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Tag: Salisu Yusuf

  • Paris 2024 Race: U23 Head Coach, Yusuf, calls up 16 overseas-based players

    Paris 2024 Race: U23 Head Coach, Yusuf, calls up 16 overseas-based players

    Head Coach Salisu Yusuf has invited 16 overseas-based players to the team’s camp in preparation for this month’s U23 AFCON final qualifying fixture against Guinea.

    The Olympic Eagles trade tackles with their Guinean counterparts in a first leg encounter scheduled for the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja from 4pm on Wednesday, 22nd March, with the return set for the Complexe Sportif Prince Heritier Moulay Al Hassan from 7pm Morocco time on Tuesday, 28th March. Guinea does not have any venue approved in the country for international matches.

    Yusuf’s list of invitees is headed by team captain Success Makanjuola, whose two converted spot kicks against Tanzania earned the 1996 Olympic gold-medallists passage to this final round. There are also midfielder Abiodun Ogunniyi and Bello Babatunde, as well as Belgium-based new headline-grabber Gift Emmanuel Orban.

    As happened against the Tanzanians in Dar es Salaam and Ibadan in October last year, Makanjuola is expected to lead the charge against the Guineans in Abuja on Wednesday, perhaps alongside Orban, with Babatunde and Ogunniyi (nicknamed Omo-Jesu) pulling the strings from the middle.

    The winner on aggregate will qualify for the Africa U23 Cup of Nations scheduled for Morocco later this year, at which Africa’s flag bearers at next year’s Men’s Olympic Football Tournament will emerge.

    Guinea’s delegation for the encounter in Abuja is expected to arrive in Nigeria on Saturday evening.

    ALL THE INVITED PLAYERS:

     

    Success Makanjuola (FK Liepaja, Latvia); Bello Babatunde (Future FC, Egypt); Isaiah Ejeh (Mjallby Alf, Sweden); Abiodun Ogunniyi (FK Auda, Latvia); Monsuru Opeyemi Abdullahi (FC Vizela, Portugal); Omole Akinyinka Olaoluwakitan (Athletic Newham, UK); Owen Tega Udoh (UD San Sebastian Reyes, Spain); Azeez Temitope Yusuf (Mjallby Alf, Sweden); Charles Uba (Lillestrom FC, Norway); Simon Omon (Clube Operation Desportivo, Portugal); Ihekuna Maximillian Ugochukwu (FC Sfintul Gheorghe Suruceni, Moldova); Chukwudi Goodluck Igbokwe (KAA Gent, Belgium); Abass Saidi (Zagalata FC, Azerbaijan); Ibrahim Buhari (IF Elfsborg, Sweden); Gift Emmanuel Orban (KAA Gent, Belgium); Samuel Amadi (Eramica Cleopatra, Egypt)

  • Nigeria vs Ghana: Eagles coach, Salisu Yusuf shuns post-match conference

    Nigeria vs Ghana: Eagles coach, Salisu Yusuf shuns post-match conference

    Super Eagles B team Coach Salisu Yusuf on Saturday failed to show up for the usual post-match news conference at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

    This followed the Eagles’ loss to Ghana’s Black Galaxies in an African Nations Championship (CHAN) second leg qualifier in Abuja.

    Nigeria’s Super Eagles B team were on Saturday knocked out of the 2022 CHAN qualifying race after losing 4-5 to Ghana via penalty shootout.

    The CHAN qualifier second leg match, played at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium Abuja, saw the hard-fighting Eagles score two unreplied goals to level goal aggregate at 2-2.

    Ghana had won the first leg in Cape Coast 2-0 on Sunday, and opted for a contain-and-counter strategy in Abuja.

    However, two well-taken second half goals by Muhammed Zulkifilu and Chijioke Akuneto drew the fixture level and meant the lottery of penalties would decide the winner.

    Unfortunately, substitute Morice Chukwu saw his penalty kick (Nigera’s third) hit the crossbar in the shootout to hand Ghana the ticket to next year’s 7th CHAN finals.

    Immediately after match, the newsmen present headed for the Media Centre for the post-match conference and spoke to the Ghanaian coach and the team’s captain who were the first to show up.

    Afterwards, it was the turn of Coach Yusuf and his team captain but unfortunately, they refused to show up
    as stakeholders waited endlessly at the center to no avail.

    It was later announced that coach Yusuf had stormed out of the stadium in anger immediately after the match.

