The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Enyimba

  • Enyimba shoot down Wikki

    Enyimba shoot down Wikki

    Champions Enyimba boosted their title hopes after they beat Wikki 2-1 just as FC IfeanyiUbah stayed in contention for the title after they forced a 1-1 draw at Abia Warriors yesterday.

    Enyimba are now sixth on the table with 49 points, five points behind leaders Enugu Rangers with a game in hand.

    IfeanyiUbh moved to fourth on the table after a 1-1 draw at relegation battlers Abia Warriors in the other rescheduled game.They have 50 points from 32 matches.

    In Enyimba’s adopted home of Port Harcourt, Wikki took the lead after 42 minutes through Godwin Obaje, who headed home a cross from Ibrahim Alhassan ‘Muazam’.

    It was Obaje’s 18th goal of the season.

    However, Enyimba drew level three minutes later, when Nzube Anaezemba shot home.

    Enyimba then doubled their lead in the 50th minute with Anaezemba grabbing his brace.

    An effort by Obaje for Wikki in the 64th minute was chalked off for offside.

    Wikki won the reverse fixture 3-1 in Bauchi.

    Abia Warriors went ahead in Umuahia through Rio Olympics star Ndifreke Effiong, but visiting IfeanyiUbah pegged them back four minutes from time off a goalmouth scramble.

     

  • Enyimba target win over Wikki

    Enyimba target win over Wikki

    Champions Enyimba will hope to revive their flagging title hopes with a home win over front runners Wikki Tourists in a rescheduled game today.

    Enyimba have dropped to eighth on the table with 46 points with two games at hand. They are now eight points adrift of league leaders, Enugu Rangers.

    They will shoot to fifth on the table if they were to beat third-placed Wikki in Port Harcourt today. Enyimba forward Daniel Etor said this is a must-win match.

    “It’s an important match that we need to win so as to close the gap between us and the league leaders,” he said.

    “Anything short of victory will dent our continental ambitions. Wikki are good travellers but we hope skipper Chinedu Udoji and the other defenders stop their strikers, Godwin Obaje and Mubarak Umar for us to go on to win.”

  • Enyimba pass vote of confidence in Aigbogun

    Enyimba pass vote of confidence in Aigbogun

    Seven-time Nigeria champions Enyimba have said they are satisfied with current head coach, Paul Aigbogun.

    The Northern Irish-born gaffer has come under intense scrutiny in recent months for what some fans of the club have termed an underwhelming season.

    The fans have voiced their discontent over the club’s failure to progress past the group stage of this year’s CAF Champions League but the People’s Elephant are still in contention in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) and the Federation Cup.

    Enyimba chairman, Chief Felix Anyansi-Agwu, said he has had no reason to question the credentials of Aigbogun.

    “We (Enyimba) have not been given any reason to show dissatisfaction with the work of Aigbogun. He has been given a free hand to do his job to the best of his knowledge.

    “People are free to speculate that Aigbogun will be sacked but I don’t know where those stories are emanating from.

    “There is nothing from our end to suggest that Aigbogun will be sacked at the end of the season.Aigbogun is doing a good job and he needs to be encouraged also.

    “Enyimba never presses the panic button and we will not start doing at at this stage,” he told supersport.com.

    Meanwhile, Aigbogun has declared that he was never worried about the prospect of getting the sack at Enyimba.

    “I have never had a problem with the chairman or the board since I took over.

    “I admit that there are times this season when things did not go according to script for me but there has been a lot of mutual respect between all parties and no one has ever talked about sacking me,” he said.

  • Enyimba will be champions again, says Leonard

    Enyimba will be champions again, says Leonard

    Striker Ugochukwu Leonard has backed Enyimba to retain the Nigeria league championship after they exited the CAF Champions League.

    Enyimba launched a late bid to hold on to their title after they defeated Akwa United 2-1 at the weekend.

    Former Nasarawa United striker Leonard said a win at Warri Wolves on Wednesday in a rescheduled clash will see them pile on more pressure on front runners Wikki and Rivers United, who are both on 53 points apiece.

    “The league is still very open and should we pick up a point or even beat Wolves on Wednesday, the pressure will be on the front runners,” Leonard told AfricanFootball.com.

    “After our exit from the Champions League, our focus is now fully on the league and the Federation Cup. We hope to finish the season with a trophy or at worst a continental ticket. Enyimba are a seasoned club and I joined them so as to win trophies.”

  • Enyimba host Sundowns for Champions League dead rubber

    Enyimba host Sundowns for Champions League dead rubber

    Nigeria’s Enyimba will look to at least salvage their first point in Group B of the CAF Champions League when they host South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns in Port Harcourt today.

    Enyimba have lost all three of their matches in the three-team group thus far, with their most recent result a 1-0 defeat away to Egyptian giants Zamalek earlier in the month which confirmed their elimination from the competition.

    Sundowns, on the other hand, come into the game with a 100 percent record in the group and top spot assured regardless of their result in Port Harcourt. It’s an ideal situation for coach Pitso Mosimane and his side, who will be able to rest key players ahead of what will be a busy schedule in the coming weeks.

