THE EAGLES MIGHT SOAR HIGHER AT THE CONFEDERATIONS CUP

 

The Nigerian Super Eagles has finally trounced their pathway to the glare window of the world again after a protracted period of drowsiness at the football center stage. The tell-tale of the glory days of the super eagles has been narrowed down to the valley of folklore since the heart-stopping and breath-taking exploits of the ’94 and ’98 world cup squad, and if not for the once-in-a-while romp-rout of the younger sides of the Nigerian National team at the Olympics and Youth championships, Nigerians would have gone feisty in their national football fanatism.

The 2013 African Cup of Nations brought about a rare but justifiable assemblage of local and foreign players in the mix of the super eagles. The average Nigerian support for the super eagles at the football fest in South Africa was more of loyalty riding on optimism than an expected performance. We haunted them with an elephantine shadow of uncertainty, but rather than be crushed by it, they severed this familiar foe to our total disbelief. The Super Eagles won only their third AFCON trophy in South Africa, although not a great feat for a self-styled giant of Africa (who has come close in no few times of 7 finals) but a breakthrough long overdue. The romp in South Africa is sure a resound to the whole of Africa of a new force rising in the west, but if that message is to excite the world, the super eagles will have to blow their bugle loud enough in the confederation cup in Brazil

The super eagles defied the odds of football punditry in South Africa, having simply overpowered their opponents with strength and speed, recovering quickly from a shaky defence at the start of the competition to build on a stable midfield and quick piercing attack. The availability of the likes of Vincent Enyeama, Elderson Echiejile, Efe Ambrose, Kenneth Omeruo, Mikel Obi, Nosa Igiebor, Ogenyi Onazi, Ahmed Musa, Emmanuel Emenike, Brown Ideye, Victor Moses, Ike Uche, and Sunday Mba, who all formed a formidable team for Stephen Keshi in South Africa means the coach need not grow gray hairs in his business of raising a perfect team for the confederations cup. Obi Mikel has just returned from injury in Chelsea FC of London, and should be fully fit before Nigeria kick a ball inBrazil, while Nigeria’s main goal threat, Emmanuel Emenike, is the only player probable to miss out of the competition, having suffered a recurrence of his knee ligament injury that will rule him out of action for two months. Nonetheless, Werder Bremen forward, Joseph Akpala, has been summoned to replace Emenike in the Super eagles squad.

And ahead of the competition in June, Head coach Stephen Keshi, has handed Nigerians high hope that the Super eagles will not be push overs at the confederations cup in Brazil, even though qualifying the Super eagles for the 2014 world cup in Brazil is the top priority for him and the entire team. According to him , the team shall approach the confederations cup  “with the same seriousness that won us the Africa cup of nations in South Africa……..the confederations cup will be tough with all the continental champions on parade, but I can assure you that the Eagles will give good account of themselves in Brazil and see where we stand at the end of the day” Stressing further, Keshi believes “playing against World and European champions Spain and South America champions Uruguay will not be easy” but that the team “shall not fear them. So long as it is going to be 11 vs 11 on the pitch” “we can spring some surprises” He stated.

The confederations cup is an association football tournament for national teams held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the holders of each of the six FIFA confederation championships (UEFA,CONMEBOL,CONCACAF,CAF,AFC,OFC), along with the FIFA world cup holder and the host nation, to bring the number of teams to eight. It is seen as a rehearsal for the World cup, which is why it takes place in the FIFA World cup host nation a year before the football fiesta. Nigeria will participate for the first time, representing Africa as a result of their triumph in AFCON 2013. Host, Brazil is drawn in Group A alongside Italy, Mexico and Japan, while the Eagles will play in Group B with Uruguay, Tahiti and World defending champion, Spain. Nigeria will play its first match against Tahiti on June 17, its second against Uruguay on June 20 and its last group game against Spain on June 23.

