Eagles crisis: More big boys to join Emenike

Eagles crisis: More big boys to join Emenike

By Our Reporter  on October 21, 2015   Sports
• As home Eagles get new date
By JOE APU
Super Eagles crisis seems to be deepening by the day with the team’s striker, Emmanuel Emenike calling it quits.
 His retirement from Super Eagles may not be the last, as some other big boys may also be on their way out of the team. Emenike’s retirement might not be unconnected with the drama that followed Vincent Enyeama’s retirement from the national team in Belgium when the Super Eagles were involved with two international friendly matches against Congo DR and Cameroon.
 Other players who are on the line up to follow suit include Mikel Obi who rejected the captain’s armband when it was stripped off Enyeama before it was handed over to Ahmed Musa as well as Victor Moses and Godfrey Oboabona.
 The fear of the players might not be unconnected with the alleged high handedness that Coach Sunday Oliseh introduced to the team in his rebuilding process.
 Emmanuel Emenike had on Monday night revealed on Instagram that he was calling time on his five-year career for the African heavyweights, telling fans he was “no longer a Super Eagles player”.
“It has always been my pleasure to play and win for the team,” he wrote. “I am always proud of my successful years in the team and I am pleased to call it off at this point in order to avoid insults.”
Emenike, who plays his club football for Al Ain of Dubai, is the second player to announce his retirement from Nigeria’s senior squad this month. Lille goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama – Nigeria’s most-capped player – said he was calling it quits after a much publicised row with coach Sunday Oliseh.
 Oliseh was reportedly considering leaving out Emenike for next month’s FIFA World Cup qualifier against Swaziland because he had not scored at international level for two years. The former Spartak Moscow player, at Al Ain on loan from Turkish side Fenerbahce, had, however, featured in the first four matches since Oliseh took over from Steven Keshi.
 Meanwhile, the Federation Burkinabe de Foot-Ball, Burkina Faso’s football governing body, has moved the 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) final qualifying match between the Super Eagles and the Etalons from Saturday to Sunday.
The Nigeria Football Federation received correspondence from the FBF on Monday indicating a change in date of the tie, and immediately protested, saying the change was coming less than the 10 days stipulated in the rules.
“We have complained to CAF about this change in date that came only five days to the match, as against a minimum of 10 days enshrined in the regulations.
“It means we will now have to alter all our arrangements to play the CHAN qualifier match on Sunday,” NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, said on Tuesday.
 The new date means the Super Eagles will now travel to Ouagadougou on Friday evening, have the official training in the evening of Saturday and play the Etalons at the August 4 Stadium on Sunday. They are scheduled to depart Ouagadougou immediately after the match.
 Nigeria have a 2-0 advantage in the CHAN fixture, with goals from Yaro Bature and Gbolahan Salami in the first leg in Port Harcourt on Saturday.
 Cameroonian officials for Falconets, South Africa match
 The Confederation of African Football has appointed Therese Raussa Neguel as referee for Saturday’s 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup African final round qualifying match between the Falconets of Nigeria and South Africa’s Basetsana.
 Therese, 34 and who has been a FIFA referee since 2007, will be assisted by compatriots Josiane Mbakop Nfongan, Carine Atezambong Fomo and Therese Sylvie Abou’ou, in the roles of assistant referee 1, assistant referee 2 and reserve referee respectively.
 Zalikatou Diallo Traore, from Guinea, will serve as the match commissioner. Saturday’s match is the first leg of a final qualifying fixture, with the winner between reigning world vice champions Falconets and the Basetsana on aggregate qualifying for the 8th FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup coming up in Papua New Guinea late 2016.
 While the Falconets defeated the U-20 girls of Democratic Republic of Congo home –and –away (4-1 aggregate) in the last round, the Basetsana pipped Zambia’s junior girls 3-2 on aggregate to reach the final round.
 The Basetsana delegation is expected to hit Abuja on Thursday.
 Emenike made his international debut in a friendly against Sierra Leone in Lagos in February 2011 and was top scorer at the Africa Cup of Nations 2013, which Nigeria won.
 But he soon after hit a bad patch and his last goal for Nigeria was in October 2013, in a World Cup qualifying play-off against Ethiopia.
 In all, he made 37 appearance for the Super Eagles, scoring nine times.