THE NATION FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2013
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SPORT EXTRA AHEAD OF 2014 WORLD CUP
Ameobi wants regular shirt at Newcastle
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EWCASTLE striker Shola Ameobi wants a season of regular first-team football to give him the best chance of playing for Nigeria at the World Cup. Despite earning 20 England Under-21 caps, a change to FiIFA rules means the Zariaborn forward is eligible for selection by manager Stephen Keshi. The 31-year-old, who has one cap for the Super Eagles, made just four league starts last season. “It’s top of the agenda,” Ameobi told BBC Newcastle. “A lot of years I couldn’t play (for Nigeria) but Fifa changed the rules and I now have an opportunity to do what every footballer wants to do, which is to play in a World Cup. Ameobi made his Premier League debut for Newcastle against Chelsea in September 2000 (pictured). He has made 270 appearances in all competitions and has scored 76 goals. “I have been called up for friendlies and hopefully I can show the manager what I can do, but you need to play games to get into the squads.” Ameobi is eligible for Nigeria as he holds dualnationality and has not played for England at senior level. Other players to have made a change include Hearts’ winger Andrew Driver, who played for England Under-21s before switching to Scotland, and Ameobi’s international team-mate Sone Aluko who has England Under-19 honours. Aside from a six-game loan spell at Stoke City in 2007-08,
Ameobi has spent his entire career at St James’ Park since joining the club’s academy in 1995. The Magpies recently bolstered their forward options with the arrival of QPR’s Loic Remy on a seasonlong loan deal and Ameobi conceded that he would be willing to look elsewhere for first-team football if necessary. “There’s been a lot of speculation regards people
Glo hails Eagles’ victory over LOBACOM has South Africa c o m m e n d e d
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Nigeria’s Super Eagles for the 2-0 defeat handed down to South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in their Mandela Challenge match at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban on Wednesday. Debutant Uche Nwofor, who plies his trade at Dutch Eredivise side VVV Venlo, scored the brace with which Nigeria overwhelmed the South Africans in the highly entertaining encounter. “Despite being a friendly affair, the victory was needed to put Nigeria in the mood to secure the ticket for the final round of Brazil 2014 World Cup qualifier with Malawi next month,” Globacom said in a statement in Lagos yesterday. “It is also gratifying that the match has showcased new talents like Uche Nwofor as stars to look out for in the new team being built by Coach Stephen Keshi. This is in line with our philosophy that with the right motivation, Nigeria
Moscow 2013: Don’t Crucify Okagbare —Abba Yola
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ORMER Special Assistant to the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Abba Yola has lashed out at those who have been expressing disappointment at the 6th place finish by Blessing Okagbare in the final of IAAF world championship 100 meters Yola, who is also the chairman of Nigeria Premier league club, Kano Pillars said
•Okagbare
Nigerians should be full of praise for Okagbare and not the barrage of disappointment they are expressing. “Okagbare has done well winning a silver in the long jump and finishing 6th in 100metres. It is not easy to be sixth fastest woman in the world. She was eight at the London Olympics and now she is number six. That is an improvement”. “She would continue to rise and I believe that she could win in the next games in Brazil. If I have my way she should get a national award for her feat” Yola stated He said that Okagbare may yet win a medal in the 200 metres race so, let us continue to encourage her to do well instead of crucifying her, adding that the woman who broke a 14 year winless streak for Nigeria should be commended
Turkish club drops Adegbite
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IGERIAN striker Razaq Adegbite has been dropped by Turkish second division side Kahramanmaraspor, MTNFootball.com can specially report. Adegbite, who was offered two year deal by the newly promoted side alongside fellow Rangers defender Chbuzor Madu, could not finalise the deal as securing his clearance has proved rather problematic. “Razaq Adegbite has been dropped by Kahramanmaraspor, he will be heading back to Nigeria
coming in and out, but I’m an old head now and I just have to focus on myself and making sure I am right, whether it’s playing for Newcastle or someone else,” he said. “Of course I am happy here I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t but if a lot of strikers do come in then I am pushed down the pecking order, I need to make sure I get games. “It’s important I look at that and see where we are.”
next week,” a top source in Turkey told MTNFootball.com. “Securing his clearance has been problem and the team don’t have time to waste any longer, so, he is dropped, only Madu is with the team now.” His name was missing on the list of players registered for the new season by the Turkish club. MTNFootball.com also gathered that the promising striker, who has also featured for Enyimba, may now end up playing for an Egyptian side.
has an abundance of talents from which we can build a formidable team that can conquer the world of football.” The telecoms company commended the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and members of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club who travelled to Durban in large number, saying the supporters’ presence at the match venue made the Eagles feel at home. “This support is needed as we approach the final curve in our journey to Brazil and we also urge Nigerians at home and abroad to join in this collective effort to establish our country’s football firmly on the global platform,” the statement further said. Globacom is the official telecommunications partner of the Nigeria Football Federation and the major sponsor of the Nigerian national teams.
Utaka salutes Emenike over Fenerbahce move By Innocent Amomoh EIJING Guoan striker Peter Utaka, has congratulated Emmanuel Emenike over his big move to Turkish side Fenerbahce. With this move Emenike joined the league of big earners like Peter Utaka, and Yakubu Aiyegbeni that now plies their trade in China, after completing a two point five million Euros per annum contract with the Yellow Canaries. “This is a big move for Emma and I want to congratulate him. He is still young and in the peak of his carrier so such move will be a challenge coming at a perfect time,” explains Utaka. “Most of the time, a good move is not determined by the money involved but the quality of the team one is moving to. In all ramifications Fenerbahce is a good club, he has been there before and he knows the league very well which means it will not take him time to adjust.” Utaka, who himself made a money-spinning move to Beijing Guoan of China in a record one point five million Euros per annum, believes the likes of elder sibling, John Utaka, Emmanuel Emenike and Kalu Uche will take the Turkish league by storm.
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