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Tag: Abia Warriors

  • Abia Warriors’ job excites Makinwa

    Newly appointed head coach of Abia Warriors, Henry Makinwa is looking forward to the opportunity of working with the Nigeria Professional Football League side.

    Makinwa, who signed a year contract with the Umuahia-based side and then address the team for the first time on Monday, replaced Abdullahi Biffo, who left the team following the expiration of his contract at the end of last season.

    In a chat with NationSport, the former ABS Football Club of Ilorin handler said it is high time Abia Warriors start to compete for titles since their promotion to the elite division back in 2013.

    “It is exiting to be returning to NPFL. It is an exiting moment but with high rigor and high preparations. I’m looking forward to the big league as you want to call it now.

    “I met the players on Monday and the reception was fantastic and the feeling was very high because the boys were ready.”

    Abia Warriors moved to camp in Port Harcourt on Tuesday and Makinwa revealed that he will use the camping to assess the team as he targets silverware with the club this season..

    “There is always where to improved. We are going for camp now and that will be where things will be seen clear. We are going to Port Harcourt and from there we will finally see where we have to beef up or where we have to manage.

    “Of course this is a big team in Nigeria context. So every team should aspire for everything that is possible. So we are one of those aspiring for everything because Abia Warriors is not a new comer to the league, we have to aspire to everything. The team must believe in themselves. We have been on the look out in the NPFL for the past 5-6 years, so I think it’s about time we go forward to win something,” Makinwa told NationSport.

  • NPFL: Abia Warriors whip Yobe Desert Stars 3-1

    NPFL: Abia Warriors whip Yobe Desert Stars 3-1

    Hosts Abia Warriors Football Club on Sunday rediscovered their winning streak with a 3-1 bashing of visiting Yobe Desert Stars FC.

    Abia Warriors’ forward Effiong Ndifereke helped to turn the team’s fortunes around with a brace in the ninth and 29th minutes in the match played at the Umuahia Township Stadium.

    Sam Obi scored Abia Warriors’ second goal at the 16th minute during a goal-mouth scramble.

    The players however turned casual in their approach to the game, allowing the visitors to dictate the pace, with several incursions into Abia Warriors’ defence.

    The Damaturu- based boys sustained the pressure until the 79th minute, when Manika Usman’s grounder beat Abia Warriors’ goalkeeper for the visitors’ lone goal.

    Yobe Stars’ coach Ganaru Mohammed, in a post-match interview, said he was disappointed with the outcome of the game and admitted that his players were ordinary in the first half.

    Read Also: South-East/South-South Pre-Season: Abia Warriors through to semis

    “My players did not perform well in the first half. They allowed Abia Warriors to over-run them,” Mohammed said.

    He said that he expected that they could pick a point in Umuahia, considering that Abia Warriors had drawn their last two home matches.

    Also speaking, Abia Warriors’ coach Emmanuel Deutsch attributed the team’s victory to hard work and resilience.

    Deutsch gave assurance that they would continue to work hard for better results in their home and away fixtures.

    The News man reports that the Umuahia-based side had been uninspiring with two successive barren draws at home.

    These were against Sunshine Stars FC of Akure and Rangers International FC of Enugu.

    NAN

  • Scrapped bonus: Inyama, Mgbolu caution NFF

    Scrapped bonus: Inyama, Mgbolu caution NFF

     

    Chairman of Abia Warriors Emeka Inyama and former image maker of Nigeria Football Federation Austin Mgbolu, have called on the Nigeria Football Federation to take a second look at the no bonus for junior teams decision.

    The Amaju Pinnick led Glass House has recently announced that bonuses will now be paid only to Super Eagles and Super Falcons respectively citing the need to reduce running cost as one of the reasons for the decision.  Some members of the board have also been quoted as reasoning that doing away with bonus and other cash inducement will help the younger players focus and resist the temptation to  be money conscious in the cause of serving the national teams.

    Inyama and Mgbolu however pointed out that the move could backfire and affect the zeal among up and coming players to put in their best when called upon.

    Mgbolu particularly noted that in Europe the maturity age is put at 18, noting that those playing for U-20-23 cannot entirely be said to be junior players who do not require bonus.

    While Inyama may not mind if bonuses are not paid to U-17 sides he nonetheless called for increased daily allowance for them while retaining bonuses for other junior teams.

