NNL: War as Stores, Shooting Stars clash at Onikan

THE atmosphere which characterised the match involving Stationery Stores  FCand Shooting Stars Sports Club two decades ago would be reenacted on Thursday (Februry 27) this time at the Onikan Stadium, Lagos.
The week three NIgeria National League (NNL) fixture is expected to pull crowd to one of the most popular stadia in the country in the 50s then known as the King Goerge V Stadium through the 80s.
The rejuvenated Stores which last featured in the Nigerian league in 2004 returned this season having bought the slot of Union Bank FC, another Lagos side.
The Flaming Flamingoes' struggled in their debut game penultimate Sunday at the Onikan waterfront which used to be their slaughter slab' as they shared points with visiting Abia Comets FC.
The visitors were almost running away with three points before Stores secured an equaliser at the dying minutes of the group B game.
Perhaps, Stores are beginning to regain confidence in the eyes of their beloved loyalists as they last weekend in Abeokuta held Gateway FC to a 1-1 draw thus; will be facing the Oluyole Warriors on Thursday with an unbeaten run.
Interestingly, 3SC being handled by returnee coach, Franklin Howard are yet to lose as well having picked a point at Ijebu Ode against Remo Stars and last weekend at home (the Lekan Salami Stadium) pipped City of David, COD of Lagos 2-1 to amass four points.
For a team in search of lost glory, Stores will not want to disappoint their fans this time more so that they need the result that can bring back their die-hard fans back to the stadium.
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Caption: The Flaming Flamingoes.

Bosso lands Abia Warriors' N1.5m monthly job,

.NIGERIA Premier League debutants, Abia Warriors have named coach Ladan Bosso as their new Technical Adviser.
Bosso, who guided the Flying Eagles to the FIFA U-20 World Cup, Canada 2007 is to earn N1.5million monthly for one season from the Umuahia-based side.
Chairman of Abia Warriors, chief Emeka Inyama said that Bosso's appointment was based on his track record of coaching saying that he possessed what it takes to lead the team to the promised land. 
“Bosso is an experienced coach and Abia Warriors would benefit immensely from his wealth of experience. We don’t want Abia Warriors to make up the numbers in the Globacom Premier League but compete favourably. We have done our feasibility study and Bosso happens to be the right man Abia Warriors need to guide them in the elite league," said Inyama who is a board member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
He stated that the appointment of Bosso was not a measure to relegate ex-international, Emeka Ezeugo to the background saying that "Ezeugo was never the technical adviser of Abia Warriors rather the chief coach and he remains the chief coach of the side”.
Bosso, who has since assumed duty coached Bayelsa United last season to finish third and won a CAF Confederation Cup ticket. He also coached Bayelsa United to the League Monitoring Company, LMC-organised Super 4 League held  in Abuja last month which was won by Enyimba FC.
The Niger State born coach would also earn get a bonus of N5million if he wins a continental ticket at the end of the season.
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Caption: Bosso.

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I can still go to World Cup--Obasi

NIGERIAN international and Schalke 04 of Germany forward Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi is still hopeful of making the Super Eagles squad to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
The Enugu State-born Obasi at the moment is not in the plan of Nigeria head coach Stephen Keshi and the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) bronze medallist said he has not lost hope of appearing in the M
"The decision of the coach is final, nobody can query him but that does not mean I am out of the World Cup team," said Obasi, who is not listed for the March 5 friendly against Mexico in the United States.
The Beijing 2008 Olympics silver medallist who has just recovered from injury stated that he does not have any ill-feelings over his exit from the Super Eagles.
"In fact, I don't have anything against Keshi. Of course yes, I want to play for Nigeria again for a long period like any other player, but the truth is that we can't all be there at the same time.
"Really I don't expect the coach to give me an automatic invitation, and maybe my best is not good enough at present, but I will keep working hard. I won't give up because I have what it takes to play for the Super Eagles again," said Obasi, who played at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
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Caption: Obasi.

Fallout of CAF Champions League; We saw 'hell' in Togo--Baraje

HEAD Coach of Enyimba, Zachary Baraje has commended his wards for overcoming the hostility faced before they bundled Anges de Notse of Togo out of the 2014 CAF Champions League.
The People's Elephant after a 3-1 lead in Aba suffered a 1-2 defeat at the Omnisport Stadium, Lome last Sunday to qualify for the next stage of the competition on 4-3 aggregate.
“From the minute we arrived in Lome, all of us went through a lot of mental and physical torture from our hosts. They employed all kinds of antics to prevent us from winning but in the end our hard work and experience helped to sail through,” the former Gombe United coach said.
He stated that the journey to reclaim the African title has just begun as Enyimba are drawn with AS Real Bamako of Mali in the second round of the competition.
“Yes We are happy that we have eliminated Anges but we can’ celebrate as such because the journey has just started. We will continue to work hard until we achieve our set target,” the former Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) gaffer remarked.
The two-time African champions' lone strike in Lome came through new signing from ABS of Ilorin, Abdulrahman Bashir.
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Caption: Baraje.

