Tunde Folawiyo

The assistant director of communications at the NFA, Ademola Olajire, has announced that the Super Eagles’ final training session will begin on the 26th of May; he explained that although they would prefer to prepare a little earlier, this was not possible, as most of the players will be busy with their own clubs’ matches up until midway through the month, and will then need a rest before they start focusing on the tournament. Olajire added that, as the World Cup draws nearer, the competition for places in the squad is becoming more and more intense, with dozens of players hoping to impress Keshi and secure a place on the team.

The coach has stated that he intends to have a 35-man, rather than a 30-man squad; this might come as a surprise to Tunde Folawiyo, and other Eagles’ fans. Whilst it’s good news for those who wish to join the team for the tournament, it is a decision which Keshi will need to justify to the NFF’s technical committee. He is due to meet with them, and present his case this coming week in Abuja; however, Chris Green, who serves as the chairman of this committee, has assured the public that they will not be asking Keshi to explain the inclusion of each individual player, but will merely be requesting that he discuss his decision to create a larger-than-average squad.

Sports fanatics like Tunde Folawiyo might be aware Keshi is considering bringing Peter Osaze Odemwingie on board. As of late, this player has been performed exceptionally well with Stoke City, and it seems entirely possible that Keshi will select him for the final squad. However, when asked about this, Keshi remained rather tight-lipped; speaking to the press, he explained that although he was pleased that Odemwingie had been scoring goals for his English club, this would not guarantee him a place on the Eagles team at the World Cup. He went on to say that he would not invite any players that could potentially disrupt the sense of unity which the team currently has.

Whilst the coach has yet to reveal his decision regarding this particular player, the public have already made it clear that they wholeheartedly support Odemwingie’s return to the Eagles; a survey conducted by Goal Nigeria showed that 86% of their readers would be happy to see him join the squad for the upcoming tournament.

With a rich team history dating back to 1949, the Nigeria National Football Team, – nicknamed the Super Eagles have accomplished many fetes of distinction, solidifying their place as one of Africa’s most popular teams. As 3-time Africa Cup of Nations champions, the Super Eagles continue to inspire millions of fans such as Tunde Folawiyo and countless others throughout the world. Among their many revered accomplishments, the Super Eagles once ranked 5th in the FIFA World Rankings in 1994 – the highest ranking in history for an African football team. Whilst the love of their fans and their passion for the game drove the Super Eagles to success on the field, the talents of famed players such as Rawshidi Yekini will never be forgotten.

Born 23 October 1963, in Kaduna, Rashidi Yekini moved to Côte d’Ivoire to play for Africa Sports National after beginning his career in the Nigerian league. He experienced his most memorable years while playing for Portugal and Victoria de Setubal, eventually becoming the first division’s top scorer with 21 goals. His career best, 34 goals in 32 games, earned him the title of African Footballer of the Year in 1993, the nation’s first ever. Whilst he played for a variety of teams during his career, his contributions to the Super Eagles are immeasurable. He was part of the team that participated in the 1994 World Cup, winning 3-0 against Bulgaria, as well as a participant in the 1998 FIFA World Cups and the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

As a Nigerian international, Yekini represented the nation in five major tournaments. His record breaking 37 goals in only 70 appearances is a record for the Super Eagles that still stands today. After years of transfers, he returned to the Nigerian championship with Julius Berger FC in 2003 at age of 39 and two years later, made a short comeback with Gateway United FC. Years after his retirement, Yekini fell ill and ultimately passed away in Ibadan on 4 May 2012. He was 48 years old. Whilst his life was cut short, the memories of his outstanding talent live on. As one of Nigeria’s most revered football players, Yekini’s story will continue to inspire football fans and sports fans alike. Armed with the everlasting support of Super Eagles fans like Tunde Folawiyo and millions of others throughout the continent and beyond, the team will continue to showcase their immense talent to the masses, striving for greatness on the field and off.