    Although the Glass House appear to have stamped the decision, it has continued to generate reactions with most stakeholders insisting that it will not be in the best interest of the nation to cancel the bonus system out rightly without working out some other form of cushioning effect that will retain  interest in the junior national teams. Those who supported the move however said there is need to inculcate the spirit of service to the nation with delayed gratification into the junior teams to reduce incidences of squabbles between teams and the Glass House over match bonuses during tournaments which in some cases had snowballed to the point of players insisting on getting their due before playing.

  • NPFL: Abia Warriors demolish Rivers United 4-1

    NPFL: Abia Warriors demolish Rivers United 4-1

    Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia on Saturday wrapped up their 2016/2017 Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) season with a spectacular 4-1 demolition of visiting Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Abia Warriors began the game at the Umuahia Township Stadium on a poor note and were punished for this in the 23rd minute.

    Rivers United forward Guy Kueman cashed in on a lapse in the Abia Warriors’ defence to put the ball behind goalkeeper Chinedu Anozie for their lone goal.

    However, Effiong Ndifereke drew his side level in the 32nd minute, when he fired a shot past goalkeeper Sunday Rotimi from outside the penalty area.

    Ndifereke gave his side the lead in the 49th minute, when he converted a penalty kick after a Rivers’ defender handled the ball.

    Stanley Nwuju, who replaced Amanfor Chimezie, extended his team’s lead in the 88th minute with a powerful shot into the net.

    In the second minute of added time, Moses Omoduemuke latched on to a pass to place the ball behind the goalkeeper for Warriors’ fourth goal.

    The captain of Rivers United, Festus Austin, who looked devastated by the result, told NAN at the end of the match that his team lost grip of the game when they conceded the equaliser.

    “We lost grip of the game in the first half,” Austin said, adding that “the equaliser demoralised us.’’

    He said the team thought it “could pick up a point in Umuahia’’ to improve their standing on the log.

    Reflecting on the season, Austin said it was difficult for his side, saying “the beginning of the season was actually difficult for us and we picked up late’’.

    He however said they had learnt their mistakes and were hopeful of correcting them next season.

    Coach Abdullahi Biffo of Abia Warriors expressed happiness that the club survived the relegation threat.

    “I must give kudos to the players for their resilience,” he said, adding that even when they were one goal down, they pushed hard and got the equaliser.

    The coach said the equaliser acted as the tonic which propelled the team to pummel the visitors with more goals.

    He however regretted that the team failed to sustain its brilliant performance in the first stanza of the league and now had to struggle to avert relegation.

    Biffo gave assurance that the management and coaching crew would meet to analyse their performance and ascertain their weak points and mistakes with a view to correcting them next season.

    In an interview with NAN at the end of the game, a cross-section of football fans expressed joy that at the end of the day, the club did not go into relegation.(NAN)

  • Abia Warriors aim Katsina invasion – Adebayo

    Abia Warriors aim Katsina invasion – Adebayo

    Abia Warriors’ Abiodun Adebayo has said that he and his teammates are determined to grab a win over Katsina United on Sunday.

    “Katsina United are hard to beat at home but there exist no fear. If you show fear before going to the battlefield, then the end point might be suicidal,” Adebayo told Goal.

    “We are a competitive side and that gives us the confidence to upset them. This is our chance to pick points on the road, therefore the game will be very special.

    “They deserve our respect, but we go to Katsina without fear and with a lot of confidence. Many will be shocked with the outcome of the match and we are prepared to make it swing in our favour,” he said.

  • ABIA WARRIORS DISPEL OCHEJE’s EXIT RUMOURS

    ABIA WARRIORS DISPEL OCHEJE’s EXIT RUMOURS

    Management of Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia has described as false, reports making the rounds in the media that one of their goalkeepers registered for the current Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season, Moses Ocheje, has left the club.
    After an emergency management meeting at the club’s Secretariat in Umuahia, Abia Warriors noted that Ocheje remains a bona-fide player of the club and wondered where the exit rumour is coming from.
    In a statement, the club said the former Enyimba goaltender only took some time off to attend to some family issues.
    “He took permission from the coaches to attend to some immediate family matters and he is expected back as agreed “, the statement said.
    Abia Warriors warned any club nurturing the ambition of luring Ocheje to their side to retrace their steps as the goalkeeper is still under a valid contract with the club and has not been declared surplus to requirement by the coaches.

