₦airaland Forum

Nigeria captain Joseph Yobo has announced his retirement from the national side after the Super Eagles fell 2-0 to France in the World Cup round of 16 on Monday.
The 33-year-old became the first Nigerian to play 100 international matches but his day ended on a sour note with an own goal in added time against Les Bleus.

“It was a bittersweet moment for me but I think it is time to focus on my family,” Yobo told reporters. “It has been a long road.”

Yobo made his debut with the Super Eagles in 2001 but became a mainstay of the team during the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.

He played at three World Cups and captained Nigeria to the title at the African Cup of Nations last year.

“We’ve won the African Nations Cup and we came here and were not disgraced,” said the Fenerbahce man.

“I never thought that I’d be here because I missed the last six games of the season through injury. They gave me an opportunity but it is unfortunate what happened.

“I gave my all."

Yobo thinks he’s leaving the national team in capable hands with defenders Kenneth Omeruo and Godfrey Oboabona able to continue in his place.

“They would grow,” he said. “Omeruo has done very well. Oboabona was injured but he got his chance at the Nations Cup. They’re going to get better, the experience is going to come and one of them has to take the responsibility and be a leader.
http://www.goal.com/en/news/3790/world-cup-2014/2014/06/30/4926712/joseph-yobo-announces-nigeria-retirement?ICID=HP_BN_3

cheguevera: Keshi is tactically inept and lacks proper game reading. FRANK RIJKAATD FOR EAGLES JOB

bro dont blame keshi, he tried just that some of the players like mikel and gabriel that sub. onazi are just too lazy. in other words, onazi injury cost us the game,he(onazi) was really agressive with the french midfielders when he was on.

I think Emenike goal was on-side, rio ferdnand and co said on bbc sports, that goal wasnt off-side.

Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi has hit out at referee Mark Geiger in the wake of his side's 2-0 World Cup round-of-16 loss against France at Estadio Mane Garrincha on Monday.

The official failed to spot an alleged elbow from Olivier Giroud against John Obi Mikel, while he opted to show Blaise Matuidi a yellow card rather than a red card after a reckless tackle on Ogenyi Onazi in midfield, after the Lazio man had already sustained a knock following a collision with Paul Pogba.

Emmanuel Emenike also saw a goal disallowed for offside during the first half when replays apeeared to show he was level with Patrice Evra, leaving Keshi less than impressed with the officials.

"The referee made a lot of mistakes and that is questionable. I am not happy with it," the 52-year-old fumed at the post-match press conference.

"He was not good. He is a human being, but it was not good. He decides what's happening on the pitch.

"Onazi was tackled recklessly twice. He will be out for weeks. But the referee didn't do anything.

"This is the first time ever I talk about a referee like this, but he was bad.

"I wasn't sure [Emenike]'s disallowed goal was offside and would love to know why the referee cancelled it.

"It's painful to lose like this. I don't think we deserved to lose like this. But that's football."

As a parting message, Keshi thanked the Brasilia contingent for their support against les Bleus and suggested that the Super Eagles felt almost like the host nation at times during the tournament.

"I cannot ask for a better support than what we got today from the Brazilians. They were wonderful and were always behind us. It's almost as if we were a Brazilian team. I thank them for everything
http://www.goal.com/en/news/3790/world-cup-2014/2014/06/30/4925950/keshi-slams-referee-after-nigeria-exit?ICID=HP_BN_1

all na wash

so? wetin u say make we do

e be like say u don 4get that ghanian story 4 viewing centre after iran match

ice on the cake

yes!!! king of rap is BACK, i said it, this guy is not dead.

some people here are blabbing too thin because they are phat

nigeria scored and the ref disallowed it, that goal was onside, ferdinand and co analys said it was onside

kenmaro: Absolute madness! I blame the officiating priest for this show off. This shows you what our churches have become these days. Would this be allowed of an ordinary man who is a "nobody" in the society? Religion is now price tagged. A poor man is not recognized anymore. "Everybody for himself, God for everybody". May God help us all.

bro thank you for this statement, btw, read my signature.

