The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NPFL

  • Ikorodu Utd unveil new kits for 2015/2016 NPFL season

    Ikorodu Utd unveil new kits for 2015/2016 NPFL season

    Newly promoted Nigerian Professional Premier League (NPFL) side, Ikorodu United, have unveiled their new home and away jerseys ahead of the 2015/2016 season which kicks off on February 21.

    Ikorodu United, sponsored by GOtv, secured promotion to the elite division of the Nigerian league after spending just one season in the Nigeria National League (NNL).

    In a well-attended launch held on Thursday at the Ikorodu Town Hall, the chairman of the club, Adewunmi Ogunsanya and other Board Members of the team disclosed that the club that started as a joke, has come to futility, though it had been a rough journey.

    “We started this dream like a joke, but we were optimistic this can materialise.

    “We are grateful that our long term dream is now a reality. With Ikorodu United, football has returned to Nigeria; and by the time we start fans will begin to fill-up match venues.

    “We will be the first to sell seasons ticket. Match days will be celebration days and if you come to watch with your families, you will not regret.”

    It was also revealed that the club which was founded in 2014 started their quest at the Nigerian National League in 2014 after a buyout negotiation with Kaduna Bees.

    “It is amazing that we have just spent one season in the NNL and just a year later, we will be playing in the elite league.

    “It’s a wonderful platform for us because this is a testament that we have been running a true professional club.

    “We intend to bring back the glory days of Nigeria and people will know where Ikorodu town is in Africa and in the entire world,” he said.

    The team will start their campaign at the elite league against Abia Warriors on February 21.

  • NPFL clubs don’t work with budgets-Ezeji

    NPFL clubs don’t work with budgets-Ezeji

    Retiring NPFL veteran, Victor Ezeji has identified poor financial administration and non existent budgetary proposal as the bane of Nigerian clubs.

    Speaking with footballlive.ng, Ezeji said the culture of financial planning on match to match basis has had dire consequences over the years and called for a more detailed, long term planning per season rather than just games.

    “A major problem with the clubs; I think, is that they also do not have budgets. All they do is to earmark the cost per game weekly . When they have a game, clubs rush to the ministry with the cost of executing a game. And they return each time a game is to be played, that is so wrong and is not planning.”

  • Olofinjana blasts: If Ikhana is the best NPFL Coach, there’s a problem

    Olofinjana blasts: If Ikhana is the best NPFL Coach, there’s a problem

    Former Super Eagles and Kwara United midfielder, Seyi Olofinjana has fired a shot at the quality of oaches in Nigeria after Kadiri Ikhana’s Enyimba wrapped up the 2015 NPFL season on Sunday.

    The champions finished with 70 points and will represent Nigeria at next season’s CAF Champions League.

    Olofinjana who was at the Teslim Balogun Stadium to watch the final League game between Sunshine Stars and Enyimba was critical of the performance of young coaches in the country.

    “If Kadiri Ikhana is the best coach in Nigeria, without any disrespect to his illustrious career, I think its shame. That we don’t have young coaches who can lead teams means there’s a problem with the quality of the League and Nigeria Football,’ the former Kwara United man told www.footballlive.ng

    Kadiri Ikhana guided Enyimba to the 2004 CAF Champions League title and secured the club’s 7th NPFL crown last week after a goalless draw against Warri Wolves.

  • NPFL: No pressure on Enyimba – Thomas

    NPFL: No pressure on Enyimba – Thomas

    Enyimba goalkeeper, Femi Thomas, has insisted his team is not under pressure in Sunday’s all-important Nigeria league decider against Warri Wolves in Aba.

    Enyimba top the league table with 68 points after 36 matches, while Warri Wolves lies second on 62 points, africanFootball.com reports.

    A draw on Sunday will land Enyimba its seventh league title, while a win for Wolves will drag the title race to the final day of the season.

    Thomas said his teammates expect Warri Wolves to fight on Sunday afternoon.

    “It’s going to be a tough game against Warri Wolves on Sunday no doubt. But we are not under any form of pressure ahead of the game.  Rather we have been preparing hard for the game as we have done for the previous games,” the experienced goalkeeper told africanFootball.com.

  • Sunshine Star’s Adeniji leads NPFL scoring chart

    Sunshine Star’s Adeniji leads NPFL scoring chart

    Sunshine Stars striker, Tunde Adeniji, is now the leading scorer in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) with 16 goals.

    He toppled Gbolahan Salami and Esosa Igbinoba of Warri Wolves and Nasarawa United respectively who have 15 goals each, africanFootball.com reports.

    Adeniji scored a brace to help Sunshine beat Rangers 5-1 in a rescheduled Week 34 games in Lagos.

    Chisom Chikatara and Bright Ejike of Abia Warriors and Heartland have 13 goals each.

    Mubarak Umar and Ocheme Edoh of Wikki Tourists and Giwa respectively have scored 12 goals each.

    Lobi Stars’ Tony Okpotu has scored 10 goals.

    Last season, Mfon Udoh of Enyimba, set a new goals record in the league when he netted 23 goals.

