Author: Peter Noah KC

FORMER Nigeria defender, Sam Sodje, has said that the Super Eagles need to work on their defending, adding that they will need a solid backline to win the upcoming 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. Sodje claimed that head coach Jose Peseiro named an imbalanced Eagles squad for the AFCON tournament scheduled to hold from from January 13 to February 11 in Ivory Coast. The Portuguese gaffer invited 25 players to camp to prepare the tournament, which starts in eight days. The Eagles are among the favourites to qualify out of Group A alongside hosts Ivory Coast for the next round…

FORMER Super Eagles assistant coach, Emmanuel Amuneke, says the three-time African champions are under pressure to win the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. The gaffer said Victor Osimhen, the CAF Player of The Year, should not be placed under undue pressure to fire the squad to glory. Osimhen, who finished as the top scorer during the AFCON qualifying series with 10 goals, is poised to lead the Eagles star-studded attack at the tournament as the three-time African champions begin their quest for a fourth title in Ivory Coast. According to Amuneke, the Eagles squad is more important than…

THE 2024 Africa Cup of Nations takes place in Ivory Coast from January 13 to February 11. Some of the biggest names in world football will feature at the tournament, and AFP Sport picks out five to follow: VICTOR OSIMHEN (Nigeria) The prospect of Osimhen leading Nigeria into the AFCON is a mouthwatering one for Super Eagles fans. He heads to Ivory Coast fresh from being named the African player of the year for 2023 off the back of his brilliant form in Napoli’s run to the Serie A title. He scored 26 goals for Napoli last season but has…

A FORMER Chairman of the Gombe Football Association Ahmed Gara-Gombe does not believe in the capabilities of Super Eagles Head Coach Jose Peseiro, describing his appointment as one of the greatest mistakes in Nigerian football. “Since the time of Clemens Westerhof, we never had a transition, a championship without confusion, without uncertainty, turning Nigerians into prayer warriors, praying for somebody to lose before we win; even from the qualification to where we are, I do not have confidence in the system,” he said on Thursday’s edition of Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily monitored by News Point Nigeria. “In the first place,…

SUPER Eagles captain, Ahmed Musa, tops the list of high-profile Nigerian players whose contracts will expire this June. The 31-year-old winger joined Sivasspor on a two-year deal in September 2022 after terminating his contract with Fatih Karagumruk by mutual consent. His current contract lapses this summer and talks of renewal are yet to commence according to reports in Turkey. Musa, who was included in the Eagles squad for the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nation which kicks off in nine days in Ivory Coast, is Nigeria’s most capped player having made 108 appearances for the three-time African Champion since his debut…

MULTICHOICE, owners of Digital Satellite Television( DStv) have stated that the Africa Cup of Nations tournament will not be broadcast on its sporting channel, SuperSport. According to the company in a statement, SuperSport channels will not transmit the tournament “because the channel has not secured the rights to broadcast the tournament..” “However, AFCON 2023 games will be available through our partner broadcast stations on Free to Air (FTA) channels.” “Multichoice Africa remains committed to ensuring football fans across Africa continue to enjoy unrivalled access to entertainment and football games available on DStv and GOtv platforms including, the Premier League, LaLiga,…

IN the last few years, Nigeria’s goalkeeping crisis has been well documented and Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro has brought on South Africa-based shot-stopper, Stanley Nwabali, as the Portuguese aims to solve the problematic area of his squad. Chippa United safe hands Nwabali was a surprise inclusion in the Eagles 25-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, which begins January 13. Since the forced retirement of Carl Ikeme in 2018 after being diagnosed with leukaemia, several goalkeepers have been tested with none possessing the same quality as the former Wolves goalkeeper. Francis Uzoho’s howlers against Saudi…

THE Super Eagles camp for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has opened in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Coach Jose Peseiro has already named 25 players for the competition which begins mid-January in the West African nation of Cote d’Ivoire. Barring one home-based player, the other invitees are expected in camp from their different European bases. But Samuel Chukwueze of AC Milan, goalkeeper Francis Uzoho, William Troost-Ekong, and Sadiq Umar of Real Sociedad have been granted permission to feature for their sides in games later today. They will then hit the camp on Wednesday. Nigeria will be…

FORMER Super Eagles captain, Vincent Enyeama, has dropped a cryptic message on Instagram hinting that he could join the technical crew of national team when the camp opens on Tuesday (today) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Enyeama made this known on Monday when he reacted to a post about the team’s AFCON preparationson the official Instagram account of the Super Eagles. They will begin a one-week training camp on Tuesday (today) that will last until January 9. He wrote, “Let’s go, See you in camp. Time for business.” Enyeama unofficial appointment see joins the growing list of ex-goalies Alloy…

CROSS River State Police Command has confirmed the abduction of some passengers around Nde 3 Corners Akparabong Junction in Ikom Local Government Area of the state. The passengers, who were in transit, were said to have been ambushed by gunmen who shot at their vehicles, injuring three, while the gunmen took away an unspecified number. The spokesperson for the command, SP Irene Ugbo, who confirmed the incident, however, declined to give details of the attack but said the incident occurred on Sunday. Ugbo said efforts were on to secure the release of the abducted passengers and also ensure no repeat…

