The Nation Newspaper

Tag: match

  • We are ready to play any match -Akwa United Chairman

    We are ready to play any match -Akwa United Chairman

    Akwa United are no doubt the form team of the moment in the Nigerian ProfessionaI Football League (NPFL).

    They finished last season as the Federations Cup champions defeating Lobi Stars 2-1 at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, they have replaced Coach Zakary Baraje with renowned Nigerian League coach Morris Cooreman and all seems to smooth sailing for the team.

    Smooth sailing indeed as they travelled away in the preliminary stage of the CAF Confederations Cup and got a 1-0 away win in Congo against Club Vita de Mokanda, a feat not common amongst teams in the country, they then followed it up with a 4-3 penalty Charity Cup win against league champions Enyimba, following a goalless encounter in regulation time.

    The NPFL is in full swing this weekend and club Chairman Mr Nse Ubeh, has laid emphasis on the road ahead for the team.

    In a chat with Footballlive.ng he said: ”I have told the boys to put the victory behind them. We have a team of 35 and we are ready to play, any match they bring we would succeed.”

    When further pressed on the depth and not just the size on the Akwa United team, he gave the statement, “Sure we would succeed”.

  • Eagles get a feel of CHAN match venue

    Eagles get a feel of CHAN match venue

    Nigeria had a feel of the artificial pitch of the Stade Regional Nyamirambo in Kigali yesterday ahead of their  opening CHAN match against Niger this evening.

    The Eagles have trained outside the match venue since their arrival in Rwanda on Friday.

    The team watched the first half of the opening match between hosts Rwanda and Cote d’Ivoire on television before they had to leave for their accreditation.

    Today’s Group C match against Niger will kick off at 5pm (Nigerian time).

    Tunisia and Guinea will open the group by 2pm at the same venue.

  • Pharmacy students’ memorable match

    Pharmacy students’ memorable match

    It was all excitement and joy at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), last week, as the graduating class took on their junior colleagues in a friendly football match to mark their graduation from the school.

    The match, which was played at the Education Pitch on campus, started at 10am on Friday and was organised by the office of the Director of Sport of the Pharmaceutical Association of Nigerian Students (PANS). After it was kicked-off, the zeal and enthusiasm of the players could be felt.

    Commenting, the faculty football team’s coach, Ifeanyi Ajudeonu, said the match was to foster friendship among the students. He said it would remain memorable for the graduating class, having spent six years at the faculty.

    He said: “The match is important to everyone, because it will foster friendship. After the match, the graduating students will not forget their junior colleagues.”

    However, emotions were high when Nabem Ambelega of the graduating class scored in the first half of the match. The goal gave his side opportunity to dominate the game in the first half.

    But Peter Osayuki came to the rescue of the junior team, scoring a goal to equalise in the second half. The match ended in draw.

    Jerry Egwuchie, a graduating student, described the match as exciting, saying he would never forget it.

     

  • El-Kanemi players boycott NPFL match

    El-Kanemi players boycott NPFL match

    Supersport.com can report that players of El-Kanemi Warriors  decided to stay away from their NPFL clash at FC Ifeanyiubah on Sunday.

    Chairman of the club, Zanna Mohammed, confirmed that the players refused to travel for the game in protest over unpaid wages.

    “It is true that we did not make the trip (for the game against FC Ifeanyiubah),” began a disappointed Mohammed. “The players are insisting that they will not make the trip unless they are paid despite our pleas to them.”

    Players of the club refused to talk to supersport.com unless they are guaranteed to be quoted anonymously.

    One of the players, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, claimed that they are owed eight months salaries, seven match bonuses as well as 145 per cent signing-on fees including 45 per cent from last season.

    Mohammed, however, shed more light on the unpaid wages: “What has happened is that we have paid them the old salary scale and not the enhanced salaries this season. For instance a player who is supposed to earn N200,000 has been getting N60,000 and we have made their outstanding money in calculation available to the (Borno) State government which has promised to offset every debt soon, in fact before the deadline (given by the League Management Company).”

