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Tag: Ezenwa

  • Ezenwa ruled out of Nigeria, Mexico friendly match

    Ezenwa ruled out of Nigeria, Mexico friendly match

    Ikechukwu Ezenwa is out of Nigeria’s international friendly against Mexico due to injury.

    Ezenwa got injured in training on Monday and won’t recover in time for the game billed to hold on Sunday morning at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

    The Heartland shot stopper will not make the trip to the United States of America for the highly anticipated game due to the setback.

    Enyimba’s John Noble and Valentine NwabilI of Lobi Stars are the two other goalkeepers in the team’s camp.
    22 players are now expected to make the trip for the game.

    The players and their officials will travel out of the country via the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja later on Wednesday (today) for the friendly.

  • AAC expels Ezenwa, affirms Sowore as chairman

    The African Action Congress (AAC) has reaffirmed Mr Omoyele Sowore as its National Chairman, while expelling Mr Leonard Ezenwa, former Treasurer and Secretary of the party.
    Mr Joshua Adeoye, AAC Deputy National Secretary, read the resolution after an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the party on Saturday in Abuja.
    Sowore is the National Chairman and the 2019 Presidential candidate of AAC, while Malcolm Fabiyi is the Deputy National Chairman of the party and both were suspended by Ezenwa’s faction.
    Adeoye said allegations against Sowore leading to his purported expulsion from the party were manufactured, adding that there was no case of financial impropriety against him.
    Adeoye noted that Sowore as a candidate declared campaign money, adding that he carried the people along as money was being spent up to the end of the campaign.
    “The NEC outrightly rejects, cancels, reverses and totally repudiates the purported suspension of Sowore and Fabiyi from their offices.
    “The NEC hereby affirms and reinstates Sowore as the one and only national chairman of AAC and Fabiyi as the deputy national chairman of the party.
    He said that all actions carried out by Ezenwa in the name of AAC including documents signed or authored by him ” are dismissed, set aside and nullified forthwith”.
    According to him, Ezenwa’s expulsion followed his failure to appear before the NEC to defend himself in line with article 80 of AAC constitution which found him guilty of the alleged offence.
    The highest decision making body of the party called for immediate arrest and prosecution of Ezenwa for alleged forgery and perjury among others criminal acts.
    AAC had been involved in leadership crisis leading to the removal of its presidential candidate by a Federal High Court in Abuja for alleged financial impropriety.
    Mr Inibehe Effiong, the National Legal Adviser of the party, however, said the party was not joined in the case filed by Ezenwa, adding that the person who also filed the case at the FCT High court was still unknown.
    Mr Murtala Adamu, Niger state Chairman moved for adoption of the resolution of the NEC, while Mr Rotimi Ogunlana, Chairman, Oyo state seconded the resolution.

  • Ezenwa, Ali, Okpotu, 20 others make CHAN 2018 list

    Head Coach Salisu Yusuf on Tuesday in Abuja released his final squad of the Super Eagles B for the 5th African Nations Championship (CHAN) beginning in Morocco on Jan. 13.

    Goalkeeper and skipper Ikechukwu Ezenwa, as well as midfielder Rabiu Ali and marksman Anthony Okpotu headline the 23-man list.

    Ezenwa is joined for the goalkeeping duties by Oladele Ajiboye and Theophilus Afelokhai, while defensive stalwarts Osas Okoro, Stephen Eze and Kalu Okogbue also made the list.

    Midfielders Ifeanyi Ifeanyi and Ekundayo Ojo and forwards Sunday Faleye and Emeka Atuloma were also listed.

    The team’s players and their officials are expected to fly out of the country in a few days time.

    They are to continue preparations in Morocco ahead of Nigeria’s first match of the campaign against Rwanda in Tangier on Jan. 15.

    The 2014 bronze medallists will also take on 2014 champions Libya at the same Ibn Batouta Stadium in Tangier on Jan. 19, before facing Equatorial Guinea in Agadir on Jan. 23.

