The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Anyansi

  • CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Anyansi calls for fans’ support

    CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Anyansi calls for fans’ support

    •Abia Government throws gates open

    •Provides 10 buses at Aba Stadium for fans

    Enyimba Football Club of Aba chairman Felix Anyansi Agwu has called on football loving Nigerians  to rally round the team as they play against Five time African Champions Zamalek Football club of Egypt in the Match Day One of the CAF Champions League today in Port Harcourt.

    Anyansi in an interview with SportingLife said the players are fully prepared for today’s battle but that fans must play their part by ceaselessly supporting their darling team in Port Harcourt from the beginning till the end of the match.

    He however, revealed that 10 buses will be available at the Enyimba Stadium, Aba this morning to convey fans of the club to the Adokiye Amesiamaka Stadium, Port Harcourt to cheer them to victory, and that the gates of the Adokiye Amesiamaka Stadium, Port Harcourt has been thrown open for the match to ensure that Enyimba gets adequate support.

    Anyansi said he believed his boys had done their homework with the way and manner they were responding to training and that they must make the build up to the encounter count on match day.

  • CHAN Eagles can lift the trophy – Anyansi

    CHAN Eagles can lift the trophy – Anyansi

    The Chairman of  Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Technical Committee, Felix Anyansi has stated that the home base Super Eagles will surpass the last record of third place in the  edition held in South Africa having been in action for the Glo Premier League just ended last month.

    Anyansi  said football was a game that is not predictable but with hard work and appropriate  preparations, one can boast of reaching the semi-final.

    “Though no one can rule out destiny when it gets to that stage. But reaching the semi-final and final without the trophy shows that the team has played well.

    He also confirmed  that his committee approved the choice of camping in Pretoria, South Africa due to similar weather condition with Kigal, Rwanda, the venue of the CHAN competition schedule for early January, 2016.

    “Apart from camping in South Africa, the team will play quality friendly matches before departing for the competition, Anyansi confirmed.

    Meanwhile, the home-based Super Eagles is to go on two days Christmas break – December 24, 25.  The break may be optional for the players as the team will resume training on the 26th  by 4 p.m.

    Sportinglife gathered that the Chief Coach, Sunday Ogochukwu Oliseh is in constant touch with the team daily and may join the team in Pretoria, South Africa.  The  team will depart for the training tour first week of January,  2016.

  • Anyansi commends Eaglets, cautions against complacency

    Chairman of the NFF Technical and Development Committee, Felix Anyansi-Agwu has praised the Golden Eaglets for a brilliant start to the defence of their FIFA U-17 World Cup with a 2-0 defeat of USA in Santiago on Saturday.

    Second half goals by Chukwudi Agor and Victor Osimhen gave the reigning world champions three points from their first game and immense confidence ahead of a potentially –explosive clash with host nation, Chile on Tuesday night.

    “I am quite delighted with the win by the Golden Eaglets. It is always great to start a major competition with a win. That win has given the team a lot of confidence for the remaining matches of the tournament.

    “However, I am advising the boys to guard against complacency. It is only the beginning and it is only the diligent, able and courageous that will last to the end. I want them to take it one match at a time, and take each match very serious.”

    The Eaglets dominated throughout but finished an anxious first half goalless, before they underscored their superiority in the second period.

    “I have confidence in the team to go all the way. They should not only think of winning matches in the group phase, but have it at the back of their minds that President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered them to win the Cup for a fifth time.”

  • Anyansi: Enyimba champions!

    Anyansi: Enyimba champions!

    chairman of Enyimba, Felix Anyansi-Agwu has declared his team have clinched the Nigeria league championship with seven rounds of matches to be played.

    Six-time champions Enyimba beat title chasers Wikki 2-0 in Aba on Sunday to consolidate their leadership of the table.

    ‘The People’s Elephant’ are now on 58 points, five points clear of closest rivals Sunshine Stars.

    Anyansi, who has led Enyimba to all their six championship triumphs, was bullish about his club’s position in a season with seven rounds of matches.

    “This victory shows (2-0 at home against Wikki) that the league has been won today,” said the Enyimba chairman.

    “We have seen the trophy and we cannot lose it now. The players have motivated themselves because of the opportunities it will bring for not just the club but for themselves as well.

    “You cannot underrate anybody and there was a lot of hype around this match and every club is fighting. And we didn’t want anyone to come and spoil our party. And after crossing this hurdle, it is now clear who will be champions and it will not be easy for any club to topple us.”

