AFCON

We want double double – Musa, Omeruo declare –

Published

7 months ago

February 10, 2024

"We Are Here To Win The Trophy" Says Ahmed Musa -

Captain Ahmed Musa and defender Kenneth Omeruo were in the Super Eagles’ squad that last won the Africa Cup of Nations title, back in 2013 in South Africa. They are also in the present squad that is at the cusp of glory in Cote d’Ivoire, with the Final match against the host nation taking place on Sunday night at the 60,000 -capacity Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara in Ebimpé.

Forty-eight hours before the match, Musa, who scored against Mali in a 4-1 win for Nigeria in the semi-finals in South Africa 11 years ago, and is Nigeria’s record goalscorer at the FIFA World Cup with four goals, was very relaxed in a brief chat with thenff.com at the team’s Pullman Hotel in the Plateau district of Cote d’Ivoire’s industrial and economic capital.

“It is a feeling you can’t always properly describe. Winning the AFCON and touching the trophy is an unforgettable experience. Omeruo and myself experienced that when we won in South Africa. But I want another one and he also wants another one. The good feeling and experience must be double double.”

Omeruo, also very relaxed and in company with filial relations, corroborated the team leader: “We want that special feeling again – the feeling of being a champion of Africa. We have not gone this far to throw it away now. We have thrown everything into the six matches we have played here. We will give more than 100 percent against the Ivorians on Sunday.”

When Cote d’Ivoire hosted the competition 40 years ago, the Super Eagles also played in the Final match, but against Cameroon. The hosts failed to qualify from the group stage. That was an era when the final competition welcomed only eight teams.

Today, the tournament welcomes 24 teams (nearly half the member federations of CAF), making it a far bigger competition with so much glamour, glitz, grit and plenty of drama.

After a 0-4 trashing by Equatorial Guinea in their final group phase game, many thought the Elephants had been eliminated. But Hakim Ziyech’s goal days later eliminated Zambia and sneaked the Elephants into the knock-out rounds, where they have prospered.

Nigeria’s on-field captain William Ekong says he expects Sunday’s Final between the Eagles and the Elephants to be a classic.

“It will not be a tea party, and we won’t be going out there with a tea cup. We will work hard and fight hard for the trophy.”

JOSÉ PESEIRO ON AHMED MUSA

“Ahmed Musa is special and important to the team. He is my assistant, he advises me, he gives me the necessary support. He is committed in his role and can play. We shall wait and see tomorrow, but we want to win the AFCON for Musa to lift the trophy.”

EMERSE FAE ON THE BIG MATCH

“The fact that Nigeria had beaten us is a good thing because we know whom we are up against. The manner in which we prepare for the match with our players is critical. I think that the Super Eagles and ourselves are at the same level.

“We have a great opportunity tomorrow; we are 90 minutes away from adding a third star to the Ivorian jersey. The teams are on equal footing, psychologically. As the competition has progressed, the Nigerian team has gained strength. We had a very difficult journey at the beginning, but we gained momentum from the round of 16 against Senegal.”

“Like any high-level match, like any final, it will come down to the details. We will be patient. We will not rush. We will focus on starting the match well and be patient in order to unsettle them.”

AFCON

‘Oh Come All Yee Faithful!’, Rev Ikpea calls on football fans to rally round Super Eagles

Published

1 min ago

September 7, 2024

Kunle Solaja

BY JOSEPH ODOEKWU

The National Chairman of the Nigerian Football Supporters Club (NFSC), Rev. Samuel Ikpea has called on all Nigerians to rally round and pray for the Super Eagles ahead of Saturday’s Morocco 2025 AFCON qualifier against Benin Republic in Uyo.

Ikpea who is mobilizing support for the Super Eagles ahead of the clash in Uyo said that whatever Benin Republic come with both spiritually and physically in the game, we will surely overcome them.

“In the NFSC we have Christians, Muslims as well as those who believe in traditional worship and we respect the rights of freedom of worship of every member and all Nigerians.

“When we are faced with this kind of crucial game, we call on everyone to pray through their various believes because we foresee that Benin Republic are most likely coming to fall back on ‘black magic’ to enable them perfect a back-to-back victory over our Super Eagles after beating us 2-1 in our last meeting in a World Cup qualifier”

“We cannot underestimate the efficacy of the black magic” Ikpea further stressed, “but we believe that when we come together we can neutralize it’s efficacy.

