Felix Okey Emordi has resigned as the Technical Adviser of Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia.
In a letter addressed to the Chairman of the club, Emeka Inyama, Emordi said he had to quit following a string of poor results and wished the club well. His assistant, Abdullahi Biffo is to take over with immediate effect.
Biffo’s first assignment will be an away match against Akwa United in Uyo this weekend.
Tag: Abia Warriors
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EMORDI QUITS ABIA WARRIORS
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Abia Warriors’ fans angry with coach Emordi after home defeat
Some fans of Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia on Sunday shouted words of abuse at coach Okey Emordi after the team lost 0-1 to visiting El-Kanemi Warriors FC.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the fans were enraged by the home defeat to the Maiduguri side at the Umuahia Township Stadium.
They furiously accosted Emordi at the end of the match, harassing him as he made to leave the pitch and insisting that he should resign his appointment with the club.
The fans also urged him to either tender his resignation or he would incur their wrath, describing him as old and with little or nothing to offer to the team.
“You are old. You have nothing to offer Abia Warriors. You should tender your resignation without any delay or you will incur our wrath,” they shouted at him.
Emordi was however led out of the pitch by some others, who shielded him from being physically assaulted by the irate fans.
NAN reports that Husseini Bata scored from a counter-attack in the 7th minute.
The goal made the fans to start to taunt the home team for their visibly uncoordinated approach to the game.
“I wish El-Kanemi Warriors had utilised their scoring opportunity in the last minute of the game to score a second goal.
“That would have taught Abia Warriors a hard lesson,” a fan, who identified himself simply as Emeka, said.
He said the visiting team were technically better, and contended that Abia Warriors were not prepared for the match.
In a post-match interview with NAN, coach Ladan Bosso of El-Kanemi Warriors expressed joy over the away victory against his former club.
Bosso, who joined El-Kanemi Warriors after leaving Abia Warriors during the 2015/2016 league season, said he was not surprised by the victory because he was familiar with the terrain.
He said Abia Warriors paraded better players now than during his time but observed that they were facing the problem of blending together.
Meanwhile, efforts to get Emordi’s reaction were unsuccessful.
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Lawal blames inexperience for Abia Warriors’ loss
Katsina United ‘s midfielder Tasiu Lawal believes that the club’s loss to Abia Warriors on Wednesday could be attributed to the team’s lack of premier league experience as most of his teammates are having their debut season in the NPFL.
Lawal who has played for Niger Tornadoes and the defunct Dolphins in the topflight insisted that inexperienced ones would have gained the requisite experience within the next few matches and compete better than they are doing presently.
“I was not happy with our loss to Abia Warriors because we gave all our best to ensure that we get at least a point in Umuahia. We tried our best but football is always like,” Lawal told Goal.
“We are still inexperienced because it is the first time the team is playing in the premier league after a long time and even though we have few that have NPFL experience but majority are just playing in the premier league for the first time.”
Lawal however opined that there won’t be hiding places for Nasarawa United on Sunday because they have vowed to recoup the points they lost in Umuahia and that the Solid Miners won’t stand in their ways.
“There would be no going back against Nasarawa United because we will come all out to ensure we beat them. We need the match seriously and we won’t toil with it at all and our present position on the log is not where we belong.
“We are going to score up to three or four goals against Nasarawa United because we need a win against them.”
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Abia Warriors to suspend celebration
The Umuahia side have vowed to keep their celebration in check after they won their first two league matches.
“We are going to put everyone on his toes and make sure that the mistakes we made last season do not repeat themselves this term. We thank God for this kind of start and we won’t allow it to get to our heads because this is a marathon race,” Biffo told Goal.
“We are not going to leave any stone unturned this season to ensure that we are better than last season. We have another 36 matches to play and it is not yet time for us to celebrate and we have to concentrate on the next game.
“It is too early to look at the league table and what we need to do is to ensure we sustain the momentum.”
Abia Warriors’ Abdullahi Biffo has stated that the Umuahia side won’t over-celebrate their impressive start to the season as they strive to work on ensuring that last season’s gaffe is not repeated this term.
The Umuahia side dumped Katsina United 2-0 through the goals of Godwin Zaki and Seun Olulayo and they are now second on the league table with six points from two matches.
But Biffo who stood in for the head coach, Okey Emordi said that they are delighted with their hundred percent record in the league but that they refused to be carried away by it knowing that they still have 36 matches to play before the end of the season.
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Rangers fully focused on Abia Warriors
Enugu Rangers players have declared that they have put the Charity Cup loss to FC Ifeanyiubah behind them and are looking forward to their 2016/17 NPFL season opener against Abia Warriors tomorrow at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium.
The Flying Antelopes were unable to beat 10-man Anambra Warriors side in Abuja on Wednesday but Rangers’ skipper Okey Odita and his team mates: Chibuzor Madu, Godwin Aguda and Nana Bonsu have all in unison voiced out that the defeat would be one-off by the end of the season when everyone gathers to view their accomplishments for the season.
They said the loss to the Nnewi side was an eye opener and that the coaches have seen where and what they got wrong last Wednesday and that these would be corrected when they face Abia Warriors tomorrow.
