The Nation Newspaper

Tag: match

  • Igiebor receives Man of the Match Award

    Igiebor receives Man of the Match Award

    Super Eagles AFCON 2013 winner, Nosa Igiebor, was voted man of the match after scoring once and assisting in another in Maccabi Tel Aviv 5-2 victory over Asdod.

    He hit the back of Ashdod net with a trademark powerful shot finish in the 34th minute, after providing an assist to Omri Ben Harush for Maccabi’s second goal.

    Igiebor pipped his teammate Eran Zahavi, who scored twice in the game, to the award.

    He appears to have rediscoverd himself back in his comfort zone in Israel, after struggling to make headway with Real Betis in the Spanish La-Liga the past two seasons.

    The victory helped Tel Aviv maintain their strong start to the Israeli league after six games as they are presently second behind Ironi.

  • Giwa, Nembe replay Match Day 18 fixture on Independence Day

    Giwa, Nembe replay Match Day 18 fixture on Independence Day

    October 1, the nation’s Independence Day has been announced as the date for the replay of the Match Day 18 fixture between Giwa FC and Nembe City.

    The replay was in consonance with the ruling of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) which on June 12 ordered a replay of the match which was earlier ruled a walk-over by the League Management Company (LMC) following Nembe City’s failure to show up for the encounter.

    Chief Operating Officer of the LMC, Salihu Abubakar said in a notice to both clubs that the rescheduled match will hold at the Rwan Pam Stadium, Jos and wished both clubs a successful match.

    It will be recalled that match officials led by the Match Commissioner, Musa Talle had performed the walk-over ceremonies and awarded three points and three goals to Giwa FC. But Nembe City appealed the preliminary decision to the NFF Organising and Disciplinary Committee citing the report of vehicle breakdown. Their appeal was upheld by the NFF which ordered for a replay.

    Abubakar said :“The fixture will provide independence day football delight to fans in Jos and its immediate environs.”

  • El-Kanemi captain out of Rangers’ match

    El-Kanemi captain out of Rangers’ match

    • Team arrives Enugu today

    El-kanemi’S long severing captain Bamai Bukar has been ruled out of Sunday’s week 20 Glo Premier League tie against Rangers International at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu.

    Bukar told SportingLife that he has some family issues to attend to.

    “I will not be in Enugu for our match against Rangers. I would have loved to be in the match but I have a family issue to attend to. I have informed the management and they’ve given me permission to stay behind,” Bukar told SportingLife.

    “I want to use this medium to thank the management for their understanding, Insha Allah I will be back for the next game. I am with the team in spirit and I will be praying for them. The spirit in the team is high and we will get a draw in Enugu if not a win. I am not underrating Rangers but I have confidence in the players that will make the trip to Enugu,” the midfielder said.

    The players and officials of the team will arrive in Enugu this morning ahead of tomorrow’s game against Rangers.

    SportingLife understands that the team left Maiduguri on Friday and passed a night in Makurdi before heading to Enugu this morning.

    According to the club’s welfare officer, Ba’aji Hassan, the club travelled with new signing Oyekachi Okoye  and Eugene Obi.

    He added that the Flying Eagles duo of Ifeanyi Mathew and Sulieman Abdullahi will be available for the match.

    “We are well prepared for this match, we are also coming with two of our new players,” he said.

  • ‘Farewell match’ for fallen student

    He died from unknown ailment during the first semester break, but David Udoetuh, a student of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN)  would not be forgotten by his colleagues.

    In his remembrance, a “farewell match” was organised by the departments of Geography and Geology

    The deceased was a student of Geography.

    The students gathered at the Franco pitch to pay their last respect to their departed colleague.

    It was a moment of sorrow for some of them, who were clad in black attire.

    The students said David’s  death was shocking, adding that he was full of life two weeks before the school went on break.

    The match ended 1-0 in favour of Geology.

