Nigeria champions Enyimba on Friday announced the signing of home-based Super Eagles skipper, Chima Akas.
Enyimba announced Akas acquisition on its official website.
Akas led Nigeria to the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Rwanda, where the team failed to go past the group stage, africanFootball.com reports.
He has featured for Sharks and Shooting Stars and was linked with Sunshine Stars last season.
Two-time African champions Enyimba will feature in this year’s CAF Champions League.
After disappointing outings in their opening two matches, Enyimba were business-like against Warri Wolves in the final game of the first round amid reports that the club’s players were unhappy about the failure of no reception for their seventh title winning feat last season.
On the half hour mark, the Peoples Elephant took the lead through a great passage of play involving former Wolves winger, Joseph Osadiaye and Sikiru Kamal to set up Christian Pyagbara for the opener.
Seven minutes before the break, petite winger, Andrew Abalogu doubled the lead for Enyimba as Wolves found no answers in curtailing the revving machines of the Aba club.
It was not the best of second halves at the pre-season tournament as tackles went flying and on 68 minutes, Enyimba captain, Chinedu Udoji, got his marching orders for a second bookable offence.
That proved to be the biggest talking point of the second half as Wolves failed to make their numerical advantage count.
The second round of the NPFL Super 4 will take place at the Nest of Champions in Uyo from February 1 to 5. The winners of the pre-season tournament will be crowned in Uyo.
Enyimba striker, Mfon Udoh has praised the massive influence of the People’s Elephants’ new signings while reinforcing that the Aba side are still in the race for the Super Four Pre Season despite their not too good start.
The league reigning champions commenced the Super Four with a draw against Nasarawa United after Enyimba allowed the Solid Miners to claw their way back in the match to level Joseph Osadaiye’s 35th minute free kick in the dying moments of the tie through Philip Azango.
Udoh in a brief chat with SportingLife stated that Enyimba’s loss of
concentration towards the later stages of the match in Kaduna assuming that the game had been won was instrumental to their draw.
The former league hotshot thumbed up the impressive start of the new players especially, Osadaiye who got a goal on his debut for the club while adding that Enyimba would recover from the draw with the Lafia side to target the Super Four title in subsequent matches.
Udoh expressed confidence that Enyimba would secure their first win of the tournament today when they face Akwa United in Kaduna.
Former Enyimba head coach, Kadiri Ikhana has said he is not in a hurry to commit to any side in the coming top flight season.
The former Kwara United coach was asked to go after he guided the People’s Elephant to a record seventh league title in the out gone season.
Ikhana said he needs to steady himself for a while as he never bargained for the shocker that befell him at Enyimba.
“I have decided not to rush things because I never planned for what befell me at Enyimba which remains a rude shock.
“I want to re-examine all over again the whole experience to see where I got it wrong though it has been really difficult laying hand on any fault committed while on the saddle.
“The closest I have come to fault myself were the few times we had arguments on the job which is normal outside that I do not think I did anything wrong.
“Though I’m getting over the shock right now I still want to relax a bit before I give any club my word for the upcoming league season.
“Of course, there have been clubs rushing to have me on their bench but I do not want to rush any decision.
“If I say what happened at Enyimba did not touch my heart then I’m a liar so I need the whole time to make a commitment.
“Right now what is uppermost on my mind is the upcoming three-day coaching seminar in Ghana next month, I need the refresher course as well as to further calm and stabilise myself for the task ahead,” said the former Kano Pillars and Nasarawa United coach to supersport.com.
Paul Aigbogun has been confirmed as the new coach of 2014/2015 Nigeria Professional Football League champions, Enyimba FC of Aba, SportingLife exclusively gathered late last night.
The chairman of Enyimba, Felix Anyansi who revealed this via a telephone interview, said that the management of the club settled for the ex-Warri Wolves gaffer because he knows the club very well having worked as assistant to Salisu Yusuf two seasons ago.
“We have appointed Paul Aigbogun to coach Enyimba ahead of the new season.We are ready to give him all the support he will require to achieve the mandate that we gave him as we prepare for next season”
Aigbogun arrived Nigeria yesterday from his base in the UK where he has been on holiday to take up a two-year contract with the Premier League defending champions.
He replaces Kadiri Ikhana whose contract was not extended after leading ‘The People’s Elephant’ to a seventh league title last season.
On his part,Aigbogun led Warri Wolves to finish runners-up to Enyimba last season, an achievement which qualified Wolves to feature in this year’s CAF Champions League.
Monimichelle,the contractor handling the upgrading of the Enyimba International Stadium has assured fans of the club that the home ground of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) champions will be ready for the 2015/16 CAF Champions League.
NaijaSportsXtra in a chat with the sports facility boss, Ebi Egbe revealed that: “Work has commenced as scheduled as we intend to meet up with the completion date. Excavation work has started on the old turf, to now fill it with granite, and drainage system.”The 100% natural GEO technology pitch is what we are installing for Enyimba. It has the same characteristics as a properly manicured natural turf pitch with zero abrasion, 100 % foot stability, natural ball behaviour and it also increases energy resistitution of the players.
