Tunisia friendly: Dream Team must show greater character---Siasia

HEAD Coach of Nigeria's U-23 side the Dream Team, Samson Siasia has charged his wards to show character and resilience when they take on their counterparts from Tunisia in a second international friendly in Tunis on Wednesday. The Nigerian team lost 3-5 in the first meeting on Saturday.
 
“I don’t want to blame the players too much for the loss to the Tunisians in the first match. Without appearing to be making excuses for them, we arrived in Tunis on Friday afternoon and immediately went to training but the weather did not help matters.
 
“Most of them were traveling outside the country for the first time and you can’t wish that away. The weather was a critical issue. However, in the first match, my assistants and I noticed a number of areas we need to improve on seriously before we can say we have a team,” said the man who coached Nigeria to win the silver at the Beijing 2008 Olympics.
 
The Dream Team lost 3-5 to the Olympic Eagles of Tunisia at the Stade el Menzah, with the Nigerian goals from Etim Emmanuel and Junior Ajayi, who hit a brace. The team created a handful of chances in the second half, after the first half had ended in three goals apiece but were undone by poor finishing.
 
“We thank the NFF for organising these matches because they will really help us prepare for the qualifiers against Gabon, and other matches in the race to the All-Africa Games and the 2016 Olympics. We will try a number of other players in the second match and see how things work out,” Siasia said after Sunday’s training session at the Stade November 7 in Rades, outside Tunis.
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Caption: Samson Siasia...Can his boys redeem Nigeria's image on Wednesday?

Eagles kick off AFCON 2017 campaign in June

NIGERIA'S Super Eagles will begin campaign to qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) from June 8 to 16 this year, according to the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The African champions failed to make the 2015 edition going on in Equatorial Guinea, two years after their victory in South Africa at the expense of the Stallions of Burkina Faso.

“The draws for the groups shall be done on 8 April 2015, in Cairo, immediately after the announcement of the host country of the 2017 edition,” a statement from CAF reads in part.

CAF also announced a change in the format of the qualifying series, with the host country participating in the qualifiers from the next edition.

“For the first time, the host country will participate in the qualifying stages; though the matches concerned will not be computed for points, they shall count as friendlies.”

The continental soccer-ruling body stated that the host country for the 2017 edition will be made public during their Ordinary General Assembly in Cairo on April 8.

Caption: Nigeria's Mikel Obi, one of the stars missing in the ongoing AFCON in Equatorial Guinea.

ITTF Africa Championships: Nigeria, Egypt clash in team event finals

NIGERIA and hosts Egypt will on Sunday, January 25 clash in the final of the men and women's team events at the ongoing International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Africa Senior championship in Cairo.

The final games will hold at the International Hall of the Police Sports Association in Cairo.
 
The Nigerian men's team made up of Ojo Onaolapo, ITTF World Player of the year, Aruna Quadri and home-based star Kazeem Makanjuola conquered the team from the Republic of the Congo incidentally made up of Nigerians in the trio of Saheed Idowu, Saka Suraju and Abiodun Lawal.
 
Onaolapo started the journey to the men's final with his 3-2 hard-fought victory over Idowu while Quadri too did not disappoint in the second match as he spanked ageless Congolese star, Suraju 3-0 to give Nigeria a 2-0 lead.

However, Makanjuola failed to make it treble as lost 2-3 to his Congolese opponent Lawal.

In the women's category, Nigeria walloped Algeria 3-0, while Egypt secured a 3-2 win over Congo for Sunday's showdown with the West African ladies.

Caption: Nigeria's Ojo Onaolapo in action.

Kano Pillars, Dolphins open Super 6 in Abuja

The Nigeria Premier League-organised Super 6 pre-season tournament kicks off on Saturday, January 24 at the National Stadium, Abuja with the title holders, Kano Pillars drawn in the opener against Dolphins FCof Port Harcourt billed to start at 1pm.

Nigeria's U-20 side the Flying Eagles and Nigeria's U-23 side the Dream Team are also taking part in the tournament alongside Warri Wolves.
It will be recalled that Enyimba won the last tournament which featured only four teams then. The People's Elephant is also the Federation Cup holder as Pillars hold the league title.

