The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Maikaba

  • Maikaba to earn N52.8m

    Nigeria Professional Football League side, Plateau United have unveiled former Akwa United boss, Abdul Maikaba as their new manager ahead of the new season.

    Maikaba, who is the assistant manager of Nigeria’s U-20 national team, the Flying Eagles, was offered a two-year deal with an option of a third based on performance.

    No financial details were given but club sources reveals the coach could earn up to N52.8million in the first two years of the deal.

    In a ceremony anchored by the Media Officer of the Club Albert Dakup in the presence of the club’s General Manager Pius Henwan, the Plateau State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Victor Lapang who was  represented by the Sports Ministry’s Director of Administration, Mary Dashan and the Chairman of Plateau State Football Association Sunday Samson Longbap and supporters of the club as well as football stakeholders within Plateau State and members of the press, the new coach promised to give his best to the club.

    His mandate is to win the NPFL and perform creditably in CAF competitions.

    Plateau United are resuming on 22 October ahead of the league which commences in November.

  • Abdu Maikaba lauds Akwa United’s bench

    Abdu Maikaba lauds Akwa United’s bench

     

    Akwa United head coach, Abdu Maikaba has expressed his joy at the quality of players available to him to pick from after the impressive performance of his wards in their 3-0 home win against ABS FC

    “Those that have played lesser matches must always strive to step up their performances whenever they are called upon just like some of them did against ABS. It won’t be easy for those they replaced to just stroll into the team in the next match. They must prove that they have what it takes to displace them again. This is good for the team if we can have more than enough players to count on for every game,” Maikaba told SportingLife.

    Akwa United are supposed to face Rivers United this weekend in a league tie but the latter have a CAF Confederation Cup tie in Kampala against KCCA on Saturday and the NPFL game has now been postponed till July 26.

  • Maikaba targets away win against Tornadoes

    Maikaba targets away win against Tornadoes

    Akwa United head coach, Abdu Maikaba has stated that their target is to see if they can get an away win when they face Niger Tornadoes in Lokoja this weekend.

    The Promise Keepers started the season very poorly but they have steadily improved and are now sixth on the log with 19 points from 13 games and Maikaba has stressed that he has impressed it on the minds of his players that their next target is to get an away win before the end of the first stanza.

    He said although they respected Tornadoes because they are also a good side but that they know that they must get road wins if they really want to achieve a top three finish at the end of the season.

    “We are going to Lokoja to see if we can secure an away win. Tornadoes are a good side but we are going there will a strategy we feel should guarantee us the maximum points irrespective of what they throw back at us on Sunday,” Maikaba told SportingLife.

     

  • Maikaba wants home win over Abia Warriors

    Maikaba wants home win over Abia Warriors

    Akwa United head coach, Abdu Maikaba has said that he expects his players to consolidate on their away draw against Gombe United with another home win against troubled Abia Warriors at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Saturday.

    The Promise Keepers kept their first road clean sheet of the season against the Desert Scorpions last weekend after playing a goalless draw and Maikaba who thumbed up his players for playing to instructions and keeping the defence tight in Gombe has charged them to put the Umuahia side where they belong at the end of the weekend’s contest.

    Maikaba said that his wards would so get to shape and that by the time they get used to one another, they will be difficult to beat while adding that all their lost points will be regained as the league season progresses. Akwa United are 12th on the log with 10 points from nine games.

  • No fan slapped me, says Maikaba

    No fan slapped me, says Maikaba

    Akwa United technical Adviser, Abdu Maikaba has denied a report claiming that he was slapped by a team’s fan after their Match day 4 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) clash against Rangers International on Wednesday in Uyo.

    The Uyo-based side played a barren draw against the league champions, Rangers on Wednesday which did not go down well with the home fans who are clamouring for their first win of the season.

    Maikaba in a chat with SportingLife admitted that fans were shouting for win but never attacked him as claimed. He insisted that the issue was exaggerated.

    “I saw it (report) on the internet that I was slapped on Wednesday. Nothing of such happened to me. The fans were shouting that they want win but nobody slapped me. One fan came closer to me but the security intervened and he was stopped. The issue was exaggerated,” Maikaba told SportingLife.

    The former Wikki Tourists gaffer insisted that his boys had been playing well in all their matches as he pleaded with their fans to be patient with the team.

    “In our last two home matches we played against big teams, Rangers International won the league last season while Rivers United came second. These two teams still keep most of their players which is an advantage for them. They have cohesion and they have been playing together for a long time. Anybody that watched our game so far will believe with me that we are playing well. We had good match against Rangers and my players were excellent only that we didn’t crown it with goal. We have noticed our problem and we will work on it to make necessary corrections. Our fans should be patient with the team and very soon we will give them what they want which wining our matches,” he said.

