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“But you have not given us joy” - Super Eagles lambasted on happy Christmas message
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By Amaechi Agbo
Ten months after the Super Eagles of Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and 8 days after the final, Nigeria football followers are yet to get over the disappointment and pain of the team’s absence in Qatar.
And it does appear that they waited till Christmas Day to pour out their anger as a section of the fans have lampooned the team for wishing them “merry Christmas” on December 25.
The Super Eagles took to their official Tweeter page to wish Nigerians “merry Christmas” with the following message “We hope this Christmas brings you joy and happiness”
The message however, did not go down well with some of the fans who questioned how the team could wish them “joy and happiness” when they have not given Nigerians such.
Below are reactions to the post by fans: @PeterObi4president said “They (the) only joy una fit give me , is to win they next Afcon tournament and maybe 2026 world cup with Peter Obi attending both finals as President of Nigeria , baba God please run am for us as Christmas gift.
@Frankie2560 asked the players to show more dedication, he said “We need results pls,relate our message...we wish them and their families merry christmas. we need more dedication from the likes (of) Aribo and Lookman not strolling on the pitch (Aribo) or losing ball carelessly (Lookman)” @Big_Bhat tweeted “But you haven’t given us joy and happiness” @Cimmoski has this to say “This wishing is not good at all. More like from ndi na amaro ball aku to ndi Ike Uwa gwuru....
Merry Xmas to you people there.” @JettoeUchir simply called it message a “Poor PR. Should have been our home jersey” @JAYKAYCII “The joy and happiness you and your eagles took away from the people? you’re now hoping something else restores
it?”
@Gen_Sani_111 “Ameen...Wishes the National team will live up to the task” @DurojaiyeSegun “So your team, which consists of semi average players, can steal the joy & happiness away again by 2023 after crashing out of the AFCON group stage?” @Babalol24830224 asked the team to ‘psrk well” tweeting “You say what?? Where is d super in the Eagles? Or what is super in these
Super Eagles Christmas message
Eagles??? I beg park well”
Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup after they were held to a 1-1 draw against Ghana in Abuja on March 29. Ghana qualified on away goal rule.
Argentina were crowned champions of the world on Sunday December 18 after they defeated France 4-2 on penalties to lift the diadem.
The Super Eagles will regroup in March next year as they continue qualification race for 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON.
Niger Tornadoes Chairman, Coach, Others, Bag Awards For Excellent Performance
Niger Tornadoes FC’ Fans Club have conferred an award of excellence on the chairman of Niger Tornadoes Football Club Minna, Hon. Adamu Aliyu Mohammed.
In an event that took place at the Niger Tornadoes FC Secretariat, Ministry Of Youth and Sports Development over the week, the Technical Adviser of the State owned team, Abubakar Bala Mohammed also received an award alongside four players, for their outstanding performance last season.
According to the organizers of the award ceremony (Fans Club) the essence of rewarding the outstanding performers, is to encourage other players to emulate their colleagues to always give their all when called upon.
The Fans Club which was created and registered in 2016 with the aim of volunteering to give the much needed support to the team, had Amos Silas Jako as her first Chairman, while the current chairman is Abubakar Adamu Layi.
Aside organizing an award ceremony, the FANS CLUB have always made it a duty to vote and recognize best player of the team on a weekly bases during league matches.
The Award for Excellent Performance were presented to Niger Tornadoes Chairman Hon. Adamu Aliyu, Technical Adviser, Abubakar Bala Mohammed, Teams Captains, Ifeanyi Okoye and Sunday Akinmoladun, the other two players who bagged awards are; Lukman Mohammed and Daniel Edeh who had since departed the club and pitched tent with a foreign club.
Responding on behalf of all the recipients, Abubakar Bala Mohammed, acknowledged the important contributions of the FANS CLUB and said their efforts can not be underestimated.
While calling on the need to sustain the tempo and maintain a greater synergy between the FANS & SUPPORTER’S CLUB in the best interest of the team, Coach Bala urged them to spread their tentacles in the area of seeking partnership and sponsorship as obtainable in the most developed places.