Whilst Stephen Keshi might be a favourite amongst Super Eagles’ fans, the Nigeria Football Federation has expressed its frustration regarding the coach’s behaviour over the past two months or so, and are now asking that he explain himself. Sports fanatics like Tunde Folawiyo may have heard that the NFF is unhappy with Keshi not requesting permission before he decided to attend a media function, rather than going to the scheduled meeting with the NFF’s technical committee a few weeks ago. In addition to this, they have asked him to justify his recent trip to the USA last year, which resulted in him missing the event hosted for the Eagles by President Goodluck Jonathan.(1)

Although Keshi is required to send in a formal response to this complaint, this is probably the least of his concerns right now; with the World Cup drawing closer, he is undoubtedly more worried about preparing the team, and ensuring that they perform at their best when the time comes. Eagles fans such as Tunde Folawiyo may be aware that Vincent Enyeama, the Eagles’ goalkeeper, has stated that he has some doubts about how well they will fare against Iran and the other teams that they will be facing in Group F. He warned the rest of his teammates not to underestimate their opponents who, he argues, are just as determined to progress to the next stage.

Henry Nwosu, on the other hand, seems very confident regarding the Eagles’ abilities, and has said that he believes players like Emmanuel Emenike and Victor Moses will help to guide the team towards victory. Speaking to a journalist at the Tom-Tom event in Lagos last week, he described Emenike as ‘fantastic’, and said that his quick-footedness would make life very difficult for opposing teams.

Regardless of how things turn out, the Eagles will have a great deal of support; Dr. Rauf Ladipo, who serves as the President of the Nigeria Football Supporters club, has indicated that there will be at least 10,000 fans travelling to Brazil to cheer them on. Like Nwosu, Ladipo hinted at this whilst speaking to the press at the aforementioned Tom-Tom evening. He stated that he had spent 11 days travelling around the major cities of Brazil, encouraging Nigerian football fans to attend the upcoming matches.

With a rich team history spanning over 70 years, Nigeria’s football team holds a vibrant, loyal fan base of millions, including Nigerian Tunde Folawiyo. Controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation, the Nigerian national football team (NFF) – nicknamed the Super Eagles – has won many distinctions in their history as a franchise. The Super Eagles won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, a title they’ve won 3 times in their history, demonstrating the team’s immense talent on the field.

In order to gain a better understanding of the Super Eagles, it’s important to understand the history of the Nigeria Football Federation. Football was first introduced in Nigeria by a group of British colonists in 1914. Baron Mulford, a Briton, began organising weekly football matches between the youths of his country and those of Nigeria in an area now known as Lagos. Nearly three decades later, Dr. Nnammdi Azikiwe – who later became one of the founding fathers of independent Nigeria and the first President of the Republic – suggested a governing body to regulate football in Nigeria. An active sportsman and noted sports enthusiast, Azikiwe’s idea came to fruition in 1945 with the help of many others including Mr. R. G. Marshal, Chief Etun Bassey, Dr. Isaac Ladipo, Baron Mulford and Mr. D. H. Holley.

Founded in 1949, Nigeria’s first official football team travelled to the UK to compete in a series of friendly matches. Though these were played barefoot, Nigeria commanded attention with their play, drawing in record attendance at some matches. The team’s first international match took place on October 8 of that year. In 1959, the NFA became affiliated to CAF and one year later, to world body FIFA. The country was invited to play in a qualifying series for the FIFA World Cup finals a short time later. After flag independence in 1960, Nigeria football’s governing body was transferred to the Nigerians where Mr. Godrey Amachree became the NFA’s first Nigerian chairman.

On April 24, 1959, the NFA became affiliated to the continental body CAF, and the following year, to the world body, FIFA. Three months later, the country was invited for the first time, to participate in the qualifying series for the FIFA World Cup finals. This was for the 1962 finals staged in Chile. After flag independence in 1960, the administration of Nigeria football fell on the shoulders of Nigerians, with Mr. Godfrey Amachree becoming the first Nigerian Chairman of the NFA. With the rich history of the Nigerian Football Federation at the forefront of its success, the Super Eagles will continue to reply on player talent and a devoted fan base including Tunde Folawiyo in order to accomplish further triumphs on the field.

