The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Enyimba

  • Save BCC Lions Football Club of Gboko

    SIR: before its declined fortunes, BCC Lions Football Club of Gboko was once a leading and formidable club ruling the Nigerian football landscape, especially towards the end of 80s and early 90s. Historically, BCC Lions FC, formerly owned by Benue Cement Company Plc, Gboko, which is also known as Lions of Gboko, commands huge followership and supporters across the country, most especially in the northern Nigeria.

    To the Tiv people of Benue State, BCC Lions FC represents what Enyimba is to the Igbos, Kano Pillars to the Hausas and Shooting Stars to the Yorubas. As a giant among the Nigerian club side, BCC Lions FC was the first

    club in the northern part of the country that won the Challenge Cup in 1989 by beating Iwanyanwu Nationale 1-0 in the final at Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi. The club also won the cup on three different occasions – 1993,1994 and 1997. In 1994, BCC Lions also won the Nigerian premier league title and the African Cup Winner’s Cup in 1990. There is no doubt that the club of Gboko has produced great players who have really done the club, state and the nation proud in their chosen career. Players such as Dominic Iorfa, Sam Adingi, Moses Kpakor, Felix Pilakyaa, Bolaji Douglas, Aham Nwanko, Imadu Dooyum, Sam-Pam Jr.,Wilfred Agbonavbare as well as Lemi Yisa, John Zaki, Amir Angwe and Terfa Kpako.

    In terms of administration, the club also produced the legendary and efficient manager in the person of Dominic Iorfa who passionately managed Lobi Stars FC, Makurdi for many years and was instrumental to

    the success of the club both within Nigeria and Africa. However, the future of the club had continued to evaporate since the Gboko base team lost to Shooting Stars FC of Ibadan at the Amateur league in 1998. Since then, the club was unable to regain its lost glory, unlike other big clubs in Nigeria that had gone on relegation for a number of times and barely managed to bounce back to the premier league. An attempt to resurrect the club in 2002 by the administration of Dr. George Akume and Guilder Brewing Plc has totally failed. In 2007 the board chairman of Benue Cement Company Plc, Alhaji Aliko Dangote approved N110 million for the club to participate in the 2008/2009 season which ended a disaster – finishing 13th on the table.

    I am, therefore, making a compassionate plea to the government of Hon. Gabriel Torwua Suswam and the good people of Benue State, Tiv sons and daughters and the management of Benue Cement Company Plc, Gboko to, as a matter of urgency, wake up the sleeping giant for it to return to it glorious days.

     

    • John Akevi

    Bauchi.

     

  • 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.

  • Anyansi-Agwu blasts Togolese club over treatment

    Anyansi-Agwu blasts Togolese club over treatment

    Chairman of six-time Nigeria Professional Football League (NFPL) champions, Enyimba FC, Chief Felix Anyansi Agwu, has fumed at what he calls “the worst treatment ever” meted out to the club by hosts in continental competition.

    Officials of Enyimba accused hosts, Anges de Notse of treating the team badly after arriving in Lome for Sunday’s second leg preliminary round CAF Champions League game, supersport.com reports.

    Anyansi has now added his voice to the growing levels of discontent as he expressed surprise at the “antics” of The Angels.

    “We have received quite a number of poor treatments in certain parts of Africa but this is clearly the worst, most inhuman treatment we have seen.

    “We understand that they are an ambitious side, eager to advance in the competition but there is no excuse for such maltreatment, none whatsoever,” supersport.com quoted Anyansi as saying on the club’s official website, enyimbafc.net.

    Officials of Enyimba FC had initially raised an alarm over the lodgings provided for the team by the Togolese officials on Friday.

     

     

  • Enyimba change hotel for Anges ploy

    Enyimba change hotel for Anges ploy

    • Camp officials at Montaniato City Hotel

     • Players lodge at unspecified abode

     

    Nigeria’s Enyimba left the hotel reserved for them in the late hours of Friday after the place provided by Anges de Notse for the upkeep of the Aba giants’ players and officials was well below the minimum requirements.

    The so-called hotel accommodation turned out to be a Conference Centre with the name Centre De Conference -CSI Afrique at an area over 45 minutes away from Lome, the country’s capital.

    After having a long meeting with the Match Commissioner, Lewis Laiye from Ghana who also came to see the state of the place provided in company of the owner of Anges de Notse and some officials of the Togolese Football Federation both clubs had a heated deliberation and couldn’t reach a compromise for many hours.

