Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Nigeria's Super Eagles get heroes welcome

The Super Eagles Tuesday brought traffic to standstill when they returned to the country with the Africa Cup of Nations trophy. The players were feted to a grand reception only reserved for heroes.

The players and officials arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja about 3.20pm from Johannesburg, where they last Sunday emerged the winners of the Africa Cup of Nations after beating Burkina Faso 1-0.

The players who came without Victor Moses and Ambrose Efe, did not however, alight from the terminal building until late because of their excess luggage.

Aviation travellers to within and outside Nigeria had a hectic time in gaining access to the airport terminal as the entire place had been taken up by the crowd from all works of life.

The crowd largely made up of secondary school students, football fans and officials from government parastatals, which had gathered outside the arrival hall since about five hours before the arrival of the players, was energized when captain Joseph Yobo emerged from the arrival hall with the glistering gold plated trophy.

FCT Minister Bala Mohammed received the team at the airport tarmac on behalf of the Federal Government.

Pupils of the nearby Government Secondary School and Junior Secondary School mounted a guard of honour and rendered soul lifting songs just before the arrival of the team.

While water tight security was provided by the men of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Civil Defence Corps, State Security Service (SSS) and Customs and Immigration, who battled to put the crowd in check, pickpockets had a free day as they pilfered mobile handsets and money from unsuspecting victims.

One of the hoodlums, however, ran out of luck when he was nabbed by an official of the SSS when he attempting to rob John Mikel Obi of his hand set.

Overzealous security men also turned the heat on journalists who were on duty at the airport to cover the team's arrival. Daily Independent reporter, Tony Ezimakor, was assaulted by Police Superintendent SA Sanni and OG Kanu of the Nigeria Air Force at the entrance of the Airport terminal.

Soon after the brief airport reception, the convoy led by senator drove out of the Airport to the National Stadium where another reception was scheduled. But the Eagles bus made a detour at the stadium and headed for the State House where a dinner was planned by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The common feature on the team's way out of the airport was the sight of soldiers who left their posts and gave the Eagles hearty salutes as the long convoy snaked through the Bill Clinton Drive on its way to the city.

The victorious team was also routinely cheered by school children waving miniature national flags along the international airport road where motorists coming from the Gwagwalada end of the road had a herculean task.

Super Eagles captain Stephen Keshi has also vehemently denied resigning from his post. He told reporters that he remained the national coach, insisting that report of fall out with officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) was blown out of proportion.

Keshi said that he retraced his step after a rapprochement with Sports Minister Bolaji Abdulahi yesterday morning in South Africa.

"I actually resigned following a dispute with NFF, but we have sorted out everything. I have rescinded my resignation after a stormy meeting with the minister of sports. Nigerians should take note that I'm back to work for them" Keshi said.


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Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Stephen Keshi withdraws resignation

Unconfirmed reports available to THISDAY Tuesday morning indicate that Stephen Keshi has decided to stay on as Super Eagles coach after withdrawn his resignation letter.

A terse statement sent to THISDAY Tuesday morning by the Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) media officer, Ademola Olajire and reportedly signed by Stephen Keshi reads thus: “My attention has been drawn to reports in the media that I have resigned my appointment as the Head Coach of Super Eagles of Nigeria.

“While I have had cause to express my displeasure over some issues that happened in the course of our participation in the AFCON 2013, which my team won by the grace of God, especially concerning my relationship with the Nigerian Football Federation, I have since had opportunity to discuss the various issues with all concerned. I am therefore pleased to say that I have reconsidered my position and have decided to continue with my job.

“I want to thank the Honourable Minister of Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, for his swift and kind intervention.”

It was obvious that in the wake of Keshi’s epic victory on Sunday, which ended Nigeria’s 19-year wait for the African title, there was no way he would be allowed to go without government pulling out all the stops to keep him.

It was reliably learnt that as soon as world reached Abuja of Keshi’s decision, the Presidency immediately swung into action instructing the Sports Minister, who is on ground with the team in South Africa, to convey in the strongest terms to the coach of government’s wish that he stayed on.

Apparently from the press statement, Abdullahi was able to convince the former national team skipper to have a rethink.

Meanwhile, THISDAY learnt that the Super Eagles departed the OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg at 8.45am Nigerian time (9.45 South African time) for the six-hour flight to Abuja where the Presidency is planning a huge reception for them.





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Stephen Keshi resigns as Nigeria's Super Eagles coach

Barely 24 hours after guiding the Super Eagles to Nigeria's third Africa Cup of Nations trophy, Stephen Keshi yesterday announced his resignation as the coach of the nation's senior national team.

Neither the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) nor the National Sports Commission (NSC) officials were ready to speak on the sudden resignation that Keshi announced on the radio programme of a South African presenter, Robert Marawa, aired on Metro FM in Johannesburg.

The resignation of the Eagles' head coach ended the hide-and-seek game Keshi and the NFF leadership have been playing since the group matches of the just-concluded 29th Africa Cup of Nations which Nigeria won with a 1-0 over the hard fighting Burkina Faso on Sunday night at the Soccer City Stadium in Soweto.

