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Published: 17 August 2010

Nigeria has sensationally left out Olympique Marseille defender Taye Taiwo from next month's Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at home to Madagascar.

NFF technical committee chairman, Dominic Iorfa, announced a 26-man squad for the match against Madagascar with Taiwo conspicuously missing.

Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi leads several England-based stars like Danny Shittu, Dickson Etuhu, Joseph Yobo, Sam Sodje and Osaze Odemwingie for the September 4 clash fixed for the Abuja national Stadium.

Other Europe-based stars for the match are Obafemi Martins and Chidi Odiah.

There is also a return for Netherlands-based midfielder Oluwafemi Ajilore and Michael Eneramo from Esperance of Tunisia.

Several players from the domestic league like Bayelsa United goalkeeper Akpan Bassey, Eneji Otekpa and Emmanuel Anyanwu from champions Enyimba as well as Europe-bound Ahmed Musa have also made the squad.

Meanwhile, Augustine Eguavon will remain coach of the Super Eagles until negotiations between the NFF and Samson Siasia are concluded.

Eguavoen will therefore along with former international defender, Benedict Iroha will be in charge of the team for their CAN qualifier against Madagascar.

Nigerian squad:

Goalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Dele Aiyenugba (Bnei-Yehuda), Bassey Akpan (Bayelsa United)

Defenders: Chidi Odiah (CSKA Moscow), Sam Sodje (clubless), Terna Suswan (Lobi Stars), Danny Shittu (Bolton Wanderers), Emmanuel Anyanwu, Valentine Nwabili (Enyimba), Joseph Yobo (Everton), Promise Onu (Niger Tornadoes), Ugwu Uwadiegwu (Enugu Rangers)

 

Midfielders: Mikel (Chelsea), Kalu Uche (Almeria), Otekpa Eneji (Enyimba), Dickson Etuhu (Fulham), Oluwafemi Ajilore (Groningen),Fengor Ogude (Warri Wolves)

Strikers: Ahmed Musa (Kano Pillars), Obafemi Martins (Rubin Kazan), Osaze Odemwingie (West Bromwich Albion), Michael Eneramo (Esperance), Moses Bunde (Lobi Stars), Joseph Akpala (Club Brugge), Solomon Okoronkwo (FC Saturn), Ayo Saka (Heartland)

 

 ASAMOAH'S AGENT ADMITS PLAYER COULD STILL MOVE

Ghana international Kwadwo Asamoah could still make a move from Udinese despite ruling himself out of an exit from the Serie-A.

The 21 year old has been tagged the natural successor to the Black Stars No. 10 shirt which is currently held by skipper Stephen Appiah.

The left footed players however struggled to replicate the form he shown at the Nations Cup at the World Cup which alerted many European clubs of his potential.

His agent Claudio Vagheggi is reported to have told Asamoah not to give up his dream on a possible move to Arsenal which in his view coul happen before the transfer window shuts.

"There are several interested teams, in England there is Arsenal," he said.

"In Italy, Fiorentina like him and there is also a big Serie A club who is interested in Kwadwo.

"Although for the moment there is nothing concrete, we must wait and the next few days will be decisive. Asamoah is happy but if the right offer comes in he will consider it."

However the midfielder has disclosed earlier of his intention to staying at struggling Udinese, who finished 15th in Serie A and have lost some of their best players.

"I was expecting some news on my return from the World Cup," said Asamoah, "but I’m still here. I will still be there for one season at least. I am happy here. I can still get better."

BOATENG SHARES THOUGHTS ON DREAM MOVE TO MILAN

 

Kevin-Prince Boateng has described his surprise move to AC Milan as "a dream come true" and is eager to win titles with the Rosseneri.

The 23 year old arrives to Milan on a season long loan deal shortly after sealing a reported 6.5m Euros transfer deal from Portsmouth to Genoa and is alreadu in the frame to make his debut for Milan on Sunday when they play Juventus in the Luigi Berlusconi cup.

Interviewed in La Gazzetta dello Sport, Boateng said: “Playing for this club was a dream and now I have realised it. I want Milan with all my power.

“I knew of their history. So I knew that I was coming to the most important club in the world. Milan are in first place ahead of Real Madrid and Barcelona.

