The Nation Newspaper

Tag: UWUA

  • Mid-week matches are killing us, Uwua cries out

    Lobi Stars technical adviser, Godwin Koko Uwua has told SportingLife that the mid-week matches are not good for the Nigeria football.

     Uwua complained of fatigue as the players are not finding it easy with frequent travels to play league games within few days on bad roads.

    “We thank God that we won our match against ABS. But I must tell you that the long journey is really affecting how we play our games. Mid-week football is not good for us and not everything you see that you copy. You have to understand that our roads are bad. And we have to travel for league game within three days interval, it is not good at all,” the former Niger Tornadoes coach said to SportingLife.

    Uwua, who helped a South Africa club, Free State Stars, gain promotion to the Premier Soccer League in 2007, said any journey that is more than three hours is usually by air in South Africa.

    “In South Africa, any journey that is more than three hours is by air. In England where they copy the system, the journey is by air for any match that is more than three hours because of jet lag.  We traveled about 12 hours to Ibadan for 3SC game on Sunday and it really affected my team’s performance, and we had to travel to Markurdi the following day to play against Kano Pillars on Wednesday. The following morning, we were on the road for another 13 hours journey to Lagos for MFM game. It is not easy and not good for our football.

    The distance covered is not favourable. We are doing something we don’t understand. I had to introduce some small boys that didn’t travel to Lagos against ABS. Tomorrow (Friday) we will be on the road again to Port-Harcourt to play against Rivers United on Sunday. For how long are we going to continue with this?,” Uwua lamented.

  • Uwua stunned at NPFL loss

    Uwua stunned at NPFL loss

    Lobi Stars head coach, Godwin Uwua has expressed deep shock at his side top-flight loss to Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC).

    The Pride of Benue were pegged 0-2 by the Oluyole Warriors in yesterday’s Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) matchday 1 clash at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan.

    One goal in each half by the duo, Waheed Afolabi and Sunday Faleke in the 22nd and 66th minutes respectively saw the Makurdi outfit go down without a point after matchday 1 clash.

    Uwua said his side may have underrated the will power of their counterparts from Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC).

    “Well the league just started though if I must lose I was not expecting two unreplied goals. This very encounter has been won and lost, we have pushed it behind us to focus and plan for the next match.

    “Sometimes you learn from your mistakes. I believe my players underrated their opposite, 3SC by allowing the first goal and another cheeky one. I’m not blaming anyone for the loss to 3SC I believe the players gave their best in the clash.

    “We will work hard to win the next match against Kano Pillars to get ourselves back to the contest,” said the former Niger Tornadoes coach to supersport.com.

  • Respect your elders in the game, Uwua tells Siasia

    Respect your elders in the game, Uwua tells Siasia

    FORMER Under 23 National team coach Godwin Uwua has taken a swipe at coach Samson Siasia for the uncomplimentary remarks he made against Adegboye Onigbinde and James Peters .

    Chief Uwua advised Samson Siasia to learn how to respect elders in the game saying Onigbinde and Peters are very senior football coaches and administrators as such deserved some respect from Siasia .

    Uwua, who is the Technical Adviser of Lobi Stars Football of Makurdi in a telephone interview with Nation sports described the outburst by Siasia against the duo of Onigbinde and Peters as ‘ embarrassing and shameful ” .

    “Siasia should stop talking to his seniors like if they are his boys  in camp . Onigbinde and Peters are like fathers and I’m very sad that a son will talk to a father in such manner on pages of New paper but if  he did not stop next time  I will take it personal and advised Siasia to shut up ” said angrily Uwua .

    On the CAF A License Course , the former Under 23 national team coach said Nigeria is far  behind because Cameroon and South Africa has taken the course more than six ( 6) times while the giant of Africa is doing so for the first saying the coaches should show gratitude to Nigeria Football Federation ( NFF ) for bringing  the course to Nigeria .

  • Ifeanyi Ubah, a must win for Lobi – Uwua

    Ifeanyi Ubah, a must win for Lobi – Uwua

    Technical Adviser of Lobi Stars Football club of Makurdi,  Godwin Uwua said he has put the 3 – 1 defeat against Mountain of Fire Ministries ( MFM) in Lagos behind him as he is looking ahead of the Ifeanyi Ubah game on Sunday  which according to him is a must win game .

