The 56-year-old tactician’s future is now in doubt following his side’s disappointing exit in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations
Super Eagles interim boss Austin Eguavoen has said that he would return to his role as the Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) after Nigeria’s exit in the 2021 AFCON.
The Super Eagles promising start to the competition came to a disappointing end in the second round after losing 1-0 to the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia.
Eguavoen had received praises for the team’s performances in the group stages, which saw them blitz through with three wins- the only team to do so.
The former Gent defender was appointed as the interim coach after Gernot Rohr was sacked just a month before the tournament.
However, preparations were far from ideal for him as he had to deal with the withdrawals of four key players ahead of the tournament.
Eguavoen had received praises for the team’s performances in the group stages, which saw them blitz through with three wins- the only team to do so.
The former Gent defender was appointed as the interim coach after Gernot Rohr was sacked just a month before the tournament.
However, preparations were far from ideal for him as he had to deal with the withdrawals of four key players ahead of the tournament.
However, following the team’s exit at the hands of Tunisia on Sunday night, Eguavoen revealed he would not continue in the role as he would return to his position as the Technical Director of the NFF.
“I am here as the interim coach, I am the Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), what will happen is I will go back to my job, and we let the authority decide what next to be done,” Eguavoen said.
The NFF will have to make a decision as soon as possible, though, as the Super Eagles have a huge World Cup 2022 two-legged playoff against Ghana in March.
The three-time AFCON kings were booted out of the competition following a 1-0 loss to the Carthage Eagles, but Aribo feels they could have done better
Super Eagles midfielder Joe Aribo has admitted that Nigeria did not do enough and were too conservative in their 1-0 loss to the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia on Sunday.
The Super Eagles were eliminated from the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations after they lost to a short-staffed Tunisian team.
Austin Eguavoen’s men were favourites going into the tie because they were outstanding in the group stages, unlike their Tunisian counterparts, who lost two of their games.
However, the Tunisians triumphed over the Super Eagles after Msakni’s second-half goal.
It was a cagey setup from Nigeria coach Augustine Eguavoen, with the Super Eagles hardly creating any clear cut chance in the first half.
Midfielder Aribo believes that was why the Super Eagles lost, and he also affirmed that they could have taken the game to the Tunisians.
“I just think we started really slow, we allowed them to get a foothold in the game,” Aribo said after the game.
“We can’t take anything away from them, but we should have been better in the 90 minutes.”
“We just took too long to respond until the first goal- it’s the only time we started playing, and then we had the red card incident, which was a bit disappointing also.”
“We could have done things differently, but we weren’t just good enough in the 90 minutes, we gave them too much respect on the ball, but we just needed to be better and take the game to them more,” he adde
The Sparta Rotterdam shot-stopper could not keep out the fierce drive that handed the Carthage Eagles a shock win on Sunday evening
Former Nigeria international Julius Aghahowa has expressed his disappointment at Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye for conceding the goal that knocked Nigeria ou of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
Augustine Eguavoen’s men had performed so brilliantly in Cameroon until they met the Tunisians in the first knockout round of the tournament.
Okoye had conceded just once in three group stage games.
But a long-range strike off the boots of forward Youssef Msakni somehow beat the 22-year-old in the Nigerian goal barely a minute into the second half.
Despite getting reduced to ten men following the dismissal of Alex Iwobi, the Super Eagles responded well to going behind but could not carve out the vital equaliser.
The defeat ended Nigeria’s dream of a fourth continental crown, leaving Aghahowa hurt and disappointed.
And the 2002 Afcon top goalscorer insists the young Nigerian goalkeeper is to blame for the loss.
“Okoye should have saved that ball because he saw the ball coming towards his direction,” Aghahowa told spoting media..
“I am really disappointed and feel he should have done better. This was a game we don’t deserve to lose at all. But it has happened, and we have to accept our fate.”
Cameroon 2021 is only the fourth time in 19 appearances that Nigeria will return from the Afcon championship without a medal.
The Eagles’ proud continental record reads three winners’ medals, four silver medals, and eight bronze medals.
. Says Nigeria’s focus already on FIFA World Cup play-off
President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mr Amaju Melvin Pinnick on Sunday commended the efforts of the Super Eagles despite a 0-1 loss to Tunisia in their Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16 match in Garoua.
“We are proud of the efforts of the players. They gave their all and tried very hard to win even when they had numerical disadvantage. It was just not our day.
“I want to thank His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari for his love, support and encouragement to the team while they were in the championship. I also praise the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Sunday Dare for his interest and attention in the progress of the team. Losing at this stage is painful but we take solace in the great spirit with which the team approached its four matches in Cameroon, out of which it won three.
“The focus and attention will now shift to the FIFA World Cup qualifying play-off against Ghana in March. We want to assure Nigerians that we will prepare even harder for those two matches to get the job done.”
Tunisia are through to the quarter final stage at the on-going TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Cameroon 2021.
The Eagles of Carthage defeated 10-man Super Eagles of Nigeria 1-0 in a round of 16 match played at the Roumdé Adjia Stadium in Garoua this evening.
