Brazil 2014: Akinbobola charges Eagles to remain focused

Chairman, Ondo State Football Agency (ODSFA), Akin Akinbobola has charged the handlers of the Super Eagles to remain focused as they begin the quest for glory at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Nigeria is drawn in Group F alongside Argentina, Iran and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Akinbobola feels the defeat to USA on Saturday night is an eye opener for the technical crew and players towards ensuring a better outing in Brazil.

“Keshi and his back room staff should watch their warm-up tapes especially against Greece and USA, correct their mistakes and get the team ready for the tournament.

“But at this point, we need to rally round the team and give our support to the Eagles to have a superlative outing in Brazil”, said the former Chairman, Publicity Committee, Nigeria Premier League (NPL).

The ODSFA boss however expressed joy in the inclusion of Sunshine Stars defender, Ebenezer Odunlami in the Eagles’ final 23-man list urging him to prove his worth in the team.

Nigeria’s defeat to USA was their first loss in their last three games having forced Scotland and Greece to a draw in the other World Cup matches.

Ondo State Football Agency (ODSFA), Chairman Akin Akinbobola

Photo Credit: Ondo State Football Agency (ODSFA), website

Brazilian Duo Qualify for the ITTF World Cup

The Brazilian duo of Cazuo MATSUMOTO and Caroline KUMAHARA have clinched the ITTF-Latin American Cup titles in Asuncion, Paraguay and in doing so have qualified for the Men’s and Women’s ITTF World Cups.

The Brazilian duo of Cazuo MATSUMOTO and Caroline KUMAHARA have clinched the ITTF-Latin American Cup titles in Asuncion, Paraguay and in doing so have qualified for the Men’s and Women’s ITTF World Cups.

The Men’s and Women’s ITTF World Cups are two of the most prestigious table tennis events on the ITTF calendar, which only 20 of the best table tennis players in the world could qualify for. The 2014 editions will take place in:

Cazuo MATSUMOTO celebrating after securing his position at the upcoming ITTF World Cup. Photo credit: ITTF

Women’s World Cup, 17 – 19 Oct 2014, Place TBD

LIEBHERR Men’s World Cup, 24 – 26 Oct 2014, Dusseldorf, Germany

Recovering from an injury, Cazuo MATSUMOTO played a tactically perfect match in the men’s final against Mexico’s Marcos MADRID, eventually overcoming his opponent 15-13, 7-11, 12-14, 7-11, 9-11.

After his victory, the Brazilian stated “Marcos has been playing very well at this event, so that motivated to me to make more effort to beat him and win the title.”

“I’m so happy with the qualification to the World Cup. I played only five years ago in 2009, a long time, and in that moment was very difficult to make a good performance. Now it is different. I think the Brazilian players have showed they can beat all the players of the world.”

In the Women’s finals, top seed Caroline KUMAHARA accounted for Brazilian compatriot Silva LIGIA in six games (8-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-6, 13-11), winning the title for the first time in her career.

The Sao Paulo native stated after her victory: “It was a big effort to reach at the final, and recently with LIGIA was also a very difficult match. She has a lot of experience. I´m very happy for the title, I want to give the thanks to my family, my Coach Hugo HOYAMA, and all my supporters and people on Brazil. I´m where I am because of them”.

Excited about her entry into the Women’s World Cup, the 18-year-old added that “The World Cup is a very strong tournament with many high level players, so it is going to be a very difficult tournament. My aim is to play my best and do better than I did in 2012. I think this year will be better as I now have more experience.”

The Latin American representatives Cazuo MATSUMOTO and Caroline KUMAHARA will join the respective Continental Cups winners to compete in the Men’s and Women’s World Cups:

DHS 2014 Europe Cup: LI Jiao (NED), LIU Jia (AUT), Viktoria PAVLOVICH (BLR), Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (GER), Marcos FREITAS (POR), Michael MAZE (DEN)
GAC 2014 Honda Asian Cup: DING Ning (CHN), LI Xiaoxia (CHN), YU Mengyu (SIN), MA Long (CHN), FAN Zhendong (CHN), Jun MIZUTANI (JPN)
K-Sport 2014 ITTF-Oceania Cup: William HENZELL (AUS), LAY Jianfang (AUS)

The rest of the 20 positions available at the Men’s and Women’s World Cup will be made up by representatives from the ITTF-North America Cup (25-26 June in Vancouver, Canada), ITTF-African Cup (27-28 June in Lagos, Nigeria), and the current World Champions.

