The Nation Newspaper

Tag: nasarawa utd

  • Nasarawa Utd players get N.2m cash gift

    Nasarawa Utd players get N.2m cash gift

     

    Players of Nasarawa United have been rewarded with N200, 000 by the Nasarawa State Deputy Governor, Silas Agara for beating Rangers International on Sunday.

    The Solid Miners defeated the Blue Angels 1-0 in the Glo Premier League at the Lafia Township Stadium on Sunday.

    Agara, it was learnt, made the promise to the players during his courtesy visit  on Sunday  before the match.

    “The Deputy Governor came to our hotel before the match and told us that he will give us money if we beat Rangers on Sunday. The money was given to our chairman Isaac Danladi and promptly handed over to the players,” SportingLife gathered.

    The club’s chairman Isaac Danladi while confirming the report to SportingLife, said the Deputy Governor  promised to do more for the team.

    “The deputy governor did that to encourage the players. He has urged them to work hard to win their remaining matches. The money is just a gift because it is different from their match bonus,” Danladi said.

    The chairman of the Club Owners Association of Nigeria said his lads are gearing towards their next game against Akwa United.

    “The players are determined and ready for the game. We are going to Akwa United full of hope. We will try and get something from the match,” he said.

  • Nasarawa Utd turn to Dogo

    Nasarawa Utd turn to Dogo

    Supersport.com can reveal that Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side, Nasarawa United will elevate chief coach, Kabir Suleiman Dogo to replace Mohammed Baba Ganaru as technical adviser.

    Nasarawa United are aware that Ganaru has since opened discussions with his former club and have made plans to ensure there is no lacuna in the technical department

    Interestingly, Dogo has worked as assistant to Ganaru since 2014 and has been anointed to lead the club into the second round which begins on Saturday.

    “Dogo did a good job as head coach of ABS and has also displayed good knowledge of the game here. We don’t need to search for a replacement for Ganaru since we already have Dogo.

    “Both coaches worked here and Dogo knows the players and also understand the vision of the club”, a source told supersport.com.

    In his first season as Nasarawa United boss, Ganaru finished 5th on the 20-team log following their shock 2-2 home draw on the last day with Warri Wolves.

    The exit of Okey Emordi at Pillars opened the way for Ganaru to return to his former club.

  • Baba Idris: Nasarawa Utd will compound Sharks’ woes

    Baba Idris: Nasarawa Utd will compound Sharks’ woes

    Nasarawa United captain, Baba Idris believes his side can take advantage of the present predicament of Sharks FC of Port Harcourt when both teams clash today in Glo NPFL week 16 encounter.

    Sharks have only garnered 11 points from 15 games this season in the NPFL, and they currently occupy the bottom position on the log.

    The Blue Angels have not won a league match in 1,080 minutes – a total of 12 consecutive matches.

    Speaking ahead of today’s encounter, Idris said his team will be going into today’s encounter on a winning mentality having defeated FC Taraba 2-0 in their midweek encounter.

    “It was a very good win over Taraba on Wednesday and it at least made us to believe that we can win our next match too. We were very happy to win by 2-0 margin and it can spur us to go to Port Harcourt and do better.

    “This is a perfect time to go and compound their woes because they are not doing well. We will be aiming for the full match points because they are not fantastic. Ever since they lost their coach, Gbenga Ogunbote to 3SC, they have not found their rhythm. We believe this is the best time for us to go and get possibly the three points to complement our own position,” he said.

    Nasarawa United now sitting on 11th position with 21 points are also not good on the road but Idris believes it’s not complacency on the part of his team as the league is getting better every day.

    “It’s not complacency to be very honest; it’s only that the league is getting better. You don’t have guarantee of winning your home games unlike before when you see it as a fortress that you must win. It’s only one or two teams that have 100 percent record at home. Any team can lose at home and any team can win anywhere.

    “I believe we cannot start very poor, go mid-season very poor and end the league very poor, there must be a turning point. Either you start very well and finish bad or you start very bad and finish very well. In our case we are hoping that since we have started very bad, we will finish well.”