After a goalless first half skipper Youssef Msakni gave Tunisia the lead two minutes after recess. Maskni beat one defender and found space to shoot from outside the box. Nigerian goalkeeper Emil Okoye had a touch on the ball, but it rested in the net.
The first half was a balanced affair although the Tunisians blocked lots of the Super Eagles wing play.
Nigeria’s Moses Simon, Wilfred Ndidi and Samuel Chukwueze had all missed chances early in the first five minutes. The Eagles of Carthage defended well and made sure they dominated more of the possession play.
In the 47th minute Msakni’s goal made the difference before Nigeria’s substitute Alexander Iwobi was sent off after 66th minute.
Iwobi who plies his trade for Everton in the English Premier League had replaced Kelechi Iheanacho in the 59th minute, but his bad tackle on the Tunisian captain Msakni saw him earn an early send-off to the dressing room.
The Supers Eagles who won all their matches in the Group stage did not give up and kept pushing forward to try and get a goal, but the Tunisians defended as a unit.
Nigerian goalkeeper Okoye was on hand to punch away a well struck Naim Sliti shot after 74 minutes. Simon Moses also had a chance to level matters for Nigeria, but his freekick from outside the box missed the target. With goalkeeper beaten, Nigeria’s substitute Sadoq Umar had his shot miss the target by inches.
In the Group stage Tunisia started with a 1-0 defeat to Mali, before they humbled Mauritania 4-0. They fell 1-0 to newcomers in the AFCON stage Gambia in the last group match to only qualify as one of the best losers. For the Super Eagles they stopped Egypt 1-0, saw off Sudan 3-1 and handed Guinea Bissau a 2-0 defeat.
The Eagles of Carthage who have only won the AFCON once in 2004 will now face Burkina Faso in the quarter final stage.
The United Nations Children’s Fund has noted that girls and children with disabilities are majorly affected by the education crisis in Nigeria.
This is as the group decried the education crisis bedeviling the country, noting that one-third of Nigerian children are not in school.
UNICEF made this known in its statement on Monday, to mark the International Day of Education, which is annually celebrated on January 24.
In the statement, UNICEF noted one in five out-of-school children in the world is from Nigeria.
The agency further noted that children who are more likely to be affected by the education crisis include girls, children with disabilities, children from the poorest households, in street situations, or affected by displacement or emergencies.
UNICEF also welcomed Nigeria’s move to allocate 7.2 per cent of its N17 trillion 2022 budget to the education sector.
Reacting to that, UNICEF representative in Nigeria, Peter Hawkins said, “The Nigerian Government has committed to increasing funding for education, which is a very important step – far too many Nigerian children today are not in the classroom – and for those who are, far too many are not getting a solid education that can translate into good prospects for their futures.”
Blended smoothies are very popular among toddlers and kids. They are also a great way of ensuring they get the right amount of vitamins each day.
Smoothies often include many fruits and vegetables, so you have it easier including vitamins in their diet. They count towards the “5 pieces of fruit a day” and will often be well tolerated by children who have a hard time eating whole fruit.
Despite this, there are some caution to be aware of when it comes to smoothies, regardless of who sits at the table. They are certainly healthier than sugar-loaded energy drinks or shakes, and can be a convenient way of getting many different nutrients in one sitting, but also have some drawbacks. For instance, there’s probably no such thing as a completely sugar-free fruit smoothie.
Many smoothies contain sugars that are naturally present in fruit, and blending them can only increase your intake. This is because, when blended, more sugar is released from the cell walls of the fruit, becoming “free sugars”. This doesn’t happen with whole pieces of fruit, because your teeth don’t compare to the sharp blades of your blender. In the case of juicing, you also lose the fiber in fruit. They won’t count for your 5-a-day goal more than once.
In short, smoothies are not a shortcut to a healthy diet. In the case of children, there’s also another element: because they are in their formative years, sticking to smoothies exclusively as the only way to give them fruit means wasting the opportunity to teach them about the many benefits of eating whole fruit and how delicious that can be.
Here are few smoothie ideas that kids will fancy:
Blueberry and strawberry smoothie
For a thick and creamy finish, use frozen fruit, it can improve the texture of your smoothie. In this case, frozen strawberries and blueberries make for a delicious shake. Choose berries to your liking and blend them with almond milk. If it’s too sour, add in a teaspoon of cocoa powder or nut butter.
Zucchini and walnut smoothie
Zucchini is admittedly not a popular food among kids, but it doesn’t have to be. There are many ingredients to combine in order to make this vegetable more palatable to them, although it’s best if they get used to the flavor of healthy foods. To make this “lifesaving” smoothie, blend a whole zucchini combined with a cup of almond milk, some dates and walnuts and half a banana. You can also use vanilla or sprinkle some cinnamon.
Pineapple and spinach smoothie
The sweet, soft flavour of spinach works very well with the tingly taste of pineapple. These two ingredients are all it takes to make a delicious and healthy smoothie, just remember to pour some almond milk or oat milk and perhaps sprinkle some coconut zest on top before serving.
