The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Abia Warriors

  • Bosso quits Abia Warriors

    Bosso quits Abia Warriors

    •Thanks govt, management, players, fans

    Abia Warriors Technical Adviser, Isa Ladan Bosso has parted ways with his employer, SportinLife can exclusively report.

    The former Flying Eagles coach left Abia Warriors after two seasons in charge of the club.

    Bosso told SportingLife that he decided to call it quits after he was unable to achieve the personal target he set for the club, which is to pick a continental ticket within two years.

    Bosso guided the Umahia-based outfit to 7th  on the log in his first season in charge while the team ended 10th position in the just concluded season.

    “I want to tell you that I have left Abia Warriors for good. I have no problem with anybody but I just think this is the right time for me to leave. I decide my future and I know what is good for me,” Bosso told SportingLife in an emotional interview.

    “I am leaving the club because I have not been able to fulfill my own personal target I set for the club; I had a personal target to pick a continental ticket for the state and for myself but that wasn’t possible due to some obvious reasons.”

    The former Kano Pillars handler thanked the state government, the management, supporters club and above all the media.

    “I want to personally thank the chairman of the club, Emeka Inyama for his ability to manage me and the entire team. I urge the LMC to give Abia Warriors supporters an award. They are one of the few clubs in the league that did not foment trouble when the team lost or drew matches at home unlike other clubs. I hope one day we can still work together,” he said.

    Bosso, however, said he feels fulfilled that he left a decent club for the state. Abia warriors remains the only club that finished the season without a red card.

    “I not only left a decent team for the state but produced decent players for the national teams. Abia warriors have five players in the national team; two players for the super Eagles and three players for the U-23 team.

  • Peter Onyekachi returns to Abia Warriors

    Peter Onyekachi returns to Abia Warriors

    Allnigeriasoccer.com understands that former Nigeria Under 23 international Peter Onyekachi returned to Abia Warriors at the end of the 2015 season.

    Nigeria Professional Football League champions Enyimba had announced that they had struck a deal with the Umuahia – based side over the signing of the forward in January 2015, without revealing the length of the contract.

    Now, it has come to light that Abia Warriors had farmed out Onyekachi on loan to Enyimba for the whole of the just concluded season and that agreement has expired.

    The People’s Elephant had inserted a 50 percent sell-on clause into the deal, meaning they would have pocketed half of his transfer fee assuming he was sold to a foreign club in the summer transfer market.

    The 23-year-old Onyekachi will jet out to Accra, Ghana next week for a short vacation after the Abia State Governor must have hosted the Enyimba players for winning the NPFL.

  • Abia Warriors congratulate Enyimba

    Abia Warriors congratulate Enyimba

    The Chairman, Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia,  Emeka Inyama has congratulated Enyimba International Football Club of Aba for emerging Champions in this season’s Glo Premier League even with a match to spare.

    In a congratulatory letter he addressed to the chairman of Enyimba,Felix Anyansi Agwu,  Inyama, on behalf of Abia Warriors Board noted that the victory, which was Enyimba’s seventh title in the past 15 years,was achieved as a result of hardwork and determination by the team.

    The Abia Warriors chairman described the league title as a gift to the state Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu who, he noted, has demonstrated his love for sports by enormously sponsoring and supporting all sports since he assumed office.

    He called on Enyimba to carry the spirit of winning to next year’s CAF champions League and endeavour to bring back the continental trophy which they won back-to-back in 2003 and 2004, to the country.

  • Abia Warriors parade child mascots

    Abia Warriors parade child mascots

    Abia Warriors FC of Umuahia made history on Sunday when they became the very first Nigerian club to use fully kitted child mascots in a league match. Before the Abia Classico between the Warriors and Enyimba, both teams filed out with each captain clutching the hands of a child mascot fully kitted in the club’s colours.

    According to High Chief Emeka Inyama Chairman of Abia Warriors this is one of many innovations the club has put in place to entertain her fans.

    “Football is entertainment and holistic football entertainment carries the fans along not just on the field of play but also off it. We make extra effort to provide adequate entertainment for our fans. We also strive to run our club with international best practices. We look at how fans are entertained abroad and we bring it to our games because we love our fans and we feel they deserve the best always.

    “Aside the child mascots, we make sure every single child that comes to the stadium on match day receives a family pack of snacks to entertain themselves with while the game is on. We also sharelight entertainment to adult fans, and conduct our usual raffle draws. I want to use this opportunity to thank Chief Obioma Okorie, Chairman of Obioma Cement Enterprises Ltd for sponsoring these events, including the Man-of-the-Match award won by Anthony Okemmiri.

