PRESIDENT JONATHAN APPLAUDS FALCONETS, SAYS TEAM CAN BECOME GREAT FORCE IN WOMEN’S SOCCER

PRESIDENT JONATHAN APPLAUDS FALCONETS, SAYS TEAM CAN BECOME GREAT FORCE IN WOMEN'S SOCCER

On behalf of himself, the Federal Government and the people of Nigeria, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan congratulates Nigeria's under-20 women's football team, the Falconets for winning the silver medal at the just concluded FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup Tournament in Canada.

President Jonathan assures the Falconets that despite their loss in extra time to their German counterparts in yesterday's very keenly contested final, all Nigerians remain proud of the skillful, highly spirited and patriotic performance they put up throughout the tournament.

WIN TOMORROW AND GET HEROINES’ WELCOME WHEN YOU RETURN HOME, PRESIDENT JONATHAN TELLS FALCONETS

WIN  TOMORROW AND GET HEROINES' WELCOME WHEN YOU RETURN HOME, PRESIDENT JONATHAN TELLS FALCONETS

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Saturday spoke with members of the national under-20 women's football team, the Falconets and exhorted them  to go all out for victory against their German counterparts in tomorrow's final of the 2014 FIFA under-20 women's World Cup in Canada.

President Jonathan who is currently on a private visit to Germany called the Falconets at their base in Montreal at about 1515 Hours Nigerian Time and spoke with the captain of the team, Patience Okaeme, top scorer, Asisat Oshoala, Assistant Captain, Deborah Okoye, Courtney Dike, Uchechi Sunday, the delegation leader ,Chief Felix Anyansi Agwu, Head Coach Peter Dedevbo and other members of his team.

The President who commended the players for getting to the finals of the tournament once again, urged them to do their best to exceed their 2010 second place finish by overcoming the German team on Sunday and bringing greater glory, pride and joy to soccer-loving Nigerians.

PRESIDENT JONATHAN HAILS FALCONETS’ QUALIFICATION FOR UNDER-20 FEMALE WORLD CUP FINALS

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE
 PRESIDENT JONATHAN HAILS FALCONETS' QUALIFICATION FOR UNDER-20 FEMALE WORLD CUP FINALS
 
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan heartily congratulates Nigeria's under-20 female football team, the Falconets on their qualification for the final match of the ongoing FIFA tournament in Canada.

 The President applauds the Falconets' scintillating display which earned them a 6-2 victory in Wednesday's semi-final encounter with North Korea as well as their very commendable performance in earlier matches.
 
As the Falconets prepare for the final match of the tournament against Germany on Sunday, President Jonathan urges them to put in their very best effort to win the under-20 Female World Cup for Nigeria and Africa for the first time in the history of the competition.
 
He assures the girls and their handlers of the full support of the Federal Government and the prayers of all Nigerians for their triumph on Sunday.
 
Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
August 21, 2014

PRESIDENT JONATHAN APPLAUDS NIGERIA'S PERFORMANCE AT COMMONWEALTH GAMES

PRESIDENT JONATHAN APPLAUDS NIGERIA'S PERFORMANCE AT COMMONWEALTH GAMES
 
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan congratulates   members of the Nigerian team for their sterling performance at the 2014 Commonwealth Games which ended in Glasgow, Scotland at the weekend.

Blessing Okagbare

 
President Jonathan particularly applauds the elating accomplishment of Blessing Okagbare who gloriously dominated the female sprint events, and other athletes who won medals for the country at the games.
 
The President believes that the athletes' very impressive performance at the  games which resulted in Nigeria ranking 8th out of 71 participating countries  is a further demonstration of the indomitable spirit of Nigerians and the great heights they can attain with hard work, commitment, dedication, courage and patriotism.
 
President Jonathan assures the athletes and their handlers that his Administration will continue to do its best
​to ​ encourage them and support sports development in the country.
 
He looks forward to receiving and honouring the medal winners and their coaches at the Presidential Villa, Abuja
 
REUBEN ABATI
Special Adviser to the President
(Media& Publicity)
August 5, 2014

Blessing Okagbare Breaks 12-Year World Record To Win 100m Gold In Glasgow

Blessing Okagbare

Nigerian athlete Blessing Okagbare won the gold medal in the Women’s 100m race at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland on Monday evening. She broke Bahamian sprint athlete Debbie Ferguson’s 12-year record of 10.91 seconds by setting a new one at 10.85 seconds.