“The Infill Pro GEO was developed 2004 with the collaboration with the University of Pisa and C.o.R.T.E.S (Centro Ricerco Tappeti erbosib Sportivi) in Italy.
“It’s also a unique natural infill, composed by selected organic fibres that guarantee better technical and sporting performances, provide better conditions for athletes, the environment and safety with official certification already granted by the appropriate agencies.”
“Another unique feature of GEO technology, the pitch does not overheat during high temperature period. It has the characteristics to keep the temperature of the pitch lower than a rubber infill. It’s also odour free too.”
“The new Eyimba pitch is bigger than the Santiago Bernabeau is 110 X 72 metres and Emirate stadium is 105 X 68 metres play area. It is the biggest in the world measuring 110 X 74 metres same size as FC IFEANYI UBA GEO technology pitch in Nnewi.”
The Peoples Elephants, who are two times winner of the champions league, host Vipers FC of Uganda in a second leg preliminary round fixture in March in Aba.
There couldn’t be a bigger distraction in the Super Eagles camp now and perhaps the biggest confirmation that Salisu Yusuf feels alienated in the National team until his admittance to considering the offer to take the Enyimba job.
Salisu told footballlive.ng that the NFF will have to agree a dual Coaching deal to pave the way for concrete discussions with the League Champions.
The Zaria-born tactician was in-charge of the Aba Elephants in 2013 and claims he’s owed a hugely sum of N5m after his first spell.
There were reports that Salisu was dissatisfied with the uncertainty about his position in the Eagles especially with the absence of Head Coach Sunday Oliseh.
League Champions Enyimba have continued to re-organise for the new year by dropping defender Bright Esieme, Chimeze Amanfor and Emeka Nwanna ‘Ayaya’.
Last season, Esieme struggled to pin down a first-team place after he featured at the 2014 CHAN in South Africa.
Enyimba loaned out the league’s first million Naira signing ‘Ayaya’ to local rivals Abia Warriors till the end of the season in August.
Chima Uluocha has ended his loan move with Enyimba to return to Abia Warriors where he was captain.
Coming in the opposite direction is Warri Wolves hard man Mine Ojo, who has played for Enugu Rangers and Heartland.
• People’s Elephant hook Kelly Kester
Enyimba have stated that they won’t condone indiscipline after the People’s Elephant sacked one of his long standing players, Mark Ojobo for indiscipline.
The Media Officer of the Aba side, Farriel Allaputa told SportingLife that Ojobo has played his last game for the club after the club terminated his contract over indiscipline.
Not much information was divulged to SportingLife on what Ojobo did but the attempt to speak with the player in question was met with no result .
Ojobo’s last assignment with Enyimba was winning the seventh league title in the just concluded season and fetching another CAF Champions League ticket for the Aba side.
Meanwhile Enyimba have added Kelly Kester, formerly of 3SC to the players they have signed in view of the next soccer season.
Enyimba have also completed the signing of ex- Kano Pillars’ skipper, Theophilus Afelokhai, Dare Ojo of Kwara United and Ojo Mine of Warri Wolves.
• Want Biffo as chief coach
League champions, Enyimba FC have reportedly set it’s sights on making either former Gabros technical adviser, Mitko Dobrev or Warri Wolves technical adviser, Paul Aigbogun as their new coach should Kadiri Ikhana be sacked.
Ikhana led Enyimba to the league champions at the end of the 2014/2015 season but reports have it that the Peoples Elephants could announce Ikhana’s departure this week.
SportingLife scooped from the team’s camp in Aba that the management has already set machinery in motion to get in touch with the coaches in question to know about their availability for the job.
The Bulgarian coach, Dobrev managed Gabros International before he was relieved of his job when the club was taken over by IfeanyinUbah FC. He was a former coach of another Glo League side, Heartland FC of Oweri as well as Accra Hearts of Oak coach, Ghana.
His knowledge of African football is believed to have caught the attention of Enyimba FC’s management who poised to make a bold statement in the CAF Champions League next season.
Should the move for Dobrev fail, SportingLife gathered, Aigbogun could be the only alternative for the 7th time league champions as they aim for the third continental trophy.
Aigbogun had recently expressed uncertainty over his future at Warri Wolves next season.
Aigbogun, who is currently on holiday with his family in London, guided Warri Wolves to the second position on the log and picked a CAF Champions league ticket.
Warri Wolves were ravaged with unpaid wages last season which affected their programmes as players on several occasions threatened to boycott their league matches.
If Aigbogun thinks of the way he managed Warri Wolves last he could have a re-think in staying with Seasiders for another season.
However, SportingLife also understands that Niger Tornadoes head coach Abdullahi Biffo has been contacted by Enyimba FC with a move to make him a chief coach with a substantive wages.
Biffo, who guided Tornadoes to top division from the Nigeria National League last season, recently signed a new one year deal with Minna-based side.
Nigerian champions, Enyimba of Aba, will kick-off their CAF Champions League campaign against Vipers of Uganda in the preliminary round.
The Ugandan champions will host the first leg of the encounter before they fly to Aba to keep a date with Enyimba two weeks later. The winner will take on either lioli of Lesotho or Vital ‘O from Burundi in the next stage of the competition.