September 11, 2024

NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA

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1 FG committed to independence of auditor-general’s office – Tinubu

2 FCTA, GAIN sign MoU on access to affordable, nutritious food

3 FG, stakeholders synergise to boost poultry production

4 Eguavoen says report of quitting false

5 Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa Banditry: Turji’s capture is imminent, says CDS

Super Eagles players celebrate a goal against Equatorial Guinea at the 2023 AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire
Sports

FIFA Ranking: Eagles move up 14 spots after AFCON silver win

By Bushrah Yusuf-Badmus

Africa Cup of Nations Runners-up, Super Eagles of Nigeria have moved up by 14 spots to placed 28th in the world in the February FIFA ranking.

In the ranking table published on the website of the world football governing body on Thursday, the team garnered 1,522 points as against the 1,474 points garnered in December 2023.

The upward movement further shoot up the Super Eagles as the third placed team on the continent, behind Morocco and Senegal who have 1663 (12th) and 1620 (17th) points.

However, the newly-crowned African champions Cote d’Ivoire, reaped the rewards of their continental triumph on home soil by being in the 39th place having moved up by 10 spots.

AFCON second runners- up, South Africa climbed 8 spots to 58th, with Egypt (36th), Cameroon (51st) & Ghana (67th) dropping down after their early AFCON 2023 exits.

The Angolan side who were ousted in the last eight (93rd, up 24), are the biggest climbers in the latest installment of the global ranking.

In the points stakes, two-time Asian Cup winners Qatar (37th, up 21) chalk up the biggest tally (92.04 points) after capitalising on home comforts to successfully defend their continental crown.

Elsewhere, Jordan (70th, up 17), who were edged out in the final, make good ground, as do Thailand (101st, up 12), whose journey came to an end at the last-16 stage.

Qatar’s rise sees them enter uncharted territory, with two other teams also recording best-ever rankings.

Senegal (17th, up 3), which suffered shoot-out heartbreak at the hands of the eventual winners Cote d’Ivoire in the AFCON Round of 16, break new ground.

Tajikistan (99th, up 7) mark their maiden Asian Cup campaign by making a first-ever appearance in the top 100.

Other impressive performers are Equatorial Guinea (79th, up 9), South Africa (58th, up 8), Cabo Verde (65th, up 8), Namibia (107th, up 8) and Mali (47th, up 4). (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Joseph Edeh

Super Eagles forward, Moses Simon, during a post match press conference at AFCON 2023
Sports

AFCON 2023: I was undecided about giving pass, Simon says

By Olayinka Owolewa

Super Eagles and FC Nantes of France winger, Moses Simon, said he was undecided either to pass the ball to Victor Osimhen or score himself before passing it to Ademola Lookman for the winning goal.

Simon provided an assist for Nigeria’s 1-0 win over the Palancas Negras of Angola on Friday, in the quarter-final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire.

The Benue-born player disclosed this at the post-match news conference on Friday in Abidjan.

“I was undecided if I should pass to Victor Osimhen, go inside and shoot or find Ademola Lookman, “he said.

“It was either pass the ball to Victor or I score, or pass to Lookman but at this moment, you don’t need to be selfish, we just need to feed them to score and I am really happy he utilises the chance.

“I feel really happy, the most important thing is the victory, you could be the man of the match and lose,” Simon said.

Simon who won the Man of the Match award, said he was happy not because he won the award, but because the Eagles progressed to the semi-final of the competition.

He said who scores in a match doesn’t interest them anymore but winning the match was much more important than putting pressure on one person to score.

Nigeria played out a 1-1 draw in its first game against Equatorial Guinea, dispatched host, Elephants of Cote D’Ivoire, 1-0 in the second game, and a 1-0 win over Guinea Bissau in the last group B match.

The three-time African champions, defeated the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon 2-0 in the round of 16 to set a date with the Palacas Negras of Angola in the quarter-final and recorded another 1-0 win.

