₦airaland Forum

Super Eagles defender, Godfrey Oboabona is thinking about nothing but victory in next weekend's 2014 World Cup qualifying tie against Ethiopia in Addis Ababa.

The Rizespor of Turkey defender posited that he and his colleagues are determined to take the battle to the Ethiopians and are fully focused on winning the game.

He declared"The game against Ethiopia is an important one for us and I strongly believe we can beat them right there in their backyard.

Read More: http://www.completesportsnigeria.com/blog/2013/10/oboabona-its-victory-or-nothing-against-ethiopia

The eye-catching exploits of Ethiopia national team Walya Antelope cannot be mentioned without including the name of head coach Sewnet Bishaw, who has proved that local coaches can reach the very top when given the same backing and incentives as their foreign counterparts.

The veteran tactician has instilled discipline, self-belief and confidence in his team to lead them to where they are right now.

The secret of their great success lies in unity, teamwork, hard work and commitment as well as the belief that the name in front of the jersey (ETHIOPIA) is more important than the name at the back of the jersey.

Read more: www.completesportsnigeria.com

Ethiopia are not leaving anything to chance ahead of their crucial FIFA World Cup play off against Nigeria.

Coach Sewnet Bishaw has been conducting two training sessions daily with the 23 players already in Camp.

The Walia Ibex have set camp at the prestigious Intercontinental hotel in Addis Ababa and have been training at the EEPCO ground in readiness for the October 13th first leg clash to be played at the National Stadium in Addis-Ababa.

Sewnet is expected to trim the players as foreign based players are yet to link up with the rest of the locally based squad, with every player working hard to impress the tactician.

Read more: http://www.completesportsnigeria.com/news/2013/09/ethiopia-intensify-preparations-for-nigeria

As the much anticipated 2014 FIFA World Cup play-off between Super Eagles and Walya Antelopes draws closer, Complete Sports Saturday’s David Meshioye continues his previews and provides vital information for first time travelers planning a trip to Addis- Ababa to cheer on the Nigerian team .


THE TEAM
The Walya Antelopes of Ethiopia are fast becoming a force to reckon with in East Africa and have moved on to show some serious intent at the international level. At the last AFCON in South Africa, Ethiopia crashed out due to illluck, losing to Nigeria at the last group match. Had the likes of Asrat Megersa and Adane Girma featured in that all important game, perhaps the story would have been different.

Qualifying for the final stage of FIFA 2014 World Cup is indeed a great milestone for the Sewnet Bishaw tutored lads. This team looks good to give Nigeria’s Super Eagles a good run for their money when both sides lock horns in Addis Ababa in October.

Read more: http://www.completesportsnigeria.com/news/2013/09/ethiopia-a-nation-on-a-quest

--Super Eagles starninsists Reds can maintain challenge with Suarez still to return

Victor Moses has arrived at Anfield with a twinkle in his eye and a stark warning: Liverpool are finally ready to win the Premier League title.

For a club that has failed to win a league title for over twenty-three years, so often inhibited by the burden of history, it is quite the assertion.

For those into their history, 1990 was some year. Abroad, the reunification of Germany, the release of Nelson Mandela and the beginning of the Gulf War transformed the spectre of world politics.

In the United Kingdom, we had the dismissal of Margaret Thatcher. This was the season of Michael Knighton’s keepy-uppies on the Old Trafford pitch, as Manchester United finished 13th.
Added to Liverpool’s last title win in May 1990, their tenth in fifteen years, these may have been happy days on Merseyside.

Moses would be born in the December. He has never seen Liverpool win the title. So why the confidence?

‘Look at the way we have started so well,’ Moses explained, speaking to Sportsmail at a launch event for EA SPORTS FIFA 14, and there are enough quality players here to win games and help us win the Premier League.

‘A lot of people are saying Liverpool can be in the top four this season but we believe in ourselves as footballers. Not just me, but the other players, we are confident we can be looking beyond the top four.’

As the Manchester sides adapt to life under new regimes and the divorce lawyers ink up their pens as Jose Mourinho’s marriage of convenience at Chelsea faces teething problems, Liverpool sense an opportunity.

‘This year is a lot different. If you look at the way the table is at the moment, anyone can win the league. It’s not only about two teams that have always been up there, so why not Liverpool?’

Read more: http://www.completesportsnigeria.com/news/2013/09/moses-liverpool-can-win-epl-this-season

…Arsenal Legend, Robert Pires confirms attendance

Lagos, Nigeria, September 19th, 2013: Nigerian music heavy-weight, 2face Idibia is expected to set the Agege Township Stadium alight this Sunday, September 22nd, 2013, for the Closing Ceremony of the Airtel Rising Stars Africa Championship.

Also the youngest Nigerian non-inheritor millionaire and winner of the inaugural edition of the Nigeria’s Got Talent (NGT) Television show, Amarachi Uyanne, and the first runner up of the NGT competition, violinist, Godwin Strings are slated to perform at this event.

Big Brother Africa – The Chase Housemates, Melvin Oduah and Beverly Osu will also add colour to the occasion as they storm the venue of the championship to support talented kids drawn from 16 African countries. Meanwhile, Arsenal legend, Robert Pires, has also confirmed his attendance of the closing event. He will arrive Nigeria on Saturday, September 21 for the Grand finale

Nigeria’s topnotch songster, 2face will light up the stage and take excitement to a higher level as he performs hits from his rich repertoire of songs while Amarachi Uyanne and Godwin Strings will also relive moments of the maiden edition of the NGT show as they perform to thrill guests with what some enthusiasts have dubbed avant-garde entertainment.

