The Nation Newspaper

Tag: SHARKS

  • Ogunbote: Sharks eyeing continental ticket

    Ogunbote: Sharks eyeing continental ticket

    Sharks FC of Port Harcourt on Thursday said that their 2-1 victory over Wikki Tourists of Bauchi in week 28 of the Globacom League would enable them escape relegation.

    Gbenga Ogunbote, the Technical Adviser of the club, disclosed this to newsmen on Wednesday in Port Harcourt moments after the midweek match played at the Sharks Stadium, Port Harcourt.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sharks are currently 10th on the 20-team League with 39 points from 28 matches and with 10 to go in the season. Ogunbote, however, added that the club were poised to get a continental ticket at the end of the season, if the opportunity arose.

    According to him, the victory over Wikki was one way of achieving the objective.

    ‘’ We are happy with the win over Wikki Tourists. It was a tough one and we are delighted with the victory.

    ‘’ The victory will boost our chances of staying away from the relegation zone.

    ‘’Our target now is to get some points on the road and get a continental ticket in the process,’’ he said.

    NAN reports that Abraham Okereke scored for Sharks in the 28th minute while Ibrahim Shuaibu equalised for Wikki in the 51st minute.

    Stowe scored Sharks’ victory goal in the 73rd minute.

  • Sharks will see off Wikki —Abutu

    Sharks will see off Wikki —Abutu

    Sharks midfielder, Jonah Abutu has assured that the Port Harcourt club will defeat Wikki Tourists on Wednesday.

    Abutu, who was stand-in captain for Sharks in their 0-1 loss to Kano Pillars in a Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) on Saturday, is sure that the Tourists will suffer “at least two to three goals” defeat at the Sharks Stadium.

    “I assure our fans back home that we are going to beat Wikki with at least two to three goals to make up for our loss to Kano Pillars and on behalf of the players I apologise for our loss even though the match officials made life difficult for us in Kano,” Abutu said.

    The former Lobi Stars man, however, attributed their 0-1 to Kano Pillars to poor officiating.

    He also saluted his teammates for putting up a fight in Kano before Gambo Mohammed’s goal just 17 minutes to time ensured NPFL champions, Kano Pillars claimed the full points.

    “The team really played above average because we had a game-plan but the referee spoilt what would have been a good match. He did not give us our little advantage and he hardly allowed us play our game. We would have made a difference,” Abutu said.

    “He was just giving them all the advantage throughout the game, balls (calls) that were supposed to be ours he will give it to them so all these things really frustrated us, these referee’s should help us to enjoy our game.”

    Sharks currently have 36 points but sit outside of the top half of the NPFL standings.

  • Globacom Premier League Largesse: Commisioner buys new bus for Sharks

    Globacom Premier League Largesse: Commisioner buys new bus for Sharks

    • Ogunbote, Odinga applaud him

    Rivers State Commissioner for Sports, Fred Igwe has presented a brand new bus to Sharks Football Club of Port Harcourt to enable them prosecute their matches in the Globacom Premier League.

    The club’s media officer, Peter Abaje, who confirmed this to SportingLife said the bus was bought with what they got from the League Management Company (LMC) as part of the league sponsorship money from Globacom.

    Players and officials of the club applauded the commissioner for his initiative.

    According to them, Igwe once again matched his words with action by using the N10.5m from the LMC to attend to a need that topped the priority list of the team.

    Technical adviser of the side, Gbenga Ogunbote, who described the branded bus for the team as timely, said the players would be excited about the development and he expected them to reciprocate the gesture.

    “It has happened at the right time, we have waited for this for a long time because its over,”Ogubote said

    He continued: “I’m sure it is going to help the team in so many ways; you want to talk about the comfort of the team, the players will be proud they are travelling in their own bus and it will boost their morale. I hope we’ll be able to reciprocate the gesture.”

    Captain of the side, Odinga Odinga, still savouring his heroics after scoring the only goal that separated his team and Lobi Stars last weekend, said he couldn’t remember the last time a commissioner invested funds in the team. He promised that they would surely return to Port Harcourt with a good result from Kano against Kano Pillars.

    “It a thing of joy. We have been waiting for this bus for long, something that other commissioners could not do.

    “I think this will motivate the boys as we have agreed not to drop points anymore, and with this bus going to Kano, I think we get a result there,” he said.

  • Sharks can bite -Cooreman

    Sharks can bite -Cooreman

    Gombe United head coach, Maurice Cooreman believes Sharks are a good side despite their failings in the Glo Premier League this season.

    Sharks have consistently flirted with relegation this season but turned on the style on Sunday to beat Gombe United 3-0 at the Sharks FC Stadium.

