Jonathan hails Nigeria's qualification for World Cup finals

President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday congratulated the Super Eagles on their 2-0 victory over Ethiopia in Calabar, which earned Nigeria a slot at the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil.
The president’s congratulatory message is conveyed via a statement issued by his special adviser on media and publicity, Dr Reuben Abati.
The statement said that Jonathan joined other Nigerians in applauding the Super Eagles' determined performance against the Ethiopians.
It said that the president also commended the team’s performance in all the preceding qualifying matches.
It said that Jonathan also lauded the consistent commitment and dedication of the Super Eagles to building on their victory at the African Nations Cup by qualifying for the World Cup Finals and bringing further glory to their fatherland.
The statement said that the president urged the players and their handlers to rededicate themselves to excelling on the global stage, while reaching for greater heights at the World Cup Finals.
It said that Jonathan noted that with more hard work, dedication, resilience and further honing of their skills and tactics, the team could fulfil the nation’s dream of being the first African country to win the World Cup.
The statement said that the president assured the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Super Eagles of the full support of the Federal Government and all Nigerians in their quest to win the World Cup in Brazil.

Nigeria vs Italy kicks off 8:30 pm

The international friendly game between the Super Eagles and Italy will kick off at 8:30.
The match will be played at the Craven Cottage stadium, home ground of Fulham FC in England.
A total of 24 Super Eagles players traveled to London on Sunday, with Obinna Nsofor ruled out due to injury he picked up after scoring Nigeria’s second goal in a 2-0 victory over Ethiopia on Saturday.
Nigeria defeated Ethiopia 4-1 on aggregate to book a fifth World Cup spot.
Italy played a 1-1 draw with Germany in a friendly last Friday.

Brazil will win the World Cup - Scolari

Coach of the Brazilian national team Felipe Luis Scolari is confident that they would do well at next year's FIFA World Cup tournament.
There is huge pressure on Brazil to win the competition on home soil,more especially after whetting the appetite of their expectant fans with the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup win.
Speaking after seeing Brazil pound Honduras 5-0 over the weekend,Scolari said that there is no pressure on his players to deliver the World Cup at home,confidently stating that they would win the tournament.
“There is no pressure on Brazil to be world champions. Brazil will be champions,” he said.
Scolari was previously quoted to have said that if he didn't think Brazil could win the World Cup,he “would stay at home on the couch.”
Giving some new players a run in the team,Brazil witnessed five different goalscorers in their routing of Honduras,with Chelsea's Willian scoring his first international goal for the Selecao.
“5-0 does not tell the story of the match,” he said.
“With the way we played, it could have been 2-0 or 3-0. The goals arrived because we exploited some (attacking situations).
“With the level that we have in the squad and the productivity displayed this evening, the result was good. We saw what we wanted to from the players.”

We were nervous against Ethiopia - Keshi admits

Having seen his side qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup,Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi said that his team were nervous in the 2-0 win that secured qualification over Ethiopia.

Nigeria found the back of the net from two set-pieces,first scoring from the penalty spot through Victor Moses in the first half,and the second goal gotten from a free-kick by Obinna Nsofor with ten minutes to the end of the game.

Keshi admitted that they did not light up the whole place with electric performances as the players were too nervous before the game.

"The first thing was to make sure we qualified," the 51-year-old was quoted as saying by Kickoff Nigeria.

"In today's game I don't mind that we played badly as long as we qualified. We have other games where we can play beautiful football" he noted.

"There was a lot of anxiety around the players. I had to calm them down and make sure their state of mind was intact, but I knew it was going to be a little difficult for them to focus.

"I remember the same thing happened to us in Algeria in 1993 with players not being able to eat because they were so anxious. We had to try to make sure we got them to calm down a bit."

Keshi said that they gave the game their all to make sure they are in Brazil.

"It was a very big battle," Keshi said.

"And that's why I thank the players, because a lot of sacrifices went into this. Whatever came out today, as long as we qualify, and our flag is flying in Brazil, I will take it."

The Super Eagles have already begun preparations for the game,and tomorrow in London play an international friendly against Italy,who themselves have equally qualified for the World Cup.

Super Eagles can win next year's World Cup - Vincent Enyeama

Super Eagles goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama is confident that Nigeria will do well at the 2014 FIFA World Cup,adding that they can win the trophy.

Nigeria defeated Ethiopia 2-0 on Saturday,to pick one of the five tickets from Africa for the tournament.

