Wenger blames Eagles exist to organisational problems

Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, has blamed the Super Eagles’ second round exit at the World Cup in Brazil to “organisational problems”.

Wenger, who spoke to the Daily Mirror, said the five African teams in the tournament that ended on Sunday had the quality to go far Brazil but regretted that they lacked good administration.

Nigeria beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-0 after playing out a 0-0 draw against Iran and lost 3-2 to Argentina in their Group F fixtures . The Eagles were sent packing from the tournament after losing 2-0 to France in the round of 16.

“I don’t think it’s purely down to quality. I think it comes down to organisational problems before the World Cup and during the World Cup,” Wenger told Daily Mirror.

“I think what hurts football fans both in Cameroon and Nigeria – two big footballing nations –was not that their countries did not reach the quarter-finals, it was the fact that both teams had no solidarity and they had problems that were exposed all over the world before the competition and that’s the main reason.

“Football is difficult enough when you are united but if you are not united at that stage then you have no chance.”

He added, “I would still like to give some credit to Algeria. They played so well and at some points they even made Germany look average, and they were the only country who could do that. I would have liked to have seen more from the African countries.”

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Wenger blames Eagles exist to organisational problems

Nigeria vs Iran: Keshi blames Osaze, says he didn"t play to instruction

Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi has given several explanations on why the Super Eagles failed to beat the Iranians in their Group F World Cup match played in Curitiba, Brazil on Monday.

The Nigerian team which featured professionals from the European leagues were highly tipped to beat the Iranians that paraded mainly amateur players from their domestic league. Ashkan Dejakah of Fulham is Iran’s biggest star in Brazil.

Keshi told the international media after the game that a few things didn’t follow the script including Osaze Odemwingie’s contribution to the match that ended goalless. The coach lamented that the Stoke City striker failed to play to instruction and that caused the Eagles setback.

He said, “The Osaze you are talking about didn’t do well. Osaze did not play to instructions and that affected the team.”

Keshi was responding to questions to his tactical formation and why he waited until late into the game before introducing the striker.

The popular opinion amongst the fans and media at the stadium in Brazil was that Osaze made a lot of difference when he got on the field and indeed had the only meaningful shot at goal against the Iranians.

A former captain of the Eagles Austin Okocha was one of those who were critical of Keshi’s approach to the game. He told the BBC the team needed creative players in that encounter.

He said, “This was a must-win for Nigeria but we did not take it. We did not do enough, we were poor. Keshi did not do enough work on the team. The tactical play was so bad, I hold Keshi responsible for this.

“Osaze (Odemwingie) was more creative when he came in, and we needed more in this game.”

Osaze who was one of the only the four players who had been to the World Cup in the Nigerian squad was a 69th minute replacement for Ramon Azeez.

Keshi said though the defensive stand of the Iranian affected his team, he was firm and right with his starting 11 and the substitutions he made in the game.

The media has criticised the Nigerian coach for leaving out Ike Uche who was the most prolific Nigerian striker in the last season.

Nigeria will play their second Brazil 2014 match on Saturday against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Cuiaba city. The Bosnians lost their opening game to group leaders Argentina.

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Nigeria vs Iran: Keshi blames Osaze, says he didn"t play to instruction

World Cup: Okocha attacks Keshi over Super Eagles draw with Iran

Super Eagles Captain, Austin Jay Jay Okocha has said Coach Stephen Keshi should be held responsible for the lame approach the team adopted in the goaless draw against Iran last night.

Speaking as an analyst on Supersport after the match, Okocha said, “Keshi should be held responsible for the way the team played. Before the match he said African teams are tactically not disciplined and he did not bring anything new to the table.

“His changes were poor. He took out Moses and brought in Ameobi. I think that was a wrong change.

“We saw how Osaze came in and showed a lot of creativity. That is the kind of thing we expected. Iran match would have been our strongest point but we missed it.”

Meanwhile, Coach Stephen Keshi has said that the Super Eagles did their best to defeat Iran.

Speaking moments after the match, Keshi said that “I wanted victory in this match, in fact, I want to win all the matches but this is football, that even when you dominate a game, you still don’t get the resultt

 

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World Cup: Okocha attacks Keshi over Super Eagles draw with Iran

Tension in Eagles camp as players demand N12m each

•Ask to be relocated to a new hotel

•Senate President warns NFF not to bring shame to Nigeria

•Maigari signs agreement with players…

By Tony Ubani

AS the Super Eagles step out on Monday for their first World Cup match against Iran, there are fears that the deficit in agreement for the appearance fee of the players may dash whatever hope Nigerians have for the national team to do well in Brazil 2014.