Messi is from another planet----Thierry Henry

FORMER French international, Thierry Henry believes that Lionel Messi is "from another world" because his former Barcelona team-mate is capable of "unimaginable" things on a football field.
The Arsenal legend spent three years playing alongside the Argentine between 2007 and 2010 and said that he witnessed Messi do things that he did not previously think possible.
"You cannot define him in words," Henry told El Mundo Deportivo. "He's from another world; the best.
"To have him beside you every day is tremendous. He does unimaginable things. I do not know just how far he will be able to go in his career, but he's definitely already an incredible player."
Henry revealed that he also loved his time under the tutelage of former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, explaining that the Catalan proved nearly as big an influence on him as Arsenal boss
Arsene Wenger.
"For me, personally, Wenger is like a father," the forward explained. "He is untouchable.
"But I must say that Pep proved surprisingly spectacular. From a strictly business point of view, he is the best boss that I've had because he gave me discipline and a proper view of the game. Everything was planned; he left nothing to chance and was always one step ahead of the others. Pep and Wenger are my two reference points [in terms of coaching]; both are extraordinary."
Turning his attention to Barcelona's Champions League last-16 tie with Manchester City, Henry is hoping that Blaugrana prevail but freely admits that they are going up against a strong side.
"It will be difficult [for Barca]," the New York Red Bulls striker conceded. "Manchester are better than ever this year. They have made a very strong investment [in their squad] and are showing their full potential in the Premier League.
"But I also think that having a rival like this will work well for Barcelona because City like to play without closing things up at the back. So Barcelona should be able to attack as they please. I'll watch the game on television and I'll be cheering on Barca like a fan."
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Caption; Messi.

Yobo turns 'bride' at Norwich City

NIGERIAN international Joseph Yobo is now being celebrated like a bride in the English Premier League side, Norwich City following his five-star performance since his arrival. He joined the EPL side from Fenerbahce of Turkey on loan in the January transfer window.
The Super Eagles captain on his debut against Manchester City was a delight to watch just as his presence has continued to thrill Norwich City chief executive David McNally.
Yobo was signed by the Canaries alongside Jonas Guttierrez and the duo are believed to be 'first class' signings.
"Those two were crucial reinforcements," he said. "Joseph has played 95 times for Nigeria and Jonas 22 times for Argentina and bringing them in on a short-term basis, knowing the character of these men is first class, was better for us than investing in a four-year contract on someone of less quality. That was the judgement we made.
"Having been in the game many years now, January is about short-term measures to ensure the squad is complemented rather than a wholesale re-shaping of the staff,” McNally.
The form displayed by the former Everton defender since his arrival in Norwich City also earned him a recall to the Nigeria camp for the friendly against Mexico on March 5 in the United States.
Yobo last's last international appearance was when he led Nigeria to win the 2013 Africa Cup of
Nations (AFCON) in South Africa.
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Caption: Yobo in the colours of Norwich City.

NNL opener: Prime lose as coach lauds players

Newly-promoted Nigeria National League side, Go Round FC on Friday began the season on a good note with a 1-0 victory over Prime FC of Osogbo.
The NNL debutants waited till 82nd minute before they got the lone strike off a penalty kick converted by Ali Chiwendu in a game played at the Krisdera Hotel Stadium, Omoku.
Speaking after the match, coach of Prime FC, Samuel Abimbola lauded his wards despite the defeat just as he called for fair officiating to make the season a memorable one.
"I give kudos to my boys for playing according to instructions, it was a good game and I must commend my players. Though we lost the match but we were not disgraced, you all saw the game and how controversial the penalty was.
"We will go back to the drawing board and correct all the errors we have noticed and prepare well for our double home games. We are still in the right track and by the grace of God this will be the last game we will lose at away," Abimbola said.
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Clubs forced LMC to shift league kick off date--Irabor

CHAIRMAN of the League Management Company (LMC), Hon. Nduka Irabor has said that the kick off of the 2013/14 Glo Premier League season had to be shifted by two weeks based on the requests by some clubs.
The league initially scheduled to kick off next weekend will now be on March 7 as LMC granted the prayers of clubs which borders on registration and documentation.
"We've agreed to accommodate the popular request to extend the registration deadline to enable the clubs to tidy up their documents for certification," Irabor said.
He stated that LMC also acceded the requests on the shift in kick off date to take care of logistics adding that "We've considered reports of the stadium facilities inspection teams and the need to allow the clubs a two-week period to correct observed deficiencies in their facilities".
Irabor added that "there will be no further extension after this period and the league will start
with only clubs that meet the minimum requirements".
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I knew Yobo will return to Eagles----Keshi

