International Football

Champion League Chase, Keeps Olarenwaju from Corsica Match

Published

7 years ago

May 19, 2017

BY WALE AJAYI

The UEFA champions’ league spot chasing Austria Wien is responsible for the recent substitution of Kayode Olarenwaju in the list of players called up by Nigeria for the friendly matches with Corsica and Togo.

The top scoring Olarenwaju in the Austrian league has only been capped once by Nigeria and will be missing what could have been his second Grade A cap when Nigeria face Togo early in June.

Sports Village Square gathered that the player who is also gunning for the top scorer’s award in the Austrian Bundesliga was excused from the proposed friendly games to enable him spearhead the attack line of his club, FK Austria Wien in the final league games of the season.

In his place, the Super Eagles’ technical crew called up KAS Eupen of Belgium top marksman, Henry Onyekuru, late on Thursday.

Kayode told Sports Village Square that he had already given the Super Eagles’ coaches his words regarding his availability for the friendlies after discussion with his club’s management but recent developments in the league which now sees Austria Wien sit in second place with 60 points, twelve behind table toppers Salzburg FC, and just three points ahead of third placed Sturm Graz, explains why it has become very important for him to help the club in their last few games of the season.

This Saturday, Wien will visit Wolfsberger AC while on Thursday they will host league champions, Salzburg in Vienna. Victory in both games will all but guarantee automatic qualification for the UEFA champions league, a competition that means so much to the Vienna based club.

After that match, Austria Wien will visit Admira FC in their very last match of the season on Sunday May 28. The result of the Admira game will be inconsequential so long as they win the games with Wolfsberger AC and Salzburg.

Kayode who has already scored 16 league goals and have eight assists to his name this season, holds the ace to Austria Wien’s champions’ league ambition.

No wonder the club pleaded that the former Maccabi Natanya FC of Israel striker be allowed to play at least, their last two matches of the season before he is released to honour Super Eagles’ assignments.

“I was not dropped he told Sports Village Square in a telephone conversation on Thursday night after his name was conspicuously missing from the delegation that will travel to the little French region of Corsica before returning to Paris for the match with Togo.

“I spoke with Tunde Adelakun a close confidant to the coach who told me to join up with the team when I am through with club commitments.

“My club needs me to score the goals that will guarantee UEFA Champions League qualification and they are saying the friendly games are not on a FIFA free window so I cannot compel them to release me.

“I really want to wear the Super Eagles jersey again after my London experience and am confident, based on assurances from Tunde Adelakun that my name will be on the list that will tackle South Africa on June 10.

“I will like to use this medium to thank the national team handlers for believing in me and for counting me worthy. I promise that if given another chance, I will deliver the goals.

“My dream is to help Nigeria qualify for the World Cup in Russia and the Nations cup in Cameroon. Am very confident both objectives are achievable that’s is why I want to give it my all he concluded”

Kayode is currently joint top scorer of the Austrian Bundesliga on 16 league goals from 33 matches with Deni Alar of Sturm Graz and he is on track to be voted the most valuable player of the club at the season ending gala night event

International Football

Grudgingly, Eto’o accepts new Cameroon coach Brys, but fails to attend ceremony

Published

1 week ago

April 9, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Cameroon’s new coach Marc Brys penned a contract on Monday but the Belgian’s appointment by the government remains contentious as the football federation did not attend the signing ceremony.

Brys has been handed a 2-1/2-year contract by Cameroon’s sports ministry but the federation (FECAFOOT) was conspicuous by its absence at the event in Yaounde.

Last week, FECAFOOT criticised the unilateral decision of sports minister Narcisse Mouelle Kombito to appoint the 61-year-old Brys, who has no prior experience as a national team coach and has not previously worked on the African continent.

FECAFOOT president Samuel Eto’o issued a statement on Monday, excusing himself from the unveiling event.

“We thank you for inviting us to the ceremony. Following this, we inform you of the fact that we received the letter two hours before the said ceremony,” wrote Eto’o.

“Unfortunately, we are busy organising the funeral of our late Dad, and for this reason we will not be able to attend presence at the ceremony.”

His father’s funeral is to be held at the weekend.

Eto’o balked at Brys’ appointment and is now in a deepening standoff with the minister.

In Cameroon, the government has long paid the salary of the national team coach and therefore held powerful sway over FECAFOOT’s affairs, even if such state interference is frowned upon by world football’s governing body FIFA.

Any heightened dispute risks a potential ban from international competition for Cameroon, one of the heavyweights of African football.

FECAFOOT held an emergency meeting on Saturday and asked Eto’o to propose an alternative coach for the national team.

Earlier on the weekend, the minister had defended the appointment, saying he had acted in accordance with national and international regulations.

