Showing posts with label fifa 2018 world cup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fifa 2018 world cup. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

75 Nigerian football fans vanish in Russia after 2018 World Cup

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said 75 out of 230 stranded Nigerian Football fans vanished in Russia after the 2018 FIFA World Cup .

The ministry’s spokesperson, Dr Tope Elias-Fatile, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja that the fans absconded in spite of government’s efforts to repatriate them.

Fatile said that 230 stranded Nigerian football fans were profiled to board chartered Ethiopian Airline to Abuja but at the last minute, only 155 boarded the flight.

“As at the last count, over 230 stranded Nigerians had been cleared to board an Ethiopian Airline flight to Abuja, however, only 155 boarded the flight that arrived Friday night July 22,” he said.

He said that the ministry officials had to contribute to feed some of the stranded Nigerians in Moscow as many of them were left with nothing.

He said that though they had the rights not to come back, it would be better for them to return because of the unfavourable weather in that country.

He said that the mission had done a lot to facilitate their coming back, but they did not appreciate it.

”Do you know that the officials at the mission had to sacrifice their earning by contributing money to feed the stranded fans?,” he said.

He said that if, however, they repented and decided to come back, the ministry was ever ready to assist them.

Fatile said that Federal Government was ever willing to assist Nigerians at anytime, anywhere in the world

The spokesperson said that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, had also made some contacts with relevant agencies to commence investigation into suspected human trafficking in the case.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the stranded football fans including a nursing mother in her mid-thirties arrived Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport Abuja at about 9.12 p.m. on July 20.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, who was at the airport to monitor their arrival, had said that the Federal Government was going to probe the case.

Onyeama said that the plan to probe the issue surrounding the incident was underway.

He said after a discussion with the Director-General of National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Ms Julie Okah–Donli, it was clear that there were possible cases of human trafficking among the returnees.

“I have spoken to the D-G of NAPTIP and she had also indicated that they had sounded the alarm bells for these young children not to leave the country, that it had all the hallmarks of trafficking and irregular migration,” he said.

The minister insisted that some of them, among whom was a nursing mother, were quite too young to have travelled to Russia by themselves solely for the purpose of the World Cup tournament.

He added that an investigation would also be launched into an allegation that some travel agents cancelled the return tickets of the football fans without informing them, leaving them stranded in the European country.


Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Super Eagle Ahmed Musa shortlisted for best goal in 2018 World Cup


Nigerian forward Ahmed Musa is in the race for the best goal at the 2018 FIFA World Cup hosted by Russia. His goal has been shortlisted along with the likes of Ronaldo, Messi and Modric.

The player’s second goal in Nigeria’s victory against Iceland in the group stages joins seventeen other contenders in a contest to pick which one is the best.

It is the last individual accolade to be presented by the football governing body having already named the best player (Luka Modric, Croatia), best young player (Kylian Mbappe, France), top goalscorer (Harry Kane, England), top goalkeeper (Thibaut Curtois) and Fair play team of the tourney (Spain).

It is also a contest that is open to public voting. “Here is your chance to vote for the 2018 FIFAWorld Cup Russia Goal of the Tournament, presented by Hyundai.

“Choose below from our shortlist of the best 18 goals at Russia 2018 and cast your vote. Voting will remain open until Monday 23 July, so don’t miss this opportunity to pick your favourite!” FIFA wrote on their website.

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Video - Nigerian football fans stranded in Moscow with no return tickets back home



Nigeria may have been eliminated from the FIFA World Cup two weeks ago, but some fans are still in Russia -- stranded with no return tickets. A few dozen Nigerians have been sleeping outside the embassy in Moscow. They reportedly acquired Fan ID tickets back in Nigeria, with the promise they could watch the World Cup matches and then remain in Russia where work opportunities were awaiting them. About 200 Nigerians are believed to be stranded in Moscow, without flights home and no work visas permitting them to stay in the country.

President Buhari orders Aviation minister to bring back stranded football fans in Moscow

Stranded Nigerian football fans camped on the floor outside the country's embassy in Moscow have been ordered home by President Muhammadu Buhari, his aide said.
 
Around 200 Nigerians became stranded in Russia following the World Cup as they did not have a return ticket home, authorities said. 

They had gone to support the national Super Eagles team, but some also planned to settle in Russia after the tournament. 

Buhari has ordered the Minister of Aviation and Foreign Ministry to bring the fans back home, the President's Senior Special Assistant, Garba Shehu said.