NIGERIA Coach Stephen Keshi has said that Joseph Yobo has convinced him enough of his readiness to
return to the Super Eagles after one year of absence hence, the invitation of the defender for next month's friendly against Mexico billed for the United States.
Keshi said that there was no way he could have left Yobo out of the national team again given his awe inspiring form.
Yobo on loan from Fenerbahce of Turkey to Norwich City dazzled in his debut game last week
against Manchester City in a Barclays Premier League game which ended in a goalless draw leaving many Nigerians satisfied that he could still play for his fatherland.
The former Everton player remains the most capped Nigeria player with 95 caps and his chance of
hitting 100 caps has now received a boost with his invitation for the Mexico clash.
"I had told you before that Yobo was a part of this team. That when the time is right, he would make a return. Now Yobo is ready and he is making his comeback," Keshi said from his base in the Unites States on holidays.
The former coach of Togo stated that "there are several players I invited also whom I have not seen since last year. There is a need to see them again and know how ready they are and see if the fresh ones can fit in to our plans for the World Cup".
It will be recalled that Yobo last played for Nigeria in February last year at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in South Africa won by the Super Eagles.
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Caption: Joseph Yobo set for return against Mexico.

Mexico friendly: Why I dropped Agbim--Keshi

HEAD Coach of the Super Eagles, Stephen Keshi, has explained why he left goalkeeper Chigozie Agbim out of the international friendly against Mexico billed for Atlanta, USA on March 5.
Though, Agbim's exclusion did not surprise many soccer-loving Nigerians who were enraged by his not too impressive performance at the just-concluded third African Nations Championship (CHAN) in South Africa where he let in a number of cheeky goals.
On arrival from CHAN where Nigeria finished third, Agbim also lost his place in Rangers FC as the club's technical crew headed by former Flying Eagles coach, John Obuh excluded his name on the list of players to be registered for the new premier league season in Nigeria which begins next weekend.
But Keshi said there was no big deal not inviting Agbim for the friendly as he wants to try some of the players who have been absent from the national team's matches for sometime now.
"I don't think there is need to start raising issues on players left out of the friendly against Mexico or those named in the team for the game. It is just a test game to see a few new players and those who we have not seen in a long while. So leaving out Agbim and a few other players is no big deal.
"We have just one international game to play next month at the moment except things change, and it will make no sense inviting three goalkeepers for just one game. Remember football is a game of two halves. So how do we integrate a third goalkeeper in a friendly match if we decide to play two different teams for each half? Also Agbim had a good test at the CHAN recently so I don't think we have to take three goalkeepers to just one match," explained Keshi.
The former coach of Mali however, denied the insinuation that Agbim's performance at CHAN 2014
led to his exclusion from the list.
"That's totally untrue. It is not possible for a player to feature in every match. You'll see that we have a number of players on the list who have never played at senior international level before and we have others making return to the team. As I said it's a test game and it's just one match and it will be needless to bring in three goalkeepers," said Keshi who coached Togo to the 2006 World Cup.


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Caption: Chigozie Agbim.

Nigeria drop again in FIFA rankings

Nigeria have dropped six places on the latest monthly FIFA rankings released on Thursday by the world soccer-governing body as they now occupy 47th position in the world.
Nigeria who placed 41st in the previous rankings surprisingly moved to 47th despite finishing third at the just-concluded African Nations Championship (CHAN) in South Africa.
The reigning African champions keep a date with Mexico, who are ranked 21st on the FIFA rankings, in a friendly billed for March 5 in the United States.
Nigeria are also ranked eighth on the continent behind Cote d'Ivoire, Algeria, Cape Verde Islands,Ghana, Egypt, Tunisia, Cameroon respectively while Mali and Burkina Faso occupy the ninth and tenth positions respectively in the latest rankings.
Meanwhile, Ghana surprisingly dropped 13 places in the rankings to 34th place and are down to fourth in Africa.
The rankings also showed Ghana losing their second position to Algeria and Cape Verde who were both not in action in the past months.
FIFA had last month confirmed that they have agreed to add the CHAN tournament to its recognised
A matches which are used for the monthly rankings of the national teams.

Caption: The Super Eagles assemble for prayer before a game.