Odegbami Joins Eagles Training Session…Team Departs For Brazil

Nigeria’s preparations for Mundial 2014 in Brazil peaked on Sunday evening in Jacksonville, Florida, USA, when ex-national team skipper and one of the pillars of the 1980 Nations Cup winning side, Mathematical Segun Odegbami (MON), visited the team’s hotel and later joined the team at its training ground.

Looking trim and boyish in his jeans top and trousers, Odegbami said he was motivated to come and join the team’s training because of the caliber of players and coaching crew that the team parades. He even threatened jokingly at a point while discussing with team skipper, Joseph Yobo and Coach Stephen Keshi, that he would have joined the session but for the lateness of his invitation letter. “That means we will need double ambulances here”, Keshi retorted.

At the end of the nearly two hours of training, he declared thus “I like what I saw at the training ground, the hunger of the boys, the confidence they displayed and the way and manner the coaching crew conducted themselves. Something tells me history is in the making with this team”.

The team had its last training session on Monday evening in the United States and will depart Tuesday morning for Miami, Florida, from where they will connect and American Airways airliner to Samba land Brazil. The flight from Miami to Sao Paulo is scheduled to be eight hours, according to Team Administrator, Dayo Enebi Achor.

Already, the NFF and FIFA have perfected plans to give the team a grand welcome at the airport, including a media press conference and reception by the city authorities in Sao Paulo, before the team will retire to its camp base in Brazil’s bustling commercial capital.

x-international Paul Okoku, Chief Segun Odegbami, Coach Keshi and Assistant Coach Valere at the Eagles training session on Sunday

Dolphins cannot play Kano Pillars – Johnson

Dolphins FC’s General Manager, Joe

Stanley Eguma, Dolphins Coach

says they will not be able to replay their game against Kano Pillars on Saturday, June 14, 2014 as directed by the League Management Company.

Dolphins had arrived in Kano on Friday afternoon on the eve of the game last week only to hear it had been postponed indefinitely due to the death of the Emir of Kano.

“Since we were told that the game was postponed indefinitely, we let our players go on break since the LMC had previously said there would be no league games during the World Cup.

“A lot of them did not return to Port Harcourt with us as some alighted in Kano, others in Kano and some in Enugu, depending on where they live. By the time we got to the camp in Port Harcourt some had departed too because they were told by us that there would be a two week break for them during the World Cup.

“We received a message from the LMC that the game will be replayed this Saturday but how that is possible when there are no ready funds to prosecute a game we had already spent money on and there are no players too.

“We think that the best possible time we can replay that game will be when the League resumes and we do not even mind if it is played as our first game in the first round,” Joe Johnson said.

Head coach of Dolphins, Stanley Eguma adds that he has no players in camp to prosecute the game as they had sent them away knowing that there would be no league games during the World Cup break.

Maigari arrives Brazil, confident Eagles will impress at World Cup

President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Aminu Maigari has arrived in Sao Paulo, Brazil for the 64th FIFA Congress billed for Tuesday and Wednesday in the big city. The Congress preceeds the 20th FIFA World Cup finals which kicks off in the same city on Thursday, with host Brazil clashing with Croatia.

Maigari, who was with the Super Eagles at their final training camp in the United States of America before flying to Brazil for the important gathering of the world’s football administrators, said in Sao Paulo on Monday that he was satisfied with the Super Eagles’ build-up to the tournament and is confident the African champions will impress at the finals.

“I want to assure Nigerians at home and in the diaspora that the Super Eagles will not disappoint in Brazil,” began Maigari, who has watched all of the Eagles’ friendly matches leading up to the biggest showpiece in world football.

“For sure, our people would have wanted the team to win the matches against Italy, Mexico, Scotland, Greece and USA. But we drew the first four and lost the last one.

“I have spoken with the Head Coach and he is optimistic that his boys will be ready for the finals. The earlier draws, and the loss to Team USA have afforded our boys a lot of lessons, which will be useful against Iran in the first match and subsequently.”

The Super Eagles will fly aboard an American Airline flight from the Miami International Airport on Tuesday morning and land at the Guarulhos International Airport, Sao Paulo just before 9pm local time.

“I have confidence in the team. From what I saw at the final training camp in USA, I believe the African champions are set to do Nigeria and Africa proud at the FIFA World Cup,” Maigari said.

