The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nembe

  • ‘It may be different stroke for 3sc, Nembe’

    ‘It may be different stroke for 3sc, Nembe’

    It is first sunday of the first day of the new month. While it may pass like any other day for some, some premier league clubs will not want to forget it in a hurry as they look forward to picking vital home or away points to better their lot on the log.

    3SC v ABS (Lekan Salami Stadium)

    In the first game, Ibrahim Abdullahi’s goal was enough for ABS to take the full points. This is one of the three dogfights this weekend.

    ABS have played pretty football but lack steel at the back and against 3SC who have not conceded in their last two home matches, they’ll have to up their game. But 3SC have got enough quality personnel in their squad not to win this.

    Prediction: 2-0

    Akwa United v Sunshine Stars (Uyo Township Stadium)

    It’s 12 straight matches on the road without a goal for Sunshine Stars. Strikers Dele Olorundare and Izu Azuka have all left for clubs abroad and Ibrahim Ajani is struggling for form so I wonder who will break the goalscoring hoodoo on the road for the Akure Gunners.

    Akwa United look good to be all over their opponents from the blast of the whistle. The full points look so assured for the hosts.

    Prediction: 1-0

    Wikki Tourists v Heartland (Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium)

    This is a six-pointer and also one of the dogfights at the lower end of the table. Heartland have not found the back of the net in five of their last away matches.

    It does not and can not be an easy contest for Heartland with the recent form of Wikki trio, Alaba Johnson, Tunde Aremu and Shuaibu Ibrahim. Heartland will be made to work hard but will eke out a point.

    Prediction: 0-0

    Lobi Stars v Nasarawa United (Emmanuel Atongo Stadium)

    For the first time this season, Nasarawa United scored four goals in a game including Victor Namo hitting a hat-trick. Lobi with a squad full of debutants in the league this season will be wary of their opponents’ newfound form.

    Terkaa Melai, Nanen Imenger, Joshua Abanyi, Stephen Eze and Douglas Achive should be able to prove their worth in this dogfight of bottom three teams and give Lobi that lift away from the base of the table.

    Prediction: 1-0

    Gombe United v Nembe City (Pantami Stadium)

    City won the first of this instalment this season with two goals from Okiki Musampa. But Musampa like other City top stars have moved away from the team in the transfer window which has seen them sit just two points away from safety.

    Nembe are likely to drop into the bottom four after this game as Gombe United will be too much for them.

    prediction: 2-0

     

  • KADUNA VS NEMBE CITY AMBROSE PROMISES TOUGH TIME FOR NEMBE

    KADUNA VS NEMBE CITY AMBROSE PROMISES TOUGH TIME FOR NEMBE

     

    KADUNA UNITED centre-back and captain, Emmanuel Ambrose has said his side will henceforth make life hard for any side visiting their home ground in the 2012/13 Glo Premier League season.

    Ambrose, who has missed a number of his team’s matches this term due to a nagging injury but made an appearance in their 0-1 defeat at Enyimba in Aba last Sunday, said it will be his greatest joy to mark his full return onto the pitch with a resounding victory against Nembe City.

    “Of course, I’m 100% fully recovered and hope to be on duty for 90 minutes in the home game against Nembe City on Sunday. I’ll like to make the encounter a memorable one with a convincing win.

    “We’ve done thorough homework to guarantee us the three points at stake, Nembe City are not secured on the log and will surely come out tough.

    “We’ve vowed to deny any visiting side including Nembe City the opportunity to earn a point on our ground not to talk of picking three points. We’re at the moment steadily wriggling out from the drop zone; we’re determined to avoid anything that will take us down.

    “We’ll make life difficult for Nembe City on Sunday, we’ll target an outright win with a wide goal margin,” Ambrose told supersport.com.

  • Nembe may boycott Kaduna trip

    Nembe may boycott Kaduna trip

    UNPAID SALARIES

    Players of Nembe City have vowed not to honour their NPFL Week 27 tie away to Kaduna United following a disagreement with the management over unpaid salaries.

    Supersport.com gathered that the players are being owed salaries for eight months, and that the problem began when the proprietor of the club, Victor Baribote Rumson reacted angrily to their demands for the debt to be paid.

    A player, who pleaded not to be named, said Baribote asked the players to leave the club’s camp if they are not ready to play, and that they are ready to call his bluff if he is not prepared to address the issue.

    “We are tired of the way we are being treated by our proprietor, and if he doesn’t meet his obligations this time then we are ready to quit,” the player told supersport.com.

    “We have been paid only three times this year, and he is telling us to leave the camp simply because we demanded to be paid the outstanding eight months or a substantial part of it.

