Tag: General Sports

Super Eagles of Nigeria head coach, Jose Peseiro has rejected the idea of squad rotation saying that he plans to use his best eleven players in Nigeria’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) match against Guinea-Bissau.

Nigeria face Guinea Bissau in their last group A match of the 2023 AFCON on Monday, January 22, 2024 eyeing at least a point to reach the knockout round.

With key players like Kelechi Iheanacho, Ahmed Musa, and Terem Moffi available and yet to feature at the tournament, Peseiro faced questions about their participation for the clash on Monday.

Addressing the media in a press conference ahead of the Guinea-Bissau clash, Peseiro mentioned that while he wishes to include all players and create a positive atmosphere, he can only field the best eleven players on the pitch.

He said; “I would like to put all of them [together], as every player deserves to play, and we want to create a good atmosphere for all of them.

” They are important for the team, but I’m going to choose the best 11; I can’t play more than 11, but I can assure [you] that all my players are good to play,” Peseiro explained.

The Super Eagles are in good stead ahead of their third AFCON 2023 group stage match against Guinea-Bissau.

A draw vs Equatorial Guinea and a 1-0 victory over tournament hosts Cote d’Ivoire on Thursday places the Nigeria national team in second place and guarenteed of a knockout round spot with victory or at least a point vs Guinea Bissau who have lost two games already in the competition.

READ ALSO: ‘It is impossible to satisfy Nigerian football fans’ s – Victor Osimhen 

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Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen has suggested that it is impossible to satisfy Nigerians even if you beat your opponent 12-0.

The 25-year-old has been instrumental for the Super Eagles in the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire. He scored the equaliser against Equatorial Guinea in their first game of the tournament to help the team earn a point and won the penalty that William Troost-Ekong scored to beat the host nation in the second group game.

Speaking to journalists in the Mixed Zone after the win on Thursday, the reigning African Footballer of the Year was happy for his contribution and thanked the Nigerian supporters who made their voices heard against the home 49,0000 supporters at the Stade Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpe.

“We just played in front 50,000 Ivorian fans and we are few, kudos to our supporters. It was a big win for us, we deserve it, we also played a great game. The quality is to win games and we were focus from the blast of the whistle to the very end. Congratulations to the team and we will build on the momentum.”

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He also added that the pressure from Nigerians have pushed them to be better in the tournament.

“Even though we win 12-0 they (Nigerian fans) are not satisfied, it is normal. The Nigerian fans are like that and they push us to be a better team. I am happy because we will give them a lot of satisfaction. It was important to get the win (against Cote d’Ivoire), I am really happy about this.”

Nigeria will seal their qualification to the knockout stages of the competition if they get a win against familiar opponent Guinea Bissau. Having faced the African Wild Dogs on their way to the tournament which they earned a surprise 1-0 victory in Abuja in March 2023 before the Super Eagles won on the road, Osimhen is optimistic of a positive result on Monday.

“Guinea Bissau beat us once during the qualifying series, I think we will go all out to get the win and make sure we are top of the group and qualify to the next round. It is not going to be easy but we will give our all.

“The coach was really happy, it was important for us to give him the confidence. He’s been supporting us, he’s been defending us at his press conference. I am happy for him, he deserves this win. It is good to make a statement win like this one and we will continue to build on the momentum.”

Coach Jose Peseiro made changes to the team that drew against Equatorial Guinea and also changed his formation which helped the team get the result against Cote d’Ivoire. Osimhen says he enjoyed the changes which helped bring the best from the team.

“We’ve been working on the formation for the past few days, I think we mastered it, I don’t know what the coach is going to play next but I really like this formation, it gives us the clue of what we want from each other.”

On his personal game, Osimhen said: “I think I had a good game, lost a lot of chances but it is important to be able to help the team the way I did. The most important thing for me is not how I played, it is how the team came out strong and I am happy about the whole performance of the team including mine. Ofcourse, I won the Man of the Match. Thanks to the team, they made it possible for me. I don’t care about my individual brilliance, the team comes first.”

Nigeria last win the AFCON 10 years ago in 2013 and Osimhen believes the team must take the competition step by step if they are to win the trophy.