    Enyimba have been held at home in four matches in this campaign.

    “We have drawn four matches at home, the most among the top title contenders, that means we dropped eight points at home. So, we cannot afford to drop any more points at home,” Anyansi said.

  • Anyansi: Unknown Buffles du Borgou can be dangerous

    Anyansi: Unknown Buffles du Borgou can be dangerous

    • Says Enyimba won’t treat any team with levity

    Enyimba FC chairman, Felix Anyansi Agwu, has described Buffles du Borgou FC of Benin Republic has an unknown team that could be dangerous to face after the club was drawn to face the People’s Elephant in the preliminary round of the CAF Champions League.

    The Aba Millionaires will have the honour of hosting the Beninoise first at Aba on February 15th, 2015 before the return leg in the weekend of February 27 and 28 as well as March 1st, 2015.

    Enyimba tackled Benin Republic’s neighbour, Togolese’s Anges at the same stage of the competition this year and the Nigerian reps received very unsavoury experience in Lome but braved the odd to qualify for the next round before they eventually crashed to Real de Bamako, Mali in the first round.

    But in an exclusive chat with SportingLife, Anyansi explained that the club does not expect to face the same level of hostility like the one they had in Lome noting that the club would strive to prepare adequately for their opponents so that they are not caught unawares.

    He said there was no minnows in African football again and that unknown teams always have a way of springing surprises hence Enyimba’s resolve to ensure that they handle each of their foes with respect and dignity.

    “We know we are going to face a club from Benin Republic. Even though we don’t know much about them but I am very convinced that unknown teams are the most dangerous. We are not going to treat them with levity knowing fully well that on match day only 11 players will do justice on the pitch.

    “We will do our best to present a team that will be ready to face Africa. We won’t underrate any of our opponents because we are aware that we don’t have minnows again in African football and that all clubs must do their work well if they are to be considered worthy of progressing to the next round,” he explained to SportingLife in an interview.

  • Anyansi: Enyimba players will do better

    Anyansi: Enyimba players will do better

    Enyimba FC Chairman, Felix Anyansi Agwu has praised the People’s Elephant’s players who inspite of inadequate preparations have recorded some eye-catching results at the on-going GLO NPFL Super 6 where they are currently placed third with six points from three matches.

    The Aba giants started the tournament with a 0-2 loss to the Flying Eagles but they have beaten their next two opponents, Warri Wolves and Dolphins and keeping clean sheets in the process as well.

    Anyansi Agwu revealed that he was surprised at the performance of the players who barely trained together before the commencement of the pre-season championship adding that their individual brilliance has kept Enyimba in the spotlight in a tourney they only expected to make up the numbers.

    He said he would be getting the briefs of the technical crew on the next on their agenda regarding the rest of the preparations for the CAF Champions League first leg preliminary round against Beninoise’s Buffles du Borgou which comes up on Sunday February 15,2015 at the Enyimba International Stadium, Aba.

    “The players have really surprised me with only few days of training. We only came to this tournament expecting nothing from them but they have displayed the true fighting spirits to battle through difficulty.

    “We are going to continue with the rest of our build-ups for the CAF Champions League tie with Buffles du Borgou of Benin Republic and we are going to get the briefs of the coaches on how best to approach the first leg tie,” Anyansi revealed in a telephone chat.

    The Flying Eagles will tackle the U23 team today by 1pm at the Abuja National Stadium in the fourth match of the tournament where they are placed third behind the U-20 team and their today’s opponents with nine and seven points respectively.

  • Anyansi: Home Eagles have a future

    Anyansi: Home Eagles have a future

    • NFF top shot praises Nigerians in Abu Dhabi for support

    • Team arrives Dubai for Sudan

    The Chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF)’s  Technical and Development Committee, Felix Anyansi Agwu has heaped plaudits on the home-based Super Eagles who were only within few minutes of getting at least a draw against 2015 AFCON bound Cote d’Ivoire in a friendly match played in Abu Dhabi,UAE on Sunday.

    Nigeria’s senior national team is under rebuilding again after the country’s failure to qualify for the 2015 AFCON and the NFF organised two friendly games against Cote d’ Ivoire and Sudan to keep the Eagles busy and serves as consolation for the team’s 2015 AFCON no-show.

    Anyansi Agwu who was on the entourage to UAE told SportingLife from Dubai on telephone that the Eagles played very well and only lost to the Ivoriens owing to a careless back pass from a defender to his team-mate which the Ivory Coast striker, Salomon Kalou capitalised for the only goal of the game.