The Nigerian Super Eagles has finally trounced their pathway to the glare window of the world again after a protracted period of drowsiness at the football center stage. The tell-tale of the glory days of the super eagles has been narrowed down to the valley of folklore since the heart-stopping and breath-taking exploits of the ’94 and ’98 world cup squad, and if not for the once-in-a-while romp-rout of the younger sides of the Nigerian National team at the Olympics and Youth championships, Nigerians would have gone feisty in their national football fanatism.

The 2013 African Cup of Nations brought about a rare but justifiable assemblage of local and foreign players in the mix of the super eagles. The average Nigerian support for the super eagles at the football fest in South Africa was more of loyalty riding on optimism than an expected performance. We haunted them with an elephantine shadow of uncertainty, but rather than be crushed by it, they severed this familiar foe to our total disbelief. The Super Eagles won only their third AFCON trophy in South Africa, although not a great feat for a self-styled giant of Africa (who has come close in no few times of 7 finals) but a breakthrough long overdue. The romp in South Africa is sure a resound to the whole of Africa of a new force rising in the west, but if that message is to excite the world, the super eagles will have to blow their bugle loud enough in the confederation cup in Brazil

The super eagles defied the odds of football punditry in South Africa, having simply overpowered their opponents with strength and speed, recovering quickly from a shaky defence at the start of the competition to build on a stable midfield and quick piercing attack. The availability of the likes of Vincent Enyeama, Elderson Echiejile, Efe Ambrose, Kenneth Omeruo, Mikel Obi, Nosa Igiebor, Ogenyi Onazi, Ahmed Musa, Emmanuel Emenike, Brown Ideye, Victor Moses, Ike Uche, and Sunday Mba, who all formed a formidable team for Stephen Keshi in South Africa means the coach need not grow gray hairs in his business of raising a perfect team for the confederations cup. Obi Mikel has just returned from injury in Chelsea FC of London, and should be fully fit before Nigeria kick a ball inBrazil, while Nigeria’s main goal threat, Emmanuel Emenike, is the only player probable to miss out of the competition, having suffered a recurrence of his knee ligament injury that will rule him out of action for two months. Nonetheless, Werder Bremen forward, Joseph Akpala, has been summoned to replace Emenike in the Super eagles squad.

And ahead of the competition in June, Head coach Stephen Keshi, has handed Nigerians high hope that the Super eagles will not be push overs at the confederations cup in Brazil, even though qualifying the Super eagles for the 2014 world cup in Brazil is the top priority for him and the entire team. According to him , the team shall approach the confederations cup  “with the same seriousness that won us the Africa cup of nations in South Africa……..the confederations cup will be tough with all the continental champions on parade, but I can assure you that the Eagles will give good account of themselves in Brazil and see where we stand at the end of the day” Stressing further, Keshi believes “playing against World and European champions Spain and South America champions Uruguay will not be easy” but that the team “shall not fear them. So long as it is going to be 11 vs 11 on the pitch” “we can spring some surprises” He stated.

The confederations cup is an association football tournament for national teams held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the holders of each of the six FIFA confederation championships (UEFA,CONMEBOL,CONCACAF,CAF,AFC,OFC), along with the FIFA world cup holder and the host nation, to bring the number of teams to eight. It is seen as a rehearsal for the World cup, which is why it takes place in the FIFA World cup host nation a year before the football fiesta. Nigeria will participate for the first time, representing Africa as a result of their triumph in AFCON 2013. Host, Brazil is drawn in Group A alongside Italy, Mexico and Japan, while the Eagles will play in Group B with Uruguay, Tahiti and World defending champion, Spain. Nigeria will play its first match against Tahiti on June 17, its second against Uruguay on June 20 and its last group game against Spain on June 23.

AND FERGIE RESIGNS

Legendary football gaffer, Sir Alex Ferguson will step down finally as Manchester United manager at the end of the season after a 26 year tenure that has made him the most successful in British football.

