The Nation Newspaper

Tag: SHARKS

  • Pyagbara keeps Sharks outside drop zone

    Pyagbara keeps Sharks outside drop zone

    Ex-Nigeria U-20 star Christian Pyagbara was the hero of Sharks as his lone strike beat fellow strugglers Kwara United to keep the Port Harcourt club above the relegation zone.

    Pyagbara converted a spot kick in the 63rd minute after Saka Habeen handled the ball inside the vital area for what proved to be the match winner.

    Sharks are 16th on the league table with 45 points from 37 games, while Kwara remain in 18th place on 39 points.

    For the final day of the season, Sharks visit Abia Warriors and Kwara welcome FC IfeanyiUbah.

     

  • Omoniwari, Keke predict victory over Sharks

    Omoniwari, Keke predict victory over Sharks

    Heartland striker Fortune Omoniwari has promised not to celebrate if he scores against his former club, Sharks today in a Glo Premier League Week 34 tie in Owerri as a sign of respect to the Blue Angels and to also show his solidarity to the Port Harcourt side who are still not out of the relegation zone.

    Omoniwari joined the Naze Millionaires from Sharks at the beginning of the second stanza and he has hit the ground running since he made his debut for the Owerri side. Ahead of the tie with the Blue Angels today the soft spoken striker said he is physically and mentally ready for the match.

    He said he would like Heartland to end the season with a flourish and better than the club’s current eighth position on the log.

    “I am ready for the task ahead but I won’t celebrate if I score against Sharks out of respect for them and also their current league position. I will come all out to support my team and strive to score some goals against Sharks,” Omoniwari told SportingLife.

    Sharing the same optimism as Omoniwari of an outright victory against Sharks is the Secretary of the club and the General Coordinator, Oscar Keke who informed SportingLife that the Blue Angels would be beaten today.

    He said even though the club has had ups and downs but that they have managed to record some unexpected victories in both their home and away matches.

    Keke said the crucial approaches made to the players and technical crew would help tint the result against Sharks in their favour.

    “The players know what to expect and I believe they are prepared to tackle adequately whatever Sharks throw at them to record a home win.

    “Sometimes in matches people think that our opponents would give us problems are the ones we win but the ones we are expected to win convincingly always give us problems. But against Sharks this season is going to be different. We have made some crucial approaches to our players and technical crew and I believe we are ready for them,” Keke told SportingLife.

    Heartland are eighth on the log with 47 points from 33 games.

  • Sharks seek Wikki’s fall in Port Harcourt

    Sharks seek Wikki’s fall in Port Harcourt

    Sharks FC head coach, Festus Allen has appealed to their fans and supporters not to judge them  by their present spot on the log adding that they are poised to take the maximum points against Wikki Tourists on Sunday in a Glo Premier League Week 33 tie.

    The Blue Angels are 16th on the log with 36 points from 32 matches and are up against a Bauchi side third on the log with 54 points from 32 games and are in serious contention for the league title and a place on the continent.

    Allen in an interview with SportingLife said that they would approach their tie with Wikki Tourists just like the way they had approached all their previous encounters this season and that as an ambitious side they would strive to pick three points.

    The former 3SC and ABS coach, however, noted that they have been slowed down by the unavailability of their striker, Christian Pyagbara who has a back injury after a Dolphin player deliberately hit him at the back during the match. He has not started training since then.

    Allen also opined that they won’t have their match winner against Dolphins, Chima Akas for the game with Wikki Tourists as he is presently in the Super Eagles’ camp.

    Despite the unavailability of the duo, Allen told SportingLife that he has the right calibre of players that will do the team proud against Wikki Tourists and ease their drop zone worries.

    “We are approaching the Wikki tie just like we had played all our previous matches and we are going with the mentality to win. We know they are a good side and for them to be in the top four means that they cannot be joked with at all. We know they are a good attacking side but they won’t escape defeat in Port Harcourt.

    “We will not be with Chima Akas and Christian Pyagbara but we have other players that can step into their shoes and give us what we desire” Allen told SportingLife.

  • Emeteole hopes for El-Kanemi win against Sharks

    Emeteole hopes for El-Kanemi win against Sharks

    El-Kanemi Warriors FC head coach, Kelechi Emeteole has expressed hope of continuing with the team’s unbeaten momentum by picking maximum points when they host Sharks FC on Sunday in a Glo Premier League match day 32 fixture in Katsina.

    The Warriors have enjoyed a two-match unbeaten run including battling to a 1-1 draw last weekend against relegation-haunted FC Taraba in Jalingo.

