Ahmed Musa keeps Eagles
on World Cup track
Ahmed Musa was the match winner as Nigeria pipped hosts Kenya 1-0 on Wednesday to stay on track for a place at the 2014 World Cup.
This was coach Stephen Keshi’s first away win in a competitive game.
African champions Nigeria now have eight points from four matches to lead Group F ahead of Malawi, who are on six points after they were held to a goalless draw in Blantyre also on Wednesday by third-placed Namibia.
Nigeria will be guests of Namibia next Wednesday, while Malawi host Kenya in continuation of the qualifying tournament.
The final round of the qualifiers in this group will be staged in September, when Nigeria host Malawi and Kenya are home to Namibia.
CSKA Moscow forward Musa was the hero for the Super Eagles as he scored the match winner at the Moi International Stadium in Kasarani, Nairobi.
The Russia double champion slipped past a Kenya defender on top of the box before he chipped the ball past onrushing Kenya goalkeeper Duncan Ochieng in the 81st minute.
The Jos-born star thus made up for an earlier miss with this superb strike.
In the game that was watched by a capacity crowd, Brown Ideye ought to have given the Eagles the lead as a early as the seventh minute after a defensive slip by Kenya, but his finishing was wayward.
Nnamdi Oduamadi was also clear on goal at the restart but his shot from inside the box when one-on-one with goalkeeper Ochieng was blocked to safety.
With Mikel Obi combining well with Ogenyi Onazi in the midfield, Nigeria kept up the pressure in the second half.
After Ahmed Musa’s goal, Kenya fought back for an equaliser but the defence marshalled by skipper Vincent Enyeama held out to post a clean sheet.
Cowbell/YSFON Owerri Mock-Champions
League Kicks-Off
The seventh-edition of the Owerri Cowbell Champion’s league football competition organized by Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON) Imo chapter will tentatively kick-off on June 23.
Reports reaching Trumpeta Sports Desk dose reveal that the draws for competition will be performed on June 16 at the YSFON secretariat in Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri.
Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC), Ex-International Ndubuisi Opara informed that they will be an addition of two new teams Juventus and Bayern Munich increasing the total number of participating teams from 12 to 14.
He however called on the team managers who are yet to claim their team slots to do-so immediately as the LOC reserves the right to give out the slots to willing teams four (4) days before the draws are made.
Barcelon defeated Olympic Marseille 1 – 0 in the final of the last edition which was played at Dan Anyiam stadium on July 2012.
Chelsea won the first two editions when the tournament was still played at the Old Township School that has now been re-built by the Government of Rochas Okorocha.
The competition has in the past editions produced quality players that are now plying their trade in the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) while some have also gone abroad to further their footballing careers.
Some of the players that have played in the tournament are Amarachi Ukaegbu (Aka), Ebere Odiche of Heartland fc and Emeka Njoku now in Thailand.
The competition is expected to further bring to lime light more young and up-coming players when it kicks-off on June 23 at the Old Township Stadium along Tallow Road, Owerri.
Mexico 3 – 3 Portugal
Brazil 1 – 1 Nigeria
INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES
Egypt 1 – 1 Botswana
Romania 4 – 0 Trinidad/Tobago
Poland 2 – 0 Liechtenstein
Kazakhstan 1 – 2 Bulgaria
New Zealand 0 – 1 Jordan
WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
Jamaica 0 – 1 Mexico
Japan 1 – 1 Australia
Oman 1 – 0 Iraq
Lebanon 1 – 1 Korea Rep
Malawi 0 – 0 Namibia
Kenya 0 – 1 Nigeria
NPFL WEEK 16 RESULTS
El Kanemi 1–0 Heartland
Kano Pillars 4 –0 Gombe United
ABS fc 3 — 0 Enyimba
3SC 3 — 1 Nembe City
Akwa Utd 2 abd 0 WarriWolves
Bayelsa Utd 2 — 0 Kaduna Utd
Wikki T. — Kwara Utd
Sunshine — Nasarawa
Lobi Stars — Dolphins
PROF. ONWULIRI CHARITY CUP
5/6/13
Owerri 1 — 1 Oru
8/5/13
Aboh — Ahiazu
