Sports

Algeria set to snatch Peseiro from Nigeria

Jose Peseiro whose contract technically ended last Sunday with the conclusion of the Africa Cup of Nations may soon have a new haven.

He was offered a short-term contract extension by the NFF and given a target of taking the Super Eagles to the semi-finals – a condition he met and exceeded by getting to the title match.

He is now being touted as possible replacement for Djamel Belmadi who resigned following Algeria’s poor run at the just concluded AFCON.

Although the charismatic Portuguese coach, Carlos Queiroz under which Jose Peseiro had worked at Real Madrid was the initial choice, the Algerian FA president, Walid Sadi reportedly prefers Jose Peseiro.

According to Algerian publication, DZ Foot, the Algerian FA has shortlisted three coaches, but Peseiro is the front runner.

The other person apart from the 70 year old Queiroz is the 60-yearl old Bosnian-born Swiss manager, Vladimir Petkovic.

The newspaper reported that the Algerian FA president, Sadi lost interest in Queiroz owing to the high salary that his agent asked for.

According to DZ Foot, “in addition to a salary in the upper range of what Algeria can afford, Queiroz demanded very high standard living conditions as well as other details on which he seems intransigent. This is why at the federal level we activated the Peseiro track.”

Sports

Champions league: Arsenal knock out Real Madrid to face PSG in semi-final

Arsenal have eliminated Real Madrid from the UEFA Champions League, after they won 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night.

The Gunners travelled to Spain with a healthy 3-0 lead from the first leg.

And they had the chance to extend that advantage after they were awarded a first-half penalty.

But Bukayo Saka saw his tame effort saved by Thibaut Courtois, as both sides went into the break without scoring.

However, Saka burst through to dink the ball over Courtois in the second half, as Arsenal virtually took the tie beyond Real Madrid.

And although Vinicius Junior pulled one back after a defensive mixup between David Raya and William Saliba, Gabriel Martinelli ran through to seal another big win.

Mikel Arteta’s men will now take on Paris Saint-Germain for a place in the final.

Arsenal beat PSG 2-0 earlier in the league phase

News

NFF denies owing late Christian Chukwu

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has debunked reports on social media that the football-ruling body was indebted to former Nigeria captain and coach, ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu, who died on Saturday.

Reacting to one statement on social media that claimed NFF was owing the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations-winning team captain the sum of $128,000, NFF General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, said: “There is no record in the NFF of any outstanding indebtedness to ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu. During the first term of the Board headed by Mr. Amaju Pinnick, a committee was set up to diligently peruse the papers of coaches who were being owed, even from previous NFF administrations.

“That committee was given the clear mandate to verify all debts and ensure that the coaches being owed were paid immediately. I am aware that ‘Chairman’ was in the employ of the NFF between 2002 and 2005, before he was relieved of the post following the 1-1 draw with Angola in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Kano in August 2005. There is certainly no record of indebtedness to him in the NFF.”

Sanusi challenged anyone with genuine and verifiable documents of NFF indebtedness to any coach, who has worked with any of the National Teams over the past two decades, to come forward and tender those documents.

“As a credible organization that is very much alive to its responsibilities, if we are confronted with any genuine document of indebtedness to any coach, we will offset the debt immediately.”

The Nigerian football icon, nicknamed ‘Chairman’ for his imposing presence and the authority he exuded just in defence, died at 74, throwing family, friends, and the entire nation into mourning.

Sports

NFF mourns ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu’s death

The Nigeria Football Federation has expressed deep sorrow after it was confirmed that Christian Chukwuemeka Chukwu, who captained Nigeria’s 1980 Africa Cup of Nations-winning squad and later coached the team, had died in his native city of Enugu on Saturday.

General Secretary of Nigeria Football Federation, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, said: “We have lost a good and great man. Chukwu was the definition of a strong, dedicated and disciplined leader on and off the field. He was not nicknamed ‘Chairman’ for nothing. He embodied strength, vision and consistency.

“We pray that the Almighty will grant his soul eternal rest, and also grant the family and friends he has left behind, and Nigeria football’s fraternity the fortitude to bear this big loss.”

Chukwu was in the Nigeria senior team that won bronze medals at the 1976 and 1978 AFCON finals in Ethiopia and Ghana respectively, before leading the squad to glory on home soil in 1980. He was named Player of the Tournament.

Chukwu coached his darling club, Enugu Rangers (he played for only one club in his career) and then coached the senior national team of Kenya, nicknamed the Harambee Stars. He was named Head Coach of the Super Eagles in 2002 and led the team to finish third at the 2004 AFCON finals in Tunisia.

His death comes exactly 20 days after the 45th anniversary of the 1980 AFCON triumph. Before him, other members of the squad that had passed on, were goalkeepers Best Ogedegbe and Moses Effiong, defenders Okechukwu Isima and Tunde Bamidele, midfielders Aloysius Atugbu and Mudashiru Lawal, and forward Martins Eyo.