“We will take it step by step. The next game is against Guinea-Bissau, it is not going to be easy, we played them in the qualifiers and the won us in Abuja. The whole squad is ready for them, we are gone to give our all to top the group.”

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James Jonah was the star of the day bagging a brace as Abia Comets FC defeated visiting Dakkada FC, 3-1 on Saturday, January 20, 2024.

The encounter was a 2023/24 Nigeria National League (NNL) Sourthern Conference Group A matchday nine fixture and was played at the Umuahia Township Stadium, Umuahia.

After dominating the opening exchanges, Comets took an early lead, in the 14th minute through James Jonah, who headed home from a delightful cross from teammate Hyacinth Olieh.

Abia Comets should have been two up five minutes later, Jonah had a good scoring chance, when he dribbled past two Dakkada FC defenders but failed to slot home with the goal athis mercy.

The home team continued to dominate the game, much to the delight of head coach Okechukwu Ejeh and the fans at the Umuahia Township Stadium.

In the 36th minute, Hyacinth Olieh who provided assist for the opening goal scored to double the lead for his side , when he tapped the ball to the net from Benjamin IIuyomade’s expertly taken free kick. That goal ensured Abia Comets went into the half time break with a healthy 2-0 lead.

In the second half, the hosts continued from where the stopped as James Jonah bagged his brace to make it 3-0, when he headed home a delightful free kick delivered by Akpan Mfreke, in the 48th minute. That counts as his third goal of the 2023/2024 Nigeria National League season.

Dakkada FC grew into the contest and got a consolation goal through veteran skipper Aniekan Ekpe, in the quater of the match, a well struck free kick that went past Abia Comets goalkeeper, Chibueze Lambert. The match eded 3-1 in  favour of Comets.

With the victory, Abia Comets FC have now extended their unbeaten run to four games, and hav climbed into the top four in the Southern Conference Group A log with 13 points.

In his post-match interview with Abia Comets FC Media, shortly after the encounter, coach of te winning team Okechukwu Ejeh praised the performance of the players, saying that the team will continue to work hard and improve.

His words; “It’s a vital three points for us against a tough Dakkada FC side. But it was a good game for us because we won but there are still area that we need to work on because of the goals scoring opportunities we failed to convert in the game.” Ejeh concluded.

Comets will be on the road, for their next league fixture. a matchday 10 encounter against Rovers FC on Saturday, January 28th, 2024, at the U. J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar.

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Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) outfit, Sporting Lagos have announced the signing of former Remo Stars and Plateau United midfielder, Tochukwu Michael till the end of the 2023/2024  season.

Sporting Lagos FC have struggled for consistency in the ongoing NPFL season and so have moved to reinforce their ranks in the mid-season transfer window.

On of such additions is dimunitive midfielder Tochukwu Michael who is expected to bring his quality and experience to the teams creative section as they continue their fight for survival.

Before his move to Sporting Lagos FC, Tochukwu, had a short spell with NPFL side, Remo Stars, but cut short his stay due to lack of game time with Coach Daniel Ogunmodede tutored Sky Blues.

The left-footed centre midfielder, has had a lot of experience playing in the Nigeria top flight league in the past, with Nasarawa United, Plateau United and Remo Stars.

Sporting Lagos head coach, Paul Offor will hope his new charge contributes positively towards the teams push for NPFL survival.

The deal for Tochukwu Michael is short-term and runs until the end of the 2023/24 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season.

Meanwhile, Tochukwu was in the squad for the Sporting Lagos FC vs Bendel Insurance FC in the Nigeria Premier Football League [NPFL] fixture on Saturday, January 20, 2024.

The Lagos boys fell 3-1 in Benin City and will now hope to spark revival when Insurance visit Lagos for the return fixture as the second stanza begins.

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Baghdad Bounedjah has become Algeria’s oldest goalscorer at AFCON at age 32 years, 52 days which he achieved by scoring in their first game against Angola

He is also the oldest Algerian to score more than two goals at a single AFCON tournament at age 32 years, 57 days.

The other Algerians at age 30+ with at least two goals in a single AFCON are Rabah Madjer and Abdelhafid Tasfaout.

He already has three goals in two games in this year’s edition, and his latest came in the  2-2 with Burkina Faso in their second group game of the tournament, making him the joint-top scorer at the AFCON with 3 goals.