Nigeria will play the winner between Cape Verde and South Africa in the semifinal of the competition on Wed. Feb. 6, in Bouake. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Joseph Edeh

Super Eagles Coach, Jose Peseiro, at a pre-match news conference in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
Sports

Peseiro: Super Eagles must be more clinical

By Victor Okoye

Super Eagles Coach Jose Peseiro says the team must be more clinical if Nigeria is to go far in the knockout stages of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nigeria booked their passage into the last 16 after defeating Guinea Bissau on Monday, thanks to a first-half own goal from Guinea-Bissau’s Opa Sangante.

The win was enough to earn them second place in Group A.

Nigeria dominated the game but poor finishing ensured it was a tense encounter to the end, with Osimhen missing several chances to secure the three points earlier in the contest.

Both teams also had late goals correctly ruled out for offside.

Peseiro told newsmen during a post-match on conference that the team could not afford to continue to miss clear chances in front of goal as it might be detrimental to Nigeria’s progress in the tournament.

“It is a new competition that is starting for us.

“The most important part of a competition is the knockout stage.

“We will have to be more clinical in front of goal because the slightest mistake will be fatal for us,” he said.

NAN reports that the Super Eagles are in the round of 16 of the AFCON for the 17th time.

They will next face the runners-up of Group C – either Guinea or Senegal – in the Round of 16 at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, on Saturday. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Ephraims Sheyin

Guinea players engaging their Cameroon counterparts at AFCON 2023
Sports

AFCON 2023: Guinea hold Cameroon with 10 men

By Victor Okoye

Guinea and Cameroon played out a 1-1 draw in a tensed encounter at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium in the second Group C game of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Côte d’Ivoire 2023 on Monday.

Guinea took an early lead through Mohamed Bayo.

Bayo was given all the space and time in the world and gleefully pounced on a loose ball inside the penalty box beyond the reach of Fabrice Ondoa.

He put the Guineans in the lead against the five times champions, Cameroon in the 10th minute.

Guinean captain, Francois Kamano, was shown the marching orders after a foul on Cameroonian midfielder, Olivier Ntcham, inside added time in the first half.

The situation was reviewed by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and an initial yellow card was changed to red card by Referee Mutaz Ibrahim.

Cameroon took advantage of their numerical disadvantage in the second half.

The Indomitable Lions got the equaliser six minutes into the second half following Frank Magri’s show of superb aerial ability to pounce onto a free kick to render the game 1-1.

Cameroon will play defending champions, Senegal on Friday, at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Salif Atojoko

Super Eagles at 2023 AFCON
Sports

AFCON: Enugu fans disappointed with Super Eagles performance against Equatorial Guinea

By Benson Ezugwu

Football Fans in Enugu have expressed disappointment over the performance of the Super Eagles in their first group game at the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire.

In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after the 1-1 draw with Equatorial Guinea, some of the fans described the performance of the team as lacklustre and unconvincing.

The fans also blamed the current African Footballer of the year, Victor Osimhen for the draw, nothing that the Napoli forward missed several scoring opportunities.

Victor Ozoigbo, a fan of the Super Eagles, said the team’s performance was below expectation and that the players lacked commitment.

“The team looks ordinary and to me, I don’t see them going far in this tournament, and that will be a big shame for the country,” he said.

Another fan, Chinedu Eze, said he was not impressed with the team’s display against Equatorial Guinea.

“This is the worst team we have produced for Nation’s Cup; so, to me, they are not going anywhere,” he said.

However, a female fan, Ngozi Udegbunam, said she was hopeful that the team would learn from its mistake and bounce back.

“It is just the first game and they should not be judged so fast.

“In a tournament, teams improve with every match, so, I am convinced that the team will improve with more matches,” she said.

Udegbunam urged the handlers of the team to go back to the drawing board to identify their mistakes and make corrections before their next match. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Salif Atojoko

Super Eagles player, Alex Iwobi faced by two Equatorial Guinea player during AFCON Group A encounter in Cote d' Ivoire
Sports

AFCON: Nigeria draw 1-1 with Equatorial Guinea

Nigeria drew 1-1 with Equatorial Guinea in their opening Group A fixture at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d’Ivoire.

Victor Osimhen scored in the 38th minute to cancel out an Ivan Salvador goal two minutes earlier.

The result placed the Super Eagles in the group’s third position after one round of matches by all four teams.