He stressed that the issue of sponsorship which is generally lacking among Nigeria clubsides must be tackled so as reduce over dependence on government.
He said, “For instance, most clubs including Tornadoes do not have economic right of players, losing huge amount of money to agents, anytime players secure deals outside the shores of the country. In our case when Daniel Edeh secured his move away, his agent took the lion share of the whole transfer fees, as a result of inability to pay his clearance fees outrightly, so a lot need to be done in this aspect”.
Thereafter, Coach Bala made a pledge of N100,000 to the FANS CLUB.
Also speaking, the special guest of honor at the event, APC State Publicity Secretary Hon. Labaran Sarkin Kaji, while reiterating that
Niger Tornadoes award reception
Niger Tornadoes is one of the famous clubsides in Nigeria with supporters spread within and outside the State, said, football is loved and cherished by many but performed by the youth, hence the need for government to give the sector a special attention. He said football if well harnessed can boost the economy of a state, he commended the current chairman of the team, Hon. Adamu Aliyu for doing so well in terms of piloting the affairs of the team and used the occasion call on the Coaches to place special consideration on home based players.
Club Owners boycott 2022/2023 Nigeria Professional Football League season
By Amaechi Agbo
Crisis has hit the proposed kickoff of the 2022/2023 Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL season slated for January 8 as Club Owners have withdrawn their participation in the new season.
The Chairman, Club Owners Association, Barr Isaac Danladi confirmed the development in a release issued on Christmas Day.
According the release, the Club Owners vowed not to attend the Wednesday, December 28 draw for the new season neither would they participate in the league if the Interim Management Committee, IMC goes ahead to adopt an abridged format for the new season against a majority decision for a straight league.
“This is to bring to your notice that we are in receipt of the above circular inviting clubs for the 2023 NPFL draws on abridged league format.
“Consequently, I wish to further inform members and state categorically that this is not in consonance with the joint decision of clubs and IMC at the last meeting of Wednesday 21st Dec 2022 whereby it was agreed inter-alia that the abridged league proposed by IMC and the straight league which was overwhelmingly proposed by the clubs would be communicated to NFF by the IMC for further necessary action.
“We are therefore perplexed and amazed that just few hours after the meeting, IMC came up with a circular fixing 28th December as date for draws based on abridge league format,” the release said.
“We wish to categorically dissociate ourselves with the circular and state firmly that clubs would not be part of the draws on 28th December 2022, neither would we participate in an abridged league.
The clubs remain resolute in their quest to have a “better league that will endure, hence we cannot be part of an arrangement that will not be beneficial to football development in Nigeria.
“In view of the above, a meeting of the club Owners is being proposed for 28th December 2022 in Asaba Delta state to review matters arising among other things.
“Details of the meeting and other logistics will be announced soonest, please.
“We appreciate members for their patience and good conducts since this saga started.”
PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2022
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Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana retires from international football
By Amaechi Agbo
Less than a month after he was sent out of the Indomitable Lions camp in Qatar at the 2022 World Cup due to disciplinary actions, Cameroon first choice goalkeeper, Andre Onana has announced his retirement from international football.
The Inter Milan of Italy shotstopper retired aged 26.
In a post he made on Twitter Friday, Onana told a short story of how he dreamed of wearing the Indomitable Lions jersey stressing that “however beautiful a story it may be, has its end. And my story with the Cameroonian national team has come to an end.”
“It all started in Ngol Nkok, a small village where, from a very young age, my family passed on to me the values that identify the Cameroonian people. understood that love for this country is eternal and that commitment is nonnegotiable.
“I remember how we watch the matches as a family. Only Cameroonians can understand what it means to us to see the Indomitable Lions play. That’s when I started dreaming of one day wearing the national team jersey. And now, after endless hours of training, endless trips and a lot of perseverance, I can proudly say that I have fulfilled my great dream.
“But every story, however beautiful it may be, has its end. And my story with the Cameroonian national team has come to an end. Players come and go, names are fleeting, but Cameroon comes before any person or player.