“This is no time to sleep, we all have to rally round and do our best to support our Super Eagles because they cannot do it alone without the prayers and support of all Nigerians.

“While charging Nigerians to be positive with the team, we at the NFSC have done everything positive to overturn whatever plans they are coming with and we enjoin everyone to toe that path through prayers”.

Meanwhile, the Super Eagles camp is bubbling with training in Uyo, as team Coach Austin Eguavoen, has been working hard to perfect tactics with the boys and ensure the Super Eagles soar on Saturday.

AFCON

Will Super Eagles regain their winning mentality?

Published

2 hours ago

September 7, 2024

Kunle Solaja

The Super Eagles have not won a qualifying match for any competition since their 6-0 defeat of Principe & Sao Tome on 10^th September 2023 in Uyo. That was their last qualifying match for Cote d’Ivoire 2023 played in 2024.

Since then, they have played four World Cup qualifying matches without a win despite being the overwhelming favourites at those matches.

A forensic analysis of their World Cup qualifying since that of Qatar 2022 will reveal they had played seven consecutive matches without a win starting from their 1-1 home draw with Cape Verde in Lagos which qualified them for the play off. In the play off with Ghana, the Super Eagles drew the two matches.

In the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, they have gone four matches, getting three draws and a loss. The prospect of their getting a straight qualification from the group is doubtful as they have a mountain to climb by winning the remaining six matches, three of which are away duels of which are most likely to be played in South Africa, the home ground of their main rivals.

Zimbabwe and Lesotho play their home matches in South Africa and Nigeria also still have an away duel with Bafana Bafana.

The qualification series of AFCON 2025 presents the Super Eagles a new beginning. Starting from the semi-finals of the AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire, the team has won none of their four competitive matches in regulation time. The players have a date with destiny in Uyo this Saturday to wipe off the sagging image they have had in recent time.

A win will give the team the confidence expected in anticipation for future fixtures.

AFCON

Winning start for holders Cote d’Ivoire in Cup of Nations qualifiers

Published

2 hours ago

September 7, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Cote d’ivoire left it late but still made a winning start to the defence of their Africa Cup of Nations title by beating Zambia 2-0 at home on Friday in their opening qualifier for the 2025 final.

The Ivorians won the last edition on home soil in February and are heavily fancied to be one of the top two finishers in Group G and book a place at the next tournament.

But they had to turn to substitute striker Jean-Philippe Krasso to ensure success, as he came off the bench in Bouake to net twice in the final 16 minutes.

Friday’s round of qualifying matches also saw a win for Morocco, who will host the 2025 finals and are automatically in the 24-team field but still participating in the preliminary competition.

The Democratic Republic of Congo and Egypt were the other former continental champions who got their campaigns off to successful starts.

Four penalties were awarded in the first half of Morocco’s 4-1 win over Gabon in Agadir – two converted for the hosts by Hakim Ziyech but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had his first effort for Gabon saved before netting a second spot kick 24 minutes later for a 2-1 halftime deficit.

Aubameyang also struck the woodwork but a 59th minute goal from Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz and a late effort, from a near impossible angle, from Ayoub El Kaabi ensured a comprehensive 4-1 victory for Morocco.

RACED AWAY

Sadio Mane’s 16th-minute goal handed Senegal the lead in their Group L clash with Burkina Faso. He raced away to score after teammate Nicolas Jackson had stripped the visitors of possession to set Mane away.

But they gave away a late equaliser deep in stoppage time for a 1-1 draw.

Egypt made light work in Cairo of the threat of the Cape Verde Islands, who were the surprise package of the last finals, with Rami Rabia and Omar Marmoush netting in the first half and Ibrahim Adel adding a 70th minute effort for a 3-0 success.

The Congolese edged Guinea 1-0 in Kinshasa with a first half goal from Watford striker Edo Kayembe.

In Johannesburg, South Africa kept up their 26-year unbeaten home record in Cup of Nations qualifiers but only after debutant Thalente Mbatha came off the bench to equalise five minutes into stoppage time of their Group K tie with Uganda.

A goalkeeping howler allowed Uganda to take a 2-1 lead in the second half before the dramatic rescue act.

Saturday will see three more qualifying games, in Cameroon, Mauritania and Nigeria, after which all of the 48 countries involved in the battle for places at the 2025 finals will have played their first group game.

-Reuters