Lagos State governor Akinwunmi Ambode was also forced to step in last week to cover the return expenses of around 50 of the fans.

Some of them said they had paid agents large sums of money to obtain the Fan ID documents issued by the Russian authorities as a special traveling document during the World Cup. 

Two brothers Ismail and Sodiq Olamilekan said they paid N250,000 naira ($800) each to a man in Lagos for their Fan IDs. 

They said they planned to become professional footballers in Russia. 

Others paid over one million in the local currency, naira ($3,000) for the document, they said.
"The man told us that with the Fan ID we could get a job and stay here," Ismail told AFP at a hostel on the outskirts of Moscow.
 
"But when we got here we discovered that it was a fraud, that he had just collected the money and lied to us," he said. 

Rafiu Ladipo, of the Nigerian Supporters Club, told CNN: "Some of those who traveled for other reasons beyond the World Cup did so in ignorance and believing that Europe is all rosy and everything becomes available as soon as you touch down."

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Video - Nigeria's World Cup Experience



Nigeria's World Cup dream may have come to an end in the group stage, but the nation recently had the chance to present itself to the world from Russia...away from the pitch. At an exhibition in Moscow, Nigerian song and dance was on display for football fans from all over the world in Russia for the World Cup.

Friday, July 6, 2018

Nigerian football fan in Russia seeks political asylum

A football fan from Nigeria has reportedly requested political asylum in Russia, citing fears of political persecution in his home country, the Moscow Times reports. Human rights groups say it is difficult for asylum seekers to obtain refugee status in Russia, with only 582 people admitted as refugees in 2017, the lowest number in the past decade.

Since the World Cup began, dozens of people who entered Russia using World Cup fan identity documents have attempted to enter neighbouring European countries and request asylum.

The 31-year-old citizen of Nigeria arrived to Russia for the World Cup before asking police in the Perovo district of Moscow for political asylum, the RBC news agency reported, citing an unnamed police source. “The man said that he had participated in anti-government protests in his country and that his life was currently threatened by Nigerian government forces,” the police source was cited as saying. 

The asylum request has been transferred to a local migration services branch of the Interior Ministry, RBC reported. According to Russian law, political asylum requests are granted by presidential decree.

Tuesday, July 3, 2018

John Obi Mikel reveals that his father was kidnapped during the World Cup



Nigeria captain John Obi Mikel faced Argentina last Tuesday in the knowledge that his father was being held for ransom, but did not tell anyone about it as the kidnappers threatened to shoot "instantly" if authorities were informed.

Mikel told KweséESPN that he received a call from the kidnappers four hours before kickoff in the decisive World Cup clash in St Petersburg, and they demanded N10 Million ($28,000 US) for the safe return of his father, Pa Michael Obi.

The elder Obi was on his way to a funeral in south eastern Nigeria from Jos when he was abducted along the Makurdi-Enugu expressway on June 26. He and his driver were rescued after a "gun duel," on July 2, nearly a week after the kidnapping, Nigeria Police confirmed on Tuesday.

Mikel's father was then taken to hospital for treatment, with family sources telling KweséESPN that the elderly man had been tortured and required multiple stitches. He returned to hospital on Tuesday after some of the sutures broke, and Mikel is considering flying his father abroad for further treatment.

Mikel, speaking to KweséESPN after the rescue, said that he did not tell his bosses at the Nigeria Football Federation, nor did he tell his coach Gernot Rohr, but instead kept the situation to himself and opted to face Lionel Messi's team as if nothing was amiss.

"I was confused. I did not know what to do, but in the end I knew that I could not let 180 million Nigerians down," Mikel said.

"I had to shut it out of my head and go and represent my country first. I was told that they would shoot my dad instantly if I reported to the authorities or told anybody.

"And I did not want to discuss it with the coach because I did not want my issue to become a distraction to the coach or the rest of the team on the day of such an important game. So as much as I wanted to discuss it with the coach, I could not do it."

Nigeria lost that game 2-1 to Argentina and were eliminated from the World Cup. The midfielder flew home to England almost immediately to deal with the situation, and is scheduled to return to China, where he plays his club football, later on Tuesday.

Pa Obi was eventually rescued by the Nigeria Police on Monday at Egede, near Udi in Enugu State. The news was announced by the Enugu State Police Command via their official Twitter account, and only then did Mikel speak publicly about the incident.

Command spokesperson, Superintendent of Police Ebere Amaraizu said in a statement on Tuesday: "The abductors started calling to demand a ransom of N10 million before police operatives acted on intelligence information and swooped on them.

