The Nation Newspaper

Tag: CAF

  • Football enthusiasts attribute Pillars’ ouster to Glo league postponement

    Football enthusiasts in Enugu have attributed the ouster of Kano Pillars from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League to the unending postponement of the Globacom Premier League.

    They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the Kano Pillars players were match-rusty due to the postponement of the league.

    In his reaction, John Okoye said Kano Pillars could not have fallen to lowly rated A.S.V. Club of Congo if the league was on.

    “Had it been that the league was on, the players would have been engaging in competitive matches before taking on the Congolese side. Enyimba of Aba nearly suffered the same fate if not that they hosted Anges de Notse of Togo in Aba before the return leg in Togo,” Okoye said.

    Otunwa Abam, on his part, said he was disappointed with the unnecessary postponement of the league.

    Abam said the league had been postponed many times since 2013.

    “The home-based Super Eagles were also match-rusty at the just concluded CHAN in South Africa but we were lucky they picked up,” Abam said.

    He urged the League Management Company (LMC) to ensure that action resumed on March 7 as rescheduled.

    Another enthusiast, Chijioke Njoku, appealed to the LMC to save Nigeria from further embarrassment in the remaining matches at the continental stage.

    In his contribution, Austin Ezenwata said Nigerian players were not 100 per cent fit for continental matches.

    Ezenwata said Nigerian clubs were known to compete deep in any continental championship, but that inactivity in the league was responsible.

    Kano Pillars lost 1-3 to A.S.V. Club of Congo but won 2-1 in the return leg in Kano.

  • Frimpong salutes Enyimba

    Enyimba legend, Joetex Frimpong, is satisfied that the club have been able to perfect a recipe for success in Africa’s elite club competition, the CAF Champions League.

    Frimpong, who works as assistant coach/player at Swiss lower division side, SC Dudengen, believes the team can excel in the 2014 edition.

    “The Champions League is not complete without Enyimba and others like Al-Ahly Nationale, Esperance, TP Mazembe et al.

    “Enyimba has always shown character and there’s a mixture of experienced and new players,” he told SuperSport.com.

    Frimpong equally applauded the club for their result against Togolese side, Angers de Notse, in the preliminary round.

    “I’m not surprised Enyimba is through to the next round. Players in the club know the tradition, so they want to maintain it. It’s not an easy task.

    “The ability to achieve a turnaround is one of the qualities of Enyimba and only a few clubs can achieve that.

    “Besides, you need to score goals away from home if you want to reach the group stage,” he said to SuperSport.com.

    Enyimba came from a goal down to win the first leg 3-1 and got an away goal as they lost 1-2, in Lome to qualify 4-3 on aggregate.

    Frimpong won the 2003 and 2004 editions with the Aba side and was on the losing side in the 2006 finals with Tunisia’s Club Sportif Sfaxien.

    In 2005, he made history as the first player to score 15 goals in three (2003, 2004 and 2005) editions of the competition.

  • CAF Champions League: Kofarmata confident despite red card

    CAF Champions League: Kofarmata confident despite red card

    Kano Pillars striker, Bello Kofarmata has said his absence will not hurt the Nigerian champions in Saturday’s CAF Champions League return fixture against DR Congo’s AS Vita at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano.

    The former Heartland petite hitman saw red in his side’s 1-3 defeat to the Congolese side in Kinshasa on Sunday.

    Kofarmata said he is quite confident his teammates will turn the visitors back empty-handed with a resounding victory.

    “I feel unhappy that I won’t be part of the squad to confront AS Vita in Kano on Saturday due to the red card I picked in Kinshasa on Sunday but I’m certain my colleagues will win the game to advance to the next stage of the competition.

    “Of course, they’ll miss my service dearly same way I feel bad not bringing my own contribution at their period of great need but I’m sure they’ll cope perfectly without me.

    “Pillars will surely win the encounter by three unreplied goals, history of our past campaigns shows that Pillars have been scoring up to four goals at home.

    “AS Vita are a good side but not a match to Pillars, we’re supposed to pick an outright win or draw in Kinshasa if not the missed chances which have been corrected.

    “Nigerians should be rest assured that Pillars won’t disappoint but will deliver the goods safely on Saturday,” Kofarmata said to supersport.com.

    Kofarmata said the new coach, Okey Emordi is a big boost to the Pyramid City side’s title campaign in the competition.

    “The new coach, Okey Emordi is a big boost to the side, he always motivates as well as inspires us to higher height.

    “I’ve always known him to be a good coach right from the time we worked with him at the home-based Super Eagles,” said the Nigerian goal poacher.

    The winners over both legs on Saturday will progress to the Round of 32 of the annual elite club competition.

  • AS Vita hit Nigeria Wednesday or Thursday

    • Pillars get Shehu, Mba boost

    The players and officials of AS Vita of DR Congo are expected to arrive in Nigeria on Wednesday or Thursday for the CAF Champions League second leg clash against Kano Pillars slated for the Sani Abacha stadium this weekend.