    The goal scorer, Chigbo Onu, said: “I dedicated the goal to David because he meant a lot to us. May God give the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”

    The remains of the late David were buried at his home state in Akwa Ibom.

  • Nembe slam Ondo match officials

    GLO Premier League side, Nembe City have labeled Thursday’s Federation Cup match officials from Ondo State as killed joy.

    The City Boys lost to the Cup defending champions, Enyimba Int’l 1-2 inside the Akure Township stadium as they bowed out of this year competition in the Round of 16.

    The set of match officials appointed by the Ondo State FA were woeful as they handed victory to the Aba side.

    Awofeari S.O was appointed the center referee, Awosaki I.O and Raji K.T were assistant referees while FIFA Badge referee, Henry Ogunyamodi was the reserve referee.

    “At Nembe City its not our style to complain about officiating after a game,but the devilish act from the Ondo State referees was annoying, media officer of the City Boys, Gbenga Adeleye told Naijasportscentre.com.

    “They were killed joy, even disappointed their profession. Football should be a fair game but so sad the referees are not helping our game to grow.

    “After the game one of our players told me the referee said he is not aware they are playing a big team? What does that speak about our referees,” Adeleye queried.

  • LMC warns match commissioners

    LMC warns match commissioners

    The League Management Company (LMC) has stated that match commissioners were wrong to prevent accredited journalists from covering Glo Premier League matches.

    Sports journalists were barred from two match venues of the premier league last weekend on the orders of the match commissioners at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Ibadan and the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri when 3SC entertained Dolphins and Heartland played at home to Warri Wolves.

    When the journalists at Owerri and Ibadan asked why, the two match commissioners stood their ground and only allowed the players and top officials of the four clubs to enter. The referees, ball boys and the medical officials, were, of course allowed in, while others were shut out.

    A top official of the LMC who spoke to SportingLife in anonymity said no match commissioner received orders to bar any accredited journalists from covering league matches, be it closed door or open encounters.

    He said the match commissioners should not have carried out such actionss without consulting the LMC.

    “I am shocked to hear the information you have just told me. It is shocking to me that match commissioners do not know their duties again.

    “I see no reason why they should disallow journalists from covering league games because it is closed door.

    “They are supposed to meet with the media officers of the punished clubs so that he could help identify true journalists through the normal accreditation tags or their press identity cards.

    “It is disheartening that at this stage match commissioners could make such mistake. They ought to ask questions that they are not clear about.

    “I am going to prepare a letter that will be circulated round to all the match commissioners reminding them of their duties and also to tell them not to disturb identified journalists from doing their job,” the source revealed to SportingLife.

    3SC and Heartland were handed three-game closed door bans and started their suspension last weekend during the Week 22 clash against Dolphins and Warri Wolves.

    The game ended goalless in Ibadan while the Naze Millionaires pipped Warri Wolves 1-0 at Owerri.

    Both clubs are serving bans because of the unruly behaviour of their fans and officials during their Week 20 ties against Kwara United and Enyimba which ended 1-1 in Ibadan and 0-1 in favour of the People’s Elephant at Owerri.

    Ajibade Babalade, Philip Asuquo (3SC) and Promise Nwachukwu (Heartland) were also placed on six-match bans for their alleged involvement in the ensuing violence after both matches.

  • CPC to Jonathan: match your visit to Borno, Yobe with actions

    The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) yesterday said President Goodluck Jonathan’s two-day tour of Borno and Yobe states may be a show-off if nothing is done to rehabilitate the displaced and bring normalcy to the socio-economic life of the people.

    CPC also accused Jonathan of visiting the troubled states because the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors had earlier visited.

    In the last three years, the opposition party said hundreds of Nigerians in the affected Northern states have been killed with many suffering disabilities, adding that countless Nigerians in the areas have been caught in a cross fire of the crisis.

    All these, CPC said, are desirous of succour from the leadership of President Jonathan.