"In the process of the rescue, a gun duel ensued between police operatives and the kidnappers which forced the hoodlums to abandon their victims inside the forest and they were promptly rescued."

This was the second time that Mikel's father had been kidnapped. The first was in 2011, where he was released after 10 days. Security will be enhanced around the player's family in Nigeria, according to Mikel's advisor.

Friday, June 29, 2018

Nigeria Super Eagle Ighalo comments about alleged death threats

Super Eagles player Odion Ighalo has spoken out against alleged death threats from fans who are blaming him for Nigeria's failure to advance to the knockout stages of the World Cup in Russia. 

Ighalo has been singled out for missing what fans believe was a clear goal opportunity that would have kept Nigeria's World Cup hopes alive in Tuesday's game against Argentina. 

Since their defeat, the striker has faced a barrage of insults -- including threats of violence -- online.
Ighalo took to social media Thursday to address fans and appeal to those who "want to kill him."


Writing in the local pidgin vernacular, Ighalo asked fans to remember he was "someone's child."
"Great experience to be at the World Cup and I enjoyed every moment of it," he wrote on Instagram.
 
"We did our best but sometimes things don't always go the way you want, but life has to go on.
 
"For those that want to kill me abeg na person pikin I be o (please I am someone's child), Ighalo wrote.

The Nigerian Football Federation's spokesperson, Ademola Olajire, told CNN in St Petersburg, that it strongly condemns threats to any of its players or members of their family because of the World Cup results.

Olajire said: "We understand that people might have been hurt by the loss to Argentina, and failure to qualify for the knockout stage. But we condemn any threat on the life of any of our players or their loved ones. We will immediately alert the police to this issue."
The NFF believes it is the first time a direct threat has been made to any of its players, many of whom do not live in Nigeria.

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Video - Nigerian fans disappointed by refereeing decisions after loss to Argentina



Well, fans of the Super Eagles watching the match in Russia are disappointed about some of the refereeing decisions.

Video - Nigeria eliminated from the 2018 World Cup by Argentina



Marcos Rojo's late winner put Argentina through to the round of 16 at the World Cup with a 2-1 victory against Nigeria on Tuesday night.

Monday, June 25, 2018

Drogba warns Nigeria Super Eagles against defensive approach with Argentina

Former Ivory Coast captain, Didier Drogba has told the Super Eagles of Nigeria that they will go home if they start defending against Argentina.

Argentina is Nigeria’s next opponent in the 2018 World Cup going on in Russia.

As Nigeria prepares to take on the South Americans on Tuesday, Drogba advised them to keep to their style of play if they are to go far at the 2018 World Cup.

Gernot Rohr’s men came alive again in their bid of reaching the knockout stages after beating Iceland 2 – 0 in their second Group D match on Friday.

Drogba told BBC Sport that the Eagles must keep to their aggressive and fast style of playing if they want to go far at the tournament.

The former Chelsea striker said, “It has been a disappointing start to the World Cup for Africa – until Nigeria beat Iceland on Friday.

“There had been six defeats in seven games for the five African countries in Russia. So it was great to see the Super Eagles win , but the way they did it was just as important and impressive.

“In the second half, Nigeria came to life and played the way I want to see all the African teams play – going on the attack, using their pace and power, and having lots of shots.

“That is what I did not see in their first game against Croatia , when Nigeria were playing within themselves – keeping a good shape , playing safe, and passing the ball from side to side.

“This time, they went out just to win. They played with two strikers and they were so fast and aggressive going forward that they frightened Iceland.

“They were spontaneous and exciting, which is the way I expected them to play at this World Cup – and that is why they won the game.

“The point I am making is that they need to keep their identity as a team. It is important they keep doing that if they are going to reach the last 16. If they decide to stay defensive and start fearing conceding goals, they will be going home.”

Monday, June 18, 2018

Video - Nigerian fans disappointed after 2-0 Group D loss to Croatia



Nigerians gathered at viewing centres across the West Africa nation to catch the action from the Kaliningrad Stadium. It was a disappointing ending for most of them, who now believe making it out of the group will be a tall order. Others however, remain optimistic.

Thursday, June 14, 2018

Messi warns 'Nigeria will be no walkover'

The Albiceleste have defeated the West Africans in all their previous meetings at the tournament but in November they went down 4-2 to Gernot Rohr’s side in a friendly tie.

They lock horns with the Super Eagles in their last group game at the Saint-Petersburg Stadium after ties with other group D rivals Iceland and Croatia.

