Ike Uche Will Not Be Selected For World Cup

The national coach of the Nigerian football team - Super Eagles, Stephen Keshi, has revealed why he did not invite Ikechukwu Uche, the striker of the Spanish La Liga clubside FC Villarreal. Keshi said that the player is indisciplined and lacks tactical discipline.

Ikechukwu Uche, has been in superb form for his club - Villarreal and has scored 12 goals in this current season. He just came back on Monday from a two week injury.

Stephen Keshi, spoke with the MTNfootball from USA his base and told them that, ''Ikechukwu Uche is not a player I have not seen play. Ike Uche problem is not knowing how to play football.

Stephen Keshi

''His problem is that he wants to dictate how we play in Super Eagles, he wants to tell us the system we 're playing is not good,'' Keshi said.

''Uche has a very bad habit, that if you put him in the game, he is not playing to instructions and he did that in the final of AFCON against Burkina Faso, he almost cost us.'' Read also melvinsports.blogspot.com

''Again he did that against Zambia, in the second match when (Efe) Ambrose was given a red card. What we told him to do, he was doing the opposite,'' he added.

According to MTNfootball, Keshi said, ''And if you don't respect your team mates and you don't respect the team, then there is no point. I know he cannot do that in his club, then why do it in the national team? he asked.

Keshi said that he did not need such a player in his team. So he has effectively concluded, that he will not include Ike Uche in the team, that will go to the World Cup in Brazil in the summer, even if he is the highest goal scorer in the Spanish La Liga.

 It was reported in the media that the Nigeria football federation (NFF), had questioned him why he did not invite Ikechukwu to the team, that will play the friendly on the 5th March against Mexico in Atlanta, Georgia. He told the football body that the player is not disciplined.

Toure Escaped FA Ban

Yaya Toure (31), the Man City and Ivorian international midfielder has escaped FA ban for kicking the Norwich City striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel in the two clubs Premier League goaless encounter last weekend.

The referee of the match Jonathan Moss appeared not to have seen the incident and so took no action against Yaya Toure.

The FA rules empowered the body to take action in a serious incident that a referee over-looked.

For such inaction from a referee, the Football Association set up a three man panel of retired referees to judge cases.

 

Their must be a unanimous agreement of guilt between the judges before the FA can impose a punishment on an offending player.

After the incident the Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho, said to the media that, ''If the FA defends football, he (Toure) has to be suspended.''

The Portuguese tactician was then asked whether he will be upset if the FA took no action. He replied, ''Of course or it is the same for everybody else from now.''

''Every player feels that if the referee doesn't see, I can do it. It doesn't matter the cameras, it doesn't matter the consequences, because if the referee doesn't see, I can do it,'' Mourinho said.

The Norwich manager, Chris Hughton seem to agree with Mourinho, but was not sure if it merited a red card.

''There was certainly something but whether that was enough for a red card, then that is for the referee to decide on,'' he said.

Mourinho and many people will be disappointed, that Yaya Toure was not punished for kicking Ricky van Wolfswinkel, the way he did. Toure was very lucky, that the three judges did not agree unanimously, that he should be punished. One hopes that he has learnt a lesson from this incident.

Elderson Echiejile Joins FC Monaco

Elderson Echiejile (25), the former FC Sporting Braga and Nigeria international has just joined the high spending French Ligue 1 club Monaco.
The contract he signed will keep him at the club for four and half years.

Echiejiele who is not a strenger to the French Ligue 1, played for Rennes for three seasons before he moved to the Portuguese club - Sporting Braga.

After signing the contract, he said to the club's website. ''I am very happy and proud - Monaco is one of the best clubs in Europe.''

Elderson Echiejile (being presented to the media)

''They have a great reputation in Africa since George Weah played here.''
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He also mentioned that there were fellow Nigerians who had played for the club ...''great Nigerian players who have worn the Monaco jersey, like Lukman Haruna and Victor Ikpeba.''

Elderson promised to do his best to help the club succeed in their quest.

Two of the players he mentioned won the African footballer of the year. In the case of George Weah, he not only won the African footballer of the year three times, but he happened to be the only African footballer, that had won Fifa footballer of the year. Victor Ikpeba won the African footballer of the year in 1997.