Fergie, in a statement,  revealed that his decision to retire is well thought out and one not “taken lightly” he stressed the significance of retiring at a time like this by stating “it is the right time. It is important to me to leave an organization in the strongest possible shape and I believe I have done so”

The 71 year old scot, has won 38 trophies during his reign at Old Trafford and will now become a director and ambassador for the club. His trophy haul includes 13 league titles, two champions league crowns, five FA cups, four league cups, the FIFA club world cup, Intercontinental cup, the UEFA cup winners’ cup and the UEFA super cup.

Meanwhile, Everton manager, David Moyes, has been confirmed as the new United manager. Moyes, who shares Ferguson’s Scottish working class roots, has built a steady career in over a decade at the Merseyside club as he is the third longest-serving manager in the premier league, with coaching experience also in the champions league. The 50 year old manager, who is out of contract in the summer, has excelled at over-achieving on a limited budget, rather than managing a large squad of superstars.

Moyes once said of Sir Alex “He is someone all the football managers look up to, they respect him. Even when he is fighting them, he still has the humility to have a drink with them at the end of the game. And he still has the dignity to phone them if they are sacked or out of work”           

TALENTED BUT TEMPRAMENTAL…….AN ANECDOTE OF LUIS SUAREZ’S FOOTBALLING ORDEAL

 From goal-mouth saves, dressing room bust-ups, biting players, handballs to finger-wagging, Luis Suarez has munched a little more than chewable in a controversy-laden career. He doesn’t seem like he can nip it in the bud or maybe he is just a little too green around the gills. Like a leopard, with an embarrassing renown for its indelible dark spots, Suarez is bespeckled with an ugly but inate trait which he has hitherto found difficult to oust.

Up there with the likes of Messi, Ronaldo and Falcao in quality, he is one of the brightest talent ever to have graced modern football. However, poor Luis should be apparent to us for such great reasons, but for the smoke of his attitude befogging his dexterous footballing artistry. He has been unable to keep the fume out of his chimney since it ushered him to public glare in 2005.

After bursting on to the South-American scene for Nacional in the 2005/2006 season, Suarez made his international debut in a world cup qualifier for Uruguay the following year. He failed to score but did make the headlines with an 85^th minute sending off after two yellows. A red-mist debut I call it.

Consequent to virtuoso performances, Suarez caught the eye of several leading clubs before Ajax snapped him up on a five-year contract in 2007. That November, Suarez continued to show his combative streak when he and team –mate Albert Luque were fined for a dressing room altercation during half-time against Feyernoord.

In South Africa 2010, Suarez’s handball on the goal-line prevented Ghana’s Dominic Adiyiah from scoring in the last minute of the World cup Semi-final. He was subsequently sent off (his second international dismissal after being shown a red card on his Uruguay debut in February 2007), with Asamaoh Gyan missing the resulting penalty, Suarez celebrated on the sidelines and Uruguay went on to triumph in the shoot-out bringing Suarez in for stinging criticism across the globe.( Doubt he has a Ghanaian fan, the black star team was en-route history lane to become the first African country to ever get through to the World cup semi-final, if Suarez had not blackballed that last minute goal-bound attempt with his last-ditch goalkeeping).

After his World cup horror-heroics, Suarez increased his notoriety that November (2010), earning a seven-game suspension for biting the shoulder of PSV Eindhoven’s Otman Bakkal during an Eredivisie clash with Ajax. He was thence christened Suarez the “cannibal of Ajax” by Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

Following his move to Liverpool in January 2011, he was entwined in a tackle with then Everton player Jack Rodwell and went down with apparent minimal contact, leading to the sending off of Rodwell. More controversy as the Liverpool striker is accused of a “nice dive” by West Brom’s Pau, Scharner after being challenged by Jerome Thomas at the Hawthorns in October 2011. Charlie Adam converted the penalty in a 2-0 win, while Scharner tagged Suarez as one “of the best in the world at winning penalties”. Still in October 2011, subsequent to a month-long investigation, Suarez was charged for racially abusing Manchester United defender, Patrice Evra. The Frenchman made the claims immediately after the match at Anfield, alleging Suarez had used a racist insult on him ‘at least 10 times’ during the game. Suarez was banned for eight matches and fined £40000. Another league game, another bout in the bowl, like Suarez never gets tired of hurling pebbles in his glass house, he was seen making an offensive gesture at supporters after Liverpool’s defeat to Fulham. The Uruguayan had been taunted by home fans after  referee Kevin Friend did not award him a penalty when he went over after a challenge by Brede Hangeland in the second half. At this time, although not yet penalized, Suarez had already been charged by the football association over the Evra incident, he was handed a further one-match ban for the gesture.