    A statement issued in Abuja by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Rotimi Fashakin, said: “The President’s tour of Borno and Yobe states: another meretricious expedition? On Thursday, 7th March, 2013, President Jonathan began a two-day tour of Yobe and Borno states, ostensibly to observe the relics of the unabated insecurity emblazoned on the residents of these states in the last three years. Though the spin doctors at the nation’s power corridor have, in their usual inimitable deceptive style, told the country that the guided tour had been in the plans for a long time; it is difficult to believe that the real reason was not a very infantile desire to match up the progressive governors’ tumultuous visit to Borno State in the preceding week!

    “The unanswered question remains: what has changed between the serial postponements of the President’s visit to these states in the last two years because of the predictable reason of unfavourable security reports and the decision to visit last Thursday? Was it the feat of the Progressive Governors in freely interacting with the people on the streets of Maiduguri (with minimal security presence) that made the President believe a trip to these hot-beds is possible, albeit with the aid of a 3,000-strong police force ably led by the Inspector General of Police (IGP)? It was obvious that the knee-jack response of the Presidency to the Progressive Governors’ visit did not consider the necessity of a meaningful interface with the traumatised citizenry as an integral part of such a visit!

    “The antecedents of the President in courageous crisis management leave much to be desired.”

  • Ajimobi should match words with action on Oyo ACN

    Ajimobi should match words with action on Oyo ACN

    SIR: The call by the governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi on members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN), Oyo State chapter to unite was timely and divine. While commissioning some constituency projects executed by Senator Femi Lanlehin in Ibadan recently, the governor bemoaned the existence of factions in the party. Without mincing words, factionalisation of Oyo state chapter of ACN is real, and if care is not taken may affect the fortune of the party, particularly in Ogbomoso zone. This is why the governor’s call was timely.

    If the truth must be told, the ACN led government in Oyo State made the mistake of using factions to distribute appointments and patronages instead of individual contributions to the success of the party. It appears that there was no means of evaluating the contributions of loyal party members at the local government level for onward transmission to the top echelon of the party and government for appointments and patronages. This in effect had caused disaffection among party members because of winners take all attitudes of some of those who have gotten appointment from the government.

    As the governor emphasized, it would be difficult for the party to retain power in Oyo State if the disunity should continue. This is because a house divided against itself can not stand. The governor has proved his mettle as an astute administrator with vision for pacesetter state and evidences abound to prove this. Unlike in the past, people can now sleep with the two eyes closed in the state. Filthy environment in most part of the state, particularly Ibadan has given in to greenly and serene environment, new roads are springing up while old roads are being rehabilitated, workers are getting reward for their labour as and when due. This is to mention but a few. As a matter of fact, it would be suicidal if ACN should filter away the God given chance to reposition Oyo State because of personal aggrandizement.

    As the leader of the party, he should be magnanimous enough to see everybody as his, and create sense of belonging in party members. This is the way to promote unity in the party. • Adewuyi Adegbite

    Apake, Ogbomoso.

  • AHEAD of 2013 AYC: Obuh fears F/Eagles’ match rustiness

    AHEAD of 2013 AYC: Obuh fears F/Eagles’ match rustiness

    The proposed February 16, 2013 kick-off date for the Nigeria Premier League is not going down well with Flying Eagles Coach John Obuh.

    According to Obuh, 99% of his team for next year’s Africa Youth Championships in Algeria where Nigeria hopes to defend the title won in South Africa last term out are from the League and will be match rusty if the League fails to start earlier than February 16.

    “Ninety-nine percent of my players are from the League and if the season is not starting before February that means we have to do a lot of work to put the players in shape,” Obuh complained.

    Already the Flying Eagles have been drawn in group B for the 2013 CAF U-20 African Youth Championship billed for Algeria in March.

    The John Obuh-led side will face tough teams like Mali, Benin and Gabon in the group stage.

    Obuh who led the side to win the trophy in South Africa in 2011 is still waiting on the Nigeria Football Federation for approval of his programme.