Abbey2sam: The BET way your grand father organize for una backyard ?

u wan claim mr smart now, check here:https://www.google.com.cy/?gws_rd=cr&ei=EWuxU-yfB_LT4QTko4DYCA#q=wizkid wizkid don win bet award you here

TheCongo: You said white care for their players unline Africans
Are you for real? Man, which world are you living in? Do you live in Nigeria or in the West?
Do you know how many Americans former soldiers live in the streets and beg for money after serving their country in different wars?
They have been abandoned by the United States.
If a white player is injured and can't play anymore, trust me, he will be released by his club. And this happens everyday.

obeski13 is completely right. It is only in Africa that atheletes wants to become govt liability till they die.

i mean, while on duty for either national team or club side, bro lets be real. they do care e.g soldiers that was sent to rescue chibok girls didnt you see their condition, no good weapon to fight boko haram, no good feeding welfare, they even rebel against their commandant the other time, but white cant do this when you are on duty for them,thats what i am talking about.
@bolded, this players are still serving the nation and they have to be treated well, how are they liabilty sir, your point there is baseless, africa dont do such thing, they dont rely on government after service.

wetin the boy dey sing self
oyinbo n madness for wetin nor reach are synonymous

GBAGAN for algeria this time #no escape this time

this man is so annoying, GOSH!!!

this is disrespectful to house of God, i mean why babalawo stuff nau
this is getting out of hand, charlyman should be chained ASAP

obeski13: Ur comments is very reasonable..d two of them muntari and boateng are legendary when it comes to insurbodination.all d excuses he made does not add up.if iran can tell their players not to exchange jersey after each game becos of insufficient of jerseys as a result paucity of fund,i dont think such a team can fly their players on first class ticket to Brazil,if greece can reject their bonus and instead urge their FA to use it to fund a football house,i dont think such a team can afford a first class ticket for the team,and u dont hear. such team complaining.it is only in africa that atheletes want to be treated like kings before serving their fatherland.it is only in Africa that atheletes wants to become govt liability till they die .it is not done anywhere in d world...

bro this piece you just typed is not true, fine iran didnt exchange jersey but i tell you it wasnt because of what u typed but for another reason, white nurture and care for their players unlik africans e.g udeze of nigeria got injured why playing for nigeria, he was abandoned and his club fined him for coming late to camp, thats how he stopped playing for nigeria.
most africa leaders are just too greedy.

.ok

so were is the money?

Peppyluv: More like a handcuff abi na finger cuff as if you are under arrest

earthquake happen for nairaland now i don loose those our silly argument, you see, the gods in my land are not sleeping, they know you are trying to push me to the wall cos u are anonymous so for bad thing to happen rain go fall, oh you be "F"

tellwisdom: Dem don play the ball already on Air. They already had a tired legs

i tell you bro, to think of FIFA gave GFA funds to take proper care of these players, africa as a continent should stop their evil ways and greed else things like this will continue to happen. #sad

i blame loss of data

Kevin-Prince Boateng has accused the Ghana Football Association of breaking promises it made to persuade him to return to international football.
Kevin-Prince Boateng has hit back at the Ghana Football Association after being sent home early from the World Cup, describing the Black Stars’ organisation during the tournament in Brazil as “amateurish”.

The Schalke midfielder and team-mate Sulley Muntari were expelled from the Ghana squad on the day of their final match against Portugal after Boateng was accused of making “vulgar verbal insults” towards coach James Appiah. Muntari was also accused of an “unprovoked physical attack” on a member of the Ghana FA, with both players asked to leave the camp before the 2-1 defeat to Portugal in Brasília which consigned them to bottom spot in Group G.

Boateng – who only returned to the Black Stars’ set-up last year having retired from international football after the last World Cup – is now back at his home in Germany. In an interview with newspaper Bild published on Sunday, he accuses the GFA of having failed to live up to promises it made to him before the tournament.

“Everything – the hotels, the flights – everything was amateurish,” he said.

“The GFA president visited me in Milan begging me to play for Ghana again. He gave me his word that we would have better travel, better organisation and preparation. He has not kept his word. In the end I was just still dissatisfied.