    The Framework and Rules of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) for the current season states that: “The minimum monthly wage for any player shall not be less than N150,000 or as the (club) board may decide from time to time.”

    Mohammed agrees that the club have flouted that which has led to the LMC slamming El-Kanemi with a suspended suspension of six points deduction should they fail to pay their players on or before October 27 following a 60-day notice issued to the Maiduguri outfit.

    El-Kanemi failed to show up for the pre-match meeting against FC Ifeanyiubah and now risk being walked over thereby losing three points and three goals. They could as well face a hefty fine of N10 million for failing to honour their match.

    The club chairman said they have reported the players to the LMC for refusing to honour the game despite a summary jurisdiction the league body directed the club to pay the players by October 27 or face a six-point deduction.

    Mohammed claimed that the players did not serve them any form of notice of going on strike which has seen them stay away from training sessions as well.

    “They did not give us any notice despite what has happened,” said Mohammed to supersport.com.

    The NPFL rules states in that light that “any official or player of a club who intends to declare a trade dispute with a club over unfulfilled contract agreement or conditions of service shall in the first instance give 45 days notice to the club management stating grounds of dispute.”

    El-Kanemi currently sit in 13th position with 43 points in the NPFL standings as the season enters its run-in.

  • LMC announces new dates for Match Day 17 and 18

    LMC announces new dates for Match Day 17 and 18

    The League Management Company (LMC) has announced minor fixtures adjustment in the Glo Premier League which has changed dates for games of Match Day 17 and 18.

    Salihu Abubakar, the Chief Operating Officer of LMC disclosed the changes and said it has been necessitated by changes in the Federation Cup Round of 32 fixtures just released by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

    In the new fixtures, Match Day 17 games earlier scheduled for Wednesday, July 8 will now hold on July 12 while Match Day 18 scheduled for July 12 are now to be played on July 15. Match Day 19 will hold as scheduled on July 19.

    He also affirmed dates for the outstanding fixtures involving Warri Wolves starting with the fixture against Shooting Stars which will come up on Wednesday, July 8 in Ibadan. Kwara United will host Warri Wolves on July 22 while Wolves will host El-Kanemi Warriors on July 26.

  • Enyimba to report Tunisian match officials to CAF

    Enyimba to report Tunisian match officials to CAF

    •Alleges poor officiating 

    Enyimba FC has said it would officially complain to CAF about the level of officiating in their CAF Champions League First Round, second leg tie against Smouha SC of Egypt.

    The Egyptian side scored two late goals to eliminate the People’s Elephant 2-1 on aggregate but Enyimba are still pained at the handling

    of the match by the Tunisian match officials who gave the visitors a late penalty kick and sent Sokari Kingsley off through a straight red card and also allowed the second goal scored through ball handing.

    The Chairman of Enyimba FC, Felix Anyansi Agwu who spoke to Nationsport from Egypt said the club would officially report the

    match officials’ handling of the second leg match to stop its further recurrence.

    Enyimba’s players will return to Nigeria today to prepare for the remainder of the league season.

  • English students play friendly match

    English students play friendly match

    To build friendship among  students of English and Literary Studies at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), the institution’s chapter of the National Association of Students’ of English and Literary Studies (NASELS) has organised a friendly football match for them.

    Freshers played against their senior colleagues during the match held on the institution’s Sport Centre.

    The NASELS President, Ibrahim Yusuff, noted that the aim of the match was to familiarise members and build friendship for common good. He told the players not to see the match as a competition but a friendly exercise.

    His words: “The objective of this match is not to win by all means. What matters is not the victory for either freshers’ or returning students’ teams. It is a friendly match to make us know ourselves and start productive friendship that will benefit us academically. I implore you to play with caution and do not injure one another.”

    At the end of the 70-minute match, the returning students’ team won by three goals to two.

    A player in the winning team, Samuel Davis, a 300-Level student, hailed his colleagues for their enthusiasm towards the match, stressing that the aim of the event was not misplaced.

    “The match was a success despite challenges at the beginning. The enthusiasm of both students contributed to the success of the match,” he said.

