Osaze Excited To Be Back In Keshi’s Plans

Stoke City’s Osaze Odemwingie is really excited to be included back into the Keshi’s list after his pro longed absence from the National team.

Osaze was included in the 30-man provisional World Cup list submitted yesterday by Keshi, This move suprised a lot of pundits. Osaze had been excluded from the Eagles camp after having a dispute with Big Boss Keshi due to not making AFCON 2013.

Osaze had taken to his twitter account immediately after hearing the news, to reveal his mood, he said: ‘Thanks for the congratulations. The return of the prodigal son Channels tv said? Anyhow una call am I am pleased to be back??.’’

 

Coach Keshi had revealed that Osaze apologized for his actions to the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF and the technical crew and thats why he was recalled.

According to Keshi: ‘Odemwingie apologised to the NFF and myself so we have arrived at the conclusion that he has admitted that he erred we had to extend the olive branch to him.’’

Victor Moses and Kalu Uche to miss Nigeria’s World Cup and Confederations Cup campaign

The duo are unable to join the Super Eagles due to persistent injury concerns and have given the coaching crew cause for concern with the key matches coming up in a few weeks

Forwards Victor Moses and Kalu Uche are out of Nigeria’s June World Cup qualifying matches and the Confederations Cup as well as the international friendly match against Mexico due to injuries.

CAF U-17: Eaglets clash with Baby Elephants in final

 

…beat Tunisia 4-2

Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets will on Saturday, clash with the Baby Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire in the final of the ongoing 10th CAF U-17 Championship in Casablanca, Morocco.

The Eaglets coached by Manu Garba qualified for the final of the tournament after defeating the Junior Carthage Eagles of Tunisia 4-2 in the second semi-final match decided in Marrakech, yesterday. Cote d’Ivoire’s National U-17 team had earlier on Tuesday, defeated host Morocco 2-1 in the first semi-final tie.

Interestingly, Saturday’s final setting will see the Eaglets clashing with the Baby Elephants, the only team that pipped the Nigerians 1-0 at the group stage, in a West African battle for supremacy, while host Junior Atlas Lions of Morocco and Tunisia will play a North African classification game. Yesterday’s 4-2 victory over Tunisia earned the Golden Eaglets a total 17 goals haul and they conceded three goals in four matches of the Maroc 2013 CAF U-17 Championship.

Top striker, Isaac Success scored the third goal of the evening that brought his total so far to seven goals, while Kelechi Iheanacho, who opened scoring for the Nigerian lads took his total to five goals. Musa Yahaya’s brace broke the spirit of the hard-fighting Tunisians, who tried unsuccessfully to stop the rampaging Eaglets. On Saturday, Nigeria will be going for a third title, having won the African junior tournament at the 2001 and 2007 editions of the tournament.

Stephen Keshi withdraws resignation after meeting with Sports Minister

Stephen Keshi has withdrawn his resignation ascoach of the Nigerian national team, after a meeting with the Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi.

The immediate past Media Officer of the Super Eagles, Colin Udoh, who has been covering the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, made this revelation late into the night, as the confusion and drama rumbled on.

Udoh confirmed that Keshi had indeed resigned, but that it was verbal and not written. As soon as the news went viral, after the Big Boss told Robert Marawa on South Africa radio station, Metro FM, that he had sent in his resignation after the celebrations, a series of emergency meetings were held.

 

In the end, the 51-year-old made a u-turn and withdrew his resignation.

Udoh tweeted: “After a meeting with Nigeria‘s Sports Minister, Stephen Keshihas withdrawn his resignation.”

The Super Eagles are expected back in the country today, although Efe Ambrose and Victor Moses, have returned to the UK.

Keshi, NFF officials snub each other at South African Airport

According to reports, Stephen Keshi and some NFF officials avoided each other, as they made their way to board their return flight to Nigeria on Tuesday morning.

All three men departed South Africa on the same chartered flight, but Keshi and NFF officials stayed out of each other’s way, even as the team will be hosted in Abuja this evening.

The Super Eagles coach resigned from his position, but in a dramatic twist of events, rescinded his decision, after the Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi, stepped into the issue.

NFF president, Aminu Maigari, had expressed his anger at Keshi’s decision, stating that he did not show him respect.

Abdullahi, however, confirmed that he had spoken to Maigari, before meeting with Keshi and revealed that there is still some friction, which will be sorted out with time.

“This is not the time for that. For now we have resolved the issue and he will be staying. After the reception we will sit down and sort things out. Obviously, there are certain things that weren’t handled properly, but we will have plenty of time to sort them out,” he said.