    Cooreman had no complaints about the result and had words of praise for his side’s conquerors.

    “Sharks are a good side and I am surprised they are in the relegation zone this season. If I am to rate their performance (on Sunday), they don’t deserve to be there,” Cooreman told supersport.com after the game.

    The gaffer had harsh words for his wards, accusing them of looking lost on the pitch in the second half of Sunday’s contest.

    “Sharks missed some good chances in the first half. In the second half, we don’t know exactly what to do. I think Sharks won the match on merit,” he added.

    Gombe United are now eighth in the league log with 34 points from 24 matches while Sharks remain in the relegation zone.

    The Blue Angels currently sit in 17th place on the 20-team standings with 29 points from 23 matches.

  • I almost bought Sharks – Idah

    I almost bought Sharks – Idah

    Former Nigerian international, Idah Peterside, has revealed that he almost bought over Port Harcourt-based side, Sharks.

    Peterside, who played professionally for Sharks said he was disturbed by reports of the club consistently owing its players financial entitlements and decided to intervene.

    He was however stopped in his tracks by “several people” who advised him against the move.

    “Sharks is a club after my heart so I was pained to hear reports of the players of the club being owed salaries and signing-on fees. That’s not how to run a club professionally so I decided to step in,” he told supersport.com.

    The former Moroka Swallows goalkeeper added that he would have turned around the fortunes of the club if the deal to buy the club had sailed through.

    “I said I wanted to buy Sharks and I would turn it around. When you look around and see that players are not being paid and are also not being kitted.

    “All you need to do is ensure that the brand is right and you would make money as long as the brand is well-packaged.

    “I was told that Sharks is not a club an individual can buy as it belonged to the people of Rivers State.

    “That was how the issue was put to bed,” he said.

    Players of Sharks have not been paid signing-on fees since 2011 and the club is currently bottom of the 20-team Globacom Premier League with 23 points from 21 matches.

     

  • Sharks were lucky, say Nembe City

    Sharks were lucky, say Nembe City

    Nembe City media director, Anthony Obaseki has rued his side’s 0-1 loss to Sharks FC of Port-Harcourt in a Week 20 Globacom Premier League tie on Wednesday at the Liberation Stadium.

    Fabiyi Tayo’s 37th minute goal separated the two sides and ensured that the coach Gbenga Ogunbote-tutored Sharks started the second stanza on a winning note.

    Nembe City goalkeeper Opubo Japheth was the cynosure of all eyes when he saved a 5th minute penalty to deny the home side an early lead.

    “We have put the loss behind us and our focus now is the game on Sunday against Heartland. We played well in the game but our strikers missed scoring chances which we duly paid for.

    “We know the Heartland game is going to be a tough one but we are equal to the task. We have worked on the team and we are fully prepared for Heartland’s match. We will not underrate them, remember we defeated them at home in week one,” Obaseki said.

    The trio of Otene Johnson (midfielder), West Sobomabo (striker) and Wisdom Magbisa (midfielder) made their Premier League debut in the game against Heartland on Wednesday.

    They were part of the players the club signed during the mid-season transfer window.

    Otene, who was promoted from Nembe Feeders to the senior team, played for 90 minutes. The duo of Sobomabo and Magbisa signed from Port-Harcourt Soccer Academy and Yenagoa City Academy respectively, came on in the second half. Sobomabo replaced Ebitimi Agogu in the 55th minute while Magbisa replaced Tombiri Bina in the 70th minute.

    “We have worked on the team. The new players who played against Sharks are ready for the challenges. We were impressed with their performances and I know they will deliver for the club,” Obaseki concluded.

  • Sharks, Go Round to replay Monday

    Sharks, Go Round to replay Monday

    Based on the instruction from the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) the Rivers State Football Association has established that the semi-final match between Sharks Football Club of Port Harcourt and Go Round Fc of Omoku will be replayed on Monday.

    The NFF based on the petition it received from referees and clubs in Rivers state had ordered that the Rivers FA should play all outstanding matches within four days of the reception of the notice from the federation.

    The Rivers FA on reception of the letter called a stakeholders’ meeting involving the teams and the press in order to identify the outstanding matches. After deliberations, the games from the knock out stages to the quarter-finals were identified to have run smoothly without any hitches and complains or protests from any of the parties involved.

    In the same vein, the first semi-final encounter between Dolphins and Eleme Utd was also cleared as the Eleme team confirmed that they were convincingly won by Dolphins; whereas the encounter between Sharks and Go Round fc was identified as the bone of contention in which an ‘unidentified’ fan was said to have disrupted the game as at the time when Go Round was leading Sharks by two goals to one with as much as six minutes left to go and it was unanimously agreed that it be replayed on Monday by 3.00pm at the Liberation stadium venue of the FA cup tournament.