    Emeteole popularly called ‘Caterpillar,’ told www.npfl.ng that the Borno state team must come up with their big game attitude if they are to win at home against a Sharks side battling relegation. He added that teams in the lower rung of the league are dangerous and very difficult to play as they come fighting for whatever they can get without fear or favour.

    ‘Caterpillar,’ who joined El-Kanemi two months ago on a rescue mission, said the team have what it takes to retain their Glo Premier League status considering the way they have gradually climbed away from the relegation zone despite an attitude of wilting away when playing teams in the lower half of the table only to rise to the occasion when faced with big teams.

    “Our match against Sharks of Port-Harcourt is another crucial match, forget the fact that they are in the struggling line. We don’t want to lose points because we don’t want to allow any team to overtake us.

    “I don’t think we would take them for granted, teams like these are very difficult to beat. Looking at the way we outplayed Enyimba in our last home game we ought not to be where we are. I’m hopeful that we would get a good result. I would work with what I have to ensure that we get the required result,” he said.

    Commenting on the draw against FC Taraba, Emeteole said: “We managed to get a point in our match against FC Taraba but I was still not happy because we did not play up to our expectation. We were giving away the ball and doing things very casually. Every department was faulty, the defence was relaxed, the attack were not biting, we would work on the whole team and put them on their toes.

    “I’m happy that Lobi Stars also drew their last match because they are the team closest to us. If they had won, they would have moved above us. But still we retained our position and if we continue picking results like this, we would survive relegation.”

  • Dolphins’ striker Asamoah wants Sharks’ scalp

    Dolphins’ striker Asamoah wants Sharks’ scalp

    SIX goals hero for Dolphins this season, Godbless Asamoah wants his 7th and maybe 8th on Sunday against Sharks in the Port Harcourt derby.

    Asamoah did not play for Dolphins until Match Day 10 against FC Taraba in Jalingo.

    He has also been out injured on two occasions totaling eight match days, yet has managed six goals for his side this season.

    Now he wants to score the goals that will give his side maximum points against neighbours, Sharks on Sunday.

    “Remember, my first ever goal for Dolphins was against Sharks at our home. Now I pray to God that I can do same at their home,” Asamoah said.

    “It’s a local derby. Remember the last time I scored against Sharks was my first goal in the Nigerian league so I believe I can do same again as we continue on our way to escaping relegation,” the Ghanaian striker said.

    After he made his debut for the club against FC Taraba, he told DolphinsFCMedia that he planned to either finish top scorer in the league or at least for the club.

    “The league is still going on and I know if I cannot be league top scorer, then I can be for Dolphins, just like Emem (Eduok) did last season.

    “Then after this season, I can continue my goals adventure next season,” he said.

    The last five encounters between both sides have ended in four draws and a 2-1 win to Sharks in 2013.

  • Odinga calls for Sharks’ focus

    Sharks captain, Odinga Odinga has said  the Blue Angels ‘had no business’ losing to table toppers, Sunshine Stars on match day 21 of the Nigeria Professional Football League.

    Charles Aggrey and Tunde Adeniji  scored as the Owena Waves sunk the Sharks 2-0 at the Akure Township Stadium on Thursday.

    Odinga, however ,believes the defeat could have been easily avoided and has warned his teammates to improve in subsequent matches if relegation is to be avoided.

    “Thursday’s result against Sunshine Stars was not a true reflection of the game. We had no business losing that game and only lost simply because we did not take our chances,” Odinga told supersport.com.

    The veteran spoke about the chances of his side avoiding the drop at the end of the season.

    “Sharks will not be relegated. In the next five matches at most, we will leave the relegation zone but everybody must show seriousness. The fans must continue to exercise patience because without that, things could be difficult. They must turn out in their numbers to support us when we face Enugu Rangers on Sunday,” he said.

    Sharks are in 17th in the NPFL standings with 21 points from 21 games.

  • Thambe looks beyond Sharks’ turbulent times

    Thambe looks beyond Sharks’ turbulent times

    Sharks’ new goalkeeper, Thambe Charles remains optimistic that the Port Harcourt based side will post better results in the second half of the Glo Premier League season.

    The Cameroonian goalkeeper just four months old in the country has watched his new team endure a turbulent first half of the League season, three wins in 19 games, spending the greater percentage of the first half at the foot of the table and having three handlers oversee the side within the period.