The Lille FC goalkeeper believes that they are not going to the competition to make up the numbers,adding that they can actually be crowned champions after the tournament.

“(Are we going) to make an impression at the World Cup? No, we can actually win it,” the goalkeeper told BBC Sport.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Nigeria win the World Cup one day – maybe with me. It’s just a matter of time and moment. Everything is possible. Impossible is nothing.”

The former Enyimba safe hands,is refusing to be drawn into statistics with Nigeria winning its last World Cup game in 1998 against Bulgaria,when Victor Ikpeba's solitary goal gave the Super Eagles a 1-0 victory.

Bad dream for Mexico – Iheanacho

Many have dubbed today’s match a revenge mission. Others, too, have called it a match to prove one’s superiority over another. Depending on which divide you are, it appears to be the truth.
Defending champions, Mexico have recovered from the pangs of that 6-1 humiliation in the hands of the Golden Eaglets to play in today’s final, beating notable teams like Brazil and Argentina before squaring up against the Nigerian goal-machines.
But one Eaglet who also shot himself into reckoning with the Mexico match is Kelechi Iheanacho who told them that they were nursing a bad dream in their revenge mission today. Iheanacho scored four out of the six goals and today stands tall as one of the contenders for the hotshot award.
“I’m sure they won’t feel great about that first result.They’ll want to put pressure on us and we’ll have to be careful. We’ll respect them, but it’s hard to go against us when we’re playing our good football”, he said.

TWO CAPTAINS, ONE TROPHY — Captains, Musa Muhammed of Nigeria and Ulises Rivas of Mexico

Football is good at offering second chances, but Iheanacho – near the top of the scorer’s charts with five of Nigeria’s 23 goals – has bad news for the revived Mexicans. “We’ve got better since that opener. We’ve become closer and we’re going to chase them all over the field; we’re going to press them with our attackers and we won’t rest. We’ll go at them for 90 minutes until we’re sure the trophy is ours’’, he said with a note of certainty.
Asked about the army of supporters club led by Dr Rafiu Ladipo who have provided moving songs for them, he shyly smiled and said; “They give us courage,” Iheanacho said of the Nigerian fans who’ve offered the tournament colour and swagger, their trumpets blaring for all of the Eaglets’ matches. But you can’t play for the gallery, you have to play for your team-mates.
But they do give us confidence and they cheer us up so that we can play in the right way,” he went on about the supporters who’ve sparked the venues of this Arab country with flashes of Lagos and Abuja.
“We have to work as a team, play as a team,” he added, knowing fully well he and his mates have offered as harmonious a brand of football as any before at this age level. “This is how you win matches.” It is indeed, and with talents like Musa Yahaya, Taiwo Awoniyi and Abdullahi Alfa alongside Iheanacho, rest may not come easy for Mexico’s defenders starting from 5pm(Nigerian time)

We’ll swoop on Sweden – Eaglets

Golden Eaglets have promised Nigerians a goals feast in today’s FIFA U-17 World Cup semifinal match with Sweden at Rashid Stadium, Dubai.
Eaglets have scored 20 goals in five matches, the most by any team in the tournament holding in the United Arab Emirates and as they gear up for another match with the Swedes, who they   held to a 3-3 thrilling draw at the Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain, the
Nigerians, who could only manage to score twice in Saturday’s quarter final win against Uruguay, say goals will come aplenty against the Scandinavians.

Players of Nigeria pose for a team photo prior to the FIFA U-17 World Cup UAE 2013 Quarter Final match between Uruguay and Nigeria at Sharjah Stadium on November 2, 2013 in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

“I am confident the team will score many goals against Sweden”, said midfielder Akinjide Idowu, ruled out of today’s game because of two yellow cards. “Even though I am not going to play, I am very confident that the other players will do well.
Sweden are good but we want this win more and are ready to go the extra mile to achieve our target”,added Idowu at the pre-match conference.
Also speaking, Coach Manu Garba said the match will be played with all seriousness, noting that “we can’t afford to go back to Nigeria empty handed without the cup. These boys will win tomorrow (today) and go on to win the Cup.
It’s the Cup or nothing for us. The game will be tight but the players are ready to score many goals against Sweden.
“I repeat that it is the Cup or nothing for us. We have come a long way and can’t afford to lose now. We will beat Sweden”, added Garba, who conceded that Sweden are good in the air.
“They have tall players, which make them good with aerial balls but I have the antidote to cut off their crosses”