Odita, who spoke on behalf of his teammates, apologised to their Enugu fans and supporters for their defeat to FC Ifeanyiubah and that they promise to make amends in the league which starts today and in the CAF Champions League.
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Abia Warriors hold pre-season thanksgiving service
Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia have held its annual pre-season anointing thanksgiving service with a pledge to continue to make God the cornerstone of the club.
Club chairman, Chief Emeka Inyama who made the pledge at the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, World Bank Parish, Umuahia during the service, said his management has always relied on God for all its activities adding that the service has always been orgainsed to thank God for seeing the team through the previous season and to start the new season with Him.
In a sermon, the Minister in charge of the Parish, Rev Chukwuma Okorie commended the team for recognizing the place of God in their activities and urged all members of the team to ensure they remain with the Almighty and never introduce a strange God in their midst.
The man of God stressed the need for the players to love and work for one another like brothers both on and off the pitch, insisting that without unity, the team will never succeed.
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Abia Warriors release name of crack squad for new season
Abia Warriors have released the names of their new signings ahead of
the 2016/17 NPFL season which kicks off on Saturday and the list
reveals that the Umuahia side raided Sunshine Stars, Enyimba and other
top NPFL sides in order to bring up a very strong squad.The Umuahia side have acquired the services of Moses Ocheje (Enyimba),
Agbor Ekoi (Sunshine Stars), Abiodun Adebayo (Niger Tornadoes),
Chinedu Efugh (Heartland), Seun Olulayo (Sunshine Stars), Obi Samson
(Delta Force), Dele Olorundare and Sunday Adetunji (3SC).Others captured by the side are Amanfor Chimezie (Enugu Rangers),
Emeka Isaac (Akwa United), Michael Okoyoh(Ikorodu United), Paul Onobi
(KuPs, Finland), Godwin Zaki (Malta), Yakoub Ahmed (Crown FC) and
Osondu Jonathan (Zamfara United).Abia Warriors have also promoted two players from their feeder team
and they are Ikenna Ogbonna and Durable Nwuju.The Umuahia side who are in their fourth season in the topflight also
recruited two foreign players in the duo of Ghanaian Solomon Opoku and
Ivorien Dilane Bihgou. -
Abia Warriors won’t take Rangers tie lightly – Onuoha
Abia Warriors media officer, Igwe Onuoha has predicted a tough game between his side and league champions, Rangers International FC of Enugu in the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) opener at the Umuahia Township stadium.
The coach Okey Emordi tutored side resumed camping on Sunday after the Yuletide break. Onuoha revealed that players showed that they are ready for the business for their large turn-out in Sunday’s training.
“The players and officials resumed training today after break and we have large turn-out. The players cut short their break to prepare for the game against Rangers. Rangers have been in camp for the past one week to show you that they are preparing too. The game is a local derby and it is going to be tough. We have all our players ready both old and new players.
“Rangers are defending champions and this will be their first league game after winning their title last season. They will want to give everything into the game and we want to start on a winning note too. So people should expect an explosive game. Emordi and his coaching crew are getting the players ready for the game. I believe we can get good result in the game,” Onouha said to SportingLife.
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Rangers begin title defence against Abia Warriors
Nigeria champions Enugu Rangers will begin their title defence at home against regional rivals Abia Warriors on the opening day of the new season.
However, the date for the big kick-off is yet to be announced.
In other matches, Enyimba take on Sunshine Stars, MFM are home to Niger Tornadoes, Kano Pillars face FC IfeanyiUbah, 3SC welcome Lobi Stars and Wikki battle Nasarawa United.
In other opening day clashes, Akwa United will be away to ABS, Rivers United face El Kanemi in Port Harcourt, Katsina are home to another promoted club Gombe United and new boys Remo Stars battle Plateau United.
Four clubs have been promoted to the top flight – Remo Stars, ABS FC, Gombe United and Katsina United.
Rangers were champions last season with Rivers United finishing as runners-up.
Both teams will represent Nigeria in next year’s CAF Champions League.
Wikki Tourists placed third and will feature in the 2017 CAF Confederation Cup.
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Abia Warriors drop 10 players
The management of Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side Abia Warriors have dropped 10 players as they continue preparations ahead of the new season.
The Umuahia- based side have already secured the services of experienced players including former Flying Eagles first choice goalkeeper, Joshua Enaholo, former Enyimba defender, Ike ThankGod, Heartland captain and defender Chinedu Efugh, Sunshine Stars duo of Dele Olorundare and Seun Olulayo, Rangers defender, Bright Esieme and Shooting Stars striker Adetunji Sunday.
The assistant coach, who also doubles as the Match Reader of the team, Patrick Ngwaogu, revealed to SportingLife that the 10 players were dropped after being declared surplus to the club’s requirements.
Ngwaogu said the club will work with 35 players in their camp in Calabar as they continue to search for more quality players.
“We have some established players now in the team as we continue to prepare for the new season. We came to Calabar with 45 players and we have dropped 10. So we have 35 players in camp now. It will now be substitution by elimination because there are other players that will still come in. If they are better than what we have on ground, we will sign them. But if not, we will concentrate on the 35,” Ngwaogu told SportingLife.
The club recently confirmed the appointment of Okey Emordi as their new technical adviser.