    Enyimba’s grouse was the state of the facilities at the accommodation provided by Anges besides the fact that it was far from town. They added that the Conference Centre has no cafeteria and without adequate security to protect the lives and property of the visitors.

    After much discussion, it was agreed upon that Enyimba officials should relocate to another hotel in addition to the initial arrangements made for the players who were delayed for over four hours at the Muritala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos before they eventually took off around 2.15pm Nigerian time.

    The officials later settled for Montaniato Hotel but before they left the Conference Centre a mild drama ensued between Enyimba and the hosts when they brought food cooked elsewhere for dinner. It was agreed that the food should not be touched because it came very late and was prepared other than the cooks at where they were provided. The food came in at around 10.45pm local time (11.45pm in Nigeria). It came at about the time the officials were about leaving for another hotel and they had to snub it. Besides, the food arrangement was also frowned at by Enyimba’s officials.

    The officials had branched at a restaurant in the heart of Lome before they finally drove to the new hotel where they slept.

     

  • Injuries, hosts hostilities won’t stop Enyimba’s march- Udoji

    Injuries, hosts hostilities won’t stop Enyimba’s march- Udoji

    Enyimba must battle through two key factors today if they are to scale through to the first round of the CAF Champions League after their preliminary round, second leg tie against Anges de Notse in Lome.

    Apart from the hostilities of the home team, Enyimba must also make adequate contingency plans to cater for their loads of injured players who are unavailable for this tie.

    The People’s Elephant will be without Bright Esieme, Bala Mohammed, Ifeanyi Ede and Sibi Gwar who played crucial role during the first leg at Aba last week.

    Esieme picked up a knock during training session while Bala had issues with his international passport. Ede too is unavailable and Gwar, who netted a brace in the first leg, told SportingLife exclusively that he won’t have any part to play in Lome because he got injured during the first leg and had to even complete the encounter with the injury because they had exhausted their substitutions.

    Enyimba will welcome Chinedu Udoji and Ugwu Uwadiegwu who were both missing during the first leg. Udoji watched from the sidelines while Uwadiegwu had been out since injured before his miraculous recovery leading to the second leg tie.

    Despite missing some of their star men, Enyimba’s captain, Udoji told SportingLife that they were ready to hold on to their lead and pick the ticket to the next round of the Champions League.

  • 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.

     

  • Togolese team, FA abandon Enyimba at airport

    Togolese team, FA abandon Enyimba at airport

    Nigeria’s representative in the CAF Champions League, Enyimba were abandoned by both the Togolese Football Federation (NFF) and the home

    team, Anges de Notse when they arrived in the West African nation

    yesterday ahead of their CAF Champions League tie on Sunday.

    In what could be considered a dress rehearsal for what to expect on Sunday during the return leg of the Champions League preliminary round fixture, the People’s Elephant were left to the Nigerian Embassy in Togo to receive the team and make them comfortable at the airport.

    Furthermore, the vehicle provided to take Enyimba’s players and officials to their hotel fell short of CAF rules and regulations which stipulate that the visiting team is entitled to two buses and a car for the leader of delegation.

    Although Enyimba agreed to make use of the two smaller buses provided by their hosts, they had to make an alternative arrangement for a luxury bus to take the players to another hotel after the home team could only offer a conference centre accomodation to the visitors, contrary to the five-star hotel stipulated in the CAF rules.

  • Akombo seeks fresh start at Lobi

    Akombo seeks fresh start at Lobi

    • Scores winner for new club

    Ukeyima Akombo has disclosed that his move to Lobi Stars was to seek a fresh start and move on with his career after leaving Enyimba of Aba where he had a torrid time last season.

    The one time Sunshine Stars’ attacker justified his acquisition when he scored his club’s lone goal in a 1-0 win over National League side, Wikki Tourists in a friendly match played at the packed McCarthy Stadium, Makurdi.

    Speaking with SportingLife, Akombo enthused that he has put his past behind him as he aims to shoot Lobi to the top at the end of the league season which starts in two weeks.

    Adding to the words of Akombo, Lobi Stars’ head coach, Evans Ogenyi thumbed up his players including Akombo and he expressed that he is still building a team ahead of the new season.

    “My team is still a work in progress. We will get better with time. I thank my players for ensuring that we are moving forward with the rest of our preparations,” Ogenyi said.

     

  • 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.”