    “I promise our fans that next season will even be better for them as our team will be more competitive on the pitch and more entertaining off the pitch,” concluded the amiable sports administrator.

  • Abia Gov donates two buses to Enyimba, Abia Warriors

    Abia Gov donates two buses to Enyimba, Abia Warriors

    The Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu has donated two coaster buses  to Enyimba FC and Abia Warriors over their sterling performance in the Glo Premier League this season.

    Ikpeazu made the pledge shortly after the Abia Derby between Abia Warriors and the People’s Elephant which the latter won 1-0 to brighten their chances of winning a record seventh league title at the end of the season.

    He described the Abia derby as being equivalent to the El Classico of Spain and that he is delighted that both clubs through their outstanding performance are turning the state to the hub of professional football in the country.

    He also asserted that they took up the challenge to host the Nigeria Professional Women League Super Six so that this will allow the state’s women team, Abia Angels to see what it feels like playing in the elite division when they make their debut next season.

    Enyimba only need a draw in their next league tie against Warri Wolves this weekend to win a record seventh league title as they are atop the Glo Premier League with 68 points from 36 matches and are six points ahead of nearest rivals, Warri Wolves who are second on the log with 62 points.

    Abia Warriors on their part are in their second season in the topflight after they made it to the premier league last season. They are not troubled by relegation as they are 10th on the log with 50 points from 36 games.

  • Enyimba, Abia Warriors do battle in ‘Abia El Classico’

    Enyimba, Abia Warriors do battle in ‘Abia El Classico’

    Local rivals Enyimba and Abia Warriors will slug it out in Sunday’s Abia El-Classico” with both hoping for the points to consolidate their ambitions.

    ‘The People’s Elephant’ will be visiting Umuahia with the intention of breaking the jinx of never defeating their oriental brothers in the Premier league since the capital club made it to the elite class two seasons ago.

    In their previous three meetings, Abia Warriors have an edge with a win and two draws.

    In their first Premier league season, Abia Warriors, with 1-0 win became the only team to beat Enyimba in their fortress in Aba while the second leg encounter ended 3-3 in Umuahia.

    Earlier this season at the Enyimba International Stadium in Aba, the two sides settled for a 2-2 draw.

    But on current form, Enyimba on 65 points lead their neighbours by 15 points and the six-time Nigeria champions are gunning for their seventh title and do not see the Warriors stopping them.

    On 60 and 59 points respectively, Giwa FC of Jos and Warri Wolves are however giving Enyimba a run for their money but luckily, Enyimba’s last home match of the season is against ‘The Seasiders’ in Aba.

    So, Enyimba’s championship ambition is not actually tied to the Abia Warriors match on Sunday contrary to the widely held view but rather the match against Warri Wolves where they have their fate in their own hands.

    A victory against the Wolves in Aba will see them win the league even with a game to spare against Sunshine Stars in Akure on the last day of the league and irrespective of the result in this weekend’s encounter against the Warriors who have won 14 of their 17 home games so far this season.

    For Giwa FC, a team of the moment who have lost only seven of their 35 games so far, their two away matches against Heartland in Owerri and neighbours Nasarawa United in Lafia could determine their ambition of picking a continental ticket although they are expected to win their only remaining home game against Shooting Stars of Ibadan before their visit to Lafia.

    In all, the Abia Warriors chairman, Emeka Inyama, has called on the Enyimba and Abia Warriors officials, players and supporters to maintain high sense of decorum before, during and after the game on Sunday as government will not be happy with anybody whose conduct could tarnish the image of the state using the match as a cover to ferment trouble.

  • Onyeali injury boost for Abia Warriors

    Onyeali injury boost for Abia Warriors

    Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia has received a big boost ahead of the club’s week 34 Glo Premier League clash against Lobi Stars of Makurdi today as star midfielder, Ifeanyi Onyeali returned to training after missing the club’s last three league games as a result of injury.

    Onyeali last featured for the Warriors on September 20, when he scored the winner in a hard fought 3-2 victory over visiting Warri Wolves in Umuahia. He had earlier sustained a head injury during the match when he collided mid-air with super Eagles right wing back, Solomon Kwambe and was stretched off later.

    He subsequently missed Abia Warriors two away games against Sunshine Stars in Akure and Akwa United in Uyo as well as the epic 3-3 home draw against oriental brothers Enugu Rangers International in Umuahia.

    But Onyeali, who has so far scored five league goals for the Warriors this season after undergoing his rehabilitation programme returned to training to the admiration of Technical Adviser, Isa Ladan Bosso and other members of the technical crew.