BBC Sport
25-year-old Okagbare beat Jamaica's veteran athlete Veronica Campbell-Brown and Kerron Stewart who won the silver and bronze respectively. Campbell-Brown finished at 11.02 seconds while Stewart finished at 11.07 seconds.

Blessing Okagbare Bests British Sprinters To Win 200m Gold In Glasgow

Blessing Okagbare won the 200m sprint today (31/7/2014) at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland, finishing ahead of English duo Jodie Williams and Bianca Williams with a time of 22.25 seconds.

Blessing Okagbare

Blessing Okagbare wins 200m race in Glasgow
supersport.com
Though the three British sprinters who took second, third, and fourth place achieved personal best times, they could not best Okagbare, 25, who also won the 100m race on Monday.

"I am happy I won," said Okagbare. "It wasn't favourable weather and running two rounds in one day is new for me."

She furthered, "I wanted something faster. I didn't get the time but I got the win and two golds. It's amazing."

Source: Sahara Reporters

Nigerian gold medallist fails drugs test

Nigerian gold medallist fails drugs test

The African sixteen-year-old fails the test after winning the women's 53kg competition at the Commonwealth Games.

Nigeria teenager Chika Amalaha, at 16 the youngest female weightlifter to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal, has failed a doping test, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) said.

She failed an in-competition test after winning the women's 53kg competition on Friday, testing positive for banned diuretics and masking agents.

AWC: Falcons no longer strongest team –Mabo

Former Super Falcons coach, Ismaila Mabo, has warned the team against overconfidence when they face hosts Namibia, Ivory Coast and Zambia in Group A of the 2014 African Women’s Championship in Namibia from October 11 to 25.

Falcons

According to Saturday’s draw in Windhoek, South Africa will face Cameroon, Ghana and Algeria in Group B of the tournament.

The top three teams at the tournament will represent Africa at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada next year.

However, eight-time African champions Falcons will begin camping for the championship in August and Mabo believes only the best players should make the final selection by coach Edwin Okon.

Alice Coachman Davis, first black woman to win gold in the Olympics passes away at age 90

In 1948, Alice Coachman Davis won the gold medal in the high jump and was not only the lone American woman to take home a gold medal at the London games, but she was also the first African American woman to win an Olympic gold medal. According to the AP and her daughter, Evelyn Jones, the trailblazer passed away on Monday at the age of 90 in South Georgia. According to the New York Times, Davis had been at a nursing home after having a stroke a few months ago and went into cardiac arrest on Monday after having a hard time breathing.
During those games in London, Davis set a record at the time for clearing 5.51 feet. Her accomplishments at the Games of the XIV Olympiad were so great that when she returned to her hometown of Albany, Georgia, she was honored with a ceremony. However, the audience welcoming her back home was, of course, segregated.

Luis Suarez bite: Reaction to Fifa's four-month ban from world football

Fifa's decision to give Uruguay striker Luis Suarez a four-month ban from world football for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini has made headlines around the globe.

Uruguay's Luis Suarez grabs his teeth after biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini

He will now miss nine international matches and the first nine games of the Premier League season for Liverpool, as well as three Champions League matches.The World Cup ban is the third he has been handed for biting someone during his career.
Here BBC Sport rounds up reaction to Thursday's ruling and the possible repercussions for club and country.

Luis Suarez's controversies
July 2010: Handles the ball on the line to deny Ghana a winner in the last minute of extra time in the World Cup quarter-finals. Asamoah Gyan misses the resulting penalty and Uruguay win the shootout to reach the semi-finals.
November 2010: Given seven-match ban for biting PSV Eindhoven's Otman Bakkal on the shoulder while playing for Ajax.
December 2011: Given eight-match suspension and fined £40,000 for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra.
February 2012: Refuses to shake hands with Evra at Old Trafford and is described as a "disgrace" by United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
April 2013 : Suarez apologises for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic. Gets 10-game ban.
June 2014: Given nine-match international ban and four-month suspension from all football-related activity for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup.

