Eagles Land In Philadelphia…To Train Twice Daily…

Eagles Land In Philadelphia…To Train Twice Daily…Balogun Wishes Teammates Luck

After a pulsating 2-2 draw with the Tartan Army of Scotland last Wednesday in London, the Super Eagles have quickly taken the next step towards it World Cup preparation by arriving in the United States city of Philadelphia for its next round of friendly against another World Cup bound squad, Greece.

In a carefully scripted World Cup plan by the Nigeria Football Federation, the Super Eagles left London on Thursday at exactly 12:40 via a British Airways plane and after seven hours of flight landed in Philadelphia at about 3:20pm local time, about 8:20 pm Nigerian time.

All the 30 invited players are on the trip as the battle for shirts for the World Cup takes a final bend, with Head Coach Stephen Keshi expected to name the final 23 man list in the next 48 hours. The players have been very businesslike in their mood trying to impress the coach in the eleventh hour. Keshi too seem to want a level playing field as he has scheduled twice a day training for all the players to prove themselves.

The first of the training session will take place by 8am on Friday in Philadelphia, while the second will take place at 4:30pm same day. This training regime is expected to be sustained ahead of the naming of the 23-man list for the Mundial in Brazil. The team is putting up at the Westin Hotel and Resort in the centre of Philadelphia, an exotic hotel described as serene and a delight by team psychologist, Dr Robinson Okosun.

Meanwhile, German based defender, Leon Aderemi Balogun says he has been following the progress of the team in London and wishes the team the best during the Brazil 2014. Balogun, who puts his fitness level at about 70 per cent, said with the caliber of players he has interacted with in the team, the Eagles will go far in Brazil with luck on the side. “We’ve got great and classy players that can match any country in the World Cup, we just pray that we should be lucky when the competition starts”.

Photo Credit : Super Eagles Google+

Hayatou to host Maigari in Cairo as NFF condoles with Aisha Falode

President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, will be a special guest of CAF President, Alhaji (Dr.) Issa Hayatou in
Cairo, Egypt on Friday.

The CAF President has invited Maigari and presidents of four other federations whose teams would be representing Africa at this summer’s World Cup finals to a special meeting in the Egyptian capital.

It is expected that the former 400m champion of Cameroon would seek to sound out Maigari and the FA Presidents of Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire on their teams’ preparations for the biggest showpiece in football, happening in Brazil between 12th June – 13th July.

Africa’s football supremo is also likely to impress it on the FA chiefs on the need to adequately prepare their teams to make the
continent proud in South America.

No African team has made it to the semi finals of the FIFA World Cup in the past 19 editions, with only eight countries having lifted the
trophy – Brazil, Italy, Germany, Uruguay, Argentina, England, France and Spain.

Only Cameroon, in Italy in 1990, Senegal, in Korea/Japan in 2002, and Ghana, in South Africa in 2010, have flown Africa’s flag into the last eight of the FIFA World Cup, with Cameroon narrowly beaten by England in 1990 and Senegal eliminated by Turkey in Japan 12 years later. Ghana lost to Uruguay four years ago.

Nigeria, champions of Africa, play two-time winners Argentina, Bosnia-Hercegovina and Iran in Group F, with Algeria up against
Belgium, Russia and Korea Republic in Group H and Ghana to face Germany, Portugal and USA in Group G.

Cameroon tackle Brazil, Croatia and Mexico in Group A and Cote d’Ivoire are up against Colombia, Greece and Japan in Group C.

NFF condoles Aisha Falode

The Nigeria Football Federation on Wednesday condoled Member of the CAF Media Committee, Aisha Falode, on the death of her son, Toba Falode.

News of the unfortunate incident made the rounds on Monday, and it was learnt that the young man died at the weekend.

The screen diva, a former Chairperson of the NFF Media and Publicity Committee, has been a telling figure in Nigeria sports journalism and sports administration for decades, through her rare passion, diligence, keen attention to details and sense of duty.

NFF President Aminu Maigari was dumbstruck when he learnt of the sad news. “This is a tragedy. It is very, very sad to hear of the death of such a young, charming and ambitious young man.

“We feel very much for Aisha Falode and deeply mourn with her at this period. It must be so devastating to lose such a promising son at that young age.”