In a letter to FECAFOOT, Kombi said his ministry’s appointment of coaching staff “in no way affects the autonomy of FECAFOOT and does not violate any of the ‘supranational regulations”.

He said FECAFOOT had suggested three candidates to the ministry but their salary demands ranged between 1.5 million euros and 2.5 million euros ($1.63 million and $2.71 million) per year.

“These are excessive amounts never paid to any coach in the history of the Indomitable Lions,” Kombi said.

-Reuters

International Football

Cameroon FA to propose national coach after emergency meeting –

Published

1 week ago

April 6, 2024

Kunle Solaja

BREAKING! Turmoil In Cameroon Federation Over Naming Of New National Coach Brys -

Cameroon’s football federation (FECAFOOT) held an emergency meeting on Saturday and asked its president to propose an alternative coach for the national team, deepening a standoff with the sports ministry.

FECAFOOT on Wednesday accused the ministry of unilaterally appointing Belgian Marc Brys as coach and other staff to manage the Indomitable Lions, who are five-times African champions.

The dispute risks a potential ban from international competition as world soccer’s governing body FIFA has strict rules against government interference in national federations.

In a statement, FECAFOOT said its emergency committee had met on Saturday and unanimously confirmed that the federation had not been involved in the appointments in alleged contravention of regulations.

As a result, it asked its president Samuel Eto’o to propose a national coach and other management staff for the national side within 72 hours.

Responding to a request for comment, a spokesperson for the ministry said the result of the FECAFOOT meeting was “an appeal. It is not yet a decision.”

On Friday, Sports Minister Narcisse Mouelle Kombi wrote to FECAFOOT to defend the coaching appointments, which he said were in accordance with national and international rules.

In a letter seen by Reuters, Kombi said the ministry’s move “in no way affects the autonomy of FECAFOOT and does not violate any of the ‘supranational regulations’.”

A spokesperson for the ministry confirmed the authenticity of the letter.

Kombi’s letter also said the salaries requested by three candidates earlier proposed by the federation for the position of coach ranged between 1.5 million euros ($1.6 million) and 2.5 million euros per year.

“These are excessive amounts never paid to any coach in the history of the Indomitable Lions,” Kombi said.

FECAFOOT did not respond to a request for comment on the letter.

-Reuters

RELATED STORIES:

BREAKING! Turmoil in Cameroon federation over naming of new national coach Brys. https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/2024/04/03/breaking-turmoil-in-cameroon-federation-over-naming-of-new-national-coach-brys/

Soccer Cameroon appoint Brys as new head coach https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/2024/04/03/soccer-cameroon-appoint-brys-as-new-head-coach/

International Football

National team and club-mate Owolabi commiserates with grief-stricken Odegbami –

Published

2 weeks ago

April 4, 2024

Kunle Solaja

National team and club-mate Owolabi commiserates with grief-stricken Odegbami -

Powerful left-wing back in his playing days, Felix Owolabi has expressed great grief over the loss of a son of former teammate, Segun Odegbami.

Both Felix Owolabi and Odegbami share common traits as the earliest tertiary institution footballers featuring for clubs and the national team.

While Odegbami was a mechanical engineering student at The Ibadan Polytechnic, Owolabi was an undergraduate at the University of Lagos.

Both were players of the then rampaging IICC Shooting Stars and the Africa Cup of Nations winning team of 1980. The crucial goals that won the cup for Nigeria were scored by the duo.

While Owolabi’s goal against Morocco sent Nigeria to the Africa Cup of Nations final match for the first time, Odegbami’s two goals in the final against Algeria put a stamp of definity to Nigeria’s victory before another club-mate Muda Lawal put in the third.

“We have come a long way”, remarked Owolabi in a message to the Sports Village Square Thursday morning.

“I have just arrived from Morocco on a national assignment trying to adjust and deal with the extreme and gruelling hot weather here in Nigeria when I got the sad news of the sudden death of the son of my dear brother and senior colleague Dr Olusegun Odegbami.

“Hearing the death of Oluwagbeminiyi Omo Odegbami, I paused for a moment and did not know what to say.

“All the media both print and electronics carried it as a breaking news.

“And that was when it dawned on me that I had to call ‘Big Sheg’ as he is fondly called by me.

“His authoritative confirmation about it dealt a blow on me and put me total darkness.What would have happened to this our vibrant and such an enterprising Oluwagbeminiyi?

“Why would death be so so wicked to suddenly take this gentleman away from us without notice. Going on a journey that he will need not to look at anybody, an eternal journey till Christ come.

“My heart and that of my entire family are with you and the rest of the family”, remarked Owolabi.

“It is well. I pray that God grant him eternal rest. I pray also that the almighty God grant you the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. Today the death of Oluwagbeminiyi has made me to believe and conclude that death is real and it is universal