    In his reaction, Dr. Enyinnaya Anozie, the head of the club’s medical unit described Onyeali’s recovery as miraculous considering the enormity of the injury and said he has been certified fit to start training again.

    Dr. Anozie, however, said that versatile defender Ogbonnya Okemmiri who sustained a toe injury in a week 27 league game against Nasarawa United of Lafia in Umuahia on September 2 is recuperating fine and will soon be ready to start training again while youngster, Shedrack Asiegbu, who was hit with a bout of typhoid fever after featuring against Sunshine Stars in Akure in a week 31 encounter on September 27, is yet to resume training. Dr Anozie also said that Bolaji Sakin, who sustained a head injury against Akwa United in Uyo about two weeks ago has been discharged from the hospital and is in a stable condition.

    Coach of the team,Ladan Bosso has described the absence of the trio as monumental but expressed happiness that Onyeali, who he said could change the course of any game, was back to action, although he could not confirm whether he would feature against Lobi Stars or not insisting that the bench was still watching him. Onyeali,  told Abia Warriors website that he was happy to be back and will always give a good account of himself, if selected for any match.

  • Abia govt vow to support Enyimba, Abia Warriors

    Abia State government  has revealed to Sportinglife that they have concluded plans to sponsor both Enyimba International of Aba and Abia Warriors of Umuahia in the 2016 African Champions League, if they emerge champions and runners up at the end of the season.

    According to the Deputy Governor of the State, Ude Oko Chukwu, the state is not only aiming at winning the Premier League shield, they are also looking forward in seeing that Abia Warriors finish as the runners’ up

    “We are aiming at winning the runners’ up slot as well. We have concluded plans to ensure that we properly fund the two teams in the continent next season. I hope you are aware that Enyimba remains the only club in Nigeria that have ever won the Champions League shield twice, we are also positioning the team to repeat that again next football season, and if possible to see two of our teams playing in the finals. That is what we are out to achieve, and we are not relenting on it”.

    He boasted that Abia State is not only a God’s own state, but has become a pacesatter in sports in Nigeria.

    “I recently read that Nigeria is  the fifth exporter of footballers in the World, but if you take a critical analysis of that figure, you would find out that Abia State may have the highest number of such players,” he concluded.

  • Chikatara rues Abia Warriors’ home draw

    Chikatara rues Abia Warriors’ home draw

    Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia lethal striker, Chisom Chikatara, who scored a hat-trick last weekend in Umuahia against visiting Enugu Rangers International in a week 32 Glo Premier League encounter, said he would have preferred all the three points for his team rather than the individual glory of scoring a hat-trick in a 3-3 home draw.

    Chikatara, who looked forlorn after the game despite his heroics, said Abia Warriors needed all the three points at stake to improve their standing on the league table and boost their chances of picking a continental ticket at the end of the season.

    “I thank God for giving me three goals today but I would have loved it more if we had won the match. For me at this time, three points is better than scoring three goals and sharing the points,” the Ibeku-Umuahia-born striker told Abia Warriors website.

    The 20-year-old, who have now netted 13 league goals this season and is just two goals shy of the 15 so far scored by Nasarawa United’s Esosa Igbinoba who leads the pack, noted that his team worked hard enough to grab all the three points at stake, but lamented that fate played a fast one on them as Rangers equalised to make it 3-3 during the second minute of the added three minutes in the 92nd minute.

    Chikatara said Abia Warriors will not relent as they are looking forward for better outings in their future encounters, pointing out with six matches to end the season, they are still very optimistic that a continental ticket was still realizable.

  • El Kanemi, Abia Warriors slow down title race

    El Kanemi, Abia Warriors slow down title race

    • Beat Enyimba, Warri Wolves

    El Kanemi Warriors and Abia Warriors have slowed down the desire of both Enyimba and Warri Wolves to end the season as Glo Premier League Champions after the two teams suffered defeat in Katsina and Umuahia in that order.

    The Borno Army crushed the People’s Elephant 2-1 at the Karkanda Stadium in Katsina with Efe Yarhere in sparkling form for the home team against the Aba side as his goals handed three points to El Kanemi while in Umuahia Township Stadium, Abia Warriors celebrated second significant victory in four days after they beat Warri Wolves 2-1 in front of their fans.

    Henry Ochuba put Warri Wolves in the driver’s seat in the third minute before Joseph Osadaiye equalised for the visitors.

    Ifeanyi Onyeali scored the match winner in the 54th minute to the delight of the home fans.

    Enyimba and Warri Wolves are still first and second on the log with 55 and 51 points from 30 matches in that order.