More details to follow later. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Olawale Alabi

Members of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club (NFSC)
Sports

AFCON 2023: NFSC to mobilise 700 fans for Super Eagles in Cote d’Ivoire

By Victor Okoye

Samuuel Ikpea, the National Chairman of Nigeria Football Supporters Club (NFSC), says the NFSC will mobilise no fewer than 700 fans to support the Super Eagles in Cote d’Ivoire.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Super Eagles are set to represent Nigeria at the 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire.

The month-long tournament is expected to kick off on Jan. 13 and end on Feb. 11.

Ikpea told NAN that the NFSC was leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the Super Eagles get all the much needed support from the fans during the tournament.

“We have a chapter in Cote d’Ivoire. Of course, you are aware that the NFSC has offices and chapters across the world, and Cote d’Ivoire is apparently one of them.

“We have a fan base of over 300 in Abidjan right now, while Alh. Mudashiru will be leading over 50 fans from our Ghana chapter.

“Alh. Ibrahim Bashiru is leading 20 fans from our Niger chapter, while Mr Osita is coming with 15 fans from our South African chapter.

“Also, Togo will be joining us at Aflo with 30 fans, alongside the 300 fans we will be leaving with from Nigeria,” he said.

The NFSC boss said that all hands were on deck to ensure victory for the Eagles in all their matches.

“I want to assure Nigerians that when the Super Eagles take on the host nation, we will not be playing 11 against 12. Rather, it’s going to be 12 against 12.

“This is because the NFSC, as usual, has often made up the 12th player, which will be storming Cote d’Ivoire with about 300 fans from Nigeria.

This number will add up to the fan base which we already have in Cote d’Ivoire.

“So that at the end of the day, the Super Eagles won’t be suffering what we suffered at the World Cup in Russia when we played against Argentina.

“We are doing everything humanly possible to see if we can surpass that figure of 300 fans,” he said.

He called on corporate bodies, private organisations as well as philanthropists to help sponsor the NFSC in its bid to ensure full support for the Super Eagles.

“That’s why we are calling on corporate bodies, private organisations and philanthropists to give us that financial backing that can help us go to Cote d’Ivoire in large numbers.

“We believe that this time around, we are not only going to beat Cote d’Ivoire at home, but we are looking at bringing that trophy home.

“Against all odds, even though Nigerians do not really have that confidence, considering whether we have a good coach or the right players,” he said.

He lamented about the difficult situation the NFSC usually have to go through just to ensure they support the team.

“It has been painful and a sad one for the NFSC, but we have always played our role as the 12th player on the pitch each time the Super Eagles play.

“Whether the Super Eagles are doing well or not, you find the NFSC members dancing and sweating it out. That’s part of what we know how to do best.

“Motivating these players whether they do well or not. Sometimes they travel over five hours trying to get to a match venue, while the Super Eagles comfortably fly to the match venue with ease.

“These same people sometimes are not given the recognition they duly deserve,” he said.

He said that the most painful part of it all is that the average return ticket for one person to Cote d`ivoire is about N 800,000.

Ikpea said the Super Eagles always do better when the NFSC gives them the much needed backing from the stands.

“This is exactly what we are going to do on Jan. 18 when we take on the hosts in the biggest game of that group, and subsequently, we’ll begin to demolish other teams and move on.

“Nigerians should be hopeful and the financial backing should be given to the NFSC, to help us travel in large numbers to Cote d’Ivoire to raise the morale of these players,” he said.

NAN reports that a total of 24 teams qualified to play in the final tournament, including Ivory Coast, who qualified automatically as hosts. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Joseph Edeh

José Peseiro, Super Eagles Head Coach
Sports

Peseiro names 25 players as Super Eagles seek 4th AFCON title

By Victor Okoye

Three-time champions Nigeria have picked a team of 25 players for their onslaught for a fourth Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title.

This is according to a statement by Ademola Olajire, Director of Communications at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Thursday in Abuja.

It said the Head Coach, Jose Peseiro, had settled for usual suspects in a roster that had three goalkeepers, nine defenders, five midfielders and eight forwards.