Prune and banana smoothie
This appetizing smoothie is really easy and quick to make, as it won’t take you more than a few minutes. It can be enjoyed as a dessert, an after school snack or on the go. Simply blend two ripe bananas along with a handful of prunes and some almond milk, and blend well. You can also add some seeds, like chia or flax seed powder. Check the consistency and adjust accordingly.
Mango and coconut smoothie
Creamy coconut yogurt joins savory mango to create a delicious drink to be enjoyed wherever you want. The recipe mixes 6 ounces of sliced mango pulp with coconut yogurt (4 teaspoons), but you can use coconut milk (240ml) instead and add 2% of Greek yogurt as an extra fat. To sweeten it all, you could use honey, but it’s also a great opportunity to add a third fruit to the blender: a sliced banana. One final tip: this is great for hot summer days, so you also have the option to serve it with ice.
Above are just few of the several smoothies ideas children will enjoy, just make sure to explore your options and always make they are healthy and delicious.
The National Health Insurance Scheme has said it has been repositioned to meet the health needs of enrollees.
To this end, the scheme said it had been directed to ensure value reorientation, accountability, transparency and acceleration toward universal health coverage.
The Ondo State Coordinator of the NHIS, Adebiyi Adebisi, stated these at a one-day stakeholders’ forum for healthcare providers, health maintenance organisations and enrollees in the state.
The workshop had as its theme, ‘The new NHIS: New trend and updates on NHIS reform agenda’.
According to the coordinator, the forum was part of the rebranding of the NHIS on the directive of the Executive Secretary of the agency, Nasir Sambo.
Nasir Sambo
He added that as part of the rebranding process, all inefficient health service providers would soon be removed from the scheme.
“The agency will soon embark on the re-accreditation of all service providers in Ondo State to weed out inefficient ones from the scheme,” Adebisi stated.
A senior employee in the Department of Standards and Quality Assurance, NHIS, Ondo State, Dr Raymond Akinkuotu, in a paper titled, ‘New NHIS landscape,’ said the agency was working towards restoring stakeholders’ confidence, addressing technical operational issues, and removing administrative bottlenecks, which were hitherto the regular complaints of beneficiaries.
The stakeholders’ meeting brought together beneficiaries of the NHIS, enrollees, the healthcare providers and the health maintenance organisations for interaction and to enlighten them on their rights.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board on Monday announced that the registration for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and the Direct Entry examination will commence by February 12, 2022.
The board made this known in its weekly bulletin released by its Director of Public Relations, Dr Fabian Benjamin in Abuja.
In the timeline of events attached to the bulletin, the board announced that the “UTME/DE registration starts 12th February 2022 and ends 19th March 2022. Mock examination holds on 20th April 2022. UTME holds from 20th to 30th April 2022”.
Nigeria’s First Lady, Aisha Buhari, has joined several Nigerians calling for capital punishment for the killer of Hanifa Abubakar, the five-year-old Kano girl that was abducted and murdered by her teacher.
Mrs Buhari shared a short clip of a sermon by an Islamic scholar, Abdallah Gadon Kaya, demanding justice for the late Hanifa.
In the video, Mr Gadon Kaya called on the government and human rights groups to pick up the case of Hanifa and ensure that justice is served immediately.
He said the life of Hanifa’s alleged killer is not in any way better. “Therefore, he should be killed just the way he murdered the little girl. And this should be done openly for everyone to see. Let it serve as a deterrent to others,” the cleric said in Hausa.
Along with the video, Mrs Buhari posted a short commentary of her views on her verified Instagram page.
The president’s wife wrote in Hausa “Muna Goyon Bayan Hukunchin Malam”, meaning we are in support of your judgment/ we are fully behind your position.
Hanifa, a student of Kids Academy, a private school located in Kwanar Dakata in Nassarawa local government area of Kano, was abducted on December 2, 2021, by Abdulmalik Tanko, the proprietor of the school.
Mr Tanko has been arrested and the school closed by the state government.
Mr. Tanko and Hanifa Abubakar
After kidnapping her and collecting N100, 000 as part of the N6 million ransom he had demanded, Mr Tanko allegedly killed her with rat poison. He was said to have dismembered Hanifa’s body and buried the remains in the private school’s premises at Kwanar ‘Yan Gana, Tudun Murtala Quarters, in Nassarawa local government area of the state.
Last Thursday, Mr Tanko led police officers to the school premises and showed them where he buried the schoolgirl’s body in a shallow grave.
Her remains were then exhumed for medical examination and a proper burial by her family.
Mr Tanko has not yet been charged as of the time of filing this report.
Speaking in an emotional voice, the girl’s father, Abubakar Abdussalam, told journalists the family was traumatized. Hanifa’s mother was admitted to the hospital after she fainted, he said.
He demanded justice from the authorities. Nigeria is grappling with a spate of criminal incidents with kidnapping for ransom very common, mostly by armed bandits who sometimes target schools for mass abductions of students.
The death penalty, as demanded by Mrs. Buhari and the Islamic cleric, is still legal in Nigeria for some crimes such as murder. However, many rights groups, such as Amnesty International, have called for its abolition.
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