And the Barcelona star is certain that the encounter with Gernot Rohr's side will be a tough one.

“Croatia is a good team with players in the big European leagues and that makes them dangerous, Messi told the Express.

“We don’t know so much about Nigeria but the African teams are normally compact, tough and strong. So it will be no walkover.”

Psychic pig predicts Nigeria will reach the semi-finals in the World Cup

The psychic pig Mystic Marcus that predicted President Donald Trump’s victory has picked Nigeria, Argentina as semi-finalists for the 2018 World Cup. The psychic pig which has a history of sniffing out a winner – and is hoping to continue his unbroken record for this summer’s World Cup, thesportsbay reports.

Mystic Marcus has a 100 per cent track record of predicting sports results according to his owner Juliette Stevens.

The black micro pig has previously guessed the winner of the 2014 World Cup and the Wimbledon tennis finals by picking apples. With bad news for England fans, Mystic Marcus expects Belgium, Argentina, Nigeria and Uruguay to make it through. Farmer and micro pig breeder Juliette from Heage, Derbyshire, said: ‘Marcus is the seventh child of a seventh child and apparently they’re gifted with special powers so maybe that’s where it comes from. ‘A few years ago I was invited on a radio show because of Paul the octopus predicting results and they wanted to see if I had any animals that had the ability. ‘I hadn’t tried the seventh child theory out so thought I’d give it a go.’

Nigeria is the most stylish team in the 2018 FIFA World Cup

The World Cup has not started yet and Nigeria has already won -- for being the most stylish team in Russia.

It started with the fan frenzy to to buy the Nigeria Nike-designed World Cup kit, which sold out globally on the day it was released, with queues snaking round the block outside the Nike store on London's Regent Street.

Football fans queue outside Nike store in Oxford, London for the newly released Nigerian kits designed by Nike for the 2018 World Cup on June 1, 2018.

Nigeria had heads turning again for the team's outfits as they arrived in style ahead of the tournament in Russia. 

Fans are talking about their stunning white and green ensemble set off with a matching hat, worn at a jaunty angle.

The Super Eagles, as the team is known, arrived looking crisp in starched white traditional attire, known locally as the kaftan.

The knee-length white shirt was embroidered with a green eagle representing the country's green, white, green colors.
 
Social media was quick to react after the National Football Federation shared the images online.
There was so much chatter online that Twitter dedicated a 'moment' to it.

Twitter user Kirekaboy wrote: "Has anybody seen how the Nigerian team was dressed as they landed in Russia?...I have never seen a people so proud of their culture." While another wrote: "Nigeria's World Cup squad rocking that slick cricket umpire meets confident gospel choir singer look. Just give these guys the trophy now." 

There's no denying the love for the Nigerian players' outfits as they prepare for the start of the World Cup tournament on June 14. 

Nigeria's Nike-designed kit was voted the best of the World Cup in several polls, including UK broadcaster Sky. 

International men's magazine GQ also voted the Super Eagles strip top the best of all the 32 teams in Russia. 

The highly-sought after kit received three million pre-orders before it's release, according to Nigerian Football Federation.

'Nigerian swagger'

Design director Peter Hopkins told Fader magazine that the Nigerian team's confidence inspired him in his designs for the kit which has a bold neon green pattern that echoes the pattern of eagle wing feathers.

He said: "There's a confidence in all these young players, they're going to go for it and we were attracted to that."

"We've been following them from afar, and the players on social media...a lot of them are playing in some of the top clubs in Europe, and there's that boldness that aligns in Nigeria and Lagos and in London.

"We thought that there's something in here to do something different," Hopkins added. 

The kit has also been the subject of intense discussions in Nigeria where some people thought the football federation had missed an opportunity to boost local manufacturing.

One prominent politician said outsourcing the kits to be produced outside the country contradicted the Nigerian government's plans to expand and encourage production of 'Made in Nigeria' goods.
Senator Ben Bruce said the country could have made $100 million if the kit was made in Nigerian factories. 

The lawmaker said,"Just imagine if those 3 million Nigerian Super Eagles jerseys were made by a firm in Aba (a Nigerian state famed for local manufacturing) rather than Nike. Aba tailors have the capacity to produce them. 

"We just lost an opportunity to infuse at least $100 million into the Nigerian economy and provide jobs for our youths," he said.

Made by Nigeria for Nigerians

However, some enterprising young Nigerians have seized the initiative and are looking to cash in on the vacuum created by the sold out official Nike jerseys. 

