Must-win match in Monrovia
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- Category: Shot
- Written by AMINU MAIGARI
- Hits: 700
Ahead of today’s 2013 African Nations Cup qualifying match between the Super Eagles and Liberia in Monrovia, President Goodluck Jonathan (GCFR) spoke to Coach Stephen Keshi on phone and told him the importance of winning the match for Nigeria and Nigerians. Keshi told me and I was truly delighted.
Over the past weeks, I have spoken at length with the Honourable Minister/Chairman, National Sports Commission, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi and the Director General, NSC, Chief (Dr) Patrick Ekeji. I have also spoken with Coach Keshi and Captain Joseph Yobo and I am happy to report that we are all on the same page as far as this crucial match is concerned.In years gone by, a qualifying match against Liberia would not have necessitated so much preparation. But as we continue to point out week after week, football has changed drastically and dramatically and the pompous go home every weekend with a swollen face. We don’t want any such unhealthy surprises.
Failure to qualify for the 2012 African Cup of Nations has taught Nigeria football and its administrators a hard lesson. Never again will any competitive match will be considered won until after the game. This way, we are able to prepare harder and better and avoid sucker punches.
For those who continue to remember only the friendly match in which the Super Eagles thrashed the Liberians 2-0 in February this year, let me say that in competitive games, Liberia has always provided stiff and stubborn opposition to Nigeria.
Our Football Ambassador will remember very well how Liberia nearly toppled Nigeria in the qualification race for the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals. Lumped in the same pool with Liberia, Sierra Leone and Sudan, the Eagles travelled to Monrovia with so much pomp and conceit only to come crashing down to earth – they lost 1-2.
Another loss to Sierra Leone in Freetown cost Dutchman Johannes Bonfrere his job and meant the new Coaches Amodu Shuaibu and Stephen Keshi had to plot strategy for outright wins in the remaining three matches, one away to Sudan. They succeeded, and that was why we qualified for the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals.
It is another day, another climate and another event altogether, with a new temperament. Qualification for the 2013 African Cup of Nations in South Africa is the debate, and to the very best of my knowledge, when the Super Eagles know they have a job to do, they go about doing it with commitment and passion.
When they had to do it against Algeria in October 1993, to qualify for their first-ever FIFA World Cup finals, they did it. And Stephen Keshi led the charge as Captain. When they had to qualify for the 1994 African Cup of Nations, in a difficult penultimate match of the series in Uganda in 1993, they did it, and Keshi was involved. When they had to beat Zambia in Tunis in April 1994 to lift their first Cup of Nations title on away soil, they did it, and Keshi was Captain. When they had to beat Liberia, Sudan and Sierra Leone in their last three matches of the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals, they did it, and Keshi was involved as Assistant Coach.
I also remember that on a very difficult day in Nairobi in November 2009, when the Super Eagles needed to beat Kenya’s Harambee Stars to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals, they did it.
This is not to say that the team has to under-rate its opponents in today’s match. Before the trip to Monrovia on Friday, i noticed the seriousness in everyone – NFF officials, players, technical officials and backroom staff. This is one match that must be approached with a tough mentality, and a win is crucial in order to render the return leg, in Calabar in five weeks’ time, no more than a formality.
It is time to start making statements about the desire of Nigeria to return to the top table of the international game and a win in Monrovia this evening is critical to that objective.
Over to you, Super Eagles.
New Steps In Niamey...
I was excited about the Golden Eaglets’ 5-0 and 3-0 poundings of the U-17 National Team of Rwanda in a two-match friendly series in Calabar last week. I was also very excited about the expressed determination of the Head Coach, Manu Garba to, not only present the youngest set of Golden Eaglets ever to represent Nigeria, but also to present the best and most exciting.
It was also interesting to read the desire of the new bunch of Eaglets to be known and addressed as New Nigeria Golden Eaglets, all documents remaining valid!
However, it will only become fulfilling when the team starts winning matches. In the past few weeks, I have been wanting to write on the essence of the MRI tests conducted on the players and the policy thrust thereafter. I will certainly do this next week.
Opportunity knocks hard for the Golden Eaglets to start making their case in high notes when they take on the U-17 Team of Niger in a 2013 African U-17 Championship first round, first leg match in Niamey this weekend.
The only desired outcome by Nigerians is for the Class of 2012 to win and win well, so that palpitations would be non-existent ahead of the return leg in Calabar in two weeks’ time.
We all remember bitterly how the 2009 and 2011 teams failed to qualify for the African u-17 Championship. Yes, the age grade tournaments are developmental, but for our country, three –time winners of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, to fail to qualify for the continental competition TWICE in a row is nothing but disaster.
That was why the NFF decided to take a new approach – ensure that only boys truly of the age are brought together and that the important MRI examination is conducted on all players. That done, the team would serve the purpose of the competition in all aspects, with the potential to graduate steadily until they form the nucleus of the Senior National Team. This is the biggest single goal of age grade championships.
Bidding for Bronze...
I salute the players and officials of the U-20 Women National Team for fighting hard and reaching the semi finals of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup ending in Japan today.
The Falconets did well to top their group with seven points, beating a very good Korean team that has pedigree, and the bulk of which won the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago in 2010; drew with a capable Brazilian side and; excelled against a marvellous Italian side. They also defeated a Mexican team that was as tough as they come.
Defeat against the Americans was not what they planned for, but it is football and we still must give credit to the girls for their commitment and patriotic fervour.
As they go up against the host nation for in today’s bronze medal match, I am confident they will come good and do Nigeria proud.
Go, go, girls.
