NFF pays Eagles full bonus, begins preparations for Zambia

The Nigeria Football Federation has opted to pay players and officials of the Super Eagles the full match bonus for Monday’s crunchy 2018 FIFA World Cup encounter against the Lions of Cameroon in Yaounde, even though the tie ended in a draw.

NFF President Amaju Pinnick disclosed this to the team on board the ARIK Air Bombadier CRJ 1000 aircraft that flew the Nigerian delegation back from Yaounde on Tuesday morning.
Excited players and officials applauded as Pinnick insisted it was just reward for a masterclass output by the Nigerian squad over the two legs of the most anticipated fixture of Group B.

“When the draw was made last year, people said ours was the Group of Death. But you have stayed very much alive with scintillating performances and done the nation very proud.”

The Member of CAF Executive Committee also disclosed on Tuesday morning that preparations for next month’s big encounter against the Chipolopolo of Zambia, at which the Super Eagles are highly expected to pick the World Cup ticket, has started in earnest.

“Even before the conclusion of this second match against Cameroon in Yaounde, we had started the arrangements for the match against Zambia. The Chairman of Organizing Committee (NFF 1st VP, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi) will travel to Uyo this week to see Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State and they will go through the check –list together.

“Nothing will be left to chance. It is a very big match, and the way things have turned out against Cameroon, it is now an even bigger match than the ones we played against Cameroon. There must be no room for error.”

Read More

Zambia keep world cup hopes alive with 1-0 win over Algeria

The Chipolopolo of Zambia showed they meant business and that they won’t hand the Super Eagles of Nigeria the world cup ticket of a platter of gold by beating Desert Foxes of Algeria 1-0 in the return leg of their world cup qualifier. The goal was scored in the 67th minute by Patson Daka after Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez failed to put the home team ahead from the spot in the 16th minute. Zambia had in the first leg at home beaten Algeria 3-1. This result means that both Algeria and Cameroon have crashed out of the race leaving the fight to Nigeria and Zambia. Nigeria currently top with 10 points followed by Zambia with 7 points and both teams are set to meet on the 7th of October in what will now be the decider. Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/09/zambia-keep-world-cup-hopes-alive-1-0-win-algeria/

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/09/zambia-keep-world-cup-hopes-alive-1-0-win-algeria/

Read More

Russia 2018 World Cup: Mikel assures of better performance if team qualified

Super Eagles captain, Mikel Obi has declared that the team will not flop if they qualify for next year’s World Cup in Russia.
Nigeria are currently 6 points clear in Group B African qualifying and are on the verge of reaching their sixth World Cup after their 1-1 draw with Cameroon on Monday night in Yaounde.

Mikel said, “I was in the 2014 World Cup team where I thought we didn’t do as well as we should. It was not the best. I hope to go to Russia. We owe Nigerians a better World Cup than Brazil 2014.
“I came into the team and played with great players like Jay Jay Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu and Joseph Yobo who were on their way out.”
He added, “We have a very good young team, probably the youngest I’ve ever played with.”
“If we qualify for Russia 2018, we’ll aim to do much better.”

The Super Eagles’ first World Cup was in 1994 where they reached the second round. Since then they had qualified for every World Cup except Germany 2006.

Read More

Nigeria vs Cameroon: Gov Emmanuel reveals what made Super Eagles win

Akwa Ibom Governor, Udom Emmanuel, says Nigeria’s Super Eagles’ victory on Friday against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon was a result of “fasting and prayer”.
The Eagles walloped the Lions 4-0, in their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.

Emmanuel gave his reaction via his social media accounts.
“The victory of Super Eagles today against The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon is a testament to the fact that whenever we go on our knees and seek the face of God like we did today during our fasting and prayer session, God will answer our prayer,” he said on Facebook.
“Congratulations to ‘Akwaibomites’, congratulations to Nigerians. Together we are rising to the faith of our greatness!” the governor added in his comment”, the governor also wrote on Twitter.
Meanwhile, Segun Odegbami, Nigeria ex-International player, has advised the team on what to do during the September 4 second leg encounter.

