The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NNL

  • NNL tasks club owners over poor welfare

    NNL tasks club owners over poor welfare

    • Independent assesors to monitor the games

    Barely one week to the start of the new football season, the Nigeria National League (NNL) has read the riot act to the sponsors and owners of the participating clubs to take the welfare of the players and officials very serious or face severe sanctions.

    The body through its Chairman, Organisng / Disciplinary Committee, Emmanuel Ochiagha has stated that clubs who owe their players and officials will henceforth face sanctions of high proportion.

    He disclosed that the NNL will come down heavily on clubs that are in the habit of owing their players and officials, adding that such clubs may receive sanctions ranging from fines to expulsion from the league.

    “Owing players and officials their salaries and other entitlements will henceforth attract severe penalties. This has been explained to the clubs at the last December Annual Clubs Congress held in Abuja.

    “We at the NNL will like to see a change of attitude or defaulters will be sanctioned. This is the way to go and we mean business this time around”.

    Meanwhile, Ochiagha has also revealed that the NNL’s independent assessors will monitor match proceedings every match day at the venues to ensure that there is a level playing ground for every club throughout the league season.

    He said: ‘’We want to ensure that the league does not suffer any blight and for this reason we will deploy independent assessors to monitor match officials, players, officials and fans at every match venue”.

    The football administrator also disclosed that the NNL on its part will ensure that match officials arrive at their destinations on time while host teams will be encouraged to assist the officiating officials to discharge duties without any hinderance.

    ‘’The introduction of the branded official match-balls is part of our (NNL) deliberate efforts to make the league appealing to the fans and sponsors. We want to set the pace’’, Ochiagha said.

  • Enyimba, El Kanemi, Sunshine, others want NNL hotshot, Abdulmalik

    Enyimba, El Kanemi, Sunshine, others want NNL hotshot, Abdulmalik

    Nigeria National League hotshot, Mohammed Abdulmalik, has disclosed that he was not in any rush last season to sign a new contract with his current club, Taraba United but would rather study all the offers before deciding on where to go to.

    Abdulmalik’s goals were instrumental to Taraba United’s top flight status for the first time in their history and with the current delay by the Chairman of the club, Tijani Babangida, to offer him a new contract the Kaduna born player has said that he was yet to make up his mind on his next move.

    As at the last count, Enyimba, El-Kanemi Warriors and Sunshine Stars had all made solid enquiries about the goal-poacher ahead of the next premier league season from what the player told SportingLife.

    Abdulmalik said he is thrilled to be linked with those big clubs but that he won’t make any hasty decision that may draw his career back by at least a year.

    “I am happy to be linked with Enyimba, Sunshine Stars and El-Kanemi Warriors. They are all good clubs but I am still studying the package they have for me first before I can then make a decision on my future.

    “I have done my bit in the lower league and I believe it is the time to move up in my career,” Abdulmalik who fired over 12 goals to help Taraba United grab a premier league ticket last season, told SportingLife.

  • Tornadoes plot to crush Chan Eagles

    Tornadoes plot to crush Chan Eagles

    Niger Tornadoes coach, Hamza Azeez has promised Super Eagles Team B the toughest game of their lives.

    The African Nations Championship (CHAN) bound side will engage the Nigeria National League (NNL) Division A side in a build-up match on Wednesday at the Mainbowl of the Abuja National Stadium.

    Azeez said his wards’ winning aura at the just concluded 17-team pre-season tournament in Kaduna is the same mentality they will unleash on the Super Eagles.

    “We’re preparing strongly to give the Super Eagles the toughest game so far in their preparations for the African Nations Championship.

    “Our target is to make something out of the rare opportunity the encounter offers us at least to further project our players to national limelight.

    “We’re preparing for an outright victory in the encounter, a draw will be unacceptable to us with the approach we will bring into the game.

    “We just came back from the pre-season tournament in Kaduna which we emerged the overall winners, I think the tournament has adequately prepared us for the game against the Eagles,”Azeez said to supersport.com.

    The Minna-based side that finished the out gone season in 12th position on 36 points will be using the encounter to further strengthen their squad for the start of the new season on January 25 while the Super Eagles are building up for the CHAN holding in South Africa from January 11 to February 1.

    The Eagles, who had at the weekend beaten NNL promoted side, Prisons FC 4-1 as part of their test match heading to the biennial football event, will compete in Group A at the CHAN event together with the hosts, South Africa, Mali and Mozambique. Their first game will be against West African foes, Mali.

  • Biffo still team chief coach — Giwa FC

    Biffo still team chief coach — Giwa FC

    The management of Giwa Football Club of Jos on Monday said it was not shopping for a new coach to replace its Chief Coach, Abdullahi Biffo. The club, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Yemi Mathew, said Biffo had not been sacked.