This year’s edition of the ARS kicked off Monday at the Agege Township Stadium with host Nigeria recording respective victories in the opening group matches against Kenya female and DRC male teams.
The Airtel Rising Stars Africa Championship, which kicked off on Monday, is part of the Airtel Rising Stars programme, a soccer talent initiative that has focused on identifying and nurturing soccer talent.

Broadcast by SuperSport and Canal Plus, the Airtel football competition provides the perfect platform to spot top soccer talents from the continent.
Over 600 aspiring footballers travelled to Lagos to participate in the Airtel Rising Stars Africa Championship. The countries that are participating are - Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, Malawi, Ghana, Zambia, Gabon, DRC, Burkina Faso, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, Uganda, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda and Sierra Leone.

Segun Ogunsanya, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Airtel Nigeria, said: "Airtel has signed broadcasting pact with SuperSport and Canal Plus to ensure that young aspiring footballers get the Pan African media exposure they deserve. Fans across the continent have the opportunity to view the dazzling skills of these extremely talented players."
Mr. Ogunsanya confirmed that as part of its partnership with DSTV’s sports channel, SuperSport, the Boys and Girls final matches will be broadcast live on Sunday September 22nd.

The best players of the tournament will participate in football clinics under the supervision of the best coaches of the Arsenal FC and Manchester United soccer schools. The clinics will be held in April 2014 in Lagos (Nigeria) and Lubumbashi (Democratic Republic of Congo).
The Airtel Rising Stars Africa U-17 soccer tournament is a unique pan-African initiative of Airtel Africa designed to create a pool of talents to feed the national football teams of African countries.

http://completesportsnigeria.com/news/2013/09/2face-to-perform-at-ars-championship-closing

Head coach of the Nigeria national team, Stephen Keshi and former international, Taribo West have lost properties handed to them after helping the Super Eagles qualify for the 2002 Fifa World Cup.

The duo along with other members of the Super Eagles were rewarded with land gifts in Port Harcourt, southern Nigeria by former Rivers State governor, Peter Odili in 2001.

The properties have however been taken over by “hoodlums” according to West, who raised the alarm during a chat with supersport.com.

“I went to my property along Trans-Amadi area of Port Harcourt to start developing it only to find out that hoodlums and illegal occupants have taken over the place,” an angry West told supersport.com.

West, who earned 41 caps for the Super Eagles between 1994 and 2002, further revealed that other members of the 2001 Nigeria squad also suffered a similar fate.

“I was not the only person that lost his land. The other players and even Keshi who was a member of the technical crew lost his land too.

The former Inter Milan centre half said he was at the Rivers State Government House on Wednesday to begin the process of recovering his property.

“I have met with the (present Rivers State) governor (Chibuike Amaechi) and I have made an appeal to see that I get back my property.

“I served this country with distinction so it is only right that the reward I got in the process be returned to me by the illegal occupants,” he said.


http://www.completesportsnigeria.com/news/2013/09/keshi-taribo-lose-properties

Cristiano Ronaldo is set to sign a new Real Madrid contract in the coming weeks that will see him always eclipse the earnings of Gareth Bale.

Ronaldo, who has two years left on his current deal, has been locked in talks with Madrid for months over an extension.

But the Portuguese superstar is close to accepting a new four-year-contract, which includes a clause that he must always earn more than new signing Bale.

Ronaldo’s nose has been put out of joint by the Welshman’s arrival, and in a bid to keep their main man happy, Madrid will cough up extra cash

Morehttp://www.completesportsnigeria.com/news/2013/09/ronaldo-set-to-eclipse-gareth-bale

Last weekend, the boys were separated from the men in African football.
Following the results of last weekend’s series of World Cup qualifying matches, Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Senegal, Ethiopia and Nigeria have emerged at the final bus stop for the qualification for the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil.

A close look at the 10 teams makes a loud announcement – the original giants of African football are back at the top, That is, the countries that have impacted the most from Africa at the World Cup - Cameroun, Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Senegal and Nigeria! The only country in that category of traditionally well-established African teams, which narrowly failed in a group that included Cote D’Ivoire, with its constellation of football superstars, is Morocco!

The other outstanding feature of the final list is the authentication of the arrival at the apex of African football of a few new teams – Ethiopia, Burkina Faso and Cape Verde Islands.

Although the Cape Verde were disqualified on technical grounds (for fielding an ineligible player) after defeating Tunisia in Tunis, the incredible run of great performances of this tiny African island nation since the run-up to the African Cup of Nations of 2013 has caught the attention and imagination of all.

Ethiopia and Burkina Faso qualified for this last lap on the merit of the results earned through credible performances.With their performances so far in the World Cup qualifiers, both countries have confirmed beyond any doubt that their fantastic outings in the African Cup of Nations in January 2013 were no flukes.

Read more; http://www.completesportsnigeria.com/news/2013/09/separating-the-boys-from-the-men-in-african-football

Pharaohs star wishes to avoid Algeria in playoff

Egypt star Mohamed Abou-Treika does not wish to meet Algeria in the World Cup qualifying playoffs ahead of a potential clash between both nations.

After Tunisia and Morocco had failed to make it to the last qualifying stage, Egypt and Algeria became the only North Africans in the playoff round.

As Algeria could be possible opponents for the Pharaohs, Treika - who has just earned his 100th international cap - was candid about his wish to avoid the Arab rivals, citing his hope to see both nations in the World Cup finals.

"I wish Egypt and Algeria would qualify together for the World Cup rather than one team eliminate the other in the playoff," Treika, 34, told reporters on Wednesday.

"We shouldn't be preoccupied by who we're going to meet; we must be ready to face any side."

Egypt do not have pleasant recollections with Algeria, who ousted the Pharaohs from the 2010 World Cup qualifiers following a fierce competition between both sides four years ago.


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