The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Abia Warriors

  • ORIENTAL CLASH: Rangers promise players cash to beat Abia Warriors

    ORIENTAL CLASH: Rangers promise players cash to beat Abia Warriors

    Rangers International FC of Enugu General Manager, Paul Chibuzor, has promised an undisclosed financial package to the players and officials of the club if they secure a victory against Abia Warriors in a match day six Nigeria Professional Football League on Sunday at Umuahia.

    According to a release made available to SportingLife through the club’s Director Media and Public Relations, Foster Chime, the chairman said the players have been financially motivated as a way to encourage them to push for a positive victory in Umuahia, with the payment of their Wikki Tourists victory match bonus.

    He added that the management has introduced some packages aimed at improving the clubs image as well as creating conducive relationship with the players and officials.

    Amongst the new packages include, Monthly Best player award, prompt payment of match bonuses, constant seminars, talks/briefs by various stakeholders in the football business to update the players on the current trends in the industry.

    Others are constant health checks, dieting, financial and investment managing as well as spiritual and marital issues to ensure they are always in the right frame of mind to avoid distractions.

    Chibuzor also disclosed that efforts are on to secure a bus from the Enugu State government to convey Rangers fans to Umuahia, adding that the club’s Board Chairman, Festus Onu had earlier promised to provide a luxurious bus to convey supporters and Rangers fans to Umuahia on Sunday for the oriental match.

  • Amaefule backs Abia Warriors to fight for league title

    Amaefule backs Abia Warriors to fight for league title

    Nigeria U23 international Chizoba Amaefule has backed Abia Warriors to contend for this season’s championship.

    Abia Warriors third in standings with eight points from four matches.

    Former Al Markhiya of Qatar defender Amaefule said the Umuahia club have the quality on the bench and on the pitch to challenge for the league crown this season.

    “I signed a year’s deal with Abia Warriors, I had offers from other teams, but I chose Abia Warriors because they are a team who have quality and are capable of winning their first league crown. There are good players here with a good coach in Kennedy Boboye,” he said.

    Abia Warriors finished 10th last season after they placed ninth on their debut in the 2013/14 season.

  • Abia Warrior struggling to replace Chikatara

    Abia Warrior struggling to replace Chikatara

    Abia Warriors is struggling to replace Chisom Chikatara ahead of the new season after the striker agreed a deal with Moroccan club Wydad Casablanca, a club source has said.

    The 21-year-old has been the Umuahia club’s top goal-scorer with 48 goals in 71 games and also scored four times for the Super Eagles at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) tournament last month, but agreed to join Wydad after his impressive performances in Rwanda.

    The Umuahia club has signed three new strikers and is hoping to complete the signing of one or two more’ before the start of the season.

    “Abia Warriors has signed three strikers and will sign one or two more but there’s a concern about the club’s inability to get perfect replacements for Chisom (Chikatara),” the source told Goal.

     

  • Abia Warriors dismiss Chikatara’s transfer fee

    Abia Warriors dismiss Chikatara’s transfer fee

    Abia Warriors have refuted reports in the media that CHAN 2016 revelation, Chisom Chikatara to Wydad Athletic Club Casablanca of Morocco for $700,000.

    Refuting the story, principal partner of Activity Chambers, the club’s legal consultants, Johhny Ogbah, admitted that Chisom has been transferred to Wydad Athletic Club, but insisted that the figure quoted by the papers is not true.

    “The truth is that Chisom Chikatara is now a player of WAC Morocco. All parties have agreed and signed the necessary documents, but the figure being quoted is not correct.

    “It is important that journalists verify stories before rushing to publish it. I read the story and there was no single quote from an official of either clubs, or the player or his intermediary. I wonder where the journalists got the figures they are brandishing from.

    “Our national dailies too should be careful to verify stories they see on websites before publishing them. A simple phone call may have given the true picture of the whole scenario but nobody did so, they just rushed and published without verifying. This is very bad.”