Odemwingie scores debut goal at Stoke

OUT-Of-favour Nigerian international, Osaze Odewingie on Saturday evening made a statement as he scored his debut goal in the colours of Stoke City against Southampton in a Barclays English Premier League game at the St. Mary's Stadium which ended in a 2-2 draw.
The former West Brom striker had late last year told whoever cares to listen that he is very much available to play for Nigeria in the World Cup billed for Brazil later this year if coach Stephen Keshi is willing to give him a chance.
His attempt to relaunch himself  back to reckoning during his short stay with Cardiff City failed before he secured a Stoke offer in the January transfer window in his bid to be among Nigerian foreign-based players who could be at Brazil 2014.
The Edo State-born player had a sweet tale to tell in his debut game for Stoke as The Potters secured a 2-1 win over the Barclays English Premier League reigning champions, Manchester United at the Old Trafford.
At St. Mary's Stadium, Odemwingie equalised for Stoke in the 38th minute as he latched on to a defence splitting pass from Charlie Adam, after the homers had taken the lead in the sixth minute through Ricky Lambert.
Gangling Peter Crouch eventually saved the day for Stoke when he cancelled the 41st minute lead by Steven as both sides fired blank in the last half of the game.
The result helped The Potters to climb up to the 12th position on the log with 26 points from 25 games.
Meanwhile, Nigeria captain, Joseph Yobo also on Saturday night made his debut with Norwich City in the home game against red-hot Manchester city which ended in a barren draw.
Yobo who combined with Sebastian Bassong in his first game after joining for the Canaries on loan from Fenerbahce showed flashes of his old self as he deployed his wealth of experience to ensure his team picked up a point against all odds.
The captain of Nigeria's Super Eagles which won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in South
Africa had at the early exchanges saved what would have been the visitors' lead with a well-timed clearance.

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Caption: Osaze Odemwingie.

EXCLUSIVE: Why Ghana lost CHAN trophy to Libya

THE Black Stars of Ghana may have lost to the Mediterranean Knights of Libya in Saturday's final of the third African Nations Championship (CHAN) played at the Cape Town Stadium, South Africa to Ghana/Nigeria jinx.
Reason: Checks by harmonysport.blogspot.com reveals that Ghana have been battling with jinx of losing in the final in the last two decades any time they defeated Nigeria in a tournament.
The jinx started at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Senegal '92 when Ghana defeated Nigeria
2-1 in the semi-final only to lose to the Elephants of Cote d'Ivoire in the final of the competition 10-11 via penalties.
At the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) hosted by Ghana in 2008, the Black Stars defeated the Super Eagles 2-1 in the quarter-final only to lose in the semi-final to Cameroon by a lone goal.
At Angola 2010 AFCON, Ghana equally defeated a star-studded Nigeria 1-0 in the semi-final only to lose to Egypt in the final by a lone goal.
Thus, the episode in Cape Town last Saturday confirmed the Ghana/Nigeria jinx as the Libyans were least expected to emerge champions of Africa by pundits.
Interestingly, the prayer of Libya to avenge the AFCON ' 82 loss to Ghana after 33 years was granted at the CHAN 2014 final which made the victory of the North Africans indelible.
Ghana had defeated Libya before their teeming fans in Tripoli 7-6 via penalties to win the Nations Cup in 1982 after both sides had settled for a 1-1 draw in the group stage; while the same scenario played itself out in South Africa as Libya had earlier in group C held Ghana to a draw before losing via penalties, 4-3 in the final.
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Caption: Line up of Ghana's Black Stars.

Fallout of CHAN 2014: It is time for Europe--Obiozor

NIGERIA striker, Chinonso Christian Obiozor is already thinking of plying his trade in Europe after his  solitary strike gave the Super Eagles a 1-0 victory ove the Warriors of Zimbabwe in the third place match of the third African Nations Championship (CHAN) decided at the Cape Town Stadium, South Africa.
Obiozor whose 85th minute's header off a cross from Ejike Uzoenyi gave Nigeria the bronze medal of the biennial championship speaking moments after the match in Cape Town said CHAN had given him the leverage to seek greener pastures abroad.
“I thank God that I had this great opportunity to play in this competition and I am now looking forward to moving to Europe. In fact, any better offer that comes I will go,” said the Rangers forward.
He described the match against Zimbabwe as one of his best moments in his career.
“Thank God because it was not easy being my first match, and to win the man of the match award was a very great experience for me," Obiozor said.
The lanky striker declared that working under the Stephen Keshi-led technical crew was a boost to his career and his team-mates saying that "every young player will love to play under Keshi because he is one person who always motivates players to have self confidence that 'come on boys, you can do it' he inspires us a lot".
Obiozor holds the record of playing only one match in the 2014 CHAN with a goal which made him the hero of the match against Zimbabwe.
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Caption: Obiozor, time for Europe deal.