FIFA bans Suarez for four months

Uruguay striker also fined $112,000 and banned for nine international games after biting Italy defender in Brazil.

Uruguay striker Luis Suarez was banned for nine matches by FIFA after being found guilty of biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini.

Suarez was also suspended from any football-related activity for four months and fined 100,000 Swiss francs ($112,000).

"Such behaviour cannot be tolerated on any football pitch, and in particular not at a FIFA World Cup when the eyes of millions of people are on the stars on the field," Claudio Sulser, chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, said in a statement.

Nigeria beats Bosnia-Hercegovina

Nigeria's Peter Odemwingie scores against Bosnia-Hercegovina

Peter Odemwingie scored the only goal to give Nigeria a victory that means World Cup debutants Bosnia-Hercegovina will not progress from Group F.
The Stoke forward struck in the first half to give Nigeria their first win at a World Cup finals since 1998.
The goal came just seven minutes after Bosnia striker Edin Dzeko had a goal incorrectly disallowed for offside.
Nigeria's Peter Odemwingie scores against Bosnia-Hercegovina
Nigeria will reach the knockout stages if they get a point against Argentina, or if Iran fail to beat Bosnia.

Uzoenyi Lands In Brazil

Ejike Uzoenyi, Super Eagles winger

Ejike Uzoenyi, the Rangers International winger who was named by Super Eagles head coach Stephen Keshi as replacement for injured left back, Elderson Echiejile arrived Brazil yesterday around 4pm Brazil time.

As reported by Complete Sports yesterday,the player flew out of Murtala Mohammed International airport in Lagos aboard a South African Airways flight and arrived at the Oliver Thambo international airport in Johannesburg on Wednesday morning where he connected a flight to Sao Paulo.

Uzoenyi’s Brazil trip had become a major news report in Nigeria with some quoting Rangers officials that they will not release the player for the World Cup because there was no correspondent between the club and the Nigeria Football Federation. Meanwhile Eagles administrator cum secretary,Dayo Enebi Achor revealed all logistics to reintegrate Uzoenyi into the team quickly have been made.

“I guess when he arrives and start training Nigerians will finally come to the reality that we will miss Echejile in this World Cup”.

Source: Complete Sport

I didn’t insist on Echejile –Keshi

Elderson Echejile

Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi has denied he insisted on keeping injured Elderson Echiejile in camp against medical advice.

Keshi says although he is not happy that Echiejile, who is a very key member of the squad, will miss the World Cup, he will not put the player’s career at risk.

“We have spoken to the medical team and the NFF and we have agreed, so I was a bit shocked when I got a call from some of my friends back home that I insisted on keeping an injured player. It’s a fallacy because I never spoke to anyone about Echiejile,” the former Nigeria captain was quoted by the team’s Media Officer Ben Alaiya as saying on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Enugu Rangers forward Ejike Uzoenyi, who was invited by Keshi to replace Echiejile, was scheduled to arrive in Brazil to join the team on Wednesday.

Ejike Uzoenyi

Source: The Punch

Brazil 2014: Nigeria Picks Yobo, Osaze, 21 Others; Drops Nsofor, Mba-PREMIUM TIMES

Joseph Yobo
Super Eagles Captain

Nigeria’s captain, Joseph Yobo, will play in his third FIFA World Cup finals and has the opportunity to become Nigeria’s first ever player to have 100 international caps after he was named in the African champions’ final list of 23 for Brazil 2014.

Also going to their third World Cup are goalkeepers Vincent Enyeama and Austin Ejide.

Midfield anchorman, John Mikel Obi, will only be attending his first finals after Nigeria narrowly missed qualifying for Germany 2006 and he was omitted from South Africa 2010 due to injury.

Former junior international defender, Elderson Echiejile, and Olympic silver medalist, Osaze Odemwingie, who were also in South Africa four years ago, make the cut for the biggest showpiece in football, which starts on June 12.

The 2013 Africa Cup of Nations top scorer, Emmanuel Emenike, is joined in the attack by England-based duo of Victor Moses and Shola Ameobi, as well as former junior international, Uche Nwofor. But there is no place for Olympic silver medalist, Obinna Nsofor, and nimble–footed Nnamdi Oduamadi.