The full fixtures:

Match Day 1 (Saturday, January 24)
Kano Pillars vs Dolphins FC-1pm
Enyimba Int’l vs Flying Eagles-3pm
Warri Wolves vs Dream Team-5pm

Match Day 2 (Monday, January 26)
Enyimba Int’l vs Warri Wolves-1pm
Kano Pillars vs Flying Eagles-3pm
Dolphins vs Dream Team-5pm

Match Day 3 (Wednesday, January 28)
Flying Eagles vs Warri Wolves-1pm
Kano Pillars vs Dream Team-3pm
Dolphins vs Enyimba Int’l-5pm

Match Day 4 (Friday, January 30 )
Dream Team vs Enyimba Intn’l-1pm
Kano Pillars vs Warri Wolves-3pm
Flying Eagles vs Dolphins-5pm

Match Day 5 (Sunday, February 1)
Warri Wolves vs Dolphins-1pm
Kano Pillars vs Enyimba Intn’l-3pm
Dream Team vs Flying Eagles-5pm

Caption: Coach Kadiri Ikhana...Can Enyimba retain the Super 6 title?

NFF affirms Kwara Utd's promotion to premier league

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has affirmed the decision of the Nigeria National League (NNL), which awarded Kwara United three points and three goals.

The affirmation was contained in a letter addressed to both club secretaries and signed by the secretary of the Organising and Disciplinary Committee (O and D), of the NFF, Tunde Aderibigbe.
 
It will be recalled that the NNL had a few weeks ago awarded the Ilorin-based team three points and three goals after its rescheduled week 30 match against Ranchers Bees ended abruptly with six minutes to go in Abuja on December 19.

The Appeals Committee of the NFF had ruled that the remaining 28 minutes left be played when violence erupted in the first encounter in Kaduna be replayed.

The O and D in its latest ruling said it was established from the match officials’ reports, video, and oral evidences that the match ended abruptly due to attack/assault on the match officials by some identified Ranchers Bees players and officials.

The NFF also said it established from match commissioner’s oral evidence and written report that the reserve bench of Ranchers Bees led by Alhaji Ali Nayara, the Team Manager, Tele Ibrahim and the assistant coach encroached and invaded the field of play and physically assaulted and inflicted bodily injuries on the match officials in contravention of article 4.3(1).

The NFF O and D also upheld the decision of NNL banning three Ranchers Bees players and two officials for one year for attacking the match officials and fined the Kaduna based team N1.2m.
The NFF also asked the management of Ranchers Bees FC to repair the Toyota Camry car belonging to Mr Muhammed Babayo of the Nigeria Police Force. It also said the match officials have the liberty to go further and prosecute the identified attackers.

Meanwhile, the General Manager of Kwara United, Alhaji Haruna Maigidasanma, praised the supporters and fans of the club for their support so far.

He said the club would soon announce the new technical crew as soon as the state government endorsed the management’s plan for the new season.

Kwara United which finished with 52 points now joins Wikki Tourists which came tops in group A with 55 points in the Premier League train next season.

Caption:Segun Alebiosu, one of Kwara United's leading scorers last season in the NNL.

Jonathan made Eagles to win 2013 AFCON--Yobo

ERSTWHILE captain of the Super Eagles has said that President Goodluck Jonathan made the team to win the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in South Africa.

Yobo, who last played for Fenerbache of Turkey (in 2014) made the declaration while speaking during the Peoples Democratic Party's presidential campaign flag off at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos.

Yobo who was equally present when the the incumbent president declared his re-election bid late last year called on Nigerians in the diaspora to support Jonathan in getting a fresh four-year mandate.

"If not for our president (Jonathan), we wouldn't have won the Nations Cup in South Africa," said the former Everton player. "I know what he has done to help the youth of this country. Our future is bright. This country belongs to all of us. He (Jonathan) believes so much in the youth. We have hope and our president has given us hope. I represent the youth and I am saying that let us support him to continue."

The first and only player to play 100 matches for Nigeria stated that the administration of Jonathan has excelled in all sectors.

"He has performed in all sectors be it in education, power supply, sports,  industrialisation. The transformation agenda is on and we have to support him (Jonathan) to continue what he has started. Today we do no longer see  kids roaming about the streets unlike in the past as they have now embraced western education.

"I know the input of president Jonathan to make the youth of this country happy and we have to support him to continue in office," said Yobo who also hails from the Niger Delta region with president Jonathan.

Caption: Yobo.