CURRENT all-time highest goal scorer in the Nigeria Premier Football League, Mfon Udoh, has again stated his desire to see his 23-goal record, which he set in 2014, broken this season. Udoh won the NPFL Golden Boot and cemented his name in the history of the league with an unprecedented 23-goal while playing for Enyimba, smashing Jude Aneke’s 20-goal record. Ten years after setting the record, he believes the current leading scorers in the league this season might be able to set a new record. Remo Stars striker, Sikiru Alimi has scored 11 goals this season in 16 games while…

LESS than 24 hours after making the final 25-man AFCON squad, Leicester City forward, Kelechi Iheanacho, is a major doubt for the Super Eagles for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. Iheanacho was not included in Leicester’s matchday squad for the away win at Cardiff City on Friday night after he sustained a muscle injury in the Foxes 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town on Boxing Day. His manager, Enzo Maresca, revealed after the game that the versatile forward is still being assessed. Maresca admitted that if it proves to be serious, the 27-year-old will not be able…

THE Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has denied reports of a jersey launch for the Super Eagles as they prepare for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament to be held in Cote d’Ivoire next year. Images of a supposed jersey unveiled by popular American footwear and apparel company Nike made the rounds across social media in the week. Reacting to the trend, the NFF disclosed in a statement via X on Friday which read, “We want to inform the general public that this news is not true. “At the moment we have no jersey being launched for the Super Eagles…

SUPER Eagles coach Jose Peseiro has released his 25-man list for the delayed 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with captain Ahmed Musa making the cut while Enyimba’s Olorunleke Ojo is the only home-based player. The list, which was released on Friday evening, is headlined by Victor Osimhen and also includes the much-criticized Francis Uzoho. The Nigerian side, gunning for its fourth title, have been drawn in Group A alongside hosts Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea Bissau. The Portuguese manager had in earlier December unveiled a 40-man provisional squad, including three goal-keepers from the local league. However, in the…

REMO Stars striker, Sikiru Alimi has moved one goal clear on top of the Nigeria Premier Football League scorers’ chart, scoring his 11th goal of the season in their 3-1 defeat against Heartland at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri on Thursday, The PUNCH reports. Alimi restored parity in the 69th-minute for the league leaders but the relegation-threatened hosts came up with two goals in stoppage time courtesy of Onyekachi Okafor and Chinedu Ike to end the game 3-1. Alimi’s closest challenger for the Golden Boot, Robert Mizo, who has 10 goals, fired blanks as Bayelsa United lost 2-1 at home…

SUPER Eagles captain, Ahmed Musa, has sent goodwill messages to victims of Christmas eve attacks on communities in three local government areas of Plateau State. The winger condemned the attacks and ordered a manhunt for the killers, while calling on Nigerians to stand against violence. On Sunday, gunmen attacked 12 villages — Ndun, Ngyong, Murfet, Makundary, Tamiso, Chiang, Tahore, Gawarba, Dares, Meyenga, Darwat, and Butura Kampani in the Barkin Ladi, Mangu and Bokkos areas of the state, burning houses and shooting at residents. Reacting to the gory incident, Musa, who is poised for his fourth African Cup of Nations appearance…

FORMER Super Eagles midfielder, Friday Ekpo, has tipped quartet Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco as favourites to win the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. The 34th edition of the biennial showpiece will hold from January 13 to February 11, 2024 across five cities on the south coast of West Africa. The Eagles avoided a confrontation against one of the North Africans after being paired in Group A alongside hosts Ivory Coast, Guinea Bissau and Equatorial Guinea. Jose Peseiro’s men were, however, handed a tricky start to their campaign with a game against the National Thunder, as the…

NIGERIA will play two friendly matches against Burkina Faso and Cape Verde in January ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations which holds from January 13 to February 11 in Ivory Coast. The Super Eagles are hoping to win a fourth AFCON title next year and are in Group A alongside hosts Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea Bissau. Nigeria’s first game will be against Equatorial Guinea January 14 at the Ebimpe Olympic Stadium before facing hosts Ivory Coast January 18 while their last group game will be against Guinea Bissau January 22. Last week, the Nigeria Football Federation…

IN the spirit of the Yuletide season, Super Eagles captain, Ahmed Musa, has extended his humanitarian gesture to a journalist, gifted a two bedroom flat located in Lugbe, Abuja, to a female sports reporter, Joan Nnenna Iwuchukwu. The beneficiary, an Abuja-based journalist who confirmed Musa’s kind gesture to this newspaper said she is still in shock even as she prayed to God to bless the fromer Leicester City of England striker more, saying loyalty pays. “I was shocked. I couldn’t believe it, not until I got called the second time. I am very grateful. God bless him for me. Loyalty…

FORMER Super Eagles forward, Nwankwo Kanu, has revealed that representing Nigeria at the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations affected his game time at Arsenal during the Invincible 2003/04 season. Arriving at Arsenal midway through the 1998/99 season, Kanu swiftly became a key figure, contributing significantly to the club’s triumphs. As the Invincible season approached, he boasted an impressive record, having secured three major honours for the Gunners and accumulating more than 150 first-team appearances. In January and February of 2004, Kanu represented Nigeria at the 2004 AFCON finals in Tunisia, a tournament that would significantly impact the remainder of his…