Home based goalkeeper, Daniel Akpeyi; ex-Inter Milan midfielder, Joel Obi; South Africa 2013 hero, Sunday Mba; former U-23 star, Nosa Igiebor; and 2014 CHAN most valuable player, Ejike Uzoenyi; also miss out on the trip to South America.

NIGERIA’S FINAL 23 FOR BRAZIL 2014

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

Omeruo signs new Chelsea Deal

Kenneth Omeruo has signed a new deal at Chelsea. Chelsea Football Club announced the new deal on its website.
“Chelsea Football Club is delighted to announce Kenneth Omeruo has signed a new contract which will keep him at the club until 2018.
Omeruo who joined Chelsea from Standard Liege in January 2012 and upon signing went on loan to Dutch top-flight side ADO Den Haag said he was happy to have extended his stay at the London club.
“I’m thrilled to sign a new contract with Chelsea and I’m really excited about the future.
“To play at such a fantastic club is a real honour for me and I’ll be working incredibly hard to be successful. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time in England so far and can’t wait to get going.”
The 20-year-old defender, who is part of the Nigeria World Cup squad plays as a centre-back but can also comfortably play on the right.
Omeruo made one appearance for Chelsea’s Under-21s in November having recovered from a shoulder injury that kept him sidelined at the beginning of the campaign. He then spent the second half of the season on loan at Middlesbrough in the Championship, where he made 14 appearances.
Chelsea website said: “The Nigerian has already gained significant experience at international level, becoming an African champion last January before appearing in last summer’s Confederations Cup in Brazil.”
Source: PM News

We pray nothing happens to Enyeama – Rufai

SUDDENLY, the raging optimism of the Super Eagles winning the World Cup in Brazil hit all time low on Wednesday after their 2-2 draw with Scotland at the Craven Cottage, London.
The Super Eagles came from behind twice to force the Tartan Army to a 2-2 draw after goals by Charlie Mulgrew and Azubuike Egwuekwe’s own goal were denied victory by substitute Uche Nwofor’s stoppage-time strike.
Ex-international, Peter Rufai who reviewed the match yesterday with special focus on goalkeeper Austine Ejide prayed that nothing happens to number one goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama at the World Cup to warrant the coaches calling Ejide to duty for the Eagles.
‘’We pray that nothing happens to Enyeama to warrant a change’’, Rufai said at ‘’We are Brazil’’ conference by Supersport in Lagos yesterday.

Police investigate Nigeria, Scotland match

Stephen Keshi

Officers from the National Crime Agency, Britain’s equivalent of the FBI which investigates serious and organised crime, are understood to have asked FIFA to issue an alert over potential attempts to rig the game. Police have launched an investigation into attempts to fix a World Cup friendly between Scotland and Nigeria that is due to be played in London on Wednesday, the Telegraph reports. The football match is one of a sequence of friendlies that serve as a warm up for the World Cup in Brazil next month and is due to be played at Craven Cottage, the home of Fulham Football Club.

Onazi: I escaped Jos blasts by 15 minutes

Ogenyi Onazi

Super Eagles and Lazio of Italy midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi, has said that he narrowly escaped being killed in last week’s suicide bombings in Jos, Plateau State.

Onazi, who was born in Jos, told the British Broadcasting Corporation on Tuesday, that he left the popular Main Market in Jos, barely 15 minutes before the first blast rocked the area.

The first and second blasts at the crowded   market killed at least 150 people.

   “I am very, very lucky, just by the grace of God,”   said Onazi who   is now with the Super Eagles in London as they prepare for Wednesday’s(today) friendly against Scotland.

Manchester City: Yaya Toure 'angered by birthday efforts'

Yaya Toure's agent has criticised Manchester City's attempts to mark the midfielder's birthday with a tweet, describing their efforts as "a joke".
City gave Toure a birthday cake as they flew to Abu Dhabi and tweeted their congratulations after he turned 31.
“If they don't respect him then easy - Yaya will leave”
Dimitri Seluk Toure's agent
But Dimitri Seluk says Toure is "very upset" the club's owners failed to acknowledge him personally and says he may leave over their lack of respect.
"None of them shook his hand on his birthday. It's really sick," he said.
City declined to comment officially but BBC Sport understands club officials are not too alarmed by Seluk's claims.