with my technical team with a view to fashioning out how we can pick the remaining six points. It is not for me alone to do the work, it is for all of us.
“I made my position very clear with the president of NFF to make things easy, I wanted to be announced from the technical department where I was already given a job”.
He stated that he is not desperate to be retained after completing the two-match assignment given to him by the NFF.
“If they decide to give me the job fully, good and fine, if not, you all know me that I am not looking for a job. What I’m doing is a rescue job which I have been found worthy to deliver because of my past records,” the man who coached Nigeria to qualify for the 2002 and 2010 World Cup final said.
Accompanied by Amodu to the Glass House were assistant coaches appointed to work with him, Gbenga Ogunbote, Salisu Yussuf and Alloy Agu.
Nigeria’s last two AFCON qualifers will be against Republic of the Congo in Brazzville and South Africa in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
I will give Ik Uche a call —Amodu
Caretaker coach of the Super Eagles, Shaibu Amodu has said he will give Villareal of Spain forward, Ikechukwu Uche a telephone call by Tuesday (yesterday) evening.
Amodu made this known while fielding questions from journalists at the Glass House, Abuja.
“Yeah, I heard he (Ik Uche) is celebrating his 100th goal in the Spanish league, and to me that is great news to us here. In fact I am going to give him a call this night,” he said.
Asked if this means the out-of-favour Super Eagles attacker is back in the fold, the Edo State-born answered in affirmative.
Ik Uche’s career in the Eagles was blighted by a running battle with coach Stephen Keshi, even as he turned out superlative performances for his club in Spain, thus making him one of the best lethal finishers in the Spanish league.
With the 66-man list still in the cooler, Tribunesport gathered that Obafemi Martins, Chinedu Obasi, Haruna Lukman and Kelechi Iheanacho, among others are believed to be back in the Eagles’ family.
...Hopeful of AFCON 2015 ticket
Nigeria interim coach Shaibu Amodu has said he and his technical crew will do everything to ensure the Super Eagles qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
Amodu, who was appointed alongside Salisu Yusuf, Gbenga Ogunbote and Alloyius Agu by the Nigeria Football Federation last week, pleaded with Nigerians to be patience in the nation’s quest for a qualification ticket.
On his strategies ahead of the games in November, the former three-time Super Eagles coach said his action plan to ensure the country qualifies for the tournament will be made public soon after deliberations with the NFF were concluded.
The 56-year-old former coach of the BCC Lions, with whom he won the 1990 CAF Cup Winners Cup, said his immediate task remains securing a ticket for the biennial tournament.
“We have been given an assignment that is tough and very challenging but not one that is impossible to accomplish. We will give it our very best and see how things can be turned around,” said Amodu.
“I think this situation is very similar to what we had in the qualifiers to the 2002 World Cup. We worked hard, did our bit and were fortunate to have results elsewhere also going our way.
“There are some things that, as humans, we cannot control just as there are a lot more we can influence. I can assure everybody that we will give this assignment all we have and then hope that all other things fall in place for us.
“Let us all be modest in our expectations so that we do not put ourselves under undue pressure. Let everybody involved in the game in Nigeria pull together in the right direction and then we see what we can achieve with the next two games as mandated by the Nigeria Football Federation.
“Planning has commenced. A lot of deliberations and discussions are already going on. We need to be very thorough with all aspects of our planning. Once we have concluded all these, we will unveil them to the media,” Amodu, who is technical director of Nigeria’s national teams said.
Readers Comments
comment(s)
No comments yet. Be the first to post comment.