    Ironically, the goalkeeper himself has had a promising start to this career with the club. His first appearance for Sharks was a 2-0 win at a pre-season tournament in Ijebu Ode, a tournament they eventually won. His League debut was in his side’s 2-2 draw with Lobi Stars in Makurdi, a game he stopped a penalty in the closing stages to ensure they went home with a point.

    “I must say that it has been a very difficult period for Sharks Football Family,” the 21-year old revealed, in a recent chat with www.npfl.ng.

    “We played about fifteen games and we only had one win so it was very frustrating, more so for me, as a newcomer in the team. We had many set-backs and things were really looking bleak.

    “We weren’t getting it right. As a team we play very well but sometimes at the dying minutes or sometimes at the start of the match we lose concentration. We just need to stay focused and we can turn things around.”

    In truth, just before the break, there were signs of a resurrection; back to back wins for the first time this season, away at Illorin and at home to Abia Warriors and Thambe believes they can build on that and keep the momentum and thus move away from the lower regions of the table.

    “We are a good side with young players and I believe with continued hard work, Sharks will have the last word to say in this Championship. We play very well, so we will surely get it right. Going into the second phase of the Championship, I am confident that we will overturn many teams in the League.

    “I say this because the way we train, the way we play matches, I’m confident that we can get results against a lot of teams in the second phase of the Championship. We will create many problems for the other teams, we are working our weaknesses and I know we will be a force in the second half,” Thambe promised.

    “Sharks fans should not be worried,” The goalkeeper continued, “they should come out massively and stay behind the team, keep supporting the team, we are not getting relegated this season. In fact our eyes are on a Continental ticket.”

    Thambe last played for Cameroonian side Njalla Quan Sports Academy NQSA in the Cameroonian top flight and has represented his country at the Under-17 level. He has featured fifteen times in the League for Sharks since his signing and has five clean sheets to his account.

  • Sharks fail to advance

    Sharks fail to advance

    Sharks’ desire to navigate to the finals of this year’s Federation Cup hit the rocks with a bang Wednesday after the Garden City side were stopped by Premier league side Heartland.  Both teams had been tipped to produce fireworks being equally marched premiership sides with lots of experience in the kitty.

    It was, however, Bright Ejike’s 42nd minute goal that separated the two teams handing the Owerri landlords ticket into the round of 16 as they dream of going all the way to the final once more.

    Heartland described tie which took place in Calabar and the result achieved thereof as a huge relief. “It’s all over! We’ve gotten our pound of flesh,” the Nazi Millionaires confirmed.

    The victory is a personal plus for Bright Ejike who has been relishing his 9 goals in the league before Wednesday’s strike that came when it mattered most. Sharks last made it to the final of the Federation Cup in 2009 when they confronted Enyimba losing by a lone goal. Incidentally both Enyimba and Sharks will watch remaining proceedings of this year’s Federation Cup from the sidelines.

  • Sharks declare Olaoke, Fabiyi missing

    Sharks declare Olaoke, Fabiyi missing

    The Management of Sharks FC have declared two of its players missing from the club. They are Yomi Olaoke and Tayo Fabiyi.

    The General Manager of the team, Okey Kpaluku, who made this known in a statement made available to SportingLife by the club’s media officer, Peter Abaje, said  both players were last seen in camp after week 11 and 12 encounters in the league respectively.

    Kpaluku said the disappearance of both players, has further depleted the struggling side and wondered why the players will leave the club without informing the  officials despite the challenges facing the team.

    “How can players just disappear from camp without taking permission from the Management or Technical Crew.”

    “We cannot give account of the whereabout of these two players and just imagine the negative impact in the team, the season has been pretty rough for us,” Kpaluku said.

    He added that the players should know they have a contract with the club and as such have no choice but to return to camp.

  • Green fears for Sharks, Dolphins

    Green fears for Sharks, Dolphins

    Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) executive committee member Chris Green has raised concerns about the possible relegation of Sharks and Dolphins, two clubs close to his heart.

    Dolphins are in 18th position on the Nigerian Premier League table while Sharks are in last place, with both clubs facing the very real possibility of suffering the drop this term.

    Green, though, still hopes to see improvements in the form of both teams as the league nears its halfway mark.

    “I grew up in Port Harcourt as a fan of Sharks where I also served as club secretary for quite a while,” Green told SuperSport.

    “During my time as Rivers State sports commissioner, Dolphins achieved quite a lot, so I am naturally quite attached to both clubs. Seeing both clubs suffer this much this early in the season makes my heart bleed and it’s my opinion that urgent measures must be taken to stop the rot.”