Nigeria Football Fans

Nigeria at the World Cup

The Flying Eagles of Nigeria got their U-20 African Cup of Nations campaign off to a flying start courtesy of a comfortable 2-0 victory over Burundi, in what was a frantic affair all through.

We endured a drab first half of the game; with both sides struggling to create any major openings for the first 45 and the nerves were beginning to set in.
Nigeria were particular guilty of being complacent, failing to really cut open the Burundi defense as they continued to toil all afternoon.

A Nigerian footballer named Dominic Dukudod who was warming up for the upcoming match died on the spot. The demise of the star Nigerian footballer was confirmed by his team spokesperson. Dominic died on the evening of Thursday on 13th December on the soil of state of Nasarawa. The veteran was warming up for his upcoming match which was to be held against Nasarawa United. But before he could play for his team, he slumped on the ground and then never got up. His sudden and unexpected demise has not only shocked the Nigerian football fraternity but also it has shocked the entire fraternity of football.

The Nigerian football team has not even recovered from some instances of previous mishaps that they suffered another heart broking news of the demise of their star player. They were already going through a bad phase and losing one of their best players has exacerbated things for them. Not it is going to be very difficult for them to cope up from this situation. They have paid deepest condolences on his untimely demise and have assured to give all mental support to his family.

The amputee football team missed the previous World Cup’s mainly due to lack of funds and went for crowd-funding to compete in the tournament this year. The Super Eagles squad and Nigeria Football Federation president Amaju Pinnick did make best monetary contributions. However, John Mikel Obi, the captain has decided to assist the team.

Fred Edoreh, the fundraising coordinator said that they have had a word with John Mikel Obi’s representative who has agreed to help and assist the team. As per Edoreh, the support of John Mikel Obi will be a great boost and now the biggest challenge is to get flights to help the squad to reach Mexico. He also said that they are running short of time and now with fares going higher by the day, their opening game is going above the budget. Therefore, the decision has been taken by the management to send the first team as the initial batch. This is being done mainly to avoid the increased cost and help the team to settle down prior to the match against Brazil.

Abuja, Nigeria, October 11 - Nigerian coach Gernot Rohr believes that the coach of Libel Adel Amrouche and his sudden withdrawal from the team could motivate their rivals even more ahead of a crucial 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification. The match is going to take place on Saturday.

Amrouche ended as the Libya coach just days before clashes in Uyo, southern Nigeria, over unpaid wages. But the German manages Rohr has warned of complacency. Rohr said, "The coach can change, but the players and his assistants are still there so it will not be an easy game because they changed the coach. His guidance to the team is still there to motivate them."

Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr wants a positive result in the match against Seychelles that will be counting for the African Cup of Nations qualifier. He said that the Nigerian team has been preparing themselves well and that there is no reason why they cannot win the match against one of Africa minnows.

Nigeria who is currently third in the group need a win and Gernot Rohr said that all his players are aware of the situation. He said that this is not a good position to be in and that Nigeria should be among the top teams in the continent. He said that they have been working hard during the training session and that the players need to give their best on the pitch.

The qualifying rounds for Africa U-20 Cup of Nations were recently concluded for the year 2019 and the Flying Eagles of Nigeria have qualified for the same. The U20 team of Nigeria sealed in their qualification in great style in the qualifying match that was held last Saturday. This was held at Agege Stadium and here in Lagos, the team was able to beat their opponents Mauritania with a score of 5-0.

The match went well for this team, they score two goals within the game’s first half; they were able to do more in the second half and scored the remaining goals to confirm their win over the opposing team. Wasiu Alalade was the player of the Nigerian team who was able to put Nigeria in front by the 12th minute. This was due to a shot that he made in the goal mouth. Though there were several missed chances after that, Flying Eagles were able to double their lead, which happened in the half-hour mark and this was achieved by Nafizi Yahaya.

Leicester City midfielder Wilfried Ndidi has reportedly suffered a hamstring injury which could potentially rule him out of Nigeria’s World Cup campaign. The 21-year-old has been one of the Super Eagles’ top performers of late and national team coach Gernot Rohr faces a huge decision to make, if the midfielder is deemed unfit for the summer World Cup.

Speaking after the Foxes’ 5-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, manager Claude Puel discussed the result whilst confirming that Ndidi has sustained a muscular problem, he said: “The red card was harsh. It was a battle between two players, both making contact. It happened during a crazy five minutes with the injury to Ndidi that left the team so imbalanced. I’m feeling bad for him. It’s a hamstring injury. I hope it’s not bad and he can make the World Cup.”

Nigeria manager Gernot Rohr believes the Super Eagles will be prepared for the challenge posed by Argentina and Lionel Messi at this summer’s World Cup in Russia. The west African nation have met with Argentina in the 2010 and 2014 edition of the global tournament, and Rohr claims that they don’t fear the presence of Messi in the opposition ranks anymore.

Brown Ideye has completed a switch to the Spanish La Liga with Malaga in an attempt to revive his career with the Nigerian national side. The former West Bromwich Albion striker left Chinese Super League side Tianjin Teda for Malaga on loan prior to last month's Spanish transfer deadline.

Shortly after his switch, Ideye was quick to thank both Teda and Malaga for pushing through the short-term move, he said: "So happy to have signed for Malaga on loan in one of the biggest leagues in the world. I enjoyed my time at Tianjin Teda and I want to thank the management and fans. Now onto a new chapter in La Liga. Big thanks to everyone who made this possible for me; I’m grateful. I can’t wait to get started!"

Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte is hoping to have Victor Moses back in action during Saturday's Premier League outing versus Liverpool. The Nigeria international has not featured for the Blues since his hamstring injury incurred during the 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace last month.

Since then, the likes of Cesar Azpilicueta and Davide Zappacosta have deputised in the right wing-back spot with the Blues winning five and drawing one of their last six matches. Speaking in the lead-up to the Qarabag clash in the Champions League, Conte provided a positive update on Moses' injury, while taking an example of Hazard's progress.