Nigerian Football
Daniel Akpeyi Raises Bafana Bafana Alarm
BY BOLAJI OKUNOLA
Daniel Akpeyi who was in goal when Nigeria beat Algeria 3-1 in Uyo has alerted that South Africa is fully prepared to give Nigeria a tough match when both meet in next month’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
Akpeyi who features for South Africa’ Chippa United told Sports Village Square in a facebook chat that determination is written all over the faces of the Bafana Bafana team members.
“Super Eagles should beware of the Bafana Bafana boys”, he alerted. He revealed that the South Africans are very tactical and very good with aerial balls and set pieces.
“As a matter of fact some of my teammates here in Chippa are making mockery of me about the forthcoming encounter. They made me realise they deprived us of qualifying for the 2015 edition and that they will again present the stumbling block.”
“Most of their players here play in their domestic league and they know the ability and weakness of each other on the field of play. As a Nigerian, I pray we win them in Uyo, because they see the first match as a must win for them.
“I am confident in Rohr. We shall win. Although am not invited for the clash but I know what the Super Eagles can do on the field of play while playing a team like South Africa.”
Bafana Bafana have never beaten the Super Eagles in any competitive match since their first clash 25 years ago. The last clash ended 2-2, even though it was enough to knock Nigeria out of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations Cup qualifier.
It was also the first time South Africa scored against Nigeria outside the CHAN and the November 2004 friendly match in South Africa which Bafana Bafana won 2-1.
Two points have been chalked off from the 55 that Enyimba currently have after 32 match days.
This is sequel to the decision of the NFF disciplinary committee which upturned the victory that Enyimba had over Doma United in a March 10 game.
The match was disrupted after 88 minutes with the scoreline at 0-0. Then Enyimba scored a goal which was initially admitted, then the referee consulted with the Assistant Referee 1 who raised his flag for an offside positioning. The referee agreed that the goal was scored from an offside position.
The referee was faulted for using an unorthodox means of consulting an Outside Broadcasting Van outside the stadium main bowl to arrive at a decision.
The NFF has therefore ruled that the result of the match at the point of the restart of the game after over ruling the goal scored as offside is hereby upheld at (0-0).
Enyimba though still second, are tied on points with Remo Stars as both have the same points and goal difference. Remo Stars which secured a double over Enyimba in the on-going league.
Remo Stars also have a game at hand.
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
It is 34 days to the match that will possibly shape Finidi George’s career as the new helmsman on the saddle of Super Eagles’ technical crew.
The Nigeria- South Africa will shape the Super Eagles’ destiny in the qualifying series for the World Cup 2026. Dropping of points in the match will be injurious as the Super Eagles began the race last November in the fashion of coal-propelled locomotive and are now third on the log of a six-team field.
What will put the Super Eagles back into reckoning will be the amassing of the six-points available in the home game with South Africa and the away duel with Benin Republic.
Encounters with South Africa have always evoke deep rooted passion and tension. Will an overtly self-effacing Finidi George be able to soak the looming tension?
Details of his contract is not known and may never been known as it is against the norm in Nigeria for the monetary value of footballers and managers to be revealed.
Also not known are the other members of his technical crew, whether imposed or nominated by the new manager.
Will he be solely responsible to draw up the list for the twin match with South Africa and Benin Republic?
Will he keep on with his current role at Enyimba which is at the cusp of possible 10th league title?
All these issues have to be straightened out today before we have another Paradise loss and have to be relegated to the spectators’ stands when the enlarged World Cup 2026 gets underway.
It is on record that Finidi George’s goal earned Nigeria their first berth at the World Cup. Will he repeat the deed by qualifying Nigeria to the World Cup as a manager?
Time and actions will tell.
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
After two matches last March in which Nigeria Super Eagles won one and lost the other, the Nigeria Football Federation Finidi George has been judged as the right man for the vacant Super Eagles job.
He thus become the 41st person to occupy the position since the adhoc engagement of John Finch, former Fulham winger in 1949. According to a press release by the NFF, the board of the federation on Monday approved the recommendation of its technical development committee to appoint Finidi George as Head Coach of the Super Eagles.
George who belong to the Nigeria Golden Generation of Super Eagles of 1994 spent 20 months as assistant to José Santos Peseiro.
In his baptism as an interim national coach, his squad edged Ghana 2-1, ending an 18-year winless streak against the Black Stars, but then lost 0-2 to Mali in the second game. The loss to Mali was the first time Nigeria had been beaten by Mali since 1972.
As a national team player, George is best known as the player whose goal qualified Nigeria for the World Cup for the first time ever.
It was a goal scored against Algeria on 8 October 1993 – incidentally it was the 44th anniversary of Nigeria’s maiden international match played against Sierra Leone in 1949.
Finidi played 60 times for Nigeria and was Nigeria’s 40th scoring debutant when he came as a substitute in a 7-1 defeat of Burkina Faso on 27 July 1991.
He is a winner with the Super Eagles at the 1994 Africa Cup of Nation and featured at the World Cup at the USA ‘94 and France ’98.
Incidentally, his major task now is to qualify Nigeria to another World Cup in the USA and two other nations. The match is 35 days away from this Monday.
Nigeria’s Nnadozie, Malawi striker, Chawinga scoop top awards in France
Women teams begin quest for President Federation Cup
NFF cuts Enyimba’ point haul by two
SUPER EAGLES TO FACE ENGLAND IN PRE-WORLD CUP FRIENDLY
Apart from Okwaraji, Nigeria’s Other Field-Related Obituaries
Grudgingly, Eto’o accepts new Cameroon coach Brys, but fails to attend ceremony
-
CAF Confederation Cup6 days agoNigeria’s Samson Adamu signs Algeria’s USM match forfeiture
-
Boxing2 days agoNigeria sports minister set for ’bout’ with Bash Ali
-
CAF Confederation Cup6 days agoBREAKING! CAF awards abandoned Confederation Cup semi-finals to Morocco’s RS Berkane
-
Nigerian Football1 day agoFinidi George becomes Nigeria’s 41st national coach
-
African Games6 days agoBREAKING! Accra 2023 African Games Chieftain is dead
-
Premier League7 days agoFive-Star Arsenal hammer Chelsea to move three points clear at the top
-
Nigerian Football4 days agoRemo Stars close to winning their first Nigeria Premier League title
-
Governing Bodies5 days agoWhat FIFA frowns at in Africa holds in Spain as government takes over FA