  • Maikaba to drop four more players

    Maikaba to drop four more players

    Akwa United head coach, Abdu Maikaba has revealed that he would still drop four more players from the list of 39 players currently with him in Uyo before leaving for the two week closed camping exercise in Calabar on Sunday.

    Maikaba informed SportingLife that the players currently training with the team would know their fate today during a team talk before the Calabar trip on Sunday.

    The former Wikki coach disclosed that it has been hectic putting a new strong squad together and that with the retention of 20 players from last season’s team and 15 new faces there won’t be a problem with blending of the old and new players.

    He said even though they would welcome high profile friendly matches, they would only do so towards the end of their pre season activities adding that he would devote most of their stay in Calabar to training together and ensuring that the players understand one another very well.

  • Maikaba gives reasons for the choice of Zubairu

    Maikaba gives reasons for the choice of Zubairu

    Akwa United head coach, Abdu Maikaba has stated that he decided to work with ex-Kwara United coach, Aliyu Zubairu because of his wealth of experience and his loyalty.

    The Promise Keepers’ eggheads allowed Maikaba to bring in his lieutenants to ensure that he settles down quickly and the coach has elected to pick his chief coach and assistant coach to ease his work of rebranding the 2015 Federation Cup champions.

    Maikaba told Goal: “I have been looking for opportunity to work with him all these while and immediately I was approached by Akwa United to come and I sought clarifications on the amount of freehand I would be given, I beckoned on him to come and assist me. He didn’t object at all. We are trying to build something new and special with Akwa United.”

  • Akwa United’s Adio enjoying life under Maikaba

    Akwa United’s Adio enjoying life under Maikaba

    Akwa United’s Yusuf Adio has revealed that the appointment of Abdu Maikaba as the head coach of the Promise Keepers is the right step for the club.

    “I have been enjoying the training method of coach Abdu Maikaba. What I just need is to stay focused, healthy, fresh physically, to keep doing what I can do,” Adio told Goal.

    “Everyone plays with freedom and renewed belief. We are ready for the challenges ahead of us. In the next Professional Football League season we have to show the whole of Nigeria that Akwa United is a rebranded side and will compete for honors.”

  • Maikaba eyes NPFL success with Akwa Utd

    Maikaba eyes NPFL success with Akwa Utd

    Newly-appointed Akwa United head coach, Abdu Maikaba has declared that he wants to win the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) title with the Promise Keepers.

    Maikaba joined Akwa from Wikki Tourists after guiding the Bauchi club to a third-place finish last season.

    “My target is to win the league, having finished third and second respectively in the past, so I want to win the league with Akwa United. I have been given free hand to choose my players and I need this support to succeed.

    “I came to Akwa United to first see what they have on ground, am not in a haste to bring in new players, I want to be careful in my selection in order to achieve my target with Akwa,” Maikaba told the media shortly after he was unveiled as the new coach of the club on Wednesday.

    Maikaba earned rave reviews for his work at Wikki last season. His side played crisp, aesthetic and technically brilliant football which culminated in Wikki earning a continental ticket at the end of the season.

    Wikki also provided the competition’s top scorer in Godwin Obaje alongside some other stellar talent and Maikaba admitted that the temptation to bring over some of those individuals to Uyo may be too tempting to overlook.

    “I can’t rule out bringing in some of my players from Wikki, this will help in passing your philosophy to the new group, but that should not be more than one or two. I will encourage young players to grow in the team. I left Wikki for Akwa because Akwa is an ambitious club. I look for a place that can push me to do more and Akwa has got the facilities and resources to help me reach my goal. The fans are peaceful and passionate.

    “In Wikki I am still owed some bonuses but Akwa has paid all their outstanding allowances, that’s the kind of team I want to work with and I promise to give it my best. My target is to win the league, having finished third and second respectively in the past, so I want to win the league with Akwa United,” he said.

  • Maikaba targets exciting season with Akwa United

    Maikaba targets exciting season with Akwa United

    Akwa United new head coach, Abdu Maikaba has disclosed that he is looking forward to an exciting season with the Promise Keepers after he put pen to paper for the Uyo side.

    Maikaba worked with Wikki Tourists the last two seasons before deciding to leave at the end of last season and he is set to be unveiled as Akwa United coach today.

    The coach told SportingLife that it was his desire to change his environment to where his work would be better seen and to work with some of the best facilities in the country.

    He stated to SportingLife: ” I am about to start a new project in my career and I am very certain that everything will work well just like it was in Wikki Tourists. The facilities at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo and the opportunity to work in a new environment were among the things I considered before agreeing to come here.”

    Maikaba will strive to turn Akwa United which placed 14th on the log at the end of the last season with 47 points from 36 matches to a household name again.