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January 5th, 2008 | By: Emmanuel | 22 Comments »

This world cup blog impresses me in a way many others have failed to. Most foreign writers are fond of making comments on African/Nigerian issues despite the fact they are not qualified to. Especially when football development is considered and. In my view none have been able to paint the vivid picture of the real issues. So to an extent, the World Club Blog sets a good example by leaving this task to those who are on ground in the countries concerned. Again I was also unimpressed that the blog on the power house of African football (Nigeria) was the least active. I am therefore glad to be here and to assure all fans of Nigerian Football that we are about to bring the excitement we are known for right into this blog. From Ghana 2008 through 2010 world cup in South Africa and maybe beyond we’ll have to see how things play out in Nigerian football and on this blog.
Now to the issues on ground. The super Eagles Camp in Malaga has Opened and the home based Eagles were billed to have arrived Camp on Thursday Jan 3rd 2007 while the foreign based legion were to follow suit next day. As I write this piece, information filtered to us yesterday that key players of the team will not arrive until maybe next week. Kanu Nwankwo and John Utaka has been held back by Redknap for this weekend’s games while Sam Allardyce too won’t let Obafemi Martins join his colleges until after the game with Manchester United.
These are key players and our problem is that, such delays in the past have proved disastrous to team fluidity even when we had had very good players. What is different now is that unlike the usual Nigerian team, we are dominated in the midfield these days due to lack of capable players in this department and Nigerians were hoping that if the team arrive camp early enough training together just might solve some of the teams problem.
While other countries are insisting on getting their players on time the Nigerian Football Association went into an agreement with these Clubs consenting to let the players stay with their teams over the weekend, yet we all want to win in Ghana 2008. It should be noted that only the cup will be accepted by Nigerians as we are all tired of winning Silver and Bronze. The Coach Berti Vogts should be allowed to run his team the way he knows best because he’ll be the only one responsible for the team’s success or failure.
Many years ago we were almost always certain of doing well in Africa’s Most Prestigious Football Competition. However, we now have teams like Mali, Cote D’voire, and Senegal who are joining Ghana, Cameroon and Egypt to challenge us for the title. All these teams are favourites with Ghana and Cote D’voire set to be the greatest obstacles on our way to winning this championship. This time the team has to be serious. It is set to be more difficult than it has ever been.

Emmanuel Ekanem Is the webmaster and admin of Naija Football Fans Froum

Tags: Team News

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Comments

By Brad | January 5th, 2008 at 1:26 pm

Welcome aboard Emmanuel. I look forward to reading your stuff and keeping up to date on Nigerian football. You can find me over at the Togo blog.

Posted from Canada

By Emmanuel | January 5th, 2008 at 3:19 pm

Thanks Brad. I hope to enjoy every bit of this new experience.

Posted from United States

By Sooz | January 6th, 2008 at 12:17 pm

Emmanuel-
I have been wondering why Ezekiel Bala is not playing? Age? Contract? I watched him play here in Victoria at the U20 games where I had a seat in the middle of the Nigerian section, which was incredible with energy and full of volume. Nigerian fans rocked sleepy, stodgy old Victorians off their butts. It was wonderful. I believe that Bala, who I met later, is a jewel of a striker. He is smart, quick, sees the opportunities clearly, claims a beautiful finish, and someone I gained immediate respect for.

Posted from Canada

By emmanuel | January 6th, 2008 at 2:32 pm

Well Sooz,

Vogts dosen’t seem to think Bala is ready for the Senior team yet. Some of us here have been growing gray hairs following perceived inefficiencies in certain departments of the super Eagles team.
Most of us think atleast Rabiu should have been invited to the team ealier than now. Unfortunately the lad has just been invited and untested. For Bala, he sure will have to wait for another time. For me the current squad is already saturated.

Posted from United States

By Sooz | January 6th, 2008 at 3:40 pm

Bala perhaps has too much excitement in his young bones yet to be on the pitch with men with more experience. the Ivory Coast games are going to be so good to watch. when you talk about saturation, both are ready to explode with talent. the players are going to enjoy this test, which is one of the best things I see.

I just wish I could be there to watch these games.

Posted from Canada

By Emmanuel | January 7th, 2008 at 11:24 am

I have my doubts about the super Eagles ability but if they can defeat Ivory Coast, It will be difficult to stop us from winning the title.

Posted from United States

By Sooz | January 9th, 2008 at 2:19 am

This is crazy:

Nigerian TV may lose Nations Cup

The Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) says the company that owns the rights wants 3m euros ($4.4m).