CAF: African Footballer Of The Year Award

The mercurial and tantalizing Man City midfielder and Ivory Coast international, Yaha Toure (31), has just been crowned the 2013 African footballer of the year, for the third successive year.

John Mikel Obi (26), of Chelsea and Nigeria international came second while his former team-mate Didier Drogba (35) who now plays for Galatasaray and Ivory Coast and has won the award twice before came third.

The African based player of the year award was won by Mohamed Aboutrika (35) of Al Ahly of Egypt.




Coach Stephen Keshi

Kelechi Iheanacho (17), of Nigeria who won last November Fifa Under 17 World Cup with the Nigerian Golden Eaglets and was the MVP of the tournament, won the CAF most promising young talent award.

The African Coach of the year was won by the Nigeria's Super Eagles coach, Stephen Okechukwu keshi.
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The national team of the year was won by the Nigeria football team, - the Super Eagles who triumphed at last year's African Cup of Nations.

Also the national youth team of the year went to Nigeria's victorious Golden Eaglets, who set a new FIFA Under 17 World Cup record, by being the only country in the world, that has won the tournament four times.

The African club of the year went to Al Ahly of Egypt who won the champions league for the 8th time.

Jordan Ayew Goes On Loan To Sochaux

Jordan Ayew (22), the Olympique Marseille and Ghanian international midfielder, has just joined FC Sochaux on loan, for the rest of the season.
Sochaux is currently at the bottom part of the Ligue 1 table.

The player is very unhappy at Marseille, because he is not getting enough play time, except play mostly as a substitute. He has decided to go on a loan so that he can get enough quality play time, to improve his chances of going to the World Cup with Ghana.

Jordan's senior brother Andre is also playing for Marseille, though he is currently injured. He had knee operation last month, from the injury he sustained during Ghana's last match against Egypt, in Cairo for the World Cup qualification.

Jordan Ayew is one of the playing sons of Ghana football legend, Abdi Pele Ayew, who also played for Olympique Marseille.
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Abdi Pele's other son Abdul Rahim Ayew (25), who used to play in Belgium for FC Lierse recently moved back to Ghana and joined the top team there - Asante Kotoko.

Kanu Christmas Gifts To Four Children

The former skipper of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, Nwankwo Kanu, has given four families a wonderful christmas gifts and brought great joy in their homes, when he sponsored the surgeries of four children with heart defects to India.

The highly gifted and skillful former striker made announcement, that his heart foundation - (The Kanu Heart Foundation) has sent four kids with heart defects to India for surgeries and asked everyone to join in prayers for successful operations.

''We send four people to India as a christmas gift from Kanu Heart Foundation, please let everyone pray for them for successful operation. They left on the 26th December,'' Kanu said.

Nwankwo Kanu

Nwankwo Kanu himself had heart operation in 1996 in USA, to correct a heart defect after he had played a major role in helping Nigeria, that same year to win Olympic gold in Atlanta.
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After his operation which enabled him to continue his amazing football career, he established the heart foundation to help less priviledged children with heart defects.

Since then he has been sending children with heart problems to heart specialist hospitals for surgeries. According to media report, apart from sending children to hospitals, he has the goal to build five specialist heart hospitals in Africa.

Emenike Booed At His Old Club

The Fenerbahce and Nigeria international powerful striker, Emmanuel Emenike, was booed and jeered as Fenerbahce played an away match, against his former club - Karabukspor in a league encounter at the weekend.

Fans of Karabukspor booed Emenike each time he was with the ball. His side lost the game 2 - 1 to the host club.

Emenike's Super Eagles team-mate, Joseph Akpala scored the opener for the home team while Emenike equalised 1 - 1 for the visitors.

Emmanuel Emenike  (during the 2013 ACN)
 

After the match, Emenike was very disappointed with what happened in the stadium, and he made it known how he felt.

According to fanatik.com.tr, he said, ''I did not deserve this behaviour, because that city is one of the places that holds the biggest joy for me. I expected them to show me some understanding.''

''I am a professional footballer, currently I am wearing the shirt of Fenerbahce and so I must fight for my team to win, that is the normal thing,'' he said.

''We went there to win, but that did not happen. It was a nice feeling to play against my old team. The result did not reflect what we wanted in the match. We have good team and want to show that on the field,'' he added.
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