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Tag: El-Kanemi

  • AFTERMATH OF BOKO HARAM’S DEFEAT: El Kanemi hopeful Maiduguri now to host games

    AFTERMATH OF BOKO HARAM’S DEFEAT: El Kanemi hopeful Maiduguri now to host games

    El Kanemi Warriors are hopeful they will host their opening game of the new Nigeria league season against Wikki Tourists at their home ground of Maiduguri, which has been suspended for several seasons because of the activities of the terrorist group, Boko Haram.

    Maiduguri, in the northeast of Nigeria, is one of the battle grounds of the Boko Haram and as a result the league has long suspended the staging of league matches there.

    El Kanemi have therefore had to play their home games in Kano and most recently Katsina. However, club spokesman, Prince Anthony Obaseki said the security situation in Maiduguri is now fully under control and they are waiting on the League Management Company (LMC) to send inspectors to have an on-the-spot look at the stadium.

    “We are just waiting for the LMC to come and inspect our stadium. Maiduguri is now very safe and we do not expect to play our home games away from there in the new season,” said Obaseki.

    He further said hosting their home games outside Maiduguri has cost them  financially.

    “We spend thrice what we are supposed to spend when we play our home games in either Kano or Katsina,” he disclosed.

  • El Kanemi play Gombe Utd Friday

    El Kanemi play Gombe Utd Friday

    •Travel to Cameroon Saturday

    El-Kanemi Warriors are expected to play a friendly  game against Gombe United on Friday.

    The club’s media officer, Anthony Obaseki said the team will play its final friendly game in Maiduguri on Wednesday before moving to Gombe State on Thursday.

    According to him,  the Warriors will leave for Cameroon on Saturday to play some friendly matches and return to Katsina for a closed camping for its last phase of programme.

    The team has been training at the University of Maiduguri Sports ground where they played two friendly matches at the weekend.

    The first match was against Real Madrid FC of Gombe which ended 3-2 in favour of the Borno Army while the second match against Yerwa Academy also in the same margin.

    “The friendly matches were tough but El-Kanemi Warriors proved that they were not in the same class. We are getting set for the league with what the team played in the two friendly games. I am sure we will go far in the league. We will play our last friendly match on Wednesday before leaving for  closed camping,” Obaseki told SportingLife.

    “I want to say here that coach Ladan Bosso is doing a great job of building a new El Kanemi Warriors and everybody here is happy we have him as the new coach,” he said.

  • El Kanemi hit Cameroon for pre-season friendlies January 21

    El Kanemi hit Cameroon for pre-season friendlies January 21

    El Kanemi Warriors will set up training camp in Cameroon where they are expected to play four friendly matches against top clubs in the Central African nation starting from January 21, a top official of the Borno Army has told SportingLife.

    The Maiduguri side will compete in the premier league in the coming season despite the crisis in the club for most part of  last season over players entitlements but the club has come over that now with the salary arrears paid to players and officials recently.

    The Chairman of the club, Mohammed Zannah told SportingLife that the Borno Army would train in Cameroon for some days before coming back to Nigeria to conclude the pre season arrangements with a closed camping exercise in Katsina for final preparations.

    He said the trip to Cameroon will afford the players the opportunity to get necessary exposure and face different opposition to Nigeria which will gauge their level of preparedness for the task ahead when the league kicks off on February 21.

    Zannah stated that the old players who have started trickling to Maiduguri were all expected back in camp on or before Wednesday to enable them know the number of those remaining with them and those that have left.

    In a related development, Zannah further confirmed to SportingLife that they were shocked to read the report of their defender, Longji Obadiah that he has joined Heartland without their knowledge.

    He said that Obadiah still remains the player of El Kanemi and that it was improper for Heartland to speak to him without first getting their consent.

    In a swift reaction, the Media Officer of Heartland, Solomon Onu told SportingLife that the Naze Millionaires were in the process of meeting with the representatives of El Kanemi and Obadiah so that a truce can be reached.

  • Bosso to sign El Kanemi deal today

    Bosso to sign El Kanemi deal today

    Coach Ladan Bosso has stated that he is yet to finalize a deal with El Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri although talks between both parties are at an advanced stage.

    Bosso who left his position at Abia warriors after failing to achieve his target told Brila FM that the deal that will see him take over at El kanemi warriors should however be concluded by today where the necessary contract papers will be signed.

  • El Kanemi sack 15 players

    El Kanemi sack 15 players

    • To sign 10 new   • Borno side to stick with only 25  next season

    El Kanemi Warriors have placed 15 players  that featured for the team on transfer while only retaining 13 as the Borno side look towards downsizing the numbers of players on the club’s payroll to just 25 ahead of next soccer season.

    The Borno side were dodged by financial crisis for most part of the season but the club managed to survive premier league demotion after ending the season with 49 points from 38 matches and placing 13th on the log.

    The players and officials of the club smiled home recently after the Borno State government paid them seven months salary arrears and the Chairman of the club, Mohammed Zanna has told SportingLife that it won’t be business as usual next season.

    He told SportingLife that El Kanemi would only register 25 players for the league season and that some of the players would be drawn from their virile feeder team.

