NaijaWire

Bakassi - Nigeria will proceed with the planned handing over of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon on Thursday, August 14, 2008, regardless of opposition from some quarters, Presidential spokesman, Mr. Segun Adeniyi, said on Tuesday.

No fewer than 37,000 Nigerians displaced from the disputed peninsula are being resettled at Ibaka in Akwa Ibom State.

The Federal Government has also issued a warning to international oil companies operating in the country that it had had enough of their excesses, and must henceforth live up to their responsibility of meeting the challenges facing the oil sector of the nation’s economy.

Abuja - Nigeria Super Eagles have now officially qualified for the the final phase of the 2010 Nations and World Cups qualifiers, while also maintaining a clean sheet with the weekend’s 2-0 thrashing of Equatorial Guinea at the Abuja International Stadium.

Without conceding a goal in all the four matches played in the qualifiers, the Coach Shuaibu Amodu-tutored side confirmed their superiority in the group with 12 points to top the group, and became the first country to qualify for the African Cup of Nations tournament.

Goals from Yakubu Aiyegbeni and substitute Ike Uche in each half of the game gave the Eagles the needed victory against their visitors.

Ghana - Nigeria “Chicken” Eagles preliminary round conquerer, Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire, tasted defeat in a terrible way, as they were totally punished by the Pharaohs of Egypt in the first Semi-Final of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations soccer tournament, holding in Ghana.

The Elephants were handed a 1 - 4 defeat by the Pharaoh before the referee blew the final whistle to end what will have been a disastrous outing for the Elephants. Although the Ivorians dominated possession and had numerous chances, the Egyptians’ quick counter-attack enabled them to score four goals from Ahmed Fathi, Amr Zaki (2) and Mohamed Aboutraika. Kader Keita scored The only goal for the Elephants.

Ghana - The Super Eagles of Nigeria led by Nwankwo Kanu, will today attempt to redeem her fading glory as they meet with the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire, in what soccer pundits have termed the “glamour match” of the 26th Africa Cup of Nations that already kicked off in Ghana.

The Eagles were unlucky in their last match with the Ivorians, as they lost 0-1 during that encounter. So a lot is at stake today when the two face off with each other. Nigeria has won the Nations Cup two times, at home in Nigeria in 1980 and in Tunisia, 1994. Cote d’Ivoire has won it once, in Senegal 1992.

Lagos - Kanu Nwankwo, a five times Veteran, will this year, lead the all foreign-based Nigeria’s Super Eagles squad consisting of several English Premiership, Italian Serie A, and other European based professionals, to the upcoming Africa’s Cup of Nations soccer championship holding in Ghana, from January 20 to February 10, 2008.

Earlier during the week, the Super Eagles of Nigeria wiped Sudan 2-0 in a 2008 African Nations Cup warm-up match despite fielding a virtual second string side. Goals scorers were Spain-based Ikechukwu Uche and Mannaseh Ishiaku from German club MSV Duisburg.