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Tag: Obaje

  • Obaje credits teammates, Maikaba for wonderful

    Godwin Obaje says he is grateful to God, his teammates at Wikki Tourists for making him have a season he would never forget in a hurry in his career.

    “I am grateful to God for allowing me to reach a new height on a personal level as the highest goals scorer in the league and also the continental ticket got by my club too. It was a difficult season for us all but we are happy that at the end of it all we were compensated with the Caf Confederation Cup ticket. My teammates did extremely well and our coach, Maikaba did a good job on the team,” Obaje told Goal.

  • Wikki’s Obaje expecting tricky tie against 3SC

    Wikki Tourists striker Godwin Obaje expects a tough encounter when his side take on Shooting Stars in a Match Day 37 fixture of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) at the Lekan Salami Stadium on Sunday.

    Title-chasing Wikki are three points behind league leaders Enugu Rangers and must take all three points against a Shooting Stars side looking to avoid the drop if they are to stand a chance of winning the title.

    “Shooting Stars are always tricky customers,” Obaje told Goal.

    “We are expecting our remaining matches to be tough, no easy pickings and that includes the game in Ibadan.

    “But we are more than prepared for what will be thrown at us. We will defend the colours and badge of this honourable club.

    “We respect Shooting Stars but they must also know that we are Wikki Tourists.”

    When pressed on his target of emerging as the top scorer at the end campaign, Obaje said: “Individual awards are none of my immediate concerns at the moment.

    “My main objective is to help my team win the title at the end of the season and we have good players who can get the job done.”

  • Everton, Obaje win August NPFL-LBA

    Everton, Obaje win August NPFL-LBA

    FC Ifeanyiubah head coach, Rafael Everton and Wikki Tourists striker, Godwin Obaje, have been named Manager and Player respectively for the month of August in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) – League Bloggers Awards (LBA).

    Everton becomes the first South American to win the prestigious monthly award as a manager in the NPFL.

    The FC Ifeanyiubah coach was picked ahead of El-Kanemi Warriors trainer, Ladan Bosso as well as Solomon Ogbeide of Sunshine Stars and Paul Aigbogun of Enyimba for the month under review.

    The Brazilian navigated FC Ifeanyiubah through difficult fixtures against fellow title contenders, Enugu Rangers and Wikki Tourists, defeating both teams 2-0 and 1-0 respectively and that feat had in between a 1-0 win at Warri Wolves having early lost 0-2 at Plateau United. This meant that Everton helped the Nnewi club earn nine points in four matches.

    Ogbeide fell short from clinching the manager’s award as Sunshine Stars took eight points from 15 in August.

    Aigbogun and Bosso, unbeaten with Enyimba and El-Kanemi respectively in August, took seven and eight points in that order.

    Obaje has now been named the NPFL-LBA Player of the Month for the second time this season after first winning the award in May. The league’s top scorer netted three goals in August, including a brace against MFM Everton, Obaje won NPFL-LBA August as Wikki won 2-1.

    He then netted another goal that could only help his club to win a point at home against Lobi Stars in a 1-1 draw on the last day of August.

    Samad Kadiri of Sunshine Stars, Ibrahim Ajani of 3SC and FC Ifeanyiubah’s Chijioke Alakwe scored two goals apiece and their efforts proved inadequate to knock off Obaje’s individual input for August.

    Everton and Obaje will be presented their awards later this month.