With just a couple of months left until the World Cup begins, the excitement surrounding Nigeria’s participation in this tournament is palpable. However, there are some concerns which supporters such as Tunde Folawiyo probably want addressed.

For instance, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the sports chairman and minster for the National Sports Commission, was removed from his post last week, after having served in this position for just under three years. The reasons for his dismissal are unclear, and members of the press have asked whether this person’s removal from the organisation, so close to the World Cup, will cause problems for the team.

But Oyuki Obaseki, the former chairman of the NPL (Nigeria Premier League) has assured questioners that there is no reason to be alarmed by the sudden departure of Abdullahi, and that in fact, it is a ‘welcome development’, which would not have any impact on the Eagles’ preparations for the upcoming tournament.

Aminu Maigari, the NFF chairman did not mention Abdullahi in his recent statement to the press; he did however, address the worry that the squad chosen by Keshi for the World Cup would be too inexperienced. He noted that having a group of young players would actually work to their advantage, rather than hinder their chances of winning. Keshi himself promised that he would only offer positions to players based on their overall skill levels and technical ability, and would not be inviting anyone simply because they play for a prestigious club.

Maigari also spoke optimistically about Nigeria’s participation in the World Cup, stating that the team would make the continent proud, and that they would show football fans that the standard of skills amongst African football teams has improved tremendously over the past couple of years.

As an Eagles’ fan, Tunde Folawiyo is most likely aware that Keshi has not released the names of his squad, but this may be because he has not yet finalised the list. After all, the players do have one more opportunity to impress him, during the upcoming friendly against Scotland. This is to be held on the 28th of May in Craven Cottage. During a press conference, Keshi said that he and the team were ready for the match, and that they were ‘delighted’ to have the chance to play against Scotland. He finished by saying that he hoped plenty of Nigerians around London would make the effort to support their national team, as this will be the final game the Eagles will play before they are sent off to Brazil.

Fans of the Super Eagles, like Tunde Folawiyo, will probably be aware that there has been quite a bit of controversy surrounding the team’s jerseys for the World Cup. They were unveiled a fortnight ago by the Nigeria Football Federation; designed by Adidas, they feature three colour combinations – orange and black, green and yellow, as well as green, white and yellow. Aminu Maigari, who serves as the chairman of the NFF, explained that they had chosen these colours in order to ‘strike a balance’ between innovation and tradition.

Idris Adama, who works as the Director of Marketing at the Nigeria Football Federation, was quick to acknowledge the fact that the particular shade of green chosen for these new sets of jerseys is quite different to the shade normally worn by Nigeria’s national football players. Speaking to the press, Adama stated that the lighter and more vibrant green mirrors the youthfulness and energy of the Super Eagles.

Another official also offered his opinion on the jerseys; Gbenga Elegbeleye, the NSC’s Director General, said that Super Eagles have performed particularly well as of late, and their uniform should be rebranded to reflect this. He went on to say that he believed the jerseys would bring the players better luck on the pitch.

But some were not quite so positive about the introduction of these new uniforms. Tunde Folawiyo, and others who follow this team, might know that the Committee on Sports (from the House of Representatives) has objected to the particular shade of green used; Godfrey Ali Gaiya, the chairman, argued that this colour is not the shade normally used to represent Nigeria.

Gaiya has also implied that the colour was chosen for dubious reasons; in a public statement, he contended that it bears a more than a passing resemblance to the shade used by Globacom, a large telecommunications company which sponsors the Super Eagles. Gaiya suggested that perhaps this sponsor had an unfair influence on the type of green which was selected. But the NFA’s Secretary General, Musa Amadu, has vehemently denied these accusations, saying that the colours are very different to those used by Globacom. Nevertheless, the Committee on Sports has said that it will consider carrying out an investigation into this matter.