    In a telephone interview with SportingLife ,  Uwua who refused to talk about the officiating said so many things played against Lobi stars in the game  against MFM at Agege stadium in Lagos .

    ‘First the match  was supposed to be played on Saturday, but due to heavy  rain, it was shifted to Sunday morning , after almost all other result were known and it became a must win situation for the home team .

    He commended his boys for putting up a brilliant performance against the noisy home supporters, saying he is looking forward to the game against Ifeanyi Ubah FC at the Aper Aku Stadium in Makurdi on Sunday .

    The former Super Eagles coach,  however, declined to describe the match against Ifeanyi Ubah FC “revenge of  Federation  Cup defeat ” which his team suffered in Calabar but said it is a must win game .

    “After the Ifeanyi Ubah match , we have only one match because Giwa FC of Jos have been suspended, we were are looking forward to winning all our remaining home matches against Ubah and Nassarawa united in Makurdi” .

    According to Uwua, coming among the top four  would be a great motivation to kick start the NPFL next season and a reward for the new management of the club, saying there is hope to still pick a continental ticket .

  • Uwua blames pitch for Lobi Stars’ defeat

    Uwua blames pitch for Lobi Stars’ defeat

    The tactician has fingered the playing surface of the Onikan Stadium as reason why his side bowed to Oga Boys in Sunday’s Nigeria topflight game

    Lobi Stars manager, Godwin Uwua has blamed the pitch at the Onikan Stadium as a major reason why his team lost to Ikorodu United in a week three NPFL match play at the Onikan Stadium.

    An 11th-minute goal by Balogun Kabir from close range was all the Oga Boys needed and they defended it all through the duration of the match.

    “You know we play more on an artificial turf and it’s obvious that there’s a great difference when you play on a natural and on an artificial pitch,” said Uwua.

    “It’s all good, we shall move on from this defeat and hope to concentrate on our next match. I know that they’ll (Ikorodu United) struggle when they visit Makurdi because the turf there is artificial.”

    However coach Benson disagreed with Uwua’s position stating that the kind of pitch you on determines the boots you wear.

    “I’m astonished that my colleague is giving an excuse for their loss. It’s not easy to play against a team who have won two in two. I knew that the match will be tough and both teams brought more to the table,” he added.

    “As regards the pitch I’m surprised that my colleague has talked about the pitch as a reason for their loss. Though I won’t want to say much on this but there are boots to use depending on the pitch you are to play on.”

  • Idoko, Uwua, Imenger listed in new Lobi management

    Idoko, Uwua, Imenger listed in new Lobi management

    Benue State Government has appointed seasoned football administrator Mike Idoko as Vice chairman of Lobi Stars football club of Makurdi.

    In a two-paragraph statement signed by the State Secretary to Government  (SSG) Barr. Targema Takema, and made available exclusively to SportingLife,  said Chief Godwin Uwua is to serve as the team’s Techincal Adviser  while Barnabas Imenger is retained as the Team Manager. The statement said the appointments take immediate effect.

  • UWUA BLASTS COACHES ELECTION

    UWUA BLASTS COACHES ELECTION

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has been called upon to as a matter of urgency set up a fact finding committee to look into the Nigeria coaches association election which took place two years ago with Bitrus Bewarang emerging as President.

    Former BCC Lions of Gboko coach Godwin Uwua who made the call, submitted that the said the election was cooked and should be investigated to checkmate celebration of illegality.

    Baring his mind on the issue Tuesday, Uwua just back from from attending an international course noted that Nigerian coaches were not carried along in the election, an indication that a huge problem exists in the coaching family.

    “I am  from the North Central so ordinarily I have nothing to complain about because the President, the Vice President and the training officer are from my zone but because of my pedigree and patriotism as a coach in this country we cannot sit down and watch things go bad,” he said.

    Uwua noted that big names in the coaching job in the country were completely left out in the election listing embattled Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi, proposed caretaker coach Shuaibu Amodu and James Peters as some top coaches that were left in the dark about the election.

    “A cooked election was held two years ago and nobody was carried along, The NFF should call the coaches and investigate how that executive emerged. There is no doubt that many coaches in the country are not satisfied with the setting so this investigation should come up before the next football season,” he added.