  • NFF re-instates Salisu Yusuf as coach after bribery ban

    NFF re-instates Salisu Yusuf as coach after bribery ban

    The Executive Committee of Nigeria Football Federation, NFF has approved the re-instatement of Coach Salisu Yusuf to his position as Assistant Coach of the Super Eagles and Head Coach of the Super Eagles B team, with effect from 1st November 2021.

    General Secretary of the NFF, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, disclosed on Thursday that the re-instatement of the former Kano Pillars, Enyimba FC and Rangers International FC gaffer by the NFF Board was on the recommendation of the NFF Technical Department.

    Highly respected for his match –reading ability, calm demeanour and proficiency in talent discovery and development, Yusuf, in his playing days featured for Rancher Bees of Kaduna and El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri, among others.

    Yusuf’s return to the three-time African champions coincides with the closing stages of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifying second round phase and the commencement of preparations for the 33rd Africa Cup of Nations finals taking place in Cameroon early next year.

    Recall that Salisu was in August 2018 caught on camera accepting cash from men who posed as football agents to select two players for his Morocco 2018 African Nations Championship squad.

    He was ordered to pay a fine of $5,000 by the federation after the NFF Ethics and Fair Play Committee ruled that the coach received $1,000 from the men.

  • NFF reinstates Salisu after bribery ban

    The Nigeria Football Federation has reinstated Salisu Yusuf to the national team after serving a one-year ban for receiving bribe.

    The NFF made this known in a press statement by its spokesperson, Ademola Olajire, on Thursday.

    Salisu was in August 2018 caught on camera accepting cash from men who posed as football agents to select two players for his Morocco 2018 African Nations Championship squad.

    He was ordered to pay a fine of $5,000 by the federation after the NFF Ethics and Fair Play Committee ruled that the coach received $1,000 from the men.

    Though the NFF didn’t state that Salisu would take over as the Eagles coach, the federation bade coach Imama Amapakabo farewell.

    Imama was Salisu’s assistant in the U-23 national team and the CHAN team before the ban.

    In the absence of Salisu, Imama led the U-23 Eagles to qualify for the 2019 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations after defeating Sudan 5-0 in Asaba on Tuesday.

    With Salisu’s return, Imama is expected to return to his position as an assistant coach of the U-23 team.

    Announcing Salisu’s return on Thursday, NFF said, “The federation has noted that the Chief Coach of the Super Eagles, Salisu Yusuf, has now fully served the one-year suspension clamped on him last year.

    “The federation thanked coach Imama Amapakabo for his sterling efforts while in charge of the U-23 National Team in the absence of the suspended Yusuf, and for eventually seeing to the team’s qualification for the U-23 AFCON.”

  • NFF commence investigation on Yusuf’s bribery allegations

    The Nigeria Football Federation has began preliminary investigation on the video footage capturing Super Eagles assistant coach Salisu Yusuf receiving money from men posing as football agents.

    The video was broadcasted by BBC Africa Eye on Monday night.

    In the video, Yusuf, recieved $1000, (N360,000) to pick two players for the 2018 CHAN championship. He was further promised 15% by the men posing as football agents of the players as soon as they are able to seal a deal abroad.

    “For now, the NFF has commenced preliminary investigation into the matter to assist the Committee on Ethics and Fairplay,” NFF’s Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire, said in a media statement made availbale to CSN.

    The 56-year-old former Kano Pillars coach has since denied any wrongdoing, insisting that he did not promise or commit to selecting any player in exchange for the money.

    He claimed that he never asked the reporters for money and that it was just a gift offered to him.

    Yusuf also clarified that he received $750 not the $1000 claimed in the report and further stated that he viewed the money as a trivial and symbolic value which falls within the gifts FIFA code allows for and that his influence over the players’ selection was never affected.

  • Salisu Yusuf: NFF commences preliminary investigations into alleged bribery case

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Friday in Abuja said it has noted some media reports arising from a BBC documentary on one of its national team coaches.

    The documentary was on the Chief Coach of the senior men’s national team, Salisu Yusuf.

    “For now, the NFF has commenced preliminary investigation into the matter to assist the Committee on Ethics and Fairplay,” NFF’s Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire, said in a statement.

    The documentary has Yusuf receiving some cash from some undercover player agents in relation to ensuring some players were picked to play for the Super Eagles.

    This had happened ahead of the 2018 Championship of African Nations (CHAN) which was held in Morocco, and where the Eagles finished as runners-up.