  • NPFL title race tough, admits Sunshine Stars’ Abe

    NPFL title race tough, admits Sunshine Stars’ Abe

    Sunshine Stars captain Abe Sunday has accepted that Sunshine Stars’s Nigeria Professional Football League title aspiration is now out of his side’s hands, but promised to keep fighting.

    Kennedy Boboye’s men currently sit fifth in the table, behind Enyimba, Warri Wolves, Wikki Tourist and Giwa FC, and the former Flying Eagles star believes clubs ahead of them will have to flop.

    “It’s really a tough call here winning the Nigeria Premier League title,” Abe told Goal.

    “With less than four games to the end of the season, we are fifth on the table and that was not what we bargained for at the beginning of the season.

    “Notwithstanding, we are still very optimistic that the pendulum can swing in our favour, but if the likes of Enyimba and Warri Wolves continue their fine form, it will be very tough to emerge as champions.”

    Sunshine Stars lost to Akwa United 2-1 on Wednesday.

     

  • NPFL: Yakmut hails LMC

    NPFL: Yakmut hails LMC

    The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC),  Alhassan Yakmut, has hailed the leadership quality of the  Shehu Dikko led board of the League Management Company (LMC), organisers of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) for raising the standard of the game.

    Yakmut, who was in Ilorin for the University of Ilorin 21km Marathon Race, said the LMC board had brought  enviable strides and sanity to football in the country.

    The D-G, who spoke with newsmen in Ilorin yesterday on  issues bordering on the development of sports in Nigeria, maintained that the LMC had taken the players welfare seriously and had reduced the desperation of wanting to win the league at all cost.

    “I am very jealous of the Nigeria Premier league under Shehu Dikko because they have broken some of my records.

    “I can see determination for innovation; I can see determination to confront elements that are trying to set the clock of development of the league backward.

    “I think generally the Nigeria premier league is on the right path of development,” Yakmut said.

    The former Nigeria Premier league (NPL) Executive Secretary, said the only issue remaining to be addressed is that of government ownership of some of the clubs.

    “We must commercialise our clubs and make the government own a stake or buy shares into teams and not full ownership of it.

    “Until this is done, our clubs will continue to be an extension of public agencies,” Yakmut said.

  • 2015 African player of the Year-Based in Africa: No NPFL player shortlisted

     

    No Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) player was shortlisted for this year’s CAF African player of the Year – Based in Africa.

    This was observed in a release made available to the general public by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) through its official website yesterday.

    CAF released the names of 24 players that have distinguished themselves in the 2014/2015 season and Nigerian names were conspicuously missing.

    Former Enugu Rangers Ejike Uzoenyi was the only Nigerian included in the 20-man list last year.

    The Nigerian clubs poor performances in the season in review may not be unconnected for their none-showing in the list.

    Kano Pillars and Enyimba FC represented Nigeria at the CAF Champions League while Warri Wolves and Dolphins played at the CAF Confederation Cup.

    The four representatives performed poorly in the competition.

    Our two representatives in the CAF Champions League crashed out before the group stages for the second year running.

    Kano Pillars were dumped out 5-2 on aggregate by Moghreb Tetouan of Morocco while Smouha FC of Egypt ended Enyimba’s sojourn with a 2-1 goal aggregate win, having won the second leg 2-0 at home. Enyimba had won the first leg by a lone goal.

    In the Confederation Cup, Dolphins FC were thrown out of this year’s Confederation Cup competition by CAF for failing to arrive on time for the kick-off of first-leg preliminary of their match against Club Africain of Tunisia in Rhades while Warri Wolves Football Club crashed out on a 4-3 goal aggregate to AC Leopard of Congo.

    Nigeria’s only surviving club in continental competitions won the match played in the Warri township stadium, 3-1, but their earlier 3-0 loss in the first leg saw them crashing out of the competition, on 3-4 aggregate.

  • 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.

  • ‘NPFL form earns me CHAN call-up’

    ‘NPFL form earns me CHAN call-up’

    Abia Warriors striker, Chisom Chikatara has said his sterling performance in the domestic scene may have accounted for his invitation to the Super Eagles second string side.

    The former New Generation FC marksman is the latest addition to the Super Eagles team B preparing for the 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) final qualifying match against the Etalons of Burkina Faso on Saturday, October 18 at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt.

    Chikatara said he will strive to make count positively his first call-up to the senior national team with the CHAN clash against the West African opponents, the Etalons of Burkina Faso.

    “I strongly guess that my brilliant performance in the domestic league must have accounted for my invitation to the Super Eagles CHAN team.

    “I never expected the call-up when it came but I have grabbed the offer with both hands and I have vowed to carve a niche for myself with the clash against Burkina Faso.

    “I will work hard in training to prove myself as well as justify the confidence the coaches reposed in me.

    “Already training for the CHAN clash against Burkina Faso have started in earnest as the healthy competition for shirts is going on smoothly.

    “I believe the quality of players in camp will deliver the CHAN ticket at the expense of Burkina Faso with a good performance in the final round first fixture in Nigeria,” said the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) top scorer to supersport.com.

    The decisive fixture will hold on October 25 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso that will see the aggregate winners win the final CHAN spot in Rwanda.