Tag: Akwa United

Governor Umo Eno has appointed Joseph Eno as the new chairman of Akwa United, a Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side.

He also appointed Prince Ukeme Ukpong as the new chairman of Ibom Angels.

The Governor reconstituted the boards of both clubs. Other board members of Akwa United include: Ini Edoho (Vice Chairman), Mr. Jimmy Joshua (General Manager), and Elder Omon Bassey (Secretary). Other officials include Mr. Festus Akpan (Team Manager), Mr. Mfon Patrick (Media Manager) and his assistant, Mr. NsikakAbasi Akpan.

Read Also: Bailey joins Roma on season-long loan from Villa

The club has appointed Coach Paul Offor as Head Coach. The former Sporting Lagos manager will be assisted by Tosin Adekugbe, Okechukwu Promise, Bassey Akpan and Akarandut Orok.

The Governor also appointed new board for Ibom Angels. They include Elder John Udo (Secretary), Mr. Cyril Orok (Assistant Secretary), Hon. Ndah Ndah (Team Co-ordinator), Coach Mary Udobia (Team Manager), Mr. Dennis Thadeus (Welfare Officer), Mr. Edidiong Stephen (Media Manager) with Mr. Ini Akang as his assistant, and Uduak Freddie as Camp Commandant.

Akwa United Football Club has concluded plans to stage a novelty football match in honour of their late Team Manager, Sir Emmanuel Udoh, fondly known as “Bullet”, who passed away in May 2025.

In a statement signed by the club’s Acting Secretary, Elder Omon Bassey, the commemorative match will see Team Akwa United face off against Team Akwa Ibom State Football Association — a body where the late Sir Udoh served meritoriously as Secretary for thirteen years.

The match is scheduled to take place at the Uyo Township Stadium tomorrow , August 12^th  at 4:00 PM. Football administrators, club managers, players, supporters, and fans are all expected to turn out in honour of the iconic football figure.

Read Also: NFF extends tenure of NPFL, NNL, NLO boards

Udoh, a Knight of St. John International , was a former player of Calabar Rovers and Bendel Insurance, and also represented Nigeria at the junior national level. His influence on the game and dedication to football development, particularly in Akwa Ibom State, earned him deep respect across the Nigerian football community.

His funeral service will be held on Thursday, August 14th, 2025, at his hometown, Obio Offot, in Uyo Local Government Area, after a Funeral Mass to be celebrated by St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Obio Offot Parish, Uyo.

Akwa United has officially opened its camp for new players as part of preparations for the 2025/26 football season.

The former Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) champions, who were relegated last season, commenced their pre-season training on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, at the Uyo Township Stadium in Uyo, ahead of the 2025/26 Nigeria National League (NNL) campaign.

Read Also: NFF to partner  with FRSC for International Youth Day programme

Coaches Orok Akarandut, Bassey Akpan  and Itoro Akpan will lead the training sessions for both retained players and newly appointed backroom staff, aiming to build a cohesive and competitive squad.

Speaking ahead of the camp’s resumption, Acting Secretary Elder Omon Bassey highlighted that the pre-season programme is part of a wider strategy to reposition the team and ensure they achieve their objectives for the upcoming season.

Assistant coach  Orok Akarandut has expressed his delight at Akwa United’s hard-earned win over Enyimba insisting that the team worked hard to secure the maximum points on Sunday in Uyo.

The Promise Keepers ended a four game winless streak with the 2-1 home win over the People’s Elephant following Uche Sebastian’s 75th minute strike and Akarandut, a proven striker during his time disclosed that it was a hard fought victory they must relish.

He said he believes the win would spur the team towards more positive results as they strive to navigate another relegation zone battle this season just like last season.

Read Also: US-based teenage fencer chooses to represent Nigeria

 “We are excited about the win. It was a tough match, and both teams needed the victory, but we wanted it more. That determination drove our players to fight hard and play according to the game plan to secure all three points,” Akarandut said in an interview with the club’s media.

The assistant coach commended the team’s performance, highlighting their efforts in all aspects of the game, including creating several scoring opportunities, though they missed some chances.

 “We’re happy that the two goals we scored earned us the maximum points, and we will continue working on our finishing. Scoring more than your opponent is key to winning games.

 “Our current position on the log isn’t where we want to be, so we must build on this momentum. Consistency is key if we are to achieve the results we’re aiming for,” he concluded.

The 2021 league champions will travel to Ikenne to face Sunshine Stars this weekend in a relegation battle six pointer.

Akwa United eased off their relegation worries with a 2-0 home win over Heartland  in the last game of the Nigeria Premier Football League Matchday 18 fixture played at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo.

The Promise Keepers scored a goal in each half through Endurance Ebedebiri and Chijioke Alaekwe in the 32^nd  and 67^th  minute. The first goal was scored via a penalty kick after the referee adjudged that Benjamin Victor and Ebuka Nwokoecha impeded the move of Kabir Osoba two minutes before the penalty kick was taken.

With the win, Akwa United jumped to the 17^th  spot with 19 points from 18 games while Heartland FC remain in 13th spot from the same number of games.

In earlier games, Rangers  had their 10 match unbeaten streak snapped at home after a surprise 1-0 defeat to Shooting Stars at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu in one of the Nigeria Premier Football League Matchday 18 games played last weekend.

Former Enyimba left back Ikouwem Utin scored the game’s only goal in the 27^th  minute and the Flying Antelopes were unable to stage a comeback. It was the first time they would be beaten since October 27^th  when Kano Pillars pinned them 4-3 at the Cathedral.

