The Nation Newspaper

Tag: CAF Champions League

  • CAF Champions’ League ouster: Glo seeks support for Wolves

    CAF Champions’ League ouster: Glo seeks support for Wolves

    • Shocked over Pillars’ Enyimba’s exits

    Title sponsor of the Glo Premier League, Globacom, has expressed concern over the early exit of Kano Pillars FC and Enyimba FC of Aba after both sides were eliminated from the ongoing CAF Champions League.

    Pillars and Enyimba lost out in the second round to teams from Algeria and Egypt respectively in what observers termed their inadequate preparedness for the continental challenge.

    In a statement in Lagos on Tuesday, Globacom expressed concern at the clubs’ early ouster from the lucrative Champions League, saying Nigeria had lost some prestige in the process.

    “We believe Kano Pillars and Enyimba have the pedigree to go far in the competition having both won the Glo Premier League between themselves in the past five years,” the statement said.

    “The situation can only be described as unfortunate, especially after the clubs participated in the recently concluded Super Four competition which was expected to put them in shape for local and continental tournaments this season,” it added.

    The telecoms provider, however, expressed delight that Warri Wolves FC is still in contention for the CAF Confederation Cup glory after dispatching Dedebit FC of Ethiopia to move to the next round.

    “Wolves are the shining light at the moment and we wish to commend the team while urging its management and coaching crew not to relent in their effort to go all the way in the competition. We also want to call on the Delta State government and Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to continuously give the club adequate support,” the statement further said.

  • Pillars crash out of Champions League

    Pillars crash out of Champions League

    Nigeria champions Kano Pillars Saturday crashed out of this year’s CAF Champions League despite beating Morocco’s Moghreb Tetouan 2-1 at home.

    Pillars thus crashed out of the tournament 5-2 on aggregate having lost the first leg in Morocco 4-0.

    Poor finishing robbed Pillars of a more convincing win, while the Moroccan champions made the most of their chance.

    Moghreb Tetouan took the lead in the 33rd minute through Mouchine Iajour, who scored a hat-trick in the first encounter.

    However, Pillars drew level after 61 minutes through Tony Edjomareigwe.

    The home team scored again a minute from full time through Rabiu Ali, who dribbled his way into the box before he fired home.

    But it was too little, too late as Pillars then needed to score six other goals to advance to the second round of the competition.

    Pillars were also eliminated from the tournament last year in the preliminary round by AS Vita of DR Congo.

    Vita Club won the first leg 3-1, but lost 2-1 in Kano to the Nigerian club.

  • We must stay above Anges’ intimidation – Anyansi Agwu

    Enyimba’s Chairman, Felix Anyansi Agwu has warned the People’s Elephant to see their hosts unfriendly gestures as one of the hurdles they must come to terms with to get to the next round of the CAF Champions League.

    The Aba side got the reverse of the kind of reception they wished for at an away game in Lome when they were not properly ushered into the country by Anges de Notse and Togolese Football Federation(TFF) officials on Friday.

    But in a brief chat with the players, coaches and the accompanying officials, Anyansi Agwu urged the players to be proactive and not allow the distractions to wear them down and lose focus of their main purpose of coming to Lome.

    He said the track record of Enyimba must be jealously guarded hence the need for the current crop of players of the team should count themselves lucky and play with all they have if they want to assume legendary status just like their predecessors.

    “The Nigerian Embassy in Togo has played a major role in our being comfortable here. The people in the Embassy including the Nigeria’s Ambassador to Togo, His Excellency, Matthew Sunday Adoli made us to settle down well. We should be guided to face our main reason of being here. We must work against any form of distraction. Whatever we do from the time we arrive till the game must be what we lead us to the qualification ticket we crave for. No matter the tricks or the antics of our hosts we have antidote to them. We perform better in difficult position and this game should not be different,” Anyansi told the players.

  • Nigeria’s Ambassador to Togo cancels official trip for Enyimba

    Nigeria’s Ambassador to Togo cancels official trip for Enyimba

    • Promises to invite other African Ambassadors to watch Champions League tie

     

    THE Nigeria’s Ambassador to Togo, His Excellency, Matthew Sunday Adoli has promised to grace the CAF Champions League preliminary round, second leg tie involving Anges de Notse and Enyimba and had to cancel an important trip to do so.

