RandaFooty: Everything Nigerian football, home and abroad

Nigeria's Super Eagles will have a silver lining in case they don't make it out of Group A of the 2015 Afcon qualifiers. With 4 points from four games, the African champions are third on the log and with two games remaining, can reach a maximum of 10 points if they win the remaining games away to Congo in Pointe Noire and in Uyo against South Africa. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) have sent reminders to it's various association regarding how the best third placed team will emerge to join other qualifiers for the biennial event. Caf has already earmarked the two top teams from each group to go through and a third best team from the qualifying series to join hosts Morocco.

Naija hurdle up before a game. Pic courtesy Getty Images  By Bukola Olajide The stage is set for the Falcons of Jediane to trade tackle with The Super Eagles of Nigeria in a must win match for the two teams in a bid to pick a ticket to Morocco 2015  There was a heavy down pour in Khartoum on Friday evening which led the Super Eagles to abandon  the flooded pitch to the Fifa Goal Project pitch where they had their light training later on. The Mohamed Abdullah Mazda led team have put their poor performances  against the group leaders (Congo and South Africa) behind them and ready to bounce on the Eagles.  The Falcons who are bottom of the group with no point are ready to prove to their fans why they should be in Morocco However the interim coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria Coach Stephen Keshi who has been under huge criticism after the Eagles poor outing in Brazil will have to prove to the NFF board led by Amaju Pinnick and soccer loving N

I teamed up with Sudanese football expert, Abdul Musa to preview Saturday's Group A Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Sudan and Nigeria in Khartoum. Our thoughts are penned below. Have a pleasant read. Nigeria's game against Sudan this weekend is surely one of the most important matches the Super Eagles will play in a long while, because Nigeria's qualification hopes for Morocco 2015 might be up in smoke at the midway stage. The Super Eagles are out on a limb going into the game in Khartoum as a loss of any sort will surely be panic stations for Nigeria. A 3-2 loss in Calabar in September was followed by a scoreless draw against Bafana Bafana of South Africa in Cape Town four days later to give Nigeria a singe point out of a possible six, a scenario which has made the trip to Sudan potentially exigent. Coach Stephen Keshi and his wards know that anything short of a win will not do the team's chances any good considering the two to

Nigeria's clash against Sudan on Saturday in Khartoum is one of the most important matches the Super Eagles will play in a long while because of what is at stake. After winning the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations title in South Africa, a lot was expected from this Nigeria side. A second exit at the Fifa World Cup in Brazil was supposed to be a catalyst for progression. That doesn't look like the case right now. Losing to Congo in Calabar, a first in almost 29 years, rang the alarm bells. A drab scoreless draw in Cape Town gave credence to the critics who felt coach Stephen Keshi has brought the team as far as he can go. A home loss and one point from a possible six isn't the type of form expected of the reigning African champions. Nigeria now have to come back from Khartoum with points on the deck and complete the business in the return leg next Wednesday. 9jafooty  looks at five things the Super Eagles must do if they hope to get something

pic courtesy supersport.com The 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers continue this weekend with match day 3 as Nigeria's Super Eagles travel to Khartoum to face the Sudanese national team in what is a must win game for both sides in Group A. Nigeria, the reigning African champions have just a point from two matches while Sudan have no point. Both countries take up the rear spots in the group and will need to get points on the board if they are to make their qualification dreams come true. Embattled Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi has a herculean task in Khartoum as he tries to ginger up his team to get back to winning ways, after going win less in the Super Eagles' last four internationals.

Nigeria's quest for a place at Morocco 2015 Africa Cup of Nations will continue this weekend as the gladiators have started arriving for the encounter against Sudan. Warri Wolves centre back Azubuike Egwuekwe was the first to arrive the Bolton White Hotel camp of the Super Eagles as preparations hit top gear to ensure Nigeria does well against the Sudanese in Khartoum. Sone Aluko, Reading's Hope Akpan, Michael Babatunde, Nosa Igiebor and newly called up Aaron Samuel are also some of the early birds in camp.

Nigeria and FC Atyrau of Kazakhstan  defender Michael Odibe wants a return to mainland Europe and Italy especially as he says he is happy playing football once again after his troubles in Ukraine. The former AC Siena defender became a free agent when his Ukraine club Arsenal Kiev went into administration which saw him miss almost 3 months of action before he chose to move to Kazakhstan to continue his career.   Odibe, who has one cap for Nigeria, says the level in Kazakhstan is not entirely bad as many may want to think, but that he is glad to be playing and back to his best.

pic courtsy Getty Images  Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi last Friday released a 24 man list of players he hopes can rescue Nigeria's quest for qualifying for next year's Africa Cup of Nations to be hosted by Morocco. The former Togo coach, dissatisfied with the performance of some of the players during the first batch of games against Congo and South Africa where the Super Eagles mustered a single point from a possible six, has decided to drop Nnamdi Oduamadi, Ramon Azeez and Uche Nwofor from the latest squad. Michael Babatunde, who last featured for the Eagles at the World Cup in Brazil in June gets a recall and so do first choice goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama and Victor Moses, who were left out of the Congo and South Africa games.