Eagles and NFF recent happenings

Austin Jay Jay Okocha

Former Super Eagles’ captain Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha has finally accepted to work with the Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation.

Okocha, who captained Nigeria at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan, was appointed member of the influential technical committee but was not at the committee’s inauguration and has not shown up at any of its meetings.
But on Tuesday, NFF President Aminu Maigari received a letter from the former midfield maestro explaining that he had indeed decided to participate fully in the affairs of the technical committee and was grateful for the opportunity to serve.
Okocha is the only Nigerian to have played at three World Cup finals (1994, 1998 and 2002) and was named the Most Valuable Player and Top Scorer of the 2004 African Cup of Nations in Tunisia. He also won the BBC African Footballer of the Year 2004.

EAGLES END 2010 32ND BEST

Super Eagles of Nigeria

 Siasia’s Men End 2010 As 4th Best In Africa

Nigeria’s Super Eagles moved one place up in the latest FIFA/Coca Cola World ranking released on Wednesday to end the year as the 32nd best team in the world in 2010.

Samson Siasia’s team were ranked 33rd in last month’s ranking but earned 14 more points which saw them making the improvement, and now amassing 725 points.

Nigeria however still remain Africa’s fourth best national side behind continental champions, Egypt; 2010 World Cup quarter finalists, Ghana and Cote d’ Ivoire who are currently ranked 9th, 16th and 21st respectively.

The Desert of Warriors of Algeria make up Africa’s Top 5 while Cameroun, Gabon, Burkina Faso, Tunisia and Guinea complete the list of Africa’s 10 best national teams.

World Champions, Spain who have been on top of the table for about two years now, finish the year 2010 as the world’s best team followed by losing finalists at the 2010 World Cup, Holland who emerged as the Best Mover of the Year.

Germany who were bronze medallists at this year’s summer World Cup in South Africa disposed Brazil in third place. Brazil, Argentina, England, Uruguay, Portugal, Egypt and Croatia finished the year as the top 10 teams in the world.

According to additional information from FIFA’s website, a comparison with the continental composition of the top 50 in December 2009 reveals that UEFA (29, plus 2), the AFC (3, plus 1) and CAF (10, plus 1) have increased their representation in the top 50 at the expense of CONMEBOL  (6, minus 2) and CONCACAF (2, minus 2).

The top-ranked teams from each of the Confederations are Spain (1st, unchanged), Brazil (4th, down 1), Egypt (9th, up 1), the USA (18th, up 6), Australia (26th, down 6) and New Zealand (63rd, down 4).

The next FIFA/Coca Cola World ranking will be released on 12 January, 2011.

TOP TEN  AFRICA
1) Egypt ( 9th)
2) Ghana ( 16th)
3) Ivory Coast (21st)
4) Nigeria (32nd)
5) Algeria (35th)
6) Cameroon (37th)
7) Gabon (39th)
Burkina Faso (41st)
9) Tunisia (45th)
10) Guinea (46th)

SIASIA STORMS STAMFORD BRIDGE TO WATCH MIKEL

  

Eagles Coach Jets Out Tonight    Gets Official Car, December Salary Next Week

FOOTBALL:
Super Eagles’ Head Coach, Samson Siasia will jet out tonight to England to meet some of Nigeria’s international players and sell to them his vision for building a formidable team out of the ruins of a dismal outing at summer’s FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa.

The 43 –year old ‘People’s Choice’ had the trip moved a few days as the Nigeria Football Federation was determined to leave no stone unturned to ensure all arrangements were in place for a successful tour.

Siasia is scheduled to see Sunday’s English Premiership classic between champions Chelsea FC and leaders Manchester United at Stamford Bridge in south west London.

This much the coach confirmed on Twitter thus:”I am going to watch Chelsea and Manchester United this weekend. Will speak to the boys in UK, too,” Siasia posted on his Twitter account.

He will hold talks with Super Eagles’ 1994 World Cup team mate Mike Emenalo, now Chelsea’s assistant coach, as well as midfielder John Mikel Obi, his star player at the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup in the Netherlands. Siasia is also billed to meet Osaze Odemwingie, Obinna Nsofor, John Utaka, Yakubu Aiyegbeni and Victor Anichebe before flying out to Turkey.

Meanwhile Siasia’s first month wages are expected to be ready by next week,reports kickoffnigeria quoting a top official of the NFF.

And his official car, a 2010 Ford Taurus is expected to be ready for him before he departs for Europe this Friday.

Paying coaches wages have become a difficult problem for the NFF, with previous indigenous coaches owed for months, and sometimes years.

“We are sourcing the money and we are confident that it will be ready next week, even though we still have up till the end of the month to pay,” an official told KickOffNigeria.com

 

UEFA Champions League Seven previous winners and three debutants are among the sides in the hat for Friday‘s eagerly-awaited UEFA Champions League last 16 knock-out stage draw in Switzerland. The teams that have made it through the first round group stage will be divided into two pots - group winners and group runners-up – in the draw at UEFA‘s headquarters in Nyon. Clubs from the same group, or from the same country, cannot meet. Holders Inter Milan, who were pipped to first place in Group A by Champions League newcomers Tottenham, could face a trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United, or Chelsea. Spurs, as reward for topping their table, will avoid the likes of Barcelona, nine-time winners Real Madrid, or Bayern Munich, with Danish outfit FC Copenhagen or Valencia among the sides they could be drawn against. Arsenal, runners-up in their group to Shakhter Donetsk, could be pitted against Barcelona, who knocked the Gunners out at the quarterfinal stage last season. ”Let‘s be realistic, Barcelona are the super favourite at the moment,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger reflected. ”But we take what we get and if it is Barcelona, it is Barcelona. ”In the last 16 it becomes a different competition, a cup competition and that means for 180 minutes you have to be at your top.” For his part Didier Deschamps, manager of Group F runners-up Marseille, commented: ”I would like to avoid Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United or Bayern Munich. ”These sides have major match experience. At the moment those who are really strong are the Spanish. Manchester United will be even more performing in February than they are now, and Bayern will be better than they are now once they get back (Arjen) Robben.” The eight seeded group winners will be away for the first legs and at home for the return legs.