  • Warri Wolves study Ifeanyi Ubah FC’s match tapes

    Warri Wolves study Ifeanyi Ubah FC’s match tapes

    SportingLife has reliably gathered from those that should know within Warri Wolves that the Seasiders have obtained video tapes of Ifeanyi Ubah United’s two matches at the just concluded NNL Super 4 and are studying them ahead of their Nigeria Premier League Week One clash at Nnewi next Sunday.

    A top official of Warri Wolves told SportingLife that the club have fixed their sights on winning the league crown this season and, to this length, they want to start the season impressively so that they do not labour when the season is about drawing to an end.

    Warri Wolves last Saturday dumped Burkina Faso foes, Racing Club de Bobo Dioulasso 4-0 on aggregate from the CAF Confederation Cup competition and they will this weekend face Ifeanyi Ubah United FC who recently changed nomenclature from Gabros FC.

    The Nnewi side won the NNL Super 4 after two consecutive wins over Wikki Tourists and 3SC of Ibadan, and Warri Wolves’ inside source has revealed that the management, coaches and players of the Seasiders do not want to take the Premier League newcomers for granted.

    Warri Wolves came third in the league last season behind Kano Pillars (league champions) and Enyimba who were second despite a close title race with the Sai Masugida towards the end of last season.

  • Siasia: we must show greater character in second match

    Siasia: we must show greater character in second match

    Head Coach Samson Siasia has charged his U-23 national team boys to show character and resilience when they take on the the U-23 national team of Tunisia in a second international friendly match in Tunis on Wednesday.

    “I don’t want to blame the players too much for the loss to the Tunisians in the first match on Saturday.

    Without appearing to be making excuses for them, we arrived in Tunis on Friday afternoon and immediately went to training but the weather did not help matters.

    “Most of them were traveling outside the country for the first time and you can’t wish that away. The weather was a critical issue. However, in the first match, my assistants and I noticed a number of areas we need to improve on seriously before we can say we have a team.”

    The Dream Team lost 3-5 to the Olympic Eagles of Tunisia at the Stade el Menzah, with the Nigerian goals from

    Etim Emmanuel and Junior Ajayi, who hit a brace. The team created a hatful of chances in the second half, after the first half ended 3-3, but were undone by poor finishing.

    “We thank the NFF for organising these matches because they will really help us prepare for the qualifiers against Gabon, and other matches in the race to the All-Africa Games and the 2016 Olympics. We will try a number of other players in the second match and see how things work out,” Siasia said after Sunday’s training session at the Stade November 7 in Rades, outside Tunis.

  • Only referees can be Match Assessors – NFF

    Only referees can be Match Assessors – NFF

    Nigeria  Football Federation (NFF) executive board has approved the proposal by the Nigeria Referees Committee(NRC) to set up a panel of Match Assessors which shall be made up of only referees.

    The NRC hinged their decision on the fact that 60 Nigerians had undergone training by the world football-governing body, FIFA since 2011.

    This decision formed the fulcrum of the major decisions taken by the NFF board in Lagos during their meeting.

    Some of the key decisions taken were:  “Committee approved far –reaching recommendations by the Marketing, Sponsorship and Television Advisory Committee, including registration of all NFF property including marks, logos and signs; involvement of the Marketing Department and Legal Unit in negotiations on international friendly and hosting rights of other matches; commercialisation of kits sponsorships in the interim following the expiration of the contract with Adidas; establishment of a compliance unit in the Marketing Department to protect all rights from ambush and non –compliance from within the NFF; appointment of more marketing consultants/agents in a new strategy to expand revenue base; and the establishment of an integrated Super Eagles’ fan base for capacity building using the website as a revenue stream.

    “The Executive Committee adopted the majority report of the members of the NFF 2014 Electoral Appeals Committee, which upheld in its entirety the NFF 2014 Elective Congress of September 30, 2014. In line with the provisions of the NFF Electoral Code, which states without ambiguity that the decision of the Electoral Appeals Committee on election matters is final, the Executive Committee declared that all issues arising from the NFF 2014 Elective Congress are now fully rested.