Nigeria’s friendly against Mexico at the Georgia Dome was a highly anticipated match, which ended with a draw of 0-0. The Super Eagles appeared to be the superior team at first glance, getting off to a strong start when Ahmed Musa was afforded a free kick just three minutes into the match. However, Musa failed to score, and this, coupled with Victor Moses’ penalty claim being denied five minutes later, probably dampened the hopes of the Eagles’ fans like Tunde Folawiyo.

Another attempt was made by Emmanuel Emenike a few minutes later, but Ochoa, Mexico’s goalkeeper, managed to catch the ball at the last second. Not long after this, the Mexican also successfully thwarted Ogenyi Onazi’s shot.

The flurry of attacks by the Super Eagles only seemed to spur on their opponents, and as the first half progressed, Mexico began to gain the upper hand, retaining possession of the ball and taking one shot after another at Nigeria’s net. The Eagles’ keeper Enyeama performed a number of skilful saves however, thus ensuring that despite their best efforts, Mexico did not take the lead.

They did however come very close to scoring in the 23rd minute, when Hector Herrara delivered a powerful shot; unfortunately for Mexican fans, the angle of Herrara’s kick was not quite straight, and it went just over the net. Minutes later, Rafael Marquez made a similar attempt, but Enyeama once again came to the Eagles’ rescue, diving to the corner just before the ball made contact with the goal. Towards the end of the first half, Musa was given an opportunity to score, but whilst he did slip past Mexico’s defenders, he couldn’t manage to get the ball beyond Ochoa’s reach.

During the interval, Keshi chose to make a number of substitutions, and as the second half commenced, Leon Balogun, Ramon Azeez and Austin Ejide all made their way onto the pitch. But these changes had little effect on the match; although Azeez did make a valiant effort to score during the 67th minute, his shot went just wide of the net.

The match ended with neither side having scored; whilst some Eagles’ supporters, such as Tunde Folawiyo, may have been disappointed by this result, Austin Egueavon, the team’s former coach, described the team’s performance as ‘impressive’, although he did criticise the players who had been unsuccessful in their attempts to convert their scoring opportunities. He attributed these failures to a lack of support in midfield.

Supporters of Nigeria have been eagerly awaiting the team’s upcoming match against Mexico, which is to be held in the Georgia Dome of Atlanta. Over 40,000 tickets have already been sold, including 85% of the tickets for the lower seating section. Further sales are expected on the day of the match itself, as sporting events at the Dome tend to attract a considerable number of ‘walk-ins’, i.e. fans that simply purchase their tickets upon arrival at the venue.

Daniel Amokachi, who serves as the assistant coach of the Super Eagles, spoke to the press about the match. Like Keshi, he implied that the performance of the players during this event would determine whether or not they are included in the squad for the World Cup. This will be the last free window for the team before the tournament begins in June, meaning that this is the players’ final opportunity to show off their skills before the squad is selected.

Keshi has called up a number of uncapped players, presumably so that he can see whether or not they might be suitable choices for the World Cup. Ramon Azeez, Michael Uchebo and Imoh Ezekiel have been chosen, along with Juwon Oshaniwa and Joseph Yobo. In addition to this, Keshi has picked four domestic league players.

For those with an interest in football, like Tunde Folawiyo, these choices should come as no surprise; all of these players have, over the past year or so, proven themselves to be exceptionally talented. For instance, Ezekiel has scored a total of eight goals this season in Belgium, and was offered a place at the FIFA U20 World Cup last year, Uchebo has netted five goals, and Azeez has made 18 appearances with La Liga over the past few months.

Amokachi also shared his thoughts on Nigeria’s chances of winning the World Cup. He stated that it would be difficult to predict the outcome of the tournament, and that in the past, the team have never managed to get past the quarterfinals. However, he went on to say that the current players are some of the best the club has ever had, and so he believes it’s entirely possible that they will go further this time round. Tunde Folawiyo, and other fans who know how well the team has performed over the past year or so, are likely to hold similarly optimistic views.