    Asked to reveal the exact figure, Ogbah said it would be unethical and unprofessional for him to do so, as this is privileged information.

    “As is the practice in other climes, if you must report a figure, confirm it. If you do not confirm it, then report it as an undisclosed fee as it is the business of both clubs involved to choose to disclose the fee to the press if they wanted, otherwise they are not bound by any law to do so,” Ogbah further revealed.

    In his reaction, Abia Warriors chairman, Emeka Inyama in refuting the figures being branded as Chikatara’s transfer fee, said the 21-year-old Ibeku-born striker has already signed the dotted lines to join Wydad Casablanca, adding that he was now updating his documents at the Moroccan embassy to enable him unite with his new club as soon as possible.

  • Abia Warriors begin final preparation in Port-Harcourt

    Abia Warriors begin final preparation in Port-Harcourt

    Players and officials of Abia Warriors have begun their last phase of their preparation in Port-Harcourt ahead of the league kick off.

    The Umuahia-based side moved to Port-Harcourt for another two weeks closed camping after their pre-season tournament in Ibadan.

    Abia Warriors won the five-team unity invitational pre-season football tournament in Ibadan after being held 1-1 by premier league new boys, MFM football club of Lagos in the final match of the round-robin contest.

    The Warriors, who beat Remo Stars and Sunshine stars by identical 1-0 goal margin and drew 1-1 with hosts, Shooting Stars of Ibadan before the game with MFM, thus won the competition with unassailable eight points.

    The club’s media officer, Igwe Onuoha told SportingLife that the team is in Port-Harcourt to perfect strategies for their first Glo Premier League clash against Ikorodu United.

    Onuoha said his team will move straight to Lagos few days to the league kick off to face Ikorodu United.

    “We are in Port-Harcourt so as to have enough concentration to prepare for the league. We are in Port-Harcourt to strategise and keep the players out of the public distraction,” Onuoha confirmed to SportingLife.

    “We want maximum concentration from our players that is why we are here. We will be here until few days to the league kick off. We will move directly to Lagos to face Ikorodu United in the league first match.”

  • Abia Warriors, BJ Foundation battle over Obanor

    Abia Warriors, BJ Foundation battle over Obanor

    The management of bj Foundation Football Club, Benin city, has condemned in strong terms the recent claim of ownership of Erhun Obanor by Abia Warriors.

    The chairman of bj Football team, Douglas Idahosa in a chat with sports writers in Benin said: “The claim is not only laughable but a fabricated lie intended to mislead the Nigeria Football Federation, Nigerians and the world in general.

    “I wish to put the records straight, Erhun is a bonafide player of BJ Foundation football club. He was first given out on loan to City of David FC Lagos, under coach Austine Eguaveon for a season and he returned back at the end of loan. Thereafter was sent on another one season loan to Bendel Insurance FC of Benin where Abia Warriors FC came to pick him on loan for 2014/2015 football season with the agreed loan fee of five hundred thousand ( N500,000.00) which they never paid till date. It is pertinent to note that the season and loan ended since November 2014 and Erhun Obanor was never paid December salary when he even asked for it as christmas gift, he was told that he was not part of the club as his loan had expired.

    Erhun Obanor returned back to his club BJ Foundation before travelling out.

    “BJ Foundation will not succumb to this act of intimidation from Abia Warriors as we are not new to the business of players management. Isaac Success, Osas Okoro and others were nutured by us,” Idahosa further said.

    “We wish to inform the NFF and Abia Warriors FC that BJ Foundation FC can not be intimidated and coerced into giving away a player that was nutured and groomed through the ranks in club, in as much we don’t deter our players from seeking greener pastures outside the club, Abia Warriors should not think of reaping where it did not sow.”

  • Inyama: The community will own Abia Warriors

    Inyama: The community will own Abia Warriors

    Abia Warriors chairman, Emeka Inyama has revealed plans to make the club a truly community owned club ahead of the 2015/16 Nigeria Professional Football League(NPFL) season.

