Messi hails Enyeama

 

Lionel Messi saluted a "phenomenal" display from Vincent Enyeama after the Nigeria goalkeeper produced the performance of his life to deny the Argentine forward in their Group B game on Saturday.

"The goalkeeper was phenomenal," Messi said after Argentina were limited to a 1-0 win over Nigeria at Ellis Park with Enyeama producing a series of tremendous saves to thwart the world player of the year.

"He takes all the credit. We played a great game today and created a lot of chances. We just couldn't get the second goal."

Enyeama said he needed to put on the performance of his life to deny Messi his first goal at the 2010 World Cup. Asked how he stopped Messi from scoring, Enyeama said: "God is my secret, just God. He made me calm."

Argentina's winner came from a corner which followed a superb Messi chip which Enyeama had palmed over.

Midway through the first half, in a trademark cut inside from the right, the little ace hit a curling shot to the far corner only for Enyeama to dive and turn the ball away.

Messi threatened again near the end of the half when he curled a lovely shot toward Enyeama's top right corner with the keeper again leaping to tip the ball wide.

And shortly before the end Enyeama denied Messi once more, blocking a close range shot after the Argentine forward found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

Meanwhile, Pillar of Sports, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, gave kudos to the Eagles for a good fight, despite the loss to star-studded Argentina. He said the Eagles were graceful in defeat. "Nigerians should not lose hope. This team will improve," said the Pillar of Sports.

In a statement signed by Emeka Obasi, Special Assistant (Media) to Dr. Kalu, the former Abia State governor, lauded the boys' fighting spirit, and urged them to go for goals in subsequent matches.

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Lagerback explains Maradona snub

Nigeria head coach Lars Lagerback has explained why he didn't shake the hand of his counterpart, Argentina's Diego Maradona, after the match on Saturday.

Nigeria lost 1-0 to La Albiceleste at the Coca-Cola Park Stadium in Johannesburg and the Swede walked off-the-field without offering Maradona a handshake, a custom in soccer games, drawing conclusions from the media that he had been too upset with the loss or his players for the number of chances they missed in the second half.

"You can do that (shake hands) whenever you like. It doesn't have to be straight after the match. No, there was no reason why I didn't shake his hand," said Lagerback. "I have a lot of respect for him and it is not a problem for me shaking his hand," he said.

Turning his focus to the defeat, Lagerback said he was gutted, for the Super Eagles deserved a draw. "Of course I'm very disappointed but I was really impressed with my players, because they did very well against some of the best players in the world. We deserved a draw," he said.

Despite hailing his players' efforts, Lagerback admitted he felt they could have done better in dealing with Juan Veron's corner that picked Gabriel Heinze unmarked in the box to score Argentina's only goal with a diving header in the sixth minute.

"I have given my players a lot of credit for doing so well in dead-ball situations during the friendlies but the way games are played at this level is that if you lose concentration and don't mark players in the box you are going to be punished we were punished this time, otherwise I think we could have earned a draw, but we are not out of it yet," said Lagersback, whose side face Greece on June 17 in Bloemfontein in their next match.

Lagerback also defended the choice to start with Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi on Nigeria's left side of attack in place of a well-established Peter Odemwingie.

"We thought Obasi was the best player to play and that was the reason. I thought he did a very good first half but he got tired in the second half but he lived up to the expectation I had on him," he concluded.

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Eagles declare Greece must-win

Nigeria clashed with the Greeks at the 1994 World Cup with the Eagles running away with a 2-0 win courtesy of goals from Finidi George and Daniel Amokachi.

"It's a must win for us against Greece," Osaze Odemwingie said after the 1-0 loss to Argentina.

"I'm very positive. If we could just concede a goal against the big Argentina attack, it should be easier for us against the other teams. We just have to keep our concentration and score goals. We're now a bigger threat than we were at the Nations Cup in Angola."

Odemwingie, who admitted he was shocked to be dropped to the bench for the Argentina match, disclosed he will be a lot more selfish in front of goal after he failed to make hay during a quick counter attack late in the game.

"I was thinking of passing the ball when I should have shot at goal. The way Obafemi Martins was shouting on me to pass to him the ball, I thought he was in a better position. I lost concentration and the chance," he said. "Next time, I will just go for goal."

"We will get better by the next game and show the real Nigerian team. We only need to do a little more against Greece to win and we will be back in contention," added Nigeria skipper Joseph Yobo, who also came face-to-face with Argentina at the 2002 World Cup.