    “He has always been promising to pay without fulfilling such promises, so now we will not play if we don’t see the money.

    “We are aware the NPFL has given all the clubs money, and that there was a grant by the Bayelsa State government to the teams representing the state in the Federation Cup, so if they haven’t been able to pay with these funds, then when will they pay?

    “We have not trained since Sunday’s match against Warri Wolves and have told him that he should pay at least two months salaries before we’ll resume training or even consider travelling to Kaduna for our next league match.”

    The player also told supersport.com that they were owed large sums of money last season.

    “We were paid for just one month last year, and that was when we helped the club to the top flight. Nobody is talking about that, yet the same thing is happening all over this season.

    “All of us have responsibilities. Many of us are the breadwinners in our families. It is better to pack my bags and go home than to continue living this way,” he said.

    Nembe City media officer Anthony Obaseki, however, assured supersport.com that the players would be paid and that the match would definitely hold.

    “The match between Kaduna United and Nembe City will definitely take place. The players as usual would agitate for their money, and arrangements have been concluded to pay them on Thursday.

    “We will depart Yenagoa on Friday for the match. There is no problem.”

    Nembe City are 12th in the NPFL with 35 points from 26 matches.

  • Nasarawa Utd to unleash new players against Nembe City

    Nasarawa Utd to unleash new players against Nembe City

    Nasarawa United new signings will be on parade today when Solid Miners face Nembe City in a week 23 league game at the Samson Siasia Stadium, Yenagoa.

    The coach Alphonsus Dike’s tutored side beefed up the squad with additional four players during the mid-transfer window with the hope of taking the club to a new dimension.

    The club brought in two strikers and two defenders.

    The players are Obinna Eleje (striker), Peter Onoja (striker), Solomon Babatunde (central defender) and Agbai Samuel (central defender).

    Eleje joined the club from Enyimba FC, Onoja from Kaduna United, Babatunde from Benjop-Best FC of Lagos while Samuel team-up with the club from Unicem Rovers of Calabar. They were all joined the team on loan.

    The club’s Team Manager, Solomon Babanjah told SportingLife that the new players will be good addition to the team.

    “It is painful that we out of the Federation Cup. It was not that the team was bad but we lost by slim margin. We are now focusing on the league now and I believe with our new boys the team will go places in the league.

    “We didn’t register them for the Federation Cup that was why they did not play on Wednesday. They will be available on Sunday and we hope to pick something against Nembe City,” Babanjah told SportingLife.

    Eleje, the former FC Abuja striker, said he: ‘’I am not new to the game. My aim is to come and help the team to a comfortable position. I am not here to be a member but to make an impact.”

  • Nasarawa plot Nembe ambush

    Nasarawa United captain Baba Idris is confident his team can nick points off hosts Nembe City in Sunday’s week 23 encounter this weekend.

    The soft-spoken former Mighty Jets defender is optimistic that if officiating is fair, nothing will stop them from picking at least a point against Nembe.

    “We are raring to go, the boys are motivated and we feel we can do the job away from home.

    “Our Federation Cup game against Enyimba should be a pointer to this. We absolutely dominated them in the first half and unfortunately Ibrahim Ibrahim was red-carded in the second half which made life difficult for us,” Idris said.

    Nasarawa United hit Nembe immediately after the Federations Cup tie with Enyimba in a bid to rest ahead of the match and Idris says this can only do them good.

    “The team left Abeokuta after the Federation Cup match with Enyimba so that we could get in early, rest and prepare well for the match with Nembe City. They are a good side no doubt, but we can match them on their own turf.

    “We hope officiating will be fair to both sides so that the best team can win the game,” the defender enthused.

    Baba Idris, who led Nasarawa United to promotion from the Nigeria National League, also expressed his desire to help his team to finish in the top half of the league by the end of the season.

    “We want to finish the League in a strong position, and we need to start picking points away from home. Fortunately, we have no injury worries, the team is complete. A point here shouldn’t be out of reach, I believe,” he concluded.

    The Lafia-based Glo Premier League team popularly called “Solid Miners” are currently in 14th position on the log with 29 points from 22 matches.

  • Nembe City drags Gombe Utd to NFA court

    Nembe City drags Gombe Utd to NFA court

    The management of Nembe City FC has dragged Gombe United to the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) court over the use of their player, Asuquo Inyang, without proper clearance.

    Inyang moved to Gombe United during a week 9 transfer window on a loan deal.

    The club’s media director, Anthony Obaseki, claimed Gombe United has been using Inyang in the Globacom Premier League without paying his transfer fee to the club.

    He said Gombe United promised to pay Nembe before week 14 league game but they did not keep to their pledge.