United and Liverpool matched again at Old Trafford (later in February 2012), but more contention ensued as Suarez refused to handshake Evra before kick off.

In October 2012, Suarez ducked for the dramatic as he celebrated a goal in the Merseyside derby by diving in front of then Everton manager, David Moyes, who had earlier claimed that “divers such as Suarez are putting fans off the English game”.

Liverpool coach Brendan Rodgers felt the onus was not on Suarez to own up to the handball that helped Liverpool reach the FA cup fourth round at the expense of minnows Mansfield.  But Suarez could have followed a different path and live  to the herald of a hero if he had acknowledged fault after using his right wrist to beat the ball down over the line and celebrating Liverpool’s second.

During a World cup qualifier for Uruguay in March, Suarez appeared to punch Chilean defender, Gonzalo Jara after tussling with him. Although the referee failed to see the incident, with FIFA launching an investigation, a retrospective punishment is impending for the karate kid.

And now at a time when the English Premier League winds up and the stage curtain drops on its eye-catching theatrics, Suarez says it is not over, and pulls a bizarre Dracula of an act. A flick of on-pitch cannibalism. During Liverpool’s premier league game against Chelsea at Anfield in April, Suarez scuffled with Branislav Ivanovic in the box and either misplaced his temper or of a sudden realized he was very hungry, before apparently taking a bite out of the Serbian defender, whom he mistook for a giant pizza. The Uruguayan escaped without  punishment from the referee, but has been handed a 10-game ban that will extend six games into next season, for his inability to control his on-pitch appetite.

Although the reaction from Anfield was swift and serious, Liverpool’s determination to retain their prize asset at all costs undermines their condemnation of his actions. Luis Suarez’s time at Anfield has been beset by controversy but he remains Liverpool’s only world class forward (first Liverpool player to score 30 goals in a season since Fernando Torres), so expect to see him munch on some more pounds of flesh next season, because the “cannibal of Ajax” has resurrected in Merseyside.

TALENTED BUT TEMPRAMENTAL…….AN ANECDOTE OF LUIS SUAREZ’S FOOTBALLING ORDEAL

 

From goal-mouth saves, dressing room bust-ups, biting players, handballs to finger-wagging, Luis Suarez has munched a little more than chewable in a controversy-laden career. He doesn’t seem like he can nip it in the bud or maybe he is just a little too green around the gills. Like a leopard, with an embarrassing renown for its indelible dark spots, Suarez is bespeckled with an ugly but inate trait which he has hitherto found difficult to oust.

Up there with the likes of Messi, Ronaldo and Falcao in quality, he is one of the brightest talent ever to have graced modern football. However, poor Luis should be apparent to us for such great reasons, but for the smoke of his attitude befogging his dexterous footballing artistry. He has been unable to keep the fume out of his chimney since it ushered him to public glare in 2005.

After bursting on to the South-American scene for Nacional in the 2005/2006 season, Suarez made his international debut in a world cup qualifier for Uruguay the following year. He failed to score but did make the headlines with an 85^th minute sending off after two yellows. A red-mist debut I call it.

Consequent to virtuoso performances, Suarez caught the eye of several leading clubs before Ajax snapped him up on a five-year contract in 2007. That November, Suarez continued to show his combative streak when he and team –mate Albert Luque were fined for a dressing room altercation during half-time against Feyernoord.