    FULL LIST

    Goalkeepers: Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Enyimba FC); Oladele Ajiboye (Plateau United); Theophilus Afelokhai (Enyimba FC)

    Defenders: Osas Okoro (Rangers International); Daniel James (Plateau United); Kalu Okogbue (Rangers International); Ikouwem Utin (Enyimba FC); Abdullahi Musa (Wikki Tourists);

    Timothy Danladi (Katsina United); Ifeanyi Nweke (Kano Pillars); Stephen Eze (Kano Pillars)

    Midfielders: Ifeanyi Ifeanyi (Akwa United); Rabiu Ali (Kano Pillars); Augustine Oladapo (Enyimba FC); Ekundayo Ojo (Sunshine Stars)

    Forwards: Emeka Atuloma (Rivers United); Anthony Okpotu (Lobi Stars); Eneji Moses (Plateau United); Ibrahim Mustapha (Enyimba FC);

    Emeka Ogbuh (Rivers United); Sunday Faleye (Akwa United); Nura Muhammed (El-Kanemi Warriors); Okechukwu Gabriel (Akwa United)

  • We are ready to take on Africa – Ezenwa

    Nigeria’s Super Eagles B squad has been involved in different phases of preparation for the 5th African Nations Championship taking place in Morocco 13th January – 4th February 2018.

    Part of the team’s preparation included participation in the WAFU Cup of Nations tournament which took place in Cape Coast, Ghana in September 2017 (where the team finished as runner –up), participation in the glamour Nigeria Professional Football League Super Six tournament in Kano in December 2017 (which it won) and a series of friendly matches during the last phase of camping in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

    Captain of the team, Ikechukwu Ezenwa bared his mind to thenff.com on the team’s preparation and what to expect at the tournament.

    Thenff.com: How has the preparation for the African Nations Championship been so far?

    Ezenwa: The preparation has been going on well. We have been playing some friendly games and I must say it has been good preparation all round.

    The camping here in Nigeria is coming to an end we are in good shape to continue the next face of preparation in Morocco ahead of our first match.

    Thenff.com: What is the team’s target for the CHAN?

    Ezenwa: First of all, we are going to take each game as it comes; we have had very good preparation so far and the unity in the team is awesome and with that, I am confident of a better outing than the last time in Rwanda.

    Thenff.com: Are you bothered about your other opponents in Group C?

    Ezenwa: Rwanda, Libya and Equatorial Guinea are very good sides when it comes to the CHAN tournament. Look at the last edition, Rwanda were very tough and they performed better than us.

    Libya are former champions so they are no newcomers to the competition and for Equatorial Guinea, they will be coming with the bunch of players that played the World Cup qualifiers for them, so to be honest, it’s going to be a very tough group for us but we are up to the task.

    Thenff.com: Do you think the Home-Based lads can force their way to the FIFA World Cup squad through their performance at the CHAN tournament?

    Ezenwa: I think any player that does very well will have an opportunity because the Technical Adviser, Mr. Gernot Rohr will be in Morocco with us just like he was with us in Ghana where some players who did well were invited for the FIFA World Cup qualifier against Zambia.

    So, I strongly believe anyone who proves himself well will definitely get a look-in, but the most important thing for us right now is to go to Morocco and do the nation proud by winning the trophy.

    Thenff.com

  • Enyimba stopper Ezenwa reveals Eagles’ CHAN title ambition

    Enyimba goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa has declared that the Super Eagles have set themselves the target of winning next year’s African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Morocco.

    Ezenwa who is captain of the Super Eagles made up of players from the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) explained that they have been working to improve on their last international outing at the WAFU Cup of Nations in Ghana where they lost in the final game to the hosts in September.

    However the Nigeria stopper knows that starting their first game against Rwanda in Tangier on 15 January on a winning note remains key to their ambition.

    “Last time we played in the final of the WAFU Cup of Nations but unfortunately we lost. Now we are building on improving on that attitude that helped us reach the final when the CHAN begins in Morocco next month. We have agreed among ourselves to make sure that we reach the final and also bring the trophy home this time. But everything starts with the first game as we want to take the tournament one game after another.

    “It is always very important to win your first game in any competition. Rwanda is a good side. We watched them play in the 2016 edition (of the CHAN) and they did quite well. So playing Rwanda won’t be as easy as it looks. We just have to be focused and know why we are there, and make our country proud in 2018,” said Ezenwa to npfl.ng.

    “Yes we can (win the CHAN). At present there is solidarity in the team, we have agreed to stand with each other. Right now that is our goal. Immediately we arrived camp (for the NPFL Invitational Tournament) we had a meeting, just like before we left for the WAFU Cup, we agreed that it is ‘operation must reach the final.’ So among ourselves we have set that target of going out there to make our nation proud.”

    Ezenwa remains a key member of the CHAN-bound Eagles as well as the A-team that qualified Nigeria for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

    npfl