The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Plateau Utd

  • Plateau Utd to sign six new players

    Plateau Utd to sign six new players

    The management of Plateau United has concluded plans to fortify the team with additional six players during the ongoing mid-season transfer window.

    The club’s General Manager, Pius Hemwan who confirmed this to SportingLife, said the new signing is necessary so as to enable the club  compete very well during the second round.

    “Although, we appreciate the contribution of every player in the team but the truth is that we will have to allow some players to go while bringing in additional six players to boost the squad. The second stanza will be very competitive and we want to come out very well at the end of the season,” Hemwan  told SportingLife.

    The Hemwan also praised the team’s performance in the first round.

    He said: “It is not an easy task to come from the lower division and play with big clubs. We tried our best in the first round and we  understand the terrain very well now. We will try our best to better our performances in the second stanza. We have identified our problems and we will try and solve it before we resume for second round.”

  • Plateau Utd player dies in auto crash

    Tragedy struck the camp of Plateau Utd Football Club of Jos following the death of petit winger,Simon Shehu in a fatal motor accident which occured yesterday on his way from Jos to Kaduna to put finishing touches to his wedding scheduled for this weekend in Kaduna.

    The accident according to the General Manager of the club, Pius Dada happened along Kafancha/Kaduna road.

    He said there were four occupants in the late player’s  Ford 4 wheel car and while others sustained serious injuries,the Plateau United star was said to have died on the spot.

    SportingLife gathered that the late player joined Plateau Utd two seasons ago from El Kanemi Warrious and was part of the team that helped the Jos based team to gain promotion to the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) this season.

  • Plateau Utd better than MFM FC – Ilechukwu

    Plateau Utd better than MFM FC – Ilechukwu

    Head coach of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Football Club of Lagos, Fidelis Ilechukwu has said Plateau United Football club were better than his wards after his side’s 1-1 draw in match day 9 of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) encounter in Jos.

    Plateau United FC came from a goal down to record a draw at the Rwang Pam Stadium on Sunday against red hot MFM FC courtesy of Reuben Bala’s 49th minute strike after Adekunle Adegboyega had put the visitors in front with a fine finish in the first half of the crunchy tie.

    Despite amassing a fifth away point in four away matches,  coach Ilechukwu feels his team were lucky to share the spoils against coach Zakary Bareje’s tutored side.

    “I want to say that we had a good game but I think the result was a reflection of how much both teams put into getting a result at the end of the encounter.

    “Yes, they had a good game because a lot of things worked for them, the pitch was a big plus for them, both sides had chances but we were quick to convert one.

    “I will not say we were superior because we picked a point, they gave us a good fight,” he told MFM FC media.

    The Olukoya Boys are third on the NPFL log with 15 points from nine league matches. They will host table-toppers Enugu Rangers in their next league match at the Agege Stadium.

    Head coach of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Football Club of Lagos, Fidelis Ilechukwu has said Plateau United Football club were better than his wards after his side’s 1-1 draw in match day 9 of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) encounter in Jos.

    Plateau United FC came from a goal down to record a draw at the Rwang Pam Stadium on Sunday against red hot MFM FC courtesy of Reuben Bala’s 49th minute strike after Adekunle Adegboyega had put the visitors in front with a fine finish in the first half of the crunchy tie.

    Despite amassing a fifth away point in four away matches,  coach Ilechukwu feels his team were lucky to share the spoils against coach Zakary Bareje’s tutored side.

    “I want to say that we had a good game but I think the result was a reflection of how much both teams put into getting a result at the end of the encounter.

    “Yes, they had a good game because a lot of things worked for them, the pitch was a big plus for them, both sides had chances but we were quick to convert one.

    “I will not say we were superior because we picked a point, they gave us a good fight,” he told MFM FC media.

    The Olukoya Boys are third on the NPFL log with 15 points from nine league matches. They will host table-toppers Enugu Rangers in their next league match at the Agege Stadium.