    He said besides the mistake that led to the only goal of the match during the dying minutes of the game both sides were equally matched with no much difference with Nigerians that paraded 99 percent home-based players with the exception of Steve Ukoh who plays in Europe and the Ivoriens who have most of their players scattered in top European countries.

    Anyansi Agwu who doubles as the Chairman of Enyimba FC of Aba also stated that the game against Ivory Coast has given the home-based players more exposure and experience adding that the team would do better against the Falcon of Jediane of Sudan later this week.

    “The team played fantastic game and were unlucky to have made such mistake at the crucial moments of the game. We are happy with their performance that players made up of mostly home-based players to play the Ivory Coast the way they did showed that our national team has a future.

    “The team, I believe will do better against Sudan because the players played with their whole hearts and ought to be rewarded with another brilliant outing and result against Sudan,” Anyansi Agwu told SportingLife.

    The Enyimba Boss also hailed Nigerians that are living in Abu Dhabi for the warm reception for the team and the support they have been showing since their arrival in the early hours of Friday last week.

    He affirmed that the Eagles would reward their steadfastness with an improved display against Sudan in Dubai on Saturday.

  • ULUOCHA, ONYEKACHI DEALS: Anyansi, Inyama in closed door meeting

    ULUOCHA, ONYEKACHI DEALS: Anyansi, Inyama in closed door meeting

    SportingLife can exclusively report that Enyimba FC chairman Felix Anyasi was in Umuahia on Tuesday afternoon as part of his frantic efforts to sign Abia warriors’ duo of Chima Uluocha and Peter Onyekachi.

    The Chairman, Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), was spotted at the Abia Warriors’ secretariat at No 35 School Road, Umuahia around 1pm.

    Anyasi was at the Abia Warriors’ Chairman, Emeka Inyama’s, office and they were engaged in talks for about three hours.

    It was gathered that the meeting lasted for three hours. It was between 1pm and 3pm.

    On Tuesday, SportingLife reported that the management of Enyimba FC had made enquiries on the availability and transfer value of Uluocha and Onyekachi.

    “Anyasi was in Umuahia yesterday. He came here to see Chief Emeka Inyama as regards a possible transfer move for Uluocha and Onyekachi. The two chairmen were together for about three hours. Nobody knows their conclusion and they did not discuss anything with anybody,” a source said to SportingLife.

    Meanwhile, players and officials of Abia Warriors will resume training on Monday in preparation for the coming season.

  • Ikhana, Anyansi confident of Federation Cup glory

    Ikhana, Anyansi confident of Federation Cup glory

    Enyimba top officials, Kadiri Ikhana and Felix Anyansi Agwu have both exuded confidence that the Peoples Elephant would retain the Federation Cup crown they won last year when they face Dolphins in the 2014 final tomorrow.

    The Aba Millionaires defeated Warri Wolves to lift their third Federation Cup title last year after a nail-biting challenge in the final at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos and the two Enyimba officials have told NationSport that the club would be eyeing the fourth title tomorrow.

    Ikhana  revealed that Enyimba are set for the defence of the title they won last year.

    The nomadic tactician hinted that with all his players almost injury free it would be difficult for any club to halt their march in the final of the 2014 Federation Cup.

    “We are ready for the final and we are fine-tuning arrangement in Abeokuta. We shall be ready for Dolphins. All my players are eager to roll,” Ikhana told NationSport.

    The chairman of the club, Felix Anyansi Agwu also told NationSport in a recent interview that Enyimba won’t have problem with putting an end to Dolphins’ Federation Cup final record where they are yet to lose out of four encounters.

    Anyansi praised Enyimba’s players doggedness till the end of the season adding that revenge won’t be in their mind when they tackle Dolphins on Sunday in Lagos.

  • Rangers deny Anyansi claim on Emordi

    Rangers deny Anyansi claim on Emordi

    General Manager Enugu Rangers Football Club, Paul Chibuzor has denied granting interview that Enyimba chairman Feliz Anyansi warned him about Chief Coach Okey Emordi, that he never made such a statement.

    He said Rangers hold Anyansi in high esteem as their clubs have worked together for the interest of Nigerian Football.

    He said that Emordi knew his contract with Ragners ended with the last match of the season same as other coaching crew in the team.

    Rangers have kept faith with all contractual obligation with players and technical crew and continue to do that according to Director Media and Publicity, Foster Chime.