    PAST NPFL-LBA WINNERS THIS SEASON

    February 2016

    Player: Frederick Obomate (Rivers United)

    Manager: Kennedy Boboye (Abia Warriors)

    March 2016

    Player: Chisom Egbuchulam (Enugu Rangers)

    Manager: Imama Amapakabo (Enugu Rangers)

    April 2016

    Player: Okiki Afolabi (Sunshine Stars)

    Manager: Imama Amapakabo (Enugu Rangers)

    May 2016

    Player: Godwin Obaje (Wikki Tourists)

    Manager: Paul Aigbogun (Enyimba)

    June 2016

    Player: Emeka Nwabulu (Wikki Tourists)

    Manager: Abdu Maikaba (Wikki Tourists)

    July 2016

    Player: Abdulrahman Bashir (Nasarawa United)

    Manager: Zachary Baraje (Plateau United)

  • Obaje tags Lobi tie a-must-win

    Obaje tags Lobi tie a-must-win

    Wikki Tourists forward, Godwin Obaje has declared a-must-win the rescheduled top-flight clash against Lobi Stars.

    The top-flight torchbearers will host the Pride of Benue in today’s Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) make-up matchday 30 clash at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium (ATBS) in Bauchi.

    Obaje said the NPFL make-up clash presents his side a rare opportunity to further firm themselves at the summit after matchday 33 clash loss at ambitious side, FC IfeanyiUbah in Nnewi.

    “We are prepared and ready to battle Lobi Stars for the  three points at stake in today’s clash in Bauchi. You know we lost our last match at FC IfeanyiUbah .We have forgotten the painful loss to concentrate fully on the Lobi Stars clash. The clash against Lobi Stars is aptly a-must-win match for us to consolidate on the Nigerian summit.

    “That’s a wonderful opportunity to keep us at the top spot and we are not ready to compromise or negotiate the points at stake. We will be on bye at the weekend while our challengers will be on duty so we cannot afford to falter in the make-up clash against Lobi Stars.

    “A positive result will keep us at the top irrespective of the outcome of the matches involving Rivers United, FC IfeanyiUbah and Enugu Rangers. We want to be champions and  are ready to go the extra-mile in terms of hard work to achieve our lofty dream,” said the Nigerian marksman to supersport.com.

  • Obaje’s brace shoots Wikki Tourists back on top

    Obaje’s brace shoots Wikki Tourists back on top

    Wikki Tourists of Bauchi boosted its chances of winning the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) title with a 2-1 win over Mountain of Fire and Miracles ministries (MFM) in a week 32 league game on Sunday.

    Godwin Abaje’s brace earned coach Abudul Maikaba tutored-side all three points at stake in the match played at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium.

    The league leading goal scorer, Godwin Abaje scored both goals in the 21st and 39th minutes to increase his goal tally to 16. MFM scored a consolation in the 70th minute through Ogunye Austin.

    In a chat with SportingLife, coach Maikaba praised his boys for their resilient during the match, insisting that three points is very important.

    “The game is okay because the important thing is to get the maximum three points and we thank God that we won. We have noticed some mistakes and it will be corrected in our next matches. We are very focused and determined. All our remaining matches are very important now and we will work very hard to deserve results,” Maikaba told SportingLife.

    With the win, the Bauchi-based side now zooms to the top of the table with 53 points.

  • Obaje: continental ticket still realistic for Plateau United

    Obaje: continental ticket still realistic for Plateau United

    Plateau United striker, Joshua Obaje has disclosed to SportingLife that the Jos side are targeting a continental ticket at the end of the season after they defeated MFM 1-0 in Lagos in a NPFL Match Day 29 tie last weekend.

    Kabiru Umar’s first half effort was enough to hand the Zachary Baraje led Plateau United a crucial away win, the second time this second stanza.

    Obaje was delighted with the three points and he told SportingLife that their major preoccupation is not only securing a place in  next season’s topflight but returning Plateau United to the continent again.

    The former Warri Wolves and Heartland striker told SportingLife that with the current form of the Simon Lalong Boys, they have the wherewithal to win all the remaining league matches of the season both home and away to realise their objective.

  • Obaje relishes return on summit

    Obaje relishes return on summit

    Wikki Tourists forward, Godwin Obaje has said he is quite excited that his goal counted to hand the side a well-deserved victory against Abia Warriors.