SOURCE: Daily Post

Read More

Cameroon Vs Nigeria: Super Eagles Target 34 Game Unbeaten Run In World Cup Qualifiers

Nigeria’s impressive FIFA World Cup qualification campaigns could hit 34 game unbeaten run on Monday evening if the Super Eagles avoid defeat in Yaounde in the return leg of their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers double-header against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, Completesportsnigeria.com reports.
The Eagles who beat Cameroon 4-0 at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium Uyo on Friday have not lost in 33 World Cup qualifying matches since the 1-0 away defeat to Angola in Luanda on the road to Germany 2006, Tanga Sports‎ revealed in its latest detailed statistics-based report
The Germany 2006 World Cup, regretfully, was a tournament the Eagles failed to qualify despite two wins against Algeria (away) and Zimbabwe (home) in the later stages in which they scored five goals apiece. Angola picked their first World Cup ticket at the expense of Nigeria.
Nigeria’s first appearance at the World Cup finals was in USA ’94 after near misses of the past with the Indomitable Lions denying them the opportunity for a place at Italia 90. The Eagles only missed the Germany 2006 World Cup, and have participated in the 1998, 2002, 2010 and 2014 editions.

Breakdown of Nigeria’s 33 game unbeaten run so far in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers is as listed below: ‎

Road to Germany 2006
Nigeria 2–0 Rwanda
Angola 1–0 Nigeria
Nigeria 1–0 Algeria
Zimbabwe 0–3 Nigeria‎
Gabon 1–1 Nigeria
Nigeria 2–0 Gabon
Rwanda 1–1 Nigeria
Nigeria 1–1 Angola
Algeria 2–5 Nigeria
Nigeria 5–1 Zimbabwe

Road To South Africa 2010:  1st Round
This page provides the summaries of the CAF second round matches for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification and the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations. The 48 qualifiers (45 direct entrants plus 3 winners of the first round) were split into 12 groups of four in the draw held in Durban, South Africa on 25 November 2007. Teams in each group played a home-and-away round-robin in 2008, with the 12 groups winners and 8 best runners-up advancing to the third round. As not all groups were of equal size after the exclusion of Ethiopia and the withdrawal of Eritrea, when ranking the runners-up, their results against their group’s 4th placed team would not be counted.
Mozambique 0–0 Nigeria
Nigeria 3–0 Kenya
Tunisia 0–0 Nigeria
Nigeria 2–2 Tunisia
Nigeria 1–0 Mozambique
Kenya 2–3 Nigeria

AFCON 2010 And World Cup 2010 2nd Round Qualifiers
Nigeria 2 – 0 South Africa
Sierra Leone 0 – 1 Nigeria
Equatorial Guinea 0 – 1 Nigeria‎
Nigeria 2 – 0 Equatorial Guinea
South Africa 0 – 1 Nigeria
Nigeria 4 – 1 Sierra Leone
Notes on the tie-breaking situation:
South Africa and Sierra Leone are ranked by their overall goal difference.
Note: South Africa were automatically qualified as hosts of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. However, they were subject to the same rules as other nations for continuation to the next stage of the qualifiers. Failure to advance from this group eliminated them from the qualifiers for the 2010 African Cup of Nations.

Road to Brazil 2014
(knockout format):
1st leg: Ethiopia 1–2 Nigeria
2nd leg: Nigeria 2–0 Ethiopia
Nigeria 1–0 Namibia
Malawi 1–1 Nigeria
Nigeria 1–1 Kenya
Kenya 0–1 Nigeria
Namibia 1–1 Nigeria
Nigeria 2–0 Malawi

Road To Russia 2018
2nd round qualification series:
Swaziland 0 Vs 0 Nigeria
Nigeria 2 Vs 0 Swaziland
3rd round qualification series:
Zambia 1 Vs 2 Nigeria
Nigeria 3 Vs 1 Algeria
Nigeria 4 Vs 0 Cameroon

Read More