“Milan have fantastic players, there is nothing to fear. My objective is to help this team do well and get the chance to show my worth in exchange.

“I am a normal 23-year-old guy who loves playing football. I know I have this hunger and I ask for only one thing: judge me on what you see on the pitch.

“The past is the past. Right now I am only thinking about doing well here.”

 

AFRICAN STARS IN EUROPEAN ACTION

Ten matches were played over two says in the final qualifying round of the Uefa Champions Leage, Afrikansoccer brings a summary of how African players fared with their clubs in battle.

The first match of the final qualifying round saw Russian side Zenit St. Petersburg defeat French club Auxerre 1-0 at the Petrovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg.

Auxerre had three African players on display from the start, but Adama Coulibaly (Senegal), Dennis Oliech (Kenya) and Delvin Ndinga (Republic of Congo) could not prevent their side from slipping to defeat.

Anthony Annan (Ghana) was on the winning side in Norway as Rosenborg beat Danish side Copenhagen 2-1. He will however be missing in the return fixture for accumulated yellow cards.

Copenhagen's Dame N'Doye (Senegal), however, was unlucky to be on the losing side but could not make an impact in attack during his 90 minutes on the pitch.

Momodou Ceesay (The Gambia) found the back of the net as Slovakian club Zilina upset the odds by beating Sparta Prague 2-0 at the Generali Arena in Prague.

Ceesay scored in the 51st minute to break the deadlock before Tomás Oravec rounded off the scoring in the 73rd minute. Leonard Kweuke and Bondoa Adiaba (both Cameroon) could do little as the home side slipped to a hard-to-take loss.

Tottenham Hotspur recovered following a nightmare 30-minute spell at Young Boys to grab two away goals in a 3-2 defeat.

Henri Bienvenu (Cameroon), who picked up a caution in the 72nd minute, found the back of the net in the 13th minute for the home side, with his strike coming either side of goals from Senad Lulic and Xavier Hochstrasser in a 30-minute blitz.

Spurs managed to recover thanks to a Sébastien Bassong (Cameroon) header shortly before half-time and a late piledriver from Roman Pavlyuchenko.

Benoît Assou-Ekotto (Cameroon), who was so impressive for Spurs against Manchester City over the weekend, was hauled off after just 36 minutes after a shocking personal display, which included a yellow card.

Thierry Doubai (Ivory Coast) played the full 90 minutes of the match and was excellent in midfield for Young Boys.

Mounir El Hamdaoui (Morocco) played 90 minutes for Ajax away at Dynamo Kyiv as the two sides drew 1-1.

Tough midfielder Eyong Enoh (Cameroon) also started the match for the visitors but was replaced in the 69th minute by Christian Eriksen.

Badr El Kaddouri (Morocco) came on as a second-half substitute for the home side but failed to make much of an impact.

Hapoel Tel Aviv goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama (Nigeria) scored the opening goal from the penalty spot as his Israeli club defeated Red Bull Salzburg 3-2 at the Red Bull Arena in Wals-Siezenheim.

Bevan Fransman (South Africa) also featured for the winning side but only for a few seconds as he came on as a 91st-minute substitute.

Rabiu Afolabi (Nigeria) and Ibrahim Sekagya (Uganda) both started the match for Red Bull Salzburg, with Sekagya captaining the team, while Louis Ngwat-Mahop (Cameroon) came on as a substitute in the second half.

 

Gilles Yapi (Ivory Coast), Samuel Inkoom (Ghana) and Jacques Zoua (Cameroon) all started for Basel as they defeated Sheriff Tiraspol 1-0 at St. Jakob-Park in Basel.

Fwayo Tembo (Zambia) came on as a second-half substitute for the home side, while

Benjamin Balima, Florent Rouamba (both Burkina Faso) and Amath Diedhiou (Senegal) all started for the away side but failed to make an impact.

Cheikhou Kouyaté (Senegal) played 90 minutes for Anderlecht as they claimed a 2-2 draw at Partizan.

Braga put in a fantastic performance as they defeated favourites Sevilla 1-0 at the Estádio Municipal de Braga.