More than 30% of Africa’s TV audience for football is in Nigeria, BON says.

The group says it can only offer 1.25m euros ($1.8m) for the rights.

“They said our offer was not acceptable, so we said: ‘Fine, you can go and set up a TV channel in two weeks, we won’t deal with you’,” Bon chairman Abubakar Jijiwa told the BBC Focus on Africa programme.

Many Nigerians fanatically follow their national team, the Super Eagles, and the country is the most populous in Africa. “If you want to ignore Nigeria, good luck to you,” Mr Jijiwa said.

Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2008/01/08 18:33:26 GMT

Posted from Canada

By EnuguRangersFan | January 11th, 2008 at 4:20 pm

I just read where certain players were left off Nigeria’s final 23 man roster for the Cup of Nations. Unfortunately the writer chose to mention the 2 to 3 players that were left out without telling us who is in the final roster.

Does anyone know?

Posted from United States

By EnuguRangersFan | January 11th, 2008 at 4:51 pm

Reuters - 57 minutes ago Goalkeepers: Dele Aiyenugba , Austin Ejide , Vincent Enyeama (Hapoel Tel Aviv, Israel) - LAGOS - Nigeria coach Berti Vogts named a record nine English-based players in his 23-man squad on Friday for this month’s African Nations Cup finals in Ghana.

The were no major surprises in the list of players released by the Nigerian Football Association for the tournament.

Portsmouth striker Nwankwo Kanu is the longest serving squad member after being included for his fifth Nations Cup finals.

He is joined by his club team mate John Utaka, the Everton pair Yakubu Aiyegbeni and Joseph Yobo, Dickson Etuhu of Sunderland, Newcastle United striker Obafemi Martins and Chelsea’s John Obi Mikel from the Premier League.

From the Championship , Vogts selected Danny Shittu of Watford and Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Seyi Olofinjana.

Forward Mannasseh Ishiaku of German club MSV Duisburg was left out despite scoring in a warm-up international against Sudan on Wednesday.

Nigeria, among the pre-tournament favourites, meet the Ivory Coast in their opening Group B match in Sekondi on January 21 and will also face Mali and Benin in their first phase matches.

Senegal had six English-based players in their squad for the last Nations Cup finals in Egypt in 2006 and have named seven for the finals in Ghana which run from January 20 to February 10.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Dele Aiyenugba , Austin Ejide , Vincent Enyeama (Hapoel Tel Aviv, Israel)

Defenders: Rabiu Afolabi , Onyekachi Apam , Obinna Nwaneri , Taye Taiwo , Joseph Yobo ,

Midfielders: Richard Eromoigbe , Dickson Etuhu , Onyekachi Okonkwo , Seyi Olofinjana

Forwards: Yakubu Aiyegbeni , Nwankwo Kanu , Obafemi Martins , Peter Odemwingie .

Posted from United States

By EnuguRangersFan | January 11th, 2008 at 5:05 pm

Sorry to take up space but here’s a complete list.

Nigeria squad

Goalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama (Hapoel Tel Aviv, Israel), Austin Ejide (Bastia, France), Dele Aiyenugba (Bnei-Yehuda, Israel)

Defenders: Onyekachi Apam (Nice, France), Taye Taiwo (Marseille, France), Joseph Yobo (Everton, England), Obinna Nwaneri (FC Sion, Switzerland), Danny Shittu (Watford, England), Rabiu Afolabi (Sochaux, France), Ifeanyi Emeghara (Steua Bucharest, Romania), Richard Eromoigbe (Levski Sofiaj, Bulgaria)

Midfielders: Mikel Obi (Chelsea, England), Seyi Olofinjana (Wolverhampton, England), Onyekachi Okonkwo (FC Zurich, Switzerland), Dickson Etuhu (Sunderland, England)

Strikers: Ikechukwu Uche (Getafe, Spain), Obinna Nsofor (Chievo Verona, Italy), Osaze Odemwingie (Lokomotiv Moscow, Russia), John Utaka, Nwankwo Kanu (both Portsmouth, England), Obafemi Martins (Newcastle, England), Ayodele Makinwa (Lazio, Italy), Yakubu Aiyegbeni (Everton, England)

Posted from United States

By Emmanuel | January 12th, 2008 at 7:44 am

Thanks EnuguRangersFan for your effort. I am not surprised. I had even thought we’ll be seeing six strikers but it has turn out to be 8. What a team.

Posted from United States

By iiRepNigeria | January 13th, 2008 at 12:07 pm

super eagles gogogogo!