    Zanna confirmed that the club would sign 10 new players and that their preparation would be solid and better than last season while adding that the issue of fund that almost threatened the club’s campaign in the elite division would be properly addressed.

  • El-kanemi: LMC betrayed us

    El-kanemi: LMC betrayed us

      • Players stranded in Maiduguri, attacked by Boko Haram

    Players of El-kanemi Warriors on monday night revealed to Freekicknaija.com that they were fooled by the League Management Company (LMC) led by Shehu Dikko.

    The LMC is the body saddled with responsibilities of coordinating and organising the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

    Players of El-Kanemi Warriors are owed back-log of salaries and match bonuses of 2014-15 League season that came to a close last month.

    “LMC decieved us,” a close source who would prefer his name not to be mentioned told Freekicknaija.com.

    “After the last game of the season, we (the players) went home to join our loved ones like every other player in the Nigeria Premier League with no money to feed at home. Life has not been easy with anyone of us.

    “Last week, we were called by the Borno State government to come back to get our money but as I speak to you now nothing has happened. Some of us had to borrow money to come to Maiduguri, some where even attacked by Boko Haram on Saturday on their way to Maiduguri but thank God no life was lost. Why are they treating us like slaves? ” the player added.

    ” Today, being Tuesday, the Permanent Secretary in the Government House has told us they are not ready to pay us our money.

    “The players  are calling for help from the footballing world because the LMC abandoned us, all LMC did was to tell us  that they will stop us from playing if we abandon any match again like we did against FC IfeanyiUbah because we asked for our rights. The six points deduction LMC threatened is aimed at compelling the management to pay off its indebtedness to us, what happened. Did the LMC keep to their words?,” the player maintained.

    Efforts to reach a top management of the club (El-kanemi) proved abortive as at the time of going to press.

  • Emeteole happy to steer El Kanemi out of relegation

    Emeteole happy to steer El Kanemi out of relegation

    Kelechi Emeteole fixed it at El-Kanemi this season dramatically taking a team on the precipice of losing their top-flight status to cruising steady on the NPFL log in 12th position with a clean bill of health.

    Emeteole, who incidentally was sacked by Enugu Rangers mid-way through the season, following a string of poor results, was hired by another struggling team that may eventually finish above the flying Antelopes.

    The coach told www.footballlive.ng that he was satisfied with how far the club has come and hinted he may stick around into the next season.

    “I came here specifically to rescue the team and that mission has been accomplished so by next season the next objective is to look at the whole structure and decide where there are changes to be made.”

  • El Kanemi promise Heartland tough time in Owerri

    El Kanemi promise Heartland tough time in Owerri

    The Chairman of El Kanemi Warriors FC, Alhaji Mohammed Zannah has said that they are coming to Owerri with the hope of ending the Glo Premier League season on a high ahead of their Week 38 fixture with Heartland FC on Sunday at the Dan Anyiam Stadium.

    The Borno Army have secured their place among the elite division clubs for next season after they beat Wikki Tourists 1-0 in their last home game of the season to move to 49 points from 37 matches.

    But Zannah who is popularly called Kakaje told SportingLife that El Kanemi would approach their final game of the current season against the Naze Millionaires with all the arsenal in their armoury and that they are targeting a positive result.

    He said that El Kanemi have identified some of the mistakes they encountered during the course of the season and that they will ensure that they get it right next season.

    Zannah added that some issues prevented the club from aspiring to their set heights during the season and that they had the lofty dream of qualifying to play on the continent at the end of the season just like it was three seasons ago when they returned to the premier league to place fourth at the end of that season.

  • El Kanemi derails Wikki’s continental hopes

    El Kanemi derails Wikki’s continental hopes

    Wikki Tourists ambition to play international football next year suffered a setback when they lost 1-0 at regional rivals El Kanemi on Sunday.

    Wikki are now fourth on the league table with 60 points from 37 games, while El Kanemi now have 49 points.

    The Bauchi club must win their last game of the season at home to Pillars and hope Giwa lose at Nasarawa United to stand any chance of featuring in the 2016 CAF Confederation Cup.

    Former Taraba striker Chinedu Ohanachom scored the only goal of the game in the 25th minute, when he finished off Ifeanyi Matthew’s pass.

    Before then, Ohanachom had lost a chance to score in the 10th minute after he created space for himself, but he shot wide off target.

  • Maikaba: We shall shock El Kanemi

    Maikaba: We shall shock El Kanemi

    Wikki Tourists head coach, Abdu Maikaba has expressed the willingness of his players to shock their hosts, El Kanemi Warriors on Sunday in the Glo Premier League Week 37 tie at the Karkanda international Stadium, Katsina.

    The Bauchi side are third on the log with 60 points from 36 games but with Giwa FC leading they cannot to afford to relax and it is in the light of this that Maikaba told SportingLife that they would be visiting Katsina with the maximum points on their minds.

    He said they are aware it would be a difficult task but that they are determined to do so to brighten their chances of claiming a ticket to the continent.

    “We won’t leave anything to chance at all and we shall be going to Katsina with our sights on the three points. We will be ready for them because having remained very consistent till now, we won’t like to burgle everything now,” Maikaba told SportingLife.