    Though the Sharks team had an argument that after playing Heartland today, the team may not be available for the replay on Monday. However, they were made to understand that failure to appear will lead to a walkover against them in the favour of Go Round Fc.

    It was also agreed that all things been equal, the finals of the state competition will be played on Wednesday for a state winner to emerge.

  • NPFL: Sharks manager assures on team performance

    NPFL: Sharks manager assures on team performance

    The Team Manager of Sharks Football Club of Port Harcourt, Coach Gbenga Ogunbote, has assured their fans that the Blue Angels, as the club is fondly called, would definitely swim out of the relegation waters that had threatened it since the beginning of the season.

    In a Chat after the club handed highly rated Sunshine Stars of Akure their second consecutive defeat in Sunday’s Nigeria Professional Football League week 13 encounter played at the Sharks stadium, Port Harcourt, Ogunbote noted that while it is not yet time to celebrate, the club would improve its position on the table, pleading with the fans to rally round the team to ensure that this dream becomes a reality in no time.

    “It’s not yet allelluyah. We still want the people to rally around us so that the team leaves this tight position.

    “We are temporarily occupying the place, we would soon leave there. But we need to work harder, it also has to be a collective effort. Everybody must contribute his or her own quota to ensure that Sharks does very well,” he added.

    The former Sunshine gaffer also assures the fans that they would soon have their desired team.

    “I’m assuring the fans, by the special grace of God, that by the time we finish with our rebuilding, we would have a very solid team,” he said.

     

  • Sharks beat Sunshine 1-0 in P/Harcourt

    The Gbenga Ogunbote-led Sharks gave the club’s Port Harcourt fans a reason to celebrate again yesterday in a Nigeria Professional Football League fixture against Sunshine Stars of Akure.

    A sixtieth minute goal from debutant, Chibuzor Osigwe ensured that the Blue Angels grabbed the maximum points of the game.

    Sharks whose form has improved since Ogunbote took over has dropped vital points in recent games despite the good play exhibited by the club, although with two away draws to their credit.

    A well contested encounter by both sides was however undone by blunt attacks and finishing, as they couldn’t complete well worked efforts that should have resulted in better finishing.

    Sharks’ rescue came in the sixtieth minute via a cross that was jabbed in by Chibuzo Osigwe for the only goal of the match. He received a standing ovation from the already impatient fans who were visibly praying for it.

    Sunshine’s Abimbola Samuel did not find his side’s loss a funny one and he struggled to find the right words to describe the game.

    “I don’t feel anyhow,” he began. “It’s the game of football. Sharks won, we have lost. We will go back and reposition ourselves as we wait for the challenges ahead. It’s unfortunate that a match which we prepared to pick something from, we could not.

    “For the past one week we have been on the way. It has come to this; he who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day. I will say we lost by ill luck. We also had chances but could not convert them. They had their chances and converted one, we had ours and could not use them. They were not too fantastic but somehow they have won. I congratulate them”, he said.

  • Thugs give Sharks lifeline in Rivers semi-final

    Thugs give Sharks lifeline in Rivers semi-final

    Sharks of Port Harcourt were the willing recipients of a lifeline delivered by miscreants, who stormed the pitch and helped the Premier League side avoid imminent embarrassment in the State FA Cup.

    In the first semi-final game between the side and Go Round FC, an amateur side, the game was disrupted with just four minutes left to play.

    At the time of that disruption, Go Round was 2-1 up, and sources at the stadium allege that the Sharks captain, Odinga Odinga was seen talking to someone through the perimeter fencing at about the 80th minute.

    Futaa.com learnt that soon after, a fan walked in and kicked the ball out of the pitch, and then seized the assistant referee’s flag.

    The match officials then refused to continue because they were scared there was no security and the game was stopped.

    Team Manager of Go Round FC, Soni Uboh said it was an attempt by Sharks to rob them of a place in the final so they sent their fan to disrupt the game.

    “Remember this has happened before in 2009 when CKC FC where about to take the game against Sharks and they did the same thing and Go Round also suffered the same fate against Dolphins the same season,” Uboh said.

    “We watch the European Leagues and see small clubs go all the way in the FA Cup and League Cup and that is the beauty of the Cups.”

    The state FA decided that the game should be replayed but Go Round refused.

    “How can we replay a game from the start that we were leading, but was disrupted with only four minutes to play? Uboh asked.

    “Go Round will never take part in any Rivers State FA organized competition since it is obvious that there is a grand plan from the state FA to ensure only Sharks and Dolphins play the final.”