“Cameroon remains eternal and so does my love for the national team and for our people who have always supported us no matter how difficult the moment was. My feeling will never change. My Cameroonian heart will continue to beat and wherever I go I will always fight to lift the flag of Cameron as high as possible.
Onana who had 34 caps in a sixyear international career debuted for Cameroon in a 2–1 friendly win over Gabon in September 2016. He featured in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations thirdplace game against Burkina Faso.
On 9 November 2022, he was named in the final squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He played the first match against Switzerland, before being dropped in the second against Serbia, then he was eventually suspended from the tournament on 28 November, due to a disciplinary issue related to arguments about tactics with his coach Rigobert Song.
Onana announced his retirement from international football on 23 December 2022
Former Cameroon goalkeeper, André Onana
Morocco to build 93, 000 capacity stadium in 2025
By Amaechi Agbo
Fresh from their historic World Cup performances in 2022 World Cup where they became the first African country to reach the Semi-final stage, Morocco is planning to build a 93, 000 capacity national stadium in 2025.
Morocco plans to launch 93,000 capacity Grand Stadium of Casablanca in 2025.
Sited in its largest city, Casablanca, the stadium will serve as the home of the Moroccan men’s national team, the Atlas Lions.
Morocco became the first African Nation to reach World Cup Semi-final in Qatar where they earned $25 million for 4th place after losing the 3rd-place playoff 2-1 against Croatia on Saturday
Morocco stunned the world with their selling performances, going unbeaten up until their final four fixture against France.
Morocco’s Atlas Lions are ranked 11 in the new FIFA World Rankings released last week.
Also, Morocco’s King, Mohammed VI decorated the players, coach, Walid Regragui and the president of the Moroccan FA, Faouzi Lekjaa with national honours following their Qatar World Cup heroics.
The team returned home to much fanfare as Moroccans took to the streets to cheer on the players, who had made history for the North African nation on the world stage, during their parade around the capital city of Rabat on an open-top bus.
Morocco became the first ever African country to qualify for the semi-final of the FIFA World Cup, after their remarkable 1-0 victory over Portugal national team and they went on to finish at the 4th spot of the competition.
Prior to this year’s edition of FIFA World Cup in Qatar, no African country made it beyond the quarter-final of the FIFA World Cup.
The Atlas Lions played seven matches in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, they secured four victories, drew one and lost two.
The King hosted the team alone with the mothers of the players.
Morocco bided to host the 2026 World Cup but lost the hosting rights to United States of America, Canada and Mexico who are co-hosting the global tournament slated to be played in June-July 2026.
By Amaechi Agbo
2012 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON champions, Zambia have named former Chelsea manager, Avram Grant as new Coach ahead of the 2025 AFCON qualifiers.
The former Portsmouth and West Ham boss signed a two-year deal with an option to extend.
The former Ghana national team coach said his choice of Zambia was “for the right challenge” and expressed optimism of “doing a good job” with the team.
‘I was looking for the right challenge and that’s why I chose Zambia,’ Grant, 67, said at a press conference in Lusaka on Thursday.
“I came here because of the challenge and I hope when I leave here I will look around and say we did a good job and made a good foundation for the future.
Grant’s time in England was most notable for leading Chelsea to the 2008 Champions League final, which they lost on penalties to Manchester United.
The Israeli also steered Portsmouth to the 2010 FA Cup final, which they lost 1-0 to Chelsea.
But he was in charge of Portsmouth and West Ham when they were both relegated from the Premier League.
Grant later led Ghana to the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations final and a penalty shoot-out defeat to the Ivory Coast.
Zambia failed to qualify for the African knockout stages of 2022 World Cup qualification and parted company with Croatian coach Aljosa Asanovic in October.
Grant’s first games will be 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in March.
The Chipolopolo are currently second in the AFCON Group H qualifying race with 3 points from two matches. They will face Lesotho on March 20 and 28 next year.
Avram Grant (middle) unveiled as new Zambia coach