NFF Chairman Aminu Maigari

MA Long Closes in on World Tour Record After Victory at China Open

MA Long (CHN) has moved closer to becoming the most successful ever ITTF World Tour player by clinching gold at the GAC Group 2014 World Tour Super Series China Open which concluded on 8 June 2014 in Chengdu, China.

The world number two defeated the world number one XU Xin (CHN) 11-7, 11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 11-4 to claim his 17th World Tour title, which is only six behind the legendary Vladimir SAMSONOV (BLR) who is on 23.

After his victory, the 24-year-old stated: I am very happy to win my 17th World Tour title, this means a lot. However I still have quite a few wins left if I am going to catch up to Samsonov’s record of 23.”

MA Long’s gold medal at the China Open moves him closer to the ITTF World Tour record.
Photo credit: ITTF.

“I had a near-perfect event here, I would like to thank all my fans in Chengdu who came out and supported me, it meant a lot.”

DING Ning (CHN) broke her drought of never winning the China Open by defeating world number one and team mate LIU Shiwen (CHN) 11-6, 5-11, 11-8, 11-7, 4-11, 2-11, 11-2 in the women’s singles final in front of a capacity crowd at the Sichuan Province Gymnasium.

“I am satisfied with my performance here in Chengdu, I am very happy that I was finally able to win my home event, the China Open,” stated the 23 year old.

The story of the 17-year-old prodigy FAN Zhendong (CHN) continued in the men’s doubles as he teamed up with the singles champion MA Long (CHN) to win his first ever World Tour doubles gold.

The combination of FAN Zhendong and MA Long was too strong for XU Xin (CHN) and Olympic and World Champion ZHANG Jike (CHN) in an extremely entertaining final, defeating them 6-11, 11-4, 5-11, 11-4, 14-12.

A thrilled FAN, who shocked the world by winning the German Open last year as a 16-year-old, stated: “We did a good job in the final and played well with each other. It was an honour to play with MA Long. This is the first time I have won a world tour doubles title so it is exciting.”

Women’s singles champion DING Ning (CHN) teamed up with the woman she beat in the singles final, LIU Shiwen (CHN), to win gold in the women’s doubles.

The Chinese pair were simply too good for the young duo from Chinese Taipei CHENG I-Ching & HUANG Yi-Hua, winning 11-5, 11-4, 11-9.

Asuka MACHI (JPN) handled the pressure of his first under-21 final well as he upset the Philippines Open under-21 Champion CHEN Feng (SIN) 6-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-4, 2-11, 11-4, 11-7.

Australian Open under -21 winner, 13-year-old Mima ITO (JPN), had to settle for silver this time around, as she was comprehensively beaten by CHEN Szu-Yu (TPE) 7-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-7, 11-7.

The China Open was the 10th event out of 21 in the GAC Group 2014 ITTF World Tour. At each event, the players earn Race to Bangkok points to qualify them for the 1-million-dollar GAC Group 2014 World Tour Grand Finals to be held in Bangkok, Thailand on 11-14 December 2014.

Golden Eaglets tipped for glory…as team settles down in Calabar

Chief Patrick Iloekwe Ndubuisi, the soccer-loving owner of CJ Planet Hotel in Abuja, has tipped the Golden Eaglets to excel under Coach Emmanuel Amuneke.

Ndubuisi who quartered the Under-17 national team for sometime, said as much during a send forth before the team’s departure for Calabar at the weekend.

He said he was impressed with the camaraderie between officials and players as well as their overall conduct and attitude during their stay at his hospice.

“We have been privileged to host others in the past but your team is special and we are impressed with the manner you conducted yourself here,” said the ebullient elderly man.”.”

He explained further that the team has started on a good note with the unity of purpose within the ranks, praying they should continue with the same spirit wherever they may be.

Coach Emeka Amadi, the goalkeepers’ trainer, thanked the management and staff of CJ Planet Hotel on behalf of the team for going the extra mile in organising a party, promising that the team would do everything to make Nigerians proud.

Meanwhile, the Golden Eaglets’ train safely Calabar on Saturday with players and officials gradually settling down at their Princeville Hotel Camp.

“It is great to be here again and we are ready to work very hard,” said Captain Kelechi Nwakali who had a brief stint with the class of 2013.” Coming here would help our concentration and we want to thank the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Cross River State government for this opportunity.”

The Golden Eaglets in the meantime, have started exploring their new environment as the players enjoyed a one-hour swimming session under strict supervision of the technical crew on Sunday while training resumes on Monday at the University of Calabar’s Abraham Ordia Stadium.

Swimming session by the Golden Eaglets