The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Samson Unuanel

  • Kwara Utd charged to replicate home form in away games

    Kwara Utd charged to replicate home form in away games

    The General Manager of Kwara United FC of Ilorin, Haruna Maigidasanma, has expressed delight at the away draw to Jigawa Golden Stars and charged the players and officials to build on it.

    The Kwara United manager on Tuesday in Ilorin, said the team needs to take its home form away so that the target at the end of the season is met.

    He said the management is fully committed to seeing the team return to the Premiership at the end of the current season.

    Maigidasanma restated that management would do all within its capacity to make sure the players and officials are comfortable to ensure the Afonja Warriors pick one of the available promotion tickets.

    He disclosed that promotion to the Glo Premier League and winning the Federation Cup remains the target of the management of the club.

    Maigidasanma was full of confidence that the club has recruited players that can give Kwarans what they are yearning for at the end of the season.

    The Afonja Warriors manager described the team’s next opponent, Niger Tornadoes of Minna as an old foe but added that the team has all it takes to beat them on Saturday at the Kwara stadium.

    He expressed confidence over the technical crew of the club led by Samson Unuanel and was of the hope that they would deliver at the end of the season.

     

     

    Kwara United drew 0-0 with Jigawa Golden Stars in Hadeja on Saturday consolidating on a 2-1 victory over FRSC of Abuja in week six and will face Niger Tornadoes on Saturday in Ilorin.

  • Unuanel talks tough

    Unuanel talks tough

    Kwara United coach, Samson Unuanel has said his side will avoid defeat at Sokoto United on Saturday.

    The 2013/14 Nigeria National League (NNL) season kicks off on Saturday in the two groups.

    The Afonja Warriors are among the four teams that dropped to the lower division at the conclusion of the 2012/13 Glo Premier League season on October 20, 2013.

    Unuanel said though his charges are not 100% ready for the new season they will go for a win to boost the side’s confidence going into the next games.

    “We’re preparing hard to confront Sokoto United in Sokoto on Saturday, we’re not yet there but hope to get to an assuring level before we travel on Thursday for the season’s opener. Nobody will want to commence a campaign on a faltering note that makes both sides and the drive that’ll shape the outcome.

    “I pray we don’t commence the season’s campaign on a losing note that will demoralise the players in the next matches.

    “We’ve recruited few fresh legs but won’t make noise about them until they’re formally ours. We’ll depend on the old players in our midst to kick off our promotion race campaign. Of course, our heart desire is to gain promotion to the Premier League at the end of the season. We’ll work extremely hard to ensure we don’t stay more than a season in the lower cadre before rejoining our mates at the elite league,” said the former Ocean Boys coach to supersport.com.

     

     

    The llorin-based side’s opponents, Sokoto United finished the NNL Division A campaign last season in ninth position on 37 points.

     

  • Sani targets fresh dugout role

    Former Kwara United captain and coach, Tunde Sani, has expressed readiness to return to the dug-out as the new season resumes.

    Sani was dropped as Kwara United gaffer after helping the team to the sixth position in the 20-team log at the close of the 2011/12 season.

    Kwara United finished behind champions, Kano Pillars, Enugu Rangers, Lobi Stars, Enyimba and Sunshine Stars, under Sani’s tutelage, in 2012. Ironically, the club lost their top flight status under his replacement, Samson Unuanel, who finished 17th on the log.

    “Coaching Kwara United in the top flight was interesting considering my position as a former captain of the team. Back in 2000, we were on top and looked good for the defunct PEPSI Super Four, until the unfortunate incident that led to our banishment to Calabar.

    “I felt fulfilled with the chance of coaching the team I captained. I look back to the 2011/12 season with a sense of fulfillment. I had a fantastic time as manager in only my first year and didn’t do badly as we finished sixth on the log. I’m confident of returning to the dug-out when the new season resumes,” Sani said to supersport.com.

    Sani had a stint at lower division side, Apa United and recorded a famous upset in the Benue State Federation Cup, after beating perennial champions, Lobi Stars.

    “Douglas Archiv was one of the players I mentored at Apa and after the Cup feat, he left for Lobi Stars. Archiv is even in the Super Eagles now which is another plus for me,” Sani told supersport.com.

    The performance of the team under Sani remained the club’s best outing since the legendary Kadiri Ikhana led the club to the continent during the defunct Super Four in 2006.

  • Kwara Utd axe Unuanel

    Kwara Utd axe Unuanel

    Kwara United have sacked their head coach, Samson Unuanel seven days after the Afonja Warriors lost their top flight status, supersport.com can report.

    United were relegated on the last day of the 2012/13 NPFL season in Lokoja after they were forced to a 1-1 draw by visiting Akwa United.

    Unuanel, who last season replaced former gaffer, Tunde Sanni was given the mandate of getting United a continental ticket, but sadly the Warriors ended the season disastrously.

    Interestingly, Kwara United were the only side that won three away games at the just-concluded season.

    Even champions, Kano Pillars, who won the league diadem, were only able to win an away game throughout the season.

    But Kwara United’s calamity began in their match against Warri Wolves in which some aggrieved fans beat up one of the assistant referees, CID Durunna.

    United lost the three points and three goals for that match and it contributed to their downfall.

    Kwara United chairman, Bamidele Aluko confirmed to supersport.com on Sunday night that Unuanel has been relieved of his duty with immediate effect.

    “We had a year contract with all the technical crew and all our staff and it has been terminated after the season, but there is still a chance for them to re-apply.

    “It is unfortunate that we have been relegated, but we will get back to where we belong which is the premier League,” Aluko said sadly.

    Supersport.com, however, gathered that coach Sanni who steered the club to sixth on the final standings two seasons ago could return to the Afonja Warriors.