    An influential player who is definitely going to miss the trip to Nigeria is South African international Keagan Dolly, who is injured after his exertions at the Olympic Games.

    Enyimba may be out of the running for the semifinals, but they have still issued a way cry on their official website ahead of the match: “Our campaign may be over but we have one final shot to exit with a bang. We host Sundowns on Tuesday and you can be the difference…”

    The teams’ earlier group meeting in Tshwane saw ‘Downs claim a 2-1 win thanks to goals from Leonardo Castro and Wayne Arendse. Moses Ojo scored Enyimba’s consolation.

  • CAF move Zamalek vs Enyimba to Monday

    CAF move Zamalek vs Enyimba to Monday

    THE Confederation of African Football (CAF) have confirmed that a CAF Champions League Group B tie between Zamalek and Enyimba will now be played on Monday.

    Enyimba protested against a sudden shift of the match from Sunday to Saturday, saying they do not have enough players in Egypt to honour the game as five of their players were on their way to Egypt from a playing tour of Spain.

    Enyimba need to win this match to stay in contention of qualification for the semifinals of the competition as they are without any points after two rounds of matches.

    Zamalek have three points, while Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa have already won the three-team group with nine points from three matches.

  • Rangers back on top after holding champions Enyimba

    Rangers back on top after holding champions Enyimba

    Rangers are back on top of the Nigeria league table after they forced a 1-1 draw in the ‘Oriental Derby’ against champions Enyimba.

    Rangers are now top of the table with 48 points from 28 matches, a point ahead of Wikki Tourists, who lost their leadership after they lost 3-0 at Akwa United, also on Sunday.

    Striker Stephen Chukwude gave Enyimba the lead in the 45th minute when he fired home a low, left-footed shot beyond goalkeeper Itodo Akor off an assist by Joseph Osadiaye.

    However, moments later Rangers restored parity through Godwin Aguda with a cut-back from Bobby Clement.

    In other matches, Lobi hammered Warri Wolves 3-0, Plateau upstaged hosts MFM 1-0 and Niger Tornadoes stopped Abia Warriors 2-1.

    IfeanyiUbah extended their unbeaten run to 10 matches after they defeated Kano Pillars 2-1, while the match between Rivers United and Ikorodu United was shifted after the Port Harcourt club were involved in a road accident.

  • Plateau Utd thrash Enyimba 2-0

    Plateau Utd thrash Enyimba 2-0

    Champions Enyimba on Sunday suffered yet another setback in their quest to retain the Nigeria league crown after they fell 2-0 at relegation-threatened Plateau United.

    This was their ninth loss of the season and they remain in fifth place on the table with 40 points from 25 matches, seven points behind leaders, Wikki Tourists.

    Plateau United moved out of the drop zone with 33 points from 27 matches.

    Plateau opened scoring in the 37th minute through Joshua Obaje with an assist by Kabiru Umar.

    The home team then doubled their lead on 70 minutes through Sunday Ingbede.

    In Sunday’s other game, bottom club Ikorodu United were held to a 2-2 draw by visiting Nasarawa United.

    Ikorodu scored through Paul Duke and Oluwole Balogun Johnson, while Nasarawa’s goals were by Abdularahman Bashir and Samson Gbadebo.

  • Enyimba stop Pillars again

    Enyimba stop Pillars again

    Enyimba recorded double over rivals Kano Pillars after they won 2-1 in Port Harcourt on Sunday.

    The Nigeria champions also defeated Pillars 2-1 in Kano in the first round of the championship. Enyimba are now fourth on the table with 40 points, six points adrift of new league leaders, Enugu Rangers. Pillars are fifth on the standings with 39 points.

    Ifeanyi Anaemena fired Enyimba ahead in the 10th minute, but veteran striker Adamu Mohammed drew level.

    Uche John scored the match winner in the 73rd minute from the penalty spot after Stephen Chukwude was brought down inside the box on his way to goal.

    This was minutes after Enyimba were denied a penalty after Joseph Osadiaye was also felled inside the box. In the 90th minute, Pillars goalkeeper David Obiozor pulled off a big save to deny Chukwude from point-blank range.

  • Enyimba stars storm NPFL All-Stars camp

    Enyimba stars storm NPFL All-Stars camp

    Six Enyimba players led by skipper Chinedu Udoji have stormed the training camp of NPFL All-Stars in Abuja ahead of a series of friendlies against La Liga clubs in Spain next month.

    The other Enyimba stars now in camp are goalkeeper Theophilus Afelokhai, Chima Akas, Dare Ojo, Ezekiel Bassey and late invitee Joseph Osadiaye.

    Enugu Rangers players Obinna Nwobodo, Matthew Etim and Chisom Egbuchulam were also led in by coach Imama Amakapabo.

    The Wikki contingent led by coach Abdu Maikaba has league leading scorer Godwin Obaje and goalkeeper Emeka Nwabulu are still been expected.

    A total of 29 players trained Thursday morning inside the mainbowl of the Abuja National Stadium and were later visited by NFF president Amaju Pinnick and some top officials.

    The training will break on Saturday to allow the players rejoin their various clubs for weekend league matches.