Aminiya
Must-win match in Monrovia
Category: Shot Written by AMINU MAIGARI Hits: 700
Ahead of today’s 2013 African Nations Cup qualifying match between the Super Eagles and Liberia in Monrovia, President Goodluck Jonathan (GCFR) spoke to Coach Stephen Keshi on phone and told him the importance of winning the match for Nigeria and Nigerians. Keshi told me and I was truly delighted.
Over the past weeks, I have spoken at length with the Honourable Minister/Chairman, National Sports Commission, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi and the Director General, NSC, Chief (Dr) Patrick Ekeji. I have also spoken with Coach Keshi and Captain Joseph Yobo and I am happy to report that we are all on the same page as far as this crucial match is concerned.In years gone by, a qualifying match against Liberia would not have necessitated so much preparation. But as we continue to point out week after week, football has changed drastically and dramatically and the pompous go home every weekend with a swollen face. We don’t want any such unhealthy surprises.
Failure to qualify for the 2012 African Cup of Nations has taught Nigeria football and its administrators a hard lesson. Never again will any competitive match will be considered won until after the game. This way, we are able to prepare harder and better and avoid sucker punches.
For those who continue to remember only the friendly match in which the Super Eagles thrashed the Liberians 2-0 in February this year, let me say that in competitive games, Liberia has always provided stiff and stubborn opposition to Nigeria.
Our Football Ambassador will remember very well how Liberia nearly toppled Nigeria in the qualification race for the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals. Lumped in the same pool with Liberia, Sierra Leone and Sudan, the Eagles travelled to Monrovia with so much pomp and conceit only to come crashing down to earth – they lost 1-2.
Another loss to Sierra Leone in Freetown cost Dutchman Johannes Bonfrere his job and meant the new Coaches Amodu Shuaibu and Stephen Keshi had to plot strategy for outright wins in the remaining three matches, one away to Sudan. They succeeded, and that was why we qualified for the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals.
It is another day, another climate and another event altogether, with a new temperament. Qualification for the 2013 African Cup of Nations in South Africa is the debate, and to the very best of my knowledge, when the Super Eagles know they have a job to do, they go about doing it with commitment and passion.
When they had to do it against Algeria in October 1993, to qualify for their first-ever FIFA World Cup finals, they did it. And Stephen Keshi led the charge as Captain. When they had to qualify for the 1994 African Cup of Nations, in a difficult penultimate match of the series in Uganda in 1993, they did it, and Keshi was involved. When they had to beat Zambia in Tunis in April 1994 to lift their first Cup of Nations title on away soil, they did it, and Keshi was Captain. When they had to beat Liberia, Sudan and Sierra Leone in their last three matches of the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals, they did it, and Keshi was involved as Assistant Coach.
I also remember that on a very difficult day in Nairobi in November 2009, when the Super Eagles needed to beat Kenya’s Harambee Stars to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals, they did it.
This is not to say that the team has to under-rate its opponents in today’s match. Before the trip to Monrovia on Friday, i noticed the seriousness in everyone – NFF officials, players, technical officials and backroom staff. This is one match that must be approached with a tough mentality, and a win is crucial in order to render the return leg, in Calabar in five weeks’ time, no more than a formality.
It is time to start making statements about the desire of Nigeria to return to the top table of the international game and a win in Monrovia this evening is critical to that objective.
Over to you, Super Eagles.
New Steps In Niamey...
I was excited about the Golden Eaglets’ 5-0 and 3-0 poundings of the U-17 National Team of Rwanda in a two-match friendly series in Calabar last week. I was also very excited about the expressed determination of the Head Coach, Manu Garba to, not only present the youngest set of Golden Eaglets ever to represent Nigeria, but also to present the best and most exciting.
It was also interesting to read the desire of the new bunch of Eaglets to be known and addressed as New Nigeria Golden Eaglets, all documents remaining valid!
However, it will only become fulfilling when the team starts winning matches. In the past few weeks, I have been wanting to write on the essence of the MRI tests conducted on the players and the policy thrust thereafter. I will certainly do this next week.
Opportunity knocks hard for the Golden Eaglets to start making their case in high notes when they take on the U-17 Team of Niger in a 2013 African U-17 Championship first round, first leg match in Niamey this weekend.
The only desired outcome by Nigerians is for the Class of 2012 to win and win well, so that palpitations would be non-existent ahead of the return leg in Calabar in two weeks’ time.
We all remember bitterly how the 2009 and 2011 teams failed to qualify for the African u-17 Championship. Yes, the age grade tournaments are developmental, but for our country, three –time winners of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, to fail to qualify for the continental competition TWICE in a row is nothing but disaster.
That was why the NFF decided to take a new approach – ensure that only boys truly of the age are brought together and that the important MRI examination is conducted on all players. That done, the team would serve the purpose of the competition in all aspects, with the potential to graduate steadily until they form the nucleus of the Senior National Team. This is the biggest single goal of age grade championships.
Bidding for Bronze...
I salute the players and officials of the U-20 Women National Team for fighting hard and reaching the semi finals of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup ending in Japan today.
The Falconets did well to top their group with seven points, beating a very good Korean team that has pedigree, and the bulk of which won the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago in 2010; drew with a capable Brazilian side and; excelled against a marvellous Italian side. They also defeated a Mexican team that was as tough as they come.
Defeat against the Americans was not what they planned for, but it is football and we still must give credit to the girls for their commitment and patriotic fervour.
As they go up against the host nation for in today’s bronze medal match, I am confident they will come good and do Nigeria proud.
Go, go, girls.