  • Plateau NRA Boss: Internal bickering the bane of Plateau Utd

    Plateau NRA Boss: Internal bickering the bane of Plateau Utd

    Chairman of the Nigeria Football Referee Association, Plateau State branch, Jibrin Bancir has expressed concern at the inability of the state owned club, Plateau United to become the focal point in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) due to bickering within major stakeholders in the state.

    Bancir stated this at the Rwang Pam Stadium on Thursday evening when he met with the acting General Manager of Plateau United, Pius Hemwan during their final training session before the first league game of the season against Niger Tornadoes slated for today.

    He revealed that if all the major stakeholders had closed ranks and eschewed violence Plateau United would have ranked in the same light with other top clubs in Nigeria.

    Bancir, however, challenged them to put their differences aside and support the state’s darling team so that the good old days when Jos was noted for celebrating greatness and accomplishment.

    Earlier, the acting General Manager of the club, Pius Hemwan had solicited for the support of all critical stakeholders in the game in the state to enable him succeed.

    He urged the state NRA to see his task as a Plateau State project and not hesitate to draw his attention whenever he is going astray so that together they can ensure that the team is counted as a formidable force in the premier league.

    The NRA state boss expressed delight with Hemwan’s visit and assured him of the association’s unalloyed support to ensure a successful campaign in the top-flight and that his doors are wide open at anytime whenever he needs their advice.

    Hemwan also met with the supporters of Plateau United where he pledged to work closely with them while appealing to them to eschew all acts of hooliganism as the team returns to the premier league.

    He informed the supporters club that the LMC has come out with a deliberate policy to reward any team that attracts 5,000 fans or more to the stadium while imploring them to mobilise fans to the stadium.

    Hemwan reminded the supporters club that he is no greenhorn to the new assignment adding that he would repair the team’s old bus to convey them to their away matches as the management’s support for their loyalty to the club all these while.

  • Namo signs for Plateau Utd

    Namo signs for Plateau Utd

    •Jos side recall El Kanemi duo after end of loan deal

    Plateau United have added Victor Namo to their list of players who will prosecute matches in their return season to the premier league.

    Namo featured last in the NPFL two seasons ago after he helped Nasarawa United escape relegation and also emerged as the highest goals scorer in the league with 17 goals.

    He later went to Libya where he was with Ahli Benghazi but the political turmoil in the North African nation meant that he had to retrace his steps back home.

    SportingLife was told that he initially went to Nasarawa United to reunite with his former club before information filtered in that he had left the place for Jos to play for Plateau United, a team he almost joined in 2013.

    The club also signed former Bayelsa United captain, Salomon Junior and the Jos side have also recalled Longji Obadiah and Daddy John from El Kanemi Warriors after the expiration of their loan deals. Plateau United were also able to convince former Learning FC of Buruku striker, Sunday Ngbede to remain with the club after Warri Wolves and some other clubs tried unsuccessfully to lure him away.

    Golbe Elisha is to continue as the skipper of the team and he will be assisted by Lenkat Isa while former captain of the side, Alex Gyan has been ruled out for some time on the sideline after his name was omitted from the list of registered players.

    Plateau United will tackle Niger Tornadoes in the first match of the season at the Rwang Pam Stadium, Jos this weekend.

  • Baraje hints at more arrivals at Plateau Utd

    Plateau United head coach, Zachary Baraje has hinted that the Jos side will be hoping to add few more players to their stable before the start of the new league season where they have a home tie against Niger Tornadoes.

    Baraje left Akwa United at the end of last season after securing a Federation Cup title for them and after pitching his tent with the Jos side recently, he told SportingLife that  he is still looking for more quality players to shore up the team and also add quality to the ones in the team presently.

    He said they have used their trip to Kaduna to re-assess the players in the Jos side and that instead of concentrating on the results they got during the pre season there they put their minds on creating a team that would be difficult to beat when the league starts.