    The club’s Managing Director, Abba Galadima told SportingLife that the club is still waiting for information from the Congolese side.

    Galadima said the Congo team are still processing their Visa to enable them access into the country.

    “We are still waiting for information from them but as at now, they supposed to come to Nigeria on Wednesday or Thursday. They are still processing their visas and they can only confirm their arrival after finishing their visas,” Galadima told SportingLife.

    “On our part, arrangements are in top gear for the successful hosting of the match this weekend. We are ready to receive them in Kano any time they come into the country.”

    Kano Pillars delegation returned to the country on Sunday night immediately after the match in Kinshasa with a chartered flight and went straight into closed camping to enable them have maximum concentration for the all important game.

    AS Vita are coming into this weekend’s game with a first leg 3-1 advantage over Kano Pillars.

    Speaking on the team’s chances over AS Vita, Galadima said: “There is nothing impossible in football. If they can score three goals in their own ground we can beat them with a wide margin here too. We have put the defeat in Congo behind us and we have started preparations for the weekend game. The players are already in camp and everything is going on as planned.”

    Meanwehile, Kano Pillars have received a boost ahead of the game against AS Vita of DR Congo with the return of Shehu Abdullahi and Ezekiel Mba to the squad.

    The duo Abdulahi and Mba missed the trip to Kinshasa last weekend for the first leg encounter due to Visa problem.

    The club’s media officer, Idris Malikawa told SportingLife that the players have since joined their collegues in their closed camping for the weekend match.

    “I think their return is a morale booster for the team. Shehu and Mba will add value to the team. We misssed their services in the first leg and we are expecting them to contribute meaninfully to the team. They missed the trip to Conga because they didn’t get their visa,” Malikawa told SportingLife.

  • Sokari hails Anges de Notse

    Enyimba FC of Aba striker and scorer of the People’s Elephants second goal, Kingsley Bobby Sokari has hailed the strong display of the Togolese champions Anges de Notse in Sunday’s CAF champions league encounter between both clubs.

    Sokari in a brief chat with brilafm.net stated that the first leg clash is an eye opener on what to expect in the reverse fixture in Lome, Togo, next weekend.

    He noted that his teammates are fully determined to derail the quest of Anges De Notes in the competition.

    “In the first half of the game, we had our chances, even the first half I missed a lot of chances, we underrated the club thinking that we can hit them because they’re coming from Togo, but they’re a good side”

    “We believe that we will take the fight to them in Togo next weekend, I’m telling Nigerians that we believe that we will qualify and we’re going to fight to get point there.”

     

  • Enyimba aiming to win big — Baraje

    Enyimba aiming to win big — Baraje

    Nigeria’s representatives in the lucrative CAF Champions League have vowed to start with a flourish when they host the first leg this Sunday in Aba.

    Enyimba head coach, Zachary Baraje has hinted that the People’s Elephant are fired up to beat their Togolese foes, Anges de Notsè in the first leg of their CAF Champions League preliminary round encounter this weekend in Aba.

    The People’s Elephant made the semi final of the same competition the last time they participated in it in 2011 before bowing out to Wydad Casablanca of Morocco 1-0 on aggregate.

    With barely a few days to their first leg tie at home to their West African neighbours, Baraje, speaking to Goal, has stated that the Aba giants are ready to face their opponents and are very optimistic of going far in the lucrative club competition.

    He insisted that Enyimba had the best mode of preparations for the Champions League, despite the inability of the Premier League to start on time. Having played lots of friendly matches to keep them in tune, the team would be firing on all cylinders against Anges de Notsè and any of their future foes.

    Baraje also confirmed that the Super Eagles’ duo of Bright Esieme and Ifeanyi Ede, whom he initially said were not yet ready to report to camp, had done so and were looking forward to the Sunday tie with high expectations.

    He hinted that both players would be put on special drills to see if they could have roles to play in the downfall of their visitors.

    “We are all doing fine and getting ready for our weekend match. We do not have problems with our preparation at all. We are in high spirits and expectations are high that we shall do well.

    “Esieme and Ede reported to camp Wednesday morning and they are now part of the team for consideration ahead of Sunday’s match. We are not going to rush them. They will be assessed to see if they will figure in our plans,” Baraje told Goal.

    Enyimba have won the money-spinning club competition twice, in 2003 and 2004, and they remain the only Nigerian club to have won the Champions League, even though many have tried.

     

  • CAF Champions League: Pillars’ in Congo with 84-man delegation

    CAF Champions League: Pillars’ in Congo with 84-man delegation

    • Emordi gets trophy mandate

    Players and officials of Kano Pillars left for Kinshasa, DR Congo yesterday night for their CAF Champions League first leg clash against AS Vita.

    The delegation was originally scheduled to leave the Aminu Kano International Airport this morning, but the club management changed the flight schedule on Friday due to unfavourable weather forecast. The trip was thus moved back by a day and the team left Thursday night.

    The club’s media officer, Idris Malikawa told SportingLife that the 84-man delegation traveled aboard a chartered Congo Airline.