  • ABIA WARRIORS 3-0 KANO PILLARS:

    ABIA WARRIORS 3-0 KANO PILLARS:

     Biffo: Abia Warriors were determined to end Pillars dominance

    Abia Warriors’ head coach, Abdullahi Biffo has stated that the determination of his boys to record their first win against Kano Pillars and also improve their standing on the league table were the reasons for the emphatic victory yesterday at the Umuahia Township Stadium in a NPFL Match Day 15 tie.

    The Umuahia side leapt to sixth on the log from 10th position after the resounding win with 22 points from 15 games and Biffo told SportingLife that the boys resolved within themselves that they would clip Sai Masu Gida for the first time from seven matches and it was not difficult executing the match plan.

    “There was no magic in the win. We spoke to the players on the need to get a win and they came out very determined to rewrite the history of the club and it was not difficult getting the win,” Biffo told SportingLife.

    Sheriff Bashir and Sunday Adetunji were among the goal scorers for Abia Warriors yesterday and the Umuahia side will visit Lagos for a mid week date with MFM.

  • Abia warriors 2-1 Lobi Stars: Okiemute injured

    Abia warriors 2-1 Lobi Stars: Okiemute injured

    Lobi Stars’ first choice goalkeeper, Okiemute Odah sustained an injury during his side’s 2-1 loss to Abia Warriors in match day 13 of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) clash at the Umuahia Township Stadium on Sunday.

    SportingLife reports that the former Warri Wolves safe hands suffered a deep cut to his cheeks when he was fouled by Abia Warriors’ Sunday Adetunji.

    Okiemute was replaced by John Lawrence when it was obvious he could no longer continue the game played on a waterlogged pitch.

    Anthony Okemmiri shot the Abia Warriors into the lead in the 10th minute before Kingsley Eduwo equalised for the visitors five minutes later after a goal mouth scramble off a corner kick.

    However, Chinedu James helped the coach Abdullai Biffo-tutored side pick the maximum three points when he nodded past his own goalkeeper, Lawrence, to score the second goal that separated both sides in the 84th minute .

    The club’s Team Manager, Barnabas Imenger confirmed Okiemute’s injury to SportingLife as he said that the team’s doctors are assessing the level of the cut.

    “Okiemute picked up an injury but I could not ascertain the level of the wound at the moment because it was raining heavily when the incident happened and I didn’t see it very clearly. All I can say for now is that the team’s doctors are on top of the situation,” Imenger said to SportingLife.

  • Biffo hails Abia Warriors’ response against Tornadoes

    Biffo hails Abia Warriors’ response against Tornadoes

    Abdullahi Biffo admits he is delighted that Abia Warriors gave a positive response to their recent ‘adverse situation’ following their topflight victory over Niger Tornadoes on Wednesday.

    The Umuahia based side have suffered a bad patch of form, one that resulted in the resignation of former coach, Okey Emordi.

    Biffo took over and after a defeat at Akwa United over the weekend, an Anthony Okemmiri 18th minute strike ensured they pipped Ikon Allah Boys 1-0 at the Umuahia Township Stadium.

    And the gaffer has hailed the reaction of his charges to the situation.

    “The result satisfied us a lot and we are happy it came at the right time,” Biffo told Goal.

    “We did a great job. It was a fantastic response to what was an adverse situation. The match was hard for us, Tornadoes were very strong. When we changed our way of playing in midfield the game changed.

    “We made key tactical switches which helped us as we looked to play into spaces and get closer to their penalty area.

    “There is happiness at achieving a very important result. It’s incredible the reaction we produced. Everyone put in a great performance. The team must be congratulated. We will go on taking things game by game.”

  • Abia Warriors refute Emordi assault claims

    Abia Warriors refute Emordi assault claims

    Abia Warriors have dismissed the insinuations in some quarters that the immediate past coach, Felix Okey Emordi was assaulted after the match against El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri last weekend and forced to resign his appointment as the Technical Adviser of the Umuahia-based club.

    The statement of the club read: “The truth remains that this rumour is a figment of the imagination of those who peddled them as the gaffer was never insulted or assaulted by anybody prior to his resignation.

    “In the letter he wrote to our chairman where he announced his decision to quit, Emordi clearly stated that he left as a result of poor results the team recorded under him, so we wonder where the insinuations are coming from.

    “To demonstrate the good relationship that still exists between him and Abia Warriors, the coach was conveyed home with Abia Warriors Official vehicle and wished well as he left Umuahia .

    “Newsmen are still free to verify their facts with officials of Abia Warriors before publishing in order not to create unnecessary tension in the system.”­