  • Plateau Utd acting GM canvasses for support

    Plateau Utd acting GM canvasses for support

    • Vows to reshape Jos side

    The Acting General Manager of Plateau United, Pius Hemwam has solicited for the support and cooperation of all stakeholders in the state to enable him and the club succeed on their return to the premier league after four years of absence.

    Hemwam, who until his elevation as the acting GM was the secretary of the club, praised Governor Simon Lalong for the opportunity to serve and he has assured that he will reposition the team as a formidable force in the premier league.

    Speaking shortly before handing over to his successor, the erstwhile GM, Bitrus Bewarang while appreciating God for the chance to serve, noted that he is handing over to an experienced administrator and urged other stakeholders to support him.

    Bewarang, who is the longest serving GM of the club after spending six years at the helm of affairs, is leaving on a high after guiding the team back to the premier league for the first time since 2010/2011 season, last term.

  • NFF sends Plateau Utd controversial decision

    NFF sends Plateau Utd controversial decision

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has finally communicated Plateau United FC of Jos on the highly controversial decision of the Barr. Christopher Green-led Organising and Disciplinary Committee, O&D, to nullify the garnered points the Simon Lalong boys accrued in their match-day 14 tie of the Nigeria National League against Spotlight FC of Katsina in Katsina.

    The General Manager of the Club, Bitrus Yilgor Bewarang who had a chat with allnigeriasoccer.com Sunday said the Club has appealed the decision of the O&D and added that he believes justice would prevail.

    The O&D Originally gave the points to Spotlight FC, thereby gifting Second placed Adamawa United of Yola the sole promotion ticket to the NPFL from NNL division A1.

    Christopher Green, the Chairman of the O&D tabled the reasons his committee had to give the points to the hosts, arguing that the referees officiated the game without their wrist-watches.

    With the new development Nigerians are waiting and watching to see what would happen, as the drama continues.

     

  • Plateau Utd return to Nigeria top-flight league

    Plateau Utd return to Nigeria top-flight league

    Plateau United have staged a return to the Nigeria premier league after five seasons in the lower league following a 2-1 win at Spotlight of Katsina on Sunday.

    Plateau needed to win this final Nigeria National League (NNL) match to pip closest rivals Adamawa United to a place in the premier league.

    Adamawa also won 2-1 at Supreme Court of Abuja, but lost out on goals difference to Plateau after both teams finished on 29 points each. Plateau finished with +15, while Adamawa were on +7.

    The Jos club, who gave Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi his first break in football, thus joined Ikorodu United, MFM FC of Lagos and Niger Tornadoes to gain promotion to the top league come next season.

    In the meantime, Kaduna United ensured they stayed up in the NNL after they dumped Yobe Desert Warriors 3-0 in their final match of the season on Sunday.

  • ‘Plateau Utd officials not working at cross purposes’

    ‘Plateau Utd officials not working at cross purposes’

    The management of Plateau United FC of Jos, has said that officials of the team were not working at cross purposes.

    In a statement on Thursday, the club said that contrary to rumour that the Team Manager, Patrick Awanga and the Technical Adviser, Christopher Danjuma, were at “daggers-drawn” over dropping of nine players, “we are united”.

    The statement, signed by the Media Officer of club, Albert Dakup, said “the team officials were united, focused and determined to realise United’s ambition of gaining promotion to the elite division, next season.

    “Contrary to the rumour that the team manager and the technical adviser are working at cross purposes, the two men have no grudge against each other, as their roles in the team are clearly spelt out.

    “We want to put the records straight that the nine aged players were dropped by the General Manager of the club, Bitrus Bewarang, who exercised his powers as the technical director of the team. The job of the technical adviser of the team is very safe and there is no plan to replace him in the near future,’’ the statement said.

    It noted that the rumour was a calculated attempt by detractors to cause confusion in the team, “which is strategising to achieve its dreams”.