    “We received important information about the weather condition in DR Congo which warranted the need to reschedule our flight arrangement from Friday to Thursday.

    “We need to be there on time to acclimatise with the weather condition there. As I am talking to you now we are already on board and ready for the trip,” Malikawa told SportingLife last night.

    18 players and 7 technical crew, all club board members, state government officials, state FA chairman and NFF representatives were part of the 84-man delegation that left for Kinshasa.

    Meanwhile, the management of Kano Pillars have set a CAF Champions League trophy as the target for its new Technical Adviser, Okey Emordi.

    Emordi was officially unveiled to the board at the club’s secretariat in Kano on Wednesday by the Pillars chairman, Abba Yola.

    Yola told SportingLife that the board charged Emordi to ensure that Pillars retain the Glo Nigeria Premier League title won back-to-back in the two previous seasons and help the club win the Federation Cup.

    “It is important that we maintain the status quo by retaining the Glo League title and, most importantly, win the CAF Champions League and Federation Cup which have been missing in our trophy cabinet,” Abba Yola told SportingLife.

    Yola also said the club will not interfere with Emordi’s job while advising him to assess the qualification of the other coaches in the team and work with anyone that has the experience that meets the standard of the League Managemnt Company (LMC), CAF and FIFA requirements.

  • CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Namo, Orkuma, Ahly Benghazi team-mates land in Tunisia

    CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Namo, Orkuma, Ahly Benghazi team-mates land in Tunisia

    • Seek big win against Foullah Edifice on Friday
    • Match starts 2pm

    Glo Premier League top scorer for last season, Victor Namo and ex- Lobi Stars’ defender, Moses Orkuma were part of the Al Ahly Benghazi of Libya squad that arrived Tunisia ahead of their Friday’s CAF Champions League preliminary round first round fixture against Chadian Foullah Edifice.

    The Tunisian Football Federation has cleared Stade Olympique de Radès, Radès, the home ground of Club Africain for their CAF Champions League tie slated for 2pm on Friday.

    Speaking with SportingLife from Tunisia, Orkuma revealed that he and his Nigerian counterpart, Namo are in high spirits ahead of the clash and are already dreaming of a big win to render the second leg a mere formality in Chad.

    “We are in Tunisia and are preparing well ahead of our game on Friday. We are going to play at the home ground of Club Africain and we are raring to go. We got here on Sunday and are praying for a good result before the second leg is decided,” Orkuma said.

  • Pillars storm Kinshasha Friday by chartered flight

    Pillars storm Kinshasha Friday by chartered flight

    • To return Monday • Begin closed camping

    • Rabiu Ali joins squad

    Players and officials of Kano Pillars will leave the shores of the country on Friday morning on a chartered flight to Kinshasa, DR Congo ahead of Sunday’s first leg preliminary round of the CAF Champions League clash against AS vita of DR Congo.

    The delegation are expected to leave Aminu Kano International airport, Kano directly to N’Djili International Airport, Kinshasa.

    The club’s chairman Abba Yola, who disclosed this to SportingLife, said he ordered the players to move straight to camp at Samir Palace Hotel, Airport road, Kano, after their training session on Tuesday afternoon.

    Yola urged the players to focus on the CAF Champions League.

    “The players’ welfare is our topmost priority and the state government has reimbursed the club for the CAF campaign. So, there is no need for the players’ to worry. The government and people of Kano State are behind them. We have determined to give you all the necessary things that will make you succeed and make the country proud in Congo. We want our players to go there not only as good ambassadors of Kano, but Nigeria,” Abba Yola told SportingLife.

    Abba Yola also revealed that the delegation will return home on Friday and will move straight to camp to regroup for the second leg.

    Technical Adviser, Okey Emordi said he will not condone any act of indiscipline from players, stressing that they must abide by rules and regulations in the camp.

    The team’s captain, Theophilus Afelokhai thanked the board for the support while assuring them that the players will do everything within their reach to get a good result in the game in Kinshasa.

    Meanhwile, African Nations Championship (CHAN) star Rabiu Ali trained with the team yesterday after his sojourn in South Africa, while the duo of Umar Sango and Sheu Abdullahi will return to training today.

  • Baraje downplays Enyimba home draw

    From Tunde Liadi,Owerri

    Enyimba head coach, Zakary Baraje has downplayed the significance of their 1-1 home draw against Sharks of Port Harcourt ahead of their weekend CAF Champions League preliminary round first leg tie.

    Baraje opined that the result of the match was not of his immediate target stressing that he used the friendly tie to experiment some of the different tactics available for him to deploy against their Togolese opponents, Anges de Notsè when they host them at Aba this Sunday.

    Though his wards played a draw against the Blue Angels, Baraje asserted that it brought out the best from his players, adding that they would continue to work on their weak areas before their Champions League rivals arrive the country.

    He confirmed that they were done with friendly matches ahead of the Continental preliminary round tie and that they would only proceed on closed camping exercise as they look forward to a good first leg advantage against Anges de Notsè at Aba on Sunday.