    “There is no vacancy in the club as being speculated in some quarters. Biffo is still our head coach. We don’t have a plan for now to drop our head coach or any member of the technical crew which made the club proud by leading the team to promotion to the Nigeria Professional Football League last season,’’ the statement added.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Giwa FC secured promotion from the Nigerian National League (NNL) to the premier league at the end of last season. The club also won the NNL Super Four trophy in Abuja.

  • Sapele Invitational Tourney: Rangers battle Enyimba, Bayelsa, Wolves

    Sapele Invitational Tourney: Rangers battle Enyimba, Bayelsa, Wolves

    By Taofeek Babalola

     

    Rangers International FC of Enugu will participate in a six-day invitational tourney in Sapele from November 26th to 30th, SportingLife can reveal.

    The competition, which kicks off today will involve eight teams from the Glo Premier League and Nigeria National League (NNL).

    Apart from Rangers, Enyimba, Warri Wolves, Dolphins and Bayelsa United are the Glo League teams in the tourney while J. Atete, Coliphel Football Academy and Ejele Football Academy from the lower cadre will partake in the six-day tourney.

    The club’s Director of Publicity, Foster Chimem, who confirmed the report to SportingLife, said the Enugu-based side is willing to use the tourney to assess its new players ahead of the coming season.

    Chime also told SportingLife that the Flying Antelopes are planning pre-season friendly matches in China and Nigeria including two weeks closed door camping in Anambra State.

    The club will also have a stakeholders parley and seminar before the commencement of the new season.

    “I think it is a good thing to have pre-season activities to keep our players in shape. It will give us the opportunity to test the new players that are coming into the team ,” Chime told SportingLife.

    “It will provide an avenue for the new coach to put the players to test and understand them very well. This is the first competitive game since John Obuh took over the team. And playing teams like Bayelsa United, Warri Wolves, Enyimba and Dolphins will be a good way to start for the coach (Obuh).

    “We have all other plans for our players too. We are planning to go to China for the pre-season tourney as well. We have good plans for the coming season because we want to improve on our last season achievement.”

     

  • Ogbe stays put at Mighty Jets

    Ogbe stays put at Mighty Jets

    Mighty Jets head coach, Bernard Ogbe has said he wants to complete the good work started at the Tin City side in the upcoming 2013/14 Nigeria National League (NNL) season.

    The former Gombe United coach joined the Jos-based side mid-season and worked assiduously hard to rescue the side from imminent relegation in the out gone season by finishing high on the fifth position on 40 points in NNL Division A.

    Ogbe said he likes challenges and has offered to stay back at the side to ensure the dreams of the management are realised.

    “I’ll stay with the Nigeria National League (NNL) side, Mighty Jets for this season. I like it that way, different settings and challenges as I’m the type of coach that likes challenges and I can work anywhere any place.

    “I joined the side 10 matches to go in the last season when they’re rooted fourth from behind and deep into the relegation water.

    “They discovered that I was available and beckoned on me for a rescue mission and we fought hard finishing the season on respectable fifth position on 40 points.

    “I want to stay back to consolidate on the gains of last season and see what we can achieve this term.

    “I’ve been far away from my family in the past right now I want to be close to them so as to be able to quickly attend to urgent family matters. I think the environment as it’s in Mighty Jets at the moment suits me.

    “Of course, every side set targets for themselves but I don’t like making categorical statement. I don’t like to sound too loud but to go about my work quietly and allow result on the field of play to speak for itself.

    “We’ve our target for the upcoming NNL season but I’ll rather go about it quietly believing that at the end of the day we’ll be satisfied with what we’re able to achieve,” Ogbe said to supersport.com.

    Jets are among the four teams that campaigned for laurel in the NNL Division A together with promoted side, Giwa FC, Plateau United and Juth FC.

  • Giwa, Crown settle scores today

    Giwa, Crown settle scores today

    • Abia Warriors, FC Taraba too

    After weeks of tough talks by the participating clubs, all is set for the Super Four football fiesta packaged by the Nigeria National League (NNL) to determine the true winner of the second tier league as four teams were promoted to the elite cadre at the end of the regular season last month.

    Tagged 2013 Champions Cup Competition, all the participating clubs are already in Abuja for the showdown which will take place at the synthetic pitch of the FIFA Goal Project Center, Package B, Abuja National Stadium from yesterday (Tuesday) to Thursday.

    Runaway winners of Division A, Giwa FC of Jos are set to open hostilities with Division B runners-up, Crown FC of Ogbomosho in the first match billed for 2.00 pm today, while tough-talking Abia Warriors of Umuahia, winners of Division B will square up by 4.00pm against FC Taraba that came second in Division A.