“It was a nightmare from the first day of the preparation to the end,” Boateng added. “We flew to the first training camp from Amsterdam to Miami. However, we travelled in two groups, since there was no space. One group flew through Atlanta, the other New York. We sat for around nine hours at the airport - a total of 19 hours on the road.

“The flight from Miami to Brazil a week later took 12 hours and we sat and concentrated in economy class. The legs ached. It sounds strange for an average citizen, but for a competitive athlete that is a disgrace. The Ghana FA president sat in business class with his wife and two children. And then in Brazil, we finally had a charter flight but my luggage was lost. Two days without football boots – it was a disaster.”

Appiah was the first homegrown coach to lead Ghana to a World Cup. But asked his opinion on whether he had a clue about tactics, Boateng gave a less than ringing endorsement. “No. But I have respect for him [as a] person,” he said. “I have always behaved positively. But if someone asks me about him, whether he is a good coach, I’d say no.”

Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama spoke with captain Asamoah Gyan on the telephone to resolve a dispute over player bonuses ahead of the Portugal match, with $3m in cash flown to Brazil on a private jet. However, Boateng claimed that was only the tip of the iceberg in terms of issues that dogged the squad.

He said: “That was the smallest problem. Everything had accumulated over a month. It was pure disaster. Poor training conditions and sleep options, I just wonder where all the money was flowing too.

“The association get so much money from sponsors and Fifa - it was certainly not used for hotels, flights, the team and the preparation.”

Boateng also insisted that there was a lack of team spirit among the squad in direct contrast to the last World Cup in South Africa, when Ghana came within a missed penalty of becoming the first African nation to reach the semi-final.

“We were not a real team. Everyone was busy with themselves,” he said.

“There were two or three players who were just glad Sulley Muntari and I were suspended. They said it to my face. We all know that I have never insulted the coach. Nevertheless, they have turned the manager against Sulley and me. I am very calm and relaxed, because I definitely know that I did no such thing.

“I have represented my opinion. There was no player who was happy. We had 100 meetings with the delegation. We told them that we need tens of change things. because of this I am an easy victim.”
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jun/29/kevin-prince-boateng-ghana-world-cup-disaster

aminho: has wizkid won the bet b4?

yes!

Giannakopoulos: Shut up,why is weather not affecting other stars like Messi,Muller,James,Neymar,Benzema,all these guys mentioned are playing in europe,but still doing their job well at the WC ,you are as gullible as UK media

we don win now, so cry me a river

the weather is really affecting the nertherland players

anybody wey type say african/nigeria players greedy go collect e-slap from me, tell GEJ not to collect his allowances first then the player will follow suit. #hypocrites

Misterpaul: We shouldn't blame the African players for demanding for there bonuses, they already know how hard things are in their countries and they know their leaders no send them at all, so they have to use any opportunity they have to secure for themselves and there family..abi shey na patriotism they wan chop?.. Unlike these Greece guys, they already have a better life in their country atleast an average person is comfortable and has access to basic human needs, so the money really means nothing to them.
I don't think the African players are being greedy, I think they are simply being wise!

another sensible post.

abatically: Nice gesture from the Greek team. Not only Greece, most European countries don't pay much, it is the pride for players to play for their countries. You know why? Because their countries got their back and their government provide everything they need for them.

In Africa the case is different. Most African leaders are corrupt, they fill their pockets at the expense of citizens. So u can't really blame football players who demand for bonus before playing. They are doing their job and should be paid accordingly, or is it better the government put the money in their own pocket? Africa is like a jungle, survival of the fittest. Take naija for example, if after 2 years a player in the Super Eagles get injured and ruins his career while playing for the country, and he goes bankrupt. We all will be asking what he did with all the money he made. The government will wash their hands off such player. We have seen cases of past heroes now living in penury and the country can't do anything to help them.

In this country, u need to grab what u can grab while u have the opportunity. Same thing our politicians are doing, so u can't really blame the players. The government is not doing anything for them, the least they can do is get paid for their work.

bro you just nailed it at the head, this is the situation of africa i tell ya