Albert Meyong (Cameroon) was an unused substitute for the home side, while Didier Zokora (Ivory Coast) and Frédéric Kanouté (Mali) could do nothing to save their team from defeat.

The match between Werder Bremen and Sampdoria ended with the Germans winning 3-1 at home. There were no African stars on display in this encounter.

The second leg of all matches will be honoured next weak with all away teams playing at home this term.

 

FIF PRESIDENTS HINTS AT APPOINTMENT OF ZAHOUI AS ELEPHANTS COACH

Francois Zahoui is likely to be appointed the new coach of Ivory Coast on a permanent basis, according to Ivorian press reports on Thursday.

The former Nancy player, who currently manages Ivory Coast's youth teams, reportedly has the backing of the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) to succeed Swedish coach Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Eriksson presided over the Elephants' first round exit at the 2010 World Cup but stepped down afterwards over wage demands.

Zahoui took charge of Ivory Coast for their first post-World Cup game on August 10 and oversaw an impressive 1-0 friendly defeat of Italy in London.

"I saw some great play and my satisfaction will be sustained by this level," said FIF president Jacques Anouma.

"The environment, the quality and maturity of our players and our current political objectives could lead us to choose a local coach.

"Today the question is about Francois Zahoui. I admit he has the profile and a good understanding of global football. But we'll have to put the right organisational machinery at his disposal if the choice falls upon him."

The FIF were previously thought to be keen on a foreign mentor and were reportedly in 'very advanced' discussions with Frenchman Gerard Gili.

Gili assisted Henri Michel during his spell as Ivory Coast head coach and went on to lead the West Africans at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana.

Gili also coached the Ivorian under-23 side and helped them qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Despite his credentials, Gili recently told French sport daily L'Equipe that the top players in the Ivory Coast squad were opposed to his appointment and had expressed their reservations in a letter to the FIF.

Details

Published: 17 August 2010

NIANG MOVES TO FERNABAHCE

Senegal striker Mamadou Niang has signed for Turkish giants Fenerbahce from Marseille.
The 30-year-old captained Marseille to the French Ligue 1 title last season, and decided to end his five year association with the club by putting in a transfer request.
He played his final game for the side in the 3-2 defeat at Valenciennes at the weekend and will be sorely missed by Marseille, for whom he top-scored last season with 18 goals.
The saga of his pending departure had weighed heavily on the squad, coach Didier Deschamps says, and now they need to move on.
"The whole Mamadou affair has had negative consequences for the entire group," Deschamps said.
"Now we need positive news to reverse the trend. I really didn't believe we would have so much turbulence in the closed season but we need to face it."Details of his move to the Turkish powerhouse is however not immediately known but is believed he would sign a four year contract at the club.

 

EGUAVON READY TO TAKE UP NIGERIA'S UNDER 23 POST

Acting Super Eagles coach Augustin Eguavoen has accepted the offer to take over the  Nigerian under-23 team job.The former Nigeria coach, who has also served as an assistant on two occasions to Christian Chukwu and Lars Lagerback, on Tuesday told Brila FM that he is ready to take the job, contrary to widespread speculation that he was going to reject the offer since it seems like a demotion.He stressed that he knew before now that he was going to be the next U-23 coach, and also stated that he is prepared to meet the NFF officials on how to get started."It is football, it doesn't matter the category as long as it is football. Before now I knew I was going to take charge of the team and there is no problem at all. "What is left now is that when I return to Nigeria there is need to sit with the NFF to fashion out the way to get the right players who fall within the age bracket and give them the required exposure. "There is no problem at all, I am pleased with the job since it is the platform to groom the next set of senior players."Eguavon oversaw the Super Eagles 1-2 defeat to South Korea last week in an international friendly in his first assignment as temporary coach of the senior side.

CAMEROON NAMES CLEMENTE AS NEW COACH

Cameroon have confirmed the appointment of Javier Clemente as manager of the country's national football team in an announcement made on Tuesday. The four-time African champions had been without a full-time manager since Paul Le Guen resigned in June following a dismal World Cup campaign in South Africa.Spaniard Clemente would be in Cameroon on Aug. 28 to sign his contract, according to a statement from the sports ministry.The former Spain manager will be assisted by two former captains of the Indomitable Lions, Francois Omam Biyick and Jacques Songo'o.The new staff will lead the team in September against Mauritius in a qualifier for the 2012 AfricaNations Cup to be co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

Details

Published: 13 November 2009

... The race to represent Africa in 2010 at the Nations Cup in Angola and the World Cup in South Africa comes to a conclusion this weekend.