Rangers had the opportunity to equalise in the 85^th  minute when they were awarded a penalty kick but Ikenna Stephen’s effort was saved my Goalkeeper, Muyiwa Lawal of Shooting Stars.

By the win, Shooting Stars have jumped to the third spot with 30 points while Rangers slipped to the fourth with 28 points. Both Rangers losses came when their head coach, Fidelis Ilechukwu was away on national team assignment.

Read Also: NFF holds match commissioners’ seminar in Asaba

Remo Stars returned to the top of the table with 33 points courtesy  of two late goals via Malik Jabbar in the 84^th  and 88^th  minutes that earned the Sky Blue Stars a home win over stubborn Bayelsa United. Before then, the Prosperity Boys had threatened to leave Ikenne with at least a point but a late collapse was their undoing.

In Lafia, Rivers United picked a valuable point against Nasarawa United after Kabiru Abdullahi tucked in a penalty kick in the 50th minute to equalise John Joshua’s 14th minute goal for the Solid Miners who remain in the drop zone, 17th spot with 19 points because of the home draw. Finidi George’s men slid to the second spot albeit on goals difference as they also have 33 points as Remo Stars who displaced them at the top.

In Umuahia, Abia Warriors showed they have recovered from their 3-0 defeat to El Kanemi Warriors after a 2-0 win over Ikorodu City who have lost consecutive away games for the first time since October 6th, 2024 when they followed up a home loss to Nasarawa United with another defeat to Plateau United in Jos. Anthony Ijoma and Sunday Megwo with the goals for Imama Amapakabo’s boys.

The Umuchineke Boys have moved to the 10^th  spot with 24 points but Ikorodu City have slipped to the sixth spot with 25 points and have gone three games without a win since their 4-1 home win over Akwa United.

Kano Pillars had to rely on the ingenuity of Ahmed Musa to record a 2-1 win over Niger Tornadoes in a thrilling game played at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano.

Kano Pillars took the lead in the 30th minute through a well-taken strike by Rabiu Alhassan, but Niger Tornadoes drew level in the 60th minute, courtesy of Mohammed Aliyu’s shot.

The game was heading towards a stalemate, but former CSKA Moscow and Leicester City forward Musa popped up with a dramatic winner in the third minute of second-half stoppage time.

Pillars are now seventh in the NPFL standings with 25 points, while Tornadoes are eighth, a point shy of the hosts.

In the remaining games, Bendel Insurance defeated Lobi Stars 1-0 while it was also the same outcome between Sunshine Stars and El Kanemi Warriors in Ikenne with Promise Awosanmi scoring the game’s only goal. Kwara United also beat Katsina United 1-0 in Ilorin.

Akwa United have appointed team psychologist Ime Uko as the club head coach until a substantive one is named later to replace departing Mohammed Babaganaru who resigned from the club.

The Management of Akwa United FC can confirm the resignation of its former head coach Muhammed Babaganaru following the team’s 1-1 draw with Bendel Insurance on Monday night.

The coach resigned from his position as head coach with Akwa United at the bottom of the league table after 16 rounds of matches.

In his reaction after accepting the coach’s resignation chairman of the club Elder Paul Bassey said: “In football tradition around the world, when results are not forthcoming it’s the coaches that pay for the poor run of form irrespective of their output, past antecedents. Babaganaru is a good coach who has worked with many clubs in this country and won trophies but it didn’t just work out for him as planned this season.

“He joined us last season and contributed immensely helping us to beat the drop, we can’t forget that and we commend him. I can say that our results and position on the log this season is not a true reflection of the work he has done with the team.

“Akwa United is a team with rich history and pedigree, so struggling in the relegation zone is unacceptable and we cannot continue in that direction.

Read Also: NFF faults  Libya’s poor treatment claims before Uyo showdown 

“Coach Muhammed Babaganaru is a core professional, we will miss him. His resignation may not be the only solution to our problem, we are not happy with the performance of our players and we have started planning to strengthen the team when the mid-season transfer window opens in January.

“Babaganaru knows how it works and he has tendered his resignation and we have accepted it in good faith while wishing him well in all his future endeavours.

“A gentleman to the core, hardworking, humble and a team player. It was a pleasure working with him.

“At the moment, the team’s psychologist Coach Ime Uko will act as the Technical Adviser while the assistant coaches led by coach Umar Abdullahi are in charge of the team until a substantive head coach is named.”

Akwa United, league champions in 2021 and two-time winners of the FA Cup are in the drop zone on the log with 16 points from sixteen games comprising four victories, four draws with eight loses.

Akwa United head coach, Mohammed Babaganaru,  has thrown in the towel after a calamitous start to the 2024-25 Nigeria Premier Football League season for the Promise Keepers.

Babaganaru’s coffin was nailed when Akwa United were surprisingly held 1-1 by Bendel Insurance in Uyo’s Godswill Akpabio Stadium yesterday and the Borno born tactician reportedly resigned after the game.

Read Also: Foxes’ boss Nistelrooy sweat over injured Ndidi

Akwa United started the game impressively with Chijioke Alaekwe scoring for them in the 16th minute but they were pegged back 14 minutes later through the strike of Stanley Okorom whose long range free kick sailed into the net.

Babaganaru joined Akwa United just before the last mid-season and he managed to steer the club to topflight safety but the current season has been blighted with poor performances both home and away with the Promise Keepers now at the wrong end of the table.