    With two matches in a day, fans will be treated to a lot of football skills as the players will show what stuff they are made of from the first game to the epic final on Thursday at the same venue.

    The league board had already concluded arrangements to present the winning team the coveted trophy at the venue while other categories of awards will be presented to deserving teams, officials and individuals on the last day.

  • Abimbola confident of success

    Abimbola confident of success

    Newly-appointed Prime FC coach, Samuel Abimbola has said he will deliver the goods in his care safely at the end of the 2013/14 Nigeria National League (NNL) season.

    The former Sunshine Stars coach was handed the mantle of leadership at the Osogbo-based side on Sunday to guide the side in their ambitious plan to gain promotion to the top flight next season.

    Abimbola said he has accepted the challenge with both hands to guide the 2012 Federation Cup bronze winners for a place in the Premier League.

    “For every challenge that comes my way, I always table it before God for counseling and direction and I discovered that I’ve never failed in such ventures. We’ll work extremely hard towards the realisation of the lofty dream of guiding the side to gain promotion to the Premier League.

    “I’ll deliver the goods successfully at the end of the season, the people of Osogbo are peaceful. Their supporters are mature and not the type that put the coaches under unnecessary pressure, I don’t have any fear with their cooperation we’ll achieve a lot for the side.

    “I’ve done some skeletal work with the side leading to careful selection of 36 players after a thorough three-week screening exercise. We’ll still trim down the size to more manageable proportion for our campaign in the upcoming season. I’m happy to report that I like what I met on ground. What we need is God’s grace and hard work to achieve the target set for us by the management of the side,” said the former Flying Eagles assistant coach to supersport.com.

    Prime FC finished poorly with 32 points in 12th position in the 2012/13 Nigeria National League (NNL) season Division B 14-team format.

  • Ranchers Bees hail NNL baord

    THE Chairman of Ranchers Bees FC Abdulazzeez Mohammed has applauded the board of the Nigeria National League (NNL) for sticking to its rules.

    He said: “If rules are made for the league and they are applied, the corporate world willl trust the organisers of the league and it will be easier for them to patronise the league and clubs.

    “This is what we have been talking about, when there is encroachment, battering of referees and other acts which the rules frown at, penalties in the rules and regulations should be applied.

    “You can sight a lot of examples this season where the league board has played by the rules and I know come next season, all the clubs will be cautious and it will make the league a very interesting one.”

    Abdulazeez also addressed the players after their training session on Thurday and told them to remain steadfast,work hard and be prayerful.

    “We are in a crucial moment, hard work is good, but you have to keep your self holy for this period.

    “The Super Eagles were prayerful and disciplined, that gave them the Nations Cup.

    “For the muslims fasting, put the club in your prayers and for the christains too, pray for the club. A lot of goodies await you at the end of the day,” he said.

    Ranchers Bees got three points and three goals from JUTH FC of Jos for encroachment in the Week 26 league match.

    The Kaduna side now have 43 points with a plus seven goals difference.

    Meanwhile, the club has also sent its condolence to the General Manager of Plateau United Bitrus Bewarang on the passing away of his wife Veronica Bewarang who died last week in Jos at the age of 54.

    Abdulazzeez said it was a big loss to the family and the whole of Plateau State and Nigeria considering the stability she brought to Bewarang which had an indirect positive effect on football in Nigeria generally.

    He said: “The greatest bond of relationship we have is the one that exists between a husband and wife and the breaking of that bond no doubt brings unspeakable pain.”

  • Crown scoop three NNL Award

    : Commissioner congratulates team

    Crown Football Club of Ogbomoso have won three awards in three of the four categories of the Nigeria National League (NNL) award for the month of January in both group A and B.

    The League Award Committee named the Oyo State representative as the Best Club for the Month of January, the club’s Technical Adviser Oladunni Oyekale received the Best Coach gong, while the club’s striker Lekan Agunloye, who has scored 4 goals so far this season, emerged the Best Player of the Month.

    The Oyo State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Adedapo Lam-Adesina has congratulated Crown FC of Ogbomosho on the award.

    The Commissioner, who praised the renewed spirit of the players, technical crew and the management of the club, said he is happy with the pace at which the team has recorded progress in recent weeks and challenged them to continue the winning streak.

    In his reaction, club chairman, Noah Bello expressed delight with the league board for its unbiased judgment.

    He promised that the honour will propel the team to do more, while he appreciated the Oyo Government for prompt funding of the club. Bello dedicated the award to the fans and supporters of the club across the nation.