The Super Eagles tabled their grievances to the Senate President, David Mark when he came visiting them on Friday. The players said that they will not accept anything less than the $75,000 about N12.2m appearance fee  paid to each of their Ghanaian counterparts by the Ghana Football Association.

Also, the Eagles requested that the NFF relocate them from their Victoria Concept hotel in Campinas, which they described as isolated and it makes them look like prisoners unlike other World Cup teams whose Federations lodged them in better and more ideal places.

Sports Vanguard gathered that Senate President David Mark who listened with rapt attention as the players reeled out their grievances thereafter berated the NFF for not promptly settling the issue of appearance fees as was the case with other Federations like the Ghana Football Association.

The Senate President thereafter appealed to the coaches and the players to put aside anything that would constitute a distraction to them in the World Cup and focused on winning the World Cup reassuring them of the determination of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to give them the necessary support in the tournament to make Nigeria proud.

NFF President Aminu Maigari we gathered had to sign an agreement with the team promising that they will not get anything less than the Black Stars of Ghana.

Sports Minister, Dr Tammy Danagogo who was in attendance at the no-holds-barred meeting urged the team to do everything possible to make an impressive outing in the tournament.

Present at the meeting were Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State; Dr. Danagogo; Senator Bala Mohammed, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT); Chief Edem Duke, minister of culture and tourism; Mr. Boni Haruna, minister of youths and social development; Senator Gumba, Chairman Senate Committee on Sports; Hon. Godfrey Gaiya, Chairman House Committee on Sports, Alhaji Maigari, and other executive members of the NFF.

Nigeria will earn over $9 million about (N1.4b) or qualification and participation in the first round of the Brazil World Cup. If the Eagles fly into the second round more money would also be paid.

 

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Tension in Eagles camp as players demand N12m each

Stephen Keshi releases Super Eagles world cup list

GOALKEEPERS: Vincent Enyeama, Austin Ejide, Chigozie Agbim

DEFENDERS: Joseph Yobo, Elderson Echiejile, Juwon Oshaniwa, Godfrey Oboabona, Azubuike Egwuekwe, Kenneth Omeruo, Efe Ambrose, Kunle Odunlami

MIDFIELDERS: John Mikel Obi, Ogenyi Onazi, Ramon Azeez, Michael Uchebo, Reuben Gabriel

FORWARDS: Osaze Odemwingie, Ahmed Musa, Shola Ameobi, Emmanuel Emenike, Babatunde Michael, Victor Moses, Uche Nwofor

Stephen Keshi releases Super Eagles world cup list

NFF Condemns Keshi’s Eagles, Brazil 2014 22 Man List

There are strong indications that the Nigeria Football Federation and national team coach Stephen Keshi are headed on a collision course over the release of a provisional list for the pre-World Cup camp.

The camp opens in London on May 26, two days before a friendly match against Scotland at Craven Cottage.

The technical Committee of the NFF which met in Abuja last week is demanding for the immediate  release of a 35-man list from the coach.

But Keshi is insisting he is not in a hurry to release the provisional list, adding that he was being put under undue pressure by the technical committee..

The coach was said to have accused the NFF of not passing through the right channel as he has only been reading on the pages of newspapers that he was to submit a 35-man provisional list..

“I am not in a hurry to submit the list. First, the report was that I was to submit 40 names. Now I am hearing it is 35 players. I will only submit a list of 30 players when I am ready,” he insisted yesterday

The federation was hoping to announce this provisional list of 35 players for the World Cup by the end of the week.

Relations between Keshi and the federation became frosty last week when Keshi was queried for attending a sponsor’s event in Lagos on the day he had an appointment with the technical committee.

He was also accused of embarking on an unapproved vacation in America.

Sources at the NFF disclosed last night that Keshi had also failed to reply to the issues raised in the query by the Chris Green-led committee.

After the May 28 friendly against Scotland, the Eagles will play two more friendly matches against USA and Greece in America before leaving for Brazil on June.11. (0)

NFF Condemns Keshi’s Eagles, Brazil 2014 22 Man List