  • Nasarawa Utd midfielder dedicates debut goal to family

    Nasarawa Utd midfielder dedicates debut goal to family

    Nasarawa United midfielder Aminu Abdulkadir has scored his first goal of the season for the Glo Premier League club, and he’s dedicating the goal to his family.

    The attacking midfielder who joined the Solid Miners from Kogi United before the on-going campaign commenced was on target for his team as they won 2-0 in a Nigeria Professional Football League match against FC Taraba on Wednesday.

    The youngster told News24 that it was his first league goal of the season and revealed what this ‘special goal’ meant to him.

    “I am very, very happy, extremely happy. But what’s more important is that we won the game and the goal was the opener,” he said in an exclusive interview with News24.

    “It was my first goal of the NPFL season, it’s for my family. It’s a special goal for me, first goal in a long time. But what’s more important is that we won the game.”

    “The goal wasn’t meant to be a statement and I know one goal doesn’t automatically give me game time. Whatever happens from today onwards, I will always try to give my best for the team and I’ll just take it one game at a time.”

    Aminu grabbed a total of ten goals for Kogi United in the 2013/14 Nigeria National League season before he was snapped up by Nasarawa United.

  • Nasarawa Utd to challenge for title

    Nasarawa Utd to challenge for title

    Nasarawa United technical adviser,   Mohammed Baba Ganaru has said his side will be a serious contender for the Nigerian top flight title in the upcoming league season.

    The former Kano Pillars tactician guided the Lafia-based side to a fifth finish on 59 points in the outgone 2013/14 Glo Premier League season.

    Ganaru said his side are determined to make up for the shortcomings of last season that robbed them of the ticket to the continent.

    “Nasarawa United will be a serious contender for the league crown in the upcoming 2014/15 Glo Premier League season. We’re still pained to have missed a continental ticket in the outgone season after a concerted fight.

    “We’ll come up strongly this term to challenge for all the available titles in the land, both league and Federation Cup trophies. We’re already on the right path with an early commencement of training and other preparations for the new season.

    “We want to atone for the shortcomings of the last season by making sure that everything is put right ahead of the season. Right now we’re still working with our regular players who did it for the side in the outgone season before we consider bringing in new players.

    “Of course, the consideration for new players will be in the area of great need and it must be quality players with value to add to the side’s stock. Nasarawa United will certainly be the team to beat when hostilities start in the Nigerian top flight,” said Ganaru to supersport.com.

    Ganaru’s unequivocal posture must have put paid to speculations that he may be on his way out of the Lafia-based side in the upcoming season.

  • Road Mishap! Club Owners sympathise with Nasarawa Utd

    Road Mishap! Club Owners sympathise with Nasarawa Utd

    The Association of Premier League Club Chairmen and Managers (Club Owners) have sent a message of sympathy to the management and supporters of Nasarawa United Football Club over a road accident involving the club’s supporters.

    The  supporters were on their way from Aba after Thursday’s League encounter against Enyimba, when the bus conveying them had an accident along the Enugu-Umuahia expressway by Okigwe axis.

    According to a statement from the Club Owners, signed by the Ag. Secretary Alloy Chukwuemeka, a copy made available to SportingLife, the association expressed shock at the incident but were, however, grateful to God that no life was lost.

    The club owners also expressed appreciation to the security agencies and all those who were at the scene of the incident, for their timely intervention in rescuing and evacuating the injured victims.

    “We are particularly thankful to the management of Rangers FC and Heartland FC who were on ground to offer assistance,” the statement said.

    The association also used the medium to enjoin  supporters clubs to provide Life Insurance policy for their members as they embark on journeys across all the league venues.

  • Nasarawa Utd target continental slot

    Nasarawa Utd target continental slot

    After preserving its place in the league last season, the Solid Miners are now seeking a top-four finish under former Kano Pillars boss Baba Ganaru.

    Chairman of Nasarawa United Football Club, Barrister Isaac Danladi says the Lafia-based Nigeria premier League side eyes playing on the continent at the end of the 2013/14 league season.

