EMENIKE hunts of Eagles pride

...Dazzles Spanish fans with goal in Pre-season tournament

Super Eagles’ striker Emmanuel Emenike says he’s looking forward to prove doubters wrong in the national team colors by some reports claiming that he does not give much for his country unlike club performance but looking forward to restore the pride of the team with his team mates as the 2013 nations cup qualifiers get underway.

The 24-year-old talented striker who banged 30 goals in 51 appearances for Karabukspor of Turkey before making a move to Russia where he scored 8 goals in 11 matches last season with two sensational hat-trick among the goals to become Spartak’s third best player in less than six months in the league dazzled Spanish fans on Saturday with his trade mark open-goal when his team took on against IFK Goteborg of Sweden in a pre-season tournament, the game ended in 2-2 draw while Emenike opened the scoring chart for the Russian club.

While his prolific goals keep increasing at club level, but Nigerians are still waiting to see his best in the national team where he has scored one goal in five matches for the national team.

But his Super Eagles mate, Osaze Odemwingie who claimed that the perceived disparity in the quality of his performances was down to lack of national team inexperience and admitted that the former FC Cape Town star is a talent that have much to prove for the country.

“Personally, I felt bad whenever I missed some chances in the national team because people will not understand why it is like that since I was scoring for my club but I never meant to let Eagles down. I have the passion to play and proud of Nigeria that is one of the reason why I snubbed Turkish national team for Nigeria,” Emenike told 9jasoccerboys exclusively from Spain.

“I think the coaches still believe in my ability and that is why I am still relevant in the team despite our inability to secure the nations cup ticket. And I want everything to be forgotten by the Nigerians and look forward to the future, I mean the 2013 nations cup ticket.

“Of course I understand what Osaz was trying to say but I think I need some calmness to get myself better in the team. I was always eager to make a mark in the team but it could not work out the way I thought. 

“Yes I have learnt the game and understand some techniques in playing for the national team and I believe I can prove myself better now than before.

“I want to Nigerians to know that I am a committed player it was just that things could not work for me then but I have put everything behind me in 2011, my focus now is to lift the team and with the help of my team mates the Eagles will be great again.

OFEM IHAH REVEALS: Football has brought joy to my life

Sunshine Star’s defender Ofem Inah has reveals how football has brought joy to his life, charges Sunshine team mates to do more for the title race.

The Dream Team V star who won double with the Aba Millionaire, before making a sensational move to Sunshine is eyeing a move out the country if things work out positively.

 “I don’t know what I could have become if not football, people don’t respect footballers some years back because they always believe that we don’t have dream than to kick the ball but now things have for good. The game has really brought joy to my life,” said Inah.

Ofem also gives kudos his family for encouraging him to drive on the football career.

“I think my family really tried for me, I was given the necessary backing till now, they believe that I will make it bigger like every other players in the world.

“I am still optimistic that Sunshine would be a threat to many teams this season,” he said. “This season is going to be another tough one but I’m confident that Sunshine would bounce back .

“We must challenge our individual ability this season, we cannot let it slip off again.

“Now, every game becomes a challenge for us and we are hoping to finish on top at the end of the season,” he stated.

ODIBE looking forward to bright future

As the new Ukrainian league season is approaching, Arsenal Kiev central defender Michael Odibe has insisted on extending his blistering form into the Super Eagles team for the 2013 Nations cup qualifiers against Rwanda next month.

Undoubtedly, Odibe has grown far in confidence and his terrific work rate is exciting, according to Arsenal Kiev’s coach Leonid Kuchuk quoted in a Turkish tabloid where the team is currently camping for new campaign. The Belarus born tactician also heaps praise on the Nigerian born defender who shown like millions of stars and contributing in the teams’ success to occupied in fifth position on the log last year.

“Michael is a good player for us, everybody want him in the team, and he has really developed his games which really helped us last season but I am expecting more from him when the league resumes again, Leonid praises Odibe at a press conference in Turkey”

But despite his consistent dazzling for Arsenal, he’s yet to be called for national team since his first and last was against Sierra Leone where he was handed number five jersey by former Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia.

“My club have a lot of trust in my ability and I have never disappointed them since I joined the club, I have been able to show what I can do and that really helped me last season to have a regular games,” Odibe told 9jasoccerboysblog in a telephone chat.

“If you play well, your coach will never doubt you in any games, though at times, you might not find your bearing in a particular game but what you have done in the past will speak well of you. I love coming to play regularly here and I wish to do more for the team.

“I have really improve a lot of my games, my technical quality is a lot better than before. I've gained in confidence, there's a good spirit and good aggressive playing style for, Life is so good in Ukraine."

Speaking further on his target for Arsenal this season, he said: "Collectively, we want to do better than our opponents and we try to be as high in the league as possible. We have a good team and we want to trouble the big guns above us, we want to win," he said.

On the national team, he said: “Well, I have done my best for my club in order to be call for national team and that is a decision for the coach to make. Obviously, I wanna play for my country with full determination I used to play for my club but I have gotten the chances and life goes on.

“Although, I have not lost the hope because I have really improve a lot and that alone could give me a chance this time around but all still depend on the coach,” he concluded.

IKE THANKGOD: I’ll prove KESHI wrong

Warri Wolves central defender, Ike ThankGod says he’s ready to prove Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi wrong for denying him of his best opportunity publicly over his comment in the news paper that he was ‘too old’ for Super Eagles shirt.

The giant defender was on target on Saturday in a league match between Sharks and Warri Wolves where he rescued his team to 1-1 draw in Portharcourt. And that seems part of the case to reply the coach for making public digression on his career.

“I’m happy to have rescued my club with my goal,” Ike Thankgod told 9jasoccerboysblog.

“I really want to prove so many people wrong for saying that I am 'too old' for national assignment. 

“Yes, I want to really prove it this season if I’m too old to play for my country or not but I am disappointed by Stephen Keshi for making such comment towards me whereas he has invited people older than me in the team, so why me?.

“If he did not want to invite me to his team, there is another of doing that rather than toying on my career but the time has not come for me to talk.” He concluded.

SHOWEMIMO: Dolphins ‘ll gun down Rangers

Dolphins new signing, Abdulwasiu Showemimo has declared a three point target agenda in an epic clash against Enugu Rangers at liberation stadium, Portharcourt.

This is a clash between second placed Rangers and the defending champion Dolphins in fifth. Last season in this corresponding match, Dolphins won by a lone goal while the reverse fixture produced four goals to end the game at 2-2.

Both clubs come into this contest having won in their last round of games. Rangers have made six trips to Port Harcourt in eight years and have managed to earn a win and two draws.

And Showemimo, an home-based Super Eagles star told 9jasoccerboysblog that he’s happy to join another great club in the country and a dream is to win the league title once again and force his way into the Super Eagles first team having proved so well in his appearances for the national team.

"Dolphins is a great team in the Nigeria league and you can never ignore an offer from such team when you know their ambition is always to win trophies and dominate the league," Showemimo said.

"I played a lot of games for Kano pillars and I earned my reward in playing for the national team. The experience is there for me to compete in the team. I’m  physically ready to challenge any opponent that comes to our way in the league. My target is to help Dolphins retain the title and to claim it for the second time in my career as well as to unlash myself in to full national team line-up.

"I like every players in the Dolphins team because they are bunch of experience. I think I will have a good season here for sure."