“Captain Ahmed Musa returns to the squad after he was left out of the starting games to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification series, while South Africa-based goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabili, is picked alongside Francis Uzoho and Olorunleke Ojo.

“2009 U17 World Cup star, Kenneth Omeruo, (the only other candidate in the team, apart from Musa who was in Nigeria’s 2013 squad that triumphed in South Africa), leads the defence line.

“Omeruo is paired alongside William Ekong, as well as Olaoluwa Aina, Oluwasemilogo Ajayi, Calvin Bassey, Zaidu Sanusi, Chidozie Awaziem, Bright Osayi-Samuel and Bruno Onyemaechi.

“Wilfred Ndidi is also back after missing the World Cup qualifying matches against Lesotho and Zimbabwe.

“He will be expected to adequately feed the strike-force alongside Alex Iwobi, Raphael Onyedika, Joe Ayodele-Aribo and Frank Onyeka,” it said.

The statement also said Musa, Nigeria’s record goalscorer at the FIFA World Cup finals with a brace each in Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018, was in the forward-line alongside Africa Player of the Year, Victor Osimhen.

It said other forwards included; Kelechi Iheanacho, Moses Simon, Samuel Chukwueze, Victor Boniface, Sadiq Umar and Ademola Lookman.

It added that all the 25 players would depart from their different bases on Tuesday to fly into Abu Dhabi, capital city of the United Arab Emirates, for a one-week training camp.

It noted that the training camp would last until Jan. 9, 2024.

“The team will fly back to Lagos on Jan. 9, and then fly into the Ivorian capital, Abidjan, on Jan. 10,” it said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Super Eagles, in their quest for a fourth continental title, will take on Equatorial Guinea on Jan. 14, 2004, in their first match of Group A.

This is before further clashes with host nation Cote d’Ivoire (Jan. 18) and Guinea Bissau (Jan. 22).

Nigeria, who will be participating in the AFCON for the 20th time, were champions as hosts in 1980, triumphant in Tunisia in 1994 and crowned winners in South Africa in 2013.

When Cote d’Ivoire hosted the finals in 1984, a young Nigerian squad led by the inimitable Stephen Keshi went all the way to the Final.

They, however, lost to much-experienced Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in a memorable final at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan.

Full list of all invited players:

Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabili (Chippa United, South Africa); Francis Uzoho (Omonia FC, Cyprus); Olorunleke Ojo (Enyimba FC).

Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Chidozie Awaziem (Boavista FC, Portugal); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce FC, Turkey); William Troost-Ekong (PAOK Salonika, Greece); Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista FC, Portugal); Kenneth Omeruo (Kasimpasa FC, Turkey); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal).

Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Joe Ayodele-Aribo (Southampton FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England).

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Sivasspor K, Turkey); Victor Osimhen (Napoli SC, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Sadiq Umar (Real Sociedad, Spain); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy); Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany). (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Salif Atojoko

CAF AFCON logo for Cote d'Ivoire 2023
Sports

AFCON 2023: CAF receives over 5,000 accreditation applications

The Confederation of African Football (CAF), said it has received over 5 000 media accreditation applications for the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

CAF said in its official website on Saturday that the applications are 90 per cent more than that revived for Cameroon in 2021.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that media accreditation closed on Nov. 24 .

It said that more than 70 nationalities have applied to cover the Africa’s biggest event.

“The high demand has necessitated that CAF implement quotas for all the countries due to space demands.

“CAF remains committed to ensure that fairness is applied across the board in allocation and implementation of quotas.

“CAF believes in creating access for media and promoting media freedom,” it said.

It said that it will introduce new guidelines for non-rigths holders and enforce restrictions on filming and other activities to protect media (TV) rights holders.

It said that priority will be given to the host nation at 30 per cent, participating countries, 35 per, regional (neighbouring) countries, 10 and rest of the world (countries) 25 per cent.

“CAF is currently working closely with all the participating member associations to ensure that there is a fair representation in allocating the quotas of each country,” it said.

It said that priority would also be given to Agencies.

NAN reports that the 2023 AFCON will kick off on Jan. 13 2024 to Feb. 11 in Cote d’ Ivoire with 24 nations participating. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Joseph Edeh

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