One example is the 'Unity Collection," created by Chekwas Okafor, founder of e-commerce site OnChek in collaboration with designer Adebayo Oke-Lawal of Orange Culture and footwear designer Shem Paronelli.

The designers said they wanted to pay homage to the Super Eagles with their version of the jersey.
Okafor told CNN he conceived the idea to make jerseys for the national team back in 2014 when he noticed that Nigerian creatives were not active in the sports industry.
 
"My goal was to show that we can leverage our creative industry to make products like jerseys. We only stocks brands on our site that make their products in Africa. I also want to show that we could make similar products in Nigeria, in large scale," he says. 

The Unity kit is more than a jersey, it is also a medium to tell the Nigerian story, he adds.
"The Unity collection is made up of many parts, it tells a story of differences, cultures, traditions, and dialects. It's a story about the one thing that brings us together. A story about unity. The story of Nigeria."

Monday, June 11, 2018

Video - Fears over pay overshadow Nigeria's World Cup campaign



Nigeria kick off their World Cup campaign on Saturday, when they face Croatia in Group D. The players from the West African nation will be hoping to focus on their performances without having to worry about the possibility of not being paid properly. Team officials say they want to avoid a repeat of what happened during the last World Cup in 2014, when Nigerian players refused to train ahead of their match over a pay dispute. They have promised prompt payment of allowances this time, promises that officials failed to keep in the past.

Friday, June 8, 2018

Nigeria FIFA ranking drops to 48th ahead of 2018 World Cup

Nigeria have dropped to 48th in the FIFA's global rankings in June, a week away from the start of 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

The west African country also dropped to the seventh place in Africa.

Nigeria were on the 47th spot and sixth position respectively in the FIFA rankings and continental football in April and May.

An official statement on FIFA's website on Thursday said the recent flurry of pre-FIFA World Cup friendlies left its mark on the latest rankings.

Nigeria's Super Eagles were beaten 1-0 by the Czech Republic on Wednesday, during a last pre-World Cup friendly played in Austria.

Last Saturday, the team also saw a defeat by the Three Lions of England. The match, played at the Wembley Stadium, ended 2-1.

Nigeria had played a 1-1 draw on home soil against DR Congo on May 28.

Nigeria's World Cup opponents Argentina, Croatia, and Iceland are on fifth, 20th and 22nd positions respectively in the FIFA rankings.

Nigeria will face Croatia on June 16 at the football's greatest showcase.

Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Nigerian football star Nwankwo Kanu robbed in Russia

Nigerian legend Nwankwo Kanu had $11 000 stolen from his luggage in Russia as he arrived for a World Cup curtain-raiser.

The former Arsenal star was in Moscow to play for for the FIFA Legends against their Russian counterparts, and reported the missing money upon arrival in Kaliningrad, where the Super Eagles open their World Cup campaign against Croatia on June 16.

Russian Interior Ministry Irina Volk confirmed that two workers at the Sheremetyevo Airport had been arrested, saying: "The stolen money has been confiscated and will be returned to its owner."

The FIFA Legends team won the match 6-4, with Niko Kranjcar, Nuno Gomes and Cafu each scoring a brace.

Monday, June 4, 2018

England players also in on the Nigerian 2018 World Cup Kit craze

It seems Nigeria's 2018 World Cup kit is not only a hit among fans - opposition players are also lining up to get their hands on the jersey.

The Super Eagles wore the new Nike kit in Saturday's 2-1 defeat to England at Wembley Stadium, and a Nigeria team official told KweséESPN that several Three Lions players requested and exchanged shirts with the visitors after the game.

Defender William Troost-Ekong was one of those who gave up his shirt, exchanging it with former Tottenham Hotspur academy mate Harry Kane, while Ahmed Musa swapped shirts with Leicester City forward Jamie Vardy.

The Nigeria kit has been in huge demand since it was launched in February. When retail sales opened on June 1, the shirts quickly sold out as fans queued for over two hours in London to purchase them.

In Nigeria, despite a flood of counterfeit shirts having been in the market for at least a month, and the originals being priced at over N30 000 (almost double the country's minimum wage), the shirts have flown off the shelves and demand continues unabated.

Midfielder Ogenyi Onazi tells KweséESPN that he tried to order some for friends and family, but he hit a roadblock: "I wanted to buy for my family and friends that morning, but they said it was out of stock.

Arsenal star Alex Iwobi was just as surprised: "I heard from some of my friends that they tried to buy some but couldn't find it. I don't know if that's good or bad for us."

An email to a NIKE communications representative remains unanswered.