    The People’s Elephant led after the first leg 3-1 at Aba and after a shoddy welcome and hostile reception, the club have a mountain to climb to hold on to the two goal cushion.

    It is in this light that Ambassador Adoli while welcoming the players and officials of the twice African Champions to Togo on Friday evening said there was an important trip he ought to go to at the same time Enyimba arrived Lome and had to cancel it so that the club could get enough qualitative support before, during and after the match this afternoon.

    He said the successes recorded by the President Goodluck Jonathan in the field of sports should be sustained in the CAF Champions League this year after close to 10 years of winning the competition by the same Enyimba in 2004.

    He also implored Enyimba players and officials to be of good conduct and always remember that they are currently Nigeria’s ambassadors in Togo and that whatever they do may either make or mar the existing bilateral relationship between both countries in all spheres.

    “I am happy to have you here in Lome for this important match. I always find joy in identifying with Nigerians and it even makes it special that it is from Abia State where I had my one-year compulsory service many years ago.

    “I was told that Enyimba has a match against a Togolese team and I had to reshape my engagement to see you people. You must be good ambassadors of Nigeria here in Togo. Whatever you do now from the time you stepped into Lome till when you leave may either portray the country in bad light or otherwise.

    “Don’t be intimidated in the face of hostile environment. You must maintain the winning mentality of other sportsmen and women who have done the country proud in the past. The President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan administration has recorded a lot of successes in the area of sports and you are here to maintain that,” Adoli told Enyimba players and officials.

  • Champions League: Togolese club plans Enyimba upset

    Champions League: Togolese club plans Enyimba upset

    Anges de Notsè trainer, Jean-Francois Losciuto, is still angry at his side’s 1-3 loss to six-time Nigerian champions, Enyimba International FC, in last Sunday’s CAF Champions League tie played in Aba.

    The Togolese champions looked on course for an unlikely victory at the Enyimba International Stadium until late goals from Sibi Gwar and Kingsley Sokari rendered Vincent Orode’s first half strike academic.

    Losciuto who insists Orode’s effort in Aba could prove decisive in the eventual outcome of the tie however continues to rue “mistakes” made by his unheralded charges in the first leg.

    “We defended with our hearts (in Aba). It was very difficult for us against an Enyimba side that was very organised.

    “I was very disappointed with what happened in the final five minutes of (the first leg). We made some mistakes,” Locciuto told supersport.com.

    The Belgian trainer believes the second leg at the 1,000 capacity Stade Anges de Notsè in Togo on Sunday will be a completely different affair compared to the first leg and believes his side will triumph against the two-time African champions.

    “We are going to put things together for the second leg. Thank God we were able to score n away goal in the first leg. It was very important.

    “We will see how things go in the second leg. The second leg will be a very different game,” he said.

     

  • Champions League: Togolese side’s Nigerian striker warns Enyimba

    Champions League: Togolese side’s Nigerian striker warns Enyimba

    Anges de Notse’s Nigerian striker, Vincent Orode, has warned Enyimba not to celebrate yet after a 3-1 first leg win over the Togolese champions in a CAF Champions League game, supersport.com.

    The Togolese stunned the packed Enyimba International Stadium in Aba when they opened scoring in 37th minute through Camara Cheik.

    However, Sibi Gwar drew Enyimba level on 83 minutes, before Kingsley Sokari gave “The People’s Elephant” the lead two minutes later.

    Gwar then completed his brace in the 90th minute.

    However, former Jigawa Golden Stars striker Orode has warned Enyimba it will be a different ball game in Togo.

    “We can still turn the table against Enyimba,” said Orode.

    “Nothing stops us from beating Enyimba in Lome. If they can beat us here, we can do the same in the return leg, so it’s not over yet.”

    He blamed a loss in concentration for the two quick goals the team conceded in Aba.

    “We were punished for loss of concentration. And Enyimba is a more experienced side. You know this is our first outing in an international competition,” he said.

