Nigerian Football
A battle of the Alex (es): Iwobi Faces Stiff Challenge, as Arsenal Signs Lacazette
BY BOLAJI OKUNOLA.
Arsenal forward and CAF 2016 young player of the year, Alex Iwobi of Nigeria might face stiff challenges in the new season that opens next month due to the signing of €52.7million Alexandre Lacazette from Olympique Lyonnaise.
Sports Village Square gathered from Arsenal TV that team manager, Arsene Wenger said that the signing of Lacazette would bring the best out of his club attackers.
Wenger however made it known that it will be difficult for an uninformed player who hasn’t been a regular to make his attacking list in the forthcoming season.
That remark is unlikely to favour the Super Eagles’ player who only featured mostly during the first stanza of previous season.
Iwobi was however not in training at their training base at London Colney as at Tuesday as he had been given extra days off because he was on international duties immediately after last season.
The 21-year old has started thinking about next season already as he took to his instagram account to share a photo of him in the new Arsenal shirt.
The club whose aim is to build strong attack around new signing Lacazette will throw options open for the coach among the likes of Iwobi, Alexis Sanchez, Oliver Gerioud, Danny Welbeck, Metsut Ozil, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain and host of others as Arsenal set for Australia on Thursday on pre season tour.
The team will then travel to China where they will face Bayern Munich and Chelsea.
Their annual Emirate Cup will be next before their season’s opener against Chelsea on Sunday, August 6 in the community Shield.
Remo Stars on Saturday made it two straight wins in the Nigeria Premier League after labouring to a 1-0 defeat of Sunshine Stars of Akure to follow-up their last weekend 2-0 away win over Abia Warriors.
On Saturday, under eight minutes they shot ahead through Shuaibu Ibrahim. That was where the story ended as Sunshine Stars came up strongly and almost stalemated scores.
The win, though narrow, is enough to temporarily take Remo Stars to the top of the log after two games.
They are followed by Rivers United who beat Heartland 3-1. It is the second consecutive 3-1 loss that Heartland are getting in the two-week old season.
The situation could change on Sunday when other matches are played.
On the card are: Akwa United hosting Abia Warriors while Kano Pillars will be away to Bayelsa United.
Katsina United host Bendel Insurance and Niger Tornadoes will be home to Nasarawa United. Shooting Stars will host Plateau United.
BY KUNLE SOLAJA, who was in Arnhem, Netherlands.
Former Nigeria manager, Clemens Westerhof has recommended one of his former players, Samson Siasia as the substantial coach for the Super Eagles.
Siasia was one of his players of the famed golden generation of the Super Eagles.
“I called him last month to greet him for his birthday and also to celebrate with him for the end of his five-year ban”, Westerhof told Sports Village Square at his house in Arnhem in the Netherlands.
According to him, Siasia is just like Keshi and that he has the capacity to turn the Super Eagles around for the better. Westerhof, the author of the famed ‘Golden Generation’ of the Super Eagles made his suggestion shortly after Germany’s Bruce Labbadia turned down the Nigerian job offer.
Westerhof remarked that he was surprised about the choice of Labbadia in the first instance and that the now Mali coach, Tom Saintfiet who is his friend could have been a better choice.
Saintfiet, a Belgian, was speculated among the coaches initially short-listed for the Super Eagles’ job. But Westerhof, before the naming of Austin Eguavoen, another member of his famous 1994 squad, strongly back Siasia for the job.
He remarked that he was in touch with the former striker as well as Austin Okocha whom he met with in London recently.
To Westerhof, Siasia has the same quality like Stephen Keshi to handle the Super Eagles. “He has done it before and I think he can still do it.”
The balls hit the nets 17 times this Sunday as the Nigeria Premier League Season 2024/25 burst into life this Sunday.
The first of the goals was from Plateau United’s Olawale Doyeni who converted a 24th minute penalty kick against Katsina United in an eventual 1-0 home win.
Another star-man of the the day is Enyimba’s Clinton Jephta who has become the season’s first hat-trickster. His three goals in the 65th , 70th and 73rd minutes sank heartland 3-1 in their home match.
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