    He said the club has resolved to drag Gombe United before the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) to seek justice.

    “We are using this medium to appeal to the management of Gombe United to keep to their promise and pay us the transfer fee of Asuquo Inyang. They have been using the player without paying or cleared him properly from us. They promised to pay before week 14 but we did not hear anything from them up till now. They has refused to reach us that is why we are dragging them to the NFA court. So, our lawyer has come into the matters,” Obaseki said.

  • Sharks can feast on Nembe City

    Gbenga Ogunbote says his side can feast on Nembe City in this weekend’s South-South derby, although he warned that Sharks should not be underrated.

    Ogunbote disclosed in a chat: “We are still on course as we intend to beat the drop zone before the season ends.

    “As regards the derby against Nembe City, the outcome of the game can go either way.

    “Owing to the position Sharks is on the Glo League log, most teams would want to take us for a ride as they have tagged us pushovers.

    “I want to believe that this will spur us on, so my player will be ready to feast on the Nembe side if given the chance, but I must also admit that the game will be tough.”

    Asked if it was an easy task handling the Blue Angels, the former Akure Gunners confirmed: “I must confess that it’s not been easy handling a team that’s in the drop zone as one does much of confidence boosting on the players as I try to get the best out of them week-in-week-out.

    “Our mid-week victory against Enyimba was a hard earned one but I want to commend my players for rising up to the occasion. Despite not scoring much, I feel what mattered was the 3pts.”

    Sharks seated bottom of the 20 team league with 17pts from 17matches played.

  • Nembe City storm Ibadan for 3SC today

    Nembe City storm Ibadan for 3SC today

    •Advance part arrived yesterday

    PLAYERS and technical crew of Nembe City are expected in ancient city of Ibadan today ahead of Wednesday week 16 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) match against Shooting Stars Sports club at the Lekan Salami, Adamasingba, Ibadan.

    The team’s Media Director, Anthony Obaseki disclosed this to SportingLife yesterday.

    Obaseki hinted that the club’s advance party were already in Ibadan on Monday to prepare ground for the team’s arrival today.

    “All things being equal the players and officials are due to arrive Ibadan Tuesday (today) for Wednesday’s match against 3SC. Some officials arrived on Monday to make all necessary arrangement for the team. We are fully prepared for the game and we hope we can take something out of the game,” Obaseki told SportingLife.

  • Nembe City praise Kano police lThank fans for support

    The management of Nembe City has heaped praises on the Kano State Police command for the way and manner they conducted themselves during their week 12 Nigeria Professional League game (NPFL) against Kano Pillars at the Sani Abacha Stadium on Wednesday.

    Nembe City were beaten 3-1 by Kano Pillars but the club media director, Anthony Obaseki told SportingLife that the club was surprised by the treatment and support received from security agent, fans and the State FA.

    Obaseki said his team were given a patrol van throughout their stay in Kano, stressing that the police also escorted them out of the city when they were about to depart the state.

    “It was a good game and officiating was fair too. We must give thanks to Kano fans for their support even when we were losing they keep cheering us, in fact, Kano fans love good football and the security was okay. We were given police patrol van and they also escorted out of the City when we were leaving the state. We also thanked the State FA for their hospitality,” Obaseki told SportingLife.

    “We’ve realised our mistakes in our match against Kano Pillars on Wednesday. Those mistakes would be corrected. It pained us that we conceded that margin of goals, since the start of the league this season we have never lost 3-1 to any club.”

  • Nembe to go defensive in Kano

    Nembe to go defensive in Kano

    Nembe City technical adviser, Meremu Okara has said his side will be satisfied with draw at Nigerian champions, Kano Pillars.

    The Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) newcomers are guests of the Pyramid City side in today’s Matchday 12 at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kofarmata, Kano.

    Okara said his side are faced with a daunting task at Pillars and will not push their luck too far by aiming for an outright win in the encounter.

    “The spirit among the players is very high going into the game at Kano Pillars. We’re going to Kano with a positive spirit. We played our best game of the season against Lobi Stars, we created many chances but used just one and against Pillars we hope to recreate a better performance.

    “I’m not saying we’ll beat Pillars; we’ll adopt a more defensive tactics. We intend to play 70% defensive and 30% attacking, so if we’re able to pick a point in the game we’ll be satisfied. We don’t want to push our luck too far; Pillars are a strong side and tough on home soil. Never a push-over side.

    “We’ll give the encounter our utmost and ready to take whatever that comes out of it except, of course, defeat,” he said to supersport.com.

    The Nembe-based side have picked 17 points from a possible 33 in the 11-week old NPFL while Kano Pillars lead the 20-team elite league on 19 points.