In South Africa 2010, Suarez’s handball on the goal-line prevented Ghana’s Dominic Adiyiah from scoring in the last minute of the World cup Semi-final. He was subsequently sent off (his second international dismissal after being shown a red card on his Uruguay debut in February 2007), with Asamaoh Gyan missing the resulting penalty, Suarez celebrated on the sidelines and Uruguay went on to triumph in the shoot-out bringing Suarez in for stinging criticism across the globe.( Doubt he has a Ghanaian fan, the black star team was en-route history lane to become the first African country to ever get through to the World cup semi-final, if Suarez had not blackballed that last minute goal-bound attempt with his last-ditch goalkeeping).

After his World cup horror-heroics, Suarez increased his notoriety that November (2010), earning a seven-game suspension for biting the shoulder of PSV Eindhoven’s Otman Bakkal during an Eredivisie clash with Ajax. He was thence christened Suarez the “cannibal of Ajax” by Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

Following his move to Liverpool in January 2011, he was entwined in a tackle with then Everton player Jack Rodwell and went down with apparent minimal contact, leading to the sending off of Rodwell. More controversy as the Liverpool striker is accused of a “nice dive” by West Brom’s Pau, Scharner after being challenged by Jerome Thomas at the Hawthorns in October 2011. Charlie Adam converted the penalty in a 2-0 win, while Scharner tagged Suarez as one “of the best in the world at winning penalties”. Still in October 2011, subsequent to a month-long investigation, Suarez was charged for racially abusing Manchester United defender, Patrice Evra. The Frenchman made the claims immediately after the match at Anfield, alleging Suarez had used a racist insult on him ‘at least 10 times’ during the game. Suarez was banned for eight matches and fined £40000. Another league game, another bout in the bowl, like Suarez never gets tired of hurling pebbles in his glass house, he was seen making an offensive gesture at supporters after Liverpool’s defeat to Fulham. The Uruguayan had been taunted by home fans after  referee Kevin Friend did not award him a penalty when he went over after a challenge by Brede Hangeland in the second half. At this time, although not yet penalized, Suarez had already been charged by the football association over the Evra incident, he was handed a further one-match ban for the gesture.

United and Liverpool matched again at Old Trafford (later in February 2012), but more contention ensued as Suarez refused to handshake Evra before kick off.

In October 2012, Suarez ducked for the dramatic as he celebrated a goal in the Merseyside derby by diving in front of then Everton manager, David Moyes, who had earlier claimed that “divers such as Suarez are putting fans off the English game”.

Liverpool coach Brendan Rodgers felt the onus was not on Suarez to own up to the handball that helped Liverpool reach the FA cup fourth round at the expense of minnows Mansfield.  But Suarez could have followed a different path and live  to the herald of a hero if he had acknowledged fault after using his right wrist to beat the ball down over the line and celebrating Liverpool’s second.

During a World cup qualifier for Uruguay in March, Suarez appeared to punch Chilean defender, Gonzalo Jara after tussling with him. Although the referee failed to see the incident, with FIFA launching an investigation, a retrospective punishment is impending for the karate kid.

And now at a time when the English Premier League winds up and the stage curtain drops on its eye-catching theatrics, Suarez says it is not over, and pulls a bizarre Dracula of an act. A flick of on-pitch cannibalism. During Liverpool’s premier league game against Chelsea at Anfield in April, Suarez scuffled with Branislav Ivanovic in the box and either misplaced his temper or of a sudden realized he was very hungry, before apparently taking a bite out of the Serbian defender, whom he mistook for a giant pizza. The Uruguayan escaped without  punishment from the referee, but has been handed a 10-game ban that will extend six games into next season, for his inability to control his on-pitch appetite.

Although the reaction from Anfield was swift and serious, Liverpool’s determination to retain their prize asset at all costs undermines their condemnation of his actions. Luis Suarez’s time at Anfield has been beset by controversy but he remains Liverpool’s only world class forward (first Liverpool player to score 30 goals in a season since Fernando Torres), so expect to see him munch on some more pounds of flesh next season, because the “cannibal of Ajax” has resurrected in Merseyside.