    “We want to make the team a community based outfit,we want the fans to derive joy when visiting the stadium on match days. For Abia Warriors we are preparing, we have a new coach in no one else but Kennedy Boboye” the  administrator said.

    “We have fortified the team with some very good players, very well experienced .We want to make a serious impact in the league next season.

    Abia Warriors have finished in the top 10 of the NPFL table in the last two seasons but this time around Inyama feels the club is ready to pick a continental ticket.

    “We are contending for a continental slot. It may look like a very big ambition. That is our expectation and that’s what will drive us to our objectives.

    “We have been able to repackage the club, we are bringing the club to the  fans within the community. As the season gets underway, there will be lots of prizes to be won. We want the club to get close to its immediate environment.

    Inyama praised the impact of Chisom Chikatara at the ongoing African Nations Championship and revealed that despite the series of interests in the ‘’Kokanut Boy’’ the club will take a good decision that represents his interest.

    “Chisom Chikatara is a boy that I can’t stop celebrating. I’m not surprised that he has taken the tournament by storm and I hope he gets better. It is expected that when a rookie performs at that kind of level, interests will come. We will guide the boy in making the best decision in his career,”he said.

  • Boboye targets Continental Spot with Abia Warriors

    Boboye targets Continental Spot with Abia Warriors

    Abia Warriors coach Kennedy Boboye says the club will pursue the target of a top 3 finish and also disclosed there’ll be no overhaul of the squad as he prepares for the new NPFL season.

    The Coach told footballlive.ng only a few signings will be brought in to complement the 90 percent of last season’s squad he would retain.

    “We are not looking to bring in too many players; we’ll keep 90 per cent of the players from last season as we plan for a big campaign next season.

    “The club has set a continental ticket target next season and incidentally, this object I part of my plans as well.”

  • Amaefule considers move to Abia Warriors, Heartland

    Amaefule considers move to Abia Warriors, Heartland

    Nigeria U-23 international,  Chizoba Amaefule has issued a come-and-get-me plea to Abia Warriors and Heartland of Owerri ahead of the start of the Nigeria Professional Football League(NPFL).

    Both clubs based in Eastern Nigeria had expressed their desire to snap him up from Dolphins of Port Harcourt before he joined Qatargas League side Al-Markhiya SC in January 2015 but he rejected their overtures then.

    “I was approached by Abia Warriors and Heartland before I signed for Al-Markhiya SC, ” Chizoba Amaefule told allnigeriasoccer.com.

    “My agent has told me there is an offer for my services abroad but I won’t mind joining any of the two teams if I decide to remain in Nigeria.”

    The central defender has tipped his Dream Team VI colleagues who were named to the Super Eagles African Nations Championship roster to do the country proud during the tournament in Rwanda.

    “I saw the CHAN list yesterday, the players are okay, it is a very good team. I believe they will do better than the last team that won bronze in South Africa.

    “I know all  the players in the team. Usman Mohammed, Bature Yaro and Prince Aggreh are members of the U-23 squad.

    “The defenders are good, I won’t say they are the best in Nigeria but these are the players that the coaches want and we must support them,” Amaefule added.

    The 21 – year – old Amaefule is now a free agent based on a ruling by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) but must pay $10,000 to his former employer, Dolphins of Port Harcourt if he signs on the dotted line for a foreign club.

  • Abia Warriors will miss Bosso – Shakin

    Abia Warriors will miss Bosso – Shakin

    Issa Ladan Bosso  resigned after a failed bid to secure a continent ticket with Abia Warriors but his players have said he built a strong legacy and will be sorely missed,  Bolaji Shakin has revealed.

    The Abia-based side finished in mid-table in the just concluded Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season.

    Bosso’s time at the club ensured the Abia derby was a sure contest against the more illustrious neighbours, Enyimba FC.

    Meanwhile, former head of the Sports medical unit of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Dr Akin Amoo has insisted that professional football clubs in Nigeria are not properly run as they do not have true medicals teams or units.