     

  • CAF Champions League: Kano Pillars vow to win in Congo

    CAF Champions League: Kano Pillars vow to win in Congo

    Nigerian champions, Kano Pillars have vowed to pick the maximum three points in their Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League tie tomorrow in Congo.

    Kano Pillars will face a tricky Champions League duel away at AS Vita tomorrow and the Masugida are aiming for an impressive result in Kinshasa.

    Last season, Kano Pillars were sent out of the CAF champions League in Congo after losing 0-3 to AC Leopards at the Dennie Sassou Stadium, Dolisie.

    But the new coach of the Masugida, Okey Emordi told supersport.com on Friday that his side had gathered enough impetus that would help them win tomorrow in Congo.

    “Kano people are still battling the rigours of what happened to Kano Pillars last season at AC Leopards and we would make sure that we smile this time around in Congo.

    “AS Vita are a good side, but they are not better than us and I’m confident that we would return to Nigeria with an impressive result,” Emordi said to supersport.com.

    Kano Pillars will be without Super Eagles’ midfielder, Abdullahi Shehu who did not get a visa to Congo, but the cheering news for Pillars fans is that Rabiu Ali and Umar Zango have rejoined the team after their exploits at this year’s CHAN held in South Africa.

    Striker Gambo Muhammad has also returned from injury which ruled him out of the CHAN and he is optimistic that Pillars would soar in Congo.

    “We are going to Congo to pick a win so as to make the return leg easier for us in Kano,” Gambo told supersport.com.

    Kano Pillars flew out of the country on Thursday night and will return immediately after the game tomorrow.

  • Pillars want to win CAF Champions League — Zango

    Kano Pillars attacking midfielder Umar Zango has boasted that the ambition of the pyramid boys in next year’s Africa Champions League is to win the trophy.

    According to the enterprising player, who is among thé 30 home based players currently in camp in preparation for CHAN tournament holding in South Africa early next month, the Kano based outfit now have the needed experience to play in thé continent ‘we had what you would call the baptism of fire last year.

    Now that we are at the continent again, we are poised to winning the trophy this time around. We have learnt our lessons, and God willing we would do Nigerians proud,’’ he concluded.

    He also advised Nigerians not to write the home-based Eagles off in the forthcoming CHAN tournament, saying they have all it takes to pull a surprise at the tournament meant for only players in the domestic league.

  • Pillars hire 3 Italian coaches

    Pillars hire 3 Italian coaches

    Nigeria champions Kano Pillars are set to appoint three top Italian coaches ahead of next year’s CAF Champions League, officials have announced.

    The Kano State deputy governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje announced this on Friday at a sponsorship partnership involving Pillars that the Nigeria champions have finalised an agreement for the Italian coaches to join the team soon.

    Ganduje said the coach, goalkeeper trainer and physiotherapist will team up with Pillars as part of an agreement signed between Pillars and GSports Consultants in Dubai, who have agreed to produce kits worth one million dollars for the club.

    He added that all their expenses in respect of salaries would be paid by the sponsors, which in this case is Gsports Consultants.

    The coaches will work closely with a highly-rated Nigerian coach whose credentials are very intimidating and which will soon be announced by the board of the club.

    The club are expected to disclose more details about this arrangement next week.

  • Pillars step down plans for top coach

    Pillars step down plans for top coach

    Nigerian champions Kano Pillars have stepped down plans to hire a top coach ahead of next year’s CAF Champions League.

    Pillars chairman Abba Yola had hinted they would strengthen the coaching crew with the appointment of an expatriate coach or former Nigeria coach Samson Siasia.

    In a statement after the Pillars’ board meeting in Kano, it was disclosed that all plans for the club’s quest for the 2014 CAF Champions League have been put on hold and coach Mohammed Ganaru, assisted by Abdu Maikaba, will continue to handle the team.

    Pillars are also expected to finalise the signing of new players for the new season by November 25.

    The team are now due to return to training on November 18 after several postponements on account of the fact that no dates have been fixed for the pre-season Super 4 Tournament.