Super Eagles are psychologically superior to Elephants, says Mamadou Gaye

The Ivorian football pundit says that the Nigerian team has an edge over his national team due to the strength of the bench of the visitors. Ivorian football pundit Mamadou Gaye has said that Nigeria are psychologically stronger than Cote D’Ivoire going into Saturday’s final African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifier in Abidjan.

The Super Eagles have a 4-1 advantage going into the game that could see them qualify to play in South Africa next year. Gaye, a former analyst on SuperSport, said that the fact that the Super Eagles are being trained by coach Stephen Keshi was responsible for the psychological defeat of the Ivorians when they came to Kaduna two weeks ago.

He blamed the Ivorian FA for not placing first team coach Sabri Lamouchi in charge of the squad instead asking Saraka Norbert to train the home-based team. “They have already killed the psychology of the players by failing to draft Sabri Lamouchi who is the team A coach to handle the home boys and psychologically when the players saw your Big Boss on the bench against them [in Kaduna], a Nations Cup winner, they froze out and that will repeat itself here in Abidjan,” Gaye declared.

The Elephants have played in both previous editions of the CHAN tournament, a competition only open to footballers based in local leagues in their countries. Nigeria are seeking their maiden participation and need to avoid defeat by three goals on Saturday.
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'Ronaldo is one of the best - not the best' - Ibrahimovic

   

The Swede wanted to refrain from saying the Real Madrid attacker is the greatest in the game and believes it is normal for PSG to be linked to him. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has branded Cristiano Ronaldo one of the best players in the world, but stopped short of suggesting he is the game's finest footballer.

Paris Saint-Germain have repeatedly been linked with a move for the Real Madrid forward, whose contract at the Santiago Bernabeu runs out in just under two years' time.

And ahead of a friendly between the European giants on Saturday, the 31-year-old claimed it makes sense for a top club like les Parisiens to be associated with the former Manchester United man, who he categorises as among the greatest in the game.

"Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best players in the world," he told reporters on Friday at a PSG press conference.

"The fact that he is often linked to PSG, this is normal, because the project of the club is to become the best in Europe and therefore attract the best players."

When the translator for the press mistakenly said Ibrahimovic had called Ronaldo "the best in the world", the former AC Milan and Barcelona forward added in English: "No, he's one of the best - not the best."

The clash between the Blancos and PSG kicks off at 20:00CET on Saturday.           

   
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Nnamdi Oduamadi moves on loan to Brescia

The Confederations Cup revelation has had to move from Milan to guarantee first team action. Nnamdi Oduamadi has moved on loan to Serie B side, Brescia as he seeks to cement a place in the Super Eagles for the coming World Cup.

He exclusively told Goal that: "Milan and I have come to an agreement based on the opportunities that will be afforded me in the first team. "And Brescia have been after me for the past two months so I am glad to be joining them. "I know that I have to play regularly to secure a place in the Super Eagles which has informed this decision."

The Super Eagles winger scored a hat-trick at the Confederations Cup against Tahiti and that feat compelled Milan to give him the No.90 jersey.

But the 23-year-old would have been fourth choice behind Stephan El Shaarawy, M'baye Niang and Mario Balotelli. Oduamadi spent last season on loan at Serie B side, Varese, for whom he scored two goals.

           
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Keshi lauds Austin Ejide’s professionalism

The national team coach says that the Hapoel Be'er Sheva goalkeeper will have an opportunity to stake a claim to the number spot against South Africa next month Hapoel Be’er Sheva goalkeeper Austin Ejide has been praised Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi for his professional attitude on and off the field of play. The coach who has been with the national team for almost two years hailed the professional conduct of the Israel-based goalkeeper and has tipped him to man the post in the Nelson Mandela Challenge against South Africa on August 14. Ejide has been deputy to number one Vincent Enyeama in the national team for more than a decade. He has made 25 appearances for Nigeria since making his debut in 2001. The 29-year-old enjoyed his most extensive run in the side during the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations where he was in goal in all four matches that the team played. “One good thing about Ejide is that he is just a professional person. I remember his wedding was initially fixed for June this year but he moved the wedding to July because of the Fifa Confederations Cup and World Cup qualifiers. So how patriotic can a player be again,” Keshi said. He also explained the reason for excluding stand in captain Enyeama from the squad that will play against Bafana Bafana next month. “I wanted to have Ejide fill the goal post. He has been working very hard but Vincent Enyeama is my number one choice goalkeeper. But I need Enyeama more in the match against Malawi on the 5th of September. So I told Ejide to go out there and prove yourself and also get ready should anything happen. “That is the reason and there is no other reason why Enyeama was not included,” said Keshi.

Cote d'Ivoire - Nigeria Match Preview: Keshi hopes to lead Eagles over Elephants

                                      

With a 4-1 lead going into the second leg, coach Stephen Keshi and his boys will be doubly confident that they will get the job done in Abidjan on Saturday. Though Keshi has continuously stated that he is preparing the team to withstand whatever kind of barrage will be thrown at them. It is expected that the Eagles will name the same team that won in Kaduna three weeks’ ago excluding injured striker Gambo Mohammed who should be replaced by Etebo Oghene in the starting XI. The Elephants on the other hand are hurting from the perceived ‘injustice’ at the hands of the referee in the first leg as they had a penalty given against them and then had two players sent off. And their coach, Saraka Norbert believes the Nigerian team will play defensively which will afford the home team the opportunity to attack for all of 90 minutes. The trick for the Elephants will be to score in the first ten minutes of the encounter to make the crowd more vociferous though on the evidence of the first leg, they will be open to counter attacks from the Eagles as they go all out to cancel the three goals deficit. The two teams have met 18 times with six victories for Nigeria and seven draws and it is almost a safe bet that Sunday Mba will get on the score sheet for the Eagles.

Mourinho calm over Rooney coup

Despite Manchester United rejecting Chelsea's offer, the Blues boss insists he is in no panic to secure the England international's signature Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has insisted he is calm regarding the club's attempt to lure Wayne Rooney to the club, despite a lack of progress with the proposed transfer. The Blues had an opening offer for the wantaway striker immediately rejected last Tuesday and are expected to return with an improved bid. Mourinho recently suggested an over-long transfer saga could affect the "balance" of a team very close to the start of the season, but hinted the club are in no hurry to force a move. "At this moment we have made what you know; that bid which was public and official and after that nothing else," he told reporters. "But we are calm as we told you that we are calm because we are happy with what we have." Mourinho was speaking after Chelsea's emphatic 8-1 victory over Indonesia All Stars, with Ramires and Romelu Lukaku both grabbing doubles. Fernando Torres failed to register on the scoresheet, but Mourinho believes the Spaniard will improve the added competition for places after Lukaku's return from a loan spell with West Brom. "I think Fernando should be happy because we have competition in the team and I think that is good for everybody in every position," he told reporters. "Fernando I think will be pleased because during his time at Chelsea he was basically the only striker and then after that there was the arrival of Ba in January. Now the team has three strikers and I think that is good." Mourinho also confirmed the injured trio of Frank Lampard, Andre Schurrle and Kevin De Bruyne are all expected to train with the squad next week.

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