Algeria have not won a game at the AFCON since they won the 2019 edition.
They made a horror defense of their title in Cameroon two years ago, where they went home with a single point and in last place in their group and faced a similar scenario again after drawing their opening game against Angola.

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Nigeria U-20 women’s national team, the Falconets, have secured qualification for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

The team achieved a 2-0 aggregate victory over Burundi in the final qualifying round.

In the second leg match played at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja on Saturday, January 20, 2024, the Falconets won 1-0, with Esther Ajakaye scoring the decisive goal in the 79th minute, assisted by Mary Mkpa.

This victory, combined with their earlier 1-0 win in the first leg courtesy of a goal from Janet Aikekoromowei, sealed a 2-0 aggregate win for Nigeria.

With this qualification, Nigeria becomes the first African team to secure a spot at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

The Falconets will be making their 11th appearance at the tournament, maintaining their record as one of the four countries (alongside the United States, Brazil, and Germany) to have participated in all editions of the competition.

On their way to the 2024 World Cup, Nigeria received a bye in the first qualifying round, had an effortless victory in the second round after Mauritius withdrew, and overcame Tanzania in the third qualifying round with a 3-2 aggregate score before defeating Burundi.

Nigeria’s best record at the U-20 Women’s World Cup remains second place finishes in 2010 and 2014.

In Africa, Cameroon, Ghana, and Morocco secured an advantage over Egypt, Senegal, and Ethiopia in their respective first-leg fixtures and will join Nigeria at the mundial should they avoid defeats in the return legs.

The 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup is scheduled to be hosted by Colombia from August 31 to September 22, 2024, featuring 24 teams with Europe contributing the highest number of participating teams (5).

READ ALSO: Danjuma invites 25 Falconets for U-20 World Cup qualifier

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Tanzania Coach, Adel Amrouche has been banned for 8 games and fined $10,000 by CAF, after accusing Morocco of corruption.

He said Morocco decides everything in African football and chooses Referees for games.

He made this statement in an interview on Algerian television ahead of last Wednesday’s encounter before Tanzania lost 0-3 to Morocco at AFCON 2023.

“The Morocco Federation is a proven power in the world of African football. Morocco manages African football. They also choose their referees and we remain simple spectators,” Amrouche claimed.

He also directed his anger at the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) for allegedly influencing pre-tournament plans in the same interview.

“I had scheduled a preparation camp in Algeria. I even scheduled friendly matches against Mauritania, Cape Verde, and Anderlecht

“But there was influence placed on officials to relocate our place of preparation. So we were forced to prepare in Cairo.” He said.

The Tanzania’s football federation soon followed suit by initially suspending the 55-year-old following the incident.

But ultimately Tanzania decided to fire Amrouche after just 10 months in charge and after just one game at the 2023 AFCON

The Tanzanian football governing body has since appointed Hemed Morocco to take charge in an interim role for the rest of the tournament with his assistant being Juma Mgunda.

Hemed Morocco’s first task will be on Sunday against the Chipolopolo of Zambia, he will be hoping to get his first win as a manager of Tanzania and a first win for Tanzania in the 2023 AFCON tournament.

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Reverend Jedidia Henry Kore, popularly known as Prophet Fire Ogya, has predicted that the Ghana national football team, the Black Stars, will not advance beyond the group stage at the 2023 AFCON tournament in Côte d’Ivoire.

This prophecy comes in the wake of social media criticism after Ghana’s 2-2 draw vs Egypt in their second group game.

Prophet Fire Ogya had reportedly predicted the 2-1 scoreline of the Black Stars’ game against Cape Verde.

He continued to forecast further defeats for Ghana in their remaining matches against Egypt and Mozambique.

Additionally, he predicted that Mohammed Kudus, who missed the Cape Verde game, would not perform well against Egypt.

Contrary to the prophecy, Ghana secured a 2-2 draw against Egypt, with Kudus delivering a standout performance, scoring two goals and earning the Man of the Match award. The prophet faced criticism and mockery on social media for the inaccuracies in his predictions.

In response to the trolls, Prophet Fire Ogya claimed that he prayed to change the fate after speaking to the President of the Ghana Football Association, Kurt Okraku. He defended some aspects of his predictions, such as Egypt scoring an offside goal and praying for Ghana to secure a draw, which he claimed came true.