Despite spirited attempts by the NFF to douse the tension created by Keshi's spat with the leadership of the football federation when the Super Eagles' campaign was floundering with two draw games against Burkina Faso and Zambia, the sign of a frosty relationship between the two parties was obvious.

During a meeting at NFF's StayEasy Hotel in Nelspruit the day after the Eagles played a draw game against Zambia, the football federation officials rebuked Keshi for his inability to win the match.

The scathing criticism he was subjected to, sources said, rankled the former Togo and Mali coach and prompted him to make up his mind to quit the job, irrespective of his team's performance in the competition.

"It doesn't really matter what people think about what Stephen Keshi is doing. The most important thing is what I am doing here and passing on to my team. If back home in my country, they don't appreciate what I am doing with the team, so be it.

"You can't force somebody to love you. You can't force somebody to accept you. It has to come from within," Keshi had admitted his frustration to his associates at the tournament.

He also did not fail to give a hint of his intention to resign after the game at every interaction with sportswriters covering the AFCON 2013.

But Eagles' quarterfinal victory over the Elephants of Cote d'Ivoire which the leadership of the NFF had thought was an impossible mission, appeared to have confirmed to Keshi the impression that the people he was working with did not have confidence in his ability.

"They were expecting Keshi to fail. In short, the NFF people had even given out money to their protocol staff to be on the stand-by to buy a return ticket for Keshi," a source said.

Shortly after appearing as a guest on Marawa's radio show yesterday, the South African posted on his Twitter account, @robertmarawa: "Stephen Keshi has just announced that he handed over his resignation letter after the game exclusively on 083Sport@6With Marawa on MetroFM."

But another source said Keshi had only resigned verbally and was expected to hand in his letter as soon as the team arrives in Abuja today. It is also not yet certain if the Eagles coach will honour the invitation to be part of the grand reception for the team that President Goodluck Jonathan is planning for the players later tonight.

All attempts to get the leadership of the NFF to throw more light on the issue last night failed as calls to the mobile phones of the officials were not answered. The federation is also yet to make an official statement on the latest development.



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Monday, February 11, 2013

Three Korean doctors killed in Nigeria

Three eyewitnesses yesterday gave chilling accounts of how six gunmen murdered three Korean doctors in Potiskum, Yobe State. The hoodlums broke into their apartment in the early hours of the day and slit their throats, said the eyewitnesses.

This is coming barely two days after gunmen killed 10 polio vaccination workers in Kano. Nine of the slain vaccine providers were women. Some were killed in Kano, others at a health centre in Hotoro, outside the city.

The gunmen were said to have attacked the residence of three Korean and Egyptian doctors at the T-junction area of Potiskum LGA of the state in an operation that lasted about 40 minutes. They killed the doctors before escaping.

According to Mustapha, who told LEADERSHIP that he was peeping through a window when the attackers stormed the apartment, the gunmen walked straight to the compound and broke the gate to the main entrance.

Mustapha said in a telephone interview: "I was peeping through the window when six armed men walked to the house of doctors in this area. Two of the gunmen took positions at the gate, while four entered the house. Ten minutes later, I started hearing cries and yelling, probably from the gunmen giving orders to their colleagues. But I cannot tell you whether all the three doctors were killed or not, because I did not hear the sounds of any gunshot fired by the suspects that night."

Another eyewitness, Isa Yakubu, said the gunmen overpowered the doctors, tied their hands to their backs and slit their throats. He added that the wives of the doctors were looking for help when the gunmen escaped but could not find any help.

Yakubu, who said that the attacks and killings lasted about 40 minutes, added that the gunmen left the dismembered head of one of the doctors on the apartment's gate.

Another eyewitness who sought anonymity said the remains of the doctors were deposited in the Federal Medical Centre, Azare, Bauchi State, because the morgue facility in Potiskum General Hospital was ill-equipped.

Confirming the incident yesterday, the commissioner of police, Yobe State Command, Alhaji Sanusi Rufai, said the three doctors were killed in the early hours of yesterday. He said the three men and a woman were posted to the Potiskum General Hospital.

Rufai said it was however too early to know who was behind the attack. "Police have begun an investigation. The victims were reportedly found inside their flat on Sunday morning, after people became worried that they were not answering the door," he said. "Unfortunately, when they were posted and assumed duties as expatriates, the police were not notified to give them adequate security coverage. As I am talking to you now, I am in Potiskum. The three male health workers have been confirmed dead while we are still working to uncover the details."

"For now, we cannot say with certainty those behind it or what exactly happened," he said.

The Yobe State branch of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) condemned the killing of the Korean health workers. This is contained in a statement issued by Dr Adamu Umar, the state chairman.

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Sunday, February 10, 2013

Video - Nigeria wins Africa Cup of Nations



Nigeria 1 – Burkina Faso 0 (Africa Cup of Nations, February 10, 2013) Sunday Mba broke the deadlock on 40 (with his second goal of the tournament on successive Sundays!) to put Nigeria in front.


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