Guinean officials to take charge of Eagles, Antelopes clash

Guinean officials to take charge of Eagles, Antelopes clash

The Nigeria Football Federation has secured the services of Guinean referees to be in charge of Saturday’s potentially-explosive
international friendly match between Nigeria and Ethiopia’s senior home-based squads at the National Stadium, Abuja.

In a letter addressed to the NFF and dated 1st January, General Secretary of Guinea Football Federation, Ibrahima Barry noted that his body received the request from Nigeria and has thus nominated three officials to serve as Referee, 1st Assistant Referee and 2nd Assistant Referee respectively.

The centre referee will be Yakhouba Keita, a 38-year old official who has been an international referee since 2004. The 1st Assistant
Referee is Moustapha Toure, who was born in 1980 and has been an international assistant referee since 2007.

Abdel Raffi, 30, who became an international assistant referee last year, will serve as the 2nd Assistant Referee, with the Nigeria
Football Federation to appoint a Nigerian to serve as Fourth Official.

Saturday’s match has been arranged by the NFF to give the Super Eagles Team B a feel of what the furnace would be like at the 3rd African Nations Championship in South Africa, where they compete against the host nation, Mali and Mozambique in Group A.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation has called on football fans based in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and environs to come to the National Stadium on Saturday to support the home lads.

“We want to call on Nigerian ball fans in Abuja and environs to come to the National Stadium, Abuja to cheer the Eagles on Saturday. It will serve to encourage the players and get them in the spirit to confront the African continent in South Africa,” Barrister Musa Amadu, NFF General Secretary, said on Thursday.

CHAN: Mba Doubtful, As Three Exit Eagles Camp…Medics Assure On Gambo

CHAN: Mba Doubtful, As Three Exit Eagles Camp…Medics Assure On Gambo

Super Eagles 2013 Nations Cup hero, Sunday Mba, who is one of the players being relied upon to pull the strings at the forthcoming CHAN African Nations tournament, may after all not be available for the tournament, according to Head Coach Stephen Okechukwu Keshi.

Keshi, said on Thursday, that Mba, was on his way to France to join Bastia, the French side that first indicated interest in the player after the Nations Cup triumph. Assistant Coach, Dan ‘the Bull’ Amokachi was to add that the player could leave camp as early as Friday, as he was not one of the players listed for the friendly game in Port Harcourt on Saturday against a Rivers selected side.

“We have resigned ourselves to fate and working hard to discover those who can fill Mba’s shoes, as he seems to have nicked a deal with Bastia and may not be part of CHAN tourney. We just to brace up and wish him the best because it’s a career thing” he said.

Also on Thursday, the weeding process of the CHAN Eagles continued with three players exiting camp. Keshi who addressed the players once again told them that they have all it takes to play for the national team but there was not time enough to fit into the system and he would continue to monitor them for future call ups. “Take heart because as I always say, many are called but few are chosen, we would soon be back knocking on your doors.

Those who left camp on Thursday were Sunshine Stars Kingsley Onome Eduwo, Bendel Insurance’s Bello John Ikeleji and Eric Kwame of Plateau United. More players are expected to exit the camp of the national team after the training game in Port Harcourt and Monday’s other practice match against Nigerian league champions, Kano Pillars.

Meanwhile, the Super Eagles medical team has assured the technical crew that Kano Pillars, Gambo Mohammed will be ready on time for the CHAN tourney. Gambo has been out with a harm-string problem, recovered last week but there was a relapse in the course of the week which forced him out of Thursday’s morning training. “He should be back and better”, Amokachi assured of the highly regarded striker.