Nigerian Eagles cage Mali in France

Hours after former captain Joseph Yobo called on the new generation of Super Eagles to “rise to the occasion and lift the Super Eagles to new levels,” a relatively young Nigerian team gifted with a sense of urgency, purpose and craftsmanship pipped Les Aigles of Mali 1-0 in an exciting international friendly in Rouen on Friday.

Without skipper John Mikel Obi and his assistant, Ahmed Musa who were released to be part of Yobo’s testimonial match in Port Harcourt, the Eagles were expected to struggle at the Stade Robert Diochon. But the young team fought well and in a pragmatic manner and could have won by a wider margin.

Friendly Matches: French Embassy Denies Visas for Super Eagles Players, Officials

Ahead of the Super Eagles friendly matches in France and Luxembourg later this month, some of the team players and officials have been denied visas by the French embassy.

Those affected are the only home-based player, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, two coaches and administrative officials of the three-time African champions.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF have pleaded with the authorities of the French Emabassy to issue the visa to allow for smooth preparation for the friendly matches.

The NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi said, “We are appealing to the Embassy of France in Nigeria to reconsider its stance and issue visas to these officials.