    In a chat with Goal, Danladi said the club was fully focused on returning to winning ways and had set sights on finishing the season with a place in the top four.

    He expressed optimism that Nasarawa United will earn the ticket to participate in one of the CAF competitions.

    “I’m happy that we kept our place last season. Our target this season is to finish in the top four and play in CAF competition next year. We are focused on competing on the continent at the end of next season,” Danladi said.

    Danladi, who doubles as the chairman of the Nigeria Premier League Club Owners Association, commended Nasarawa United’s Abubakar Ibrahim for his towering performance at the 2014 African Nations Championship (CHAN) held in South Africa.

    “I must commend the performance of our player Abubakar Ibrahim with the CHAN Eagles. We are proud of him and hope his exploits will better the fortune of Nasarawa United in the new season,” he added.

    The Solid Miners who finished two spots above the drop zone will kick off their Premier League compaign with a trip to Jalingo against newly promoted FC Taraba on February 23.

  • Nasarawa Utd drop three, pick 32

    Nasarawa Utd drop three, pick 32

    • Solid Miners return to Lafia

    Nasarawa United have asked three players to leave after spending 12 days in the team’s pre-season training camp in Kaduna State, SportingLife can report.

    The club’s chairman Barrister Isaac Danladi told SportingLife that the club are 90 percent ready for the Glo league season.

    The Solid Miners returned to Lafia on Wednesday after a pre-season tourney in Kaduna to keep the club in shape for the coming season.

    Danladi, who also doubles as acting chairman of the Club Owners’ Association, said 32 players have been certified okay for the team and the club are waiting for registration materials from the league office to complete their signings.

    He added that the pre-season campaign afforded the players opportunity to train well and know themselves.

    “The players gave a good account of themselves during the camping in Kaduna State. We played a couple of friendly matches which I believe gave us an impression of the team. Three players have been humbly told to leave the club after the pre-season tour in Kaduna, while we have 32 players to be registered for the coming season. What is delaying us for their signing is registration materials from the league officer,” Danladi told SportingLife.

    “We are ready for the league. What we need now is a little training to fine tune our players. I can say that 90 percent of the players are okay now.”

     

  • Yaro Bature completes move to Nasarawa Utd

    Yaro Bature completes move to Nasarawa Utd

    Speedy forward Emmanuel Yaro Bature has moved to Globacom Nigeria Premier League side Nasarawa United from C.O.D. United.

    The skillful youngster, who scored 4 goals in the 2012/2013 Nigeria National League season, is expected to add pace to a squad that struggled in the last campaign.

    The left-sided attacker, who was full of emotion while expressing his delight with the move, said he will miss the C.O.D. family especially defensive midfielder, Jamilu Muhammed.

    “My football story won’t be complete without the good way I was treated by the custodians of C.O.D, most especially a brother in Jamilu Muhammed, who is a true comrade,” Bature said.

  • N4.5m debt: Baba Alhaji seizes Nasarawa Utd’s bus

    N4.5m debt: Baba Alhaji seizes Nasarawa Utd’s bus

    Besides the 0-1 loss to Lobi Stars yesterday, Nasarawa United suffered another unpleasantness when their newly bought bus was impounded by a former player of the Lafia-based side, Baba Alhaji, who alleged he is being owed N4.5m.

    Baba Alhaji seized the vehicle’s key and refused all entreaties to release it. He then told the police officers around the stadium to take possession of it.

    SportingLife learnt that even when Nasarawa United’s players were told to enter the new vehicle, after Baba Alhaji had been reasoned with by the club’s officials and other people around, he still refused to let go of the key.

    Lobi Stars’ Vice Chairman, Dominic Iorfa, who was also at the scene, tried to persuade Alhaji to hold on till a later date, but the former Nasarawa United player was not convinced.

    No Nasarawa United official was willing to speak on the development when SportingLife got across to them.

    The loss at Katsina Ala compounded the woes of the away team as they returned to the bottom of the log with 36 points from 29 matches.