Posted from United Kingdom

By diana | January 13th, 2008 at 11:37 pm

that’s looks so go o d

Posted from China

By Nana Yaw (ghana) | January 14th, 2008 at 10:43 am

Any update on the Ghana 2008 broadcasting right issue?

Nigerian football fans face the prospect of not being able to see their team playing in the forthcoming African Cup of Nations.
Nigerian broadcasters say they cannot afford to buy the rights to the tournament, which starts in two weeks’ time in Ghana.
The Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) says the company that owns the rights wants 3m euros ($4.4m).
More than 30% of Africa’s TV audience for football is in Nigeria, BON says.
The group says it can only offer 1.25m euros ($1.8m) for the rights.
“They said our offer was not acceptable, so we said: ‘Fine, you can go and set up a TV channel in two weeks, we won’t deal with you’,” Bon chairman Abubakar Jijiwa told the BBC Focus on Africa programme.
Many Nigerians fanatically follow their national team, the Super Eagles, and the country is the most populous in Africa. “If you want to ignore Nigeria, good luck to you,” Mr Jijiwa said.

Posted from Belgium

By NAIJA NA WA WOOOOO | January 14th, 2008 at 1:43 pm

i wonder why NFA did not announce the team tha will face Nations Cup, i think there may be a little problem b/win the Choach and other officials.
i pls begged them to do someting concernnig their problem, and we will like them to announce to us the Team List

By justin mace | January 14th, 2008 at 5:26 pm

this is not rigth. one of the most important job in football is the mildfield part, you cant ask a striker to do a mildfielders job
and we dont expect mikel obi to do much his gone all haywire in the english league . my bet is tht he will be the first person to get sent off
so what am saying is tht we should get a proper mildfielder or just call back okocha

By benin | January 20th, 2008 at 9:54 pm

Nana Yaw, Nigeria purchased the tv rights and are watching tv from Nigeria and on the web too. One of the websites that the games may be viewed on is http://tv.africanpath.com

Also, what did you think about Ghana’s win over Guinea? Some Ghanaian fans in Accra were upset that the ball kept hitting the post and others felt that the team will have to do much better against someone like Nigeria or Cote d’ Ivoire or Cameroon…

Posted from United States

By Emmanuel | January 21st, 2008 at 4:51 am

Ghana did very well and deserved the win. However i also think Guinea deserved at least a point from the encounter.

Posted from United States

By Eagle Watcher | January 22nd, 2008 at 3:32 am

Post game comment. It seems Eagles have not solved the perennial problem of a leaky defense. I watched with utter dismay as Salomon Kalou waltz thru four defenders and struck goal with supreme audacity. Let’s give the young man his due for superb performance but the eagles?

Players stood around with no purpose and focus. They allowed so much comfort space to the opponent. I ask, why should the eagles congregate in their own 18. I see that as submission. When a team plays such passive and regressive football,it surely can’t win the big ones.

They need to address these issues. Play tight defense. Separate when in attack mode, converge and mark closely when not in possesion. Close marking allows a player to fight for a every ball without infraction. Good timing is every thing. The old football maxim still holds true, the man without the ball is the most dangerous. These guys are all pros, they should know this fundamentals.

Next,secure the mid field at all times. Man this position with a brilliant ball distibutor and defense minded focus. This will give the team constant attack potential and force the opponent to be on the defensive. Constant attack pressure will yield goals. Can’t win without goals. For heaven sake, Eagles should avoid clustering infront of their own goal except in set piece situations. This just blinds the goalie and gives little reaction time. I played goalie in my days and I would not allow defenders to be idle around my zone.

All right, so Im an arm chair coach. But my friends, something has to be done. We have too much talent not bag this thing. We have starved for too long now. What do you think?

By Eddy | January 22nd, 2008 at 4:46 am

I could not believe what i saw yesterday.Nigerian attackers were completely wasteful with series of chances,they would have completely buried the Ivorians.
They have a lot of work to do now,especially with the defence.

Posted from Rwanda

By Gambia Football Supermarket | February 1st, 2008 at 9:28 pm

Nigerian Footbal? It’s not easy

Posted from United Kingdom

By onward austin | February 8th, 2008 at 6:10 pm

my friend nigeria is a country people always want to play with or beat despite all the hulla ballu vogts is a go coach but needs time plz samson siasia and engoaven should go and handle othe teams plz vogts did not ruin our games but super eagles did especially nwaneri and taye
we will do better next time , our local legue can not face this magnitude of competition please local players are good but no good trainers, pitch, and facilities VOGTS IS NOT OUR PROBLEMS

ONWARD AUSTIN
LAGOS

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