“Ghana is coming home. Ghanaians have even angered me, the prophet. You see the insults, some of which have included my mother. If I have any prayer to say, will the behaviour of Ghanaians make me do it?” he lamented.

The Black Stars of Ghana will face Mozambique in their final group game next week seeking a convincing victory to boost their hopes of advancing to the knockout stage, else they suffer group stage elimination according to the Prophet’s proclamation.

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Egypt will face already qualified Cape Verde in the other game, with a win for the Pharoahs meaning the Black Stars must win to stand a chance of picking one of four best third place teams spot.

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Impros.io Announces Title Sponsorship for Inaugural BOOLU OGBE SUPER 4 TOURNAMENT in Enugu.

The Football Marketing Agency will sponsor the maiden edition of the BOOLU OGBE SUPER 4 TOURNAMENT, the largest tournament in the Coal City Football League in Enugu Metropolis.

In its quest to make the grassroots scouting process much easier for upcoming talent by allowing investors to invest directly in the next Messi or Ronaldo, Impros.io will scout and sign the best player during the BOOLU OGBE SUPER 4 TOURNAMENT, and sponsor him to China where he will play in the Chinese football League.

The Football Marketing Agency recently sealed a partnership deal with Coal City Football League; Boolu Ogbe to host the first-ever massive BOOLU OGBE SUPER 4 TOURNAMENT in Enugu.

CEO of Impros.io Peter Wong stated that ImPros is aimed at supporting and bringing investors to Nigeria to sponsor players to clubs and teams overseas.

“When I was chatting with my business partner, Sincerely, he described the situation about Nigerian football.
I thought why don’t we run a project to help gifted footballers, help them get maximum exposure and financial support?

“There are millions of investors worldwide seeking potential projects.

“Young players do not have to keep wishing on a star or borrow huge amounts of money to start playing professionally because ImPros will discover potential superstars, have all their data, and connect them to opportunities.

“My dream didn’t come true due to the undeveloped situation in my country at that time, but I could help others’ dreams come true”. He said.

As of September 2022, ImPros signed up over 200 players and 40+ coaches in Africa alone. It hopes to expand its team to other continents like Asia and South America in the future.

The platform is still in its early stages, but it has already attracted the attention of some big names in the football world. ImPros.io has partnered with the Fusion Football Championship, and it has also signed several high-profile players as brand ambassadors, including John Noble, Bernard Ovoké, and Ngweni Ndasi.

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Super Eagles of Nigeria strkier Victor Osimhen has promised the team will ‘do their best to win’ vs Guinea Bissau in their last group game of the 2023 AFCON.

After securing a 1-0 victory against tournament hosts Cote d’Ivoire in their second game of the competition, Jose Peseiro’s team is set to face Guinea-Bissau at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on Monday, January 22, 2024.

While Guinea-Bissau is on the brink of elimination from the tournament after facing defeats in their other two group A games against Cote d’Ivoire and Equatorial Guinea, Osimhen has urged caution and a focused approach to the upcoming match, stressing the Eagles will not underestimate any team but do their best to win.

“We aim for a strong performance against Guinea-Bissau. They will undoubtedly approach the game with determination, and we won’t underestimate any team, considering what they’ve done to qualify,” reigning CAF Men’s Player of the Year, Victor Osimhen said in his post-match comments after conquering Cote d’Ivoire on Thursday.

Also, Osimhen spoke of Nigeria’s familiarity with Guinea-Bissau, having faced them over two-legs in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification run, where results were mixed.

He added “We met them in the qualifiers and know how strong they are. They defeated us at home, while we also beat them away. So, we are expecting a tough game against them. We will do our best to win.”

While Nigeria will qualify for the knockout round of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations with a win or draw, a defeat may not be fatal with four best third place teams a possibility for the Eagles.

Guinea Bissau on their part still have a slim chance of qualifying from group A. This hangs on their ability to beat Nigeria by not less than 4-5 goals while praying for Cote d’Ivoire to lose vs Equatorial Guinea to be considered among the best third place teams.

READ ALSO: Nigeria Forward Gift Orban joins France Ligue 1 side

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