Man of the match against Argentina, goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, said Nigeria will be aiming for maximum points against Greece and Korea so as to make it past the first round of the tournament.

"I see no problems in us beating Korea and Greece and I think we will qualify quite easily," predicted Enyeama, who said he would have readily traded his heroics against the South Americans for the three points at stake at the weekend.

"Now the most important thing is to look towards the next game on Thursday against Greece and go on to win it," added Nigeria coach, Lars Lagerback.

Meanwhile, Taye Taiwo has said that he only suffered a cramp, which forced him to quit the Argentina match in the closing stages, but will be available for the game against Greece.

Taiwo appeared to have hurt his ankle when he fired a shot at Sergio Romero's goal, which missed target narrowly, but at the same time he also kicked the ground.

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Ibori's bail revoked, re-arrested in Dubai

Former Delta State governor James Ibori has been arrested in Dubai, United Arab Emirates after the revocation of the bail he was earlier granted by a court.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has submitted "overwhelming evidence" to the Dubai authorities to show that Ibori is a fugitive from justice in Nigeria.

The Nigerian government had earlier protested the bail granted the former governor in Dubai and threatened to withdraw the operational licence of the Emirates airline.

Ibori was rearrested by the authorities in Dubai after his sister, Christine Ibie-Ibori, and his mistress, Udoamakaa Okoronkwo-Onuigbo, were jailed in the United Kingdom for mortgage fraud and money laundering, among other offences.

Ibori's re-arrest is said to be preparatory to his extradition to Britain to answer charges of money laundering levelled against him.

After his first arrest in Dubai, the London Metropolitian Police said in a statement that Ibori was arrested at the United Kingdom's request on suspicion of money-laundering and conspiracy to defraud.

The Met added that they are seeking extradition though the EFCC are reported to have also requested his extradition to Nigeria where he is to answer corruption charges.

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Abacha's sons sue government over trial abroad

Two sons of the late head of the military government, General Sani Abacha, Mohammed and Abba, have sued the Federal Government before a Federal High Court, Abuja, challenging the circumstances that led to the criminal case initiated against the family in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Abacha sons said statements used as evidence against them in the court were not obtained lawfully by the Special Investigation Panel (SIP) raised by the government.

The Federal Government had challenged the competence of the suit, describing it as "frivolous, utterly baseless and completely misconceived".

In the originating summons, the plaintiffs want the court to restrain the defendant from providing mutual assistance or requests for mutual assistance to any country based on the evidence (oral or documentary) obtained by or under the investigations of the SIP.

Apart from the sons of the late general, 24 corporate bodies are listed as plaintiffs.

The attorney general of the federation and minister of justice is the sole defendant.

In the heat of the investigation, statements were taken from the plaintiffs by the investigative panel led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Peter Gana.

But the plaintiffs are claiming that they "were not informed that the true purpose for which their statements were sought was to provide evidence for an investigation and their possible prosecution by the states of Jersey, the Authorities of Leichtenstein, United Kingdom, Luxembourg, France, the Bahamas and Switzerland.

"The plaintiffs were not advised on their right to consult a legal practitioner of their choice before making statements" before the SIP.

"No caution whatsoever was administered to the plaintiffs prior to the making of statements before the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Peter Gana.

They also want the court to restrain defendant from bringing or continuing any civil or criminal proceedings in Nigeria of foreign jurisdictions against the Plaintiffs based on the statements.

Besides, the plaintiffs are aggrieved that government reneged on its promised not to prosecute the family even after they had forfeited some $625,263,187.19 and 70,087,184.93 pounds as well as some assets in line with Decree 53, 1999.

According to them, the then Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Kanu Agabi (SAN) in line with Decree 53, 1999 had written the Swiss Authorities on November 1, 1999, saying "no civil or criminal proceedings shall be instituted in any court against them in Nigeria".

To them, "following the promulgation of Decree 53, the work of the Special Investigation panel came to an end".

But the government through a notice of preliminary objection brought pursuant to Order 29 Rule 1 and 2 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2009 and Section 2 of the Public Officers Protection Act CAP P41, 2004, has asked the court to dismiss the suit.

It said the suit is statute barred because it was not filed within three months that the cause of action arose, adding that the court lacks the jurisdiction to hear the suit.

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