Ghana and Ivory Coast have already secured their places alongside hosts South Africa at the 2010 World Cup.

On Saturday Cameroon, Gabon, Tunisia, Nigeria, Algeria and Egypt have the chance to join them.

The final places at the African Cup of Nations in Angola will also be determined by the weekend's action.

Read more ...

Details

Published: 13 November 2009

 

CAMEROON NAMES CLEMENTE AS NEW COACH

Cameroon have confirmed the appointment of Javier Clemente as manager of the country's national football team in an announcement made on Tuesday.

The four-time African champions had been without a full-time manager since Paul Le Guen resigned in June following a dismal World Cup campaign in South Africa.

Spaniard Clemente would be in Cameroon on Aug. 28 to sign his contract, according to a statement from the sports ministry.

The former Spain manager will be assisted by two former captains of the Indomitable Lions, Francois Omam Biyick and Jacques Songo'o.

The new staff will lead the team in September against Mauritius in a qualifier for the 2012 AfricaNations Cup to be co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

 

NIANG MOVES TO FERNABAHCE

Senegal striker Mamadou Niang has signed for Turkish giants Fenerbahce from Marseille.
The 30-year-old captained Marseille to the French Ligue 1 title last season, and decided to end his five year association with the club by putting in a transfer request.
He played his final game for the side in the 3-2 defeat at Valenciennes at the weekend and will be sorely missed by Marseille, for whom he top-scored last season with 18 goals.
The saga of his pending departure had weighed heavily on the squad, coach Didier Deschamps says, and now they need to move on.
"The whole Mamadou affair has had negative consequences for the entire group," Deschamps said.
"Now we need positive news to reverse the trend. I really didn't believe we would have so much turbulence in the closed season but we need to face it."

Details of his move to the Turkish powerhouse is however not immediately known but is believed he would sign a four year contract at the club.

 

EGUAVON READY TO TAKE UP NIGERIA'S UNDER 23 POST

Acting Super Eagles coach Augustin Eguavoen has accepted the offer to take over the  Nigerian under-23 team job.

The former Nigeria coach, who has also served as an assistant on two occasions to Christian Chukwu and Lars Lagerback, on Tuesday told Brila FM that he is ready to take the job, contrary to widespread speculation that he was going to reject the offer since it seems like a demotion.

He stressed that he knew before now that he was going to be the next U-23 coach, and also stated that he is prepared to meet the NFF officials on how to get started.

"It is football, it doesn't matter the category as long as it is football. Before now I knew I was going to take charge of the team and there is no problem at all.

"What is left now is that when I return to Nigeria there is need to sit with the NFF to fashion out the way to get the right players who fall within the age bracket and give them the required exposure.

"There is no problem at all, I am pleased with the job since it is the platform to groom the next set of senior players."

Eguavon oversaw the Super Eagles 1-2 defeat to South Korea last week in an international friendly in his first assignment as temporary coach of the senior side.

 

 

Details

Published: 08 November 2009

... defeating Heartland of Nigeria 1-0 in Lubumbashi on Saturday.

The home side clinched their third continental title on away goals after losing the first leg 2-1 last week.

Heartland held out for 73 minutes before Cameroonian midfielder Narcisse Ekanga scored to bring the trophy back to copper-rich southern Congo.

Apart from the prize money of US$1.5m, Mazembe qualify for the end-of-year Fifa Club World Cup in the UAE with Spanish giants Barcelona among possible opponents.

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Published: 23 October 2008

On this week's round up we look at some of the action from the final round of games in the second phase of qualifying for the Nations Cup and World Cup, Wigan's Amr Zaki scores an anbsolute cracker against high-flying Liverpool, and Seb Blatter discusses South Africa's preperations for the World Cup

 

BLATTER ON SOUTH AFRICA 2010

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President of FIFA, Seb Blatter, talks to CNN about South Africa's prepartions for the 2010 World Cup.

 

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