    The Bauchi outfit outscored the Umuahia Warriors 2-0 in Saturday’s Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) matchday 28 clash at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium (ATBS) in Bauchi.

    Wikki’s new lad, Hassan Hussein scored the match opener while top striker, Obaje grabbed the winner to restore his side at the top of the top-flight log.

    Obaje said his biggest ambition is to continue scoring for the Bauchi-based side until their season’s target of being the champions is achieved.

    “I feel very great and excited for the hard fought victory that once again re-establishes us at the summit as well as getting on the scorer’s chat after a while.

    “The goal takes my total to 14 and it’s my sincerest wish to score more goals to increase the goal tally.

    “Of course, I’m not targeting anything personal at the moment but to keep scoring to aid our course of being crowned the champions at the end of the on-going season.

    “I think our top spot right now has come to stay we will work hard to pick some points on the road to consolidate the top position.

    “We wish to maintain the home record and earn some points away to keep a clear lead as we are atop over Enugu Rangers on mere superior goal difference,” said the Nigerian marksman to supersport.com.

    Wikki Tourists lead the 19-team top-flight on 47 points same points as second-placed side, Enugu Rangers but on superior goals.

  • Wikki are determined to succeed, says Obaje

    Wikki are determined to succeed, says Obaje

    Godwin Obaje is confident that Wikki Tourists have what it takes to remain at the top of the NPFL log till the end of the season.

    “Yes, I know we have the ability to stay at the top till the end of the season, we are a very hard working team and we are prepared for any challenge with God on our side,” Obaje told Goal.

    “We are concentrating on our own games not minding the team that is behind us because we know that if we are tied on points with any team, we will still be at the top because of our superior goals difference.

    “We are well determined to succeed and we got at least a point in Warri, we really thank God.”

  • Wikki’s Obaje to miss Pillars’ tie

    Wikki’s Obaje to miss Pillars’ tie

    Wikki Tourists and top-flight leading goal scorer, Godwin Obaje will be unavailable for his side’s match-day 23 clash against former champions Kano Pillars on Sunday at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium (ATBS) in Bauchi.

    The Bauchi-based side marksman, who has netted 13 goals for his side so far, has accumulated five yellow cards in the 22-week old top-flight.

    “Regrettably, I have five yellow cards which ruled me out from the match I would have paid anything to play an active role because of the opposition, Kano Pillars. However, I believe we have a good team not built on an individual who can always deliver the goods at the right time.

    “I strongly believe the good work we have done preparatory to the clash will be  enough to hand us the  three points at stake. The good thing going for us is that we prepare for our matches as a team so we are always ready to take on any challenge. Despite the fact that I will not play any role in the match the goals will come and the three points will be ours.

    “I do not entertain any fear over our leadership of the league. I must confess that we have come to stay at the summit . After we have seen off Kano Pillars we will shift attention to our Federation Cup round of 16 opponents, Plateau United,” said the Nigerian goal poacher to supersport.com.

    Wikki Tourists lead the pack on the Nigerian top-flight log on 38 points from a possible 63 after 22-week football hostilities.

  • Three European clubs chase Obaje

    Three European clubs chase Obaje

    Joint leading goalscorer in the NPFL, Wikki Tourists’ Godwin Obaje has told SportingLife that his representatives are presently studying transfer offers from clubs from three European nations of Portugal, Scotland and Turkey.

    He, however, confirmed that his intermediaries led by Rukayat Yunus are perusing the offers from these clubs before deciding on which one would be best for him and his career.

    Obaje, who has 13 goals to his kitty in his second season in the premier league after he switched over to Wikki from Mighty Jets, told SportingLife that he would continue to lace his boots for the Bauchi side until it is God’s time for him to play professional football abroad.

    He also confirmed that he will not be setting a goal target for himself so that he won’t be under pressure but that he prays he continues to remain fortunate in front of goalposts while also praising the hard work of his team mates who have been scoring goals for the team too on the few occasions he had fired blanks.